From the Head of PE and Sport 23.04.2022
Staff vs Students – Volleyball showdown
On the last Thursday before the holidays, passers by might have thought that an epic sports contest was taking place as the secondary school emptied out around the volleyball court to witness a battle of brawn and brains. The Year 13’s had accepted the challenge from Miss Watt to take part in a game of volleyball to wind up their time at KIS and PE against a crack (or was it cracked and broken) Staff Team comprised of Mr. Richie, Mr. Watson, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Colbeck, Mrs. Beresford and Ex-student but now wears a staff badge…Mr. Bobby!
Year 13 started strongly in the first set and it was clear that all those hours in PE lessons practicing to sharpen their skills, not to mention having youthful speed and suppleness on their side, had them feeling confident about the potential outcome. The staff team took a few points to find their rhythm and coordination which the students took full advantage of and took out the first set.
Riding high on their strong start and full of confidence, some of the students had clearly been sneaking in a few ‘Sports Sledging’ sessions in amongst their A-levels as there were some ‘friendly’ exchanges between students and staff across the net between points.
A change of sides for the second set, and this time, a big momentum shift saw the staff take control of the game winning the second set quite comfortably.
The large crowd that had assembled around the playground were fully invested in the match, enjoying some of the more athletic and skillful rally exchanges with enthusiastic support for both teams.
With time running out and the game tied 1-1, the decision was made to go for a quick match deciding 3rd set. It was a very close and competitive affair with some high pressure points played out. Eventually and perhaps fittingly so, it was the Year 13’s who managed to secure the victory winning the final set 13-11! Well done Year 13, you can walk away from KIS with your heads held high knowing that you bested a group of aging intellectuals…and the PE Department!
It was a highly enjoyable event and just one more example in recent weeks where we are slowly starting to see a positive shift back to how things were before the pandemic. Within the PE and Sport Department, we are very excited to see the return of more competitive activities and events that have been sorely missed by students these past two years.
FOBISIA Games 2022-23
I’d like to thank Mrs Lisa Ambrose Head of Marketing for the incredibly eye-catching new wall display inside the Hall. It is a striking visual capturing some wonderful sporting moments from pre-pandemic years, including many a FOBISIA Games photo.
A frequent question I have fielded from students familiar with and fortunate enough to have experienced these events is “when is FOBISIA going to happen again”. Excitingly, this week I have informed FOBISIA of our interest in being able to once again take part in the FOBISIA Friendly Games for the 2022-23 school year.
The first scheduled event is the U15 FOBISIA Games taking place on the 1st-5th November, 2022. Students currently in Year 8 and 9 (going into Year 9 and 10 for the 2022-23 school year) are potentially eligible to take part in this competition.
For students and parents new to KIS who are unfamiliar with the FOBISIA Friendly Games format, this is a multi-sport competition where school teams compete in swimming, athletics, football and basketball over 3 days against other schools within the FOBISIA network from all over Asia. Students have the opportunity to travel to Phuket in Thailand and stay in a very well set up Resort which hosts all the competitions onsite and allows students from KIS the chance to compete and also mix and develop new friendships (hence the ‘Friendly’ part of the event title) through the 5 day period.
I’m sure it goes without saying that these first FOBISIA Games post pandemic will have numerous additional safety measures in place to safeguard the health and safety of students whilst still ensuring it is a fun and enjoyable experience for all involved.
I will be sending out a provisional letter and Google Form to all parents of students in Years 8 and 9 next week to see what interest there is in being able to send a team to the U15 FOBISIA Games in November. If I meet a minimum number of positive responses (7 boys and 7 girls) then the formal organisation will commence shortly there after.
If you would like to know more about the FOBISIA games or think that this is something your child would benefit from then please feel free to get in touch with any questions you may have (cwatt@kis.edu.my)
I sincerely hope the 2022-23 will see the return of the KIS Vipers to the sports field – Let’s go Vipers!
Miss Catriona Watt
Head of PE and Sport
