FRIDAY FLYER-Issue 141
23 Feb 2023
Headmaster's Welcome
Dear Reader,
I hope that you have enjoyed a productive week and that you are looking forward to your weekend.
As usual we have been busy at Epsom as you can see – Epsom Events.
Activities have included Music, Sports – the Key Stage 3 Aquathon was this week as well as Drama, Model United Nations and University application support sessions.
The week began with our College Assembly led by Dr Cooke on Kant’s theory of enlightened self-interest.
This is a philosophy in ethics which states that persons who act to further the interests of others, ultimately serve their own self-interest. It has often been simply expressed by the belief that an individual, group, or even a commercial entity will “do well by doing good”.
Dr Cooke used the examples of responses to natural disasters in different countries to illustrate his point. In Japan, following the events surrounding Fukushima, people queued up in an orderly manner to gain access to water and other essential supplies. There was no need for a police or military presence to ensure public order thus freeing up the army and police to attend to other areas of need.
In the US following Hurricane Katrina, people sought safety in a sports stadium. Due to their lack of self control and self regulation, the situation quickly descended into chaos. Everyone suffered as a result of their own behaviour. Added to this was the fact that the army and police were required to engage in crowd control, resulting in them being unable to address other areas of urgent need such as searching for the lost.
The moral of the assembly is that by caring for others, by extension, we ensure that we, ourselves, will be cared for.
Dr Cooke closed by asking us why we should stand and offer our seat to the elderly while on public transport. Is it to make us look good? Or because it is what we are told is the right thing to do? We concluded that it is because, ultimately it will benefit us. This is because one day we will all grow old. We will, one day, be grateful for the seat offered to us.
Another interesting quote from Dr Cooke’s assembly is that culture is what happens when no one is looking. What makes one country’s people behave differently to another? Why were the Japanese victims of the Fukushima disaster able to behave with such self control when their American counterparts could not?
All in all, this assembly provided an engaging and thought provoking start to the week!
Of course, as a learning community we seek to engage and provoke thought at every opportunity and one such opportunity is the Epsom Live Talks series. Last week we welcomed David Dufrenois – read more later – and we soon look forward to hosting Joseph Cherian. Our Epsom Live Talks offer our students the invaluable opportunity to meet high profile C Suite leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, lawyers and engage with them personally. We particularly love this photo of Kanato in Year 7, Holman with Mr David Dufrenois. Kanato LOVES planes and you can only imagine how delighted he was at this opportunity to showcase his knowledge and share his passion.
A key theme that came through from David Dufreois’s talk was that there is an element of luck to great success but that, through hard work, commitment, dedication as well as thoughtful well informed decisions, we are more likely to be lucky!
It was wonderful this week to hear conversations in the dining hall among students who were making the connections between what David Dufrenois spoke of and areas of Psychology covered during presentations given by the Humanities’s society’s Psychology Week.
We hope you enjoy the articles ahead and wish you Happy Reading and Happy Friday!
Best wishes,
Mr Matthew Brown,
Headmaster
Follow us on INSTAGRAM
Hello from Holman House 🙂
Holman Boarding House opened its doors almost two months ago and to date we have welcomed over 50 students from 8 nationalities!
Our House is well and truly in the swing of things! Wearing their stylish red and white ties with pride, Holman’s boys have settled in superbly showing charisma and confidence.
So who was Holman, patron of our Boarding House?
Sir Constantine Holman was a British medical doctor. He was awarded a knighthood (made a Sir) for his contribution to public health by King Eward VII over one hundred years ago. He was a founding member of Epsom UK and worked closely alongside Mr Propert – after whom our very own Propert House is named.
So what defines our Holman House boys?
The answer is simple:
We are all Holman Heroes!
We rise to the challenges that we face and understand the value and immense impact of the small gestures of kindness day to day.
Mr Matt Richardson
Housemaster, Holman House.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM
Greetings from Cambridge!
Some of our Alumni got together recently and Cazra wrote to us to let us know…
Naomi (LSE), Kirsten (UCL) & I (Cazra, Cambridge) met in Cambridge today. It was so much fun!! We wanted to share some pictures with you because we thought it was crazy all of us are on the other side of the world in our unis from working together in Epsom less than a year ago!! Hope you are well! 🙂
Thank you so much, Cazra, for your message and it is always lovely to receive updates from our old Epsomians!!
A Message from Rosebery House
House Drama rehearsals are coming on apace; yesterday, I was lucky enough to be free at the right time and get a sneak preview. Without giving anything away, I can confirm that Jasmine is a very fine physical actor, Jin Yang and Keia natural dancers, and Xin Ling and Teja, born to direct. In so doing I have revealed nothing because, come on! It’s not like we didn’t all know these things already.
Adrianna, another of our actors, has been golfing, coming just two strokes behind the champion, and Dana is away being clever at the National Genius @ Pintar Programme. The rest of us are heads down, working hard, looking forward to exeat and a breather.
Nanako led the basketball team in a tournament at Oasis that sounded fast, furious and enormous fun. Yuka, Shino and Mayuha returned with tales of derring-do; Woorin with an injured ankle; Darshinie her mildly-delighted self. I am grateful to Guthrie Miller for his support of the squad, ferrying not only to and from the venue but also to hospital afterwards: ah! the rich tapestry of boarding school life.
The girls enjoyed an afternoon of climbing, flying-foxing and go-karting earlier in the month. This time it was Helen Miller to whom Rosebery said thank you, for inviting us along with Crawfurd. It’s excellent that the relationship between the Houses is non-tribal in this way, allowing us to join forces and have fun. Next month, it’s our turn to arrange the trip. I have my eye on Ilham Gallery in KL, followed by a spot of shopping. Culture and capitalism – what’s not to like?!
On Tuesday, we will treat ourselves to another afternoon tea, made by our own fair hands. Rosebery’s matron, our Assistant HMM and I make dozens of the best sandwiches ever, cut up strawberries and open bottles of pop. After CCA, we descend on the patio and dig in. At first there are sighs – seriously, the sarnies are that good – before there’s silence. And perhaps, just for a moment in the roly-poly of our fulfilling lives here, that’s the sweetest thing of all.
Kate Orpwood
Housemistress Rosebery House
Epsom Science Department
Every Wednesday afternoon, students from Year 5 and 6 spend time with our senior school science teachers participating in fun interactive science based activities. The aim of these sessions is to build upon students’ knowledge from Year 3 and 4 by developing a deeper understanding of scientific concepts, providing them with an opportunity to experience learning within a laboratory setting, and of course, an opportunity to have some fun!
In previous sessions, the students learned about the chemistry of fireworks, the biology of human digestion and the physics of aeroplanes and flight. Last week, students designed their own parachute and the time came to put their ideas into action. Armed with an assortment of equipment, students constructed parachutes in a variety of different shapes and sizes with the aim of protecting a raw egg, launched from the upper floor balcony from breaking.
Once complete, it was time to test the effectiveness of their designs as students climbed excitedly to the third floor. Each pair eagerly launched their parachutes, complete with a raw egg ‘passenger’, and waited with anticipation to see if their parachute had sufficiently broken the fall of the egg to ensure its survival. With a wide range of designs and launch techniques, we were very hopeful for some survivors.
Once all parachutes had been launched, students nervously descended to investigate the results of their experiment. Whilst only one egg survived the flight, the students (and teachers) had great fun and the students learned the importance of adapting and developing their designs scientifically.
We hope these sessions will continue to inspire, developing students’ understanding of abstract scientific ideas while providing opportunities to describe and make sense of how the world around them works.
Mrs Ellen Crann
Teacher of Biology
Epsom Live Talk Series
David Dufrenois
I was fortunate enough to be asked to moderate a recent Epsom Live Talk with guest speaker Mr David Dufrenois, Head of Global Management of Airbus in Southeast Asia. The talk was an incredible opportunity to learn about the aerospace industry, as well as Mr Dufrenois’s experiences and insights into the industry.
During the talk, myself and Zhi Yu asked Mr Dufrenois questions on his background, the science behind the Airbus as well as some questions regarding the business itself. We found out that his diploma does not directly link with his current position/role at Airbus.
David Dufrenois graduated from the University of Aix-Marseille IV for Optronics and Computer Image Processing and holds a diploma in Aeronautics. Now that he is the Head of Global Management at Airbus, we were curious to know if he had encountered any difficulties when switching his career to a different field. From his perspective, his diploma in Engineering supports him when he is trying to sell airplanes to customers as his background knowledge in aeronautics gives him credibility among his customers and builds their trust in him. He touched on the importance of good time management as well as good communication and interpersonal skills.
Mr Dufrenois shared the company’s vision which includes CO2 emission reduction and the utilisation of hydrogen fuel. He mentioned the implementation of new technology including Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage <DACCS>, in order to reduce Airbus’s fleet’s carbon footprint as global warming becomes an ever greater threat globally. Additionally, he said that by removing the nacelle of the engine, thus exposing the fan to the cooler air, fuel efficiency increases and a reduction of up to 20% of CO2 emissions becomes possible.
Lastly, we discussed the potential hazards of using hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen is flammable and can be explosive. Utilising hydrogen fuel is environmentally more friendly but I was curious to explore whether it is fully safe to use. Mr David said on the A380, there are 4 hydrogen fuel tanks with a distribution system to engines which renders the fuel safe and secure for a flight.
Youngmok, Year 12 Propert & Zhi Yu, Year 13 Granville
A Message from the Leadership Team
Actions and Words
While Dr Cooke led the College Assembly this week on Enlightened Self-Interest, I chose to hone in on the impact of our actions in the assembly that I led for Key Stage 3 & 4 (Years 7-9).
There is no doubt that our words are incredibly powerful and the words we choose shape our lives. Their meaning crystallizes perceptions that shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and ultimately, create our world. Their power arises from our emotional responses when we read, speak, or hear them.
70% of what we communicate to others has nothing to do with our words, but rather our non verbal language, our social cues. However, as the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words, and are more to be regarded.”
The concept of integrity through actions goes back way farther though. For example, Michel de Montaigne, a philosopher from the 1500s, wrote: “Saying is a different thing from doing.” Our actions define us and like our words, shape our world.
In Carr House, Mrs Garnett encourages her Carr boys to be the example – #wearetheexample, to always be the best version of themselves and to show care for others. I was keen to reiterate this in the assembly and ensure that students in the lower years understand that, while academics are extremely important, we should not underestimate the importance of who we are and what we stand for…
In my role as University Guidance Counsellor, I have to write character references for students applying to universities and colleges as well as for those who have graduated from university and are applying for internships or jobs. Many reference requests make specific reference to qualities such as resilience, flexibility, loyalty and teamwork.
Let us not forget that being the best, kindest, most positive version of ourselves has value in and of itself. So, as we look to the weeks and months ahead, let’s all enjoy some Enlightened Self-Interest and be an example to others in what we say and do.
…If we all were to do this, what a wonderful world it could be!
Best wishes for the weekend,
Kate Carden-Brown
Instant Happiness Cafe
Hi everyone!
We hope you’ve been having a good week so far. Don’t you think visiting the Instant Happiness Cafe will make it even better? 😉
We’re open!
When? Every Tuesday at 10.10 – 10.25 AM (Break)
Where? Latter Section of the GC
We accept cash as well as e-Wallet. See you soon!!
Kind regards,
BSE Society Team
PS: Follow our Instagram to be updated on our latest events, and
Check out our Official Website for more insights!
English as an Additional Language (EAL) at Epsom
As the external examinations loom ever closer and our preparations to meet the demands of these develop into an ever larger part of each lesson for our Year 11 students, some have been considering the balance between the time spent developing our knowledge and skills in English, and the time spent preparing to meet the particular requirements of examinations.
Is the effort required for the examination worth it as a linguist?
Fortunately for English language students, the skills practiced, and knowledge developed to achieve examination success, correlate directly and could be considered essential for students’ future academic, personal and professional lives.
The main examinations faced by Epsomians testing for English as a Second Language are the IGCSE and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic). Both of these systems enjoy popularity worldwide and are widely recognised. They are used as entry benchmarks for further education, employment and visa approval. Both challenge all four skills in English: the receptive skills of reading and listening, and the productive skills of writing and speaking. Both require a solid understanding of grammar and the ability to use it in the correct context and with accuracy. In addition; they require the ability to understand and use a precise and wide range of vocabulary. As you might imagine, the IELTS Academic examination leans a little more heavily towards the English required to succeed in an English-speaking institute of higher education.
So, what does this mean for our current Year 11 students facing their external iGCSE speaking examinations at the end of this term and their reading, writing and listening papers shortly afterwards? Well, as with all language students, they have to work on studying the language every day: reading, writing, speaking and listening in English, noting down new words, phrases and collocations. In addition, they have to try to move these features into their active usage. Plus, to achieve examination success they have to successfully apply this language knowledge: to understanding and responding to passages; to obtaining information from dialogue; to developing a conversation with a native English speaker; to taking notes from complex text and to developing these notes into summaries; writing emails, and so on. Who says preparing students to succeed in examinations does not prepare students for life?
Dean Jones
EAL Teacher and Housemaster, Granville House
Celebrating Student Success - Dana
Warmest congratulations to Dana, Year 7 Rosebery House, who has been invited to join a School Holiday Camp Programme (PPCS)
This programme welcomes students who have passed UKM1 and UKM2 qualifications tests. Invitations are extended to pupils with an IQ above 130 by the Islamic Science University of Malaysia.
We are very proud of you, Dana!
Celebrating Student Success - Adrianna
Adrianna, Year 8 Rosebery, participated in the UUMISM – SPORTEXCEL JUNIOR GOLF TOUR 2023 – LEG 1 which was held in Ayer Keroh Golf Club over the weekend of 18 – 19 February 2023.
A total of 14 girls participated in the Girls B category. (13 – 14 years)
Adrianna did very well and managed to secure a second spot falling short just by 2 strokes behind the champion.
Well done Adrianna!!!
EU-ASEAN Youth Diplomats Programme 2023 from Epsom College Malaysia!
The Delegation of the European Union in Malaysia (EUD), in collaboration with MYADP, the Centre for ASEAN Regionalism Universiti Malaya (CARUM) and the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), organised the EU-ASEAN Youth Diplomats Programme (EAYDP) 2023 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of EU-ASEAN relations.
As a brief introduction, the EAYDP 2023 is open to youths aged between 18 and 25 who are studying in universities in Malaysia, and have a keen interest in foreign and regional affairs. Selected delegates came together to learn about key issues of shared regional interest from EU-ASEAN policymakers and diplomats.
The EAYDP 2023 consisted of three online training sessions on research, policy drafting and public speaking in preparation for the EU-ASEAN Youth Summit held from 17 to 19 February 2023 in Kuala Lumpur.
Our Head of Sixth Form, Mr Pedro, accompanied Molly (Year 12 Rosebery) and Shang Jing (Year 12 Granville) who represented Epsom at this prestigious event and we look forward to their write up soon!
So here ends this edition of our Flyer…Enjoy your weekend and see you next week!
Best wishes from us all at Epsom 🙂