Volume No: 2003-04/15

Date: 16 January 2004

Dear Parents

It feels good to have the first complete week of the term under our belts. It has gone smoothly, our new students appear to have settled in well and there is a pleasing sense of purpose about the school.

Year 11

Year 11 have had an exciting week sitting in the library taking their mock exams! We hope to have all the results available next week and I would urge parents to discuss these in detail with the students. They provide a very good indication of where the student stands at this point in time: strengths, weaknesses and areas where further progress needs to be made. Mock results, even if they are disappointing ones, should not be a cause of panic but a stimulation into action. The final exams are sufficiently far away for motivated students to improve their performances dramatically between now and then. That involves sustained work but also getting the balance right between work, rest and relaxation. I am confident that we shall see some very good results in June.

The Demon Headmaster (or Headmistress!)

Auditions were held this week for the secondary production, a play based on Gillian Cross’s hugely successful series of books and television shows. The play will go into serious rehearsal next week once the difficult business of casting is out of the way. Performance dates are scheduled for 24 and 25 March but we have yet to confirm details. I am sure you will hear a lot more about it in the weeks to come.

Topic Talks

The start of the new term brings around primary Topic Talks. The programme for these is:

Tuesday 20 January:         2.10           Years 3 & 4

                                                    2.30          Years 1 & 2

Wednesday 21 January:   2.10           Years 5 & 6

Do try to attend. This is an excellent opportunity for you to hear from the class teacher what your child will be studying in all areas of the curriculum and to ask any questions that you might have.

Absence From School During Term Time

I have been concerned for some time about the amount of school missed by some children. Illness, of course, is an unpleasant inevitability but I would urge all parents not to take their children out of school other than during school holidays unless it is absolutely unavoidable. We work the regulation number of days in the school year (180) and children are entitled to this allocation for their education. If you really do have to take leave, please complete the form that is now available from the school office.

After-school pick-ups and the school play

I would firstly like to thanks parents for a much-improved end-of-school-day. Most children are now picked up on time and those that are not are properly supervised. Staff at the school give generously of their time to school clubs and after-school activities and they can be helped by being relieved promptly of their supervisory duties.

The school play, however, poses additional problems. Rehearsals will finish at 4.30 and we would again appreciate a prompt pick-up. However, primary children finish at 2.00 or, with a club, 3.00. That means a minimum hour and a half gap between their finish and the end of the play rehearsals. This is too long from everyone’s point of view. Please try to ensure, via shared lifts or whatever, that primary children are still collected at the proper time and not made to wait for their older brothers and sisters. Thank you.

Painting

Finally, my thanks to Jumat and his team for the ever-improving appearance of the school. A lot of hard painting went on over the holiday and the results are plain for us all to see. It’s looking better and better!

From the PTA:

The PTA AGM was held last Monday, 12th January and the previous steering committee was unanimously re-elected with the addition of 2 new committee members, Tina Ujihara & Mary Chong-Rodda. Two motions (Clause 5 of Article VII; Clause 2 (d) of Article X) for the PTA constitution were presented, approved and amended.

There are 2 fund-raising events planned for this term: Family Fun Day on Sunday, 21st March 2004 and Mufti Day on Thursday, 1st April 2004.

The PTA Steering committee looks forward to working with you all for the benefit of our children and the KIS!

Primary Show Photos

These are now on display on the notice board above the stairs at the school entrance. Photos will cost RM1.50 per copy and the order forms will be available from the school office on Monday.  

May I wish all of you a good break next week and to all our Chinese families, Gong Xi Fa Chai!