Issue No. 006, 9th December 2011 - The Alice Smith School

In this issue... 

P2 Breaking News 

- University Cambridge International Examinations 

Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award 

- Year 2011-2012 Tuition Fees 

P2 Community and Charity 

- Youthact Charity Appeal 

P3 - Thailand Flood Appeal 

- Terry Fox Run 

P4 From the Council of Governors 

- Annual Report and AGM Questions 

- 62nd AGM, 11 th January 2012 

P5 Cross Campus Focus 

- Christmas Events next week 

- Transport Survey 

P6 Message from the Director of School 

P7 PTA News 

P8 Feature of the Week 

Primary Campus 

P9 Campus Focus 

- September 2012 intake for Pre-school and Reception 

P9 Dates to Bookmark 

P10 Around the Campus 

- New Peripatetic Teachers 

- Music to Our Ears 

P11 - Primary Campus Library 

For internal circulation only 9 th December 2011 

Recipients of the University of Cambridge International Examinations 


Secondary Campus 

P12 Message from the Secondary Principal 

P12 Dates to Bookmark 

Campus Focus 

P13 - Use of Baseline Data 

P14 - The Christmas Break, a time to relax..for some 

P15 - PSHE Day 

- Scott House Day 

- End of Term 

Around the Campus 

P16 - Year 6 Transition Day 1 

P17 - Kenya 2012 

- World Book 2012 

P18 - Year 10 PSHE Day 

- KLASS MUN 

P19 - Online Safety 

P20 To Note 

Cross Campus 

- KLASS Times 

- Term 2 Calendar of Events 

- KLASS Torpedoes Term 2 Trials 


- Football Trials Year 3 and 4 

- Football Trials Year 5 and 6, Boys and Girls 

P21 - Sporty Girls Netball 

P21 Letters to Parents 

KLASS Times I page 1

University of Cambridge International Examinations 


We are delighted to announce and to congratulate the following students for being the best performing 

students in Malaysia and the world in the recent June 2011 IGSCE examination. 

An award ceremony organised by the University of Cambridge International Examinations Board took place 

recently at the Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya. 

The recipients are: 

Kayla Chiew Top in the world for Additional Mathematics 

Azril Zulkiflee Top in the world for Foreign Language Malay 

Emily Scanlon Top in Malaysia for History 

Lisabel Tanner High achievement for Foreign Language Dutch 

Congratulations…all of you have done us proud! 

Year 2011-2012 Tuition Fees 

By Jean Chang, Director of Finance and Administration 

Please be informed that the bill(s) for Term 2, Year 2011-2012 fees have been sent to all parents and/or to their 

companies on 1 st December 2011. If you do not receive the bill(s), please contact our Finance Office at either the 

Primary or Secondary Campus. Thank you. 

Community and Charity 

Youthact Charity Appeal 

By Angela Brooks, Frances Freeman and Youthact 

On Friday 2 nd December, the Alice Smith Choral Singers, comprising sixteen 

students, kindly supported our Christmas Charity Appeal by performing at the 

Park Royal‟s annual lighting the tree event. Parents, hotel guests and staff were 

treated to a magical rendition of Christmas favourites which included „Frosty the 

Snowman‟ and „Winter Wonderland‟. 

The evening was summed up by senior student, Bethany Tennant, who said, “It 

was a pleasure to perform during this special season to give a little extra to those 

children who are less fortunate than us. We are all passionate about singing, so it 

was most rewarding to be able to use our passion to make a difference in the 

lives of others.” 

We, the Youthact team, would like to take this opportunity to give a massive 

thanks to Ms Anderson, whose dedication to both choral performance and 

charitable causes made this performance possible. Not only did she rehearse with 

the students to ensure a most memorable evening, but her innovative 

arrangements added to the festive ambience. 

We also thank Mr Hamilton for his support and Miss Bokesch for taking photographs. Finally, we thank all 

parents, students and staff for their generous donations in support of our Christmas Charity Appeal for the 

Lighthouse Orphanage and Nur Salam. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas. 



Community and Charity 

Thailand Flood Appeal 

By Sarah Wheeler Tan and Julie Anderson, Charities Coordinator 

Both campuses appealed to students and staff for donations for foodstuffs for flood 

victims in Thailand. Many thanks indeed to those who brought in goods. At the 

Secondary Campus, we were able to send several kilos of mee, rice, canned and dried 

goods to be combined with a similar collection from the Primary Campus pupils and staff. 

The items were handed over to the Red 

Crescent Society. A special thank you 

must go to one of our Sixth Formers, who 

donated 10 x 10kg packs of rice. Zhi Ming 

has set a precedent there, and is role 

model which we all could and should 

follow. Thank you to all of you who 

contributed - for your generosity and 

empathy for our neighbouring country in 

their time of trouble. 

Terry Fox Run 

By Sarah Wheeler Tan and Julie Anderson, Charities Coordinator 

This year‟s annual Terry Fox Run took place on 13 th November. The venue had shifted to Padang Merbuk, just 

beside the Tugu Negara Memorial, where the Remembrance Day Service was taking place just before the run 

was due to begin. The area proved to be very busy that day, as there was also a marathon about to begin from 

Merdeka Square around the same time. 

As a result, roads were closed off and one way systems in operation, which meant people panicked about getting 

there in time. They needn‟t have worried: the 9am start was the start of warm up exercises and lots of speeches, 

so the action only really started about 9.30am. The Alice Smith contingent who managed to locate Ms Wheeler 

Tan with the Alice Smith banner in time were photographed before the run, but many others from both sites 

were there supporting the event, which was great to see. Mr Phillips (DT Dept) had been ultra-organised and 

attended the Remembrance Day service in his suit then executed a Superman-style change of gear to get to the 

Padang in his running kit. 

Mums with pushchairs and small kids started the circuit, resulting in something of a blockage for those wanting to 

move faster. Both the short and a long route involved negotiating a steep hill around the back of the National 

Monument which was packed with participants – mainly walkers – which kept the body of people in very tight 

formation all round. 

Quote of the week … 

Christopher All said and despite Columbus the humidity, it was a great event to take part in. 

Being amongst hundreds of people united in their drive to do something for 

cancer ―You can research never and cross all the sporting ocean the unless grey T-shirt for 2011 cannot and 

should not be explained – it should be experienced. If you didn‟t make it 

this year, please try to do so next year. It leaves you feeling good – 

physically, socially and philanthropically. What better way could there be to 

spend a Sunday morning? 

Quote of the Week 

W.T. Ellis 

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." 


Top : Donations ready to go 

Right: Bala loads up for the Thailand 

flood victims 

You don‟t have to be in running 

kit to join in the fun! 


From the Council of Governors 

Annual Report and AGM Questions 

By Sue Bamford 

Chair of Council of Governors 

By now, everyone should have received their Annual Report for the school year 2011-2012. If you haven‟t 

received the report, please collect it from the Campus Office. 

To ensure that we answer all your questions, please email your questions ahead of the Annual General Meeting 

to the Council at council@alice-smith.edu.my or to the Company Secretary at pat.chan@alice-smith.edu.my or 

pass it to the Campus Office for the attention of Pat Chan by 12 noon, 5 th January 2012. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Notice from the Alice Smith Schools Association - 62nd Annual General Meeting 

Wednesday, 11th January 2012 

By the Council of Governors 

The School‟s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11 th January 2012 at 7.30 pm in the School Hall 

at Jalan Bellamy. If you have any detailed questions you would like to raise at the AGM, please do submit them in 

writing by 5 th January 2012 so that the Council of Governors have time to collect data and prepare answers. 

There are four vacancies for the post of Ordinary Governor at the AGM. The closing date for nomination is 

12.00 noon, 5 th January 2012. A nominee needs a proposer and seconder (who must be Alice Smith parents) and 

must also write a personal statement about the skill sets they would bring to the Council and the reason(s) they 

have for wanting to join the Council. Please send the nomination form together with the nominee‟s statement to 

the Office Manager at Jalan Bellamy (Ms Prathima) or Equine Park (Ms Koh Yit Fong) for the attention of Ms Pat 

Chan, ASSA Company Secretary. Information about all the candidates standing for election will be announced via 

email on 6 th January 2012 and will also be available on Frog. 

There will be a vote on the ordinary governor positions and other statutory matters, and time for questions at the 

AGM. Proxy voting forms must be deposited at the Jalan Bellamy office (the registered office of the Association) 

on or before Monday, 9 th January 2012 at 7.30 pm. Please note that for every parent membership, both the 

father and mother of the child/children is each entitled to one vote. If need be, please make photocopies of the 

form of proxy for use at AGM, a copy of which is in the 2011-2012 Annual Report. 

To be valid, do ensure that nomination form bears the original signature of both the proposer and seconder and 

in the case of proxy form, the appointor‟s. Please do not send the said forms via fax or email. 



Christmas Music Events next week 

By Steve Dixon, Head of Music - Secondary Campus 

Combined Christmas Concert 

Wednesday, 14 th December at 6.30pm, Secondary Campus 

Following last year‟s successful combined Christmas Concert, this year‟s concert will once more be hosted at 

Equine Park. The concert is to be held in the Assembly Hall featuring seasonal music from our choirs, bands 

and orchestras, involving students from across all ages in the school (Key Stage 1 - 5). Parents and members 

of the Alice Smith Community are invited to attend this Christmas Musical Celebration. 

Combined Carol Service 

Thursday, 15 th December at 7.00pm, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Merdeka Square 

This annual and very special event will feature the talents of our combined Alice Smith School Music 

Departments, readings from staff, students and friends who will deliver a traditional Christmas Service in a 

beautiful setting. The event promises to be another highlight in the academic year. The whole Alice Smith 

community is cordially invited to attend at St. Mary‟s Cathedral. 

Transport Survey 

By Alison Nadarajah and Tobin Connell 

Assistant Principals - Pastoral 

Thank you to all families who have completed the School Transport Survey. The survey is to help our analysis 

of how students travel to and from school, and to ensure safety in our practices, along with the transport 

providers. 

The survey is for all, regardless of whether or not you use the buses. If you did not receive an email last week 

containing the link to the survey, please contact the Campus Office. The survey will be available online until 

Tuesday, 13 th December at 4pm. 




From the 

Director of School 

As we enter the final week of term, it is with pleasure that I reflect on some of the major events of the past 

weeks. The Alice Smith School is a school with a very strong and established community body and together we 

should not hesitate to celebrate our successes. 

This week‟s KLASS Times is packed full with an enormous range of information and reports of activities on both 

campuses. I am grateful for the hard work of all of the staff in school but would like to highlight one or two 

events of particular note. 

Today, I had the great pleasure of taking part in the second annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony at our 

Secondary Campus. It was with great pride that I saw four worthy young people formally awarded with places to 

study in the Alice Smith Sixth Form, something that three years ago would have been beyond their reach. The 

ability to contribute in such a way and „give back‟ to the community in which we live and work is very gratifying 

and I look forward to seeing what our new scholars can achieve. 

On a lighter note, on Wednesday evening we held our first „Carols by Candlelight‟, a relaxed and light-hearted 

opportunity for the community to come together in good voice and celebrate the season. Mr Dixon and 

Mrs Thistleton managed to hit the right note (no pun intended) on the evening and everyone had a lovely time. 

The Primary Campus hall at Jalan Bellamy looked beautiful too with decoration galore lovingly staged by our 

dedicated and hardworking PTA. Thank you to everyone who was involved in organising the event and also to all 

those who took part with such good humour. Missing from the event was Mrs Fuller who continues to slowly 

recover from a rather nasty lung infection contracted earlier in the term. She is coming into school on a more 

regular basis but is still not able to take part in school activities on a fulltime basis. You will notice that there is 

no Primary Campus report from her this week but she wishes all of the Primary Campus families a very Merry 

Christmas and a Happy New Year! I‟m am sure that she will be back in school fully recovered and in good form 

on 5 th January. 

Next week, we look forward to our very popular annual Christmas concert at the Secondary Campus on 

Wednesday evening and also the annual Carol Service at St Mary‟s Cathedral on Thursday evening. Please come 

if you can to support either or both events. 

Wishing you all the compliments of the season and a very relaxing Christmas holiday. 

Best regards, 

Val Thomas-Peter 


From 

the 

A Great Outcome from the Christmas Bazaar 

By Marylou Rainsford, Publications Coordinator 

As you are aware, the PTA have recently been focusing our charity efforts on raising money for the Make-A- 

Wish Malaysia Charity. After the fundraising efforts at the Christmas Bazaar on the 19 th November, the PTA 

was able to donate money to directly grant a wish for Kai Tien, a 16 year old girl who is unfortunately suffering 

from a relapse of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. 

These are the details of her wish as related to us by Sandra, a member of the Make-A-Wish Board: 

“Many thanks once again for the adoption of Kai Tien wish for a navy blue laptop. Kai Tien had a relapse of ALL 

(leukemia) recently and while we were meant to do her wish in December, her father rang to see if we could 

bring forward her 16 th birthday. We managed to contact the Hard Rock Cafe who agreed to do the party at 

such short notice. She is inviting lots of friends and some family (55 in total). We will collect them by bus from 

her home town in Seremban. She will stay in the Hilton that night complimentary of the hotel, with her parents 

and siblings and we will bring the rest of the party back to Seremban. We have some of her favourite food, a 

delicious birthday cake, a DJ, Lady Gaga impersonator (she loves lady Gaga) and a clown, who performs tricks 

and games, to add to her special day. Besides her laptop we will have a goody bag full of things she likes.” 

It was a great day and much enjoyed by all. 

We received from Kai Tien later that weekend: 

“Thank you very much for everything. We now at Seremban 

already. I am so happy for everything you did. I like the gift 

and I enjoy the party too. My family also very happy and 

very thankful to you and everybody.” 

Gift Basket Draw 


Kai Tien with her new laptop 

At the Christmas Concert in the Secondary Campus on Wednesday, 14 th December there will be a final gift 

basket up for grabs via ticket draw. This basket is a fantastic one to win, and timely as it may well be needed 

after the indulgences of Christmas holidays! 

Contents are: A Health and Fitness bonanza with 1 month BootCamp pass for 2 people, 1 month‟s gym 

membership for 2 people @ Chi Fitness BSC, a range of Bio-Life supplements, 2 massive drink bottles and a 

great sportsbag. 

Tickets will only be available for sale at the concert with 1 ticket costing RM20 each or buy 3 for RM50. All of 

the proceeds will be going into the PTA's Make-A-Wish Malaysia Charity pool so that it can accumulate towards 

granting another wish. The winner will be drawn at the end of the Concert. The basket is on display in the 

Primary Campus office from Monday - Wednesday next week if you would like to view it. 

Keep an eye out for more information around the school on noticeboards and TV screens as well as in the 

KLASS Times and KLASS Times Express. 



of the week 

ICT - Start here, go anywhere! 

By Stewart Edmonds, Head of ICT - Secondary Campus 

Information and Communication Technology has changed the way we live, work, play and learn. When I was at 

school, all the music I bought was on vinyl LPs – my parent‟s had a couple of 78s stashed away that they 

couldn‟t play anymore. Then along came cassettes and the Walkman, then CDs and Discman and now with 

MP3s, I have my entire music collection in my back pocket. Videos are being replaced by DVDs just in time for 

them to be replaced by Blue Ray and when was the last time you put film into a camera? 

At the Secondary Campus too, there has been a quantum leap in the ICT facilities. The 1 st floor of the newly 

opened Steve Warry Centre houses two purpose built ICT suites and a central office for the ICT teaching staff. 

The new ICT suites provide a wonderfully conducive environment for the teaching of ICT. There are separate 

spaces for students to gather for a traditional lesson, carry out some desk work or to break up into groups and a 

separate space to delve into working on a computer. The new ICT suites are bright and breezy, with lots of 

natural light, no shortage of windows here (pun intended). 

The curriculum too has evolved, first with the A-level, then the GCSE and now the Key Stage 3 curriculum. 

At every level emerging technology and the Internet is the focus, as is the need to use ICT in context. This year 

the Key Stage 3 ICT curriculum will take on a cross curricular focus, moving towards greater integration and 

adoption of ICT skills in all subjects. The ICT department will continue to develop the student‟s ability to use 

applications but now there will be an emphasis on applying this knowledge within another subject area with a 

relevant context. For example, the Year 7 students develop audio manipulation skills in ICT then use this 

knowledge to create podcasts to showcase their use of a foreign language. Year 8 students explored the 

concepts and skills of web design and have created a Maths revision site. 

Not only does this contextualise the learning, it gives it relevance and value to the student and brings ICT to life. 

Students engaging in the various facilities at the new Steve Warry Centre 


September 2012 intake for Pre-school and Reception 

We have outlined several assessment dates in 2012 for Pre-school and Reception. Come and join our assessment 

days/times or invite your friends and discover on how best we can embark on this great journey with your child. 

Reception 

2.30pm - 3.30pm 

18 th January 2012 

15 th February 2012 

22 nd February 2012 

29 th February 2012 

Child’s birth date 

- September to November 2007 

- December 2007 

- January and February 2008 

- March to August 2008 

- September 2007 to August 2008 


Pre-school 

12.45pm-1.45pm 

7 th March 2012 

21 st March 2012 

28 th March 2012 

Child’s birth date 

- September 2008 to January 2009 

- February to August 2009 

- September 2008 to August 2009 

For further details, please visit the school website www.alice-smith.edu.my or contact the Admissions team at 

admissions.jb@alice-smith.edu.my. 

Monday, 12 th December 2011 

Activity for Term 2 sign-up closes 

Inter-House Games - Basketball / Football 

(12 th - 15 th Dec) 

Wednesday, 14 th December 2011 

Combined Christmas Concert at 6.30pm, 


Thursday, 15 th December 

Christmas Parties 

Combined Carol Service at 7.00pm 

St. Mary‟s Cathedral, Merdeka Square 

Friday, 16 th December 2011 

End of Term 1 (school dismissal at 12noon) 

Saturday, 17 th December 2011 

Term 1 break (17 th Dec - 4 th Jan) 

Thursday, 5 th January 2012 

Start of Term 2 

Monday, 9 th January 2012 

Year 2 e-Pips week 

Year 1 launch into space day 

Sports team trials (9 th - 10 th Jan) 

Wednesday, 11 th January 2012 

Pre-school phonics workshop at 8.00am 

AGM, Primary Campus at 7.30pm 

Friday, 13 th January 2012 

Newcomers Coffee Morning at the 

Primary Campus, 8.30am 


New Peripatetic Teachers 

By Jaime Thistleton, Head of Music 

Music to Our Ears! 

By Gretta Funnell, Year 1 Leader 

Setting off on our Science „Sound‟ trip to the Secondary 

Campus, the Year One children had no idea of the musical 

delights in store for them. On arrival, we were met by a group 

of enthusiastic and musically talented Year 11 students who 

took great pleasure in demonstrating a range of instruments to 

us and explaining how the sounds are made. 

Then it was time to become „hands on‟ and to explore a range 

of musical instruments. Throughout the morning, we learned 

how to play „Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star‟ on the keyboard, 

became aspiring rock star drummers and created jungle 

sounds on traditional Malaysian drums (kompangs). 

Not only did we learn about how to create different sounds 

and how to change the pitch and volume of the instruments, 

we also had lots of fun too! 

Many thanks to Mr Dixon, Head of Music at the Secondary 

Campus and to his staff and students for making our trip so 

memorable. 



At Monday‟s assembly, all students were given a fantastic 

opportunity to see the Music Department‟s new peripatetic 

teachers in action. Performances were given on drums, violin, 

cello, voice, piano, french horn, guitar and flute. 

Beginning in Term 2, the Music Department will be offering 

peripatetic lessons for these instruments and many more. 

Please email jthistleton.jb@alice-smith.edu.my or see 

Mrs Thistleton if you are interested in beginning peripatetic 

lessons next term. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Exploring sound on the kompangs 

Rock Star in the making! 


Primary Campus Library 

By Barbara Reid, Teacher Librarian 

Information about the Primary Library can be accessed through Frog. Go to Primary – School – Curriculum – 

library@jb. 

From here, you will be able to access links to reading lists and other library information. There is also a form for 

children and parents to recommend books for the library. Please submit the titles of any fabulous books that you 

come across during the holidays. 

If your child is in Year 5 or 6, you may have heard about the KL Novel Knockout competition. To give all Year 

5 and 6 children an opportunity to participate, we are holding our own in-house competition before the National 

final in March. All the details can be accessed from the Frog page. 

This year‟s books are: 

Crocodile tears by Anthony Horowitz 

Mirror, mirror by Marilyn Singer 

The Diary of Amos Lee by Adeline Foo 

Cool! By Michael Morpurgo 

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda 

Mr. Stink by David Walliams 



These would be fantastic books to encourage your children to read over the break. It would give them a head start 

if they would like to enter the competition, but also give them a book that they can discuss with their peers after 

the break. If you have any queries regarding the library, please do not hesitate to contact me. 


From the 

Principal 

Roger Schultz 

As we fast approach the end of Term 1, it is pleasing and 

satisfying to reflect on such a positive start to this school year. 

Our calendar has been overflowing with events that extend and 

enrich the school experience for so many of our students. The 

willingness and capacity for us to do this is a credit to the talents, 

efforts and commitment of our staff and in their belief in 

providing a broad, challenging and fulfilling learning environment. 

If you have not been yet been to see the upper school 

performance of “The Trial”, then don‟t miss the final show on 

Saturday night. What a great way to bring the term to a close – 

excellent performances from the cast, with terrific support from 

all those behind the scenes under the wonderful guidance and 

mentoring of Mr Dowle and Ms Gillman has resulted in a fantastic 

production. Congratulations to all involved. 

It has been another busy couple of weeks in sport. Our U15 

FOBISSEA team performed well in the games held in Bangkok 

over three days last weekend. Thanks to our team coaches and 

supervisors; Mr Potter, Mr Donovan, Ms Dickens and Mr Moore. 

There were also many swimmers participating in ISAC and ISAKL 

galas here in KL last Saturday. This weekend many are competing 

again in Bangkok to conclude a busy swimming programme for 

Term 1. Thanks to Mr Bromley and the coaching team for all their 

work with our swimmers. 

Our KLASSMUN last weekend involved over fifty delegates from 

GIS, Nexus, KTJ, Fairview and KLASS. We hope that all 

participants benefited from this interactive learning experience 

through the study and discussion of global issues. Thanks to our 

MUN student leaders and to Ms Hewes for coordinating the 

conference. 


Swim Meet (10 th - 11 th Dec) 

Monday, 12 th December 2011 

Activities sign-up for Term 2 closes 

Tuesday, 13 th December 2011 

Year 11 PTSC at 4.15pm 

House Assembly 

Christmas Concert rehearsal 

Wednesday, 14 th December 2011 

Combined Christmas Concert at 6.30pm 

Thursday, 15 th December 

Scott Mufti Day 

Christmas Assembly 

Combined Carol Service at 7.00pm 

St. Mary‟s Cathedral, Merdeka Square 

Friday, 16 th December 2011 

Year 13 full report issued 

Progress report 2 issued 

End of Term 1 (school dismissal 12noon) 


Term 1 break (17 th Dec - 4 th Jan) 

Thursday, 5 th January 2012 

Start of Term 2 

A-level Options return 

Monday, 9 th January 2012 

Sports team trials (all week) 

AS re-sits starts 

Year 11 mock exam starts 

Target setting (9 th - 13 th Jan) 

Wednesday, 11 th January 2012 

AGM, Primary Campus at 7.30pm 

Friday, 13 th January 2012 

Bath Robotics visit at 9am 

Selangor Age Group Championship 

Swimming (13 th - 15 th Jan) 

Newcomers Coffee Morning at the 

Primary Campus, 8.30am 

On Friday, we welcomed our new scholars for this year at a short ceremony. My thanks to Sue Bamford and John 

Collins from the Council of Governors who presented the scholarships to our four selected candidates. We 

congratulate Narmada Kali Vanan, Yongqun Lai, Clarissa Ching and Sharmaine Quake on their selection and wish 

them well as they commence their studies in the Sixth Form with us in January. We are also pleased to announce 

our Year 11 Bursary Award recipients for this year. Our sincere congratulations to these students: Sabiha Ahmed 

(English), Elliot Fricker (Mathematics and IT), Aisyah Ahmad Abir (Science and DT), Shaaeram Mahboob (CEA), 

Zuriel Zariman (MFL), Astrea Kumaradas (Humanities and Social Sciences), Jack Rock (PE) and Gabriel Tseng 

(Discretionary). 

Year 13 full reports and the second progress report for this year will be available at the end of next week. The 

Year 11 PTSC is also next Tuesday and with the mock examinations approaching, we hope parents will take this 

opportunity to follow up with the teachers. 

There are two wonderful Christmas events to round off our term next week. I hope to see many of you at the 

school‟s Christmas Concert on Wednesday and this is followed with the St. Mary‟s Cathedral Service on Thursday 

evening. Thanks to our music staff for all their time and efforts with the performances at this busy end of the 

school term. A final reminder that our school day finishes at 12.00noon on the last day of term. 

For internal circulation only 9 th I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to you for a safe and happy Christmas season and I 

wish you good health and success for the new year. 

December 2011 


Use of Baseline Data at the Secondary Campus 

By Trevor Spence 

Assistant Principal - Development 

This is the third and final article on the use of baseline data. In the first article, I explained how the Computer 

Adaptive Baseline Tests were used to improve our understanding of your child's potential and learning needs. In 

the second article, I explained how such data provided us with a value added measure of the school's 

effectiveness. In this article, I will explain how this is all linked together in something we call - pupil tracking. 

Pupil tracking is an umbrella term for a range of activities that go on within the school that could equally be 

described as keeping an eye on your child's progress. It is a process in which tutors, teachers, departmental 

heads, assistant and key stage leaders, Assistant Principals and even the Principal are all engaged in at different 

levels. A tutor and teacher will, for example, keep an eye on each individual child's progress, department heads 

will track a class' progress, while assistant and key stage leaders will watch the progress of particular students 

who are causing us concern. 

At the core of pupil tracking is the establishment of targets for each child and establishing ways of measuring 

progress towards those targets. These can be academic targets, but they can also be personal development 

targets. Here I am concerned with academic targets. 

At the start of each year, the teacher will set two targets for each child, the end of year target and the end of key 

stage target. The CABT provides a prediction that, alongside prior data, the expected rate of progression and the 

teacher's own judgement, is used to inform these targets. To this is added the KLASSfactor, ie. the expectation 

that every child has the capability of achieving their maximum potential at the Alice Smith School and therefore 

needs to be set a target which is ambitious but achievable. In simple terms, this means that the child's target will 

often be a full level or grade higher than the CABT prediction. At this point, we now have a starting point and an 

end goal set for each child. 

Before proceeding to explain what happens next, further explanation of the rate of progression is needed. As an 

example, let‟s consider the rate of progression at Key Stage 3, ie. from Year 7 to Year 9. Data from the UK shows 

us that the normal expected rate of progression is 2 levels over three years. As each NC Level is divided into 

three sub-levels, then this can be considered as 2 sub-levels a year. For example, a child may start on a 4c in 

English and therefore be reasonably expected to be at 4a by the end of Year 7, 5c by mid Year 8 and so on. 

What happens if we decide to be ambitious and aim for three levels of progression over the Key Stage? Now the 

child needs to make three sub-levels of progress in each academic year. In other words the same child from the 

example above would need to move from a 4c to a 5c by the end of Year 7. We now have a KLASS rate of 

progression that is ambitious and challenging, to both child and teacher. 

Of course a child's learning rarely moves in such a linear fashion. Rather there are plateaus where the child's level 

of understanding remains on the same level, followed by sudden bursts of progress as things begin to click, this 

can be further confused by dips as a child faces a new challenging task. This is why it is important to keep the 

long term goal in mind, not get upset about occasional setbacks as long as the overall picture is one of progress. 

So what happens next? Over a six week period, some teaching and learning goes on, a range of assessment 

methods are used to measure the child's progress and this progress is plotted against the child's target to see if 

the child is making the necessary progress. Every six weeks this tracking is reported to parents through the 

Progress Report. Where the child is making the right amount of progress, the teaching and learning can be 

considered effective and can move on confidently to the next challenge. Where the progress is so great that the 

child is leaping ahead then the learning is clearly working very well but the teaching may need to adapt to raise 

the level of challenge. As students can often excel in a specific part of the course, we wait to see a consistent 

pattern before raising the level of challenge by setting a higher target. Where the child is not making the 

expected progress, then the teaching and/or learning is not being effective for that child. The teacher looks at 

the individual learning styles of that child, considers the child's level of motivation and reflects on the teaching 

methods used in order to identify a way to address this issue. The teacher may, at this stage, look for parental 

support in tackling the issue, particularly where it is a case of motivation, but is more likely to be tackling this in 

class. Where a poor level of progress is being made concern is shared between the parent, the teacher and 

others, like the Head of Department and the tutor. Intervention strategies are planned and the child's progress is 

watched closely until things improve. 

Through such pupil tracking, we can ensure that each child is appropriately challenged and provided with the 

support necessary to help them overcome such challenges. Infused with an appropriate level of ambition it can 

help the child and teacher maximise potential and thus achieve the school's mission. 



The Christmas break, a time to relax...for some 

By Nick Lee 

Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

It has been a very long and very successful term for all our students and I would hope that everyone will take the 

upcoming Christmas break to rest up in order to come back refreshed for the Easter term. 

For our Year 11 and 13 students, unfortunately, January 2012 brings the start of the exam season. The Year 11s 

can look forward to two weeks of GCSE mock exams. Some Year 13 students will be re-sitting one or two AS 

units to try and boost the grades that they already gained in the summer. As part of the AQA Baccalaureate, all 

Year 13s will also be sitting Unit 1 of Critical Thinking AS. 

The importance of the Year 13 exams is not in doubt as these are external exams and count as part of their 

A-level. For the Year 11s, the mock exams are no less important, as they will give a real indication as to the 

progress of each student in each subject. Preparation for these exams is vital and so, in amongst what can be for 

many of us a very busy holiday with friends and family, here are some tips to help the students make the most of 

their time revising. 

1. Make a plan 

Make out a timetable with each session lasting for no more than one hour. Ensure that breaks occur 

every hour, and do not attempt to do too much - if you set out a timetable of 12 hours a day you will fail. 

Ensure also that all your subjects get a fair amount of time. Find somewhere to revise where you are 

least likely to be distracted. Lastly - once you have a plan try and stick to it! 

2. Variety of revision techniques 

The Year 11s recently had a double session on study skills during their PSHE day. Whilst not all the 

techniques that were covered will suit all students, the emphasis was put on choosing a variety of study 

methods that suits each individual. Employing different methods can keep the revision period more 

interesting and therefore make it feel less like hard work. 

3. Use Frog 

Many resources that are needed in each subject are in their areas on Frog. These are easy to get to and 

invaluable if you are going to be out of the country. 

4. Look after yourself 

I know...Christmas for many families is a time of eating and parties. In amongst the socialising, you need 

to ensure that you get enough sleep and drink enough water - we need to keep our brains rested and 

hydrated! 

To everyone, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

To all our Year 11 and 13s, I wish you every success in the January 

exams, and hope that you go into them feeling that you have prepared 

yourselves properly. Good luck! 



PSHE Day 

By Tobin Connell 

Assistant Principal - Pastoral 

A great day was had by all students, many who came away with an altered impression of what „education‟ and 

„learning‟ meant. The main themes of the day; thinking skills, leadership and the MUN, were all well received with 

a really positive input from the students. My thanks go to John Collins, Ray Jennings, Julie Cooper, Anna Hewes 

and the student MUN team led by Chui-Jun and Chui-Joe Tham who made the day what it was. This has all been 

put together in a coherent plan, building on last year‟s successes, by Emma Parsons, the PSHE Coordinator. 

What we have seen in the last few weeks outside of the classroom has really been the trade mark of the Alice 

Smith School. We do aim for the highest quality in terms of educational and learning opportunities and 

experiences, and with so many events beyond the walls of the usual learning environment, we have managed to 

cram so much into so little time. Sports, ECA‟s, Trips launches and planning, PSHE Days, MUN, a host of charity 

drives and House activities to skim just a few of the top of a very long list, means that our students (and our 

staff!) have pushed themselves to the limit this term. Just balancing all that is required is a feat in itself, let alone 

the successes that have been seen along the way. 

I would like to congratulate all the students who have stood up to be involved with „something else‟ this term – 

you are a credit to yourselves and the school, and I would like to thank all the staff who have gone beyond their 

„day job‟ as teachers, and contributed so much more to the lives of the young people in our charge. I am sure 

there will be many weary, but happy, people looking forward to the holidays! 

Scott House Day 

Next Thursday, we will have Scott House Day. Watch out for more details in the notices on Frog and be ready to 

do your bit for their charity day, wearing mufti of some sort, and contributing to their charitable causes. 

Remember, while it might be Scott‟s day, we can all help make the lives of others better by getting involved. 

End of term – Reminder! 

Please remember that the last day of term is an early finish, school ending at 12.00noon. Students will be ready 

for pick up then, or be getting on buses soon after. 





Year 6 Transition Day 1 

By Rob Kimura-Davies and Nicole Wong, Key Stage 3 Leader and Assistant Leader 

On Wednesday 23 rd November 2011, we had the pleasure to welcome our Year 6 students from the Primary 

Campus for their first visit to our campus as part of their transition programme. 

Our guests arrived early for a packed day full of activities. Greetings and introductions were followed by a brief 

outline of our expectations for the day. Our colleagues, the Year 6 teachers, had already organised the students 

into groups and so within a few minutes everyone had been issued their timetable for the day and were able to go 

to their different venues. 

Half of the Year 6 cohort made their way to the MFL classrooms where they had a go at learning and speaking 

different languages, Mandarin, German and Spanish. They all got involved in role-plays, answering questions and 

getting used to the new sounds from different languages. We do hope that this will make it easier for them to 

choose their MFL subjects for September 2011, when they start in Year 7. 

During this time, the other half of the year group enjoyed three different activities led by our Prefects and Sixth 

Formers. These included mental and physical challenges and a tour of the campus. The spirit of competition was 

felt rapidly as each team tried to win. It was very clear that they also had lots of fun at the same time. Creating 

their own dingbats required some imagination and thinking outside the box, our Year 6 students excelled in that 

area. It was interesting to observe the oldest and youngest student in the school interacting with each other. On 

the one hand, the Sixth Formers and Prefects took their job very seriously and welcomed the opportunity to help 

out the younger ones, just like their seniors did seven year ago when they themselves were in Year 6. We hope 

that this will inspire our primary school students to do the same when the opportunity comes. Indeed our older 

students did set an excellent example by running various activities in a superb and commendable manner. They 

showed patience, understanding, commitment and seemed to enjoy playing the role of the teacher. 

After having used up much energy, all welcomed a break and a chance to have some refreshments and play with 

the older students on the school grounds. 

Soon it was time to resume our activities by reversing the programme above. The Year 6 students were fully 

involved, enthusiastic and very creative when participating throughout the day. Our Sixth Formers led the 

activities with great responsibility, care and maturity, dealing very well with the challenges they lead. They 

enjoyed interacting with the younger children and will have fond memories of the day. A few prefects were not 

able to help because of lesson commitments and were quite disappointed not to be able to take part. Well, 

studies must come first! 

We hope that this has been an inspiring day for our juniors and that they, themselves, will aspire to emulate the 

example of their older peers, one day. 

Our thanks go to all who helped make this possible; the management for their support, the prefects and sixth 

formers for their help, and especially the MFL teachers, Mr Bawden, Ms Slattery, Mrs Lee, Miss Low, Mr Ng and for 

Ms Navas Quevedo for their inspiring and wonderful lessons. 

We look forward to the next visit in Term 2, during which the Year 6 students will be able to experience another 

facet of life in our Secondary Campus. Until then, take care and have fun. 

Having a go at learning Spanish Introducing Mandarin sounds A fun activity 


Kenya 2012 

By the Kenya 2012 team 



For this year‟s Kenya expedition, the Alice Smith participants plan to improve the facilities of the Itinyi School, as 

well as implement a variety of nature and wildlife conservation projects – but, in order for this to happen, they 

need your help! 

By purchasing a 2012 Kenya Calendar, you will not only find yourselves the owner of a stunning collection of 

photographs of the Kenyan wildlife and community, but also be making a contribution towards the Kenya project 

and, therein, a substantial difference to the lives of the people who live there. 

A draft copy of the calendar is available for viewing and ordering at the reception area of either campus. 

Calendars have gone to the printer as we speak, and will be available shortly. You can also order a calendar from 

any member of the Kenya team. Help us to help them! 

World Book 2012 

By Rick Riddell and Devina Muttiah, English Department 

The time of year has come around again when we are eagerly awaiting 

delivery of the latest edition of the World Book. For those of you who are 

not aware of the project, the World Book is a project launched and 

organised through the English Faculty at the Secondary Campus and 

involves the publication of an anthology of student poems, short stories and 

non-fiction from students in different schools in different parts of the world. 

The book is going into its fourth annual edition and has seen some exciting 

and welcome developments over the years since it first appeared with 

contributions of creative writing from eight schools in South East and East 

Asia. The school has now had contributions from schools on every continent 

and each year has seen the addition of new schools to the project. This 

year, more than ever, the project has been student led and run, with our 

Sixth Formers and members of the extracurricular club, ably led once again 

by Tham Chui Jun and Tham Chui Joe, contacting schools, devising themes 

and proof reading and editing work received. 

This year has also seen the book grow within Malaysia, with support from 

our media partner, the New Straits Times, to include writing from many 

students in local schools across the country. The monthly feature article in 

the New Straits Times in conjunction with the World Book has seen our 

budding journalists, working alongside members of the faculty, gaining 

valuable experience in writing copy to deadlines and having the satisfaction 

of a tangible published result of their work in the national newspaper to add 

to their portfolios. Earlier this year, the English Faculty hosted students and 

staff from SMK Assunta in Petaling Jaya, our partner school this year, for 

writing workshops and a presentation of copies of the World Book 2010, 

another welcome development which we aim to repeat next year. 

The World Book will be available for purchase in the Secondary and Primary 

Campuses during the final week of term at a special price of RM25 for a 

stamped, leather bound hard back copy with full colour cover and RM20 for 

a soft cover copy. This constitutes a considerable bargain and will be a 

great Christmas present, so please remember to bring in your money next 

week. Happy Christmas! 

Latest World Book cover design 

World Book ECA students working 

hard on promotional materials 




Year 10 PSHE Day - Friday, 3 rd December 

By Emma Parsons, Teacher - Business Studies and Economics 

On Friday 3 rd December, Year 10 students had their first PSHE day of 

the year. Students took part in three workshops throughout the event. 

Mr John Collins, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors, gave an exciting 

session encouraging leadership and teamwork based around a lost in 

the desert scenario. Students had to work together to try and work out 

how to survive as well as evaluating their performance working in a 

small team. Mr Jennings and Ms Cooper led a Thinking Skills workshop 

and students gained an insight into their preferred learning style. A 

practical and festive introduction to MUN was delivered by Sixth Form 

enrichment students Amulya Vadrevu, Chui-Jun Tham and Chui-Joe 

Tham. 

In conjunction with this session other MUN students, Kieran Stenson 

and Matt Morisset alongside Mr George, presented an Introduction to 

MUN in the Key Stage 3 assembly. 

A big thank you to Mr John Collins, all the staff involved, Sixth Form 

MUN students and to Year 10s for their hard work and enthusiasm 

throughout the day. 

KLASS MUN 

By Chui-Joe and Chui-Jun Tham 

KLASSMUN 2011 began as an idea. As to whose idea it was, no one 

knows. But as most ideas are prone to do, this idea grew. It grew to 

incorporate not only the school‟s MUN Directors, but also a team of 

four, five, then ten and more students, all of them dedicated to their 

tasks, if a little insane for taking them on in the first place. Schools 

were invited, a list that expanded and contracted as emails were sent 

and received, and eventually, KLASSMUN 2011 settled into its final 

shape: five schools would come down on a rainy day and engage in 

two days of debate. 

After the opening ceremony, the delegates convened in two separate 

committee rooms in the Steve Warry Centre. They then divided further 

into groups to camp out in the IT rooms upstairs. These makeshift 

camps turned into hotbeds of discussion, as the students argued with 

each other over the best ways to solve the issues set their committees 

(including nuclear non-proliferation and youth crime). Their discussion 

was both incisive and stimulating, and – discounting the occasional 

tangent toward AK-47s and various parental infractions – produced five 

amazing resolutions for debate the next day. 

Debate commenced at 9.00 am, and before long, the delegates were 

subsumed into mind wrangling, frustrating, but ultimately satisfying 

argument over each resolution. The admin attest to this; they passed 

many, many notes. The delegates attest to this: they answered many, 

many questions. The Chairs – well, they got very acquainted with their 

gavels. Meanwhile, the Secretariat will only say that they refrained from 

eating all the food (unlike the day before), and that everything else is 

strictly confidential. 

An MUN discussion in action 

Finding out what kind of thinking 

style you have 

Explaining the importance of teamwork 

At the MUN opening ceremony 


KLASS MUN - con’t 

By 4.30pm, everyone was flat-out exhausted. 



Superlatives – the stress-reliever of every MUN conference – commenced, and additions to the Hall of Fame 

included the Security Council delegate of the USA, who was voted Most Likely to Start World Wars 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 

– a record by any standard. Certificates were distributed; photographs were taken on the grass outside; and the 

closing ceremony began and ended with due aplomb. 

Online Safety 

By Emma Parsons, Teacher - Business Studies and Economics 

Last Friday, as part of the Year 10 PSHE day, Mr Connell spoke to Year 11 about Online Safety. During his 

presentation he stressed the importance of thinking before posting comments through social networking websites 

and especially uploading photographs online. 

Year 11 were reminded that „digital tattoos‟ remind in cyberspace permanently and that photographs can be easily 

passed on through mobile phones and email. Parents wishing to find more about this topic can contact Mr 

Connell tconnell.ep@alice-smith.edu.my or go to www.thinkuknow.co.uk where there are resources for students 

and parents about the topic. 

Mr Connell addressing the students 


Cross Campus 

KLASS Times 

Please note that this will be the last KLASS Times issue for Term 1. The KLASS Times publication will resume on 

13 th January 2012. However, there will be a KLASS Times Express next Friday. 

Term 2 Calendar of Events 

Please be informed that the „Calendar of Events‟ for Term 2 is available on Frog. If you do not have access to 

Frog, please contact the school or email the respective Office Managers for your User ID and Password. 

For Primary Campus prathima.jb@alice-smith.edu.my 

For Secondary Campus yfkoh.ep@alice-smith.edu.my 

KLASS Torpedoes Term 2 Trials - 10 th and 11 th January 2012 

By Stuart Bromley - Head of Aquatics & Head Coach KLASS Torpedoes - Whole School 

There will be 2 sessions of open trials for Term 2. They will be held at the Primary Campus pool on Tuesday, 

10 th and Wednesday, 11 th January 2012. 

Sessions will run straight after school from 2.15pm - 3.15pm and students will need to arrange their own 

transport home as activities will not have started that week. 


Football Trials - Year 3 and 4 

By Simon Thorpe, Coach 

The Year 3 and 4 football trials for Term 2 will take place on: 

Year 3 Thursday, 12 th January 2012 at 2.10pm 

Year 4 Friday, 13 th January 2012 at 2.10pm 

Children must wear football boots and shin-pads. Children will need to arrange their own transport home as 

activities will not have started that week. 

Football Trials - Year 5 and 6 Boys and Girls 

By Simon Grimshaw - Girls Coach and Simon Senior - Boys Coach 

The Year 5 and 6 football trials for boys and girls for Term 2 will take place on: 

Girls Tuesday, 10 th January 2012 

Boys Wednesday, 11 th January 2012 

Trials will run straight after school from 2.10pm - 3.10pm. 

As with the Year 3 and 4 trials, all children must also wear football boots and shin-pads. Kindly arrange your own 

transport home. 

Term 2 is football season, with teams competing in friendly fixtures and tournaments throughout the term. 




Sporty Girls 

Registration for Term 2 netball is now open for girls in Year 2-6. 

If you are interested, please contact Mellisa Clark at 

klass.sportygirls@gmail.com or 012 924 4039. 

Wed, 30 th Nov 

Thurs, 1 st Dec 

Wed, 7 th Dec 

Fri, 2 nd Dec 

Tues, 6 th Dec 

Subject/Target audience Via 

- Year 6 Newspaper Day 

- Year 1 Launch into Space 

- FOBISSEA Primary Arts Festival 

- Christmas period combined musical 

events 

- Year 4 Charlie and the Chocolate 

Factory DVD 


Email 

Child 

Child 

Child 

Child 

Subject/Target audience Via 

- AS Biology field trip to Singapore 

- Secondary Transport Survey 

- Year 9 Head Lice 

Child 

Email 

Email 

Useful contacts 

The Alice Smith School 


T: +603 2148 3674 

E: klass@alice-smith.edu.my 


T: +603 9543 3688 

E: klass2@alice-smith.edu.my 

www.alice-smith.edu.my 

Stay in touch 

KLASS Times is published online 

every alternate Friday. 

To provide feedback about the KLASS 

Times, please email: 

klasstimes@alice-smith.edu.my or 

contact the Marketing Department at 

+603 9543 3688. 

Letters to parents 

Should you not receive any of the 

letters listed, kindly email the 

respective Office Managers: 

For Primary Campus 

prathima.jb@alice-smith.edu.my 

For Secondary Campus 

yfkoh.ep@alice-smith.edu.my

Issue No. 006, 9th December 2011 - The Alice Smith School

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