Uplands School Weekly Newsletter - Term 1+Issue 1 - 21 August 2015

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To all in the Uplands Community,

Welcome to the 2015 / 2016 Academic Year !

It has been wonderful to welcome back all our returning students and staff

and I have been delighted to welcome all the new students and staff to join us

here at Uplands. We hope everyone has another very memorable year. Mr.

Skinner and Mrs. Nicholson mention every new staff member by name and role

in their sections of the newsletter.

The school has grown over the summer. We now have almost 740 students in the school. This

time last year we had 660. We now have waiting list for four of our year groups. Another first

in the history of Uplands School.

This newsletter is packed with information. Please read it carefully. The staff have so much to

share and announce, and we have only just finished the first week of term!

This academic year is already packed with events and we will be continuing to add events to the

calendar as the term / year progresses. Do check our online calendar regularly as new items will

be added to it. Don’t forget to download the “Uplands Mobile” app (on iOS and Google Play) to

have all the Uplands news and calendar events delivered straight to your phone / tablet.

One the major focuses for Uplands School this year will be the IB 5 Year Evaluation and our work

towards accreditation with the Council of International Schools. This will be a whole school

process that will involve all members of the Uplands community. Further details will be shared

in subsequent editions of this newsletter as well as updates at the regular UPTA meetings.

Have a great weekend.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Bristow

Principal

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Welcome to the Academic Year of 2015-2016. On behalf of all of the staff in the Secondary School

I would like to take this opportunity to say ‘Selamat datang ke Uplands” to all of the new students

and their families who are joining our community. On Monday there were 79 new students who

had their first official school day at Uplands:

Year 7 – 33 new students (66 students in total)

Year 8 – 12 new students (92 students in total – waiting list)

Year 9 - 12 new students (86 students in total – waiting list)

Year 10 – 13 new students ( 82 students in total)

Year 11 – no new students (77 students in total)

Year 12 – 9 new students (48 students in total)

Year 13 – no new students (51 students in total)

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our new staff who have joined the

Secondary School for the next two years:

New Secondary Staff

This academic year we have nineteen new staff members in Secondary and I would like to take

this opportunity to introduce them to the Uplands community:

Ms Heather Adkins – Film & Media

Ms Alison Hurst – Head of Drama

Ms Estelle Owens – Head of Music

Ms Jodie Sharpe – Drama / English

Mr James Butterfield – English

Mr Kim Derudder – English / Head of Year 10 & 11

Mr Phil Rebbeck – English

Ms Lynne Pearson – ESL

Mr Andrew MacLachlan – History

Mr David Peake – Psychology / ToK / Science / PE

Mr Roger Bardsley – History / English

Mr Michael White – Head of Faculty – Science

Mr Philip Macoun – Design Technology

Mrs Carole White – French

Ms Isabella Nwanko – German

Mr Bob Pearson – Head of Secondary Physical Education

Ms Ruby Marshall – Physical Education

Mr Philip – Swim Coach

Mrs Merissa Bush – Learning Support

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Below is a little snap shot of some of the new teachers (with more to come next week) :

Andrew MacLachlan – Head of History

Andrew MacLachlan (Mac) is originally from Ontario and Nova Scotia,

Canada. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Acadia

University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a Bachelor of Education

(Honours) from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He also holds an

M.Ed. in International Education from Framingham State College in

Framingham, Mass., USA. Mac is accredited by the Ontario (Canada) College

of Teachers and has 19 years of education instruction and leadership

experience. He began his teaching career as an English Lecturer in Czechoslovakia (Slovakia)

with the Education for Democracy programme. Mac has held subsequent teaching positions in

Egypt, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and Italy. He has taught humanities, English, AP

history, IB MYP and IB Diploma history and TOK. He has held a variety of leadership positions

including Head of Humanities and House System Coordinator at the Prem Tinsulanonda

International School, Chiang Mai, Thailand. For the past two years Mac served as MYP Middle

School Principal at the International School of Como, Italy. His interests include cooking, writing,

reading, travel, and woodcarving. He is also teaching himself to play the great highland

bagpipes. He is accompanied by his wife Mary (an accredited elementary teacher) and daughter

Maeve (13 years). Mac joins us at Uplands to take up the position of Head of Department for

history.

Philip Rebbeck – English Teacher

Phil grew up in the southeast of England and studied at the universities of

Warwick and London. He qualified as a teacher in 1994 and then worked for a

decade and a half in schools and colleges in and around London. In 2008 he

took up a position with the Ministry of Education in Singapore and has lived

and worked in Asia ever since. Uplands is his third international school and he

is very glad to be here as Malaysia has long been a favourite country of his. In

his spare time, as well as travelling, Phil likes to relax by reading, listening to

music and playing and watching cricket. He is also a long-suffering supporter

of Fulham Football Club and has a passion for Indian food that he developed while living in New

Delhi.

David Johnston – School Counselor

David's working life started in the late 70's as an Outward Bound Instructor

in Tasmania, South Africa and the UK. One of his most memorable trips in

1984 was spending 7 months sea kayaking along the coast of Alaska with

whales, bears and lots of ice. In the late 80's he began working with young

offenders from the inner cities and became qualified as a Social Worker

specializing in young people in 1993. Since then he has worked in UK based

residential schools and youth focussed projects as either a counsellor or

therapist. He and his wife Joanne co-founded Carevisions in 1998 which

became one of the most successful Therapeutic children's resources in Scotland. More recently

he has worked as a Counsellor for the National Health Service (UK) in the CAMHS team (Child

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and Adolescent Mental Health Service) and prior to coming to Uplands he was the School

Counsellor at an International School in southern India. In his spare time he enjoys outdoor

activities such as scuba diving, cycling and rock climbing and during quiet times reading, music

and art.

Phil Macoun – Design Technology

Phil has spent most of his life living in Canada, interspersed with various

adventures around the world. After completing an undergraduate degree

in Biology and Environmental Science he spent a year training as an

outdoor pursuits instructor in North Wales before moving back to Canada

to work as an outdoor educator. He later completed a teaching degree

before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he taught Science and Maths

for five years. In 2003 Phil helped start an independent IB school on

Vancouver Island, Canada, and over the past 12 years has been the school’s

MYP Design Technology teacher, as well as Technology Coordinator and,

more recently, MYP Coordinator. He has also started volunteering as a site visitor and MYP

Design workshop leader for the IB, and is in the process of completing a Masters in Educational

Leadership and Management. Phil is moving to Penang with his wife, who is a Senior Scientist

at World Fish, and his 10 year old daughter. Outside of teaching, and his family, Phil’s interests

include climbing, exploring and paddling.

Merissa Bush – Learning Support Teacher

Merissa is from the southeastern part of the U.S., having graduated with a

B.S. in Collaborative Education from her home state of Alabama. She later

earned her MA in K-12 Technology Integration. She has also taught most

recently at an international school in Shanghai, China. She brings with her

thirteen years of Learning Support experience. She is passionate about

working with students with learning differences and is looking forward to

bringing that passion to Uplands. An avid knitter, she likes to get students

involved in charity knitting projects. Joining Merissa is her husband and

two sons, aged 7 and 1.5 years old.

James Butterfield – English

After completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, James

worked in the multicultural affairs sector, including seven years as a policy

advisor in the Victorian State public service. A shift to teaching was

always in the back of his mind however, so embarking on a Graduate

Diploma of Education was a natural step. Teaching led James and his

family to Nanjing, China, where his two children’s Mandarin proficiency

rapidly outstripped his own. Outside the classroom, James enjoys

travelling, food and sport, not necessarily in that order, and occasionally

all at once. He also loves attempting to voice all of the characters when he

reads aloud from The Magic Pudding. He still harbours an ambition to run

a sub 3 hour marathon.

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Kim Derudder – English / Head of Year 10 & 11

Kim Derudder, originally from Belgium, obtained his degrees from Belgium,

England and the US. He is currently working towards his Doctorate in

Educational Leadership. Kim loves teaching and education as it offers him

the opportunity to have a positive influence on the lives of individuals who

will go on to have an impact on the world. Kim has spent the last 15 years

abroad teaching in Cambodia, Egypt and Thailand before joining Uplands in

Penang, Malaysia. He feels passionate about travelling, art, history, reading,

tennis and spending time with his family. The motto of the school was

something that truly resonated with Kim when he first heard about Uplands.

Carole White - French

Originally from Savoie, France, after graduating with a Masters of Foreign

Languages Carole set off for 1 year in Australia as a French exchange teacher

and stayed 14 years. After having a family she moved back overseas to teach

French in International Schools in Oman, Dubai, and Syria before moving to

South East Asia. Her daughter has just graduated and completed her IB

diploma and she has a son in Year 8.

Michael White – Head of Faculty (Science)

Originally from Tasmania, Australia, after teaching Science, Maths and IT in

Tasmania he headed overseas to teach in International schools, first in Oman,

Dubai and Syria, then in Brunei and Indonesia. He has taught in American and

British Style International Schools and has experience teaching IGCSE, A Level

and IB Chemistry. He has always had an interest in the outdoors and

appreciates the range of outdoor opportunities provided by travel from the

deserts of Oman to the forests in Tasmania. He has a son in Year 8 and a

daughter who just completed her IB.

School Uniform

It is imperative that all students wear their school uniform correctly and that their appearance is

always neat and tidy. Can you please ensure the following:

Plain black or brown shoes (no white soles, coloured Nike ticks, etc.)

Girls are permitted to only wear one pair of simple studded earrings. No other

jewellery is to be worn! Boys are not permitted to wear any jewellery.

Girls & Boys hair which is over collar length must be tied up at all times.

No bands / hair ties, etc to be worn around wrists

Hair ties (in hair) must be green, yellow, black or white.

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To assist with all students having equal opportunity in regards to eating in the refectory we are

once again having two servings to allow a better flow and to try and avoid long queues. Please

note the following table which will be in place for the first half term:

Day 1st Serving (12:30 – 12:50) 2nd Serving (12:50 – 1:10)

Monday 17th August Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Tuesday 18th August Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Wednesday 19th August Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Thursday 20th August Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Friday 21st August Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Monday 24th August Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Tuesday 25th August Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Wednesday 26th August Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Thursday 27th August Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Friday 28th August Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Tuesday 1st September Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Wednesday 2nd September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Thursday 3rd September Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Friday 4th September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Monday 7th September Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Tuesday 8th September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Wednesday 9th September Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Thursday 10th September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13




Thursday 17th September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13


Monday 21st September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Tuesday 22nd September Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Wednesday 23rd September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13




Wednesday 30th September Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Thursday 1st October Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Friday 2nd October Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Monday 5th October Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Tuesday 6th October Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Wednesday 7th October Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

Thursday 8th October Year 7, 8, 10 & 12 Year 9, 11 & 13

Friday 9th October Year 7, 9, 11 & 13 Year 8, 10 & 12

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Have a great weekend

Craig Skinner

Head of Secondary

[email protected]

Welcome to Year 8 and 9!

As the new Head of both Year’s 8 and 9, it gives me great pleasure to welcome new students who

join us from other schools around the world as well as welcome back many students who I have

either taught or been their Head of Year since 2014. For me it has been great to see relaxed, happy

and excited students come up and say hello to me. Everyone clearly had a great holiday but was

equally happy to be back at school with their friends.

For the returning Year 9’s I feel confident we will have a great year together due to the pastoral

team remaining the same tutors and Head of Year with the exception of 9I who are joined by a

new member of staff. The continuity and confidence this offers our students cannot be overstated,

because although change can be a good thing, we all like to have some regular routines and

comfort to our working day (that includes staff too I might add).

Having stated this, for our Year 8’s this start of term has been one of big change in terms of tutors

and class groupings. I am aware for some of you as parents this must concern you. I truly think

we have managed to get a balance of students in each class this year, and this is complimented

by a strong new tutor team (supported ably by Ms Shefalika). So in this case whilst change is

unsettling and a challenge for some, please be assured this change is the last big movement they

will receive for the next 2 years and my tutor team and I will do our utmost to settle students into

their new groupings. I would suggest if you have concerns in a week or so then please don’t

hesitate to contact me.

This opportunity for new experiences naturally makes me think towards our Year 8 and 9

experiential learning weeks scheduled for October 5th to 9th. I am very excited for our students

and more information will be coming home to you very soon. Early next week I will be heading

to both venues to check out all aspects of our planned itineraries from the activities themselves

to the food and accommodation. Once again if you have concerns regarding these trips please

contact me directly as I know from personal and professional experience just how much your

children will get from these experiences, and to possibly miss out would be a great loss to them

and their friends. If your child has particular needs do let me know and we can discuss options

for their inclusion in the trip.

On a final note it gives me great pride as a Head of Year (and even more so for their parents I am

sure), to recognise and celebrate the success of 2 of our current Year 9 students who took their

IGCSE Mathematics exams this past May when in Year 8. To their credit and clearly their hard

work and dedication they both passed with flying colours. Tathagato Mukherjee and Yusuke

mailto:[email protected]

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Konno both achieved A* grades. They have now started work on the Additional Mathematics

course and I am sure you would join me in wishing them every success.

So please don't forget to contact your child’s tutor or myself if you have any queries or concerns

regarding any aspect of your child’s school day.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the near future.

Warmest regards,

Ms Collis

Lynsey Collis

Head of Year 8/9

[email protected]

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Friday 21 August 2015 – Primary

On behalf of the Primary Team, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to all new students and

their families. With over 50 new students joining us in Primary, our upper primary classes have

reached full capacity. We have had a smooth start and the year ahead promises to be busy,

exciting and memorable!

To our Primary Team we also welcome Ms Mei Ling Teh - Reception class, Mrs Oksana Sielina

- full-time in ESL, Mrs Natalia Rose – full-time upper primary Visual Arts, lower primary Dance

and Drama along with some lessons in years 5 and 6, Nur Eida Sazali – class assistant and Mr.

Ryan Williams.

Uniforms and School Belongings: Please ensure that your child/children are wearing the correct

Uplands uniform to school, PE and swimming. If your child finds the classroom temperature too

cold, a black Uplands jacket is available to purchase from the uniform shop. Non uniform jackets

and jumpers should not be worn as we want our students to be neatly presented in correct school

uniform. Each item and piece of equipment should be labeled with your child’s name and year

group, so it can easily be returned should anything go missing. Custom stickers can be made at

Gurney Plaza from a first floor kiosk (100 stickers for RM20).

Timetables: class timetables will be placed in the students’ homework diaries. Your child should

know when their PE, swimming times and other specialist lessons are so they can come to school

prepared.

Primary CCAs: All CCA sign-ups will be done electronically through links on the school

website. CCA signup opened at 4pm on Thursday 20th August and will remain open until

midnight Sunday 23rd August. Your child will then be informed of their CCAs by Thursday 27th

August in time to commence CCA’s on Tuesday 1st September.

In order to sign up please follow the instructions below;

1. Go to www.uplands.org

2. Click on the Co-Curricular tab

3. Scroll down and click on the CCAs tab

4. To view the full daily timetable scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the

link “Primary Timetable”

5. To sign up and register for CCA’s click on the link for “Primary CCA sign-up”

Primary Prefects for 2015 – 2016: Sabina Santhana Dass, Otto Johnson, Britney Tan, Mike Ciao,

Lily Chiu, Syabil Zulkarnain, Skye Watson, Shamil Rizal Faris, Izdya Marican and Guy

Weightman.

http://www.uplands.org/

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Finally, we ask that children are collected promptly at the end of each school day. For safety

reasons and as our senior classes are still in progress it is important that Primary students are not

left unsupervised on the campus.

First Week of School

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New Gate Pass for Parents/Guardians

As we continue to focus on ensuring the safety of all at Uplands, we have issued all parents and

guardians a "Gate Pass” (a pink identity card).

The green card issued in last academic year is no longer valid and we have issued 2 pink Gate

Passes to each family. They have been sent home with your child this week, but please contact

Admission Officer (Ms Janie Chung at ext.106) if you have not received any. Effective 24 August

(Monday), we will be insisting that all parents and guardians to show the identity card to be

allowed on the campus.

We appreciate your support with this routine and thank you in advance for helping us make the

campus a safer place for all.

Swee Guat Tan

Head of Administration

Welcome back to school. The PE Department has grown over the holiday and we have welcomed

the following to Penang:

Head of Secondary PE – Mr Pearson

Mr Pearson will be leading our U15, and later in the year U13, FOBISIA Squads. This is alongside

coordinating the Secondary PE Curriculum and his involvement in a range of CCA activities. As

I am sure many of you are aware, he joins us from our fellow ‘B1 FOBISIA’ school, St Andrews

Bangkok.

Primary & Secondary PE Teacher – Ms Marshall

Ms Marshall, a native New Zealander, will be heavily involved in our Basketball and Netball

teams.

Secondary PE Teacher – Mr Peake

Mr Peake is a native Australian so we won’t talk about ‘Cricket!’ He will be helping us out in our

higher years alongside taking our Softball CCA.

Swim Coach - Coach Philip

Coach Philip joins us having recently graduated from USM. Still swimming at a very high level,

he will be assisting Coach Ben in helping us develop our Swim Programme.

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We have a very busy term ahead with a whole host of opportunities and events on the schedule.

For all calendar and training information, including respective coaches, please go to our

dedicated ‘Roar Sport’ website at: www.uplandsroarsport.webs.com

And for the most up to date information regarding things like pick-up times, late cancellations,

please use our Roar Sport Twitter page at:

@UplandsSport

Upcoming Roar Sports Fixtures/Events/Trips

Thursday 3rd Sept – O15 Boys Football (Uplands A vs Dalat B, Dalat A vs Uplands B)

Thursday 10th Sept – O15 Girls Football (Uplands A vs Dalat B, Dalat A vs Uplands B)

Friday 11th Sept – U11 Football (Uplands vs SCIPS)

Term 1 Highlights

U15 FOBISIA Games - Dulwich College Suzhou

Phuket Football – BIS Phuket

Trick or Treat Swim Meet – ISKL

FOBISIA Tennis – JIS, Brunei

U11 Invitational Football – Uplands Host

Secondary Sports Day

Primary Sports Day

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FOBISIA U15 Trials

U15 FOBISIA GAMES

Dates 12th – 14th November 2015

Dulwich College Suzhou

We will be holding a series of trials during the week commencing August 24th with the sports

outlined below.

Tuesday 25 August 2:40–3:40

Swimming

Athletics

Tuesday 25 August 3:40–4:40

Athletics

Swimming

Wed 26 August 3:40 – 4:40

Basketball

Football

Thu 27 August 3:40– 4:40

Football

Basketball

In order to be selected to participate in the Games, your child should attend all sessions

throughout the week.

If there are any questions then please feel free to contact Mr. Pearson at school.

Robert Pearson

Head of Secondary PE

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Co-Curricular Activities

For those of you who are new to the Uplands community, Welcome! Uplands operates a wide

variety of Co-Curricular Activities (CCA). These are an important aspect of school life and give

students the chance to excel in areas outside of academics, and in doing so expose students to a

different set of challenges. Registration for our Term 1 CCA Programme has opened and will

remain open until midnight on Sunday 23rd August. We have a number of new CCA

opportunities, alongside the wide range of activities that have been running in previous years.

New CCA opportunities for this term are:

Monday - Reception Lego, Y7+ Yoga, Y9+ Softball

Tuesday – Y4 to Y6 Cross Stitch, Y7+ Mulan Production

Wednesday – Y5 & Y6 Sketching, Y7+ Spoken Word Poetry, Y7+ Mulan Production, Y7+ Uplands

Magazine & Y7+ Random Acts of Kindness

Thursday – Y7+ Volleyball, Y7+ Green Club,

Friday – Y4 to Y9 Latin Dance

In order to sign up please follow the instructions below:

Go to www.uplands.org

Click on the Co-Curricular tab

Scroll down and click on the CCAs tab

To view the full daily timetable scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link

“Timetable”

To sign up and register for CCA’s click on the link for either “Primary” or “Secondary”

Please ensure that you fill in a separate sign-up for each child if you have more than one

participating in the CCA programme and also that you only sign-up once for each of your

children. You will need to know your child’s full Student ID.

All CCA’s start on Tuesday 1st Sept and run for 12 weeks until Fri 27th Nov, with a break for 2

weeks from Monday 5th October until Friday 16th October.

Many thanks for your continued support of the Uplands CCA programme

Dean Metcalfe

Head of PE Faculty

http://www.uplands.org/

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As part of our school commitment to student welfare, counselling support is available to all

pupils at Uplands. The following section aims to introduce the counselling department and

provide you with an overview of the service.

My name is David Johnston and as the school counsellor I work within the Pastoral Care Team

at Uplands. My role, as with every other member of staff, is to provide support, guidance and

encouragement to your child during their time at the school.

Guidance and encouragement takes many forms and counselling is one option available to pupils

within a range of other school support systems.

Why children benefit from counselling

All school children from kindergarten to grade 13 experience significant developmental changes

as they grow and transition through to adulthood. Alongside this they are also managing school

life, friendships, academic pressures and finding their own social identity.

It is known that the school years are a time when young people are particularly vulnerable to

having their confidence and self-esteem affected by people around them and this can have a

dramatic effect on their emotional development and studies.

One of the aims of counselling is to support young people through challenging circumstances so

that they are able to manage school to their full potential.

Meeting your child

I am likely to meet most children in the school in a number of different school forums such as

assemblies, classrooms, group sessions, co-curricular activities and possibly in an individual

session.

Models of counselling

My preferred method of counselling during individual appointments uses solution focused and

person centered models. The great thing about these models is they encourage the pupils to find

their own individual positive solutions to challenges they face. This not only helps prepare them

for the future by equipping them with problem solving skills but it also focusses on their

strengths and qualities which helps to build their personal resilience and to maintain their

confidence and self-esteem.

I like the idea of children being ‘trainee adults’ and as such they will sometimes make choices

which create unwanted consequences for themselves or others. Part of the counselling role is to

facilitate the child to reflect on their choices and to support and guide them to discover they have

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the power to make different choices which can lead to more positive responses and better

outcomes.

It is a fact that when a person feels good about themselves they are more likely to perform and

achieve better. When a person discovers they have personal efficacy they will also perform

better. Counselling at School is all about supporting a child to achieve to their full potential so

that they can become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and

responsible citizens.

What will a counselling session involve?

The first session will always be spent listening and getting to know the child, e.g. their strengths,

skills, qualities, interests, ambitions, talents and most importantly exploring their perception of

how things are for them.

After the end of the first session we will decide together whether counselling will be useful to

them or not and agree when to meet again and decide together on what will be useful to work

on.

Attendance is voluntary

To maximise the positive impact of counselling pupils should be encouraged to attend

voluntarily and should not be ‘made to come’. When a child, parent or staff member makes a

referral I will make the appointment with the pupil and invite them to attend. When a pupil

comes for counselling it is helpful if others view this as the child making an effort to make positive

changes.

My commitment to young people

Any child who comes to speak with me will be treated respectfully, taken seriously, never judged,

criticized or stigmatized. It is likely however that they will be challenged to explore options, try

new things and discover alternative ways of dealing with personal challenges.

It is my belief that every person has the capacity to make changes and every child has the

resources to find their own solutions to any challenges they face.

A support network

Counselling is a part of a wider support network which can be put in place around a child when

needed. The most important parts of any network for young people at school are usually the

parents and as a school we commit to working in partnership with parents in the best interests

of the child.

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Confidentiality

Although parents are usually the best support for a child, sometimes, particularly for older

children, it can be easier to speak to a more neutral person about personal issues. Counselling is

a confidential service which means that a young person can speak to me about personal areas of

their life without it being passed on to others including parents. There are however certain things

that will be passed on to either school authorities or external agencies and these relate to issues

of safety such as disclosure of abuse, criminal activity, drug use, violence, serious health issues

etc.

Note: parental consent will be required for primary school children before an appointment can

be offered.

As mentioned before there are some issues in school that require a team approach and in these

cases this will be discussed first with the pupil and then other relevant parties in order to establish

a strong support network around the child.

A team approach may include, other staff members, external supports, parents etc. The young

person will be fully consulted about who they think would be the best person / people to support

them.

Why someone might wish to make an appointment.

There are several reasons why a pupil, parent or teacher might want to make an appointment

and they broadly fall under the following categories:

* Managing Family / Friends / Relationships

* Managing school

* Managing self / managing others

* Substance management, awareness and cessation

* Confidence and self-esteem development

* Health and well being (physical, emotional, sexual)

* Decision making

* Exam management / study skills / effective learning

* Performance enhancement (academic and sports)

* Behavioral / emotional support

When can appointments be made?

I am available for appointments between 8am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday during term time.

Who can make an appointment?

Pupils: Every pupil in school can make an appointment by either speaking to me in person, e-

mailing me for an appointment or dropping a note in the box outside my office.

Parents: If you think your child may benefit from personal counselling you can phone, e-mail or

speak to me in person.

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Staff: If a staff member thinks a pupil may benefit from counselling they can phone, e-mail or

speak to me in person.

Note: For many school based issues, counselling would not be the first port of call e.g. lateness,

failure to hand in homework, class room discipline etc. These are all issues that are likely to be

dealt with through other school systems first.

The counselling office is located next to: B107 on the first floor next to Learning Support.

Contact Details:

E-mail: [email protected]

Mob: 01140718605 (school hours)

Phone: 04 881 9777 ext. 220

David Johnston

Counsellor

Welcome Back Parents/Guardians,

A massive thank-you to all the families that have thus far paid for the Experiential Learning

Program taking place from October 5th to the 9th this year. This trip is replacing the Retreat

Week of years past, and our efforts have been to make it even better for our students. Following

the Parent and Student Survey of last year and the support within for the Trips, we focussed on

the outcomes that students and parents illustrated: Bonding, Team Building, Service and Holistic

Development. The view of Uplands as we endeavour to deliver the promise of our Philosophy

& Objectives to nurture students into thinking, learning, caring and striving to meet the needs of

a better world is that the Experiential Learning Program affords each and every one of these

opportunities. This is an Uplands learning experience outside of the classroom where all

students are expected to participate and excel.

To ensure that the Administration of the 500 plus students attending goes smoothly we ask that

you provide us with the following information and complete the actions below:

1. Attend the Parent Information Evening

2. Make payment for the Trip

3. Provide a photocopy of the information page in your son/daughter’s passport.

4. Complete the Confidential Information and Health Form

Thank you for your prompt action and understanding.

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We have arranged for two separate Parent Information Evenings in the MPH:

Year 7,8,9 September 1 @ 7pm in the MPH

Year 10,11,12 September 2 @ 7pm in the MPH

The Heads of Year will be following next week with a further letter with greater information and

the links to the online Confidential Information and Health Form.

Bill Mitchell

Head of Pastoral

Universities & Careers Counselor

The Do Something Society (DSS) and friends finished off last year in fine style, hosting an Activity

Day at school for the children from the Good Start Learning Centre. The DSS have supported

Good Start, a kindergarten for Rohingya refugee children, all year, running events such as the

Primary Disco to raise funds to help this community-run school stay afloat.

The Activity Day was a culmination of their year’s work and the children enjoyed hand-painting,

parachute games, searching for stars, and ball games, as well as break-times in the garden and

lunch in the canteen! Amit and Elias, DSS leaders, presented the funds raised to the headmistress

of Good Start and then gave each child a stationary set and an Uplands lion toy to take home

with them. It was a fantastic day, very much enjoyed by the children, students and supervising

teachers alike, and we hope to keep supporting this school into the future.

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And so a new year of CAS begins! We have many plans afoot already and would be grateful for

any help from parents for our Service Projects, particularly those who have a CELTA, TESOL or

some experience of teaching English to children and adults. Please contact me on

[email protected] if you are interested in getting involved!

To keep up with CAS, please Like our Uplands CAS Facebook page which is regularly updated

with photos, videos and stories of all the amazing work our IB students do.

Mel Cartlidge

Creativity Activity Service - CAS Coordinator


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uplands-CAS/803655366355116

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A warm welcome to all Teachers, Staff and Parents at UPLANDS for the new academic year.

Thank you to everyone who helped, supported and attended our Summer Fair last summer term. It was a great

success, and special thanks to all our sponsors of the event: SANTE FE RELOCTION SERVICE, AVIS, CROWN

RELOCATIONS, UOB BANK, WALKER & JANSEN LANDSCAPING, INTERMOVERS MALAYISA and NEW BOB RENT-A-

CAR & TOURS

With regards to CLUBS UPTA helps run and/or promote, please find below list of clubs we are currently running and

looking to set up with the help of the school who have opened up some of the year 12 and 13 CCA’s for parent

participation too: (All events below are open to male and female participants)

Monday Night Football 8-9pm on the Astro Turf @ UPLANDS- if you would like to be on the mailing list for

this event please email: [email protected]

Monday Titans Netball League 6-9pm in the Sports Hall @ UPLANDS- If you would like to participate in this

league please email: [email protected]

Monday Afternoon Softball 4.30-5.30pm on the Astro Turf @UPLANDS- if you would like to participate in

this event please email: [email protected] (starts from 31st August)

Tuesday Evening Ultimate Frisbee 5.30-6.30pm on the Astro Turf @ UPLANDS- if you would like to be on

the mailing list for this event please email: [email protected]

Wednesday Evening Ping Pong 6.00-7.00pm under-cover behind Astro Turf @UPLANDS- TBC event. If you

would like to participate in this event please email: [email protected]

Wednesday Evening Basketball 7pm-9pm in the Sports Hall @ UPLANDS- if you would like to participate in

this event please email: [email protected] (starts from 27th August)

Thursday Afternoon Volleyball 4.30pm-5.30pm in the Sports Hall @ UPLANDS- if you would like to

participate in this event please email: [email protected] (starts from 3rd Sept)

Thursday Evening Badminton 6.00pm-7.00pm in the Sports Hall @ UPLANDS- TBC event. If you would like

to participate in this event please email: [email protected]

Friday afternoon Touch Rugby 3.00pm-4.00pm on the Astro Turf @ UPLANDS- if you would like to

participate in this event please email [email protected] (starts from 4th Sept)

Saturday Morning Cycling Club, meet outside UPLANDS- if you would like to be on the mailing list for this

even please email: [email protected]

If you are interested in any SOCIAL or SPORTING activity for UPTA to support or set up please email: [email protected] We will be announcing in the coming weeks a list of vendors UPTA members can get discounts with. If you are interested in the UPTA, its Committee, what we do and ANY general help about life in PENANG please email: [email protected]













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Merdeka Day – School Closed Monday 31 August 2015

O15 Boys Football (Uplands A v Dalat B,

Dalat A v Uplands B) Thursday 3 September 2015

O15 Girls Football (Uplands A v Dalat B,

Dalat A v Uplands B) Thursday 10 September 2015

U11 Football (Uplands v SCIPS Friday 11 September 2015

Malaysia Day – School Closed Wednesday 16 September 2015

Hari Raya Haji – School Closed Thursday 24 September 2015

Mid Term Break – School closed at 2.40 pm Friday 9 October 2015

Boarding House closes at 12.00 noon Saturday 10 October 2015

Boarding House re-opens at 2.30 pm Sunday 18 October 2015

School re-opens at 8.00 am Monday 19 October 2015

Deepavali – School Closed Tuesday 10 November 2015

U15 FOBISIA Games – Dulwich College Suzhou Thursday 12 to Saturday 14

November 2015

Term 1 ends at 12.00 noon Friday 18 December 2015

Boarding House closes at 12.00 noon Saturday 19 December 2015

FOR FULL INFORMATION PLEASE SEE SCHOOL CALENDAR

http://online.uplands.org/calendar/SitePages/Home.aspx

http://online.uplands.org/calendar/SitePages/Home.aspx

Uplands School Weekly Newsletter - Term 1+Issue 1 - 21 August 2015

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