From the Head of Secondary 14.10.2023

We often say how fantastic weekly events have been at KIS, but this week has been truly amazing!

The 50^th Anniversary Celebration Party was just perfect, with its combination of formality, frivolity and fun. There was the tremendously powerful and moving gathering in the hall, with heartfelt speeches, presents for special guests, and excellence and sophistication from our MCs, Timothy and Reine, representing as they did the past [Timothy, with his many years as a student here] and Reine [a very recent addition to our super Year 12 group]. We were joined by previous Principal Dr Gross, who appearance on the screen drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon. The drone in the hall was a captivating addition to the celebrations in its own right, and I can’t wait to see the footage of us all waving at it as though it was a real, living, breathing entity. Everybody knew the words of “Happy Birthday” and that raised the roof as a joyful marker of what we were all there for.

Cakes for all followed, and then the games began, all wonderfully choreographed by Mrs Gervasi and her team, with lots of support from staff. Perhaps one of the most popular was ‘Sponge the Adult”; an opportunity for certain people to make complete fools of themselves, including Mr Beresford, myself and Mr Gipson, who took the gold medal for ridiculousness, wearing as he did full suit and tie, goggles and fins etc. The audience were invited to drop cash into the Charity Committee’s special bucket for Morocco, and on hearing that 500RM has been gathered [that was the target], Mr Gipson stepped up to the plate and did his duty as a target for lots of wet sponges, and even for full buckets of water tipped over him.

I think that we can congratulate outselves for a job well done, and for half a century of existence! I wonder what the next 50 years will hold?

Back to reality, read on to find out what else has been happening: Year 8 reading to Year 1 [how special is that?!] and an excellent and detailed account of our Art students’ visit to the Batik Artisan Galleria, written by Woon Tong Y12.

Have a wonderful weekend and half term break!

Kind regards

Mrs Renshaw

Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary

And Now for Something a Little Bit Different…..

Year 8 Reading to Year 1

It was great to see the Year 8 English students sharing their love of reading with Year 1 students on Wednesday. Students paired off and read in small groups, taking the time to enjoy their books together. Year 8 students also helped the Year 1 students to practice their handwriting and spelling with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Well done, Year 8!

Mr Ghanbari

English Teacher

Artisan Galleria Batik Excursion Oct 4th

The IGCSE Art students and I had the opportunity to learn and create our own batik textile at the workshop in the Galleria Artisan on Wednesday last week. From the introduction to the background of batik to going through the step-by-step process in creating the art form, each student was able to broaden their artistic knowledge on this traditional process.

As for the process itself… firstly, we got to choose our own batik design from the various selection of patterns offered, ranging from traditional motifs to animals and cartoon characters. Then, with the aid of a professional, each student was involved in the Wax-Resist Dyeing Technique, using Tjanting, a specific tool that involves applying wax, to outline our tracing of the design where we did not want the colour dyes to overlap. The students then beautifully painted their batik, and concluded their creation.

Professionally, the process would also include bathing the batik designs into a sodium silicate bath, a mixture that

helps to retain the dye colours. After 8 hours, the batik is then washed to remove off the mixture and boiled in a hot bath to also remove the previously-applied wax. Lastly, the fabric is dried and awaits its various uses as household decoration, wall hangings, or as fashionable pieces.

The outcome of this excursion has brought about a new experience to the students in exploring a culturally significant aspect within the Arts of Malaysian Culture, as well as appreciation to the craftsmanship behind this intricate process. For IGCSE and A Level Art students, I can definitely see this helping in the development of our Component 1: Coursework – as batik not only present the student’s range in media (painting on fabric) but also adds cultural ‘pizazz’ to our coursework.

Before leaving school and after arriving back, we answered a set of questions set by Ms Yuen to ask about our own experiences and tested our knowledge on batik, based on what we have learnt – which would be purposeful in future reference to this technique. Prior to arriving at the location, we were given a briefing on proper conduct and health and safety rules we must follow.

Lastly, special thanks and much appreciation to Ms Yuen for organising this excursion, Mr Ebby (coordinator at Artisan Galleria), Ms Lydia and the staff who were of great help.

Woon Tong Liao, Y12