Parent Exploration Network

Date: Thursday 18th April 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Engaging in Courageous Conversations with Your Child
Description: This session delves into the transformative power of effective language and strategic parenting approaches, highlighting their profound impact on shaping mindsets, fostering resilience, and facilitating conflict resolution. Through interactive sessions and hands-on exercises, participants will explore various approaches to navigating challenging conversations at home rooted in empathy and vulnerability. From learning to engage in difficult dialogues to transforming conflicts and instilling resilience in your children, this workshop provides invaluable insights and practical strategies for cultivating meaningful communication within your family.
Facilitator: Canny Wija, Year 3 Teacher

Date: Thursday 2nd May 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Creating a Positive School Climate: Preventing & Tackling Bullying
Description: Alice Smith School is committed to providing a supportive, caring and safe environment in which all children are free from the fear of being bullied. This session includes recognising various forms of bullying and taking steps to prevent it from happening. We empower our children to speak up if they see or experience bullying, and have a clear plan for responding to incidents. This session will also cover what happens at school if bullying occurs, how to teach your child healthy conflict resolution skills, and how you, as parents, can support both your child at home and our school community's efforts to create a safe and inclusive environment.
Facilitator: Helen Jones, Vice Principal - Our Students, Primary Campus

Date: Wednesday 15th May 2024
Time: 8:30am - 10:00am
Location: Design Technology Department, Secondary Campus
Topic: Scrap Material Robot Craft Workshop
Description: The Secondary Design Technology team would like to invite you onto their turf to explore what it is like to be a student creating craft projects in our fully equipped Design Technology workshop. The Scrap Material Robot project was introduced to students to create a name label to add to their design technology work displays, and with sustainability at heart, it is also a way to use up scrap materials and other off-cuts in the department. TASK: Make a robot that can hold a name plate out of provided scrap materials that must include at least one articulated joint. Goggles and aprons are provided and you must follow the safety instructions given by your facilitator.
Facilitators: David Szelesi, Head of Design Technology, Ian Quirk, Design Technology Teacher, Secondary Campus

Date: Wednesday 29th May 2024
Time: 8:30am - 9:30am
Location: Steve Warry Centre, Secondary Campus
Topic: Fostering Female Empowerment in Physical Activity
Description: This workshop is designed to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to support teenage girls on their journey to stay active. We'll explore the common obstacles that can prevent girls from staying active, including societal norms that discourage girls from sports, confidence issues, and the anxieties around changing bodies. Learn how to have open and supportive conversations about body image, menstruation, and the importance of physical activity for overall well-being.
Facilitators: Anna Sheppard, Head of PE, Amanda Coates, Assistant Key Stage Leader - KS4 & Head of Year 11, Secondary Campus

Date: Wednesday 19th June 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:30am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Art Therapy: Craft your own Self-Soothing kit
Description: For our last Parent Empowerment Programme for this school year, we are delighted to introduce you to our new counsellor who is a certified art therapist, Lophren Yong. In this workshop, you will learn to craft a self-soothing kit, which allows you to use your five senses to cope during times of emotional stress. Spending time with items that lead to positive feelings has the power to distract you from the negative and focus on the present. As an added benefit, not only is it an excellent way to practise self-care, but building a self-soothe kit is also a fun and creative project. There will also be bonus art therapy projects that you can bring home to make with your children.
Facilitator: Lophren Yong, Counsellor, Primary Campus

Date: Wednesday 10th January 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Primary Hall, Primary Campus, Jalan Bellamy
Topic: Breathwork Tools for Day to Day Life
Description: Learn a range of easy, achievable and fast-acting tools to counteract stress, anxiety and give you an increased sense of control of your emotional state anytime and anywhere. Various ways of consciously manipulating the breath have been scientifically proven to have profound and positive effects on our central nervous system. Using breathing techniques allows you to control the natural stress response that accumulates throughout your day to day life.
Facilitator: Ben Atkinson, PE Teacher, Primary Campus

Date: Wednesday 17th January 2024
Time: 8:30am - 9:30am
Location: Gym, Secondary Campus, Equine Park (EP)
Topic: Meditative Sound Healing (Singing Bowls)
Description: Sound baths are known to create a state of harmony for the listener by clearing energy discord. It expands awareness and increases the sense of wellbeing; allowing listeners to be in a state of complete relaxation. As parents, it's important to set some time away from the stress and noise - relax your mind and body with a meditative sound bath experience. Bathe in the sounds of singing bowls, balance your energy for the day and let go of your woes and worries for an hour. Sarah Lian, founder of Supparetreat and a sound healer, will take your mind on a journey through sound to relax and restore your body, mind and soul as you rediscover yourself.
Facilitator: Sarah Lian, Founder of Supparetreat & Sound Healer

Date: Wednesday 31st January 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: School Hall, Primary Campus (JB)
Topic: A Conversation with Jan Dubiel: The Evolution of Play in Early Childhood Education
Description: Play is not just frivolous fun; it's the engine that drives early childhood development. By understanding its evolution and adapting to the changing world, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through the joy of play. Striking the right balance between guided activities and child-led exploration remains a key challenge. How has our understanding and utilisation of play evolved within educational settings?
Facilitator: Jan Dubiel, Specialist in Early Childhood Education

Blog post: Early Years and Primary Education Gets a Boost from Experts Jan Dubiel and Theresa Forbes

Date: Wednesday 7th February 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: How to get my child into Yale? (And other questions not to ask)
Description: This is a university information session for parents with children of any age group. Parents have an interest and a right to information about how the school helps students progress after school and into university. In this session, Joe Marshall, our head of higher education will try to answer everything you might want to know about university and how certain students get into the most well known institutions. Where do Alice Smith student's tend to go? What is the cost of a university education? How do you become a domestic fee payer in the UK or elsewhere? With 20 years of experience advising on Higher Education matters, Mr. Marshall encourages parents to ask the questions they really want to ask.
Facilitator: Joe Marshall, Head of Higher Education & Careers

Date: Wednesday 21st February 2024
Time: 8:30am - 10:00am
Location: Steve Warry Centre (SWC), Secondary Campus
Topic: Parent-Teen Relationships
Description: The teenage years are a whirlwind of independence, identity, and emotional intensity. Parents need to play a dual role; guiding their teenagers with wisdom and allowing space for them to explore on their own. However in both roles, their presence matters deeply. To nurture this bond, we must prioritise open, honest communication. Embracing active listening, respectful dialogue, and empathy paves the way for a connection that endures the inevitable bumps along the parent-teen journey. This way, we not only raise teenagers, but we also build lasting relationships with the adults they're becoming.
Facilitator: Prakash Ravindran, Clinical Psychologist

Date: Tuesday 27th February 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Empowering Futures: Nurturing Home Languages for Multilingual Success
Description: Languages cross the boundaries of nations, continents and cultures. Multilingualism is an amazing gift that many of our students and families possess.  In our ever expanding global world, multilingualism is hugely beneficial. Find out how translanguaging strategies are being used across both campuses’ to encourage students to use their full linguistic repertoire to support learning. These strategies not only scaffold academic learning but translanguaging also helps create a sense of belonging, where home languages are recognised and valued. We will also discuss our current cross-campus Home Languages programme for Mandarin, French and Spanish, and we will explain how we are hoping to involve more members of our wonderful community to help us expand the programme next year.
Facilitators:
Joanna Asse Drouet, Head of Languages, Primary Campus
Lorene Carver, Head Languages, Secondary Campus
Louise King, Head of EAL, Primary Campus
Ray Jennings Head of PLF, Secondary Campus
Richard Dawson, Lead EAL Practitioner, Secondary Campus

Blog post: Empowering Futures: Nurturing Home Languages for Multilingual Success

Date: Thursday 29th February 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Let’s Talk about Nutrition
Description: Learn about healthy eating and how you and your family can adapt a healthy lifestyle to live a fulfilling and productive life. Living in an incredibly food-centric country like Malaysia can make living a well-balanced lifestyle a challenge. Although it is important to occasionally indulge in the richness of the many food cultures that can be found here, the key to healthy nutrition is moderation. Join dietitian Tania Lee as she shares top nutrition points to lead a well-balanced lifestyle and discover nutritious recipes and meals that you can prepare for the well-being of the whole family.
Facilitator: Tania Lee, Co-founder and Sports Dietitian, Sports Nutrition Academy

Date: Wednesday 6th March 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Your Child’s Wellbeing: An overview of nursing services at Primary Campus
Description: Learn about the comprehensive nursing services available at our primary campus and how it can support your child’s health. Find out more about key policies related to healthcare access, communication and medication administration as well. This workshop will also cover how to handle common childhood illnesses.
Facilitator: Vivian Myers Davis, Nurse, Primary Campus

Date: Wednesday 13th March 2024
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Bellamy Room, Primary Campus
Topic: Exploring Together: Understanding the Potential of Open-Ended Learning in Early Childhood
Description: An interactive workshop giving you the chance to see first hand how using open ended resources creates opportunities to extend and support learning at different levels, across the curriculum.
Facilitator:
Lea-Ann Robinson, Reception Year Leader
Alexis Farrell, Year 1 Leader

Date: Wednesday 20th March 2024
Time: 8:30am - 9:30am
Location: Secondary Campus (EP)
Topic: A Conversation with Roo Pigott: Exploring the Future of Work & Entrepreneurship
Description: Is your child unsure about their dream job? The future of work is changing, and traditional career paths are becoming less rigid. Many jobs today didn't even exist a decade ago. Technology and innovation are creating new opportunities for people to turn their ideas into businesses. Join us for a conversation with Roo Pigott as he discusses his non-linear career and entrepreneurial path and how he went on a very unique journey to where he is today. Joining him on the panel is our very own Alice Smith parent Tan Kuan Eng who also will share his unique life path and one of our students Tiffany Ang who is an upcoming musical star. Prepare your child for the constant change that they will be facing and have a genuine belief in their unique skills and interests that may lead them to a fulfilling career.
Guest Speaker: Roo Pigott, Music & Tech Industry Entrepreneur, Music Producer and Songwriter
Joined by:
Tan Kuan Eng, Parent & Founder of Malayan Guitars
Tiffany Ang, Year 10 Student, vocalist & guitarist in rock band SVARGA

Date: Wednesday 4th October 2023
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park

Date: Wednesday 11th October 2023
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Primary Campus, Jalan Bellamy

Topic: Keeping Children Safe At Alice Smith
Description: Learn more about safeguarding and how we would like to build a culture of safeguarding at our school. What are we safeguarding your children from? What can you do as parents at home to promote safeguarding? How is our school teaching children to keep themselves safe? 
Facilitators:
Helen Jones, VP - Our Students, Primary Campus
Richard Stockings, VP - Our Students, Secondary Campus

Date: Wednesday 19th October 2023
Time: 8:00am - 9:00am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park
Topic: Online Safety for Young Learners
Description: Online safety is a collective community issue and this programme will help you as a parent to gain the knowledge and understanding of the risks that your child may face online. Learn about practical strategies and advice that can help you support your child.
Facilitator: Claire Easter, Computing Teacher

Date: Wednesday 1st November 2023
Time: 8:30am - 9:30am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park
Topic: An Introduction to Google AI Tools
Description: An introductory session into the world of Google AI tools and exploring new upcoming tools like Bard. How is Google AI used in education especially in reading, writing and conversation. The misuse of AI will also be addressed in terms of data privacy, inaccuracy, academic integrity and plagiarism.
Facilitator: Jonathan Chong, Director of Digital Technology

Date: Monday 6th November 2023
Time: 8:20am - 9:20am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park
Topic: A Conversation with Dr. Stuart Lawrence - Finding Your Courageous Voice
Description: Youths growing up in the digital era live in an interconnected, diverse and rapidly changing world and their intercultural encounters on a daily basis have greatly increased. Surrounded by so much noise from economic, digital, cultural, demographic and environmental forces, they need to be aware about the importance of speaking out in order to make a difference. 
Guest speaker: Dr. Stuart Lawrence 

Blog post: Empowering Change

Date: Tuesday 7th November 2023
Time: 8:20am - 9:20am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park
Topic: A Conversation with Lisa Tregale - Creativity and Critical Thinking: Essential Skills for Success in a Complex and Digitised World
Description: Creativity and critical thinking are two essential skills for success in the fourth industrial revolution amidst a complex, globalised and increasingly digitised economy and society. How are our students today given opportunities to gain these skills in our education system and how can we, as their parents, educators and support system, encourage them to think critically, problem-solve creatively and challenge the status quo?
Guest speaker: Lisa Tregale

Blog post: Nurturing Creativity and Critical Thinking

Date: Wednesday 29th November 2023
Time: 8:30am - 10:30am (2 hours) Followed by a Coffee, Tea & Chat with Governors 10:30am - 11:15am
Location: Secondary Campus, Equine Park
Topic: Mobilising Purpose to Positive Impact Workshop
Description: Imagine a world where everyone is clear of their purpose and impact, and people gravitate towards team, groups and organisations based on a sense of common purpose.
Facilitators: Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi and Heriot-Watt University Malaysia's IMPACT Coaching Team

Date: Wednesday 6th December 2023
Time: 8:00am - 11:00am
Location: Primary Campus, Jalan Bellamy
Topic: Christmas Watercolours Workshop
Description: Explore watercolour techniques in a series of Christmas card designs, with options to take things in different directions according to your creativity. This is a relaxing and enjoyable art sharing session in the run up to Christmas and will also give you some ideas to take home for your children too. 
Facilitators: Joanna Cheryan, Artist and KLASS Parent