This year of online classes and self-preparation for my final exams, and now starting my further study in high school, I have to admit it has been a hectic and spontaneous ride. That aside, in 2021 I have been able to accomplish a lot of things I’d never imagined that I would, and experienced brand-new adventures along the way. Over the year, I have grown into a better version of myself.

 

The things I’ve learned this year are more than I can possibly say, but the following is the advice I would take to the rest of my future studies. The skill to sort out priorities has been greatly helpful especially when you’re thrown a lot of tasks at the same time, and also when you’re surrounded by distractions. Acknowledging what’s more important at the moment can help you focus on your goals and aims. Also, try and enjoy the process of learning and not push yourself too hard. I was one to go over my limits and it would leave me burned out sometimes, but I have come to understand to not stress myself too much and give myself more credit for the effort I put in.

 

At the start of January, we were fortunate enough to be able to return to campus to continue our studies and prepare for our exams. My approach toward learning and revision is concise and colourful notes that help to enhance my understanding and makes revision more enjoyable. After months of preparation and revision, I finished my exams in mid-June. Prior to getting my results, I didn’t have much expectation or anticipation. When I saw my results, I was shocked and relieved, though I did not expect the results I got, I am very appreciative of it. Of course, I wouldn’t have my results today without the guidance and teaching of my teachers in school. Overall, I am grateful to be able to spend my school years in such a wonderful school as Knewton.

 

Xin Ying
Top Scorer 7A*3A
IGCSE 2020/2021

Our Year 11’s whom we just bid farewell to last June have done us proud. Although the pandemic restrictions have brought many challenges to our students’ learning journey, they have risen above expectations to produce fantastic results.

 

Top scorer Xin Ying achieved excellent results with 7A*s & 3As,
Ryan achieved 8A* 1A & 1B,
Yu Fan 8A*s & 1B,
Kylie 5A*s & 3As,
Alex 5A*s 2As & 1B,
Ayra 4A*s 2As & 2Bs and
Elmer 2A*s & 4As.

 

Well done to all our graduates.

 

This year’s result pass rate was 100% with;
• 51% A*
• 74% A* to A
• 89% A* to B
• 96% A* to C

 

In addition, during the Graduation Ceremony, six students were presented with achievement awards:
1. Nadya received the Personal Growth Award
2. Xin Ying received the Achievement in Science Award
3. Yu Fan received Achievement in Sports Award
4. Alex received Achievement in Performing Arts Award
5. Ryan received Achievement in English & Mathematics Award
6. Ayra received the International Student of the Year Award.

 

When asked about her achievement, Yu Fan said “At first I was shocked at the grades because It was totally unexpected. Overall, I was happy with the results. All of my teachers are extremely helpful, they provided so much guidance throughout my exam period. I really appreciate the times where they’d sacrifice their own private time to answer my questions. Thinking back to the preparation weeks, past year papers have really helped me. I personally like to make summaries before each exam, it helps to refresh the key points of the areas I struggle in. My advice for the new Year Elevens, and for every student, is that last minute work is normal, but never miss out any work”

 

At Knewton Global Schools we pride ourselves in providing a high-quality education with support and care from our dedicated teachers in an environment that develops independent learners and allows students to achieve their full potential.

 

Our vision of Nurturing, Inspiring and Empowering is at the heart of all that we strive to achieve and we are very proud of our graduates and all that they have achieved so far.

 

We wish them the very best in their future endeavours.

#KnewtonKares has launched its first community charity drive project. Led by Knewton Global Schools community, this project centered on assisting families in need around Miri during these challenging times.

 

The project which started on July 19th, focused on providing (k)are boxes containing essential food items, baby milk powder, diapers, masks and personal hygiene items to families severely affected by the pandemic.

 

The school gathered a list of families in need within reachable locations in Miri and overwhelmed by the response. “It is heartbreaking to know that low-income families are struggling to put food on their tables amid an indefinite lockdown. Someone in their household has been laid off or taken a pay cut and they are barely surviving especially when they have a large family with small children,” said Ms Zuriane, Project Leader of #KnewtonKares.

 

Based on this information, the KGS community was determined to help and contribute to this cause. The response from our community was amazing. Parents and staff came to the school to drop off their donations. The KnewtonKares team packed the (k)are boxes and distributed them to the families in need. The first delivery was made on 26th July to 13 families around Miri. According to Ms Zuriane, the project was initially planned to aid 20 to 30 families in need. Nevertheless, we are so grateful to have received tremendous support from everyone in the school community and the donations kept flooding in until the last week of delivery. In the end we were able to reach out and deliver our (K)are boxes to 65 families. In addition to this cause, our school canteen operator, Monsoon Food has also started to provide “Meals for the Needy” to cater to families in Senadin area.

 

In the words of one of our parents, “We have access to everything the world has to offer and we didn’t realise that some of the families in Miri have lost everything they had to offer the world. This is the time where we show everyone what it truly means to be part of KGS community”.

 

Ms Lam, Campus Principal added “In times like this, it is very heart-warming to see everyone coming
together for such a meaningful cause. I hope this will also inspire our younger generation to make a positive difference to their community and wider world when the opportunity arises.”

We have welcomed two new teachers to our International Secondary School team.  As part of their induction to the community, parents welcomed them at a ‘meet and greet’ afternoon at the school library. The event was also great opportunity for new parents to meet other parents. We embrace the active support of parents and their involvement in the school plays an important role in their children’s educational growth and success.

 

New teachers to say a big hello to:

 

Humanities Teacher Ms Holly Williams-Dalton,

Ms Holly graduated from The University of Cape Town in South Africa with a BA English and Film Studies, followed by a PGCE. She has been teaching for more than 13 years and for the last six years she has been teaching at international schools in Selangor, where she also held the post of Head of Humanities.

 

In her free time, she loves to learn new skills, traveling and spend time with her husband and two daughters.

She is passionate about different styles of education to inspire her students to be life-long learners.

 

Welcome Ms Holly!

 

Science Teacher Mr Wong Si-Xian

Mr Wong has several years of experience teaching science at a local private secondary school. He graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Science and a Graduate Diploma in Education.

 

His favorite aspect of teaching is making the children laugh and he believes that a happy and enjoyable environment is crucial to learning. Mr Wong enjoys a wide range of activities including music, sports, tabletop games, fantasy books and,not least, science.

 

Welcome Mr Wong!

 

 

The drizzling drops of rain did not stop our Sekolah Sri Knewton students from showing their patriotism singing the Negaraku song, dressed in their unique traditional costumes, with the Malaysian flag raised to celebrate Malaysia Day on 16 September 2020.

 

Aryan and Sabastian from Standard 5 then led the ‘Rukun Negara’ pledge.

 

“Rukun Negara is our country’s ideology to enhance the peace and unity that we have in Malaysia, and as reminder to our self to respect each other as we live in a multi-racial country” said Ms Laura.

 

The teachers organised several activities to inspire patriotism among students and turns these into learning moments to better understand other cultures and become global citizens. One of the activities held was the Malaysia Day quiz related to the Malaysian identity and the history of the formation of Malaysia.

 

Malaysia Day is one of the most memorable day in the history of Malaysia as it marks the formation of the country itself. With Sabah and Sarawak joining Malaya (now known as Peninsular Malaysia), Malaysia has truly become a country of multiple ethnicity groups such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli, Kadazan-Dusun, Iban, Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, Bidayuh, Melanau and many more.

 

It was an enriching experience for our students, teachers and staff who come from different parts of the world, celebrating a multicultural learning environment.

 

Here is a poem written and recited by our Sekolah Sri Knewton teachers,

 

Perpaduan disemai sudah lama,
Unity has been sown for a long time,
Pelbagai bangsa bersatu teguh,
Various nations are firmly united,
Hari Malaysia disambut bersama,
Malaysia day is celebrated together,
Knewton Muhibbah, ukhuwahnya utuh,
United Knewton, build strong unity,
Selamat Hari Malaysia dari Bumi Kenyalang.
Happy Malaysia Day from the Land of Hornbill.

 

Congratulations to our Year 11 students for achieving excellent IGCSE results this year. We are extremely proud of our students who achieved a well-deserved 100% pass rate, with 98% A* to C and 58% A*, and for demonstrating resilience and dedication to their studies during this challenging time.

 

The highest achieving students this year were Phoenix who received 8 A*s and an A, Sajeev who achieved 7 A*s and 3 As and Sean who received 6 A*s, among other grades.

 

Head of Secondary, Mr Rob said, “This has been a tough year and our Year 11 students have performed extremely well considering the Covid-19 pandemic.  First the exams were cancelled and then the examination board was forced to reassess how it had calculated the grades and issue them a second time.  This inevitably caused a great deal of stress to students and their families and we hope that they are now able to move on, being well-equipped.

 

Phoenix said “I was first disappointed when exams were cancelled. However, I’ve learnt that the exams aren’t everything, and what you do leading up to the exams counts for just as much. I would like to thank all my teachers and the staff of Knewton for all the help and support over the years.”

 

We celebrate the progress every student has made since joining the school and thank all our teachers who have nurtured students from the start of their education journey. As always, we remain grateful to out supportive community of parents.

 

Year 6 students and their families were given a special celebration for their graduation at The Pullman Grand Ballroom on 17 July 2020.

 

Our proud international school students celebrated stepping up to a new stage in their education, with words from their parents and their teachers to inspire them into the adventure of secondary school!

 

With rapidly changing SOPs, the schools’ PTA team organised the party within four days. Parents Teacher Association (PTA) chairperson, Ms Michelle, said: “During these unprecedented times, we as parents decided to go ahead with the yearly tradition of a graduation party for the Year 6 students. We felt it was important to congratulate them and share the recognition of this milestone in their lives. As with the new normal, we had to improvise with what is allowed and safe for all.

 

“A beautiful venue with amazing views, delicious food, proud parents and 16 excited graduates contributed to a successful evening. Under strict SOP’s, The Pullman Grand Ballroom was the venue to this unforgettable event where we not only celebrated their achievements but we also had the chance to say farewell to our beloved Head of Primary, Mr Colin. It was surely a night to remember.”

 

Congratulations to all our Year 6 students!