2013 Circular to Parents 2

DATE                          :  31st January, 2013

CIRCULAR NO.          :  02/DIR/13                

A month has passed, and it important to communicate some pertinent matters to parents:

1.      The School curricular and co-curricular programs have started smoothly. The students are seen to be generally well-behaved and properly-dressed. However, they generally need to be more forthcoming with their greetings and be more polite to the staff and teachers. Thank you parents for working together with us teachers for the benefit of the children.

The school is currently adequately-staffed  for  its academic programs, though for the administration side, we are still waiting for a new Principal for the National Secondary School.  Enrolment has almost reached its optimum level except for the A-levels.

The school is now better-equipped in terms of its personnel, having appointed a Staff Development Officer (Ms. Ann Armstrong) and a School Counsellor (Ms Anne Chong Yuk Ming) effective 1st January, 2013.  By 1st  February a new Administration and Data clerk (Ms. Josephine@ Nur Kamilla Abdullah ) and 2 new Security guards will commence work.

2.  STUDENT ENROLMENT, TEACHING STAFF, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF

The enrolment and details of the various entities as at  30th January 2013 are as follows:

3.  GCE AS RESULTS

The GCE AS results received recently showed 8 out of 44 (compared to 7 students the previous year) or 18.18% of the students achieving Straight A’s. The IGCSE results showed 3 out of 48 students or 6.25% of the students achieving Straight A’s. Congratulations to the students, parents and teachers.

4.  EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (ECA)

There are currently 4 Uniformed Groups, namely, The Scouts, St. John’s Ambulance, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, and the International Award.  All the students in the National Secondary School and most of those in the International School are involved in one of these Uniformed Bodies. About 60% of the students are involved in the clubs and societies, and  about 50% are involved  in sports and games.

4.1   The MSSM Inter-School Competitions held recently have shown very encouraging  results, and some students have been selected to represent Kuching Division.  The results are as follows:

4.1.1  Chess: Boys Under 18Team event (3^rd place), and Individual event(3 rd place); Boys Under 15 Team Event(1st place) and Individual event(3^rd place); Boys Under 12 Individual Event (5^th Place); Girls Under18 Team Event (2^nd place).  3 students were selected to represent Kuching Division to be held in Miri soon.

4.1.2  Kuching Age Group Swimming Championship: The Secondary School team won 2^nd place, and the Primary School team won 3^rd place.

4.1.3  Table Tennis:  Our Boys Under-18 won I Silver and 2 bronze medals, and our Under-18 Girls won 1 bronze medal.   All the players were selected to represent Kuching Division.  

4.1.4  Squash: The Boys and Girls Under-12 won 1 gold (girls), 1 silver (boys) and 2 bronze medals (1 boy and 1 girl).  The Boys Under-15 won 1 bronze medal.

4.1.5  Tennis: The Boys Under-15 team  reached the quarter finals.

Congratulations to all students who have won, and thank you to those who have participated. Thank you also to the parents for their commitment in sending their children for training.

5.  TEACHER’S RESIGNATION AND REPLACEMENT.

Ms. Hazzlin binte Osman has replaced Ms. Nora Kong who has  resigned effective 25th January to go into business.  Ms. Hazzlin teaches English in Form 1 and her selection involved an interview and micro-teaching observed by myself, the English Head of Department and the Staff Development Officer. .

6.  STUDENT UNIFORMS

Student uniforms are generally satisfactory except for the shoes. Though the school has ruled that shoes must be white, and worn with white stockings, some students still wear white shoes with coloured stripes and white shoes with various percentages of colour.  Please be reminded that all students,  irrespective of class, must follow this rule.

7.  STUDENTS COMING LATE TO SCHOOL

Though attendance and punctuality are very satisfactory, a very small minority of  students  are repeatedly coming  late, and with various reasons.  In all cases students will be given demerit points except for unavoidable incidents such as heavy rain, flood, accidents, or other disasters. Parents are reminded to start early from home.

8.  PARKED AND CLOSED VEHICLES WITH ENGINES RUNNING

Parents are reminded that the school has initiated the “Go Green Project” 2 years ago. You are therefore reminded not to park and stay in your car with your car engine running, except while you are dropping your child. You are only given a maximum of 1 minute to stop while dropping off your child.

9.  PARENTS SITTING IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL CAFETERIA DURING LUNCH TIME (11.50am  – 1.00 pm.)

As the seats are limited parents are once again reminded that the seats are only for the children, and parents should vacate them at this time.

10.  FIRST SATURDAY, 2^ND FEBRUARY, 2013

There is no ECA and no Mandarin tuition on that day (and for every 1st Saturday of the month).

11.  SCHOOL BREAK FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

The Chinese New Year school break is from Saturday, 9th February to Sunday, 17th February. Classes will resume on Monday, 18th February. Monday and Tuesday (11th and 12th February)  are Public Holidays. Wednesday, 13th and Thursday, 14th February are Occasional Holidays, and Friday, 15th February is Replacement Holiday (to be replaced on 11.05.13).

We wish all students, parents, teachers, and administrative and support staff a Very Happy, Meaningful and Prosperous New Year!

………………………………..

RIJENG  AK. JAHET

Director

Lodge Group of Schools