Issue 20 - Australian International School Malaysia

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Main Senior Middle Junior Performing Arts Sports Others Parent Assoc. Junior School News As 2012 draws to an end it is timely to think about the year that has been. Students have been achieving high levels of academic success in their classrooms and striving to achieve their best in all that they do. The Junior School students have excelled in sport across each of our carnivals and many have represented the school in interschool competitions. The children have been involved in charity fundraising to raise money for our sister school in Sabah through our Matilda project. The Junior School has also successfully run a number of competitions, such as, the spelling bee, the dance competition, the art prize and the poetry competition again this year. All in all, it has been a very successful and rewarding year for the students in Junior School. As with every year there are a number of families leaving and on behalf of the Junior School team I would like to wish them all the best for their next adventure. Four Junior School teachers will be leaving us and I would like to acknowledge them and thank them for their efforts: Jodi Wilkins, Liz Ward, Harriet Fearon and Leah Mather, each of whom have made significant contributions to the Junior School and we wish them well for the future. This is also my last year as Head of Junior School and I would like to thank all of the Junior School staff, parents and students for your support over the last six years. I am very much looking forward to getting back into the classroom next year as a classroom teacher. I wish everyone a restful break and I look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year. Damian Baynes, Head of Junior School Junior Music Notes What a year it has been for the Junior School in the Arts. 2012 was an exciting adventure in performing in many places in the community and at school. From a Dawn Service – to a shopping Mall – to our in situ Junior School Production, the Junior School are now very aware that Dance, Music and Song can be performed just about anywhere. Thanks very much to our Choir parents who have given so much support in providing transport to various destinations and supporting the Choir Camp this year. Thanks very much to our wonderful community of parents who helped for the Junior School Production – it was one of the highlights of the year. Thanks to the Service Masters and our teacher assistants too – who quietly worked behind the scenes to make all our performances look professional and seamless. Library News In 2012, AISM moved into our modern, flexible & stimulating library which is very conducive to effective learning. It has been a pleasure to observe how our AISM students have been thoroughly enjoying this wonderful new space. The library resources have continued to expand with a strong focus on graphic books & developing our languages other than English collection. Numerous French and Spanish books have been purchased to support the introduction of these subjects at AISM. Our Malay & Mandarin resources have also grown with a strong focus on the cultures as well as the language. Electronic resources continue to be a strong focus in our library. We have purchased a number of Kindle Readers and we are selecting eBooks to be read on them. These will be available for loan during 2013. Special guests this year have included Australian authors Coral Tulloch and Ken Spillman and also British poet and performer, Ian Billings. Ms Tulloch particularly captivated the students with her presentations on her travel adventures to Antarctica. Activities have included Poetry week, Book Week, Read-a-Thon and The Great KL Knovel Knockout. All of these activities support our strong commitment to exposing students to a variety of literature to continually improve their literacy skills. We are a member of a dynamic network of 10 Kuala Lumpur International Schools’ libraries. This continues to be a very professionally supportive group, sharing innovative ideas for 21st Century libraries. Thank you to all the parents who helped with library related activities this year. Your assistance is very much appreciated. Also a huge thank you to our very capable assistant, Ms Umi. Happy holiday reading with your book or reading device. And finally, I would like to say a special farewell to a wonderful colleague who has made my work at AISM achievable. We are a great team of three and it has been a pleasure working closely with you. I wish Jon, all the best for his next adventure. We all shall miss you very much. I wish all our students and parents a safe and happy holiday season. Susan Bal-Short, Junior Performing Arts Teacher Denise Miller and Rod Gardiner Page 4 14th December 2012
Main Senior Middle Junior Performing Arts Sports Others Parent Assoc. Performing Arts News As I am writing my final newsletter article at AISM after five intense and exciting years, I look back on how far the Arts department has progressed from that time. I have made many friends with students, parents and staff and have travelled far and wide throughout Asia. Professionally I have steered the development of Drama to include students achieving outstanding results in the HSC; being involved in inter-school workshops and programs with industry professionals, and providing an increasing number of performance opportunities for our students. The Senior and Middle School Productions have been a joy to direct and/or write and I am very proud of the standard and variety of shows that I have produced during this time. The development of the new school facilities including the AISM Theatre has been five years in the waiting. As the school continues to grow, however, these facilities will have a major impact on the future development of the Performing Arts. The expansion of Music, under the leadership of Mr. McCormick over the past two years, has been a staggering achievement for one person to undertake. Under the leadership of Mrs. Bal-Short, the Junior Performing Arts program continues to provide students the opportunity to explore their world through music, drama and dance. I will miss working with both Mr. McCormick and Mrs. Bal-Short very much and wish them the best for the future. Finally I would like to thank the teaching staff for their ongoing support of the Arts and the many friendships that I have made. I wish colleagues returning to Australia or moving on to other locations health and happiness in the years to come. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Jon Suffolk, Coordinator Performances and Events From The Music Room AISM Music Academy There will be some noticeable changes to the Music Academy in terms of organization next year. Each of the tutors will continue and we are pleased to welcome Mr Jared Cheow as our new drum teacher. Following are some of the changes: • Schedules for the entire term will be sent to parents at the beginning of each term • Invoicing and payments will be managed by the AISM Accounts Department • Students and teachers will use a practice journal, which will alert parents to the goals, content of each lesson and expected weekly practice to be completed. Next week I will be sending out information and enrolment forms to parents of existing Music Academy students. Continuing students must complete an enrolment form. Those parents wishing to enrol their son/daughter for the first time can find the form on the website under ‘Calendar and Events’ and under ‘Student Life’. Otherwise, please email me on malcolmmccormick@aism.edu.my and I will send a form to you. Please ensure the form is completed promptly to enable us to formulate the schedules for next year. Year 5 Band The year has drawn to a close for the Year 5 Band. Instruments should be returned in person to me (Mr McCormick). Please do not just leave them in the practice suites as I need to check them off. I am hoping that many students will continue to play in Band or Orchestra as a Co-Curricular activity next year. Please ask me about opportunities for next year and I also can arrange instruments for purchase. There will be only a limited amount of instruments available as the new Year 5 will be using the current stock. Happy Holidays! Just a word of thanks to all students who have participated and performed in the many music activities this year. Some of the highlights include the recent AISM Rocks!; Year 8 students preparing World Music for International day; the String Quartet performing at the Malaysian Australian Business Council annual dinner; the 50 strong Year 5 Band performing at Showcase; the Orchestra performing at assemblies and concerts; every student in the Middle School performing at the Middle School music afternoon; our superb Year 10 vocalists in the Music Showcase Concert and our new ‘Smooth’ Jazz Ensemble. I would like to acknowledge the work of our Music tutors, Miss Poh (piano), Mr Albert (sax, guitar and flute), Mr Boey (strings), Miss Audrey (Voice) and also the late Mr Victor (drums). I would also to thank Mr Warren for his help with the Co-Curricular Programme organization, Jazz Ensemble, and also his hard work at all Music events this year, and Mr Suffolk for his wonderful support for Music here at AISM throughout the year. I wish them all the best in their future journeys. Lastly, thanks to the parents for your support throughout the year in attending concerts, monitoring home practice and encouraging student participation in Music at AISM. Happy Holidays. Malcolm McCormick, Music Teacher 14th December 2012 Page 5
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Issue 20 - Australian International School Malaysia

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