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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Ms. Yogeswari

Welcome To

STRAITS

Not For You Not For Me But For Us Welcome to Straits International School. My name is Ms. Yogeswari. I am a Maths teacher for

primary and secondary classes. From this year onwards, I am teaching IGCSE Maths as well. This has

been my second year at SIS. Spring term is a very special term for the Maths department because we

have just celebrated World Maths Day.

Why do I enjoy teaching at Straits? The school system here always recognizes and tried to promote

better teaching. They have given the teachers many opportunities to grow in their expertise. In my

case they provided space for me to do my research on Maths and to learn some new things.

I love Maths and education. I love the interactions with my students and being able to share my

knowledge with others. I have taught many classes where some students are really there to learn

and have the same passion for the subject. My classroom management has improved significantly

with the help from books, co-workers, and experience.

The thing I like best about teaching is being able to give students knowledge, give them something

that I have and make a difference. I still have more to give; I don’t ever lose this passion. Every day I

learn something new about life and living from my students.

Spring term is mostly focused on preparing students for check point exams. Years 6 and year 9

students were given extra classes and tips for their upcoming tests. I would like to wish them all the

best for their exam in the summer.

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Mr. Tom

Naldic 1999

“Pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) share many common characteristics with pupils, whose mother tongue is English, as many of their learning needs are similar to those of other children .However ,EAL pupils also have distinct and different needs from other pupils, by virtue of the fact that they are learning in and through another language ,and that they come from backgrounds and communities with different understandings and expectations of education, language and learning.”.

At SIS, we teach EAL students within mainstream lessons,

recognising that as well as learning English, they also need to learn

the curriculum content. We provide a supportive learning

environment for second language students and the EAL program

has been drawn up to allow for maximum participation from pupils

as well as supporting their mainstream subjects. The onus is on the

respective English Language teachers to liaise among themselves

to ensure continuity and to streamline the learning process.

In line with the above, EAL teachers ensure that their pupils are

also aware of their own responsibilities in ensuring progress and

success. Pupils are made aware of their targets and they are then

able to understand what is required for them to improve and

progress. The goal, for some students at least, is to reach a level of

competency that will allow them to move into the first language

class.

Teachers across the curriculum also play a supporting role and

being aware of the EAL pupil’s needs allows the teachers of other

subjects to include differentiation in their planning. Through this

strategy, teachers of other subjects are complementing the

teaching and learning process with the EAL teachers. At present,

Ms. Nurin and Mr. Richard are both providing EAL support for the

pupils and the progress of these pupils is assessed through a

number of mechanisms. These include all the four skills of writing,

reading, listening and speaking. Teachers of other subjects also

keep their counterparts in the EAL unit informed of the pupil’s

progress allowing for modifications to be made when necessary.

This is a work in progress and we are currently looking to

strengthen the collaboration between mainstream class teachers

and the EAL support team in order to further improve our

provision.

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Mr. Hasfif

During the second term of Spring, Straits International School

introduced Malaysian studies as part of the syllabus for their

students. When planning, teachers have been drawing on a

growing body of research knowledge about the nature of

learning and on knowledge about teaching that has stood the

test of time.

Malaysian studies has been divided into three main topics:

Malaysian History, Malaysian ethnicity and Malaysian

development. All these three main topics will be completed in

one year and each main topic is part of a spiral syllabus.

The main purpose of this subject is to develop awareness for

all students, not only focusing on Malaysian topics but also

covering international themes such as history,

socioeconomics, politics and culture. Students will gain

insights into the characteristics, dynamics, and peculiarities of

Malaysian society; the impact of its history on its present

state of nationhood; and the interplay of social, cultural,

economic and political factors in its growth and development

as an emerging leader among developing countries.

The subject is delivered through a variety of approaches in

order to create an intellectually stimulating atmosphere that

allows students to challenge new ideas and assumptions and

raise critical issues concerning Malaysia and the rest of the

world.

Believe in GOD

Loyalty to King and Country

Supremacy of the Constitution

Rules of Law

Courtesy and Morality

-Rukun Negara

Malaysian

Studies

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Ms Elena

This year we have introduced a new programme in PSHE (Personal,

Social and Health Education) - the Key Steps Award. Students will be

working towards an award which they will receive at the end of the

school year.

The activities in this programme are presented as personal

challenges which help students to improve and develop their

independent learning skills. Students will carry out personal

challenges from a wide range of topics (known as modules).

Examples of such topics that will be covered in Key Stage 3 include

Identity, Community, Citizenship, and the Environment.

Over the course of this past term students focused on a Community

based module in which we covered lots of interesting

topics. Students were asked to consider the different qualities

needed within successful community relationships, they shared their

knowledge of local community with others and raised awareness of

some local issues concerning them as part of the local community.

International Day was also part of our community service as a school

in which students became more aware of the need for involvement

in the local community. One of the school’s aims was to raise money

for local care home and orphanage, Rumah Charis. Students and

parents did a great job participating; getting involved by helping to

organize it, by contributing food or simply by giving their time in

other ways. It was a great success and it provided our students with

a unique experience.

Thank you everyone!

“One of the school’s aims was to raise money for local care home and orphanage, Rumah Charis. Students and

parents did a great job participating; getting involved by helping to

organize it, by contributing food or simply by giving their time in other ways. It was a

great success and it provided our students with a unique

experience.”

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Ms. Soon & Ms. Sook Yee

It has been a fruitful term for Mandarin due to many highlight events which

took place both as part of classroom learning and the participation of the

students in wider school life.

We enthusiastically celebrated Chinese New Year in February which was

attended by many parents and visitors. The organization, preparation and

management of the programme was run by Year 7 students, during which

leadership skills, organizational skills and cooperative spirit were cultivated.

The highlight of the events included a Chinese traditional clothes fashion

show, a lion dance performance and the distribution of the mandarin

oranges as a symbol of prosperity.

Based on this event, Year 7 students started to do their Project-Based

Learning activity using interviews with students and teachers and creating

their own newspaper. Brandon Lim produced an excellent newspaper by

clearly reporting the news and designing a creative layout. Justyn, Pat &

Nikitha from Key Stage 2 successfully produced excellent work in their

respective project based learning tasks. Tricia Ho from Year 10 also made a

detailed analytical presentation about the character of the Monkey King

from the famous novel, Journey to the West. Hence, they received

recognition by receiving a Principal’s Commendation Prize. They have been

greatly encouraged by the progress they have made and the motivational

factor in learning Mandarin has increased among students.

In addition, students are encouraged to participate in the HSK Chinese

exam. The HSK test for Mandarin is equivalent to TOEFL for English, and an

HSK certificate is widely valued across China. The test aims to be a

certificate of language proficiency for higher educational and professional

purposes. Through the HSK Club this term, some students are getting ready

to take the HSK exam on the 10th of May (Saturday).

In order to improve Chinese reading habits, the Mandarin department has

enhanced the provision of books and has encouraged the use of Mandarin

Reading Records. The best Chinese reader of this term is Woo Yen Nee

from Year 5, she successfully read 20 Chinese story books and received two

House Points and some gifts as a reward. We encourage students to

continue with extra reading after school to improve their knowledge.

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SIS is firmly committed to our students learning about the idea of service. During the past term, students were given a chance to help out at a local recycling centre. They not only managed to help sort out recycling materials, but they found out along the way about how each of the items were transformed from rubbish to something useful. Students were very impressed to see how the centre is able to make shirts out of normal plastic bottles, tissue paper from old newspapers and letters and blankets from old cassette tapes. Not only were these items produced from old unwanted materials, but the centre helps out the community that is in need by providing these items to natural disaster victims. They certainly feel very proud of themselves for helping to provide for the local community, even though it is only the beginning of the process. Already our help is stretching out across the wider world. We had a great International Day on the 15th of March but before the actual event took place, our students volunteered to create different countries within Straits International School. Sorting out the decorations, organizing the stalls, classrooms, activities and arranging the schedule were all put into place by our students. With the teachers guiding them, each country was beautifully set up and the food was scrumptious. Of course, a huge thanks to all parents who had contributed to this

event and it was the food that made the day possible. Overall, we collected a total of RM5000 as a donation towards Rumah Charis Home for the Aged in Relau. We had our formal cheque presentation in front of Penang’s Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, together with a representative from Rumah Charis, Ms. Janette, as well as our Principal, Charles Grayhurst, some members of our SIS Board of Directors and our Student Council representatives. The Student Council is currently in the midst of finalising their games booth for their next service activity. Eden Handicap Annual Food Fair happening right after our Easter Holiday on the 26th of April. They have managed to set-up two games stalls and are looking for sponsors for a food stall. They are definitely excited to run this event and hope to raise as much as they can to help out the needy. Future plans include a monthly visit to Rumah Charis Home for the Aged, Eden Handicap Children’s Centre and their recycling centre. Visits will be conducted on a schedule basis where as many students as possible will experience the joy of giving and making their lives count in every soul they touched through our service-based learning.

Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Mr. Dennis

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Ms. Yogeneswari

The

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Mr. Stephen

Saturday Social

@ Tropical Spice Garden

During our last social event, Straits International

School decided to bring all of our parents,

students and teachers to explore the beauty of

Mother Nature. Arriving early in the morning

after a joyful bus ride to the Spice garden, located

in Batu Ferringhi, all received a warm welcome

from the very well trained guides that were going

to show us around the place.

Divided into 2 groups, our students had the

chance of experiencing the tropical rainforest

through the sense of smell, sight, sound, touch

and taste. Activities included wildlife sightings,

spice aromas, nature sounds, natural textures and

tasting spice infused drinks, slides & ladder

offering plenty of fun with colorful tube slides

and platforms.

Children were introduced to the various types of flora

and fauna that exists both in Penang and Malaysia.

Simultaneously, we were able to understand more

about the history of Penang and how the early

explorers had taken advantage of the local climate and

conditions to develop the plantations of pepper,

nutmeg, clove and other spices which were the catalyst

for the growth of the island.We were able to experience

the sensations of being in the rainforest but in a safe

and maintained environment. The Garden offered a

good chance for even our smallest children to

appreciate the beauty and power of nature around us

here in Penang.

A huge thank you to all the parents, teachers and

students who supported our social visit to the Spice

Garden. We look forward to more exciting visits to

various parts of the island and beyond in the near

future.

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Mr. Kam

On Friday 21st February, SIS hosted its first House Kwik cricket

competition of this academic year at PDC field. All four Houses

were involved, with students competing together in 2 divisions:

Years 3-6 (Primary) and Years 7-10 (Secondary). Support was

provided by teachers, Early Years students and Key Stage 1

students who were not involved in the competition.

In the primary division, it was an extremely close with the top 3

teams finishing the competition with the same points. This meant

that final positions had to be decided by total number of runs

scored for each House during the 3 games played. Naga were

crowned winners after scoring 114 runs in the competition, closely

followed by Harimau, Burung Kenyalang and Rusa, respectively.

In the secondary division, final positions were decided by points

gained after 3 games but this too, was very close indeed. The

competition was very healthy between Houses as students

competed against and tried to outplay their peers. Harimau were

worthy winners of the division and were followed by Rusa, Burung

Kenyalang and Naga.

It was a pleasure to watch students play and everyone played with

determination and pride, and demonstrated good sportsmanship.

House points from each division were totalled for an overall score

for each individual House. Harimau won the honourable title of

Kwik Cricket champions 2013-14 with a total of 70 house points.

Next was Naga with a total of 60 house points, followed by Burung

Kenyalang and Rusa who both received 50 house points each.

Kwik Cricket

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Ms. Gilly

International

International day was a day where SIS staff, parents and students

came together to raise much needed money for a charity called

Rumah Charis. Last year we had some food stalls and decorated

the rooms to depict different nationalities. This year, we wanted

to do the same but on a much larger scale and make much more

money as the key focus was for charity.

All the staff decided on which country they would like to

represent, whether it be their own nationality or the nationality

of some of our students. The rooms were decorated and each

country provided their own delicacies and created an activity that

would represent their country. The countries involved were;

Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Iraq), Thailand, UK, India, France,

Malaysia, China, Vietnam, USA, Korea, Indonesia and Japan.

The atmosphere was buzzing, even as early as 9am!! The day

kicked off with a parade of all the nationalities of SIS staff and

students. This involved everyone having a flag of their country

and the national anthem being played. This was swiftly followed

by the organisation of students into groups, led by a senior

student, who then moved around the different stalls to make

their purchases with their vouchers.

Some staff showed their enterprising skills and recruited outside

vendors to set up stalls and many companies donated food and

resources for the event, which also included hampers full of

goodies. By the end of the day a prize giving presentation was

held in the atrium, where the raffle winners were announced and

students were given prizes for many reasons, best dressed male

and female from the various academic levels.

All in all, the day was a great success as we raised over RM5000

for the charity Rumah Charis.

“International day was a day

where SIS staff, parents and

students came together to

raise much needed money for

a charity called Rumah Charis.

Last year we had some food

stalls and decorated the

rooms to depict different

nationalities. This year, we

wanted to do the same but on

a much larger scale and make

much more money as the key

focus was for charity.”

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis

Looking

SIS

Permanent

Campus Bayan Lepas The permanent campus, strategically located close to the

Penang International Airport aims to offer top class

facilities as well as a safe and secure environment.

With over 90,000 sq foot of built-up space the 6-storey

building will house fully equipped, spacious classrooms,

science laboratories, IT suites, Art studios, Music studios

with practice rooms, Multi-purpose hall with tennis and

badminton courts, swimming pool and football pitch.

The campus will also have a dedicated early childhood

playground as well as outdoor play areas for primary and

secondary school.

As far as security goes, the campus will be fitted

with a state of the art security system which has

been evaluated and approved by major

multinational corporations in the city. On ground

guards will be on 24-hour duty to monitor the

security cameras.

Scheduled to be ready for end of 2015, work on

the new site is already under way with the grounds

cleared and ready for construction.

“The school should be like a second home to the

students. They feel safe and happy while learning,”

said Straits International Education Group (SIEG)

director, Datuk Seri Vincent Tiew at the

Groundbreaking Ceremony in January.

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Tricia – Year 10 & Yee – Year 9

What is your motivation to be a teacher?

According to Mr. Grayhurst, he had some work experience at the age of

17 as a PE teacher at a local school and found it really fun so it was

always at the back of his mind. When he received his BA degree at 21

though, he went straight into other lines of work. Work was not much

fun, he recalled “packing coat hangers” as one of his first jobs. After a

month he didn’t want to do it anymore so one option left was to go back

to University and get a teachers degree. “I was never really driven to be a

teacher, but I just fell into it – and I’m glad I did.” He was employed as a

PE teacher when he first started his teaching career.

Where did you graduate from and what is your qualification?

Mr. Grayhurst attended Christ Church College in Canterbury to get his

PGCE teaching qualification. Before that, he had acquired a BA degree, in

Geography and Physical Education from Leeds University that is located

in West Yorkshire, England. He finished his studies at the age of 22 and is

currently doing a master’s degree at The University of Bath.

What are your teaching methods?

“I try to make classes more interesting for students so that I can fully

engage them in the subject, in this way kids learn more.” He also tries to

treat students like adults and make them feel valued.

Are you teaching methods consistent or do you corporate new teaching

styles?

“It changes all the time,” says Mr. Grayhurst, “and so it should. One of

the latest things I try to do more of is ‘close the gap’ marking which I

have recently incorporated into my classes.”

Why Penang? Why Straits international School?

He has previously taught in Qatar and then he and his family decided to

move back to Asia- as his family have strong links to the region. He was

reading the papers one day when an advert caught his eye; it was an

advert for a Principal in a new school. At first, he didn’t really expect to

get the job but to his surprise, he got it!

What other countries have you taught in before?

Remarkably, he has taught in many places around the world- 8 countries

to be exact. They are the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Russia, Ecuador,

China, Vietnam, Qatar and currently Malaysia.

Tricia –Year 10 Yee –Year 9

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis Tricia – Year 10 & Yee – Year 9

How would you compare our school to the ones you’ve taught in

before?

“I have taught in many schools, so it really depends.” He really likes it

here, “more freedom to make positive change” says he. Being able to

adapt things and being able to have imagination and influence the way

the school runs is good. He likes to listen to different ideas and opinions

of others and then use them to improve the school.

What is the main goal of this school?

“We want to try and produce well-qualified students but just as

importantly, help them to become good people. “

Is it easy to maintain this school?

“It is hard work” says the Principal, “but enjoyable.” The important thing

is to always stay flexible and determined. It is a team effort through and

through.

How has the school been since it first started off?

Again, a lot of effort and hard work had been put into developing the

school by the team. When it first started, there was nothing, no policies,

no timetables, no staff, etc. The school grows all the time, things are

adapted continuously to allow room for improvement, and it keeps

getting bigger and better. We should always want more.

What will the new campus be like?

It is definitely going to be much bigger, with more rooms, more PE and

play areas, a swimming pool, basketball courts, etc.

Where do you see our school to be in 5 to 10 years down the road?

It would be filled with students, lots of staff. Parents coming in at

weekends for sports and classes, the school being open into the evening

and into the weekends and so on. A place of learning for the entire

community – a hub.

What is the main purpose of Challenge Week?

The main purpose of Challenge Week is to give students experiences and

a chance to develop and grow into confident young people. Experiences

like these will be remembered, it’s part of personal growth.

Is there any message you would like to present on behalf of our school?

To Students: “Get involved and try your best.”

Tricia –Year 10 Yee –Year 9

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis From The Students

Students

To others, an international school is probably just a very fancy school with different lessons compared to local schools. But to be a part of an international school means being part of something global. An international school is a community whereby we accept students from anywhere in the world, and celebrate it. It enables people to get a better and bigger picture of the world by teaching ideas from all around the globe to eager learners. International schools usually have the idea of open-mindedness, which enables the school to accept new concepts and using them in some way to excel.

-Hannah, Year 7-

Being at a international school is an honour because you get to make new friends, and you learn different languages, and the staff are very nice and make you welcome. You learn languages such as French, Bahasa, Mandarin and Arabic. I learn in my classes English, P.E, Mandarin, Drama, Art, Music, Maths, Science, French, I.C.T, Malaysian Studies, PSHE and Humanities. The people in the school are friendly - they make you feel welcome and will help you if you need it. After school you get to pick an activity and you get to do fun things. Straits International School has helped me achieve my best.

-Patrick, Year 6-

I think it means to work together, share and doing things for everybody. Working together needs everybody to agree to the best answer and not only theirs. Sharing people are willing to give up anything they have and sharing for the community. Doing it for everybody is being like a soldier if you die in battle it is worth it no matter how much you try, you did it for everybody. The School Motto means “Not for you, not for me but for us” We need to learn how to get along. No more wars, no more fights, we all are united. Doesn’t matter whether you are a boy or a girl, black or white everybody is equal. Friends are more important than riches, privileges and anything that can make you think more of yourself. -Mathew, Year 5-

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Non Mihi Non Tibi Sed Nobis

House

House point result for EYS – KS1 1st Elias Mohammad (Y1) – 55

2nd Avalyn Wood (Y1) - 51 3rd Venus Ong (Y2) - 42

House point result for KS2

1st Mahadevan Jayasugunthan(Y3) - 61 2nd Ooi Jie Yuee(Y3) – 58

3rd Muhammad Danish (Y4) - 54

House point result for KS3/KS4 1st Jasper Khor (Y8) – 69

2nd Nelson (Y8) -58 3rd Tunnutinee (Y9) - 56

Total House Points for Houses

1st Burung Kenyalang 1114

2nd Naga 985

3rd Harimau 956

4th Rusa 884

To all our parents & sponsors who help to make our International Day event

successful