Tenby Ipoh Through The Years: May 2019

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

TENBY SIXTH FORM IPO H

This is the magnificent team that organised the Global Perspectives Debates 1/2017

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Adjudicatiors Neoh Lean Wern and Leow Kuan Kiat

A Lively Fiesta of Debates

- GPD 1/2017

On Friday 30^th March and Saturday 1^st April 2017, Tenby Schools Ipoh hosted the biannual Global Perspectives Debates. The event was organized and managed by the Sixth Form Student Union under the auspices of Tenby Schools Ipoh. A huge heartfelt thank you and appreciation goes to the Sixth Form Student Union President Manpreet Kaur and the Convenor of the event, Stephanie Cheah Hsui En, along with their team for doing an excellent and efficient job at event management.

The bi-annual gathering of debate enthusiasts from the Northern states of Peninsular Malaysia

The Global Perspectives Debates is a tradition of Tenby Schools Ipoh. It was wonderful to see over 120 debate enthusiasts from various schools in Ipoh participating in this event.

“The Global Perspectives Debates is an occasion for friendly intellectual and social interaction between like-minded students from various schools,“ remarked Stephanie Cheah whose team of Sixth Formers manned the organising committee. “It was an invaluable organizational experience for us all. We had to do much planning and coordination as well as to conduct briefings for the various event management sub-teams.”

There are three major debating competitions in Ipoh. These are the Rotary Club Debates, the Dato’ Wira Cup Parliamentary Debates and the Tenby Global Perspectives Debates. Together these three form the staple debating agenda in the Kinta Valley every year. The Rotary Club Debates have been going on for 52 years.while the Global Perspectives Debates are now in their 12^th year.

The GPD 1/ 2017 Secretariat manned by our Sixth Formers

“We pledge to make the Global Perspectives Debates remain an exciting social and cultural event for young people in Ipoh,” declared Daniel Chua Vice President of the Sixth Form Students Union. “It is wonderful for young debate enthusiasts to meet and sharpen one another’s oratorical skills.”

The topics debated this session included some topical ones as well as the evergreen ones. Among the six topics debates, the most hotly debated ones were:

1. “That refugees are an asset to the host country.”

2. “That the world needs the USA.”

3. “That the rose is better than the potato.”

SMK Sam Tet,Ipoh

SMK Ave Maria Convent

“What we really appreciate is the opportunity for teams to debate four rounds over two days instead of being eliminated if they fail Round 1,” remarked Mrs Jeyanth Hulda of SMK Aver Maria Convent. Ipoh. Ms Nurmunira Mohktar of Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Ipoh, echoed similar sentiments: “ The Tenby GP Debates are an excellent training ground for our debaters. Every year we make it a point to field at least two teams to groom our debating squad.” The schools which took part this year were the following:1. SMK Ave Maria Convent,Ipoh ( 3 teams)2. SMK Sam Tet,Ipoh (4 teams)

3. Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Ipoh (3 teams)

4. SMK Main Convent,Ipoh (1 team)

5. Poi Lam Private School,Ipoh (4 teams)

6. Wesley Methodist School,Ipoh (2 teams)

7. West Lake International School,Kampar (1 team)

8. Tenby Schools Ipoh (6 teams)

Wesley Methodist School,Ipoh

There was never an idle moment during the competition. Even after the top eight teams were preparing for the semi-finals, there was a “filler” debate for the eliminated teams.. “Everyone was free to join and share their opinions as it was not part of the finals. Even our teachers joined in,” enthused Thomas Parkinson, a Tenby debater. As a whole, this debate was a fun way to share our perspectives with students from our fellow Ipoh schools.

The final debate was judged by a three-member panel of external judges:

1 Mr Arthur Yeong (Advocate & Solicitor)

2 Mr Edwin Siebel (Advocate & Solicitor)

3 Mrs Nalini Achutan Nair ( former School Principal)

Westlake International School,Kampar

The first place went to Heng Yik Lim and Chong Zheng Yang of Poi Lam High School. The 2^nd,3^rd and 4^th places all went to our very own teams from Tenby Schools Ipoh . The Best Speaker Award went to Dhanya Laxmi Nantha Kumar, also our very own student. Congratulations to these students as well as all debaters for their hard work and dedication to the important art of debating.

Adjudicators Shannya Kaur Dhalliwal (L) and Kaio Mauricio Fiock Da Silva

We would again like to thank all those involved in the Global Perspectives Debates for making the event as successful as it was and we hope to see your participation in the next Global Perspectives Debates in September 2017.

We wish to place on record our heartfelt appreciation of the moral support, endorsement and logistical back-up given by Ms Jane Kuok (Campus Principal) , Mr Richard Davidson (Head of International Secondary) and Mr Jack Wong (Head of National School).

A special word of thanks to Mr Louis Rozario Doss (Head of Sixth Form) and Ms Mangalespary Balasundaram (Advisor) for their total commitment and support for the Global Perspectives Debates!

Tenby teammates Ryan Hor and Dhanya Laxmi Nantha Kumar

Written by:

Mohammad Ridzuan Yahya Mat Som ( Year 12S)

Vice President, Sixth Form Students Union

Co-Convenor, Global Perspectives Debates 1/2017

Edited by:

Scott Leow Kuan Kiat (Y13)

Celebrating 450th Anniversary Of Shakespeare's Birth

Topic > Young Perak | Saturday 16 Aug 2014 12:01 AM | by

The Sixth Formers of Tenby Schools Ipoh have a special reason this year for staging their traditional Shakespearean plays. It is the 450th anniversary of the birth of the world’s most famous English bard and playwright.

“We hope to recreate something of the spirit of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare,” said Nicole Fong (Cohort 9) who directs “Macbeth” this season. “We will not only be performing for audiences within our school but also move from school to school in the way itinerant theatre groups moved from town to town in those days.”

“We have been rehearsing “Macbeth” every Monday since January,” says Ding Zu Ron who plays the main role of the Scottish usurper king. This play, like Shakespeare’s other masterpieces, gives me a greater insight into human psychology.” Zu Ron is one of the 62 Sixth Formers doing the Cambridge A-Level Programme at Tenby Schools Ipoh.

The Cast of "Macbeth" (2014)

Playing the part of Lady Macbeth is sixth former Chai Hoi Yeen who is making her debut on the stage. “It is my maiden foray into drama. It is an area of self-expression that seems so powerful and exciting to me. It is truly a new world of experience to me.”

Tenby Schools Ipoh’s Sixth Formers will also be staging two other Shakespearean plays this year. They are “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” and “The Merchant of Venice”.

“The plays are mostly rendered in modern English so that they make better sense to Malaysian school audiences,” says Tenby Sixth Form co-ordinator, Mr Louis Rozario Doss, who has written and taught drama for over 30 years at various schools in Malaysia. “They are also timed for an hour’s duration instead of the usual 2½ hours.”

The drama tradition at Tenby Schools Ipoh is a central feature of the school’s Sixth Form programme. Since 2010, the year of the inception of the Sixth Form at Tenby Ipoh, every sixth form class has produced a Shakespearean drama production. It is part of the compulsory theatre practice experience that every sixth former undergoes at this school. Among the past plays produced were “Julius Caesar” (2010 & 2013), “The Tempest” (2011), “The Winter’s Tale” (2012), “Hamlet” (2012) and “As You Like It” (2013).

Sanika Renganadan, the President of the Sixth Form comments: “Our drama projects this year are a fitting tribute to one of the greatest playwrights in history. Shakespeare’s plays are immortal classics that should be read by all not just for enjoyment but also for serious reflection.”

Another comment comes from Muhammad Irsyad Handan , a former student of Dubai International School , UAE: “To me Shakespeare’s plays are excellent material for debates on moral issues. Many of his lines make excellent quotations such as his moving words expressing sorrow at the death of his wife in the poem “Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow…”

Adds Mr Louis: “Tenby’s drama tradition is another beautiful facet of Ipoh’s strong drama tradition. Indeed, Ipoh can arguably stake a claim to being Malaysia’s Stratford-on-Avon with the superb drama performances by Tenby Schools, SMK St Michael, SMK Methodist(ACS) and the Perak Society of Performing Arts.”

For more details on performances for Ipoh schools, please contact louis@tenby.edu.my or call 010 390 5011.

-Source "THE STAR" (Sat 16th Aug 2014)

The Global Perspectives Debates 1/2018

“ I disagree with every word you say, but I shall defend to my death your right to say it.” - Voltaire

More than 200 debate enthusiasts from Perak and Penang schools were gathered at Tenby Schools Ipoh on 16-17^th March 2018 for the bi-annual fiesta of British-style parliamentary debates. This time there were 28 school teams from the following schools:

1 Tenby Schools Penang – 3 teams

2 Tenby Schools Ipoh – 6 teams

3 SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh – 4 teams

4 Poi Lam Private High School – 3 teams

4 Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Ipoh – 3 teams

5 SMK Ave Maria Convent – 3 teams

6 SMK St Michael,Ipoh – 2 teams

6 SMK Main Convent HIJ – 2 teams

7 SMK St Bernadette’s Convent – 1 team

8 SMK Buntong – 1 team

“ This March’s debate fest represents the biggest gathering of debaters ever held in Perak’s history,” commented Mrs Hulda Rajamah, debate advisor to the Ave Maria Convent.

Another interesting tribute came from Miss Evelyn Lim, debate advisor to SMK Buntong,Ipoh:

“The Tenby debates have become the crucible where many of Ipoh’s debaters experience their baptism of fire.”

Many Ipoh schools send their younger neophytes to these debates in addition to sending their seasoned campaigners.

Karran Kumar of SMK St Michael, who was named joint Best Speaker in the Final Debate has this to say:

“I have participated in the Tenby debate series over the past two years. I find that these debates are not only intellectually challenging. They are also a wonderful social occasion where Ipoh’s debaters can get together in a spirit of friendship and goodwill.”

K. Shannan of SMK (Methodist-ACS) who shared the Best Speaker Award with Karran Kumar concurs: “ The GP Debates are an occasion I really look forward to because the topics are of current international relevance and the ethos of the debates are a wonderful expression of the true parliamentary spirit.”

In his formal thank-you speech at the Closing Ceremony, Tenby Sixth Form Union President,Kaio Mauricio Flock , thanked Ms Jane Kuok (Campus Principal), Mr Richard Davidson (Head of International Secondary) and Mr Jack Wong (Head of Sekolah Tenby) for giving the Sixth Form the opportunity to organize the event.

“The GP Debates are sponsored by Tenby Schools Ipoh and their event management is entrusted to the Sixth Form. It is organized by students and for students. Except in the Grand Final, the adjudication is done entirely by a panel of Student Adjudicators formed by the participating schools.”

“This tradition has helped foster a true spirit of fair play, independence and non- partisanship in our debates,” comments Ms B.Manglespary, Tenby Debate Advisor, who together with Mr Louis Rozario (Head of Tenby Sixth Form) were the key advisors to the event management team.

Ms Manglespary adds: “It was also wonderful to see our alumni of past Tenby debaters return to the alma mater to sustain the debating tradition by serving as Adjudicators. “

GPD 1/2018 saw the re-emergence of SMK Methodist (ACS) as champions with second spot going to Tenby Schools Penang. In third place was SMK St Michael and in fourth place was another team from SMK Methodist (ACS) .

We all look forward to Global Perspectives 2/2018 which is scheduled for September 2018.

Monday, May 13, 2019

Cohort 12 Give a Dazzling Version of “The Tempest”

Ahmad Fadzil (Centre) as King Alonso, Phoebe Soogan (Left) as Miranda and Tang Chee Ho (Right) (as Prince Ferdinand)

On 21^st January 2016, the Sixth Formers of Cohort 12 staged another dazzling rendition of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Teacher Training College in Hulu Kinta,Ipoh. It was a unique encounter of hearts and minds with a shared interest in William Shakespeare’s literary works.

“ We were received with great enthusiasm by the teacher trainees as well as the teacher trainers,” comments Balasubramaniam Ravishankar, the maestro of the Sixth Form production of Shakespeare’s last play. “ We had one of the most appreciative audiences ever.”

More than 200 teacher trainees of the college attended the stage performance. They are part of the national drive to engage more young people to join the national education service as TESL teachers.

“ I am greatly impressed by the independence and enterprising spirit of the Tenby Sixth Formers,” remarked Mrs G.Kanagasabai, Senior Lecturer in TESL at the college. She named Derek Tan Jing Liang as Best Actor for playing the part of Caliban.

This is the fourth staging of “The Tempest” by Cohort 12 who have taken Shakespeare’s play to various destinations in the Kinta valley since September 2015. The drama tradition is an integral part of Tenby’s Sixth Form here in Ipoh. The tradition which dates back to January 2005 is sustained by the staging of two Shakespearean plays per year. Among the plays staged last year were “Hamlet” and “The Merchant of Venice.”