4 minute read
Oct 2022 Enchancing Whole School Wellbeing For All in International School
After briefly toying with the idea of having everything online and dismissing this as it would have been a strain to stare at a computer screen for the entire day, we decided to have some practical activities for the five visiting participants at the beginning and end of the day which were recorded and uploaded to the Shared Resources folder. Online participants were with us from around 10.30am – 3.30pm.
We tested Google Meet for the online sessions but opted for a Teams Webinar as it seemed more suited to the format. In-person participants (four Tanglin staff and five visitors from Singaporean and Malaysian schools) sat in front of a projector screen and approximately 10 other participants joined us in online discussions and presentations.
We had three different links to Teams meetings for the different sessions, but in hindsight one would have been easier, as online participants had to leave sessions and join different ones which caused some confusion. We also had a few issues with placing participants into breakout rooms for smaller group discussions (with a few of the in-person participants complaining of “home-learning PTSD”!). However, on the whole the technology was kind to us, and we were able to hold meaningful discussions.
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From the morning workshops on samba drums, Chinese instruments and gamelan, to the presentations on composition and music technology, to an interactive conducting workshop, to small group discussions on (I)GCSE, IB and A Level music, to a lively steel pans performance at the end of the day, the JAWS was a useful source of new ideas and making connections. Participants also contributed to a Shared Resources folder which is shaping up to be an excellent resource for us all to explore and utilise now that the workshop is over.
As a first-time organiser of a JAWS, it was certainly daunting, and I’m not sure whether I would run another hybrid event, but I personally got a huge amount out of the day and am hopeful that with the continuing lifting of restrictions the hybrid model will be replaced by fully in-person events in the not-too-distant future.
Helen Owain
Head of Senior Music Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
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SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS IN THE MAINSTREAM CLASSROOM EJAWS
On Friday 30th September, Discovery Bay International School was delighted to welcome colleagues from 41 FOBISIA’s schools to engage in a fantastic day of professional learning. Over 130 colleagues registered to attend the eJAWS, and 123 attendees joined for the day. Much as we would have loved to welcome colleagues in person, we celebrated the fact that so many colleagues, SENCOs, learning support teachers, class teachers and teaching assistants were able to join in such numbers. This incredible attendance gave depth and breadth to the professional dialogue that was a common feature across the day, and we thank everyone for their positive contributions throughout each of the sessions. Online fatigue may well be a hot topic at the moment, but this was certainly not the case last Friday!
Hello from many of the faces of FOBISIA!
The day started as we all considered what INCLUSION meant to our individual schools. What makes a school inclusive, and how do we work together to achieve it? The systems and processes that are needed to support our SEND Teams were discussed before colleagues from DBIS, and colleagues for 4 other FOBISIA schools, Garden International, KL, British School Manila, Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Malaysia and The British School Kathmandu, Nepal, completed the 12-session line up of sessions.
As the day progressed, it was clear that the golden thread that was woven throughout each and every session was the importance of RELATIONSHIPS. Relationships underpin the culture of our schools, the approach we take to supporting students most in need, and the way we work together to ensure that all in our school community are supported in achieving their full potential.
