We all know there are huge benefits to our kids diving into Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) in primary and secondary school. Chances are, your children love their CCA classes and would opt for more, if time permitted! Did you also know: we as parents play a significant role in how we can turn their CCA adventure into an inspiring experience. The impact of parental involvement goes beyond just encouraging participation; it extends to shaping a child’s attitude, commitment, and overall experience in these activities.
Nurturing Passion as a Family Affair
Discovering Passions Together
Children, especially the younger ones, would benefit from their parents’ guidance in finding out what they are passionate about. Chat with them, explore their interests and help them see what might be a good CCA match for them.
What you can do:
- Support them in exploring activities that align with their passions.
- Have open and non-judgemental conversations to understand their preferences and the strengths and areas that they (and not just their parents!) want to develop.
Observe Their Behaviour
Sometimes, children aren’t necessarily able to articulate what they are interested in. See how much initiative they take to perform an activity, or whether they might just be doing the bare minimum. Often, this can serve as telling indicator of whether there is genuine interest in the task.
What you can do:
- Notice their enthusiasm and engagement when they participate in certain activities .
- Ask open-ended questions to learn more about their interests.
- Encourage them to ask questions and explore topics they find fascinating.
Choose the right school fit
Be sure to assess the CCA criteria in the school you are looking at, when shortlisting schools for your child. At The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), a myriad of CCA selections catering for students from Elementary, Middle to High School are offered, which go beyond the academic curriculum and enable students to learn collaboration, camaraderie and commitment. The Co-Curricular programme here complements the school’s holistic education in supporting students to explore their passions and interests, achieve their goals and better understand themselves.
What you can do:
- Ask the school: “How do you nurture passion in students?”
- Find out what skills they are equipping your child with, that might prove useful once they leave school.
- Learn how these skills are being practised within the school curriculum and beyond the classroom.
A World of Opportunities For Your Child
As parents, we all hope for a school that is filled with opportunities for our children. A chance for them to shine, a moment for them to realise untapped talent and a time for them to reach their fullest potential. At ISKL there is a heavy emphasis on participation in activities beyond the classroom – and with so many options, the kids can’t wait to get started!
“ISKL is such a good school that colleges all over the world come to ISKL to inform our students about their college. In addition, ISKL offers so many extracurriculars that it proves to be a challenge to pick as there are only five days in a week!”
At ISKL, the Co-Curricular Programme provides opportunities for young learners in Elementary School to discover hobbies, sports and interests beyond the school curriculum, develop and polish up their skills as they move into Middle School and also empower them subsequently to choose and lead clubs as they evolve to High School.
From Performing and Visual Arts options in Elementary School, such as Gamelan, Latin and Hip Hop Dancing Junior, Sketching and Painting, to Service/Academic choices such as Eco/Earth Club, Cub Scouts and Science and Tell, there are indeed ample opportunities for young children to not only discover new passions and interests, but to also develop life skills, confidence and friendships.
Here, parents are guaranteed high quality choices for after-school activities, with a vast majority of offerings conducted by the ISKL teachers themselves, especially in Middle School. Options for CCA choices in Middle School include Girl Scouts, Theatre Tech Team, Rock Climbing, Mandarin Debate and sports options such as Volleyball, Table Tennis, Karate and so much more!
Students in Middle School are also able to participate in Malaysia Week every year – an interdisciplinary education programme that exposes the school’s diverse community to the beautiful outdoors of Malaysia – its tropical reefs, lush rainforests and sandy beaches. Students get to work together as a community and deal with new situations, recognising self-perceived limitations and challenging themselves to go beyond their comfort zones.
In High School, ISKL students have more than 70 types of co-curricular activities available – ranging from Advocacy, Arts, Services, Humanities and Business to Language and Culture, STEM, Sustainability and Wellness Clubs (not to mention all sports options!). In High School, students are empowered to not only choose, but to also lead clubs based on their interests, competencies and aspirations in preparation for life beyond the school.
Parent of a High School Student
“As the IB program is known to be a demanding and rigorous program, all my earlier concerns were dispelled, having seen how the school not only supported her academically but also gave my daughter a platform to discover new skills and untapped talent that we never knew she had before.”
How does participating in CCA benefit the students’ holistic development?
Through CCA, students have the ability to display their creative skills via talent shows, theatrical productions, art exhibitions and more. In fact, at ISKL, creativity is central to their students’ development and they have daily opportunities to creatively express themselves. ‘Think Creatively’ is at the forefront of ISKL’s School-Wide Learning Results (SLRS,) based on six learning outcomes.
Zafran – An ISKL alumnus
” ‘Thinking Creatively’ is an SLR that I try to apply often. I also applied thinking creatively to a project that I created over the summer called the ‘Giving Gap’ – a simple charity project.”
ISKL students are also exposed to service-learning and environmental awareness programmes, incorporating various initiatives and activities which equip them to make positive changes while honing their skills in community involvement. Here, your child is taught to make a difference globally and have an ethical impact on the world.
The school also provides cultural enrichment experiences and travel throughout the region for service learning, sporting tournaments and cultural conventions. Parents are also invited to showcase their child’s learning in live performances and tournaments.
A World of Opportunities for You – The Parent
The opportunities offered at ISKL extend beyond their students, to the parents themselves. As ISKL has grown to be one of the leading international schools in the country, it has developed a strong culture of care and empathy, coupled with an environment which highly encourages parental involvement.
- Parents can opt to be a part of the community choir, sporting events, international festivals, in-house readings, charity or fundraiser events, or even host students from different international schools during sports and activities events held through the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS).
Alexandra Chan, ISKL parent
“Besides the incredible campus, I love that parents are encouraged to become involved within the community on so many levels. There is no separation between parents and educators, so we feel united as one big family.”
- Joining the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) allows parents to organise community-building events and play a significant role in welcoming new families.
- Parents can explore and exercise some of their own interests and skills by running parent-led workshops. Be it a session on languages, cooking or fitness, parents have the opportunity to network with each other and discover shared interests. Take for example, Sara, an active parent of 3 ISKL students, who organised online floral workshops during the pandemic, which were a big hit within the community at ISKL.
- The school’s Board of Directors are also made up of parents themselves, who are elected by a voting process by fellow ISKL parents.
As parents, we want the best for our children in their schooling years – an all-encompassing holistic education which takes them beyond the classroom and prepares them for life after school; a curriculum which shapes them into global citizens and celebrates international mindedness. A school culture which invites parents to be a partner in their child’s learning journey. Here, at ISKL there are a world of opportunities for all that – and more.
This post is sponsored by The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL).
If you would like to find out more about ISKL and how passion is nurtured in the school or how your child can benefit from the different opportunities offered, do check out their Open Day on 21st February 2024, from 9.00am to 12.00pm at their campus at No.2, Lorong Kelab Polo Di Raja, Ampang Hilir, 55000 Kuala Lumpur.
