A headstart in life for children

The international school is set to provide children with an exceptional educational experience covering pre-kindergarten level to high school.

JOHOR BARU: The American-style programme at Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) Forest City International School in Johor is designed to give children a headstart in life by providing education that grooms them to become well-rounded individuals.

The school, which is divided into several divisions, namely early childhood, elementary, middle and high school will be welcoming its first batch of students in August.

Its Head of School Graham Gamble said independent exploration of knowledge is a strong point of American education.

“We want students to be able to determine their own paths going forward, while being concerned citizens who care about world issues and make their own contributions,” he said.

He added that SSM’s new RM1bil campus in Forest City would boast a diverse array of facilities, including WeCreate, a laboratory where children can hone creative skills such as web design, architecture and woodworking.

Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School prepares students with 21st century skills to take on challenges posed by the world of tomorrow.

Meanwhile, its elementary school principal Wayne Burnett said children at elementary level are given a strong foundation for enquiry-based learning and problem solving.

“The focus is on Language Arts and Mathematics, as these are areas we have to get right from early on. It is learning to read and reading to learn.

“We also want to take them to a high level of competency in Mathematics so they can understand problems, figure out the steps to solve them and do the calculations easily,” Burnett said.

Its middle school principal Suzanne Herbert said the plus points at SSM are not just academic but also include invaluable life skills.

“We teach students to be analytical in their decision making as well as to read between the lines.

“With so much information readily available nowadays, it is important to question and determine what is true or false,” Herbert said.

High School principal Joe Lingle said research has shown that students learn better when they are engaged.

“The traditional method where students sit in rows and take notes while the teacher talks would create an exam-oriented mindset.

“We are more learner-focused instead by tapping into a student’s passions, and making it relevant for them,” Lingle said.