It has been an exciting couple of days for our Grade 4 students who have been developing new skills and connecting as a community during their Midnight Panthers Camp (January 19-20). Over the past couple of days, students have been participating in individual and group challenges including hands-on experiential learning putting our School Wide Learning Results into action with activities designed to develop problem-solving skills and collaboration. Students also enjoyed the independence of an overnight stay on campus complete with a camp ‘fire’ and s’mores.

In addition to being a fun experience, the camp is an important learning opportunity designed to help reinforce the Melawati Way, Take care of yourself, take care of others, take care of this place which, of course, reflects our Vision, Know yourself, care for all, and create a better world. The camp is part of a school-wide experiential learning program progressing to an overnight school trip in Grade 5, Malaysia Week in Middle School, and our Global Action Program in High School. These beyond-the-classroom opportunities are an important part of our educational experience taking students out of their comfort zone in a supportive environment and fostering inner confidence, independence, and responsibility. It is rewarding to hear our students report feeling a greater sense of resilience, confidence, and empathy as a result.

A Grade 9 PRAXIS presentation earlier this week provided another testament to the powerful learning that takes place at ISKL. It was inspiring to see our SLRs in action with students engaged in high-level formal debates about Truth, Open Societies, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and how technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, are impacting our lives and what threat if any, might they cause for our future. These debates reflected a high level of research, sound reasoning, confidence, and passion for learning. I was deeply impressed by how our students debated whether artificial intelligence is an asset or a threat. They objectively highlighted the opportunities and risks, the benefits and challenges, and came up with their own authentic views, perfectly demonstrating our SLRs with their ability to think creatively, reason critically, and communicate effectively.

With the Lunar New Year being celebrated this weekend here in Malaysia and around the world, I also wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very enjoyable mini-break and those celebrating a happy new year. For many cultures, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year, a time to spend with family, observe customs and traditions, and of course, enjoy some much-loved dishes. Traditions vary with each culture and those new to Malaysia will have the opportunity to experience Yee Sang, a salad dish representing good luck and prosperity tossed in the air as good wishes are shared. The different celebrations that will be taking place over the coming days reinforce how the differences we share create a bridge for celebrating the diversity present in our own identities, in each other, and in our school community. 

In partnership,

Rami Madani
Head of School