Here we are at the end of our first complete year in school for three years, and what a fantastic year it has been. Friday’s public holiday due to the Malaysian General Elections made the end of the school year a little more chaotic than usual, but the staff have been superb in adapting the plans.

We have rearranged the Year 11 graduation ceremony to Tuesday 22nd due to the public holiday last Friday. My apologies for this change but it was completely beyond our control. This will be the first proper graduation ceremony since late 2019, after two years of drive through events, and I am looking forward to seeing all of Year 11 together for this event..

I was asked what my standout memories of 2022 were, and that was really difficult. This year, we have gone from term 1 with daily temperature checks, weekly COVID tests, sitting in rows and no external sport or performances, to now at the end of term 3, where nearly everything is back to normal. Due to this it has indeed been a challenging year. I still see elements of anxiety and trepidation about the current situation. Fortunately everyone is again adapting and have really excelled themselves in the way they have approached their studies, and school.

Standout memories for me include the school's 30th birthday at the start of 2022. From late 1991 when the school started as Sekolah Sri Garden to now, as TISKL with a rich heritage, the school has come a long way. A pandemic is perhaps not the best time to have a milestone event like this, but everyone pulled together and we had a superb whole school event. Birthday cakes were distributed and the happy birthday song played by the school orchestra, and we all had a great time. What was particularly poignant was the photo of the staff that have been with the school for the majority of the last 30 years. Congratulations, without them, the school would not be the same.

Getting students back performing was also a big step back to normality, and the Everlasting Concert held in July at TISPC was a real milestone. I would like to thank Ms Belinda for championing this event and making it happen. We had performances from both TISPC and TISKL that showed the talents that both campuses had. It was a superb evening that also raised over RM15,000 for two local homes.

These are just two of the standout events, there are many other exit points, sports days, fixtures, jigsaw puzzle events and thousands of stimulating lessons that have happened, that create the fabric of what this great school is all about.

The main aspect that has really shone through this year, is that TIS is not just about academic content and exam results. Our students do really well in that department and I have every confidence that the above-mentioned Year 11 will do themselves proud when the IGSCE results are released in January. The last three years have really shown how important core values and so called ‘soft’ skills are. We shouldn't call them soft skills as they are now essential for future success. The respect that students have shown each other in these challenging times is matched by their care for supporting others with CSR projects. Having students collaborating, performing, interacting, competing and being resilient are so important, and great to see on a daily basis.

Finally I hope that everyone has a relaxing holiday and you are able to recharge your batteries. Good luck to our leavers and graduates. I look forward to welcoming our returning students on Monday 9th January 2023.

Stay safe