Uplands School Newsletter

As much as we all love a long weekend, our teachers (and hopefully our students) are really happy to be back to the usual full 5-day week! The last two weeks have been busy and eventful, and we only have one more school week to go before we send our students off for a very exciting ELP week!

If you were not able to make the ELP Parent Information Evening that happened last week, and you have any questions in the lead up to the ELP week, please feel free to contact the leader for your child’s trip.

Last week, we also hosted a mini University Fair for institutions from the UK and Australia. It was very well attended by parents and students who are thinking about future pathways – and there was a fantastic buzz around the event.

Students, teachers, (and some parents that were attending the Universities Fair!) were also treated to a lunchtime live music concert in the Mesra area organised by our brilliant Music Department. We have some amazingly talented students who put on some beautiful performances, and we had a bonus performance from our very own teacher band playing their rendition of ‘Valerie’. It was such an enjoyable event for all, and we’re already excited about more of these performances happening throughout the year!

This week, we held the Year 7-9 Celebration of Learning Evening which is organised by our subject/pastoral faculties but led by our wonderful students on the night. It was an amazing opportunity to showcase the learning experiences that your children have in Year 7-9, and hopefully it gave our parents some insight into how we are growing our students to embody our Uplands School Values through our blended Year 7-9 curriculum. 

Our Year 10 and 11 students and parents have also had the opportunity to upskill their study skills by working with an external provider called ‘Elevate Education’. Drawing upon over 15 years of research into the habits of Australia’s top students, Elevate's high impact seminars & workshops help students improve their study techniques, increase motivation, build confidence, and lift exam performance. We have worked with this provider for a number of years now, and it is a really valuable experience for our students as it caters for a diverse range of learning styles and equips them with a range of methods to help maximise their study potential.

As you can see, it’s been all systems go over the last few weeks. The next big thing is the ELP trips, which I’m sure all our students and teachers are very excited about!

All the best,

Last week our learning hub was abuzz with activity, with a book tasting session for all of our students. This proved to be an extremely positive event where the children could try some of the new reading material that has been purchased for the school. The feedback from students was great and it has made them appreciate this integral part of our school even more.

It has been enjoyable to see the students so engaged in their learning and to see their positivity both inside and outside of the classroom. There is a wonderfully supportive feeling as you walk through the school and through classes, and this feedback has been shared with me from prospective parents and students who I have met with this week. 

Our students are so lucky to have multiple teachers to aid their learning. The use of our English as an Additional Language and Learning Support teachers within the classroom are enabling our students to receive additional support in Reading, Writing, Spelling and Mathematics. The student’s feedback on this collaborative approach to teaching and learning has been extremely affirming with them believing that it helps them to more easily understand the taught concepts and we are committed to using these additional teachers to support all learners. 

This week the leadership team has met to discuss our reporting system for the primary school with the aim of providing meaningful and continual information for parents on student progress. Seesaw is part of our continual reporting to parents, but we are also inviting parents into school to meet with teachers in November to discuss student progress and their highlights thus far. More details on this will be sent to parents next week. 

As we prepare for the weekend, I would like to wish the students who are representing the school in Football and Tee-ball, on Friday and Monday respectively, all the best as they take on this challenge. We know you will do so with great pride and that you will demonstrate the school values expertly in these endeavours. 

Kind regards,
 

Pre-Loved Promware Panoply!

Do your kids have dresses or suits in their closets that they only managed to wear once or twice before outgrowing them? Are you tired of spending hundreds of ringgit each year to buy your child a new suit or dress for prom? If the answer is yes, then come on down to our Pre-Loved Promware Panoply on Wednesday, 9 October from 12:00-1:30pm in the foyer!  Not only will you have a chance to sell your unneeded promware, you can also find suits and dresses for as low as RM150. What a bargain!
 
If you are interested in selling a prom dress or suit, please ensure it is clean and pressed, and bring it on a hanger to the foyer by 11:45 on the 9th. If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen at gwkupin@gmail.com. Unsold items can be collected at 1:30pm following the sale, or from the uniform shop the next morning.

 

Supporting the best in Teaching and Learning
At Uplands, we are proud of our experienced teaching faculty and the resources we commit as a learning organisation to ensure currency in international best practices in teaching and learning. We know that a focus on continuous improvement has a significant impact on student learning and, ultimately, the opportunities they can access at universities and in their careers. 

Since the start of the 2019-20 school year, our staff have attended a range of courses and workshops across the region to learn about the new Diploma Programme curriculum in various subjects and new IGCSE subject offerings. The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) is a leader in the provision of teacher training and our IBO authorisation requires faculty to attend upskilling workshops to maintain their expertise. Occurring over weekends, these three-day workshops are also a valuable opportunity to learn from educators across the Asia Pacific region and the world and to bring new ideas back to our classrooms at Uplands. This helps to ensure that we, as IB educators can support students’ success in the Diploma Programme, and as thoughtful young people who live our motto: Respect for Self, Respect for Others. 

Over the past weeks, our DP staff have attended DP Language A and B (English, French and Mandarin) and DP Theory of Knowledge workshops in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, and DP Theatre and Extended Essay in Hong Kong and Bangkok. Staff have also attended workshops on the new IGCSE Malay A course that began this year. These workshops help us ensure that Uplands is delivering an exemplary, international learning programme throughout our secondary school. 
 

The Crystal Family Home Engish tuition CCA for CAS students commenced this year with a visit to the organisation's new home in Air Hitam. The Yr 12 students gain the opportunity to see the home circumstances of the children and meet them for the first time in the children's comfort zone. This year there are 10 children and 11 Uplands students volunteering. To foster the notion of principled action and commitment and perseverance the Yr 12 students commit to working with their child one-on-one until Term 3, ensuring that a relationship can be developed over time and the emotional well being of the CFH children is paramount. The Uplands students develop and extend their compassion and empathy as well as develop the skills of individualised English lesson planning and working with their child to develop a love of reading and a willingness to improve their English. There were some lovely reading moments this past week. 

Play Therapy Island Hospital

Last Wednesday, I and a few others went to Island Hospital to provide our very first play therapy session. Play therapy is entertaining the children with various toys, games or just by having a casual conversation. The main purpose of this is to distract the children’s minds and to bring joy to them, as being in a hospital 24/7 is mentally very challenging and instinctively, every child needs to play. These children range from age two to thirteen, us IB students had to be creative and devise different games depending on their personality and understanding. This was very fun but also very challenging. 

One of the main challenges we faced was communicating and coming up with games to play. Most kids are local, hence English was not their first language. Devising games was difficult, but luckily some of us could speak a bit of local language which helped when communicating and ensuring that the children had the best play therapy experience. Every one of us enjoyed playing with the kids and we felt very fulfilled leaving the hospital knowing we brought a smile on their faces. We look forward to the many play therapy sessions to come! 

Below are some of the photos taken: 

Trash Hero Penang

Trash Hero Penang is up and running for Term 1. Our first clean up was Friday 6 September, an opportunity to train the new student leaders and the Seagate and National Instrument Corporate Social Responsibility managers about site selection, site risk assessment, duty of care, essential equipment, the dilemma of whether to sort as you go or sort at the end, weighing, recording and how to stay cool! Afternoon cleanups are hot hot hot! The Aqueduct looks quite neglected and the grass was high so we made the call to move out to the less shady but less snake prone area. Our new leaders and guests were amazed at how much trash could be collected in such a short period of time.

Our next Cleanup is Friday 4 October. Meet at Uplands Gate A @ 3:45 for a cleanup in the area surrounding Uplands and up to Ferringhi Residence. BYO hat, refillable water bottle, and sun protection.

The following clean up is for World Cleanup Day, Saturday 19 October which, ironically, had to be cancelled on its original date due to the haze pollution. The cleanup area is the beach outside the Tropical Spice Garden and we will be working with the Garden staff on the day. Please come and join us. Contact Faustina for further information U98297@uplands.org
 

Record Sign Up for Climbing CCA

The CCA season kicked off with a record sign up for climbing.  There are 2 climbing CCA’s running on two seperate days to accommodate the numbers of interested students.  Numbers were such that unfortunately we had to turn some students away due to the capacity of our local climbing gym, Project Rock..  Last year several of our core FOBISIA climbers left the school so it is heartening to see some talented new younger students joining the ranks of our climbers to ensure that we represent the school in future competitions.

In a few weeks the new climbers will be ready to start working on their Star Awards for bouldering which take them through a certificated course from 1 star to 3 star climbers.

How is the School Wall coming along?
Several of the climbing students and many parents have been asking how the school wall is developing.  So far we have plans for either an outdoor or indoor wall but they can only be built if we get the funding.  So far we have raised RM115000 toward the target of 250000.  Fundraising efforts are continuing and we are on the lookout for that elusive corporate grant or fund raising push that will make it a reality.  We can only make it with a team effort.

Our next fundraising opportunity will be the UPTA Food fair on 9th November so please support the climbers on the day and help us develop this prestigious resource for the school.

Climbing at Project Rock

Girl Power


About to ‘flash’ a hard boulder problem (Left)
Getting past a tricky overhang (Right)
 

University Fair

On Friday, September 27, Uplands hosted an IDP University Fair during lunch for high school students and their parents. 20 universities from Australia, the UK, Canada, and the USA attended, which gave students and parents the opportunity to talk with university representatives from around the world.

 

Meet our passionate, multi-talented and dedicated Secondary, Creative Arts Faculty

(from left to right):
Mr. Alastair Moir  - Visual Arts; Mr. Christopher Ammons - Music; Ms. Meredeth Hauge - Drama;  Mr. James Woodard - Drama and Film Studies; Ms. Carolyn Reeves - Visual Arts; Ms. Jasmine Moir - Drama &; Mr. David Kelly - Music / Arts Head of Faculty.

Uplands Creative Arts programs provide students with a multitude of options for expressing and communicating their ideas and students learn to think about problems from a broad range of perspectives. This ultimately can benefit students across all subjects and as life-long learners.

Our Years 7-9, IGCSE and IB DP Arts programs play an essential role in affirming and developing creative abilities among students of all skill levels, without limiting it to those who aspire to be professional Artists or Writers. It's just as likely that a Biologist, for example, who develops creative thinking in middle or high school Arts classes could think of new ways of looking at cancer research, as it is that an Artist can develop new forms and media for artistic expression.

Arts activities also help children's social and emotional development. Students learn about themselves and others through Art activities and build self-esteem.

In this first term of the school year, it’s been great to observe the Arts also playing a key role in building and strengthening our school community. This was particularly noticeable last Friday at the first of the Music Department’s lunchtime concerts, with students and teachers from across our school gathering together to enjoy performances by secondary students and teachers. Similarly, preparations for this year’s school production, “The Seussification Of Romeo and Juliet” draws upon the wealth of skills and talent from students from Year 7 through 12 and  across the Arts modalities - all working together to ensure you will enjoy a great night’s entertainment when it runs from December 5th to 7th in the MPH.

Lastly, we are all sad to bid farewell to Mr. Mark Loiterton who has had to suddenly leave to care for his elderly father back in Australia. We wish him all the best and are thankful for all the hard work he put in as Drama teacher and Arts Faculty Head.
 

The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet

Up along three flights of stairs, 
When students, staff all sit in chairs.
Where lights and voices all come to play, 
Shining onto two star crossed lovers destined to stay. 

Ever wondered what the lovechild of Dr Seuss and Shakespeare would be?
 

Waltzing and dubstep, Romeo being called a ‘dudeling’ by a monk, realising that Macklemore wrote ‘Thrift Store’ for Paris and other wacky wumbo. Witness a modernised twist of Shakespeare’s classic ‘Romeo and Juliet’ filled with wit, sarcasm and saltiness guaranteed to make you forget the horrors of English class and cultivate an appreciation for both Shakespeare and Dr Seuss’ eccentric wordplay. 

So mark your calendars for Friday December 6th or Saturday December 7th at 7:00pm, and come on down (or rather, up) to the MPH for the Seussification of Romeo and Juliet. Tickets will be on sale shortly after the ELP trips, so keep those glistening eyes peeled! See you there.

So wherefore art thou Romeo? 
He’s where the spotlights go. 
How about thee, Juliet... 
Memorised thy lines yet?
Of course, of course we’re all hard at work, 
Tired but happy, and with all the quirks. 
 

Learning languages at Uplands = Learning languages in a real-life context

At Uplands, secondary students can study a variety of foreign languages: French, German, Japanese. Malay, Mandarin or Spanish. We believe that students learn best when they are engaged and having fun. As teachers, we teach the language in a real-life context so student’s learning becomes more meaningful. 

French

Take for example the French class, where students are currently learning how to ask for things in shops.

“Je voudrais un paquet de bonbons” Thomas 
“ Je voudrais une livre de fromage” Grace

Spanish

Or the Spanish class, where Year 10 students are learning how to talk about their school and are creating a brochure and promotional video about Uplands. Here are some rules you must follow at our school:

“Está prohibido mascar chicle” Emma

“Me gusta la clase de español porque es muy divertida” Maya

“En Uplands se debe llevar uniforme” Amber

In Year 8. Spanish students are looking into the topic of clothes and they will be designing new uniforms and presenting their proposals to Spanish-speaking judges. 

“We are learning about the clothes and how to conjugate verbs, for example Me gusta llevar camisetas porque son muy cómodas” Xiany Ying

“In Spanish we are currently learning about clothes and how to change the adjectives so we are able to structure sentences, for example Me encanta llevar camisetas pero no me gusta llevar pantalones.” Ines 

German

The year 7s started their German lessons by learning how to introduce themselves and how to have a short conversation when meeting  new people. In year 8 the students learned how to write about cities - what they’re like today and what they were like in the past. The year 9 students learned how to speak about their computer habits: what they and their family members use computers for and to explain what they like or don’t like doing on their computers.

Malay as a Foreign Language

In Foreign-Language Malay, we are learning to describe our favourite celebrities!

“Saya mengagumi beliau kerana dia memberi inspirasi kepada saya untuk menjadi seorang yang lebih baik.”  Ranee

“Saya mahu menjadi seorang yang murah hati dan berdedikasi seperti beliau jika saya menjadi dewasa.” Hong Ze CHEW

Year 9 Malay classes are learning about the advantages and disadvantages of social media. As one of the advantages discussed was communication, students had real-life experience in the classroom by communicating with their friends in Malay through a social media platform of their choice. Most chose to chat through WhatsApp, a few preferred emails and the others were on Facebook, Twitter etc. It was great watching them communicating in Malay with each other, something that they rarely do outside the classroom, especially on social media!
 

First Language Chinese 
In this term students learnt about virtues and attitudes through inquiry. They worked in groups to create posters and comics of the text. First they needed to rearrange the sequence of the pictures of the scenes. Then they had to describe the scenes of the pictures by paraphrasing. It enhanced their textual analysis in a fun way.

Language and Literature Chinese
In Chinese A Language and Literature this term, students learnt how to interpret and analyse different non-literary texts chosen from a variety of sources and media like lyrics, comics, advertisements, news and editorial.

Learning a foreign language at Uplands is fun! This is what our students say...

“J’aime beaucoup le cours de français parce que c’est plaisant et intéressant.” Eliza  
“Learning languages can affect your future life for example if you have a job in Germany you will be able to speak a bit.” Rayan 

I like Chinese class because it is fun and I can learn new things to improve my level of Mandarin. 我喜欢中文课，因为它既有趣又酷。  Aurelia                                                              
“I really love Spanish as Ms. P. teaches us in a fun way which helps us learn. She makes the class comfortable for us and motivates us”  Zoe

“French is fun and competitive because we all love to win. We learn so much and Ms C is a great teacher because it takes a lot to settle us down (she does). I love French.” Gia  

I enjoy chinese class because I like to learn.  我喜欢中文，因为我喜欢学习。Hyunseo  
                                                                                           
“Me gusta mucho español porque es divertido y un reto” Justin

“I enjoy learning in German class because the teacher makes it more fun and interesting. We don’t only use the textbook, we also do fun games and work in groups which helps us with our learning. I think it is important that we learn new languages because we can communicate more with people in different parts of the world.” Sofia 

よしこ先生と日本語のクラスでりょうりをして、うどんとおにぎりを食べました。とてもたのしかったです。かんじは少しむずかしいですが、おもしろいです。 Ayeon                                                                      

“Le cours de français est très intéressant parce que nous jouons les jeux éducatifs et nous faisons les activités plaisantes. J’aime les cours de français. C’est très bien.” Megan-Fei 

 “我最喜欢分析歌词的课，因为老师解释歌词的内容很精辟，开拓了我对歌词的理解。我觉得老师教学的方式点燃了我对语文与文学的兴趣，让我主动去了解中华文化的历史” Dong      

“I enjoy Spanish lessons due to the positivity and encouragement of the teacher” Tristan

“German is a really interesting language to learn, it is hard, but our teacher [...] made our work super easy and fun. We played games regarding revision work from last year [...]. I feel I have improved a lot.” Angel 

老师的教导方式很容易理解，让我更明白课文的内容。她的课非常活泼，让我上得很开心。我最喜欢班里的讨论环节，我常常获益匪浅。这个课程如同一个万花筒，可以用很多角度看待一样事物。Jian Wei
                                                  
“In my Japanese class we did many exciting things. We visited the Penang Japanese School and made some new friends there. Also they came to Uplands and we played some fun activities together. I enjoy learning Japanese language at Uplands because Mrs. Fox gives us some cultural lessons such as cooking. “  Dhinesware 

“Me gusta mucho la clase de español porque es muy divertido y interesante. También la profesora es muy simpática y amable.” Chloé

“Learning German allows me to understand and comprehend German culture
Wenn ich Deutsch lerne, kann ich die deutsche Kultur besser verstehen.” Jorge
 

Roar SPORTS and CCA’s

The hazy conditions have wrecked have with our CCA and ROAR SPORTS schedule, with a number of games been either postponed or cancelled.  I would like to thank parents, coaches and students for their patience.

Finally, with the onset of some good weather, we have continued our normal schedule and have a number of fixtures to catch up on.  Please check the school calendar for the many fixtures.

U/15 FOBISIA Games cancelled
Unfortunately due to a poor response, Uplands will not be participating in this year's U15 FOBISIA games.  Let's look forward to next year!

PHUKET 7’s FOOTBALL O/15 Boys and Girls, U/13 Boys Thailand, November 21-24, 2019

Uplands will be sending three teams to the Phuket 7’s in November with an O/15 Boys, O/15 Girls and a U/13 Boys team representing the school.  More to come!

UPLANDS STUDENTS IN ACTION - ROAR SPORTS

 

The recent UPTA Mingle took place at The Shed at Straits Quay on the 18th September, despite the menacing haze that was covering Penang at the time. Many thanks to Kristine Mitchell and her team who hired the venue, provided food and drink and organized musical entertainment. Your efforts were greatly appreciated by those teachers who attended, who were unfortunately few in number. Let’s hope that future UPTA shindigs are better attended as they are a great way to socialise with other members of the school community. 
 

Erika Chapman
Primary Teacher (Year 1)

       

A Delicious Literary Treat: Book Tasting Event 

 

Food Technology