Articles

Dr Norma J. Hudson

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Feb 02, 2015

Dr. Norma J. Hudson is described by faculty members as principled and very family oriented; values very much reflected in ISKL's School-wide Learning Results. Dr Hudson believes in on-going betterment of the school and not remaining stagnant.

Family Values

Part of the requirement in ISKLs admission policy is that students should provide proof of living with parents or a legal guardian. With two children of her own, Dr Norma Hudson believes that social problems could be curbed via quality communication between family and the school.“It is so important for ISKL that family and school is in communication constantly,” she said. Dr Hudson strives to provide an environment where transition is easier. “Our kids are very good about reaching to other children,” said Dr Hudson, “That is what ISKL is about: a sense of community and caring for each other.”Teamwork is important as one of the SLRs is Collaborate Constructively, but this does not mean that competition is not appreciated, especially on the sport fields. “Clearly the IB is a challenging program but what they are competing with is internal,” added Dr Hudson.At ISKL, students are taught that their journey is to better themselves and not be in a negative spirit towards other students.

Sweet Symphony

Previously holding a superintendent position in Saudi Arabia, Dr Hudson's favorite part of Malaysia is the rain. “Every time it rains I open up the windows!” she adds cheerfully. It is not surprising that Dr Hudson's favorite song is What A Wonderful World by legendary crooner, Louis Armstrong.Being head of school is similar to conducting a musical band, said Dr Norma J. Hudson who had also taught music and played lead piano in the latest ISKL musical showcase. Dr Hudson believes that as ISKL principal, she is the conductor playing to the tune of exceptional education with the SLR mission as the musical score and the band members being the amazing staff, teachers, parents and students who are wonderful at what they do.Other than music, Dr Hudson also reads John Grisham novels in between leadership textbooks while pursuing her doctorate.

Defining Success

What sets ISKL education apart from other schools is the emphasis on exceptional education and what it means. The students of ISKL graduate to become highly spirited global citizens which is reflected through the alumni.“Everybody is different and we want to be certain that we maximize their uniqueness,” explained Dr Norma Hudson, describing her expectation for ISKL faculty, staff and students.ISKL offers both IB and AP certification courses which is not usually offered in other schools. This has proved advantageous as ISKL is doing very well statistically with the AP and IB offerings. Dr Hudson works closely with school counselors to ensure both assessment programs are tailored for students to be most successful in.With ISKLs 50^th Anniversary coming soon in 2015, it is a wonderful time celebrate the past and look towards the future.

Future Plans

Dr Norma Hudson is focused on making ISKL become the premier school of choice. Construction for the new ISKL campus to be located in Ampang Hilir will blend both Melawati and Ampang campuses with a capacity of 2500 students. Working closely with InvestKL, ISKL aims to be a showcase school for Malaysia and beyond.With sustainability in mind, the new campus will be the first Malaysian school to own platinum green index status. There will be a common spine with protruding “fingers” where there will be cohesiveness and continuity between all the different grades: elementary, middle to high school.With space limitation out of the way, Dr Norma Hudson is looking forward to introducing more IB, AP and inclusive programs to offer in the future, in order to meet with student needs.To find out more about International School of Kuala Lumpur, click HERE.