our children are living in the “age of...

SEPTEMBER 2019

T: (607) 387 8700 E: [email protected] www.uniworld.edu.my

Dear Parents We are coming up to exam season. Mock exams for IGCSE 2 students have already started while the 2019 IGCSE November series exams will be starting on 5 October 2019. Also, Semester 2 examinations is scheduled to start in mid-October. Therefore, students will need to focus their attention on their studies and revision for their upcoming exams. Microsoft published a study suggesting that the average attention span of a person had fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in recent years. The research paper notes that the reduction comes from a combination of smartphone use and an abundance of content such as social media. In all seriousness, the report claimed that human attention span had become so short that even a goldfish could hold a thought for longer! (For the record, it insisted that goldfish have an attention span of 9 seconds.)

Educators regularly contend that our children are living in the “age of distraction” where children have lost the capacity to concentrate because of the distracting technology available. While technology has created amazing opportunities and changed our world in positive ways, at the same time it has created an environment in which we live in state of constant digital distraction. The funny thing is that claims of distractions ruining our attention span have been around throughout history. After the invention of the printing press, some people wrote about their concerns on reading and the impact too much reading might have on children. Then of course, there was radio followed by television and now, the internet and smartphones. Today, billion-dollar companies make their profit by getting and keeping our attention on their website or app. Most alarming is their impact on us, and more importantly, what their impact on our children. In this age of distraction, we as parents are responsible to teach and train our children on concentration skills amid constant digital distraction. We must take intentional steps to teach our children to use their devices smartly but having the ability to concentrate as they need to.

of 7

UNIWORLD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL @ BANDAR SERI ALAM SEPTEMBER 2019


It is my hope that most of you were able to beat your pet goldfish and have read all the way to this point in the article. We cannot get rid of our digital devices as they are useful tools. Instead, we will have to re-train ourselves to sustain our attention and even appreciate the value of sustained attention. John Chuah Head of School

Improvements at School

The school had just conducted a Parents Survey recently. We would like to thank all parents who have taken previous time to complete the survey and provide valuable feedback on satisfactory areas as well as improvement opportunities at school. Based on the results of the survey, we have started making improvements at school.

We have changed the caterer for canteen meals in order to provide better quality, nutritious and balanced meals for students. The new caterer is an experienced company whose chef can prepare local, western and French cuisine. We have received many positive feedbacks from the students who are taking canteen meals. The school canteen now sells a variety of tin and packet drinks Including milk which students may purchase directly from the canteen using cash during break times. This is also based on feedback from parents who want their children to learn the value of money and how to manage their allowances.

of 7



Secondary Excursion Educational travel adds further context and substance to classroom material and reinforces concepts learned throughout the school year. School trips form long-lasting positive memories for students. On 13 September 2019, our Secondary students went on an excursion to Laser Battle in City Square Mall. This excursion is a STEM engagement activity, primarily aimed to encourage students into science disciplines and retain students in these disciplines. In addition, students learn the importance of teamwork. They learn fundamental skills associated with working as a collective unit toward a common goal. This type of teamwork introduces a variety of skills that will be valuable for students later in the workforce, such as collaboration, understanding and communication.

of 7



Parents Survey 2019 At UniWorld International School, we send surveys out to the parents of our students to gauge how well we are doing along with opportunities for improvement. Our latest Parents Survey was carried out in August 2019 in which 82% of parents participated. It is awesome to see so many positive responses from parents regarding school and the results give us much encouragement to do even better. We will also be using the comments and suggestions from parents to further improve the school in the future. Thank you to all the parents who took the time to complete the survey.

Strongly Agree

Agree Strongly Agree & Agree

The school provides a high academic standard of education. 13% 75% 88%

Teachers challenge my child to do his/ her best work. 18% 76% 94%

The school develops confident students and communicators. 21% 67% 88%

Teachers give students extra support when it is needed. 26% 68% 94%

The school recognizes student achievements. 20% 74% 94%

The school provides a positive student community. 19% 75% 94%

All students are treated with respect, regardless of race, religion, or gender.

28% 64% 92%

Parents have access to school information via newsletters, website & school letters.

16% 76% 92%

Parents feel welcome at our school. 26% 63% 89%

Office staff are helpful and responsive. 24% 73% 97%

Improvement Opportunities for New School Year

• We will look into offering a more varied and exciting range of co-curricular activities (CCA) by consulting the students on what CCAs they would like and allowing them to sign-up for the CCAs they want to do each semester (two terms per semester).

• We have seriously taken note of the feedback from parents to have better quality and balanced canteen meals. As a result, we have engaged a new caterer whose chef can cook a variety of cuisines including Asian, Western, Japanese and even French. We will continue our efforts to ensure canteen meals are of high quality, nutritious and balanced.

• We will look into suggestions for a more varied range of physical activities during Health and Physical Education classes.

• We will look into enhancing the development of technological skills and knowledge in our students in line with the school’s direction towards STEM education.

• We will continue to prioritise enhancing and improving on school security by doing risk assessments and then taking appropriate measures to beef up security.

Student Meal on 19 September 2019: Japanese Ramen

of 7



National Day Celebration 2019 The government’s theme for this year’s National Day is "Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih" which is translated as Love Malaysia: A Clean Malaysia. Regardless of our nationality and ethnicity, embracing

unity, diversity and harmony are the strings that tie us closer in Malaysia’s diverse community. Within the school environment, we strive to instill the qualities of ‘Eastern Values’ in our students that cultivates respect, positive relationships and community building. The inclusive school community also encourages the development of deep empathy and understanding of difference when communicating with friends from diverse backgrounds. As such we have a school community that values togetherness and thus, honouring the significance of ‘Merdeka’ (independence) in Malaysia.

Top: Students singing patriotic songs and “Standing In The Eyes Of The World” which was the theme song of the 1998 Commonwhealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur.

Above Left: Teachers of all races spray painting a “Happy 62 Independence Day” waxed poster as a show of unity and inclusiveness of multi-culture Malaysia.

Above Right: Secondary 1 and 2 students giving talks on the past and present Prime Ministers of Malaysia, including Tun Dr. Mahathir who was the fourth and current Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Right: IGCSE 1 students giving a talk on the National Anthem “Negaraku” including its origin and the meaning of the lyrics in English.

of 7



Examination Tips

The performance in an examination will greatly improve if students are well prepared and approach it with a positive attitude. The following tips, although not exhaustive, will hopefully help students in some way to prepare for the coming examinations. Pay attention in class. Do not be distracted by talking with your friends, day dreaming, playing with pencils, pen, rulers or erasers while a lesson is in progress. Be an active learner, listen and give full attention to the teacher. If you fail to understand any part of the lesson, do not hesitate to ask your teacher. They are ever ready to help you. Be conscientious in your work. Use Graphic organisers. Graphic organisers helps students to understand and remember contents and concepts that are being taught. They help student separate what is important from those that are interesting but not essential. They show relationship between concepts or contents and in this way show how the knowledge is structured. This helps students to develop analytical, creative and thinking skills. Make time to study. Do not cram. Set time aside every day to study. Make studying a part of your habits. Retention and understanding what is learnt will be better if learning takes place in an orderly and calm condition. Further lasting knowledge and skills can only be acquired over time. Organise your study space. Learning space must be clean, quiet and with little distractions. Noise and distractions affect concentration. Have all the things you need before the study period to prevent you from getting up to find things that you need. Concentration is the key to learning. Examination format and the topics to be examined. Familiarise with the format of the examination paper. Knowing what and how you will be tested will help you prepare for an examination. Revise and practice. “Practice makes perfect” – no truer words were ever spoken. To do well in any examination, students need to revise and practice. Revision and practice take time, that is why students must study consistently. This will also help in the mastery and retention of knowledge and skills. Have healthy meals and drink lots of water. Do you know that the brain is the most energy–consuming organ in our body? Keeping your body and brain well fuelled during an examination period is essential. So eat nutritious and well-balanced meals. Fish, nuts, fruits and milk have been proven to aid concentration and memory. Being well hydrated is essential for the brain to function at its best. Drink lots of water throughout your revision and during the examination period.

of 7



Key Dates for Term 4

Date Event

22 Sep – 2 Oct 2019 IGCSE 2 Semester 2 Examination

5 Oct – 15 Nov 2019 Cambridge IGCSE & A Levels Examination

21 Oct – 25 Oct 2019 Semester 2 Examination (Kindergarten, Primary & Lower Secondary)

21 Oct – 4 Nov 2019 Semester 2 Examination for IGCSE 1

8 November 2019 Halloween Event

22 November 2019 Year End Concert and Graduation (9:30am to 12:30pm)

Parents Teachers Meeting (1:30pm to 4:30pm)

View more photos and watch videos on what’s happening at UniWorld

https://www.facebook.com/uniworldis

UniWorld International School Wholly Owned By Pegasus Education Group (M) Sdn Bhd (976686-X)

https://www.facebook.com/uniworldis

our children are living in the “age of...

Documents

Transcript of our children are living in the “age of...