FRIDAY FLYER-Issue 143
9 Mar 2023
Headmaster's Welcome
Dear Reader,
Welcome to our Friday Flyer and welcome to the weekend!
We trust that you have enjoyed a productive week, this has certainly been the case at Epsom as you can see from our Epsom Events!
Last week we celebrated Book Week and our Prep School students came to school dressed up as their favourite book characters for our Epsom Book Week Parade:
Our Prep School also enjoyed a Mad Hatters Tea Party. Having made their ‘mad hats’ the students came to school in their book character costumes and enjoyed a very colourful and vibrant tea party in our Prep School Garden with delicious snacks as well as games and group activities. We thank the ever faithful Friends of Epsom team for their support of this event and for the exquisite decorations of our garden. All in all, it was a very memorable day!
We are most fortunate at Epsom to have Mr Goh, our Chinese Liaison Officer who not only liaises with our Chinese speaking families but also runs highly academic debate training sessions with our students. Epsom hosted a friendly Mandarin Debate competition at the weekend. As we all know, the ability to construct logical, coherent and well supported lines of reasoning is an important skill that remains highly valued and sought after by employers. Those students who are able to do this in multiple languages are rare and we congratulate them on their achievements in the debate competition – read more later.
This week included one of the major events of the academic year…House Drama!! This is an Epsom tradition where our Boarding Houses write and perform their own 15 minute drama. This special evening represents the culmination of weeks’ worth of preparation, teamwork, practice and dedication. It was the most fabulous evening and we will share more with you on this next week!
Reading, Debating and Acting are all integral to a holistic education and to developing strong communication skills – both verbal and non verbal.
With this in mind we began the week with an assembly on the importance of English as the most widely spoken language globally:
and how it is integral to so many fields:
We offer lots of support to students who join us with lower levels of English. To develop language proficiency takes time and consistent effort:
However, this effort and commitment pays dividends in the long run and every year students who joined us with lower levels of English go on to achieve places at some of the top ranking universities globally.
To motivate their peers, some of our students shared their tips on how to improve their language skills:
There is no doubt that a proactive approach delivers quicker results so if your son or daughter has joined Epsom with lower levels of English, please support us in encouraging them to use their language as much as possible!
We were delighted to celebrate the successes of students whose English levels have improved to B1:
and Rui, Year 9 Rosebery, gets a special mention as she has graduated to B2 – very well done Rui!
Next week we look forward to STEM week, led by Mr Jamie Bevan, our STEM (Science, Technology, Maths and Engineering) Coordinator.
Mr Bevan has prepared lots of exciting activities and initiatives for the students with the aim of informing them what a career in STEM actually looks like. With this in mind, he has organised a visit to Airpod where students will gain first hand experience of the operation room and an aircraft cabin:
We are excited to see the results of STEM week and thank Mr Bevan for all his hard work to make this event a success.
For those of you who enjoy science, you may like to check out some of our Physics videos that the students have prepared with Mr Kattan, our Head of Physics HERE, HERE and HERE. As you can see – learning is fun, even the more challenging topics!
I hope you enjoy the articles that have been prepared for you and wish you a restful weekend.
In the meantime, Happy Reading and Happy Friday,
Mr Matthew Brown,
Headmaster
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Prep School Updates from Mrs Rouson & Mrs Whitney
Epsom Prep – Learning is Fun!
The aim of Book Week in the Prep School is to promote reading for pleasure, as well as to provide many memorable learning experiences for the children. What a wonderful week we had!
The festivities began with a Book Week assembly, led by Mrs Fowler in the theatre, which featured our very own Library Ambassadors sharing their favourite reads to the whole school. They spoke so passionately and confidently that they made us all very proud!
Over the course of the week, the Prep pupils were given many opportunities to read their books. They took part in: whole school reading in the Prep Garden; Buddy reading with students from other year groups;and also our Drop Everything and Read daily event (DEAR). The students also had the joy of welcoming guest readers who came into the classroom to share favourite books and stories. Many thanks to all the staff who took part in this event.
The true highlights of the week came on Thursday 2nd March which was World Book Day. The children took part in a Book Character Parade before tucking in to an afternoon tea at the themed ‘Madhatter’s Tea Party’. This was ably arranged by our ‘Friends of Epsom’. Many thanks to them for their hard work – the children and staff were absolutely thrilled! The effort, thought and organisation that went into this was truly spectacular and we are all very grateful.
The week ended with the House Book Quiz. The children had great fun trying to guess mystery readers and answering some tricky general knowledge questions. All in all, it was a great way to finish off a very busy week!
Mrs Justine Whitney
Head of Prep School English
A Message From Crawfurd House
Crawfurd’s Busy Bees!!
Crawfurd girls have been as busy as ever! Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious even with their busy academic schedules. Over the past two weeks we have been enjoying some fun tutor activities and we look forward to the Key Stage 3 nights soon.
The Year 10’s organised a themed dinner party to develop their collaboration skills, teamwork and creativity. Each student came dressed as a celebrity. In attendance we were lucky to welcome Will Smith (Jessica), Kylie Jenner (Sophie), Serena Williams (Noelle) and Taylor Swift (Haneesha). We were shocked to see V from BTS (Airis), Drake (Alya), NCT band (Isabel, Alesha and Terry), Kevin Hart and The Rock (Yohanna and Kelsie), Pitt Bull (Halima) and Wednesday from the popular Netflix show (Julia). The catering team treated the girls to mushroom soup, garlic bread, sushi and pizza. The girls organised some fun games between courses and we returned to the Crawfurd common room for brownies and ice cream. It was a fun evening and the girls learned how to collaborate on a school social event. Watch this space for the next event!
Sophie Miller, Year 10 has been training weekly at Vitesse Swim club. During a recent competition she won six medals in different strokes and distances which were all performed under a competitive environment. In 100m freestyle and 50m freestyle Sophie won her age group (15-17) in 100m backstroke. She has now qualified for the MIAG (Malaysian individual age group) in April. Good luck with your training over the next month and we look forward to seeing a new PB.
A Message From Granville House
Responsibility and Boarding House Life
Last week saw the selection of the next generation of Prefects in Epsom College in Malaysia and congratulations need to be given to Shang Jing (Academic Prefect), Vash (Social Prefect), Koutatsu (International Prefect), Max (Head of House) and Leo (Deputy Head of House). A large factor for their selection is their ability to meet responsibilities and exceed expectations.
Teaching Granvillians to be responsible can be a challenging task: transforming young men into responsible and capable adults is a significant element of boarding house life. Below are just some of the strategies that are a part of our culture.
Ammar and Andy enjoyed recent success in a programming competition – both are fine examples of responsibility and ability
Granville has high standards and clear expectations: students know what is required, whether it’s doing chores, completing prep, punctuality or behaving respectfully. These requirements are all reasonable and appropriate to their age and are communicated clearly and consistently.
Students have opportunities to make decisions: allowing them to make their own choices, such as which sports to play at the weekend or how to occupy their free time. These opportunities develop a sense of responsibility and independence.
Epsomians are held accountable: when our teenagers do not meet their responsibilities, they are taken to task and receive consequences. This helps them to learn that their actions have an effect and that they are responsible for their own behavior.
Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities: Epsom has literally hundreds of activities, clubs and societies which are largely managed by students and this helps them develop a sense of purpose and accountability.
Simon, Shang Jing, Jing Ren and Hong Ming setting up the competition ladders in the social area
We are all role models: teachers, staff and seniors set the example for the younger students by being responsible and modelling the behaviour that we want to see. This includes being accountable for our actions, following through on commitments, and taking care of our responsibilities.
Naturally, the attitude and maturity of Granvillians varies and, skills, approach and habits need to be further developed in many. Overall, promoting responsibility in this group of fine young men requires a combination of clear expectations, accountability, and positive reinforcement. By providing boarders with opportunities to make decisions and take on responsibilities, the house is able to support them in fulfilling their potential.
Dean Jones
Housemaster Granville House
Care For Others
The Soup Kitchen CCA:
As you know, the House Drama event was this week and keen to leverage on the opportunity that this presented to raise some funds, the Soup Kitchen CCA team served up some delicious food and snacks for the audience!
Offerings included pizza, crisps (chips), mixed sweets, and beverages such as ice lemon tea and Sprite! See the menu poster below:
All proceeds will go towards funding our CCA team’s Food Donation to the ‘The Lost Food Project’, which is a Malaysian non-profit organization dedicated to sustainably providing meals to those in need. Here is the link to their website for more details.
Special shout out to Xin Ling Year 12 Rosebery and Elliot, Year 12 Propert and the team for their work to support those less fortunate 😊
Sports Week Registration Opened!
Dear All,
Sports Week is making a return this March, with the addition of a few extra events. It will be held in the Sports Hall running from the 20th to 24th of March, from 7:00pm to 9:30 pm. Further details regarding prep time rules, schedules and fixtures will be released closer to the event.
This year’s sports are as follows:
- Badminton (Singles, Mixed Doubles)
- Dodgeball (Boys/Girls)
- Volleyball (Mixed)
- Netball (Mixed)
- Table Tennis (Mixed)
- Basketball 3 on 3 (Boys/Girls)
Badminton, Table Tennis and Dodgeball will be separated into 3 year groups – Years 7+8, Years 9+10, Years 11+12+13. Netball, Basketball and Volleyball will be open to teams consisting of all year groups.
For team events/doubles (excluding basketball), you will need to find your teammates, only the captain needs to register their team. The deadline for signups is 14th of March.
For Basketball, you will be randomly assigned to a team after you sign up.
Be sure to check your emails if you are a student and sign up via the Google Forms.
Kind regards,
Aidan, Year 13 Propert
ECiM Head of College 2022/23
Model United Nations at Epsom
Model UN is a popular activity for those interested in learning more about how the UN operates. Hundreds of thousands of students worldwide take part every year at all educational levels. Many of today’s leaders in law, government, business and the arts – including at the UN itself – participated in Model UN as students.
The United Nations Model UN Programme aims to build and maintain strong links between the UN and Model UN participants across the globe. It does that through guides and workshops, which teach students how to make their simulations more accurate; by visiting Model UN conferences and sharing firsthand knowledge of what the actual UN is like; and through encouraging Model UN clubs to take real action to support UN values and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (LINK)
Recently some of our students namely Vash, Year 12 Granville, Young Year 11 Granville, Damon Year 11 Propert and Nanako Year 12 Rosebery participated in an online MUN as part of FOBISIA. This was the first time for them to take part in an MUN conference and they are now using their knowledge and understanding to support the MUN CCA that runs every Monday.
Pictured below are the Epsom MUN Secretariat:
Young, Damon and Vash holding their certificates from the recent FOBISIA online MUN event:
A Message From Our Humanities Department
The key focus for this term in Key Stage 4 and 5 has been the continuing preparation for the GCSE and A Level examinations in History, Geography and Politics that will be taking place in May and June this year. It was pleasing that the trial examinations pointed to the fact that results this summer should be very good but also highlighted where some students need to improve. By receiving diagnostic feedback from exam scripts students have been able to reflect on how to improve further to ensure that they get their highest results possible in August. All History students are also completing pieces of coursework that make up a significant part of the final mark. In the Sixth Form, students are completing a challenging 4,500 word assessment on Tudor rebellions in the sixteenth century and Year 11 are working on a 2,000 word essay analysing the effect of the Depression on Germany in the 1930s. These assessments are both important stepping stones in developing independent extended essay writing skills that will prove invaluable at university.
In Geography in Year 10 students are now focusing primarily on plate tectonics, notably why earthquakes and volcanoes take place and what governments and agencies can do to mitigate their terrible effects. The case study that students are investigating is the Montserrat volcanic eruption of 1995 which rendered the southern part of the island uninhabitable and unsafe. Sadly the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have shown the terrifying results of tectonic activity and have been a relevant topic of conversation and research during Geography lessons. In Geography Key Stage 5 students are studying population,migration and settlement whereas Key Stage 3 Geography students are studying map skills as well looking at case studies of a range of Asian countries.
In Year 7 History lessons students have been looking at the impact of the Feudal system and are now moving onto the development of castles as well as developing their use of primary sources. Year 9 History students have been continuing to study events of the Twentieth Century and have produced excellent projects on the Second World War that they have been presenting to the rest of the class. Notable examples of interesting and confident presentations were by Nathanael, Rachel, Doyeon, Andy and Sawa.
In Key Stage 5 Politics we have now moved onto Core Political Ideas and are focused on Conservatism looking at views on human nature, the economy and society. In Key Stage 5 History we are studying the Conservative Ted Heath Government of 1970-74 which was plagued by a cost of living crisis caused by high fuel prices and rampant trade union action which has many analogies with what is happening at the moment in the UK.
In January we hosted a successful Psychology Week which was organised by some of the students who are members of our Epsom Humanities Society. This included a whole school assembly as well as a range of different activities and talks throughout the week on topics as diverse as “Agency Theory” and “Parasocial Relationships”. There was also an evening social event “Criminal Minds Show Night” that was really well organised and good fun for all. Thank you to Niklas, Max, Teja, Alicia, Leo, Ke Ee, Pei Wen, Lana and Karishaa for all your efforts.
Next week the Humanities department is looking forward to getting involved in the whole school STEM week when engaging Key Stage 3 lessons will be delivered on how war leads to faster evolving technology as well as the history of the Space Race within the context of the Cold War.
Mr. Dale
Head of Humanities
Epsom Mandarin Debate Competition
On 4th of March 2023, we were honoured to host a friendly Mandarin Debate event in collaboration with Malaysia Xiamen University and the League Team of International Schools. This competition was an exciting opportunity for Epsom debaters to test their skills against senior debaters and to learn from experienced judges.
This event was a significant milestone for Epsom as, for three-quarters of the debaters, this was their first formal debate match. The Epsom team, led by Mr Goh, was excited and enthusiastic, and they had put in countless hours of preparation to get to this stage.
The judges were impressive: the founder of Cambridge University Mandarin Debate Team and other winners of various International Mandarin Debate Competitions presided over the event.
The 1st topic of the debate was ‘Artificial Intelligence entering the workplace is a blessing or a disaster for humans’ and the 2nd topic was ‘Teenagers should push themselves or let go’ which sparked a lively and insightful discussion from all the teams. The debaters spoke fluently in Mandarin, and their arguments were well-researched, well-articulated, and well-presented.
The Epsom team gave a commendable performance, demonstrating excellent teamwork and composure. Despite it being their first formal debate, they held their own against their more experienced opponents. They put forward well-thought-out arguments, and their delivery was confident and convincing.
The event was a great success! We thank every participant who joined and contributed to the event, especially Pinnacle Thinker, Epsom Marketing Team, Epsom F&B Team, students led by our Chinese Liaison Officer, and parents.
Many thanks to Mr. Brown for presenting the opening speech and officiating the closing ceremony.
In conclusion, the Epsom Mandarin Debate friendly match was a resounding success. The competition was testament to the dedication and hard work of the Epsom debaters, who demonstrated impressive skills and showed immense potential. We look forward to more Mandarin Debate competitions in the future, as the Epsom debaters continue to hone their skills and make a mark on the world stage.
Ms Yeoh,
Chinese Liaison Officer
Epsom Motorsport Society
We, the Motorsport Society, hosted our most recent presentation on The Green Hell: Nurburgring. To put it into context the Nurburgring is the longest race track in modern racing at 20.83 km. We showed that the world record of the Nurburgring is currently held by the Mercedes Amg Project One, which broke the record in a staggering 5:19:55 mins. We also calculated that the average speed the car had to maintain was an astonishing 234.57 KMPH.
To add on to this, we also talked about why the track is so awe inspiring. The track has a multitude of turns and corners, some can be attempted at breakneck speeds while others demand a more gentle approach. This presents drivers the hard task of balancing their skill and expertise when driving. They need as much concentration as possible to be able to complete a fast lap around the track.
Like all amazing tracks, Nurburgring also has its negatives. The track, unfortunately, has resulted in a total of 72 deaths hence its nickname: The Green Hell. Some drivers were and still are scared to drive on this track. This fear was further justified by the horrifying crash of World Champion Niki Lauda where he was trapped in a fiery crash for 20 seconds on this track. Fortunately, he survived but was severely burnt. After this incident, Nurburgring was rebuilt with safer barriers and increased safety precautions.
Our Motorsport Society is proud to announce that we are currently looking to launch a Motorsport-related CCA in the near future. We plan to spread awareness of our society as well as knowledge and in depth understanding of racing. Furthermore, we were inspired by our recent trip to X Park and, thus, plan to include go-karting for Key Stage 5 as part of this CCA. We hope that it will introduce racing to our Epsom community and provide an opportunity to experience an insight into what race car drivers around the world experience every season. Elliot has been conducting research for organizations that offer go-karting at the Sepang Circuit whereas I have been in contact with them to discuss further on the details. There is still a lot to confirm but we hope that you will support and join us when it starts!
Best wishes,
Alis, Year 12 Crawfurd and Elliot, Year 12 Propert
Languages Society
Hey, hi, hello, yo what’s up everyone!
If you’ve been around the TikTok block, you’ll recognise instantly that today’s greeting references one of the popular songs that millions of people use to make videos on the app. However, if you’ve actually been around TikTok, you’ll also know that the song was popularised by users from the United States.
It is no secret that America holds a special stake in pop culture such as Hollywood and The Grammys. However, in a world with increasing access to the digital realm, one can’t help but wonder the extent to which the United States retains this power, and why this power is so esteemed in the first place.
Is it the increasing predominance of English? Is it access to new markets? Or is it talent and linked to our dreams / aspirations… and maybe a SoundCloud account?
In our session this week, Ann Yi, Year 12 Rosebery, explored how the language used in American pop music reflects, but just as importantly, shapes popular culture.
THANK YOU ANN YI!
Best wishes,
Teja, Year 12 Rosebery
Secretary & Liaison, Lang Gang
The Language Society @ ECiM.
Friendly Futsal Fixtures
Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) took a team of enthusiastic U16 boys to Tenby International School EcoHill to take part in some friendly Fustal fixtures against Tenby and Maverick International School.
Splitting into two equal 5 a side teams, a high level of skill was on display as Tenby A took the first game convincingly. Tenby B also proved to be very strong but Epsom B rose to the occasion and became more accustomed to the style and physicality required for Futsal.
Both A and B teams managed to beat Maverick with every student getting involved throughout the afternoon. It was fantastic to see the quality of play on display and our students conducted themselves to a high standard throughout.
Mr Guthrie Miller
Director of Sport
Hello everyone! Going to Tenby international school was a blast! Me and my teammates have had an amazing experience thanks to our futsal tournament. We got to meet some old friends, enjoyed playing what we love, and even got competitive! We managed to keep going throughout the whole tournament and had two five a side teams which were extremely fun! This was a pleasant experience. Me and the team would like to thank all the coaching staff that came with us such as Mr Miller and Mr Adha. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Aisy Thaqif Abdul Jalal, Year 11 Propert – Team Captain
U18 Volleyball
Epsom Spikers Rise To The Occasion!
This week Epsom played host to Charterhouse School from KL in a terrific U18 Volleyball match. This was the first fixture for our boys who have not yet had much chance to play together as a team. However, after a solid warm-up, the team was ready for the first set.
Charterhouse had a couple of very strong players who guided their team to a 25-21 score in the first set. Undeterred, our Captain, Damon Year 11 Propert, calmed nerves and instructed the team to relax and focus on the basics.
The second set was a different affair and Epsom soared to a 25-17 score thanks to some amazing spiking from Koutatsu, Year 12 Granville, and great energy from Kazuma, Year 10 Propert.
The third and final set went Epsom’s way as superior fitness and all-round court coverage shone through. The final set went 25-15 in Epsom’s favour.
Both sides gave their all but a thoroughly entertaining game finished 2 sets to 1 for Epsom. A huge congratulations to the following:
Damon Year 11 Propert, Marc Y13 Granville, Koutatsu Y12 Granville, Soshi Year 12 Propert, Nabil Year 11 Propert, Nik Imran Year 11 Granville, Totch Year 10 Granville, Kazuma Year 10 Propert, Ryoma Year 10 Granville.
Mr Dien Wooler
PE Teacher
Wellbeing Prefects
Welcome to the New Team 🙂
Hi everyone! As the Wellbeing Prefects, we always strive to create a physically and mentally safe environment in the school. To continue this spirit, we would like to pass the torch to the newly appointed Wellbeing prefects: Alis, Year 12 Crawfurd and Molly, Year 12 Rosebery. Here are some words from them.
Alis:
Wellbeing has always been an important aspect of the boarding experience, if not the most important. My name is Alis and, as one of the new Wellbeing Prefects for the next academic year, I believe that it is crucial to encourage Wellbeing practices at Epsom. This will not only improve our students’ school life physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
I look forward to learning from the current Wellbeing Prefects and carrying out our personal projects alongside Molly! A few projects that I would like to mention include the Buddy System where we will help future Year 12 students adjust to the Epsom environment by assigning them a senior student to lean on. Besides that, a personal project that I hope to introduce would be to have a Kindness Week. The purpose of this project is to encourage students to spread positivity within the community. Hopefully, our students will pick up good habits such as greeting others politely, for example, the cleaning staff as well as the dining hall staff.
To conclude, I promise to try my best to make a positive impact on our Epsom community!
Molly:
After many nerve-wrecking and exciting moments throughout the prefect application process, I am honoured to be appointed as one of the Wellbeing prefects for the academic year 2023/2024. The comfort of the people around me has always been a high priority for me, I really love to listen and converse with people. There is always something to learn from everyone and it makes me excited to share. Ever since I founded the Comfort Society, this has always been my calling and I am looking forward to presenting more of my ideas and ensuring a safer and more inclusive environment for our Epsom community!
As wonderful as Epsom is, there is always something to improve in any community. I have noticed some students with great ideas hesitating to reach out to the Prefect Team or their seniors. To improve this communication barrier, my personal project will focus on being the bridge between students and the Prefect Team. I would like to implement a system where students from all years can write anonymously to the Prefect Team about their ideas on improvement or what change they would like to see in school.
I believe in the “learn, reflect and improve” method and this continuous improvement can ameliorate our school and the student experience. I cannot wait to work together with the upcoming Prefect Team.
The Epsomians make Epsom what it is today. And I would like to play a big part in ensuring that it remains a sanctuary in the coming years. Thank you.
In conclusion, the appointment of the new Prefect Team is a positive step forward for our school community. As a team, with our dedication and enthusiasm, we are sure to make a significant impact on our school.
As our new Prefects take on their new roles, we can all look forward to more ideas, positive changes, and a continued commitment to excellence. Congratulations to the new Prefects, and best wishes for a wonderful week ahead!
Best regards,
Wellbeing prefects, Chantelle, Year 13 Rosebery and Shin, Year 13 Granville.
So....
Dear Reader,
Here endeth another week and with it another issue of our Flyer. We hope that you enjoyed the read and wish you a very Happy Friday and every blessing for the weekend!
See you next week 🙂