From the Head of Secondary 20.11.2021
IGCSE Options Talk
On Thursday this week we held a very well attended Zoom introduction to the IGCSE Option Choice process for our Year 9 students. The session started with a presentation from Mr Davis about Add Maths as an IGCSE subject choice; he pointed out the wonders of the subject but also emphasised that it is not for everybody. It is very challenging as shown here:
We can see from this that Add Maths overlaps slightly with the IGCSE Mathematics course which is followed by all students. In terms of mathematical sophistication it has equivalence with AS Maths, the first year of A Level, and also there is even some overlap with A2, the second year of A Level Mathematics. Mr Davis encourages those Year 9s who are thinking about taking Add Maths to speak to their Maths teacher and also senior students who are taking or have taken the subject, and listen to all advice before making a decision.
At the Option Talk Ms Service gave an outline of the process that Year 9 students will go through in terms of choosing their IGCSE courses. Some are what we call ‘Core’ subjects: English Literature, English Language, Mathematics and French, Malay or Mandarin. Students must also choose at least one Science subject [Biology, Chemistry or Physics]. After that there is a list of ‘Optional’ subjects which students must choose from.
Year 9 will be researching the subjects by reading the brochure and watching the short videos which have been prepared by specialist teachers before they make their initial decisions. Following on from that Ms Service will construct the option blocks for the timetable, ensuring that as far as possible that students’ choices can be accommodated. These blocks will be communicated to students and parents and at that point students can change their minds, as long as the new choices fit into the option blocks. It’s an important time for Year 9 and we wish them all the best as they go through the process!
Back to School!
Perhaps the biggest news of the week is that we are all planned and prepped for Monday, where we will see our students return to school We are very excited that this is happening and we have been planning carefully to ensure that all goes well so that we have a smooth transition from online learning to in-school learning. This is a particularly exciting time for our Year 7 students, and any who joined us over the last year or so and have therefore had little experience of learning in school. We have various activities planned, including tours of the school, for these students. In addition form tutors will be reviewing our SOPs with all, from Years 7 to Year 13.
Read on in this newsletter to find out what’s been happening in Year 10 Biology. I’m pleased that I was able to go into the Science lab when the students were constructing their stop – motion animations, and even more excited to see the final results.
You can also see Mr Colbeck’s account of how well our Key Stage 3 students performed in the FOBISIA Science Competition. What an amazing result for Miky in Year 9! Many congratulations to her and to all our very clever students.
The spotlight is also on Julia Aveline – Rabenjoro [9S] this week. Saving the environment is never far from our student global citizens’ minds; read Julia’s account of how she spent the day cleaning up the ocean with volunteers and committed members of local organisations. Well done Julia!
Have a great weekend
Mrs Margaret Renshaw
Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary
What have Year 10 Biology students been up to?
In their Biology lessons Year 10 have had an exciting time creating stop motion animations as part of their work on movement in and out of cells! They have put a monumental amount of effort into their work and it is fantastic to see so many students excited about their studies. I am very proud of all of them and here are a few selections from their recent work!
Mrs. Beresford
Science/Biology Teacher
From Tuesday to Thursday this week, KS3 students were taking part in the FOBISIA Science Championships. It is fantastic to report that Tian Jiao KANG (Miky 9K) achieved first place overall, beating students from 28 schools. Many congratulations Miky!!
KIS came 11th overall, and both 8K and 9K achieved top 10 places overall. Well done to all our students for taking part in this fun competition and extending their scientific knowledge.
Mr Colbeck
Head of Science and Technology
My participation in a Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Conservation Project by Julia Aveline – Rabenjoro [9S]
On Thursday last week, I was honoured to be invited to join a big conservation project in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. This is a project which started in October and is scheduled to last for four months; two or three boats boats are involved, transporting six divers each.The Sabah Parks team was joined by volunteers from the Marine Research Foundation and Dive Rangers, with collaborations from Borneo Dream and the Korea Green Foundation.
After a briefing, we set off to the first dive to remove the crown of thorn starfish, which feed on the corals and destroys the habitat. Luckily, there weren’t too many in that area and we collected the 10 that were there.
After a quick break we headed to another dive site to remove a ghost net where I was able to rescue a fish (Bob!). Though it was quite a small one, we still had to bring it up using lift bags so no one would get entangled.
After a good lunch with the monkeys, we went straight to Sapi Island. Though normally extremely packed with tourists, Sapi was calm and peaceful. However, souvenirs of the many people who had been there lay at the bottom of the ocean. We had to clear out piles and piles of rubbish and were able to fill 6 huge bags – about 60-70kgs!
Projects like these are extremely important and beneficial to the beautiful reefs that we have in TARP. It was quite an inspiring experience to be part of this network of collaborators and volunteers and was definitely an exciting event!
