Contents

Message from The Principal

To all in the Uplands Community,

Secondary School News

Uplands Talen Show at 60
Anniversary Party
Library News
Uplands Roar
Primary School News
Withdrawal Procedure
Newsletter Letter Easter 1961
UPTA
St Patricks Day Parade 2015
Upcoming Events

It has been a very lively, if not noisy, end to

our half term here at Uplands. There have
been many events happening all week
which built to a crescendo today with our
Chinese New Year Lunch and Lion Dance.
Today, Uplands was a riot of colour as students,
staff and parents came to school in Chinese dress, Red,
Gold and even all three! It was great to share lunch with
the parents who came to join us in our celebrations. A
selection of photographs are included in this newsletter.
There will be more uploaded to our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/uplands.school
Our next big event (in 1 month time!) is our 60th
Anniversary Party. We need your help to organise and
arrange this event. Please read and respond to the
requests further in this newsletter. We look forward to
seeing you all there!
May I wish you and your family a very Happy Chinese
New Year and a prosperous Year of the Ram.
Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Kung Hai Fat Choi !

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Bristow
19 SQN RAAF visit to UPLANDS
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Last weekend I was fortunate to watch the U18 Football & Basketball Tournaments, where we
hosted Kolej Tuanka Jaafar and Epsom College from Kuala Lumpur, as well as POWIIS. It was
terrific to see fierce competition played in a friendly spirit, with all participants showing excellent
sportsmanship. It was also impressive seeing some of the younger students from our U15 teams
holding their own whilst playing in the older age group. Congratulations to the PE Department
and all of the Uplands students who participated.
Tuesday evening saw the Year 11 IGCSE Drama students perform their Group Devised
Examination, where they performed their own script, which was created around a selected
stimulus. There were four pieces of work performed in front of a small audience, which was also
filmed and will be sent to the UK for moderation. I can honestly say that all four of the pieces
were excellent and on a whole, they would be the best drama / theatre performances I have seen
during my time at Uplands. Thank you to Ms. Atherton and all of the IGCSE Drama students for
such wonderful work and effort.
The Year 11 & 13 reports were distributed on Tuesday and the Parent Teacher Conferences were
held yesterday afternoon. Thank you to all of the parents who attended these very important
conferences in the lead up to you childs external examinations.
Next week sees half term and no timetabled classes taking place. Have a great break!
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Craig Skinner
Head of Secondary
craig.skinner@uplands.org
Follow us on Twitter: @UplandsSecSch

Students
For the upcoming 60th Anniversary Party at Uplands, to be held on Sunday 15th March, the
prefects and USC would like to give all talented students (musicians and other performers)
the opportunity to showcase their talent on that day. Those interested should add their name to
the sign-up sheet pinned to the USC wall in the foyer by Tuesday 24 February. Solos,
ensembles, dance, and other special talents are welcome. Auditions will be held during break
time and lunchtime from Wednesday 25 February to Friday 27 February, after which the finalists
will be selected.
Parents
Have you got a talent that you would like to share? Can you sing? Dance ? Or Juggle? If you
have something you would like to share please can you contact Miss Ogusu
(Tomoko.ogusu@uplands.org) letting her know what you would like to perform, how long your
performance is and what equipment you require on stage. We cant wait to find out what you
can offer!
Groups
Are there any groups out there that would like an opportunity to perfor? Cultural dances, martial
arts perfoprmances etc. Again please can you contact Miss Ogusu (Tomoko.ogusu@uplands.org)
letting her know what you would like to show.
Secondary Prefects and USC

Please be informed that we have managed to negotiate a special deal with BORDERS
BOOKSTORE, where Uplanders are entitled for some special privileges when you shop at the
bookstore. In order to enjoy these benefits, you are required to produce our school ID card.
The benefits that we are able to enjoy are as follows :

Special Discounts
10% off full-priced books
10% off stationary
5% off Magazines
5% off gifts and sidelines

These privileges are applicable in ALL Borders Bookstores throughout Malaysia. The locations
of the store are in Queensbay Mall, The Curve, Gardens Mall, Bangsar Village 2, One Mont Kiara,
Tropicana City Mall, Berjaya Times Square and IOI City Mall.
You are also encouraged to sign-up for their BCard (their own membership card) in order to
enjoy other benefits besides the above.
I hope that you are able to enjoy these benefits and Happy Reading.
Thank you.
Sharlotte Bernard
Librarian

International Netball Tour to Gold Coast, Australia

Uplands are proposing to take a tour party of 2-3 netball teams to
Brisbane, Australia from the 19th June 4th July 2015. The intention
is to play a number of fixtures against challenging opposition
whilst also incorporating cultural and educational aspects into the
tour.
To this end I would like to invite you to express your interest
regarding this proposed Netball Tour. There is an online survey
which you will need to fill out to show your interest. This survey
will close on Friday 27 February. Please follow this link to the
survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/uplandsaustralianetballtour

The purpose of the tour is to both inspire and challenge the students whilst overseas, giving them
an opportunity to learn on and off the court. The touring opportunity will undoubtedly provide
the basis for strengthening team work before the start of our academic year and will broaden the
sporting and educational horizons of all those that participate.
We will be using the services of Student Horizons (www.studenthorizons.co.nz). The team at
Student Horizons are experienced in organising overseas school sports tours and educational
trips to this part of the world. The itinerary is being put together in collaboration with Student
Horizons, using both our overseas contacts and theirs, to ensure that the experiences are of
appropriate standard for our teams.
Based on Student Horizons quote the cost of this tour will be
between 8000-9000RM per student. The exact costs will
depend on final numbers travelling. A detailed run-down
of costs will be given with the information pack to those
interested. When all numbers are confirmed, a deposit of
1500RM (non-refundable) will then be requested to
confirm the place of your child on the tour and this will
need to be paid by 13th March 2015. The School will then
make a final decision on tour numbers before making a
financial commitment to Student Horizons. The
organisation of the tour then begins in earnest.
Finally, to help make this trip a reality, a parents fundraising committee will need to be formed.
The role of this committee is to brainstorm and help set up fundraising opportunities for the
students. A fundraising Co-ordinator will be required. The School and Student Horizons will
work to support this committee. Please register your interest in assisting any sponsorship and
fundraising events we may hold.
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The proposed details are:

When: 19th June 2015 4th July 2015
Where: Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, Australia
Costs: Approximately 8,000 9,000RM
- Payments can be made in intervals.
This is an outline of a possible itinerary:

Day Destination

Accommodation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Billet
Billet
Billet
Billet
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel

Penang>Brisbane
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast>Tamborine
Tamborine
Tamborine>Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast

Sport

Activities
Orientation/Beach Day

Training session
Match Day 1
Match Day 2
Match Day 3
Match Day 4
Match Day 5
Match Day 6

Noosa National Park

Australia Zoo
Tamborine National Park
Treetop Adventures
Beach Day
Professional Sports Game
Draculas restaurant
Gold Coast theme park
Brisbane City Tour & Shopping

*Please note this is subject to change.

Not included in prices here are:
- All personal services such as spending money
- All meals except Breakfast and Draculas
restaurant
- Any additional sightseeing
- Medical and Travel Insurance (all students must
have travel/medical insurance)
Medical and Travel Insurance
- This will be advised at a later date, however, the
requirement will be that all students have full
medical coverage paid for at own expense.
If you are interested in your daughter attending the International Netball Tour, please click on
the link below and fill out the survey. Survey closes Friday 27th February.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/uplandsaustralianetballtour
Amy Sands
Under 16 Netball Coach
PE/ Drama Teacher
amy.sands@uplands.org

Te Haurawhiti Teddy
Under 14 Netball Coach
Physical Education Teacher
tehaurawhiti.teddy@uplands.org

Mr Matthew Bristow
Principal, Uplands
Principal@uplands.org

It is hard to believe that we have been back at school for 5 weeks already in 2015. The past week in
particular has raced by and a break for half-term will allow both students and teachers to relax and regather energy for the busy weeks ahead. This week, Year 3 children hosted a heartwarming assembly
where the focus was on appreciation. On Tuesday and Wednesday classes were rehearsing and filming
their birthday greetings for our 60th Anniversary. We also had a number of swimmers competing in the
MSSPP swim meet. Students in Years 3 to 6 enjoyed their sports morning on Thursday and our Reception
class had a special visit to learn some Yoga poses and techniques. To round off the week, today we are
all dressed in a Chinese theme awaiting the Lion Dance at lunch time today.
Normal classes will resume on Monday 23rd February.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
UPTA Thank you On behalf of the Primary children and staff I would like to thank the UPTA and parent
helpers for enabling us to celebrate the happiness and prosperity of Chinese New Year with decorations,
goodie bags and the Lion Dance. THANK YOU!
MSSPP Swim Meet Congratulations to Sophia Poulsen, Chris Jantamaneechot, Carl Sigloch, Kelvin Kim,
Michael Liao, Mark Wee and Justin Liu for representing Uplands and swimming superbly in this event.
Learning Journeys Your child should have received a brochure detailing all about Learning Journeys
which are scheduled for Wednesday 4th March. Please return the last page of the brochure to class
teachers immediately after half term break so we can confirm your childs Learning Journey time.
Learning Journeys will be held during the school day on Wednesday 4th March. Please note that regular
classes do not happen on this day. Parents will come to school with their children at the scheduled time
for their Learning Journey, which lasts approximately one hour.
Performers and Musicians - For the upcoming 60th Anniversary Party of Uplands, to be held on
Sunday 15th March, the prefects would like to give all talented Musicians/Performers at Uplands a chance
to show off their talent on that day. Anyone interested to perform can sign-up by seeing Mrs. Nicholson.
Individual and group performances are welcome. Auditions will be held during lunch times in the first
week back after half term.
Year 5 & 6 Production - To commemorate our 60th Birthday, Year 5 and 6 are proud to present their
musical production, "ROBIN AND THE SHERWOOD HOODIES". A big thank you to all parents for your
support.
The children have been making many sacrifices in learning their lines and attending rehearsals. They are
seeing the rewards of their hard work. Please take note of some VERY IMPORTANT Saturday rehearsals
scheduled for March.
Make sure you get your tickets as soon as possible. Tickets are available from Ms Karthini in the Primary
office. RM 25 per ticket, Wawasan University, 7:00pm. Two performances only - Tuesday 24th March
and Wednesday 25th March. Flier designed by Joyce Lee, 6s.
Alison Nicholson
Head of Primary
Follow us on Twitter: @uplandsprisch

Admissions would like to remind families who may be relocating in the near future to take note
of the School's withdrawal procedure for refunds. Prior notice, in writing, stating the date of
leaving must be given to the Admissions Office via email admissions@uplands.org or submission
of the online withdrawal notice form athttp://www.uplands.org/school/?page_id=12497.
The form must be filled in according to the following dates for students not returning:
22nd February 2015 for students not returning in April 2015
15th May 2015 for students not returning in August 2015
The School will send an acknowledgement upon receipt of the Notice of Withdrawal. If you do
not hear from us within three working days of your submission, please contact the Admissions
Office at extension 106.
Janie Chung
Admissions

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60th Anniversary Party Sunday 15th March 2015

Thank you to the parents and teachers who have signed up to run food tables at the 60th Birthday
Party on Sunday, 15th March. Countries represented include

Australia,
France,
Indonesia,
Iran,
Japan,
Korea,
Malaysia,
New Zealand
Thailand.

Were off to a promising start, but we could still use a bit more variety on the menu at such a
grand celebration! That shouldnt be hard to achieve with 41 proud nationalities to be found at
Uplands. What are you waiting for? Email uplandspta@yahoo.com and lets get cooking! There
will be a planning meeting on Tuesday, 24th February from 8:30am in the Uplands Conference
Room with Mr. Bristow, the UPTA Committee, and Country Reps and others who wish to run
food tables. We hope you will come too.
Annual General Meeting
The 2015 Annual General Meeting of the Uplands Parent Teacher Association will be held on
Thursday, 5th March from 6:00pm-8:30pm at Uplands. Exact room location TBA. Please attend
this very important meeting, at which we will be reviewing the events of the past year and the
accounts, discussing important issues such as funds allocation and ideas for the coming year, and
electing an incoming Committee. And as usual, well all have a nice visit and some nibbles too.
We encourage anyone who is interested in joining the UPTA Committee to put their name
forward. Well all vote for you! Please RSVP to uplandspta@yahoo.com as soon as possible.
Date of Next Coffee Morning
Please note that there will be no Coffee Morning in March. The next Coffee Morning is scheduled
for Tuesday, 21st April from 8:30am-10:30am at the PARKROYAL Penang Resort.

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Chinese New Year Coffee Morning

This weeks Chinese New Year Coffee Morning at the PARKROYAL Penang Resort on Tuesday
was definitively worthy of that title. The PARKROYAL pulled out all the stops to make this
gathering a memorable one that encompassed our requested theme, and they did so on quite
short notice and at no added expense to the UPTA. The function room was transformed
marvellously with Chinese New Year decor, and the delicious menu was thoughtfully
customized for the occasion. The UPTA thanks the PARKROYAL very much for their hospitality,
and we look forward to our next visit.
Mini Markets and Calligraphy Master
Hopefully you found time to stop by one of the two Chinese New Year Mini Markets held this
week. There were delightful items for sale, including porcelain handled chopsticks sets,
embroidered purses, jewellery and charms either made or sourced by members of the Craft and
China Parents Groups. Particularly coveted were the Asian hair ornaments created by one
Uplands mother. They featured exquisite flowers made from colourful blown glass, brass
filigree, and polished semi-precious stones.
Intricately designed paper fans and lanterns fashioned ingeniously from Ang Pao envelopes by
members of the Craft Group were also displayed and available for sale. They provided a lovely
backdrop during Master Tans calligraphy demonstration, which captivated onlookers. Many
people tried their hand at this ancient art form, while others were content to take home a newlyinked sheet of Master Tans, bearing good tidings for the Chinese New Year. It was nice to see
parents, staff and students alike enjoying these pop-up Mini Markets, which displayed the
inspiring talents of UPTA members while raising money for the good of the Association. I think
I might need to join one of these groups soon. Theyve been having way too much fun without
me.

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Lion Dance Performance

The culmination of several days of Chinese New Year activities was of course todays Lion Dance
Performance. We knew we had to have it, as no Chinese New Year celebration would feel
complete otherwise. Everyone enjoyed the show, not least of all the Primary students and hardworking ladies in the Finance Department. Were so glad to have helped bring this tradition and
the joyous recognition of the Chinese New Year back to Uplands in collaboration with Mr.
Bristow and the School. Thank you to all of the students, teachers, parents and staff who helped
in their own way to make it happen, from making paper lanterns to hanging them, from
supporting the various events to explaining the meaning behind the traditions to young ears.
Great job everyone!

Kind Regards,
Roslyn Wirth,
UPTA Secretary

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Mid Term Break at 2.40 pm

Friday 13 February 2015

Boarding House closes at 12.00 noon

Saturday 14 February 2015

Boarding House re-opens at 2.30 pm

Sunday 22 February 2015

School re-opens

Monday 23 February 2015

Uplands Anniversary Party

Sunday 15th March 2015

Term 2 ends at 12.00 noon

Thursday 2 April 2015

Boarding House closes at 12.00 noon

Friday 3 April 2015

Boarding House re-opens at 2.30 pm

Sunday 19 April 2015

Term 3 starts

Monday 20 April 2015

School closed Labour Day

Friday 1 May 2015

Term 3 ends at 12.00 noon

Friday 19 June 2015

Boarding House closes at 12.00 noon

Saturday 20 June 2015

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