Straits Talking

Summer Issue 11 Straits International April 20th, 2018 School Penang

STRAITS TALKING

Doctor – Zen Soldier – Jia King He

Inventor – Kaesav

Teacher – Miner – Mahitakiran Lohithya FEATURE STORIES

Athletics Weekend…………………………………..5 Secondary Student Council……..……….…..….6 Nurse – Pilot – Duke of Edinburgh Awards …..……….………..9 Vishal Lahari

INSIDE THIS ISSUE What do you want to be when you grow up? Principal’s message………………………..………2 Upcoming dates……...... ……....……….…..…2 EYFS……….….. ………..…………….….….………..2 Businessman Doctor – Years 1 and 2...... 3 – Lewis Aashna Years 3 and 4...... 4 Year 5 and 6…………………………………………..5 Sports Report.…….…………………..….………...6 Teacher – Natalie Professor of SPOTLIGHT ON… Nurse – Music -  Activity Spotlight on Felt Craft Policeman Nicole – Vincent Vaishnavi  Teacher Spotlight on Mr Mike  Subject Spotlight on Maths

 Subject Spotlight on Art Soldier – Artist – Tricia Subject Spotlight on Mandarin Kunal

12th issue available May 4th!

Teacher Editor: Ms Linh Dang Scientist – - Lele [email protected] Kaylene

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL, Ms Karlie Walsh

Welcome to the first issue of our newsletter for Term Three! As we are at the start of a new term, I would like to cele- brate our previous term and what we are looking forward to.

Last term, we had an exciting term where our students enjoyed their lessons and demonstrated their ever increasing knowledge in our successful mid-year exam period! The checkpoint and iGCSE mock exam results were impressive and bode well for our upcoming exams. The Year 11s also took part in their final study skills workshop with Elevate Education who have hosted workshops all year for our Year 6, 9, 10 and 11 students to prepare them for the upcoming exams.

To support our students’ learning, our teachers always focus on their own professional development. Teachers have provided outstanding workshops to share their excellent teaching approaches and practices. This has been exceptionally beneficial for staff providing and attending the workshops. Alongside our in-house training, some of our staff attended the annual AIMS conference (Association of International Malaysian Schools) at HELP International School in Kuala Lumpur in March. Some of our teachers presented teacher training to other teachers within the association, along with all of the team taking part in workshops on a variety of topics. As our school is becoming a Google Classroom School next academic year, I focused my workshops on gaining more information on the related topics to guide our school through this exciting transition!

Our students have had many events and celebrations last term. We celebrated Chinese New Year with activities, a bake sale and Kuih Kapit workshops organised by our Parent Teacher Support Group. Book Week, Pi Day and International Day were also enjoyed by our school community, along with the House Athletics Day and House Basketball Day. This term, we will be introducing our first Art Exhibition and Science Fair; as well as the Parent Teacher support group hosting their final event of the year…all will be revealed soon!

Our final celebrations from last term were our entries and successes in a variety of academic competitions. Our History Bowl teams achieved second and third place in the national championships and are off to Thailand in June for the South East Asian finals.

The World Scholars’ Cup occurred during the recent holidays at POWIIS and USM where all our students went through to the national round in Kuala Lumpur! They had to take part in debating, essay writing and a quiz section, among many other skills to succeed; and our Straits students excelled in all areas. The school community are very proud of all our competition contestants!

I am looking forward to the final term of the academic year as I know that it will bring more learning, trips and events to enjoy!

As always, please come and see me at any time.

NURSERY— with Ms Devi

SIS DIARY

Friday April 20th— Saturday 21st

Penang Music Festival

Monday April 23rd

Checkpoint Maths exam

Tuesday April 24th

U13 & U15 Boys Football vs Tenby

Thursday April 26th

Checkpoint Science exam Welcome back after the Easter break! We hope you had a Monday May April 30th -M a y 1 st fun couple of weeks off and are ready to begin the sum- No school mer term. We have a total of 3 new students joining us.

Wednesday May 2nd The Nursery children started their week happily with a Nursery -Yr 4 watch a play at KOMTAR smile. Nursery started with songs and rhymes. All the Friday May 4th children had fun and enjoyed the songs. The theme for KS3 trip to theatre at PenangPAC this term is Occupations. They were introduced to our Friday May 4th -5 t h community helpers and all of them shared what they DofE Bronze Awards Qualifying wanted to be when they grew up. They did My Commu- nity Helpers craft.

YEAR ONE—with Mr Myron and Ms Lisa

We have had a great start to the term and produced some excellent independent work in writing in our English lessons. We are reading ‘Beegu’ and we have been writing about her story and how the pictures and story make us feel when we read it. In Maths, we revisited handling data and made tally charts and used the information to create a pictogram and bar chart. In Science, we have started our ‘Sound’ topic and we are investigating different sounds, how sound travels and describing different types of sound. In Humanities, we brought in our favourite toys and wrote about our toy using probing questions to extend our writing.

My favourite toys

Designing Beegu’s planet Beegu play dough fun Drawing our characters

YEAR TWO—with Ms Katie and Ms Hannah

We have had a very exciting first week back in Year 2. Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Ms Ana for helping with 2H while I was on maternity leave. The children really enjoyed having you as their teacher. I am really happy to be back to school now and it was love- ly to see the class again. A big thank you to the parents for all your support.

In English this week, we have been revising VCOP and learning how to use it correctly and effectively in our own work. In Maths, we have been learning about fractions of numbers. Next week, we will start to explore fractions of shapes and, in English we will be reading reports and learning how to write our own.

In Science, we have just started our new topic, Electricity. We are going to learn about the different types of electricity that we use. As well as this, we will discover the dangers of electricity so we can understand how to use it safely.

YEAR THREE—with Mr Scott and Mr Jack

In English this week, we have started our new topic of explanation texts focusing on finding the features in real life examples. We have then been creative and designed a new in- vention that we will be explaining to you very soon.

In Maths, we have been revising place value and exploring money. We have enjoyed tack- ling word problems and developing our reasoning skills with success. Next week we will revisit division and then progress on to fractions.

In Science, we have just started our new topic, Materials. This week’s focus has been to identify the properties of different materials. We really enjoyed making our very own um- brella to protect Ted from the rain and look forward to our future learning.

Finally, in Humanities this week we have been learning key geographical vocabulary as well as understanding a river system.

YEAR FOUR—with Ms Linh

The Year Fours returned from their break and threw themselves into the preparations for their class assembly on the Romans. Despite having to combine both classes at the last minute and rearrange roles and scripts, the student showed their maturity and flexibility by remaining cool and deliver- ing a fantastic game show which the Primary school clearly enjoyed playing. Thank you to those of you who showed support through preparing costumes and/or attending the assembly.

In English, the students have begun their final book study on Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. Plenty of in-depth analysis, looking at lan- guage and writing structures will feature heavily in this unit. As for Human- ities, we move on to the Anglo-Saxons as part of our new History topic.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Naga members for working so hard and being crowned Spring Term champions! Well done on working so hard. Let’s hope everybody continues the effort this summer term!

SPOTLIGHT ON… YEAR FIVE—by Ms Rowan Mr Mike

A few weeks ago, Year 5 travelled to the Habitat. We caught the funicular train to

climb Penang Hill. When we arrived we were greeted by the staff from the Habi- Q1. What qualities should an ideal stu- tat and walked to the newly opened exhi- dent possess? bition ‘Langur Way’. From this location They should have a passion for learning we were given a guided tour and learnt about different types of plants that inhabit and always strive to do their best. The best students are the ones who never Penang hill. After lunch we climbed up to the ‘Curtis Crest’ tree top walk. All were give up. extremely brave and walked the entire canopy walk which gave us a bird’s eye view of the jungle, Penang and the mainland. Q2. When was the last time you laughed out loud? I laughed out loud today when discuss- ing a comedy sketch with Mr David.

Q3. What’s the best and worst thing about your job? YEAR SIX—by Mr Gwyn The best thing is having the chance to swim outside every day in this wonderful climate. The worst thing is being so far Year 6 are about to embark on a very busy and im- away from friends and family. portant term for them. They have been carefully gear- ing up towards their Cambridge Checkpoint exams and Q4: What did you want to be when you they are now upon us! were younger? I wanted to be a radio DJ as I enjoy be- It is very important that the students arrive in school in ing chatty. plenty of time each morning, as registers will need to be taken quickly, and then the students will immediately Q5: What are you plans for this weekend? head upstairs to the MPH in order to sit the exams. The I will be checking out the Penang Inter- students need to be fully prepared and must make sure national Food Festival in Georgetown. that they have all relevant equipment to hand (black or Dinner is served blue pens, ruler, pencils, eraser, protractor and calcula- Q6: Who is your favorite colleague and tor, depending on the exam that day). why? Ms. Eileen (as any other answer may get It is also very important that the students arrive in a relaxed manner and have me in trouble). plenty of time to make themselves comfortable before the exams begin. I am

confident that Year 6 will do themselves proud although there will be a very long Q7: What is your favorite Malaysian dish? wait before any results are returned to us. Currently it's curry mee. I have a huge soft spot (and a very soft middle) for nasi At the end of last term, Year 6 was able to visit the ‘Made in Penang Museum’. It kandar though. allowed them to see a little of the history of the Penang waterfront as well as having fun with the 3D artwork. After a long and busy term two, it provided a well- Q8: What’s your relationship status? deserved distraction and a perfect end to the term. Married

Q9: How old are you?. 30

Q10: What are your hobbies? I enjoy hiking, playing squash, swim- ming and trips to the cinema. Whatever Ravi is trying to pinch, he Great shot Irvin! won’t get away with it...

ACTIVITY SPOTLIGHT: FELT CRAFT WITH Ms Nurin

Q: Why are you running this activity? I’m running this activity because I love sewing! Q: Is it challenging or easy to teach students? Challenging as you have to teach them the very basics. Q: How did you get interested in this activity? A few kids approached me on how to make plush toys. Q: Who is your favourite student in this activity and why? Everyone because all of them are really good and creative. Q: What age level do you prefer to teach and why? KS2 because they are always so enthusiastic and positive. Q: Have you learned new things teaching them? I have learnt how to be a more patient person, especially when they ask me to thread the needle and tie a knot for them. Q: How do your students make progress? From zero to being able to sew dolls like cats, unicorns and even food.

SECONDARY STUDENT COUNCIL —with Mr Jeff

A happy and joyous welcome back from everyone on the Student Council! We hope that everyone had a restful break and are recharged for the stretch run of the 2017-18 school year. It’s sure to be an exciting ride!

Sadly, the Student Council had to say good bye to one of its more treasured members over the Easter break. Misha, our splendid Secretary, has moved to India. While we wish her all the best this year and in the future, her absence has left a hole in our heart that will not soon be filled. We miss you dearly and look forward to seeing you again.

The Council is moving forward with two new members, Dick Son from class 8E and Samantha from class 7D. Deborah from class 8J will be taking over the Secretary role and we know she will do a tremendous job. In addition, there were also some new positions created in Term 2 for those exceptional students looking to take on even more responsibility.

A Straits Dragon, designed and This term is going to be a very busy one with the School Production, many exciting trips planned, painted by a Year 9 student the end of year awards along with a number of exciting assemblies. The Council is looking forward to supporting these events and continuing to push both students and staff in the school to even higher standards and expectations. Please don’t be shy to contact the school if you wish to visit our learning space and community.

Finally, the Student Council would like to thank the anonymous donor of the Straits Dragon painting that can now be found on the Student Council board on Level 1. You can also find a photo of the painting here in the newsletter. It was completed by an extremely gifted and artistic Year 9 student and we have received it with a tremendous amount of gratitude. Thank you very much!

All the best to everyone in Term 3 and “Go Dragons!” Your Secondary Student Council

SUBJECT SPOTLIGHT: MATHS with Mr Shahrul

Today, critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning ability and the ability to communicate mathematically are essential skills. These processes are the foundation of Mathematics practice in Straits International School. We began our term by studying the concept of speed in real life. In order for the students to have solid understanding of the concept, a hands-on activities was designed as part of the Year 7 Maths lesson.

This triangle, which carries the formula to calculate the speed of an object, is something that everybody is familiar with.

The students put their knowledge into practice when they conducted the investigation. They were able to follow the instructions given with minimum guidance. It was so encouraging to see how independent they were when conducting the investigation using the right tools and calculation methods. All learners showed excitement throughout the investigation

Hands-on activity has been proven to be the best learning method as the students participate in real-life situations in finding speed.

SUBJECT SPOTLIGHT: ART with Mr Hasis

For this term, students from Year 8 have been doing Batik projects in preparation for a school art exhibition. Batik is a wax-resist fabric dying technique that originated in Indonesia/Malaysia. To make batik-making more child-friendly, wax can be replaced with white glue or blue gel glue to make various exciting batik crafts and projects. We use Batik ‘Canting’ techniques for our project. ‘Canting’ word means to draw or sketch using hot wax on fabric. The function of the wax is to create a line and hold the colour from mixing together. Our project is based on local Malaysian myths and legends.

Step by step in Batik Canting process. 1. Materials: cotton fabric, fabric paint, batik wax, paint brushes, string, sauce pan, Bunsen burner, canting pen Safety tips! Teacher supervision needed during the activity. 2. Prepare your fabric Cut canvas or cotton fabric into the desired size. You can start with a small piece and later make it into a framed artwork or you can work on a larger fabric sheet that you can later sew to your design. 3. Sketch a design (Optional) If you are planning on making a detailed picture, you can lightly sketch your design onto the fabric. 4. Make a batik design with wax Place a plastic placemat under your fabric in case the wax seeps through. Fill the canting pen with melted wax to make lines and designs on your fabric. You can make simple designs like flowers or geometric shapes, or do a complete picture.

5. Paint the fabric Classic batik usually uses 1 or 2 colours - this puts the emphasis more on the lines rather than the colours, although multiple colours are not uncommon. When using 2 or more colours, you can paint random splotches of colour or paint in an ordered pattern (e.g. stripes).

Reference https://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/Colors/gluebatik/gluebatik.html

SUBJECT SPOTLIGHT: MANDARIN —with Ms Heng

We have had a great start to the new term in Mandarin lessons. Year 2 started the term with an introduction to traditional games which were mostly played in the olden days such as hopscotch (commonly known as ‘aeroplane jumping’ in Chinese), eagle catching chicken game, puzzles and so on. They were introduced to the games by using flash cards and they were given chances to try the games. It was challenging for the young ones who tried to catch the stones while playing ‘five stones’ games or figuring out the puzzles, but it also brought a lot fun active learning to our lessons.

Year 3 learned some simple instructions in Mandarin such as ‘please’, ‘switch on’, ‘turn off’ and so on. To build up courage and reaching accuracy in speaking, they tried a role-play by acting out a story about a tiger who was trying to go in the rabbit’s house. It wasn’t easy to speak in sentenc- es, however they were all doing their best. Now, they are not confusing on ‘off’ and ‘on’ anymore! Well done, Year 3s!

Year 2 role-playing Year 2 playing ‘five stones’ Yay! We solved the word puzzles Hopscotch, also named 'Jumping Aeroplane' in Chinese

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AW ARDS – with Mr Mike

Our Year 11 students completed their Silver practice expedition on the weekend of the 9th and 10th March with a daunting trail over Bukit Batu Hitam and to Teluk Kampi. We were met with a beautiful beach panorama view on our first night with an incredibly beautiful sunset finishing the day. Unfortunately, rain hit camp but the students dealt well with the adverse weather conditions and rose to the challenge of a quick move. The boys were able to cook a variety of meals ranging from spaghetti carbonara to curry which all tasted fantastic.

On our second day we trekked to Pantai Keracut where the boys went fishing using crab meat as bait. We were then treated to a rare display of turtles being released into the sea; our timing could not have been more perfect. After another night of camping the adventurers started their final trek over Bukit Batu Hitam with some amazing views on the way. A great expedition and the maturity levels shown by the students blew Mr. Hasfis All fresh before departure and I away.

Views over Teluk Bahang Incredible sunset Lunch!

STRAITS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM—with Ms Rowan

This was the second year our students competed for Straits International School’s Cross Country Team. Students nominated themselves for the event from the beginning of Term 1 and a small group of 10 students have been improving their individual fitness and stamina through a variety of fun activities and training exercises. During Term 2, the team have then extended on their endurance to complete a training schedule for long distance running, between 3km – 5km in preparation for the three events to be held around Penang International Schools.

Race 1 Teluk Bahang – 8th February

The Cross Country team was treated to the picturesque venue at the Teluk Bahang Dam. The students had a small steep incline from the get go and had to immediately work hard to keep up their pace and improve their performance as they crossed the dam wall to complete the 2.5km circuit for U/12, 4km for U/15 & U/18. On completion, many of the students said it was hot due to no shade on the dam wall but they enjoyed the challenge and the water view.

Race 2 Straits Quay – 1st March

The second race took place at the Straits Quay promenade to the Lighthouse as a loop. The team worked exceptionally hard to improve their performance from the previous run. There was only a small bunch of runners this time as many of the other schools were on their break. However, the Straits team pushed hard to complete the course, some with higher positions than last time.

Race 3 POWIIS – 8th March

The students took to the streets of Balik Pulau and the POWIIS campus to complete the Cross Country run. The U/18 students ran 5.4km and the U/13 students ran 2.7 Although there was a little confusion on the course with most Straits having to restart the event for the U/13 students, they were certainly proud of their efforts and some definite improvement from their training and previous runs.

It has been wonderful to watch the students grow and develop their technique and understanding of long distance running. It was also great to see them keen to test their endurance capability and really work hard on their stride and stamina to complete the race.