FRIDAY FLYER-Issue 129
3 Nov 2022
Headmaster's Welcome
Welcome to our Friday Flyer – Issue 129
A very warm welcome to edition 129 of our Epsom College Friday Flyer! This week was the first week back after mid term break.
This week started with an assembly on the theme of Carpe Diem as outlined in the PPT slides below.
We reflected on how mind boggling our very existence is. In the grand scheme of space and time, life is a wonderful and rare gift given that the probability of each one of us existing is 1 in 400 quadrillion. It may help us to process this concept if we consider the vast Sahara desert. Our life could be compared to a single grain of sand among all the other grains that exist devoid of any life – how amazing!
With this in mind we considered the importance of making the most of every opportunity – Carpe Diem! We reflected on the story that recounts when King Solomon asked all his assistants to go and find a ring that would bring happiness, regardless of the situation of the wearer. No such ring could be found until a jeweller came forward with a ring with the inscription ‘This too shall pass’.
When we find ourselves struggling, facing what appears to be insurmountable obstacles, if we can only remember that ‘this too shall pass’ we will find some comfort. Contrastingly, in times of awe and wonder, in those moments when we experience joy we must remember that ‘this too shall pass’ and savour every second.
So…We returned to school mindful of the fact that every lesson, every co curricular activity, every House event shall pass. Our students have started this half term mindful that one day, not too far away, Epsom will become a memory and that they must carpe diem and proactively embrace every opportunity and to never give up – following Martin Luther King’s example.
Some such opportunities include the Epsom Monthly Magazine – for Volume 03, Issue 01 : click here! Well done to Xinling, our Editor in Chief and her team for their work on this! AL you students reading this, why not get involved?
The ECSA (Epsom College Science Award) deadline has been extended so get your submission in soon! See the samples for ideas!
Many students have taken the opportunity to listen to the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) presentations of their peers. The topics presented this week have included:
- ‘How can the use of psilocybin – assisted therapy aid in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD)’ by Thaaranniyah
- ‘How far will cultural diplomacy affect a country?’ by Tiha
- ‘Is innate talent a myth? A wide perspective into the different aspects of the career world?’ by Jerry
Our Social Prefects have arranged a fun event in collaboration with our wonderful Friends of Epsom – this was to celebrate Halloween and Bonfire night. There was Trick or Treating during the day and then in the evening a BBQ, Haunted House in our Exam Hall as well as a bonfire and fireworks. The Business and Economics Society (as always) took full advantage of this opportunity to sell their wares including Bubble Tea, Spooky Cookies, Spooky Cake Pops and sparklers.
This half term sees the launch of our School Council 2022/23. For those of you who are not aware of what a School Council is, it is a group of students who act as representatives for their Year Group when discussing school issues with the Deputy Headteacher Pastoral, Mrs Kate Fowler. It gives students a platform to raise and address school concerns, be part of the decision making and solutions process and have input into the school’s development.
This year the Epsom College Malaysia School Council will comprise 14 students, with two students from each Year Group from Years 7-12 and our two Wellbeing prefects from Year 13, Shinn and Chantelle.
There will be an election process that will be explained which will start with the election of Tutor Group Representatives followed by elections for Year Group Representatives.
It is important for students to have a voice at school, for them to have input into the positive development of the school and of course the School Council provides an opportunity for student leadership.
Mrs Fowler is very much looking forward to being part of the School Council, listening to student opinions and being part of finding solutions to improve our school environment.
Our Deeepawali event was very special and we shared a meal together as staff – all departments were invited from across the school and it was most enjoyable to spend some time getting to know each other better.
I would like to end with the House Choral Competition. We had the best time and here are some pictures to remind us:
Epsom offers so many wonderful opportunities to our students – Carpe Diem – make memories to cherish and challenge yourself to be the best version of yourself as you are unique and life is a precious gift.
Happy Reading and Happy Friday!!
Matthew Brown, Headmaster
Physical Education - PE - at Epsom
The year 10 and 11 GCSE PE students have been enjoying learning about the skeleton and muscles in action. When building their own model skeletons they tried to include short, flat, long and irregular bones. Some of their creative results can be seen below.
The year 10 class then progressed onto the training module and they have completed several fitness tests to assess their levels. Last week they were asked to design either a circuit session or a HIIT workout. They then had to present the exercises to the other students and monitor their training to ensure that the heart rates were in the correct training zone. In the photos below the class can be seen following the classes successfully.
The year 11 class have been working independently on their weight training practical assessment. This involves setting a goal, designing a programme, working out several times a week. They must add overload to ensure that they reach their goal.
Talk for Writing by Jane Rouson, Head of Prep
What is Talk for Writing?
‘Talk for Writing’ is an approach to teaching language which enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.
Why are we using Talk for Writing in the Prep School?
We have chosen to implement this approach in the Prep School due to the excellent reputation of its creator, Pie Corbett and the huge progress in writing seen previously by teachers using the approach. One of these teachers is our new English lead, Mrs Justine Whitney. She has this to say on ‘Talk for Writing’:
“I love using ‘Talk for Writing’ to teach English as it is such a multifaceted approach to covering each genre of writing. We use drama, movement, storytelling, text-mapping, sound effects to enhance the teaching of structure, grammar, vocabulary and literary techniques.
I am always astounded by the inspiration given to the students by quality texts and how internalising these texts, empowers them to understand the authorial intentions and purpose of the words.
TfW supports all abilities of reader and writer as the children have the flexibility to adapt structures and be as creative as possible; however all learners have the safety of their internalised texts to support them.
In all my years of teaching English, this approach has provided the most rapid progress across a unit of work and has provided the most opportunities to celebrate brilliant written pieces by all learners.”
What does a unit of Talk for Writing look like?
This diagram shows the process of a unit of writing. The stages are carefully planned and constantly evaluated throughout to ensure the students are making progress and enjoying their learning.
Can Talk for Writing be used with all ages?
Talk for Writing is being used in most of the Prep School classes to teach English and will soon be used by all the teachers once the training has been completed.
Our youngest learners have all been able to internalise a set of instructions for making a “Crazy Cake” and have innovated the recipe to include their own ingredients and ideas.
Our Year 1 and 2 students have learned a very complicated Journey story and are now busy coming up with their own characters who will be going on an amazing adventure.
What next?
Keep a lookout in future editions of the Friday Flyer as Mrs Whitney and I will be going into more detail about how we inject creativity into each unit of writing and how poetry can be used to teach non-narrative genres!
Greetings from the International Prefects!
Greetings from the International Prefects!
For the academic year of 2022/2023 we, Sohta and Linda, were chosen as the International Prefects.
We aspire for a comprehensive appreciation of the international cultures within our Epsom family, for these cultures to be known and celebrated. We hope to become an increasingly interconnected community where students from all walks of life engage themselves in fulfilling activities available within our campus. We constantly strive to foster this ethos, as we believe everyone should be celebrated as individuals and no one should encounter a barrier to their voice being heard.
Let us introduce what we have done so far!
We kicked off this academic year with the school’s first International Open Mic Night. Here, the students were able to enjoy a plethora of different performances that were conducted in the native languages of students within our school such as Mandarin, Japanese and English. The event wasn’t merely limited to singing however, as K-pop dances by students ranging from all key stages would also be one the highlights of the night. Light snacks and drinks were also sold by the BSE society as students would fill their stomachs with international snacks all whilst listening and singing alongside the music pieces performed by their peers. It was truly great to see the exchange of cultures between students in our Epsom family.
We, Sohta and Linda, as International Prefects both run different CCAs during the week. Here are some logs and pictures to illustrate what we do:
I, Sohta, alongside Shin (Well Being Prefect) and Afiq (Deputy Head of College) have been running PLT CCA, which stands for Practical Leadership Tasks, since last academic year, where students are required to solve problems by teamwork and critical thinking. So far, we have done several activities.
- Solving logical thinking quizzes
- Paper Towers: building the tallest possible paper tower within a certain limit of time
- Blindfold challenge: Completing tasks as quickly as possible with one of the pair wearing a blindfold and the other directing their partner by giving verbal instructions.
Linda(CCA)
The Chinese Debate CCA every Tuesday has been teaching students debating skills since the last academic year so that they can better state their views and represent the school in future competitions.
We regularly appreciate classic debate clips, and students also have the opportunity to watch competitions as would the audience of a high level debate competition.
We hope that more students will take advantage of these opportunities.
Happy Friday!
Sohta and Linda,
International Prefects
The school’s Chinese debate team has won several awards since its establishment, so it regularly receives invitations to various debate competitions. Even our own school holds friendly competitions with other international schools. The latest being the ECiM v GIS friendly debate competition, held in collaboration with the Academic Prefects. This ensures that every student participating in CCA has the opportunity to practice debating skills and showcase their abilities on stage.
We are planning to have more projects later on this academic year so please look forward to it!
Have a great weekend,
Sohta & Linda
Russell Group University Fair at Epsom
We were delighted this week to be able to host representatives from a range of Russell Group universities at Epsom.
It was extremely useful for our students to be able to discuss their aspirations and intentions in person with Admissions Tutors. Not only was this an opportunity to better understand the courses available and how to apply but it was also extremely motivating for our students.
We are delighted that many of our students who submitted their applications by the initial deadline of 15th October already hold offers from prestigious universities such as the University of Warwick, Bristol, York and Manchester to name a few.
Many of our students will submit applications to universities in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada and we are delighted for Angela who holds an unconditional offer to study at one of China’s most prestigious universities – Tsinghua – we extend our warmest congratulations to her on this amazing achievement!
This is an exciting time for our students as they submit their applications and we are with them every step of the way!
Special Events and Prefect Activities
- Epsom VS GIS Mandarin Debate Friendly Competition
Hello everyone, and happy half-term break! Last Saturday, we were honoured to host Gardens International School for the Interschool Mandarin Debate Friendly Match which was co-organised with the UNESCO Centre for Peace in our very own Duke of York Theatre. During the event, we were proud to accommodate a number of parents, students, and visitors from other schools as well.
This time, we were glad to see some familiar faces (whom you may recognise from the 1st Malaysia International Schools Mandarin Debate Tournament) and some new debaters from Epsom and GIS. Both teams showed extraordinary skills in debating current affairs – one on legal matters and another regarding strategic management. Even from the control room, I could feel the debaters’ confidence and preparedness.
During our preparations, I could feel the team coming together. Whether that’d be our debate coach, Mr. Goh coaching us despite his busy schedule. In addition, our debaters committed to the practices despite their hectic 7-exams-a-week schedule. This is a fantastic experience for all of us, and the debate team has become much closer and stronger.
We hope both Epsom and GIS have gained what they want from this competition – whether that’d be certificates, face-to-face debate experience and friendships. I have indeed fostered many of my soft skills by organising this event. Our debate team is very much looking forward to joining more friendly matches for a future debate competition underway, and please look forward to our future achievements!
We are proud that our school is a melting pot of different cultures and languages. This event is a way of celebrating our diversity, and our unitedness.
Warmest regards,
Cebelle
- Memovocal
Dear all,
Good afternoon everyone!
We are the KS4 Academic Prefects, Woorin and Damon! We hope you are having a restful holiday so far. This half-term, we will be hosting our educational social, Memovocal!
This event features two songs that will come in handy in your school life, and you are given a chance to sing them as long as you want!
There will be two separate events for KS3 and KS4/5s
- Where: GC
- When: Monday 7th of November for KS3, Wednesday 9th of November for KS4/5s
- Time: 8 PM to 9 PM for all Key Stages
The Pi Song (Memorize 100 Digits Of π) | SCIENCE SONGS
The Periodic Table Song (2018 Update!) | SCIENCE SONGS
- How?
- Form a group of three or fewer (the more the merrier, but the maximum is three!)
- Memorise either one or both songs above
- Fill in the google form attached to sign up! (Click here!)
- Points are recorded depending on the duration of singing (1sec=1point)
- Judges will judge your performance based on categories such as vocal, accuracy, and entertainment
- Whichever team has the highest total point will win!
The winners will be given a Large box of pizza and a bottle of fizzy drink of choice!
We will send further details through email, so please check your inbox often! We greatly appreciate your participation, and please use this half-term to memorise the songs! We are looking forward to see you all there 🙂
Kind regards,
Key Stage 4 Academic Prefects