239- Newsletter,January 2013

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents, The result day for Primary, Middle and A level students has been moved to Saturday 12th January 2013.

This change has been motivated by internal discussions to increase the numbers attending this important event. A separate notice will come from the head of the school outlining the arrangements. Secondary students will still have their result day on Friday the 11th January 2013.

We have shifted P.E. classes for grades 6 to 11 to the Bedian Road Sports Complex. This utilizes the same amount of time in one block for these groups. After school sport is highly recommenced and we need all students taking part in these activities. Research actually shows that students with a well-balanced life around study, sporting, cultural and social activities are more likely to be successful and remain healthy.

We will entertain applications from students in exam classes for an exemption from other activities later in the term leading up to these important public exams, until that time all students should be involved in sports and clubs.

I will be out of school for the next few days, my apologies for not being available during the P.T.M. but this absence is unavoidable. The relevant Head is available to meet with any parent and will keep me informed.

Congratulations to our O level boy’s Football Team on making to the semifinals of the Intra Regional Football Tournament.

We will continue to make an allowance in the morning timings as the cold weather and now foggy mornings persist.

Thank you for your efforts to see as little disruption to learning as possible.

Phillip Straw Principal

Please Visit The Beaconhouse Times Online for the latest news about Beaconhouse schools around the world.

A GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Primary

Back from Winter Holidays Beaconhouse Newlands reopened on January 1, 2013 after the winter holidays. A recording breaking wave of cold weather hit the city during the first week of the month. Due to the intense cold, the attendance remained low throughout the week.

In classes, students made interesting New Year resolutions to excel in sports and studies, as well as to maintain good behaviour with peers and teachers. Concepts learnt in the previous term were reinforced through different activities and worksheets in the classes.

Grade VIII Students Find Their Blood Groups Last week, the students of Grade VIII found their blood groups through an experiment under supervision of their Science teacher, Maham Aleem.

The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate the antigen-antibody interactions to the students.

Each student took a sample of 3 drops of their own blood on a slide and put antiserums on the blood sample. The blood group was then identified based on clumping and the sample was observed under the microscope. Through experimentation, the students had a chance to understand how complex biochemical reactions take place and help our bodies in working more efficiently.

Class V Elections Elections for selection of class prefect are in the air for students of grade V. Candidates have been nominated by relevant teachers on the base of their academic performance, behaviour and inter personal skills.

On January 8, 2013, the candidates gave their electoral speeches to their classes to garner votes for themselves. The elections will take place on Friday, January 10, 2013 through electronic voting.

Students Finding their Blood Groups

Elections in the Air

Learning Tower

A GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

News & Views from the Tower Reading Celebration 2013 At the stroke of midnight the carriage turns into a pumpkin, at the prick of a spindle needle an entire kingdom goes to sleep, at the sound of his name, Rumplestiltskin disappears and when the clock strikes 9: 50 everyone at Beaconhouse Newlands starts to read.

From parent to principal, from head boy to heads, from sweeper to staff, from security guards to students, every campus inhabitant will stop – where they are, drop whatever they are doing and read all they can. The magic will continue for ten minutes and then everyone will resume their normal scheduled activates.

All will read except one, our student with the candid camera to take shots of unaware readers.

The “Caught Reading” pictures will be displayed for viewing at the Learning Tower.

This marks the beginning of the annual “Reading Celebration 2013” at Beaconhouse Newlands, our rallying cry for this year, “EVERY BEACONITE A READER” We request all to take up this call, for together we can raise readers, thinkers and doers Annual Book Fair Our Annual Book Fair will start in the School Gym on the 10th of January and will continue till Saturday the 12th of January, 2013. The fair offers a unique opportunity to parents, families, teachers and students to purchase books at discounted rates and also to select books and resources for the Learning Tower. Renowned book sellers and publishers will be participating in the fair.

Learning Tower

A GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Reading Buddies Our Reading Buddy Program is also progressing after the winter break. A program where our senior students act as the Big Buddies and read with our Early Years and early Primary students, they being the Little Buddies.

Just wanted to share a few comments of the Big and little Buddies, copied from the record sheets, the Big Buddies are required to fill after every session.

Little Buddy’s reaction (recorded as spoken in original): Love book, they are very fun to me.

My Thoughts (Big Buddy): I love reading books with my Little Buddy. She is so sweet. I will always remember my Little Buddy Little Buddy’s Reaction book.

He enjoyed reading the book and exploring different things in the

My thoughts (Big Buddy): He is very sweet, responsive and working child. He responded very well to everything we did.

“We make learning happen here!”

The Learning Tower

Boarding

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THE HOUSEMASTER’S WINDOW Dear Parents/Guardians, Happy New Year! The advent of the New Year adds to our responsibilities and brings in us a chain of new activities, ambitions and milestones to achieve and cover. The long and lone journey in building up the basic infrastructure of the boarding house in less than a year and half is proceeding smoothly, however side by side we are also hoping to have a properly designed boarding house by the beginning of the new academic session in September 2013.The boarding house management is geared up to lay emphasis on the building up of the following attributes during the current year namely, 1. Character 2. Behavior Management 3. Dining Etiquettes The challenges are enormous but we are looking forward to the parents and the guardians to sail, float and support us while we are preparing a lesson plan for the healthy development of your child. The fundamental aspect of this effort revolves around in showing our care and love for the young while supervising his growth and monitoring closely his academic progress. We are concerned about his tomorrow, when he places himself around the world of his friends and family members all alone relying on his qualities and character, as he is the GOVERNOR of his own life. We would expect him to be different in his outlook, mannerism and habits from others when he leaves the boarding. A person far refined and tuned to meet the vicissitudes of life through his abilities and learning.

The Behavior Management Policy is designed to provide a supportive, caring and pragmatic environment where students can fulfill their potential and become independent and interdependent members of the wider community able to contribute in a wider range of activities. The task remains gigantic, nevertheless the effort in the direction is focused and every possible avenue is being explored to net all individuals to garner their support and understanding for the systematic upbringing of the child in boarding. The staff is determined to bring closer the new parameters, expectations and life realities to the students and their parents/guardians.

The hitches remains for the reason that the backup force comprising of family members mostly are unaware of the boarding life rules or its true essence .The laying of foundations the work for us goes on slowly. During the formative years these teething problems will keep haunting, cropping and hitting us but we will continue to wade across the muddy waters. The CHILD will remain our main focus.

The child needs to see and realize that many zones of his personality and development of good habits is a continuous job, he is only required to marshal his mental faculties to dip into these and polish himself by showing willingness and cooperation with the teaching staff for acquiring these additional traits.

He represents not only himself when outdoors; he carries his family history, images of his elders and the institution from where he gathered his pieces to acquire knowledge and wisdom.

We desire the parents to share the work load with us and support the implementation of the school rules.