Excitement is in the air in Middle School with students due to head off to rainforest and ocean sites across Malaysia on their Malaysia Week adventure on Sunday! Shortlisted last year for the UK’s Talk Education Awards: Innovation in Education Inspiring Co-curricular Activities, Malaysia Week is one of the highlights of the Middle School calendar and a long-standing ISKL tradition that began back in 1979.

Guided by the program goals, students learn to work together, develop new skills, and deal positively with new situations. The program also provides an opportunity for students to recognize self-perceived limitations and challenge themselves to go beyond their comfort zone in a safe and nurturing environment. We wish all our students (and the parents, faculty, and staff accompanying them!) a fantastic time and look forward to hearing about their learning and amazing experiences when they return next week.

Malaysia Week is one of the many school-wide experiences that embody our dynamic community and the rich learning experiences that take place both in and out of the classroom. As our MS students head off for outdoor experiential learning, some of our ES students will be undertaking Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing next week, while in High School, external IB and AP are currently underway. We wish our students all the best as they demonstrate their knowledge, learning, and progress.

Data from externally benchmarked assessments and exams, together with project-based, formative, summative, verbal and written assessments, as well as in class-observations comprise some of the many data points we collect at an individual student level to help guide learning and growth. The results also inform our overall performance as a school – a topic we will be covering at our final HoS In Partnership event this year on Wednesday, May 24. The event will also include a panel discussion where we will explore how, in addition to helping support students fulfill their academic potential, the importance of cultivating a culture where students experience a sense of belonging and inclusion. It promises to be an interesting discussion and all parents are welcome to attend.

Another example of our dynamic community in action took place earlier this week with our Board Committees providing updates at the final Open Board meeting (May 2) for the academic year. I would like to acknowledge and thank all our Board members for their work this year and their commitment to ensuring the success of our school. A very special thank you to Board Chair, Toshi Saito for his leadership over the past two and a half years, his unwavering support has been truly appreciated. Our Board members are all parent volunteers and we are a better school as a result of the diversity of perspectives they offer, and the depth of expertise and experience they bring to the Board.

We wish all those celebrating a blessed Wesak Day and hope that everyone has a relaxing long weekend. We are excited to be hosting the Dignity for Children’s Faisal Cup football match on Saturday (May 6) which offers underprivileged children the opportunity to play and showcase their skills in a friendly tournament. Our thanks to those who have been working tirelessly to support this wonderful initiative.

In partnership,

Rami Madani
Head of School