Jazz Night
On Sunday, December 12th, the ISKL Jazz Night Combo had their first public performance! ISKL was asked to perform at the KLCC Convention Center as part of the Ministry of Education’s commemoration of their first 100 days in office. The Malaysian Family Aspiration event featured a variety of musical and dancing groups from several schools, as well as a 20-minute performance by the ISKL High School Jazz Combo. The group consisted of Grade 10 pupils Nam, Jaden, Greg, Shinto, and Aneesh, who were directed by Jonathan Baird and played with the ensemble by Mr. Ashton. They were all professional, upbeat, and played with panache!
The ceremony was attended by the Ministry of Education, Private Education Department Director, Encik Fauzi Asirop, Deputy Director, Puan Aniza Binti Kamarulzaman, and a host of other Ministry representatives. It was a fine addition to ISKLs long performing arts tradition.
By the week of January 24th, a fantastic SOP-friendly performance by the High School Jazz band and singers took place in the Robert B. Gaw Theater. The performance was attended by both high school and middle school students, in socially distant seating arrangements, and live streamed for the wider ISKL community. The ISKL Singers and Jazz Combo put on a spectacular presentation under the direction of Jaymin and Jonathan Baird, which had us tapping our feet to the music. Their determination, as well as their amazing talent, shined through in their performances, and we are incredibly proud of them.
Alumni Amazing Race
This virtual event consisted of a series of virtual challenges to be completed individually, or with a team of Alumni. The challenges took them around the world, and back to ISKL. Each challenge was completed in a set amount of time, and the individual or team that completed the race the fastest, was the winner. Read more about the race and winners here.
Addams Family
Our High School (HS) students put on a creepy, hilarious, and fun rendition of The Addams Family musical, which filled The Robert B. Gaw Theater with lively music. With almost 50 kids involved in the production, this lyric from the opening number: “When you’re an Addams, you’ve got to have a lot of passion!”
rang true as students demonstrated their passion and range of abilities. Tina Casey, ISKL’s Performing Arts Director and HS and IB Theater Teacher, gave us an all-access ticket to the highly anticipated musical and explained how it represents hope for our Panthers. We catch up with Mrs. Casey later in the newsletter, who is featured in this edition’s faculty profile.
Our students had to adjust and pivot, just like the odd family in the musical, especially with SOP limits that stopped them from running the way it would have been before COVID. Mrs. Casey praised the pupils’ perseverance and enthusiasm for theater on this topic. “They were very resilient and kept up their desire for it,” she remarked. Even if we don’t teach them anything else, we’re teaching them that in the face of adversity, they can conquer anything.”
Were you a student of Mrs. Caseys, or one of our other esteemed performing arts faculty? We’d love to hear your memories. Don’t be shy to share them with us at [email protected]
Return of ASAs
Our After-school Activities (ASA) program is crucial in assisting students in developing and practicing the learning outcomes established by our School-wide Learning Results (SLRs), and we are thrilled to have them back on campus. As Malaysia officially enters the Transition to Endemicity phase as of April 1, Head of School Rami Madani reminded the community that all Ministry of Education SOPs remain in place for schools and we remain vigilant in their implementation. Nevertheless, after many months of quiet after-school-hours, life has returned to the fields, swimming pools, music rooms, and all of the other spaces around campus meant for after-school fun and learning. Its been encouraging to see students eagerly participating and happily joining in again in person.
IASAS 40th
If you follow us on social media, you would be inundated by now with nostalgic IASAS social media posts. In an homage to ESPN’s 30 for 30 sports documentary series, we have put together 40 days of IASAS posts featuring each IASAS sport, competition, and event in celebration of 40 years of IASAS. There are even some special bonus posts honoring the faculty/staff, parents and fans that contribute to the joy that is participating in IASAS. It has been a special walk down memory lane, and we have so enjoyed your interaction and engagement with the posts. We love hearing your memories, untold stories, and especially the photos from your personal archives.
IASAS is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2022, and ISKL has been a participant since the beginning. The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) was created in the fall of 1982. The foundations of the organization were laid much earlier, with athletic events organized amongst several of the international schools in Southeast Asia. We will again be recognizing this big anniversary, and ISKL’s founding role in the association in semester 1 of the 2022-2023 school year. In the meantime, read the full history and stories behind each of the 40 posts here.
Alumni Tours, Entering Campus
The borders in Malaysia are now open. While this is fantastic and exciting news, the Ministry of Education is still in the process of revising its SOPs. As such, the campus is technically still closed to visitors. We have put in place the option for campus tours with advanced booking. There are limited times and slots available, so do plan ahead if you would like to visit. Meet-ups with your former teachers, subject to their availability, can also be arranged in advance. If you are interested in a campus visit, please click here.
Please note that ALL SOPs must be strictly followed to keep our community and visitors safe Thank you for your understanding and precious collaboration.
