ISKL’S YOUNG STUDENTS RAISE RM1200, CLINCH TOP 3 PLACES IN SUN BEAR DAY COMPETITION

Earlier this month, Prep Junior (PJ) Sun Bear students participated in an online art competition hosted by the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) in Sandakan, Sabah.

"Throughout the past few weeks, in addition to the usual Prep Reception and Prep Junior (PRPJ) assignments, the students have been helping Dr. Wong, the founder, and CEO of BSBCC." shared Carolyn Curtis, the PJ teacher for the ISKL Sun Bears.

At ISKL, all Early Childhood student's classes are named after endangered animals in the world. These specific PJ students are named after the Malayan Sun Bears, the world's smallest bear who despite their size, are both powerful and intelligent.

"Due to the Movement Control Order in Malaysia, tourist traffic has dramatically ceased at BSBCC. Dr. Wong and his staff are facing many difficulties in feeding and caring for the bears where monthly costs can reach as high as RM120,000 a month," Carolyn added.

Carolyn explained how all the PRPJ students had initially participated in a Puzzle-a-Thon during Earth Week in April, getting their parents to sponsor an amount for each puzzle completed. The early learners raised approximately RM1,200 for BSBCC as well as donations for Zoo Negara and the World Wildlife Fund.

Inspired by this initiative, the PJ Sun Bears took part in three competitions on Sun Bear Day, which took place on May 16, 2020, such as a sun bear drawing, a sun bear video, and a crossword. They also attended a virtual tour of the conservation center via Facebook live stream on the BSBCC Facebook page.

"Twelve students, together with a sibling, participated in the drawing competition. As a class, they created a special video with the assistance of Prep Reception teacher Jasmine Teh and her very talented husband, Darren Ng," said Carolyn.

"On Sun Bear day, students and their families attended a Zoom meeting and watched the live Facebook feed. We toured BSBCC for an hour with Dr. Wong, and the students loved it, especially when he gave a special shout out to them. We again joined him at 2:00 pm to hear about the competition announcement winners,” she added.

Three of ISKL’s PJ Sun Bear students managed to clinch the top three places for the Sun Bear Drawing Competition in the Kindergarten Category. They were:

3rd place - Chloe T. who won a sun bear soft toy and a sun bear storybook	2nd place - Khanh P. who won a sun bear soft toy and a sun bear storybook	1st place - Zidaan R. who won a sun bear t-shirt and sun bear storybook

The PJ class also won ''Best Video,' which meant they got to adopt a sun bear for one whole entire year.

"The students and parents are beyond thrilled, as am I!" enthused Carolyn adding, "Our PJ Sun Bears are helping to spread the 'Save the Sun Bear' message far & wide - proving you don't have to be big, to make a difference in the world."