Husky Herald A CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PUBLICATION DECEMBER, 2010
GHOSTS AND GOBLINS AT CIS PAGE 3
CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AT TK PAGE 10
THE WAYFINDERS ROCK SINGAPORE PAGE 13
DRAMA IN ISTANBUL PAGE 30 MICA (P) 205/09/2010
CONTENTS REGULARS 8 16 24 32 34
JE High School Gallery Tanjong Katong Gallery TT Elementary School Gallery JE Middle School Gallery School Calendar
FEATURES
The Husky Herald is published bimonthly (5 issues per school year) by the Communications Department. It is distributed to families and staff of the Canadian International School. COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT Toh Tuck Campus 5 Toh Tuck Road Singapore 596679
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Ghosts and Goblins at CIS Uniting Nations at Toh Tuck - Moe Honda Reflects Exciting Opportunities Ahead Exploring the World of Science The Exploratory Years Take Learning Outdoors Cultural Celebrations at TK Inquiring Minds at Toh Tuck Movember at CIS The Wayfinders Rock Singapore Open Minds - The Ultimate Field Experience Assemblies at TK - Pulling the School Together Alumni Feature - Caitlin Yeo CIS Swim Team Makes a Big Splash at First Meet Singapore International Schools Mathematics Competition Teachers Investigate Inquiry I’m Living My Dream - Downhill Biking (DH) What Students are Saying about Brainology at JE Horsing Around at TK Assessment - Going Beyond Tests and Scores Students Test Drive Careers in Cooperative Education Drama in Istanbul
Website: www.cis.edu.sg Email: communications@cis.edu.sg Phone: +65 6467 1732
MICA (P) 205/09/2010
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CIS Husky Herald - December 2010
Editor: Assistant Editor: Photography:
Michelle Sharp Natasha Cruz Rae Hong and CIS teachers
GHOSTS AND GOBLINS AT CIS
By Jane Donaldson, CIS PTA President There was no shortage of ghosts, goblins, pirates and princesses at this year’s “Tailgating for Treats” Halloween events! The CIS PTA was delighted to organize this annual traditional on October 30th at both the TT and TK campuses. It was a magical night, as nearly 1200 CIS students dressed up to eagerly collect treats from an impressive lineup of decorated cars. With treats in hand, children moved on to enjoy bouncy castles, haunted houses, games of all sorts and the opportunity to spend a memorable night with their friends and family. Many parents and teachers joined in the action, as several Dads were spotted demonstrating their superior gaming techniques in games like ‘Splat the Rat’, ‘Severed Head Toss’ and ‘Pumpkin Bowling’!
Committee would like to express its sincere appreciation and thanks to all the attendees and volunteers who made this event so special. On behalf of the CIS community, I wish to send out a huge thank you to the PTA Executive Committee who worked tirelessly throughout the months of September and October to capture the spirit of Halloween for kids young and old.
One of the defining features of this annual tradition is the participation of the entire CIS community. Aside from the many eager Trick-or-Treaters, over 100 students from the CIS High School, Middle School and Girl Scouts, volunteered their time by running the games, preparing the haunted houses, taking tickets, etc. Many parents and teachers across the three campuses also volunteered their personal time in creating the magic we all enjoyed that evening. The CIS Staff and Principals provided tremendous support throughout the entire planning process. For all of this wonderful support and participation, the PTA Executive
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UNITING NATIONS AT TOH TUCK - MOE HONDA REFLECTS By Moe Honda, Grade 3-2
At the Parade of Nations, I saw many kinds of clothes from many countries. Some country’s clothes were colourful, shiny and sparkly. In Japan, we wear a ‘yukata’, ‘kimono’, or ‘happi’. I was wearing a ‘yukata’, which was white with a flower design. I could not count how many countries were parading because there were so many! I thought it was fun to parade because we could see many kinds of clothes and find our friends parading. I called their names and said, “You look great!” At Food Festival, many moms came to help and were ready to give us different foods. I saw that many Japanese moms were making yummy food for us. There were many foods so I could not choose very quickly. I thought all the moms were happy at the Food Festival because we ate their food happily and said to them, “Thank you. It is very yummy!” I wish everyday was a celebration. To end the week, we enjoyed the Cultural Celebration. I listened to the Husky Choir sing and watched some amazing dances such as the Mexican dance, an Irish dance and a Chinese dance. My favourite song was O’Siem, which was sung by all the Grade Three students. I think we sang well. Andy, my mom said, “It sounded so great”, so I felt so glad. This year’s theme is ‘Friends Under One Sun’. I think that if we want to make friends with other people, we need to be kind to them or we cannot become closer friends.
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CIS Husky Herald - December 2010
Photo by Anna Peterson
EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD By Dr. Glenn Odland, Head of School experiences, which will extend their learning and ensure a well rounded education. Recreational areas have been thoughtfully designed to ensure that they are age appropriate and offer additional learning opportunities. We know that many of you will be eager to see Lakeside before the move. As we get closer to the move in date, we will announce dates for staff, parents and students to visit Lakeside and see their new home. It was with great anticipation that I recently announced the move in date for the new Lakeside campus. As Head of School, I am excited about the transitions and opportunities that lie ahead for the CIS community. There have been a number of important announcements over the past weeks at CIS. We are delighted to have secured two excellent candidates for the Toh Tuck Principal and Vice Principal positions. Rob Kiddell, Principal, and Mario Gauci, Vice Principal, will join CIS in July 2011 and are both seasoned educators with vast experience and a strong understanding of, and commitment to, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. I am certain that under Rob and Mario’s experienced leadership, and with Sharon Gibson’s assistance, the Toh Tuck community will experience a smooth transition to Lakeside. With a move date of October 31, 2011 confirmed, we are looking ahead with eager anticipation of the opportunities
that lie ahead for our students and for us as a school. Although bricks and mortar do not make a strong academic programme, the facilities at Lakeside will offer us the ability to showcase the many talents of our students and enhance our academic, fine and performing arts and sporting programmes. Facilities such as the 500 seat auditorium with a professional fly tower will allow us to host dramatic and musical performances onsite in an amazing location. The elevated soccer field, upon completion, will allow us to host competitive soccer matches on home turf and will accommodate a large crowd of spectators. The atmosphere in the gym will be electric as our Huskies go for gold in competitive basketball! The campus will house purpose built science, language and computer labs, dedicated specialist areas such as art, music, music practice, and band and drama rooms. These will enhance our programmes and offer our students amazing opportunities and
Our TK community will remain on the East Coast and there are a number of new and exciting developments on the horizon. Construction of covered basketball and futsal courts are currently underway, as well as the expansion of the creative playground area. Other capital development possibilities are currently being reviewed, and will be communicated as soon as they are confirmed. We are happy to say that our PYP authorisation visit for TK will occur in March 2011. We will continue with the authorization process for the MYP and the programmes offered next school year will expand to include grade 10. At CIS, 2011 will be a year of transition that will be filled with anticipation and excitement. As always, our primary mandate remains to engage, enlighten and empower our students for a lifetime of endless opportunities.
Lakeside construction updates are available on the school website www.cis.edu.sg
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EXPLORING THE WORLD OF SCIENCE
By Piyanka Dilawari, Science Learning Lead Grade 7 to 12 Students in grades 7 to 12 at JE this year are enjoying some exciting scientific exploration. Extra lab space and a strong inquiry based programme are assisting us to drive toward our vision of taking students interactions with science beyond textbooks. Students in grades 7 and 8 started the year off with some captivating investigative scientific enquiry. Hands on investigations in grade 7, saw students working on a standing jump lab where they investigated the difference between swinging arms and non-swinging arms, and what effect they have on how far someone can jump. Grade 8 students performed an investigation to test the different factors that affects the speed of a gyrocopter. After students completed their initial investigation, they designed and built their own gyrocopter in small groups. Upon completion of the gyrocopters, students competed to see whose machine could stay in the air the longest. Grade 9 students recently completed a unit on ecology, which presented them with an opportunity to grow their own ecosystem and evaluate the factors that affected its success. Students did a fabulous job in creating ecosystems that ranged from bottles containing worms to big aquariums with different marine life. They also had the opportunity to explore and learn about an endangered plant or animal species and composed an essay on their findings. Grade 10 students have been engaged in many activities that have seen them researching different chemical disasters that have occurred
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in the world, to planning their own lab to measure the rate of reactions. In the chemistry unit, they also had an opportunity to observe various experiments that demonstrate science can be really fun. Their favourite experiments were the “Elephant toothpaste” and the “Gummy bear explosion”. One of the highlights for the science department this academic year was a project taken on by year 1 and 2 IB students. The students demonstrated characteristics of the IB learner profile whilst organizing special lessons for each of the grade 4 classes to teach them about “Scientific Inquiry”. The grade 11 and 12 students took on the role of a teacher/scientist and showed the younger students how they use inquiry in everyday science lessons. Their teaching session introduced the concept of inquiry and included two demonstrations and one hands on activity. The excited middle school students were engaged in various activities such as making plastic, test tube mirrors and conducting vinegar and baking soda reactions. This project gave senior students insight into the teaching profession and a chance to apply their scientific knowledge. Looking back over the year so far, we feel we have had a very good start thanks to expanded facilities and great enthusiasm from both teachers and students who have been willing to try new things. We will continue to nurture the strong culture of curiosity and aim to develop a love of science in all students. If you have any suggestions
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or would like to learn more about what we are doing and planning, please do reach out to any member of the science department – we would love to hear from you!
THE EXPLORATORY YEARS TAKE LEARNING OUTDOORS By the SK Team, TT Campus
The Exploratory Years children have been playing in our outdoor areas in new ways this year. We know that the time our children spend outdoors is as important as the time they spend inside the classroom, and that children need rich and stimulating outdoor environments for creative play opportunities. During morning and lunch recess, the playground, field, sand pit and enchanted garden is set-up to engage children in this type of meaningful play. The children use materials and resources from their classrooms to play in creative new ways and to play with children they might not have played with as a part of their regular recess routine. The space and the objects placed in it encourage children to interact during play, which promotes dialogue and collaborative decision making. In our outdoor areas, we see that inquiry occurs naturally and it is truly an extension of our classroom learning environment.
showing a sense of pride and independence. The traits of the Learner Profile can be seen coming to life in the outdoor areas. The children take risks as they explore new roles and play strategies, and acquire new skills. Those who would normally play a running game on the field are drawn to the PE equipment that has been set out. The children that are more likely to spend time on the playground have different
choices available to them: maybe a cosy corner with a book, or building a make believe village for dinosaurs. They are learning to make choices regarding the type of play they engage themselves in as they learn to understand the importance of balance in their daily routine. Some choose to play a physical activity on the field and others will choose a more relaxed activity such as painting or drawing on the chalk boards.
By thoughtfully placing resources and creating inviting spaces, the children are supported in their play to develop cooperation skills as they come to discover these areas together. Cooperation and collaboration do not end when it is time to pack up for class. The children have enthusiastically taken responsibility for not only helping with the planning and set-up of these outdoor spaces, but they are also in charge of tidying up, thereby
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culturefest at high school
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culturefest at high school
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CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AT TK By Michellene Uy, Grade 3 Teacher Each year, Tanjong Katong’s annual Cultural Celebrations event brings a colourful and vibrant spirit to the CIS school community. I remember the first Cultural Celebration at TK when we only had 130 students in the Parade of Nations. As TK has grown over the past few years, so has the enthusiasm and spirit generated from the 3 day event. This year, 45 nationalities were represented in the parade of nations and 170 parent volunteers ensured that the food festival was a roaring success. It was evident that this year’s theme “Many Cultures, One Community” exemplified our community, where everyone came together to celebrate and appreciate one another’s culture.
performed a wonderful number in their colourful costumes. Throughout the 3 days of Cultural Celebrations, parents were invited to share with students stories of their home culture through arts and crafts, presentations, and games. Talk about a celebration! While the event may have ended, the community and multicultural spirit continues to stay alive at TK.
The first day of the Cultural Celebration brings the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations. Students and teachers are dressed in colourful costumes and march across the stage with enormous smiles whilst representing their country. The second day is the Food Fair. The elaborate display of food and decorations would not have been possible without the wonderful parent volunteers who contributed their time and culinary skills to make the event a success. TK students had an opportunity to be risk takers by tasting new foods that they had never had the chance to try before. The final day of the event brought the closing ceremony. Students and staff were enthralled by a Korean musician who played a traditional string instrument and a Mexican dance group, headed by a CIS parent, who
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CIS Husky Herald - December 2010
INQUIRING MINDS AT TOH TUCK
By Charla Marshall, TT PYP Curriculum Coordinator On October 14th and 15th, the staff at Toh Tuck engaged in two days of professional development around an inquirybased approach to teaching and learning. Inquiry: Building the Why and How put students at the centre of planning and asked how we as teachers listen to our students, provoke thinking, document their wonderings and thinking, and accompany them in their inquiries. Inquiry is a powerful approach to teaching and learning. Students construct knowledge by examining ideas, making and testing theories, playing with possibilities, collecting data, making predictions and solving problems. Teachers skillfully anticipate and assess student interests and needs throughout the inquiry and interweave these with curriculum expectations. The result is a complex, transdisciplinary unit of study in which students build meaningful connections and big understandings while developing relevant skills and knowledge. The professional development days provided an opportunity to share stories of inquiry, to review and extend ideas, to examine current practices, and to plan for next steps. All staff, including homeroom teachers, specialists and educational assistants attended breakout sessions to take a closer look at inquiry from different perspectives. In one session, staff looked at the instructive power of the environments we create with children, and the opportunities for inquiry which the environments make possible.
Many teachers expressed an interest in continuing to explore this topic, and our Exploratory Years teachers are participating in a book study to further their learning and practice. In object-based inquiry, the use of objects to engage students in thinking, deepening understanding, and developing skills needed in learning was inspirational to many staff members. “Object based inquiry gave me all kinds of new ways of looking at provocations and questioning,” one teacher shared after the session. This workshop had a strong influence on the Grade Three team’s planning for an inquiry into how plants are a life-sustaining resource for us and other living things. Each class began the unit with a sensory-based exploration of 10 “mystery” objects selected to engage students’ thinking about plants and to assess their current understanding of the central idea to inform planning for the unit. Documentation, from passive to active, asked teachers to examine their own practices by exploring the idea of documentation as both a noun and as a verb. Active documentation in the classroom becomes “visible listening,” and a powerful tool used for discussion and for guiding inquiries. “I will focus on using the documentation done with the kids to take learning further,” became a teacher’s goal after attending the session. Changes in documentation practice are visible in classrooms and hallways throughout the Toh Tuck campus, and have influenced how teams of
teachers are planning together. In addition to attending the breakout sessions and observing stories of inquiry from a keynote speaker, teachers spent time planning together in teams to put some of their new ideas and reflections into practice. This resulted in some exciting learning opportunities for the students at Toh Tuck over the next few weeks. Teachers reported that the Professional Development Days will have an impact on the learning in their classroom programmes. “It has changed the focus of my planning – to allow for more student choice.” “It made me critique and rethink my own classroom practice.” “Inspiration from examples of inquiry made me step back and have a look at my program for ways to improve.” “I think it will have a great impact on our planning as a team.” “Our team has already been working on implementing some of the goals we identified.” The PYP characterizes inquirers as those with natural curiosity - independent learners who actively enjoy learning and who sustain this love of learning throughout their lives. Whether learning new skills and ideas or reexamining current practices, the professional development days were a valuable opportunity for the Toh Tuck staff to demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and to further best practices.
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MOVEMBER AT CIS
By David Moore, TT PE Specialist Some of you may be wondering why so many male staff at CIS were sporting such fashionable moustaches throughout the month of November? Well, believe it or not, it was because the month formerly known as November was transformed into MOvember! Those crazy - and oh so appealing - facial creations were cultivated to raise awareness of men’s health issues. Indeed moustaches around the campuses raised a few eyebrows as well! Men in many countries around the world participate in MOvember each year to help raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. At CIS, the month culminated in some of the grades voting for the best “MO” on each campus. The chosen few then competed for the honour of becoming the CIS “Man of MOvember”. This illustrious honour went to Mr. Justin Sarich from the JE campus. Should you have any questions about the purpose of MOvember or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to ask a MO Bro!
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THE WAYFINDERS ROCK SINGAPORE By Angela Butler, Grade 12
CIS. Standing up there and performing on stage is not synonymous to being fed to a pack of wolves, though it might seem it at first. However, those of you who’ve been in the same situation know that the feeling is fleeting and temporary. As soon as the lights flashed and I saw familiar faces in the audience, well, it felt just like heaven. Photos by Tomoya Sekine
High School Rock Band - The Wayfinders - performed as part of the Ministry of Education’s World In Singapore Concert at the Esplanade Theatre in front of 1800 people in November. The Wayfinders are: Angela Butler Thomas Foggin Sage Walmsley Jamil Schulze Nazha Lomboan Shannon Gallagher Mr. Patton More information can be found at our Reverbnation site including video of the show and a free download of Bittersweet Drive. http://www.reverbnation. com/thewayfindersband#! It is Tuesday, November 16th. Hearts are beating madly in our chests. Nervous hands are fiddling and adjusting microphone stands and guitar straps. That weak-in-the-knees and sick-to-the-stomach feeling
minutes before is almost too much to bear. Imaginary voices in our heads are repeating the verse and chorus lines over and over again. This is what it felt like to be standing behind the curtains of the Esplanade theatre, waiting in anticipation (or maybe dread) for our band, The Wayfinders, to be called upon to perform two songs “Just like Heaven” by The Cure and an original song called “Bittersweet Drive” for the World in Singapore concert organized by the Ministry of Education. Looking around at the 7 of us that made up the band this year, I reminisced on how year after year, our band would go through the departure and arrival of members. After many years of performing at assemblies in school and a few gigs outside of school, we managed to finally score the amazing chance to play at the Esplanade theatre, something that was a first for
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OPEN MINDS - THE ULTIMATE FIELD EXPERIENCE By Shauna Cottrell, JE Grade 4 Learning Leader Over the course of the last month, Grade 4 classes had the opportunity to engage in authentic inquires during our “Sharing the Planet” UOI. Students had the opportunity to engage in inquiry based learning with primary resources. In this case, the resources were: the natural ecosystems in which we studied connections between living and non-living things, features and environmental conditions at Pasir Ris Park and Dairy Farm Nature Park, living examples of biodiversity, as well as an opportunity to learn and perform several scientific tests that allowed students to gain knowledge into the ecosystems which they were studying. It was an exciting, innovative learning experience which took us out of the classroom into a variety of real world settings. Students utilized inquiry skills such as note taking (NonFiction Texts), note making and observation. All of these skills were first developed in the classroom so that students could document their learning. It was authentic, relevant, and memorable. Here is what Matthew, a student in 4-1C, has to say about our Open Minds Program: PASIR RIS There are a lot of things to learn at Pasir Ris. When we first went there, we went to the beach. We found many gastropods and bivalves along the beach. Kaelen and I also
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found crabs - also organic - don’t worry they were nonliving. We learned that a bivalve is like a clam shell and a gastropod is a home for a small hermit crab. The bivalve is a home for a clam. Sometimes the shell is in half, it is like that because the waves from the sea might have knocked the other half of the shell off. The sea shells were an example of biodiversity, which means it is the same species, but they are different. At Pasir Ris we also did some water testing at the beach. We got to make a hypothesis about what type of water it would be. Most of the kids said it would be salt, because there were fishermen fishing and that meant the sea was near. There are several steps you take when you are water testing. You put the thermometer in the water. As it will take a while to read the temperature you can check the pH of the water while you are waiting. The three pH levels that the water could be are acidic, basic and neutral. Then you can test the salt level. We had a special meter and when you put water in it, it told us how salty the water was. We can then use the results from these tests to find out if certain animals can survive in different habitats. For example, we tested the pond at our school to see if it could hold a mud skipper. We decided that the mud skipper from Pasir Ris would not able to go in our pond because it was the wrong salinity. You can understand why water testing is important when trying to see what types of animals can live
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in different places. In the mangroves, we found out that the mud lobster makes the hole for the crab and the crab takes the hole from the mud lobster. Mud lobsters will dig a hole to a depth of 2 metres to protect themselves from their predators, such as crabs. This is an example of commensalism because the lobster works very hard and the crab gets more benefits. By Matthew Angoh Here is what Eli and Sean, students in 4-1C, have to say about Open Minds at Dairy Farm: DAIRY FARM During Open Minds, we learned to test soil and water so that we can compare environmental conditions to other places. With this information, we can decide if a species may live in different places. The conditions we tested for were pH, temperature, salinity, and water and soil type.
shade near a tree and made our way away from the tree towards the sun. We had to see how many plants there were every time we moved it. My hypothesis was that there would be more plants in the sun. My hypothesis was not exactly correct because I found out that there were more species in the shade, but that a bigger variety of plants were in the sun. I thought that the experiment was fun because we used math vocabulary in our UOI. Connections Water and soil testing and the quadrate experiment are related to our central idea (living and non-living things in eco-systems are connected) because all those tests help us know more about each ecosystems and connect living and non-living things.
Soil Testing In dairy farm we did soil testing. These are the results: pH=7, moisture=1, pH id= acidic, temperature=27, soil type=mixture. Those were the results that we got. Water Testing When we did water testing in dairy farm we got some good results. These are the results: ppi=>16, pH=5, pH id=acidic, temperature=27.5 degrees Celsius, water type=fresh. Those were the results. Quadrate experiment We put a quadrate in the
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STORYBOOK CHARACTER DAY AT TK
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CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AT TK
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ASSEMBLIES AT TK – PULLING THE SCHOOL TOGETHER By Jim Gibson, TK Principal
As our school has grown, so has our need to change the format for our school assemblies. We initially had a need to develop a culture of inclusiveness and togetherness that allowed students at every level to appreciate the efforts of those either older or younger than themselves. There were also times when we wanted the consistency of all students hearing or seeing the same presentation at the same time. To address our need to have all assemblies run for an age appropriate length of time and include content that is meaningful for the respective audiences, we have moved to a combination of grade level and full school assemblies. At this point, the change seems to be going very well. We began the year with a full school Welcome Back assembly. Over the course of the year, we plan to have four
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other full school assemblies: the Cultural Celebration, the Holiday Concert, the Chinese New Year assembly and the Year End Closing assembly. Over the course of these assemblies, every grade level will have the opportunity to perform in front of the entire school. We have also sectioned our school into a variety of grade groupings where students will gather in smaller groups to share or perform in front of their most immediate peers. Grade level assemblies will be held three times a year and, once again, all students will have the opportunity to perform, albeit in a more intimate setting. At this time, we have enjoyed a great mix of full school and grade level assemblies where students have presented to very accepting audiences.
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Nothing warms the heart more than to see an older student helping or acknowledging a younger student. It is also wonderful to see a younger student pointing and thinking “There is my reading buddy� as they perform on stage. Being part of an assembly teaches students not only how to be a good audience member, but also to be respectful and understanding of the courage it takes to perform in front of others. We have found this mix of assemblies a great way to share and celebrate student learning and to provide every parent the opportunity to see their child shine. It also helps us to maintain the culture of our very tight knit community. We are very pleased with how things have gone thus far and are looking forward to building even stronger bonds within our campus through assemblies.
ALUMNI FEATURE: CAITLIN YEO By Natasha Cruz, Communications
for undergraduate education in Life Sciences. I graduated with distinction after 3 years and made the transition to medical school.
Natasha Cruz, a member of the CIS Communications department, had the chance to catch up with Caitlin Yeo, a graduate of the class of 2006. Caitlin not only was consistently on the Honour Roll, but was also active in other school activities, such as playing basketball, taking part in the Student Council and even writing for the previous school magazine, JustInked. Currently a medical student at Queen’s University, Canada, she candidly reflects on her time at CIS and shares some of her experience since graduating. Tell me a little bit about yourself. I am currently a second year medical student at Queen’s University, Kingston. I was born in Canada and migrated to Singapore in 1993. I attended CIS from 1997 to 2005 as my parents felt that it would allow me to transition easily back to school in Canada. When I returned to Richmond Hill (Ontario) for my grade 12 year I found that my education at CIS had prepared me well for academic success. I was accepted into Queen’s University with a scholarship
What do you enjoy most about what you are currently doing? The field of medicine is an immensely rewarding career and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I find that the material that we cover is relevant and stimulating. Even at the novice stage that I am at, we get the chance to see real patients in the hospital and make a difference in their lives. I’ve also done some electives in developing countries such as Thailand and being able to help those that live without the benefits of basic healthcare is an amazing experience. What sort of challenges do you face? Medicine is not an easy career. There is a lot of schooling involved, and it can also be very emotionally and physically draining. My class and I are also actively involved in a variety of sports, charity events and social activities. In addition, I am interested in becoming a surgeon and this will require extra years of training, as well as very long work hours. There are challenges to balancing career, lifestyle and family. Is this what you had envisaged yourself doing upon graduation from CIS? I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was about 3 years old. I remember sitting in Mr.
Brydon’s careers class and reviewing the requirements and personality traits that would be required to pursue medicine. Despite the daunting task ahead my determination did not waver. In what way has CIS helped in getting where you are now? CIS is a very special school and I look back at my time spent there with fond memories. The class and school size allowed the teachers to spend time investing in each individual. CIS also picked teachers that were passionate about not just teaching, but guiding students as well. There was a lot of attention given to each student to nurture them and help them grow. It gave me a lot of opportunities to participate in a huge range of activities that would not have been possible at some other schools. While at CIS, I was involved with a myriad of activities ranging from basketball, coaching, and rock climbing to student council, editing the school magazine and representing the school at conferences. I feel that CIS allowed me to become a well-rounded student and to learn to balance a busy schedule. Do you have any advice or last words to dispense to current students? You have been given an amazing opportunity, so make the most of your years at CIS. You will only be as successful as you push yourself to be. Remember not to forget to enjoy the little things in life as well.
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CIS SWIM TEAM MAKES A BIG SPLASH AT FIRST MEET By Todd Bowler, JE Grades 7 to 12 Technology Learning Leader
CIS recently competed at the Dover Court invitational swim meet, held at Dover Court School on November 9th. The small but talented CIS team comprised of Steph Trisic, Scout Reading, Isla Hutchinson, Sara LabelleProvencher, Haley Little, Sofia Peres, Estelle Van Der Lienden, Joey Choo, and Jenny Choo.
and sister Jenny chimed in with another three first places and a second place. Haley Little, Isla Hutchinson and Steph Trisic all claimed places in their respective events. The senior girls freestyle relay team finished off a successful day for CIS with a well earned third in the U/13 girls event.
The team swam very well and gained a number of placings in the 25m program. Joey Choo placed first in all his events,
The team are looking forward to more upcoming meets and the prospect of hosting events at the new Lakeside Campus.
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CIS Husky Herald - December 2010
WELL DONE TEAM!
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS MATHEMATICS COMPETITION By Stephanie Shepherdson, JE Grades 7 to 12 Math Learning Leader
This year’s Singapore International Schools Mathematics Competition was hosted by Tanglin Trust school and seven schools fielded 18 teams. One of the founding schools for the South East Asian Mathematics Competition (SEAMC) from Kuala Lumpur brought three teams down to compete! The day began with the Individual Round where students had 1 hour to answer 30 questions. The second event saw students competing in a team to answer 13 questions, with a time limit for each question of 3 minutes. It was a very challenging round and after it was over we enjoyed a
well deserved short break! After the guest speaker, Dr. David Surowski, spoke on a topic dear to his heart, we entered the code breaker round. It was fun, challenging and fast paced. CIS did quite well! All that action and algebra worked up an appetite. The students needed to recharge for the last and most exciting round, the Energizer Round. Once again, students worked as a team. All the teams were presented with a question. Once they had the answer to the question, one team member had to run a circuit
around the column of teams before bringing the answer to the judges. If the answer was correct, the team was provided with the next question and moved on to repeat the process. If the answer was incorrect, the team could either try again, or, run a circuit as a penalty in order to move onto the next question. After the penalty circuit, teams were provided with the next question and proceeded from there. Our competitors were Albert Liu, Young Chan (Alex) Yoo, and Hanum (Daniel) Lee. They ranked 11th out of the 18 teams present. Congratulations team!
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TEACHERS INVESTIGATE INQUIRY By Cherie Boltong, TK PYP Coordinator
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” Naguib Mahfous On the 14th and 15th of October, the PYP (Primary Years Programme) teachers from ECE to grade 6, along with some single subject teachers from the TK campus, participated in an IBO in-school inquiry workshop. We were fortunate to have two presenters lead us through the workshop who are based in Australia and China, Nicole Gannane and Glenn James. We examined the PYP’s perspective into what inquiry is, and how inquiry happens. Inquiry is more than just asking questions, and does not just occur during our unit of inquiry. Inquiry has us actively participating in our learning, building upon what we already know and making sense of the world that is unique to each one of us. We reviewed what inquiry can mean. It can look like: • Exploring, wondering and
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questioning • Experimenting and playing with possibilities • Making connections between previous learning and current learning • Making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens • Collecting data and reporting findings • Clarifying existing ideas and reappraising perceptions of events • Deepening understanding through the application of a concept • Making and testing theories • Researching and seeking information • Taking and defending a position • Solving problems in a variety of ways (“Making the PYP Happen”, Page 29) Inquiry involves making sense of the world through engaging with the environment and looks different when comparing ages and situations. As part of the workshop, we embarked on our own inquiries using the central ideas that our students
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examine in their UOIs (Units of Inquiry). Teachers went out to Chinatown, Sentosa, the Science Centre and the Singapore Art Museum. For some groups, what they learned along the way was more important than getting to where they thought they wanted to go. One group intended to inquire about a particular thing but once on site, the inquiry went in another direction. Another group of teachers saw other possibilities and opportunities in Chinatown to help further develop the inquiries they had experienced with their students this year. According to Marcel Provsk, “The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but seeing with new eyes.” I think that is something we all experienced during our own inquiries. This workshop confirmed the great work we are doing at TK and CIS, and also opened our minds to even greater possibilities. “If you want to build a ship, then don’t drum up men to gather wood, give orders and divide the work. Rather teach them to yearn for the far and endless sea.” Antoine de SaintExupery
I’M LIVING MY DREAM - DOWNHILL BIKING (DH) By Adrian Aakre, Grade 7 (JE Campus)
Downhill biking is a gravityassisted timed bike event. Riders race against the clock on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete. Races are often won by margins of under a second. Downhill races are held on steep, downhill terrain with no extended climbing sections, resulting in highspeed descents with extended air-time off jumps and other obstacles. Many ski areas are converted into biking venues in the summer, such as Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Canada. In most countries, bikers ride gondolas, trams or chair lifts to the starting point at the top of the mountains. Another method, “Shuttling”, uses motorized vehicles to transport riders to the top of the hill. In Singapore and several places in Malaysia, “push-up” is common. Heavy and hot but certain to improve your stamina.
Courses used in competition feature different “lines” through or around the most difficult obstacles. A-line is difficult and includes jumps and rock gardens. Riders can avoid obstacles by choosing the “chicken-line”. The chicken-line is longer and you will lose time. Downhill is an extreme sport and safety is extremely important. However, despite taking precautions, injuries can and do occur. DH gear features body armor and fullface helmets. Other protective gear, such as a neck brace, can be added to reduce the risk of neck and spinal injury. It is also very important that you have a bike that can sustain the heavy impacts of the course, with good front and rear suspension. I started DH when I moved to Singapore a year and a half ago. My first race was in Malaysia in January 2010. There I met Mann, who rides
for Singapore and team “Element DH/Banshee”. Mann wanted to be my mentor and that’s how I started riding for the same team as him. I bike as often as I can, be it downhill, cross country biking or at the bike park. There are no “real” downhill courses in Singapore, but there are areas where I can practice. Most of the races I go to are in Malaysia where they have a national down hill series. So far I have always been the youngest rider as most other riders are between 16 and 30+. Race categories are Junior, Open, Master and Elite. I want to be an elite rider. We take care of each other and have lots of fun even though we are competitors in races. We all love outdoor life and the fear we have when we are not sure if we can make it all the way down without a crash!
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CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AT TT
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CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AT TT
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WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT BRAINOLOGY AT JE By Grade 7 and 8 JE Students The BrainologyŽ program is an internationally recognised, fun and award-winning program that we use with our Grade 7 and 8 Middle School students. The program helps students gain confidence and motivates them to learn by teaching them about the brain, and how to apply brain-friendly study skills. For more information on Brainology, please visit http:// www.brainology.us/. Here are some comments from grade 8 students regarding brainology: Soumya: Study tips have been helpful, especially now before exams. This is a simple way to learn about a complex subject. Using an e-journal is a good learning skill. Liam: If it were a plain video it would be fun to watch, but I wouldn’t learn as much as I am. Hyukho: One level had information about how to memorize work better. I was able to use it for studying my English exam. Dylan: It has been worthwhile because of some studying strategies I have learned. One is that I start with what I know I can do and then move on to harder things. I also eat eggs in the morning. Jun Ho: It has helped me prepare for tests better.
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HORSING AROUND AT TK
By Dion Norman and Brian Hobbs, TK Campus Much like the TK campus itself, the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) programme has continued to grow and diversify. Thanks to our passionate and talented staff, we are continually able to provide more variety than ever in our Extra Curricular Activities offerings. Activities available to students include various sports - both recreational and competitive - and include dance, arts, music, computers, golf and equestrian. Equestrian at TK? Not quite at TK, but thanks to our own Canadian cowboy, Mr. Brian Hobbs, we were able work with the Bukit Timah Saddle Club, to add this to the list of our growing options.
unique and exciting! It provided students with an opportunity to experience something new. We will continue to look for new ways to engage students in a variety of new learning and sporting experiences. Who knows what will be on offer in the future?
The TK campus, in conjunction with Bukit Timah Saddle club, offered students a unique opportunity to participate in an equestrian ECA this semester. Eighteen students from grades one to six showed up every Saturday morning at 10:00AM ready to ride. The Saddle Club provided expert instruction and dedicated helpers as well as a string of perfect school horses for the riders. Initially, half the children would take a riding lesson while the others received stable management classes. Students eventually graduated and progressed from the management classes to helping lead the horses or ponies in the ring. The students made smooth progress and all are now able to sit the rising trot with many able to ride independently. The opportunity to participate in horse riding as part of the ECA programme is certainly
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ASSESSMENT - GOING BEYOND TESTS AND SCORES By Leanne Sunarya, TT PYP Coordinator At CIS we believe children enter school as competent, creative people full of new ideas. Our programmes, therefore, aim to build on the varied experiences and understandings children bring with them. We thoughtfully create learning environments that invite engagement in experiences that encourage children to question their pre-existing ideas, test their theories and revise and expand their knowledge of the world. We actively recognize the developmental nature of learning. To meet our children’s intellectual needs, assessment strategies at Toh Tuck go beyond the recall of knowledge. Of course, children are still required to build knowledge and master skills, but added to this is the development of their ability to apply what they have learned to tasks that reflect real life. We encourage them to be able to understand complex concepts, consider effective strategies, think critically and creatively, collaborate with others, problem solve and consider the impact their decisions may have on the world around them. It is our aim to develop assessment practices that will inform the essence of our teaching programmes and improve the learning of children. This requires the use of multiple forms of assessment tools and strategies if we are to gauge an individual child’s knowledge and abilities. For example, in Mathematics
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and Literacy, our teachers use a variety of diagnostic assessment tools. These tools enable them to analyze a child’s current stage of development, set individual learning goals, develop targeted skill and strategy lessons, provide effective feedback to support or challenge a child and monitor the child’s progress against a learning continuum. Our literacy and numeracy learning continuums have been benchmarked to form grade level expectations. A child in the Independence and Challenge Years will have their progress on the written report recorded as working towards, meeting or exceeding these expectations. In the Exploratory Years, teachers will develop a list of achievements that the child has attained within the classroom programme and identify their next steps in the learning journey. Knowledge, skills and conceptual understandings within the Units of Inquiry are assessed at various points. This means that even before a unit commences, teachers are able to gain an understanding of what children will bring to the inquiry. Throughout the unit, this helps teachers monitor the development of children’s ideas. Again, at the culmination of the unit, it helps teachers determine whether a child is able to use what they have learned. Grade level teaching teams develop a rubric that depicts the learning expectations of the Unit of Inquiry. Furthermore,
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teachers are able to analyse a child’s learning by: using observations of children at work, conversations with children about their work as well as tasks that are designed to allow children the opportunity to demonstrate their understandings. Portfolios accompany the child’s written report as they form a cumulative collection of a child’s work over time and visually show the progress being made.
STUDENTS TEST DRIVE CAREERS IN COOPERATIVE EDUCATION By Len Douglas, Cooperative Education Coordinator
What is Cooperative Education? Cooperative education is a 2 credit course in the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) that combines classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a “co-op”, provides an opportunity for students to earn academic credits for structured job-related work. Who can take Co-op? Grade 11 and 12 students who exhibit a responsible attitude. They must have completed or be completing a course directly related to the area of employment they are seeking. How does it work? Co-op allows students to earn credits for graduation while they regularly attend an off campus work placement. A student in co-op will spend part of their day in school based subjects and the other part of the day off campus in the designated workplace. They will be at the placement for a minimum of 2.5 hours each day, for five days each week, for the duration of the semester. Travel to and from school and the work place will be the student’s responsibility. This is a non-paid experience that will allow each participant to achieve 2 credits towards their diploma.
towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, students have a chance to “test drive a career”. This program allows the students to receive firsthand experience in the work world. They will also be able to develop skills and behaviours that will serve them well in future jobs. Their work placement will give them an opportunity to gain valuable experience that they can include on a resume and find out what skills are needed for certain professions or jobs.
session at their workplace and then begin working. This semester we have students working at Dell Corporation, Centre Stage School of the Arts, Samsung, Walton International, RECAS, Rodalink, EMAS, Little Wings Daycare, and the Toh Tuck campus of CIS.
What kind of work will I do? During the in-class component, students will complete a skills assessment, learn about health and safety issues, write resumes, practice job interviewing skills, all in preparation for their work placement. We try to match jobs to student’s interests. Once a suitable placement is found, the student will be involved in an orientation
Why take Co-op? Besides earning 2 credits
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DRAMA IN ISTANBUL
By Mark Patton, MYP Coordinator Istanbul - the very name excites the imagination! The capital of the ancient Byzantine and Ottoman empires was the destination for 11 adventurous CIS drama students and Turkey most certainly did not disappoint. Last year, our High School drama teacher Miss Stern
introduced the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) to CIS. ISTA holds several drama festivals around the world each year, staffed by professional actors and theatre experts. Last year, the students traveled to Beijing, China to participate.
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As one of the festivals coincided with our October break, we chose Istanbul as our ISTA festival this year. The break would give us the chance to spend a little time sightseeing as well. It was an experience we will not soon forget!
Good natured bargaining is a way of life there, as the students soon found out in the alleys of the Grand Bazaar.
Istanbul leaves quite an
As the sounds of the muezzin blare out of the minarets that dot the horizon, in Istanbul, there is no forgetting where you are. We loved every minute of our time in the city
impression. Ignoring such modern inconveniences as mind boggling traffic jams and $15 coffees, we threw ourselves into the exploration of a city steeped in history and wonder. The streets are alive all day long with merchants selling everything imaginable.
that connects the continents of Europe and Asia. We visited the Blue Mosque in between prayer times and stood in awe of the beauty of the Haghia Sofia. We explored the ancient underground cisterns that carried water throughout the city during Roman times.
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We climbed Galata tower and visited the Dolmabahce Palace. We viewed the treasures of the Ottomans in the Topkapi Palace museum and took a stunning sunset cruise on the Bosphorus - pretty amazing for a midsemester break. The purpose of our trip was the ISTA festival and this
consumed most of the last three days of the trip. Students quickly broke off into ensemble groups with students from other schools located in Turkey, Dubai, Qatar and Germany. They worked together over the weekend to produce a stunning theatre piece presented to
parents and supporters on Sunday. Over the course of the weekend, the students worked with renowned theatre educators and professionals from the UK and Canada and developed skills to help them with their love of performing.
ISTA participants take enormous risks over the course of a festival. They dive headfirst into improv work and dance and movement workshops. They spend four days living with complete strangers from a foreign culture. It never ceases to
amaze me how comfortable our students are in adapting to new situations! Our students forged friendships that will last a long time, rekindled their passion for acting and theatre, and fell in love with the wondrous city of Istanbul.
Photos by Mark Patton.
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UNITING NATIONS AT MIDDLE SCHOOL
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UNITING NATIONS AT MIDDLE SCHOOL
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SCHOOL CALENDAR - DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY SCHOOL WIDE:
TOH TUCK CAMPUS:
December 20 to Jan 7
December Break
December 17
Mass Workout - DREAM
January 10 15 26 27
Classes Resume CIS Old Fashioned Sports Day and Carnival End of Semester 1 Semester 2 Begins
January 21 27 28
Final Semester One Reports Issued Parent-Teacher Conferences (PM) Parent-Teacher Conferences (No Classes Scheduled)
February 2 to 4 17 18
Chinese New Year Year - No Classes John Joseph Parenting with the Brain in Mind:Raising Great Families Parent Workshop Professional Development Day (No Classes for Students)
February 11 17
Chinese New Year Celebration SK Concert
TANJONG KATONG CAMPUS: December 13 to 16 17 January 19 21 21 27 28 February 1 11
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Grade 8 and 9 Exams Holiday Concert Grade 6 Exhibition - Parent Meeting (7:00PM) Final Semester 1 Reports Issued Spirit Day - Team Day Parent-Teacher Conferences (PM) Parent-Teacher Conferences (No Classes Scheduled) Chinese New Year Assembly Open House (9:30AM to 12:00PM)
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JURONG EAST (MIDDLE SCHOOL) CAMPUS: January 21 26 26 to 27 28
Final Semester 1 Reports Issued Parent-Teacher Conferences (PM) Chinese New Year Showcase Parent-Teacher Conferences (No Classes Scheduled)
February 16 16
PYP Meeting - Language Arts Grade 8 Parent Night - High School
JURONG EAST (HIGH SCHOOL) CAMPUS: December 14 to 17
Exams
January 20 26 27
Grade 12 Music Night Professional Development Day - No Classes for Students OSSD Semester 2 Classes Begin
February 1 1 10 11 16 25
MYP Mid Year, DP Mid Year, OSSD Final Semester 1 Reports Issued Chinese New Year Assembly MYP, DP Parent Teacher Conferences (PM) Parent Teacher Conferences (No Classes Scheduled) Grade 8 Parent Night OSSD/DP Course Selections Due
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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SINGAPORE www.cis.edu.sg
Toh Tuck Campus • 5 Toh Tuck Road, Singapore 596679 • Phone: +65 6467 1732 Jurong East Campus • 561 Jurong East Street 24, Singapore 609561 • Phone: +65 6875 1519 or 6323 0208 Tanjong Katong Campus • 371 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437128 • Phone: +65 6345 1573 Email: communications@cis.edu.sg