FRIDAY FLYER-Issue 187
16 May 2024
Headmaster's Welcome
We hope that you have enjoyed a good week and that you are looking forward to the weekend.
We have been busy at school not just with academics but also with activities and initiatives to enable our students to develop holistically. Activities such as sport and drama challenge students, building character and honing skills and attributes such as team work and resilience as well as leadership.
Despite our rapid technological advancements, the importance of one of the most basic and primitive aspects of our humanity remains, and may even be considered more important now than ever - our ability to work with others and build effective relationships. As our recent assembly emphasised, fostering interpersonal skills, and learning to understand those around us, are not just valuable traits but essential components for success and happiness in our personal and professional lives.
I am currently reading Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ He opens by highlighting a pivotal finding from studies conducted by the Carnegih Institute of Technology: while technical knowledge is undoubtedly important for an engineer, approximately 85% of their financial success is attributed to human engineering skills - their ability to get along with others, their personality and leadership abilities. Research suggests that the highest paid personnel, even in technical fields like engineering, are frequently not those who know the most about their specialism, but rather the person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm in others. These are the individuals headed for the highest earning power. John D. Rockefeller said that the ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and said that he would pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun. People skills are important for our students’ future careers.
Research conducted by the University of Chicago and the United YMCA Schools reaffirms the significance of people skills. Their survey revealed that alongside health, adults expressed a strong desire to learn about understanding and getting along with others, making connections, and persuading others—an indication of the intrinsic value people place on interpersonal competence.
However, the cultivation of soft skills should not be viewed cynically as a means of manipulation nor simply a means to climb the career ladder. As our discussions with students on wellbeing have consistently revealed, fostering genuine connections and understanding others is not only beneficial for personal growth but also contributes to a more compassionate and harmonious society. By projecting kindness and empathy, we create a positive ripple effect, enhancing our own happiness and influencing those around us positively.
At the heart of soft skills lies the recognition and appreciation of the intrinsic value of relationships. Whether in personal or professional settings, our ability to navigate interactions, resolve conflicts amicably, and collaborate effectively greatly influences our sense of self-worth and fulfilment. As a boarding school committed to nurturing individuals, we recognise the importance of creating an environment where students and staff feel known, valued, and celebrated as unique.
Despite the fact that we are more connected to one another than ever via social media and globalisation, feelings of isolation and loneliness are on the increase and common across all age ranges. We explored what these feelings might look like in our assembly by considering Antony Gormley's ‘Another Place’.
Gormley’s sculptures capture the essence of this shared human experience. At Epsom, where many of our students are far from home, we believe that it is important to recognise and acknowledge these feelings and to support one another as we navigate them.
Soft skills are not merely add-ons but integral components of a holistic education. It is incumbent on us to enable our students to develop and hone these skills alongside academic academic knowledge. By fostering an environment that values empathy, communication, and collaboration, we empower individuals to navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence and integrity and to find meaning, purpose and ultimately happiness. Education is indeed the greatest tool that we have to change the world!
I hope that you enjoy the articles to follow. Happy Reading and Happy Friday!
Mr Matthew Brown,
Headmaster
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A Message from our Leadership Team - Mr Richard Lord
Creating Digital Companions: Year 9 Students Dive into Object Orientated Programming with Virtual Pets
Following the end of year exams, students in computer science have recently embarked on an exciting project, applying Python's Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles to create their very own virtual pets. What started originally as a practical investigation into Artificial Intelligence, became a full Object Oriented Programming project (OOP is complex and usually first introduced to students in Year 13 when studying A level computer science). This project not only highlights students’ growing proficiency in coding but also emphasises the practical applications of OOP in solving real-world problems. In this case our real world problem was to create a virtual pet (better known as a Tamagotchi), and keep it alive!
The Power of Object-Oriented Programming
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a paradigm in computer science that structures software design around data, or objects, rather than functions and logic. By encapsulating data and functions that operate on the data within objects, OOP promotes code modularity, reusability, and scalability. This approach is particularly powerful in complex projects, such as creating interactive and dynamic virtual pets.
Bringing Virtual Pets to Life
In this project, students were tasked with designing a virtual pet—a digital creature that mimics the behaviours and needs of a real-life pet. Using Python, they employed core OOP concepts such as classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism to bring their pets to life.
Classes and Objects: At the heart of their code, students defined a Pet class, which served as a blueprint for creating individual pet objects. Each pet object could have attributes such as name, age, hunger level, and happiness, and methods to perform actions like eating, playing, and sleeping.
Inheritance: To add diversity to their virtual pets, students used inheritance to create subclasses such as Dog, Cat, and Bird, each with unique attributes and behaviours. For example, a Dog class might have a method to fetch a ball, while a Cat class could include a method to climb a tree.
Encapsulation and Polymorphism: Encapsulation allowed students to restrict access to certain details of their pets, ensuring that interactions with the pet were safe and controlled. Polymorphism enabled them to design functions that could work with any pet type, making their code more flexible and easier to maintain.
A Creative and Educational Experience
The project was met with great enthusiasm as students used their creativity to design and code their virtual companions. They experimented with different pet behaviours, created intricate care routines, and even developed mini-games to enhance the interaction between users and their pets.
Skills for the Future
This project was more than just an exercise in coding; it was a comprehensive learning experience that equipped students with valuable skills. By working on their virtual pets, they honed their problem-solving abilities, enhanced their understanding of software design principles, and gained experience in managing larger codebases—skills that are highly relevant in today’s tech-driven world.
Moreover, the project fostered collaboration and teamwork, as students often worked in pairs or small groups to brainstorm ideas and troubleshoot issues. This collaborative spirit not only made the project more enjoyable but also mirrored the collaborative nature of the professional tech industry.
Looking Ahead
The success of the virtual pet project has set a high benchmark for future programming assignments. Plans are already underway to expand this initiative, potentially incorporating more advanced features such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the virtual pets even more lifelike and responsive.
As our students continue to explore the vast possibilities of Python and OOP, they are not only preparing for future careers in technology but also learning to leverage their technical skills in creative and meaningful ways. We look forward to seeing what they will achieve next!
Heads and Deputy Heads of College 24-25
Welcome to our new Student Leadership Team!
Sameer - Year 12 Propert - Head of College
Woorin - Year 12 Rosebery - Head of College
Young - Year 12 Granville - Deputy Head of College
Maya - Year 12 Rosebery - Deputy Head of College
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Rosebery House News
Insomnia has its benefits - it’s three in the morning and, across campus, all is quiet. I have, though, just had a jolt that coffee fans/fiends the world over will recognise: on opening a new bag, realising that I have picked up ‘whole beans’ instead of ‘ground.’ The horror. They smell divine and the Parkers, Avis and Nigel, have saved the day in the past, so I have more or less managed to maintain my equanimity (aka get over myself) and turn my thoughts to the last couple of weeks in House.
Yesterday saw the happy return of our afternoon tea parties. After CCAs, Rosebuds tucked into homemade sandwiches (killer ingredient? bunches of coriander) and ginger pop on the patio, milling about munching and enjoying each other’s company. A much loved monthly event last year, the growth of the house had me quaking at the prospect of buttering so much bread! hard boiling so many eggs! opening so many tins of tuna! But staff and girls have missed it, so Ms Shanthi, Ms Carol and I spent a raucous couple of hours slicing, squeezing and sampling - always the best bit - and declared it to have been worth every minute.
One of the best things about these home-grown highlights in the house calendar is the time it gives us together. I’ve been writing Rosebery’s development plan, and a fair few targets focus on friendships between boarders and day girls, and across the years. We have our blended families named after contemporary women driving change in a variety of fields, and we’ve enjoyed a couple of chilled house assemblies in these groups making banners for our beautiful Common Room, but I’m pleased with the idea of Friday night board games and see no need to wait until September - having now been taught how to play UNO, I’m all set.
Last weekend was terrifically good fun. The girls took a break from the revision grind for half an hour of giggles in the Sports Hall: my thanks to Mrs Helen Miller for arranging Hungry Hippos.
Then on Sunday, the same Assistant Head of Boarding had got tickets for the water park at Garuda Cove. It was affirming to see the Epsomians throw themselves into the silliness and joy of these activities, phone-free and thus free: to be scooted across a shiny floor on trolley-trays in the pursuit of rainbow balls; to hang on to a lido churning down a rushing vortex; to float on their backs and contemplate the parrot slide of the pirate ship. Given vouchers for lunch, I found myself tucking into nasi lemak, slurping fresh watermelon juice, burning my nose and wondering at my luck to be in this place, with these people. May all of us who belong to Rosebery feel the same.
Kate Orpwood, Rosebery Housemistress
Holman House Updates
Sean (Head of Holman House) writes:
The #HolmanBDD has officially concluded with our recent trip to the ElShaddai Refugee Learning Centre, where we handed over the 800+ books you generously donated. We would like to thank everybody who donated and BookXcess which pledged 300 new children's books and a promo code on their website to our drive. Our dedicated team of Holman boys (Enxi, Garry, Kanato, Kiane, Luis, Michael, Michiya, Monty, Arif, Paxton, Ruitian, Taiyoh, Yinjie, Peter and Eric as well as Keevaan and I) worked hard to raise books for these refugee children and got to see all the excited faces from the kids.
Keevaan (Deputy Head of Holman House) writes:
When we arrived at the school in Klang we were immediately struck by the atmosphere of community and inclusiveness. The school was modest, but we were happy that there was a group of people who were there to help these children have a brighter future. We felt that it was our responsibility to help these children and we were presented with a chance to reflect and experience a renewed sense of gratitude. Sean and I presented to all the students and showed them our school, explaining what the aim of the #HolmanBDD was, and this allowed us to connect with them on a deeper level. The most memorable part was once the presentation was done we all went to the common room and talked and played with the children.
Garry (Creative Arts Prefect) writes:
The ElShaddai trip was undoubtedly a successful experience. We also improved ourselves while helping underprivileged children. We played games with the children and talked to them. We could see they were very happy.
Rutian (Academic Prefect for Holman) writes:
From the #HolmanBDD, I found a lot of contrasts between us and the other students in ElShaddai. They don't have access to any proper musical instruments like us, and they only have one drum kit and piano. I was really surprised about this. I was very happy to help to donate books to them and it was very nice to see how happy they were when we gave the books.
Sean (Head of Holman eHouse) writes:
Why did we do a book donation drive? We did a book donation drive because we believe that books are one of the most important tools a child needs in their developmental years.
Reading will help them grow well, both socially and academically. We hope that the books we donated through the #HolmanBDD will give the children of ElShaddai an opportunity to grow and develop their skills and become the future leaders of tomorrow alongside us.
Keevan (Deputy Head of Holman House) writes:
In the future, we hope we can continue to work with El Shaddai Refugee Learning Centre. We also plan to do more donation drives for other schools and charities around Malaysia. We hope that every student in ElShaddai enjoys the books they have.
We would like to thank everyone who donated to the #HolmanBDD, with your help this donation drive was a huge success. We would also like to thank Mr Larburu, Mr Baloyo and all the Holman boys who volunteered to help for this cause, this project would not have been possible without you.
Science Department News
"Science is not just about finding out what's true; it's about exploring what's possible." - Robert Sapolsky
The Year 8 scientists embarked on an enthralling exploration of state-changing, unlocking the secrets of water's transformative journey from solid ice to liquid and finally to vapour. Let's revisit our experiment:
Experimental Setup:
Equipment: Our scientific tools included a Bunsen burner, beaker, ice cubes, thermometer, and a stopwatch.
Procedure: We kicked off the experiment by placing ice cubes in the beaker. We wore safety goggles throughout the experiment to protect our eyes from potential splashes or debris. Additionally, we remained vigilant about the risks associated with an open flame, such as burns or fire accidents, ensuring a safe and controlled environment for our investigation. Then, we applied heat using the Bunsen burner and monitored the temperature changes at specific time intervals. As the ice melted and transformed into water, we observed the temperature plateau, only to rise again as it turned into vapour.
Understanding State Changes:
Our experiment unveiled the three states of matter and their transitions:
- Solid to Liquid: As the ice absorbed heat, the water molecules gained energy, broke their rigid bonds, and entered a more fluid liquid state – this is melting.
- Liquid to Gas: Further heating increased the water molecules' kinetic energy, causing them to escape into the gaseous state – evaporation.
Reflection:
Changes of state are fundamental to our understanding of the world around us. Think about how this concept applies to our weather patterns and the water cycle!
Have a delightful weekend, Year 8 scientists!
Keep investigating the world of possibilities,
Epsom Science Department
Science Department News - Chemistry
The Canadian Chemistry Contest (CCC) is organised by the Canadian Chemistry Olympiad (CCO) committee under the umbrella of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) - it proudly holds its position as one of the foremost high school Chemistry competitions in Canada. The CCC fosters an appreciation of Chemistry as a career for talented young people and promotes excellence in Chemistry at the high school level. The CCC papers feature 25 multiple-choice Chemistry problems, designed to challenge and assess students' knowledge and proficiency in the subject. Medalists at CCC would be invited to participate in the CCO, an exclusive competition tailored for the top 5% of Chemistry students in Canada.
The CCC 2024 edition took place on 26th April, 2024. Participating in this competition provided a unique opportunity for academic comparison and collaboration with peers from across the world for our participating students.
In Year 12 Chemistry, Aiden has achieved the Asian Bronze medal and Chen He has achieved the "Asian honourable mention.”
Epsom Chemistry department would like to heartily congratulate the achievement of these students and their respective teachers.
Mr Mahesh Warrier, Head of Epsom Chemistry Department
Great Golf
Congratulations Adrianna, Year 9 Crawfurd, for achieving a top 10 finish in the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open 2024. What a great feat securing 7th place, especially as one of youngest participants in the field!
Great job to Tsuyoshi, Year 10 Granville, and Kaede, Year 9 Carr, for their first ever amateur open tournament. Definitely a different experience compared to the junior tournaments!
Hats off to the superintendents at KGPA making the course pristine despite the rain, the organisers MGA with a smooth event and to all competitors for doing their best!
Catch our update of these three as they compete in the Royal Selangor Golf Club-SportExcel Junior Invitational Championship next week 14-16 May 2024.
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Prep Interhouse Swim Gala 2024 in Pictures
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U13 Badminton v KTK in Pictures
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U13 Girls and Boys KLSL Volleyball Tournament in Pictures
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Meet our Staff
Hello, I am Angela of Crawfurd House and I would like to introduce you to some of our lovely Epsom Security Team! So, let's delve into their world and learn more about their experiences and commitment to keeping us safe:
Can you tell us a bit about your role as part of the school Security Team?
We aim to maintain a safe and secure environment at Epsom and the surrounding school area. Please remember that we are here for your safety and that we’re here for you 🙏🙏
Can you share a memorable experience in Epsom?
We have shared many memorable experiences. We work with students, parents and staff and enjoy working with the other teams to make Epsom special!
Can you describe yourself in 3 words?
We are all Gurkhas so we are brave,intelligent and kind.
Save The Date!
As we approach the pinnacle of another successful year at Epsom College in Malaysia, we cordially invite you to join us for a yet another momentous occasion. It’s time to dust off your finest attire and prepare for an unforgettable evening at the 10th Annual Epsom Ball, hosted by the Friends of Epsom in Malaysia, scheduled for Friday, June 28th, 2024. This annual event is a long standing tradition we have adopted from our sister school Epsom College, UK.
This year’s ball holds particular significance as we mark a decade of excellence since the establishment of Epsom College in Malaysia. It promises to be an evening filled with elegance, camaraderie, and celebration, bringing together our Sixth Form students, dedicated teachers, esteemed staff, and supportive Prep & Senior Parents, along withour cherished Epsom partners.
Anticipation mounts as we unveil a lineup of distinguished guests and surprises, ensuring that this year’s ball will surpass all expectations. Stay tuned for the upcoming exciting announcements!
Embracing the theme of ‘Old Hollywood,’ we invite you to step back in time to the
glamour and sophistication of the 1920s. The illustrious St. Regis hotel, our chosen venue, perfectly complements the theme, promising an atmosphere of opulence and grandeur.
Prepare to immerse yourself in an enchanting evening reminiscent of a bygone era, where every moment promises to be as memorable as the last. We eagerly anticipate your presence at this extraordinary event, as we come together to honour our rich history and embrace the promise of the future.
We are delighted to announce that Early bird tickets are available now till 6th May 2024. Grab it fast! Kindly purchase your ticket now to fill in the form in the link below:
https://8ukgjhrk.forms.app/epsom-ball-ticket-purchase-form-1
Details are in the flyer attached and payments are to be made via internet banking, please find the college bank details below:
Bank: CIMB Bank Berhad
Account name: Epsom College Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Account number: 8001749320
Branch: Solaris, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Swift code: CIBBMYKL
Note :
- Kindly state the following in the reference : EPSOM BALL 24
- All transaction receipts must be uploaded to the purchase
- Please note that seats are available on a first come first serve basis and only confirmed upon successful payment.
Please do not hesitate to contact us email friends.of.epsommsia@gmail.com. If you have any further questions or would like further information.
Warm regards,
Chairman, Friends of Epsom College in Malaysia
So, Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading our Epsom Friday Flyer and we wish you all the very best for a restful weekend.
Happy Friday from us all at Epsom.
🙂
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