FRIDAY FLYER-Issue 156
29 Jun 2023
Headmaster's Welcome
This marks the final issue of our Epsom Friday Flyer and the end of the academic year 2022/23.
It is hard to believe that another year is over but what a year we have had!
Our students have not ceased to impress us with their energy, enthusiasm and drive. They have applied themselves to their academics - the end of year merit award was a closely run race! We have enjoyed Epsom Live Talks with some very high profile guests. The students hosting the talks prepared thoroughly and facilitated them with charm and confidence.
In addition, students have organised a wealth of activities throughout the year as you will have seen from previous editions of our Flyer. These have ranged from social events to foster friendships among new admissions to cultural initiatives to celebrate diversity and a global mindset. They have raised funds to support the work of charities that have moved them; undertaken beach cleans and voluntary work in animal shelters; they have set up businesses, using their profit to sponsor the work of our Academic Societies to enrich their fellow students’ learning experience; they have organised academic research competitions to promote scholarships. They have done all this and so much more…As we come to the end of the year, I would like to thank them all for all they have contributed to our college community.
This year we travelled to the UK to our sister school and enjoyed the sights of London and its surrounding area. We made memories to cherish although I fear that one memory in particular may trump others - namely my swimming pool debacle! (LINK to Epsom UK Instagram).
The academic year 2022/23 saw the launch of our Epsom Mouratoglou Tennis Programme and the completion of our world class indoor and outdoor facilities - including clay courts - LINK.
We also launched our Epsom Golf Academy - our facilities are currently under construction and are on schedule to be ready in term 1 of the new academic year - LINK
Our partnership with LaLiga football has been established and students will enjoy professional coaching from our LaLiga coaches throughout the academic year as part of our PE programme. Now talented student athletes are able to access exceptional facilities within Malaysia. These are all incredibly exciting initiatives that set our school apart.
We are excited to be launching our Music Academy very soon. This will enable talented musicians to develop and hone their skills, opening doors to scholarship opportunities as well as professional opportunities in Music. This short video LINK shows just a glimpse of some of the highlights of our Music Department this year - we have such talented students and staff!
At the end of last week we celebrated the successes of our students this year - students received awards for their outstanding achievements across academics, music, drama and art.
Below are some examples of winning artworks:
This final week of term started with our Epsom Sports Day - thankfully the weather was not too hot and students were able to compete in traditional track and field events as well as events for fun such as the tug o’ war.
We celebrated the Arts at the end of term with our Epsom Arts Festival - LINK to website, this included an enchanting performance of Aladdin…
The audience was blown away by the singing, stage presence and timing of the performers! We thank the staff and students that worked so hard to ensure the success of this spectacular event.
To conclude, I would like to thank our students, staff, families and wider community for making Epsom the special place that it is. As we look to the year ahead we are excited for what it may bring, but in the meantime, rest well this weekend, Happy Reading and Happy Friday.
With best wishes,
Mr Matthew Brown,
Headmaster.
Follow us on Instagram
A Message from our Leadership Team
Summer holidays are a source of happiness and excitement for students and teachers, who eagerly await the big break each year. They are a perfect time to unwind and spend time with family and friends. But they are also a fantastic opportunity to try new things and new experiences.
Learning isn’t just in the classroom and in the curriculum. We all have hobbies and interests which extend beyond the classroom. At Epsom it is fascinating to hear how students from different countries and backgrounds will use their time.
There is some concern amongst educators at ‘Learning Loss’, that the long break can impact negatively on students' mental sharpness. This might be a problem if you do not fill your days productively. However, if you exercise, or try new things, you will return to college next year, raring to go!!
How about trying the following:
- Get lots of sleep
- Learn to cook
- Try a new language
- Learn a new musical instrument
- Spend time with grandparents
- Catch up with old friends
- Try new sports and exercise activities
- Visit areas of natural beauty
- Do some charity work
- Set your goals for next year
But above all, read - read - read. It’s so important for reaching your full potential as a student. Have a great summer all.
Best wishes,
Dr Simon Cooke,
Assistant Headteacher.
Epsom Arts Festival
This week, as part of Epsom Festival Week, we held the first ever Epsom Arts Festival. The idea built on the concept of previous Epsom Edge events but added a new aspect of student (and staff) enrichment.
The two- day festival featured the Workshop Day and Performance Day.
Workshop Day
On Tuesday, students took part in more than 50 workshops throughout the school day with a focus on the Arts. Every teacher ran a workshop where they linked the theme of the Arts to their own subject. Highlights included cooking workshops, music in science, computer animation, singing, acting, pottery, painting and many more. The full list of the workshops can be found on the Arts Festival website.
The Prep School also had a chance to get involved with the workshops. Year 5 students enjoyed a singing workshop with International Vocal Coach Susanna Saw whilst Year 4 students enjoyed a workshop on Musical Theatre by Monday Show Entertainment - an established musical theatre school.
The new workshop day provided an opportunity for students to try new things and to see different subjects in a new light. Below are some of the pictures of the workshops including Scratch Orchestra, Performance 101, Musical Theatre, String Painting, Mandela Painting, Cetacean and Pinnipeds, Recording Studio, Salt Art and Sing Up. For more photos, please see the Arts Festival website.
Performance Day
On Wednesday, the Performing Arts building became the focus of the Festival. On the first floor, students set up stalls alongside the Foyer Stage selling festival merchandise, home-made food, drinks and fun items such as “paint your own stone”. On the second floor, students ran games such as a Fifa tournament, chess, ping pong, fussball, knock down cups and many more.
Live performances were held across the four stages - Theatre, Studio, Foyer and Pavilion.
The day started with the Prep School Drama, performed in the Theatre. Each year group put on their own performance put together with the help of the Prep School teachers and Classroom Assistants and led by Mr Azmi.
The Foyer stage featured two Open Mic Events, the Choir, Year 7s dramatic performance of the Greatest Showman, Poetry Slam and Piano Time. Students and parents enjoyed these great performances whilst shopping at the stalls and enjoying the refreshments.
In the Theatre Studio, the morning focus was on Drama. The Year 10s and 11s showed their amazing talents performing some of their recent monologues and devised plays which they have developed for their GCSE Drama exams. Then the Year 9s demonstrated that the next few years of Epsom productions will be even better with some incredible performances of monologues and their own devised plays. The morning finished with a Lunchtime Live performance featuring students on violin, flute, cello, guitar, bass guitar, voice and Electone. Anna-Ruth gave an incredible performance of Chaconne in G minor by Vitali on the violin, whilst Khai Zhe warmed up the audience for the afternoon performance of Aladdin with a medley of the songs from the musical on his amazing Electone.
Our temporary Pavilion Festival Stage was the highlight of the Festival. At lunchtime, students from the Prep School showed off their drumming talents as Mary, Yuxin, James and Paxton showed off what they had been learning on the drums this year.
At 6pm, all students, staff, parents and visitors came down to the Pavilion Stage for the final event. Dinner and food trucks provided well needed food and drinks while the audience enjoyed a number of musical performances. Studio Orchestra began with Bohemian Rhapsody and a Coldplay Medley followed by a number of bands and group performances featuring students from Year 7 to Year 13. Special mention has to be made to Keia and Bryan who have been with the School since the very beginning and been a major part of every concert and production since they joined the school. Both played key parts in the evening’s events with Keia saying an amazing farewell with her band’s performance of Stairway to Heaven. Bryan gave a highly accomplished solo performance showing everyone just what we will miss when he leaves us this year.
The event closed with the much anticipated performance by the staff band. As the crowd danced and screamed, the staff band performed 5 songs by Journey, Coldplay, Tears for Fears, One Direction and Rick Astley.
As the band finished, the sky was alight with Fireworks as the festival drew to a close.
Go to our Instagram for some videos of the evening.
Best wishes for the weekend and the term break,
Mr Russell Crann,
Director of Music.
Holman House Updates
What a year!
2023 has been an eventful and transformative year for Holman House. Setting up a new House has been tough but extremely rewarding work! We have witnessed remarkable growth in our students and enjoyed sharing their successes! All the House staff and teachers have worked tirelessly together to create a nurturing and inclusive environment that supports the personal, academic, and social development of our junior boarders.
On the penultimate week of the term we had our pizza and chicken biryani party to celebrate our successes and achievements.
In a state of mixed feelings, I write that this is my final week as Housemaster of Holman House. I am saddened to leave the Holman Heroes of the past two terms, but delighted and excited to start off a new challenge with the senior Propert boys.
I was delighted to see that the Holman Prefect Team and Year 9s had organised a farewell cake and speech for me.
It has been a pleasure to be the HMM of Holman House and to see these boys grow and mature over the course of the previous two terms. The Holman boys have been an incredible source of energy, laughter, and inspiration within our school community. They have embraced many opportunities, overcome obstacles, and forged lasting friendships. I am saddened to be leaving the boys but confident that they will prosper under the leadership and guidance of Mr Laurent Larburu, who will join us from a prestigious boarding school in Switzerland.
I am very much looking forward to picking up the blue senior boys tie and joining the Propert team in the new academic year.
Until next year, my very best wishes,
Mr Matt Richardson,
Outgoing Housemaster of Holman House and incoming Housemaster of Propert House.
CCA End of Term Review
Term 3 CCA
Our students have enjoyed another great term of CCAs and they finally made it outside for the last few weeks of term to enjoy some fresh air.
Once again we had over 120 CCAs across the week for the students to choose from. All our new additions have gone down a storm, including drone pilot, baseball, code breaker and 3D modelling.
It is always great to see the students either trying something new or getting to spend time doing something they love.
Now for a closer look at term 3..
A big well done to all the students involved in both Young Entrepreneurs and Charity Soup Kitchen CCAs. The Soup Kitchen team has raised an amazing 1000RM for the Lost Food Project, as well as donating lots of dry goods. A special mention to Xin Ling and Elliot Ho for leading this CCA. The Young entrepreneurs started their efforts later in term 3 and managed to raise an equally impressive 350RM.
Mr Baloyo has been working the students hard in Cryptography CCA, can you crack the code?
Chess CCA continues to be extremely popular: Mr Richardson has been training the students ready for some house competitions next year!
SVI solutions have been coming to Epsom every Tuesday to teach some of Carr’s finest how to fly a drone. We also welcomed some of our prep boarders to this CCA; Hinata, Ryo, Kei and Kolt. All of the students have worked hard this term and managed to successfully navigate the obstacle course in the last session. This CCA will be back next year and the external leader is hopeful that all the boys return to carry on developing their drone skills as well as gaining some new members!
Art and DT CCAs have been working hard all term making the costumes and props for Aladdin.
Ms Atiqah and Ms Wee have expanded the embroidery CCA, this means that all students have the opportunity to learn a new skill.
Some other CCA highlights from the term can be seen in the photos below.
To round off the term, both the U19 and U15 girls football CCA headed to KL for a game of footgolf. The girls have not had much opportunity to get outside and play football let alone have a match with another school. The trip was a chance to celebrate their continued commitment to football here at Epsom.
Looking ahead, students will be selecting their preferences for 23/24 Term 1 CCAs during the first week back. Plenty of students have filled in the feedback survey and given me some ideas for new CCAs - watch this space!
Week 1 CCA time will see students take part in a cross country run and then the traditional house football.
Finally, a big thank you to all the staff that make the CCA programme possible and well done to all the students for all their efforts across the school year!
Best wishes,
Ms Alice Back,
CCA Coordinator.
Computer Science At Epsom
We have enjoyed a very productive year in our Computer Science Department and this term students have been experimenting with animation in particular…
Umair, Year 9 Carr House, began working with Blender last term focusing on 3D modelling and animation. He created an attractive animation video on the theme of 'Minecraft':
Ardy, Year 9 Holman has really enjoyed working with Blender and 3D animation during class. His lively animation uses different angles to great effect:
Andy, Year 9 Carr House, demonstrates a high level of spatial imagination and creativity on the theme of 'Monster':
We hope you enjoy our videos and best wishes for your term break!
Mr Foo Kai Cheong
Computer Science Teacher.
Epsom Robotics Competition
Hey there! Ahthi and Umair here, proud participants and winners of the 2023 World Robotics Mini Competition!
Our robotics competition was an exciting experience that aimed to test our building, programming, and problem-solving skills. The competition was compulsory for all Year 9 students which resulted in 10 teams participating. We weren't allowed to use pre-programmed robots, so we had to build and program our robot on the spot.
In the qualifying round, our first challenge, we had an hour to follow the judge's instructions and build, code, and test our robot. Our goal was to program the robot to race from the start to the finish line as fast as possible. We used TETRIX® Ardublockly and Arduino IDE programming softwares to bring our robot to life.
The teams with the fastest times in the qualifying round advanced to the final round, where we faced the exciting Maze Challenge. Supplied with an ultrasonic sensor, we had 30 minutes to program our robot to navigate the maze and find the way out quickly. We had to be careful not to damage the maze walls or leave any part of our robot behind during the process.
During the first round, our team divided the tasks among Ahthi, Umair, Sky, Melvern, Jun Hong, and Abdur. Most of us focused on building the robot, while one of us worked on coding for the drag race. We faced a challenge when the robot didn't move in a straight line due to the motors spinning at different speeds.
Other obstacles we faced include, dealing with tight fitting and broken parts, coding errors and determining the starting position accurately for the robot. Additionally, the limited time available in the competition added pressure, but we stayed determined to meet the deadlines. This enabled us to secure the 5th fastest time and advance to the finals.
The final round proved to be relatively easy for us compared to the qualifying round. Building the robot was made easier as we didn't face any further problems. The instructors provided us with a guide on how to assemble the robot, eliminating some potential difficulties. With the additional time, we were able to focus on programming and enhancing the robot's functionality.
During the final round we encountered the maze challenge, which required precise navigation. Although our initial guess on how to turn the robot 90 degrees wasn't entirely accurate, we were amazed as the robot completed half of the maze. With further coding and testing, we made improvements and successfully completed the maze in approximately 12.3 seconds without damaging the walls. Our robot was the only one among the five finalists to reach the end, making us the proud winners of the competition.
The competition was not only a test of our skills but also a thoroughly enjoyable experience, as the collaboration fostered camaraderie. We loved witnessing the different approaches taken by other students to tackle the challenges of crafting unique robot designs and incorporating creative solutions. Going head-to-head with friends in the competition made it even more memorable.
To wrap things up, we would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to the hosts of the robotics competition and the staff members who played an important role in making this event a success.
Congratulations to all participants of this challenging robotics competition as well! Your dedication, energy, and hard work were truly inspiring. We were amazed by your creative designs and productive teamwork. Remember to cherish the experience and be proud of your exceptional participation!
Thank you once again for providing us with this incredible opportunity! We wish all the participants, hosts, and staff members the very best in your future endeavors!
Best wishes,
Ardy, Year 9 Holman & Umair, Year 9 Carr.
Epsom Awards
At the end of term we wanted to acknowledge and thank students for their contributions to our community. With this in mind students in the Sixth Form launched the Epsom Award Scheme to recognise Year 12 students’ hard work and excellence in 4 categories - Academic, Service, Global Mindedness and Extended Learning.
Students, staff and the Leadership Team voted and we congratulate the following students:
Molly - Rosebery, Teja - Rosebery, Hitesh - Granville, Shang Jing - Granville, and Max - Granville.
Epsom Mouratoglou Tennis Programme Updates
We are fast approaching the end of the academic year for 2022/2023 and the MTP Coaching Team look back over all the events that were held throughout the academic year taking pride in the joy and happiness shared between the Epsom and the Tennis Community. We would like to share some exciting news with the Epsom community that happened just before the term break!
On June 25th, 2023, The Mouratoglou Tennis Programme at Epsom Malaysia and ASICS Malaysia joined forces to elevate tennis in the Asian region to new heights. This partnership aims to nurture young athletes, promote the sport, and develop a passion for tennis in Asia. It showcases the commitment of these two powerhouses to a sport they are truly passionate about.
In addition to the new partnership, it was a day of discovery for the younger generations at both our Indoor and Outdoor Tennis Facilities. The MTP Coaching Team, along with coaches, engaged athletes and encouraging parents, made this day possible for all participants. It turned out to be a memorable experience for coaches, athletes, and parents to learn and understand the Mouratoglou Coaching Methodology.
The event included a speech by Johan Van Herck from Belgium, the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy Director and Head of Recruitment, Monitoring, and Supervision of Coaches. With our 11 experienced Mouratoglou coaches, the participant students could witness and experience this methodology first hand on the court.
The MTP Coaching Team is delighted to give back to the Epsom and the Tennis Community whenever these exciting opportunities arise. Stay tuned for our next chapter and upcoming tennis opportunities!
Great Golf
Adrianna (Y8) did exceptionally well yesterday in the Milo Sportexcel Junior Elite Golf Competition, which was held in Seremban International Golf Club over the 24th to 26th.
Adrianna competed against the top juniors in the country for the Girls Under 14 Years Old category.
Adrianna had a slow start on Day 1 but she did exceptionally well and gave a good fighting spirit to fight back on Day 2 and Day 3 of the competition.
She obtained scores of 86 , 80 and 81, securing third place in the competition.
Prep School Moving Up Ceremony
Our Year 6 students are moving up to Year 7 - leaving Prep for the Senior School. To mark the end of their junior school years, parents and teachers arranged a special day with a ‘Moving Up’ - LINK ceremony and then a ‘prom’ party in the evening.
It was a wonderful day and we look forward to seeing Year 6 in Year 7 next academic year!
Best wishes,
Mrs Jane Rouson,
Head of Prep.
Prep School Music Recital
It was a pleasure to see our Prep School students perform in the recent Prep School recital. Students from the Early Years Foundation Phase (EYFS) through to Year 6 performed.
Key Stage 2 students enjoyed showcasing the instruments that they have been learning in lessons and our choir were fabulous as were the students who performed solos and duets.
We would like to thank Mr Azmi as well as our visiting music teachers for their hard work in preparing this special event.
Best wishes,
Mrs Jane Rouson,
Head of Prep School.
Epsom Interact Club Celebrates
Congratulations to our Interact Club members - Epsom’s Interact Club won the Commendable Youth Service Project.
We would like to thank Ms Michelle Kueh, Director of Neutron Star Education and President of Rotary Club Nilai Central and her team for their support.
Siha's Trip to the Chocolate Factory
Our End of Term Trip to the Chocolate Factory:
I felt pretty hyped up when Ms. Orpwood announced that Crawfurd had invited Rosebery to go to the chocolate factory with them, and later go to the Mines Mall as well. What made me even more excited was that this would be the last time we would go on a trip, since it was almost the end of term, and due to this, most of us would be occupied with packing.
On the day of the trip, I had to shower much faster than usual, choose my outfit and put sunscreen on, dry my hair etc - all this took ten minutes or so and then I headed to Crawfurd with Abby to eat with our friend, Hannon. After meeting all of our Daystudent friends, we were the first on the bus because we were excited for the trip and we LOVE chocolate. This was the first time for me to go to a factory other than my parent’s Coffee factory, so I was more interested than usual. While on the bus, me and my friends talked and took selfies together. Soon, I felt myself drifting to sleep since I always get sleepy on bus rides… As I was about to fall into a deeper sleep, Mrs. Miller woke us all up, which disappointed me since I don’t like getting disturbed from my sleep, but it cheered me up to see a huge Chocolate Factory right next to our bus.
There was a VERY cute and VERY friendly cat in front of the factory, which boosted my energy and my level of happiness. The Guide at the factory was so friendly to us, and we even saw a short film on how Beryl’s was created, and how they make their chocolate so tasty! After the short film, our Guide showed us the Cacao tree, and gave some of us lucky girls, including me, a piece of Cacao, which was really nice. She told us they import Cacao from Ghana. Our Guide then explained more about chocolates and how they are made, and we found out that 48% of white chocolate is sugar, which made Dana cross, since she complained that at 48% sugar it is barely a chocolate, and that dark chocolate is better. At first, I was confused between milk chocolate and white chocolate, but later agreed with her, since I prefer milk chocolate the most, and I do think too much sugar is disgusting - I’m more of a “salty” person.
After the tour, we went and bought some chocolates. After buying loads of chocolate, I went to the cafe with my friends and bought a chocolate drink and a chocolate macaron, and YES, I had to buy everything chocolate since Beryl’s is famous for chocolate, and it did really taste good.
In conclusion, I had a really awesome time with my friends in the Chocolate Factory and hope to go again soon! Though not a Chocolate Factory, since I’m still trying to get over the shock from eating too much sweets… Which, for a person like me, is NOT a good thing!
Siha a. k. a. Shasha Y7 Rosebery
So, Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading our Epsom Friday Flyer and we wish you all the very best for a restful weekend.
Happy Friday from us all at Epsom and see you again in September!
🙂
Follow us on