Blog
AY 2022-23 Term 2
October 2022 to January 2023 Updates
July to September 2022 Updates
Apr to Jun 2022 Updates
Greetings and welcome to another update on GTIS!
• In this edition, we have many blessings and happy news to share.
• Firstly, the staff were able to celebrate the Khmer New Year 2022 with family and friends after the ban on mass gatherings were lifted. The whole kingdom rejoiced and there was much celebration in every province.
• Term 2 started with wonderful news of student achievements.
• Our GTIS Grade 9 student won the top prize in the Kampong Speu Provincial Mathematics competition. He will be competing in the National Mathematics competition in due course.
• Another former G9 student was the top Grade 12 National Exam (2021) for the whole of Cambodia.
• We offer our congratulations to these students, their teachers and parents and family. We are proud of them and delighted in their achievements.
• International travel restrictions began to lift and many could enter the Kingdom whether they were tourists or those returning to Cambodia to continue their work and projects.
• Volunteers came to the school and had enrichment sessions for students and teachers.
• The school board visited to conduct a 2-day Teachers Retreat on the 19-20th of May 2022. All had a time of encouragement, bonding, reviewing of the school’s vision, mission and value statements.
• Schools across Cambodia were allowed to return to normal classroom sizes from the middle of May onwards. GTIS started normal classes on the 23rd of May 2022.
• The children were happy to be allowed to participate in various group activities, including Physical Education, soccer, recreational games.
• All staff and teachers were glad to resume normal classroom and school activities.
• Teachers had Term 2 Training Days on 9-10th of June. That was a wonderful time of peer learning and coaching by the Principal and Vice Principal. There was much feasting throughout, including a departmental bonding dinner.
• School projects:
• The repair and repainting of the School Block was concluded in May.
• The school has started on the school field re-construction project since the 4th of June and we shall have more news in our next update.
• The School Playground project is at the final stages of planning.
• There are plans for additional classrooms to be built to enable the school to go single session, so as to release more time for core and co-curriculum programmes.
Jan to Mar 2022 Updates
Greetings and welcome to another update!
As the new calendar year began on 1st of January, we were ever more mindful that yet another year had passed and all too quickly.
The children were happily re-settled after pro-longed disruptions of schooling due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All too soon, it’s exam time!
The school is also undergoing repairs and minor upgrades after the rainy season.
It is a new season with freshness in the air!
Welcome to our first GTIS update for the New Year 2022!
A quick summary of events:
• School resumed face to face learning and we are into the 7th week of the new Academic Year 2021/22. We are grateful for clear and decisive actions by the Nation’s leaders to guide the re-opening of schools and institutions of learning. o Students were very glad to be back in school and teachers, likewise, welcomed the interactive instruction and interactions that classroom teaching allows.
• Teachers at their dormitory cooperated to have a big clean up outside their “home away from home” to start a fresh New Year 2022!
• Christmas was a festive season that brought joy and fun with presents and feasting. o Free-will giving and generosity was a key theme for this year’s celebrations. o Alumni students showed their love for the school by returning to decorate the school.
• The rainy season has ended, and the dry season has allowed maintenance, repairs and renovations work to commence on the building and premises.
Looking back as we cross over into the new Academic Year
New re-aligned Academic Year 2021/22 begins 23rd November 2021
The year has passed quickly and even as the AY2020/21 draws to a close, GTIS is already preparing for the new Academic Year - AY2021/22.
The new AY2021/22 shall be from 23rd November 2021 to 16th September 2022.
The Covid-19 pandemic have caused learning interruptions and the current AY had to be extended for students to adjust to the changes. Revision and Review programs were put into place in line with MoEYS’ directives to help students ease back into full time studies.
A re-alignment shall be made in the new AY to bring GTIS back to its original School year with the incorporation of an updated curriculum and timetable.
New enrolments are already coming in and we are looking forward to a fresh and new start.
Extended AY2020/21 is ending 4th November 2021
It had been a long school year with 13 months of school. 7 months were online/ZOOM classes home learning and 5 months of face-to face in-class learning. It was a difficult and challenging year for teachers and students and perhaps even for parents who had to cope with homebased learning.
Nonetheless, we shall end the Academic on a high note knowing that the Covid-19 situation in Cambodia is manageable and schools have returned to face-to-face, in-class learning for the foreseeable future.
As of this posting, students from Grade 1 to Grade 8 are sitting for their SA2 exams. Grade 9 students have already taken their SA2 exams and are looking forward to their Grade 9 National Exams (NE) which will be held in mid- November 2021. Teachers will continue to help these ones prepare for the NE.
We are proud of all our GTIS students (and our teachers) for the 100% passes each year and graduation to High School.
Many of the students had performed well enough to be accepted into the prestigious E2STEM school in Phnom Penh. This meant that these students have the amazing opportunity to continue their studies Grade 10 onwards in a special 5-year extended STEM Program.
School Reopened to students on 14th September 2021
After a 6-month period of physical absence from school, the students were excited and joyful to return to school for face-to-face learning and meeting their schoolmates and friends once again. The return to school was made possible with the strategic nation-wide, Government-led vaccination program for teachers and students.
Teachers were also very happy to receive their students. Prior to the re-opening, much preparation had to be made to ensure a safe and healthy environment for staff, students, and visiting parents dropping off and fetching their children. All staff worked together as a team to prepare and decorate the classrooms in readiness for the students’ return.
It was indeed a wonderful and lively morning when students returned to school, and at assembly time, they once again sang the National Anthem and school song.
Thank You to all Sponsors, Supporters, Stakeholders and Parents!
GTIS is a non-profit school. As such, the support of our sponsors, supporters, stakeholders and parents are of the utmost importance for the financial sustainability of the school operations.
There was a big drop in school fees collection at various times but we are encouraged that our overseas sponsors have responded wonderfully to our call for help.
We are thankful for God’s provision and favor upon GTIS, staff and students.
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:19
Thank You (pronounced Orkun), as written in Khmer.
GTIS In The Midst Of The COVID-19 Pandemic: Staff Well-being
The health and safety of every staff is another top priority at GTIS. Without teachers, there can be no delivery of lessons – online or otherwise.
QR Code for Contact Tracing purposes at GTIS
It was important that the school implemented a strict and consistent internal precautionary action plan. All staff and any visitors were to adhere strictly to the GTIS PAP (Precautionary Action Plan) which had incorporated every aspect of the prescribed SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) from the MoEYS and MOH.
In addition, all teachers, support staff and contractors received the COVID-19 vaccine in April 2021. We are grateful to the Government authorities which expedited the process for those involved in the education sector.
Queuing up for vaccination in April 2021
The school has also endeavored to keep all existing staff in employment in order that they may not suffer financial hardship and personal difficulties. There were some costs cutting measures but we can sincerely state that no one is worse off now than when the COVID-19 pandemic school lockdown started in March 2020.
The teachers have worked hard to learn new IT skills, producing teaching videos, hold ZOOM live classes. We commend and appreciate them.
GTIS In The Midst Of The COVID-19 Pandemic: Ensuring On-going Student Learning
Student learning is always a top priority at GTIS.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused schools in Cambodia to be closed for the most of the past 14 months.
Initially, it was both a challenge for the teachers to deliver lessons online and assess the student learning and for the students to have access to the internet, wifi and devices. We must remember that GTIS students does not necessarily come from wealthy families. The majority of students come from low to average income families and four children care and orphanage centers that send their children to the school. Not everyone has access to the internet and wifi nor have devices.
However, through the months, we can see how our teachers have persevered and advanced from producing teaching videos to now having live ZOOM classes.
For the students, there is now a high level of participation and enthusiasm. Parents are also highly supportive of how the school is managing student learning and assessment.
Following the Government’s prescribed SOP, teachers follow up closely with the students and parents during this period to help them see the value of continuous education and encourage them in their efforts.
GTIS In The Midst Of The COVID-19 Pandemic: School Closures
GTIS has followed the MoEYS directives to close the school to students for face-to-face learning but has been continuing to provide Online and E-learning.
We are thankful to have anticipated the school closures and had already started in March 2020 to equip the teachers with IT knowledge and upskilled them to produce Video lessons and upload lesson materials and worksheets.
With valuable lessons learnt in the 1st round of school closure, the teachers have been working tirelessly to improve their skills. They were adequately prepared and sprang into action when the recent closure from late March was ordered.
We shall look forward to the day when we can have our students back at school again.
ICMS-GTIS Community Blessing on 17th May 2021
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, GTIS had the privilege through our sponsor partner ICM Singapore to bless the local community in the school’s neighborhood.
It was wonderful and a joy to be able to serve those in need!
We learnt a lesson during these difficult times. Indeeed, “Blessed are those who can bless others”.
Our teachers are all ready to receive our community friends. The local authorities even came and commended the school!
Getting to know our community. Many entering the school for the first time
Villagers happily going home with their gifts!
Right Now
The school during the COVID-19 closure looks forlorn and empty while it waits to re-open and be filled with the noise and bustle of students once again. In the meantime, stay safe and study hard everyone! Follow the GTIS teaching videos that your teachers have diligently created to guide you, the worksheets sent to you as well as lesson notes.
Teacher’s Training
We never stop learning!
Study-From-Home
Schools in Cambodia are all closed, so why are our teachers still hard at work?
All busy preparing e-learning materials!
In a time of COVID-19
As COVID-19 makes its rounds through the nations, Cambodia has been affected too.
Earlier this week, a decision was made to close all schools in the kingdom.
For the first time, GTIS has been closed in the middle of a school term.
Despite that, the teachers have still been coming to school. Of course, those that are unwell are told to stay home.
Work discussions.
Instead of classes starting at 7am, there is time for staff worship, devotions and prayer.
A time for the 3 REs: to rest, recharge and re-calibrate.
Food and fellowship is always welcome too!
