ToallintheUplandsCommunity,

We have a packednewsletterforyoutodayanditisonlyWeek2! We
are delighted to welcome all the new teachers to Uplands. Please
enjoyreadingtheirintroductions andbiographies. Thenewstaffhave
taught and travelled on every continent and bring a wealth of skills
andexperiencestoUplands.

Yesterday I was delighted to receive a letter from the Council of

International Schools (CIS) informing us that we had been granted
Candidate Status for our CIS Accreditation. The Candidate Status
follows the recent report the school submitted to the CIS
demonstratingtheprogressthe school hasmade aswealignourselves
withtheCIS Standards. Akey part ofthis workwastherevisionofthe
Schools Guiding Statements. Again,thankyoutoallwhocontributed
tothisprocess.

Now thehardworkbegins! Ms. LynseyCollis hasbeen formingthe Committees that willnow

driveour SelfStudy process. These committeeswill involveallUplandsStaffandvolunteers
from the students, parents and Governing Body. Ms.Collis willbe contacting all the Uplands
Communityto inviteallinterestedpersonstotakepartinthisprocess. Wewill be havingour
accreditationvisitinNovember2017.

Enjoythenewsletterandhaveagreatweekend!

Yourssincerely,

MatthewBristow
Principal

Page2

CONTENTS

PrincipalsMessage

UplandsGuidingStatements

HeadofSecondary

NewStaff2016

DesignTechnology

DramaDepartment

MusicDepartment

Years8&9

ScienceNews

Year10&11News

Library

CoCurricularActivities

HeadofPrimary

BoardingHouseNews

UplandsTrafficFlow

UPTANews

AcademicTermDates20162017

1
2
4
511
12
1314
1415
1516
17
18
19
20
2126
27
28
29
3032

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Week twoforstudentsisnow comingtoa close. Ifyoureanythinglikeme,

youre already wondering where the time has gone and when the first
chancetocatcha breathis.Well,nextweekprovides achancetotakestock
and pause. These opportunities are important, not just to catch up on
much needed rest,buttoreflectonthingsbeforewefindourselvesheading
towardsChristmas!

Ive managedto get into classroomthisweek andstartlookingatourcorebusinessteaching

and learning. I told my staff and students that I would be in lessons to look at the range of
questioning on offer toallourlearners.Asyouwouldexpect,thereisquitearange.Isawsome
closedquestioning(yes/noquestions)andlotsofwhyquestions.Isawthefullrange.

Its these why questions that are so vital in what we do as teachers. Students need to
understand,notjustknow,andtheyneedtobeabletoarticulatewhattheyknow(andhow!?).
Knowing willget youso far,butunderstandingwillmakeallthedifferenceintheend.Students
respondedwellto theclosedquestions,butchildrenmadegreatprogressinlessonswhenthey
werepresented with thewhy? questions.Many jumped atthechancetoanswerandexplain,
but asmallgroup looked worried andconcerned.Some ofourstudentsarewhatIcallpassive
learners. They want informationpouredintothem andthentheywantto betested. This is a
worry andnotwhatwe want. Childrenshould beasking questions.Rememberhowgoodthey
used to be at that when they were little? Again, knowingwill only getyousofar.Why,why,
why?

Next week Ill have a different focus and I look forward to writing to you and telling you all
aboutwhatI'veseen.

Being in classrooms has given me arealchancetotalkto children. After all, thats why were
here.The issueofuniformwas aninitialtopicofconversationatthestartoftheyear. Students
looksmart. Theyfeel proudto bewearingtheiruniform andtherehavebeenlittle,ifany,real
issuesorconcerns. If you haveanythoughts about the uniform, positive orotherwise,Iwould
liketohearfromyougmongare@uplands.org

Theressomuchcomingup, so much yettoachieve andsomuchtostillplanfor.Therangeof

trips, events andopportunities offered atUplandsisstaggering.Weencourageallourstudents
totakeeverychancetheygetand I hopethat they willcontinue todoso.Allthis,though,can
be exhaustingand overwhelming for students(and foruspoorparents too!) so usethebreak
next week to rest, catch upwitheachother andtalk!Turn off the TVandthe computers and
startaskingsomewhyquestions.

Haveagreatweek.
GilesMongare
HeadofSecondary

Page4

Page5

Originally from Barbados, I have had the fortune to travel toandwork in

numerous countries including: France, U.K, Indonesia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, U.S.A and Canada amongst others. I trulyenjoy learning about
new cultures and ways of life. Penang is full of smiling people, delicious
food andbeautifulvistas.Iamlookingforwardtoexploringmoreaspectsof
thisstate andMalaysia as awholeinmytimehere,as wellastogettingto
knowmystudentsandtheiruniquepersonalities.
RiaMillington
HeadofDesignandTechnologies

Hi,myname is DanielNicolsonandIamthenewHeadofGeographyhere
at Uplands. We have arrived as a family of four, with my wife Maria
teaching Secondary Maths and our two boys, Kinnair in Year Two and
Cameron in Reception. We were previously teachingintheUAEand after
8 years decided it was a time for somenew adventures.Wehavefound
the transition into Uplands to be a very smooth one. The School
community is extremely warm and welcoming. The students at Uplands
have been nothing but supportive since our arrival. They have been a
pleasuretoteachastheyareextremelypolite,respectfulandhaveshown
astrong desiretolearn. I reallyadmiretheway thestudents are honest andopenandalways
find thetimetosayhelloaswewalkalongthecorridorsoftheschool.Weasafamilyarereally
lookingforwardtoaproductiveandfruitfulyear.
DanielNicolson
HeadofGeography

Fourweeksago, Daniel, Kinnair, CameronandIarrivedinPenangwithhigh

hopes andwecertainlyhaventbeendisappointed! Fromthemomentwe
setfootinPenangwehavefeltverywelcomedbythefriendlylocals,aswell
astheUplandscommunity. Wehaveexplored alittleoftheislandandare
excited about the array of activities there are to do here. The climate is
lovely aftertheheatoftheMiddleEast,wherewewerelivingforthepast8
years, and the transition hasbeenseamlesson the whole! Ourtwoboys,
KinnairandCameroninYear2andReceptionrespectively,seemveryhappy
and content which has made our transition eveneasier. Having taught in
New Zealand, London, the Philippines, and Abu Dhabi, I am excited to join the very ableand
enthusiastic Mathematics team of Uplands. The studentshavebeenanabsolutepleasureto
teach, astheyare sopolite, keentolearn, andshow agoodrespectof thelearningprocess. I
am excited to watch the students progress throughout the year. Education is an exciting
profession to be in and I am continually impressed by thehigher levelthinkingthat students
todayshow.Uplandsstudentsaredefinitelynoexceptionhere!
MariaNicolson
KS3andIGCSEMathsTeacher

Page6

Iam delightedtobejoiningtheUplandscommunityasboth HeadofYears

10 and11and as IB,IGCSEand KS3 Englishteacher.Inmyclasses,theYear
8s have been practising their interviewing and reporting skills while the
Year7s havebeen learning aboutthe value of journal writingandenjoying
themysteriousfirstfewchaptersofourclasstext,'LionBoy'.Ihavebrought
a little of my enthusiasm for Australian literature to the upper years of
English by beginning with an Australian Aboriginal short story at Year 10,
while at Year 12 afterjusta week,thecalibre ofour discussionofthefirst
few chapters of Hannah Kent's 'Burial Rites' has been outstanding. For
someone who loves her coffee and chailattes, there's alot to miss about
23 years living and teaching in Melbourne Australia, however, the strong community feel of
Uplands(not tomentionit'sdeliciouscanteenlunches) andthegreatvibrantfeelofPenangas
acityhasmadethistransitionapleasure.
AnnaCorney
HeadofYears10&11

My name is Mr Ross Stevenson and I am joining Miss Estelle Owens in the

musicdepartment.Weare in auniqueandexcitingpositionaswepreviously
worked together in Dubai, UAE. We plan to not only use, but develop, our
working relationshiptoenhancestudentopportunitiesinsideandoutsidethe
classroom.

Imyselfam akeenviolinistand can also play piano,guitarand therecorder.

Withtheseskills andknowledgeIplan toinspireandencouragethestudents
to get involved in all the events we prepare throughout the year. I will be
conducting thestudents in boththePrimaryEnsembleandSecondaryOrchestrafortheevents
andwillalsobepreparingalivebandtoperformatthisyearsschoolproductionofAnnie.

In addition to all this I have also steppedback intotheboardingenvironment.I myselfwas a

boarder for 8 years and have taken on the role of house parent to support the holistic
developmentofeachchildthat is currently boarding. With my knowledge ofboardingandmy
passionforeventorganizingIaimtogetstudentsactiveandmotivatedinarangeofactivities.
RossStevenson
MusicTeacher

Originally from India, I taught at Uplands from 2010 up

until 2015, when I moved to Singapore for a year. Ihave
theprivilegeofteachingScienceandBiologytoyears7,10,
11 and 12. I got an excellent welcome on the first day
when Mr. Bristow welcomed me back to Uplands during
theassemblyandthestudentsgavemeastandingovation.
This made me very sentimental and boosted my

Page7

enthusiasm for teaching even more. My first weeks back have beenveryfulfilling as I havea
good rapport with my students here at Uplands. Teaching is my passion and I am looking
forward to continue to demonstrate exemplary qualities of teaching and working with an
excellentteamofteachersintheSciencedepartment.
PreetiGhosh
BiologyTeacher

Hello, my name is Melissa Baxter and I am the new Head of Modern

Foreign Languages. I speakGerman, Spanish andFrench andIam keento
learnBahasaMelayu.IhopeIfindtime

Ihave beenteachingformanyyearsat avarietyofschools:fromU.K.state

schools to an international school in Zambia, Central Africa, with my last
post being in a BritishschoolinSpain. I amlooking forward to sharingmy
knowledgeandexperienceaswellastogainmore;excitingtimesahead!

Iam very happyto behereinPenangand at Uplands.MyfirstimpressionofUplandsstudents

isthattheyareverypolite, hardworkingandwelcomingasarethestaff.Ilovethegreenarea
inthemiddleoftheschool.Ihavesettledinwellsofar,ashasmydaughter,andIlookforward
toexploringmoreofPenang.

MelissaBaxter
HeadofMFL

I have absolutely loved myfirstfew weeksintherole ofUplandsIBCAS

Coordinator, the constantthrongofstudentsinandoutoftheCASoffice,
and each and every conversation I have had. The enthusiasm of the
incomingIB DiplomaYr12studentshasimpressed megreatlyashas their
willingness to seek clarity, to question, and to approach me to discuss
their ideas. The Yr 13 students impress with their wealth of CAS
experiences over the last 12 months and as IreadtheirreflectionsIam
even more determined to ensure that as a school community we
celebratetheirchallengesandachievements.

Penang hasbeenhometomeforthelast13monthsandUplandshasbeenasignificantfeature
of my lifehere as I havetwochildrenatUplands,Polly in Year 3 andWallace in Year 7,anda
husbandteachingEnglish. Ihavefound thetransitionfromUplandsspouse/parenttoUplands
staffmemberaseamlessandenjoyableone.

Page8

Priorto PenangwelivedinNanjingChina, a stark contrast tothelush greenand(mostly)blue

skies ofPenang.In Nanjing I worked withMastersandPhDstudentsinthedevelopmentofthe
research skills and I currently also work for Federation University in Australia rewriting
undergraduate coursesfordeliverytoChinesestudents,inEnglish,inChina.Boththisworkand
my role as CAS Coordinator draws nicely on my backgroundin CommunityDevelopmentand
Asian Studies and my years of work in research, project management, cross cultural
communicationandcapacitybuilding.Iamfeelingveryexcited.

LibbyMatheson
CASCoordinator

When I first arrived in Penang a month ago, my first impression was

wow!Arrivingfrom Beijing,whereIstudiedandlivedfor9years,theair
quality here is wonderful and Penang is very beautiful. Originally from
Anhui, China, travel, Language and culture are a passion of mine and I
have had the opportunity of travelling and studying around the world;
Tibet,HongKong,Taiwan,U.S.A,ArgentinaandBrazil.

As the newHeadofMandarin,IamexcitedbymulticulturalPenangbeing
averygood placeforstudentstolearnandpractice Chinese,where, with
just a little effort, students have and can create opportunities to practise their language
acquisitioninreallifesituations,aswellasintheclassroom.

Students herecanalsoexperienceChineseculturefirsthand,withfestivalssuch asMidautumn

Festival/Moon Festival, approaching soon, celebratedhere.Ilook forward to not only making
language come alive in the classroom, but also encourage students to practice and learn
ChineselanguageandexperienceChinesecultureintheirdailylifehere.

Students inUplandsareveryrespectful, motivatedand hardworking; apleasureto teach.Iam

looking forward to a great year of teaching and learning with all my students, and also
exploringmoreinterestingplacesinPenangandthroughoutMalaysia.

CaiQin(Alicia)
HeadofDepartment(Mandarin)

Page9

It is exciting for me to be joining Uplands this year as a teacher of

Secondary Year 7, 9 and 11 ESL and Year 9 English. I am also teaching
inclass support in other subjects for students who are new to
Englishmedium education. My international teaching career spans over
twenty years of teaching in Australia, to the shores of the Bosphorus in
Istanbul, also in the pearl of Europe Prague, in FrenchCanada, and in
Yunnan Province, China. I am finding the Uplands student community
remarkablyfriendlyand open;itisso pleasanttoreceivefriendlygreetings
from students in thecorridorsandtoobservetheirrespectforeachother
andenthusiasmforlearning.

Having taught onfivecontinents,Iveexperiencedliving in quitearangeof cultures,linguistic

groups, climates and peoples. Arriving to live inPenanghas beenextremely easydue to the
warmth and helpfulness of the people, the balmy weather, proximity to the ocean and the
interesting mix of cultures andlanguageswe interactwithhereona dailybasis. A fascinating
surprise has been havingtolearnfourwaysofsayingthankyou: kamsiah,nandri,terimakasih
and xie xie. I look forward to a fulfilling and challenging year both teaching and learning
languageandcontributingtotheUplandscommunity.
KerriNicol
SecondaryTeacher

MynameisMara Cary andIarrivedinPenangabouta

month ago with my family: my husbandEduardoand
our twoyoungsons,LucaandNoah.Ihave loveditso
far andhavefeltextremely welcomedby everyone! It
hasbeenafantasticexperiencesofar.

Originally from Portugal, I have lived and taught in

many different countries: Scotland (UK), Thailand,
Sudan, Qatar andnowMalaysia!Iam currently teachingYear3atUplands thechildrenhave
been great! They are kind andcaring andalready proving to beexcellent communicatorsand
inquirers! If you wish to contact me, drop me an email: mcary@uplands.org I am looking
forwardtoafunandproductiveyearahead!
MaraCary
PrimaryClassTeacher

My name is Eduardo Cary andIhave justmovedtoPenangwithmywife

Mara (who isteaching Year 3atUplands) andour twolovelyboys. I have
takenon the roleofHeadofPrimaryPhysicalEducationandIlook forward
to working with the Uplands community to developthe PE programme.I
have beenteachingfor13yearsindifferentcountries:Portugal,Scotland,
Thailand, Sudan, Qatar and now Malaysia. I am very happy tobepartof
the Uplands community and thank everyone for making me feel very

Page10

welcome! I am looking forward to working in collaboration with students to make this an

excitingyear!

EduardoCary
HeadofPrimaryPhysicalEducation

Firstly let me introduce myself and my family. I am Zita Joyce the PYP
coordinator at Uplands. I arrived in Penang with my husband Chrisand
our sonBenjaminwho is in year6. For thepast7yearswewerelivingin
Slovakia,myhomecountry,and teachinginanIBschool. Priortothatwe
livedandtaughtinEngland.

Uplandshasexceededourexpectationsanditis
fantastic to see that Benjamin is settling in so
well to his 6s class, thank you Mrs Teese and
the class for making him welcome and already inspiring/motivating
himinhisschoollife.
Allthe people thatwe havemetsincearriving atUplandshavebeen
great, its amazing to interact in such a diverse and multicultural
societyand everyonehas beensofriendly.Welookforwardtobuildinglotsofnewfriendships
duringour time here. So,howhavetheJoycefamilysettledintolifehereinPenang?Great;its
goingtobeagoodadventure.

ZitaJoyce
PYPCoordinator

Hi, Uplands community. I am Ves Hill and I am the

classroomteacherofYear4s. IamFilipinoAustralian
who has been fortunate enough to have lived insix
countrieswithmyfamily.WecameheretoPenangin
October of last yearand welovethefriendlypeople
and the family feel of the Uplands community. My
husband Peter teaches Maths in Secondary and we
have our two lovely children, Thomas in year7and
Maggie in year 5. As a family we love travelling andexploring different
cultures and food. We are all looking forward foranotherfantasticyear
hereatUplands.

VesHill
PrimaryClassTeacher

Page11

As an avid fan of new

technologies it has been a
pleasure to learn about
educational
software
to
support and enhance teaching
and learning. An early
forerunnerinthesupplyofsuch
software was Google. The
Google EdTechTeam is a
network
of
educational
technologists who provide
knowledge on Google apps,
iPads for education and who enable schools to be what they call Future Ready. Here at
Uplands the use of Google education apps is slowly growing. Students have begun to use
Google Classroom, Doc, Slides and Drive. This enables online access to tasks and resources,
alongside the submission of homework. Students are no longer restricted by lost sheets of
work, misplaced books, and unsaved work. They are able to collaborate, communicate and
mostimportantly,tolearn.

Having had five years experience using both Google and Apple apps for education whilst
working in schools in Jakarta and Hong Kong, I am glad to once again enteranenvironment
where the desire to utilise every avenue to support each learner is strong. In the Design
Technology department, we are fortunate to have a laptop bank which enables students to
further use technology for CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided
Manufacture).Looking tothefuture it is my hope that wewillexpandthistoincludenewuses
ofthissoftwareinschool,suchaswith3Dprintingandrapidprototyping.

RiaMillington
HeadofDesignandTechnologies

Page12

UpcomingDramaPerformanceYouareinvited!
Where:PenagpacStudio2,StraitsQuay
When:Thursday8thSeptember@8.30pm
Cost:Admissionbydonation
Toreservetickets,pleaseemailalison.hurst@uplands.org

Youveseenthebattle,buthaveyouwitnessedtheaftermath?Performedbyfourtalented
Uplandsstudents,ShellShockgraspsthecruderealityofwarawayfromthebattlefieldand
alongsidethedireconsequencesthatlingerontheaffected.

Page13

LoveDrama?Thenthisisforyou!

The Drama Department will be travelling with a group of students to an exciting ISTA Middle
SchoolTheatreFestivalon9th November until14thNovember 2016. Thefestivalisbeinghosted
by the OverseasSchoolof Colombo,SriLanka. Weareinvitinganystudents inYear6, 7, 8 or9
withakeen interestinperforming! Thecostofthefestival isapproximately RM 2900(tbc)and
studentswillstayinhomestayaccommodation,withfamiliesfromthehostschool.

This is a fantastic intercultural opportunity for your child to make new friends from other
internationalschoolswithintheregion,andlearnmoreaboutactingandperformance.

For more details and an

application letter,pleaseemail
AlisonHurst,HeadofDramaat
alison.hurst@uplands.org
AlisonHurst
HeadofDrama

WelcomebacktoanotheryearintheMusicDepartmentatUplands.Lastyearwesaidgoodbye
toMsJacobandwishedherallthebestback intheStatesandthisyearournewmembertothe
team is Mr Stevenson. I would like to welcome him and Im sure you will read a little more
abouthiminthenewsletter.
ANNIETheMusical
This yearweare startingour rehearsals for AnnieonTuesday30th AugustinF202. Rehearsals
will start from 2.40pm until the departure for thesecond school bus at 5pm.Wehad ashort
lunchtime meeting onTuesdayto giveoutscripts, andlettershometo parentsforthose that
wanted to help out behind the scenes. We welcomeanyonenew whoalsodidntauditionto
join as well, as we have plentyoffeaturepartsstillto assign. Parentswhowould liketohelp
out,wewelcomeyoutoo!

Page14

ORCHESTRAandSTRINGENSEMBLE
This year Orchestra and String Ensemble are going to be held on
Thursdays,and unlikeallotherCCAs, thiswillcontinuetorunforthe
whole year. To be able to produce high qualitymusicitisnecessary
thatwe continuewiththesamegroupofstudentsyearroundandwe
hope thatwe havechosenadaythatsuitsallpaststudentsaswellas
any newcomers.WedecidedthatwewouldholdbothOrchestraand
Ensemble on the same day to try and allow time for students to
continue with sportifneedbewhilstonlyhavingonedayoutoftheweekformusic.Theplanis
tostartwithOrchestraforthefirst 4550minutes,thenswapovertoEnsemblegroupsinMr
Stevensonsroomand Ms Owensrooms for thelast40 minutes.Studentswillbeabletocatch
thelastbushomeatabout5pm.

Ifyouhaveanyqueries,thenpleasefeelfreetoemailmyselforMrStevenson.
MsOwens
emowens@uplands.org
MrStevenson rstevenson@uplands.org
Thankyou

EstelleOwens
HeadofMusic

As the Head ofboth Years 8and9, it givesmegreatpleasureto welcome new studentswho

join usfromother schoolsaroundthe worldaswell as to welcome back many studentswho I
have either taught or been their Head of Year since 2014. For me it has been great to see
relaxed, happy andexcitedstudents comeupandsayhellotome.Everyoneclearlyhadagreat
holiday,butwasequallyhappytobebackatschoolwiththeirfriends.

For thereturningYear9sIfeelconfidentwewillhaveagreatyeartogetherduetothepastoral
teamremaining with thesametutorsexceptforMs.Marshallwhojoinsus afterMs.Shefalikas
move. The continuity and confidence this offers our students cannot be overstated,because
althoughchangecan bea good thing,weallliketohavesomeregularroutinesandcomfortto
ourworkingday(thatincludesstaffImightadd).

ThesamegoesforourYear8swhohaveallmovedupwiththeirtutorsexcept for8P.There we
welcomeMr. DanielNicolson toourteam.HeisalsoHeadofGeographyandcomestoUplands
withhiswifeand2children.

Page15

This opportunity for new experiences naturally makes me think towards our Year 8 and 9
experiential learning weeks, scheduled for October 10th to 14th. I am very excited for our
students who will be visiting the same locations we planned forlastyear.In this case,this is
Year 8 to Merapoh and Year 9 to the Perhentian Islands. More information will be coming
hometo you very soonregarding these tripswhich are always ahighlightofour schoolyear.I
am alreadyindiscussion with FuzeEcoteer(who coordinated ourtripslastyear)regardingour
planned itineraries, from the activities themselves to the food and accommodation. Once
again, if you have questions regarding these trips please contact me directly. I know from
personal and professional experience just how much your children will get from these
experiences, and to possibly miss outwouldbe agreat losstothemandtheir friends.Ifyour
childhas particularneedsdoletmeknow andwecandiscussoptionsfortheirinclusionin the
trip.

Onafinalnote it givesmegreatprideasaHeadofYear(andevenmoresoforhisparentsIam
sure), to recognise and celebrate the successofYusukeKonnowho hasmoved on to Year 10
this year, but finished Year 9 last year by completing his iGCSE Advanced Mathematics
examinationwithanA*.

Please don'tforgetto contact yourchildstutor or myselfifyouhaveany queries or concerns

regardinganyaspectofyourchildsschoolday.

Ilookforwardtomeetingmanyofyouinthenearfuture.Warmestregards,

LynseyCollis
HeadofYear8/9
lynsey.collis@uplands.org

Page16

EcologyWorkshopforJuniorScientists

Anopportunity existsforstudents(aged9to16)
toparticipateinScientificResearchattheCentre
for Marine and Coastal Studies Researchcentre
atTelukBahang&PenangNationalPark.

Students will be exposed to handson

work/experiments in thefieldandlaboratoryfor
basiccoastal,riverand/orforestecosystems.

CoastalDay:Friday14thOctober
RiverDay:Saturday15thOctober
ForestDay:Sunday16thOctober

Studentscanchoose1oralldays.
Cost:250RMB/perday(includeslunchandboattrips)
Deadlineforenrolmentis22ndSeptember
Moreinformationand enrolmentformscanbe obtained from theorganiserAnnetteJayaRam
at:annettejr@usm.myorMrWhitemgwhite@uplands.org

https://www.facebook.com/EcologyWorkshopforJuniorScientists253095328393447/

Page17

Iam delightedtobejoiningUplandsasnewHeadofYears10
and 11.Thisweek, Ihadtheopportunity tointroducemyself
tostudentsandtutorsinourcommencementassembly.
Byway ofintroduction andasawayof conveyingasense of
my own values I told the story of a remarkable young
Australian duo who were recently awarded Young
Australian(s) of the Year for their work in setting up
Australias first mobile laundry for the homeless called
Orange Sky. My message to students was that while we
certainly value student academic success, there are many
otherqualitiesthatmightmakeustrulyremarkable.Nicholas
and Marcus founders of Orange Sky were actually very
successful students; they organised and won a national school choir competition; they were
talented at a variety of sports, they were school captains at one of Queenslands most
prestigious private schools, and they both achieved excellent academic results in their final
year. Butthisisnotwhatmade themYoungAustralian(s)oftheYearin2016.Rather,itwasan
ambitiousidea andtheaudacitytomakeithappen;itwasthedesiretoenactapositivechange
intheworldthatwouldimpactlivesinapositiveway.
My address at Mondays assemblywas coincidentally followed bya newsarticle thenextday
thatthe duohadnowsetupAustraliasfirstmobileshoweragain,motivatedbygivingdignity
and respect to those who need it most. I was impressed that despite having achieved such
success with their first project that the two did not stop there. Instead, it fuelled their
determinationto do more. I was remindedofthepowerful wayswe can liveoutthewordsof
theschoollogo:Respect for Self, Respectfor others.IhopethatbysharingalittleofthestoryI
shared with yoursons anddaughters thatwe all might reflect on thepeoplewe are, andhow
we can usethetalents wehavebeengiventobethebestpeoplewecanbe,whilealsohelping
othersbecomethebestpeopletheycanbe.
IfyouwanttoreadmoreaboutOrangeSky,hereareacoupleoflinks:
http://www.smh.com.au/federalpolitics/politicalnews/mobilelaundryfoundersnicmarchesi
andlucaspatchettnamedyoungaustraliansoftheyear20160125gmdpqh.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/orangeskymobilelaundryduoplantoshowe
rcityshomeless20160823gqza30.html
AnnaCorney
HeadofYear10&11

Page18

Library Oh Library!
A very warm welcome to all
Uplanders. This column is aimed to provide some updates
about the libraries operations. Theimportant pointstonote
areasfollows:

OperationsHours

SeniorLibrary:
7.30amto4.00pm
PrimaryLibrary:
7.30amto2.40pm
Computer Usage Students are free to use the computers during
break and lunch time.
Senior students (Year 7 to 13) are
permitted to usecomputersbreakand lunchtimeand includingafter
school.

Printing&PhotocopyingServices

Availableincolourandblack&white.
Nocashpolicychargeswillbebilledaccordingly.

OnLineLibraryServices

Brittannicaavailabletoallstudentsonoroffcampus.
Questia only available for Year 12 & 13 to support
extendedessays.

LibraryStaff:

Librarian:
Mrs.SharlotteBernardext210
AssistantLibrarian(SeniorLibrary): Ms.Rosieext203
Assistantlibrarian(PrimaryLibrary):Mrs.Razlinaext507

You are most welcome to ask any of our staff for assistance with Library resources. We are
lookingforwardtosupportingyouinyoureducationaljourneyhereatUplands.

SharlotteBernard

Page19

Librarian

CocurricularActivitiesTerm1

CCAs willbeginonMonday29thAugust. Pleasemake sureyour son or daughterisprepared

withanyextraequipmenttheymightneed(sportskit,swimmingcostume),andbyknowingthe
timeand locationoftheCCA. Ifeelsureyourchildwillhavefunandtellyouhowmuchtheyve
enjoyed it! PleaserememberthatonWednesday31stAugust therewillbenoCCAsduetothe
closureoftheschoolforthepublicholiday.
We still have some spaces available on someCCAs for studentsto sign up,sochecktheCCA
board next to the refectory to find out.Iwould liketogiveaspecialmentiontosome ofour
outsideproviderswhowillbedoingactivitiessuchas:

Kendo
Aikido
Gymnastics
TweenieTabata
Karate
Floorball
Fencing
Origami&manymore!

CocurricularActivitiesforParents/Teachers&Y13s

AllheldatUplands:

Monday
5.30pmVolleyball,8pmFootball
Tuesday
5.30pmUltimateFrisbee
Wednesday 5.30pmBadminton
Thursday
8.30am10.30amArts&CraftsintheRefectory

WouldyouliketorunaCCA?
ContactRubyMarshallrjmarshall@uplands.org

Haveanenjoyableweekend!
RubyMarshall

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CoCurricularCoordinator

We have completed week 2 of the new year where all classes have now
beguntheirfirst unitsofinquiry andYear6studentshave startedrehearsals
fortheOctoberYear5&6Production.

Today we collected all the ecards from children in Reception, Year 1 and
Year2 asonMondaythesechildrenwillbeissuedwithelectronicwristbands
which we hope will make things easier for our younger students. We
recommendthewristbands beworn at all timesthroughouttheschoolweektoenterandexit
the campus, purchase school lunches and take out library resources. The wristbands are
waterprooftoo!

Next week, Cocurricular activities will begin, starting on Monday with Tweenie Tabata,
Taekwondo, Gymnastics, Finger Knitting, Silver Swim and Fencing. We expect there may be
some movement of children changing CCAs within the first 2 weeks. Children who are not
participating in CCAsmust becollectedattheend oftheschooldayortakethefirstbushome.
Children waiting for a sibling will be asked to join a CCA. Safety and student welfare are of
concern whenchildren areleft unsupervised on thecampus.We thankyouforyoursupportin
ensuringyourchildrenareeitherinvolvedinCCAsoroffthecampus.

Thank you to the parents who expressed an interest in becoming Class Parent Reps for this
year.Wehopetohavethesepostsfinalisedbytheendofnextweek.

We are still finalising our Primary Sharing Assembly timetable for thetermbutwe willsurely
highlight when our first assembly is planned. We welcome parents to attend our assemblies
wherestudentsfromallclasseshaveopportunitiestosharetheirlearning.

A reminderthat school willbe closedonWednesday31 August forNationalDay.Therewillbe

noclassesorCCAsonWednesday.NormalclassesresumeonThursday1September.

Haveanenjoyableweekend
AlisonNicholson
HeadofPrimary

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ProgrammeofInquiry
It was an exciting week full of interestingprovocationsthatsparked ourstudentscuriosity
and helped them to begin their exploration journeys into the new Units of Inquiry.
Throughout the first unitof inquiryalltheyear groupsarefocusingon the Transdisciplinary
ThemeWHOWEARE.

Reception
Familyrelationshipscontributetoshapingouridentity.

Inquiryinto:
diversityoffamilies
responsibilitieswithinafamily
howfamiliesinfluencewhowebecome

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Year1
Peoplesrelationshipswitheachothercanhaveanimpacton
wellbeing.

Inquiryinto:

howwedeveloprelationships
howrelationshipsaffectus
rolesandbehaviourswithinrelationships

Year2
Thechoicespeoplemakeaffecttheirhealthandwellbeing.

Inquiryinto:
whatitmeanstohaveabalancedlifestyle
howthechoiceswemakeaffectourlifestyle
howwecanfinddifferentinformationtohelpusmakechoices

Year3
Choicesofrolemodelsreflectthebeliefsandvaluesofindividualsand
societies.

Inquiryinto:
whatdeterminesourbeliefsandvalues
howandwhyrolemodelsarechosen
influenceofrolemodelsonourchoicesand
actions

Year4
Theeffectiveinteractionsbetweenhumanbodysystemscontributetohealthandsurvival.

Inquiryinto:
bodysystemsandhowtheywork
interdependenceofbodysystems
changesoccurringinthebody
impactoflifestylechoicesonthebody

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Year5
Peoplesculturalbackgroundhasanimpactontheircultural
beliefs,valuesandactions.

Inquiryinto:
whatconstitutesculture
howpeopleusedifferentexperiencestoinformtheir
perspectives
theconnectionsbetweenculturalbeliefsandvalues,andthe
actionstakeninresponsetothem
howareculturalartandartifactsperceived

Year6
Apersonsbehaviourandhowtheychoosetopresentthemselvesprojectaspectsoftheir
identity.

Inquiryinto:
howappearanceandbehaviourinfluenceourperceptionof
others
theinfluenceofculturalandsocialnormsonhowwe
choosetopresentourselves
fashionasaformofexpression

AlisonNicholson
HeadofPrimary

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Year2Paintingusingdifferentpartsofthebody

LADIES BOOTCAMP:Callingallfemaleteachers,staff,mum's andsenior girls.JoinGillian Gray

(ACE Certified Trainer) for a calorie torching Tabatastyle indoor ladiesbootcamp on Tuesday
andThursday'sat7pminthePrimarySportsHall.ContactGillianformoredetails:0126170376.

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On 14 August, 27 boarders arrived ready to begin the new

academicyear. Therewasabuzzofactivitywith thearrivalof
10 newboarders. WecelebratedwithawelcomeBBQ. Ithas
been a busy couple of weekssettlingintoroutinesand I am
proud of all our boarders for the friendship, respect and
helpfulness they have shown to all thenewmembersofour
community.

I would like to welcome new staff members: Mr Ross

Stevenson (House Parent), Nor Pizah (Matron) and Noraini
(Matron).

Lastweekend weheld teambuilding gamesinthesportshalltohelpouroldandnewboarders

gettoknoweachotheranditwasgreattoseethemworkingtogetherandhavinglotsoffun.

WeekendActivities

Friday26August

Saturday27August

Sunday28August

MovieNightat
GurneyParagon
Cinema

GurneyPlazashoppingtrip

VisittoEntopia

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As the student numbers continuetogrowatUplands,sodothenumberofcarscomingtodrop

offandpickupthestudents.

Pleasecanyoucontinue touseGateA(TheMainGate)todropoffyourchildren,followingthe
trafficflowroutesshownbelow.Thankyou.

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Welcome to the start of another exciting academic year at UPLANDS school. The UPTA will
strivethisyear, as we didlastyear, to integrateallthe stakeholdersoftheschoolwithvarious
social events and clubs, help out where we can to improve the school, help with better
communicationamongstour members, andprovide arealbenefit to ourfamilymemberstoo.
If you would liketohelp thePTA with any eventsorideas,please do contactus.Ifyouwould
liketobecopiedontheagendaandminutesofourmonthlymeetingsorjustwantadviceabout
lifeinPenang,pleaseemail:committee@upta.my

CoffeeMorning:
Ourfirst socialeventoftheterm, willbe theCoffeemorning at Park Royalhotelfrom8.15am
to 10.30am on Wednesday 15 September, where all PTA members, school leadership and
governors are invited to attend for asocial morning celebratingMoonCake (Harvest) Festival
andsomeannouncementsabouttheschoolandthePTAingeneral.

CountryRepresetatives:
We are in the process of finalising our country reps for this year, who are vitalincreatinga
party atmosphere for our major Xmas and Summer Fairs, helping with other events, and to
help celebrate the diversity of our school. Ifyouwouldliketo jointhe countryrepteamswe
have or want to create a new country rep group or justwanttosayhitoanyof the country
reps thatinterestyou,pleasecontact committee@upta.myoranyof thecurrentreps thatwe
currentlyhave:
australia@upta.my
canada@upta.my

china@upta.my
denmark@upta.my
eritrea@upta.my

france@upta.my
germany@upta.my
greatbritain@upta.my
hongkong@upta.my
indonesia@upta.my
india@upta.my

iran@upta.my
japan@upta.my
korea@upta.my
malaysia@upta.my
mexico@upta.my

newzealand@upta.my
poland@upta.my
philippines@upta.my
russia@upta.my

singapore@upta.my
southafrica@upta.my
usa@upta.my

SportandSocialClubs:
We are pleased to confirm the following sports and social clubs for Parents, Teachers, Staff,
Governors and older children. If you areinterestedinattending anyofthemplease email the
club accordingly, or if you are interested in setting up a new club please email:
activities@upta.my

MondayNightFootball89pmontheAstroTurf
@UPLANDSfootball@upta.my
MondayNightVolleyball5.306.30pmintheSportsHall @UPLANDSvolleyball@upta.my
TuesdayUltimateFrisbee5.306.30pmontheAstroTurf @UPLANDSfrisbee@upta.my
WednesdayBadminton5.307.00pmintheSportsHall
@UPLANDSbadminton@upta.my
ThursdayArtandCraft8.3010.30amintheCanteen
@UPLANDScraft@upta.my
TennisClub TBC tennis@upta.my
CycleClub
TBC cycle@upta.my

Page30

SchoolClosed NationalDay
Wednesday31stAugust2016

SchoolClosed HariRaya
Monday12thSeptember2016

SchoolClosed MalaysiaDay
Friday16thSeptember2016

SchoolClosed AwalMuharam
Monday3rdOctober2016

SchoolClosedCISPlanningDay
Tuesday4thOctober2016

SchoolClosedMidTermBreak
MondayFriday,1721October2016

SchoolClosedPMCISPlanning
Wednesday9thNovember2016

SchoolClosedTheProphetsBirthday
Monday12thDecember2016

EndofTerm1
Friday16December2016

NewStudentOrientations
Monday9January2017

StartofTerm2
Tuesday10January2017

SchoolClosedChineseNewYear
Monday30thJanuary2017

SchoolClosedMidTermBreak
MondayFriday2024February2017

EndofTerm2
Friday31March2017

StartofTerm3
Monday17April2017

SchoolClosedLabourDay
Monday1stMay2017

SchoolClosedVesakDay
Monday1stMay2017

EndofTerm3
Friday23June2017

NewStudentOrientation
Friday11August2017

StartofTerm1
Monday14August2017

Pleasenotewehaveupgradedouronlinecalendartoallowyoutoviewdifferentaspectsofthe
calendar.Pleaseclickontherelevanttabs.http://www.uplands.org/school/?page_id=15142

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Thenewlookonlinecalendar!

Pleasenotethe6differentviewsyoucanchoosefromtofindtheeventsyouwant.

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