KUCHING:St Joseph’s International School, a member of the St Joseph’s Family of Schools, which includes St. Joseph’s Private Primary and Secondary Schools, will be officially opened by Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Johari Tun Openg on Saturday, March 3, 2018.
In conjunction with the official opening, the school will also be launching its Cambridge International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGSCE) and Cambridge A-level programmes via an open day on March 3, 2018 from 11.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
St. Joseph’s International School is a Catholic School owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching and operated by St. Joseph’s Private School Management Bhd.
The Principal of St. Joseph’s International School, Brother Paul Hough, said, “The school started operation in January 2017 with approximately 100 students, but we decided to wait until the purpose-built campus was completed before officially opening it.”
The Director of St. Joseph’s Private School, Christopher Chua, said, “This is a good opportunity to see first-hand how the St. Joseph’s Family of Schools lives up to its motto, Education Beyond the Ordinary. Our syllabus is based on the University of Cambridge Assessment for International Education.”
In January 2019, the school will offer Year 10, the first year of the International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) or O Levels and Year 12, the first year of the 18 months A-level programme. A mixture of science and humanity subjects will be available so the students can select the ones that best meet their needs and interests.
Brother Paul said, “Since January 2017. we have offered lower secondary education for Years 7, 8 and 9 (Form 1 to 3) and the Year 9 students will sit the Checkpoint Assessment in English, Mathematics and Science in October.”
Brother Paul, a Marist Brother, has been in education for most of his life. The priests of Saint Marcellin Champagnat Brothers founded the Marists in France in 1817, and the main focus of the congregation is education for all, especially for disadvantaged groups.
Brother Paul was the principal of three large boarding schools in Australia and is a Fellow of Australian College of Educators. He believes in inclusiveness and as a result of enabling improved educational opportunities of Australia aboriginal communities, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for this work.
At St. Joseph’s International School, students are the focus, and the supportive learning environment is inclusive of learner-centered approaches including project-based learning. Classes are dynamic and interactive with an emphasis on the higher order thinking skills.
Brother Paul said, “We are living in the 21st century and we need to be sure that students are equipped with the skills needed for this century. We were one of the first schools in Sarawak to start a Bring Your Own Device (laptop) policy. This policy has enabled teachers to incorporate ICT into the classroom: it is a tool not a toy.”
Other innovations include incorporating co-curriculum activities into the timetable. These are part of the school programme and play key roles in enabling the child to reach his / her full potential. Although the emphasis is on intellectual advancement, the development of physical skills is part of the whole education. Thus, Brother Paul started a sports afternoon with participation of all students.
The upcoming open day will showcase the students’ work and provide an opportunity for current and potential parents and students to see what the school has to offer. There will also be a presentation by Kim Ng Huat, Country Director for Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, from Cambridge International Examinations, on the IGCSE and A-level curriculum. The presentation will be at 11.30 a.m. with a repeat at 2.00 p.m.
Christopher Chua said, “I encourage all to visit our open day which is from 11.30 in the morning to 4.00 in the afternoon.”
St. Joseph International School is located at Jalan Tan Sri Datuk William Tan (opposite Chung Hua 3). Parking is available at St. Peter’s Church, Padungan which can be entered from Lorong Central Timur 3A. For more information visit the school website at http://www.stjosephprivate.com/ or email it at international@stjosephkuching.edu.my or call at 082-411575 or 013-8573821.
