Volume 1 Newsletter of International School Suva
Principal’s Report
20th February 2018 Inside this issue
Welcome to the new 2018 school year! We have much to appreciate and enjoy this year as we are off to a great start. The most obvious gain over last year are our new facilities, including a new arts building for Primary, a new grass field, an improved walkway between Primary and the bus drop-off, and less traffic congestion in front of the school due to added staff parking. In addition, we have greatly improved internet access due to our bandwidth being more than doubled!
Principals Report
We plan to celebrate our ongoing growth and improvement as a school with a parent mixer next week on Tuesday evening, February 27, at 6 p.m. This will be a celebration of ISS’s 45th birthday. We were founded by parents shortly after Fiji became an independent nation and we have grown and matured since then. We will look back upon past achievements and then look forward to the next few decades of continued improvement. Please join us in the area in front of the Primary office that evening for a chance to mingle with staff and other parents, to hear some students perform, to get the latest school updates, to meet our Council and parent organisations, and, of course, to celebrate our birthday, cake and all!
Global Issues Network
But more important than the infrastructure changes mentioned above, I believe our staff is pulling together more than ever to focus on our students’ learning and well-being. Of course, as a school, that is always our main concern. However, we can never relax and take that for granted; making our students the top priority takes concentrated effort and professional attention. We promise to expend that effort to help our students achieve great things this year and in the years to come. One key part of our continued improvement as a school is that we are reviewing our curriculum to make it consistent and cohesive. In coming weeks, we will be asking for parent input about that issue to help us make important decisions about our program of study. Please be willing to help with that process through a survey you will receive and through the parent meetings coming up in April. Another essential process we are undertaking this semester is to renew our strategic plan and direction. Our Council and school leadership desires parent input to help us determine our priorities and direction for the coming years, and your participation is both invited and urgently needed! Please watch for coming opportunities to reflect upon practices and policy and to help shape our school’s future.
Primary ISA Results The High School CISS IX Model UN
Shanghai Asia
Allons en Nouvelle -
Caledonie
Year 5B MS Chinese Studies Year 2 Activities Teaching For Artistic
Behavior in PYP
Cooking Up Primary Nuts, Nuts, Nuts.. Year 1V Library Fun Sports
Finally, there are a couple of minor issues for which we need parent help: First, please make sure your child is following the uniform policy. That includes appropriate footwear, which consist of either black or blue sandals (with a back strap) or shoes. Beach flip-flops or bare feet are not allowed and can result in injuries. Second, please refrain from driving into the back part of the school by the rugby oval to drop off or pick up your children; that entrance is reserved for our buses and staff parking. Parent and other unauthorized vehicles have caused a few traffic jams, lately! Thank you for your assistance with these things!
Swimming Carnival
Best wishes,
ISS Community
Stephen Cathers Head of School
Cyclone Gita Relief Upcoming Events
Primary ISA Results 2017 saw mixed results in our ISA scores. While we continued to keep most scores within the mean range, our average scores dipped in certain areas and levels. Due to this, we have added additional support and structures in place to ensure we continue to maintain our rigorous standards and high results. Mathematics will be a major focus this year for primary. Siobhan McGregor has been appointed as our Maths Teaching and Learning Coach. Siobhan alongside Rossi, our PYP coordinator, will support teacher training, planning, instruction, and assessment in mathematics. This year, we will also focus on improving our reading levels overall and target children who are just below the expected performance level for their age group by connecting them with our learning support team and a parent reading program. We will continually monitor progress throughout the primary school by using the PM reading resources and testing kit to ensure their achievements comply with Australian and New Zealand standards. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA ISA COMPARISON/ANALYSIS2008 - 2017 Year 3 Mean Year
Mathematical Literacy
Reading
Writing Task A
Writing Task B
2010
274 (301)
275 (267)
387 (369)
443 (392)
2011
340 (297)
289 (247)
406 (361)
412 (382)
2013
357 (287)
333 (259)
379(371)
429 (392)
2015
357 (287)
330 (257)
346 (371)
392 (392)
2017
278(325)
305(332)
351 (377)
361(407)
Year 4 Mean 2010
378 (389)
334 (346)
422 (417)
461 (433)
2011
332 (372)
306 (325)
407 (407)
439 (419)
2013
377 (368)
357 (323)
423(419)
461 (433)
2015
430 (377)
372 (316)
420 (406)
459 (427)
2017
383(392)
369 (354)
410(416)
443(442)
Year 5 Mean 2010
382 (440)
372 (396)
463 (461)
488 (477)
2011
420 (423)
397 (388)
474 (454)
486 (461)
2013
450 (429)
413 (364)
473 (467)
511 (479)
2015
437(427)
287(361)
447 (455)
489 (467)
2017
433(443)
411 (408)
449 (457)
473 (478)
From the High School It has been a fairly hectic four weeks in the High School. This year we welcome 17 new students and their families to our community, with the majority of these students entering either Year 9 or 11. We started with Fun Sports in the first week. This is a terrific way for all the students in secondary to get to know each other, for prospective House Captains and Deputies to show their leadership skills, and for students to engage in critical thinking to solve problems. In the second week, the students who attended the Global Issues Network or the Model UN conference in Shanghai led a feedback session for the whole of High School, leaving most very envious of their experiences. They acquired many new ideas useful for our own upcoming MUN and will implement these at the event in Week 9. The GIN students have initiated a plastic bag project at home as part of the Environment group for Tuesday Afternoon Activities. Speaking of which, the Tuesday Afternoon Activities have now begun. All secondary students were invited to participate in a survey to establish areas of interest and the activities chosen for this year were then organised around those areas which were most popular. In addition to these activities, students can still sign up for after school basketball, netball, and athletics training. Basketball runs Mondays and Wednesdays, netball Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both take place from 2.30-4.00pm. Athletics is held at the stadium on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4.30pm onwards. Students need to complete a consent letter to participate. A big thank you goes to parents. Firstly thank you to those parents who made time to come to our Meet and Greet as our pastoral teams and Curriculum Coordinators enjoyed meeting you. It was an opportunity to learn more about reporting systems such as PowerSchool Gradebook and the parent portal. Parents who have not yet used this platform who wish to have more information are asked to contact our IT department for help. It is a great way to monitor student progress and beginning next semester, will be the main place to go to source information on assessment tasks and their due dates. We are also on the lookout for parent support for our Career Lunch program and need parents willing to talk about their career and the path to get there (usually not a direct one). We would also like alumni to be part of this. Last year, a former student came in on his holiday to talk about his experiences. We also enjoyed having a visiting group of US university students talk about their experiences and transition into undergraduate programs. Thank you also to the PTFA for supporting the purchase of the Ebsco database which will significantly enhance teaching and learning. We have several new appointments this year for positions of responsibility. Kate Reimann is the new Head of Arts, Meredith Lewis is the Head of Science, Brenton Harris is the Year Coordinator for Year 10, Yogesh Maharaj is the Year Coordinator for Year 9, assisted by Sara Volkmar (Pastoral Teacher), Cynthia Chen is now the IGCSE Coordinator, Silina Bale will take on the role of the CAS / Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator. Carlos Legaz will coordinate the camps in Years 6-12 and Tanya Vatubua will coordinate the Tuesday Activities program. Should you need the contact for any teacher via email, please look on the website, but if you are unable to find it, the email addresses are fairly standard and consist of the first letter of the first name, the full surname, followed by @iss.school.fj. The students who graduated last year showed good improvement in their ATAR scores, ranking 6 percentiles higher than in 2016. There was significant improvement in the AST (Australian Scaling Test) scores, particularly for the Writing Task. We were also commended on our Moderation Portfolios sent for this session by Canberra BSSS. Whilst our IB Diploma results were close to the World Averages (May statistics as November is not yet out), in overall terms, we have dropped slightly: our average IB score was 29 with a pass rate of 77% and our average subject score was 4.60. Comparatively in 2016, the results were 32, 88%, and 5.06, respectively—all higher than World Average (and we had 7s in all components in several HL and SL subjects). Our performance has led us to look closely at our formative assessments and set goals within each department which are aimed at restoring or exceeding former levels of achievement. We have a slightly larger cohort of IB Diploma students in Year 12 this year (41% compared to 36% in 2016), which should help us statistically since a single failing grade can significantly skew results from a smaller cohort or a subject with fewer candidates. Several graduates of both programs obtained scholarships either from an overseas university or government (Korean and Fiji) prior to leaving for university. The IGCSE scores are celebratory in that the number of A* scores increased this year with 19% of passes being A or A*. We had a 63% pass rate for A*-C, close to the World Average pass rate of 67%. Improvements in pass rates compared to 2016 were evident in Art and Design, English First Language, English Literature (well above World Average), History and ICT. Our first examination year of Travel and Tourism and Music both showed successful pass rates.
The High School Continued.. Our Year 9 ISA results showed the following mean scores:
ISS
RegionLike Schools al
Difference Statistically Significant? Like school
Regional
Mathematical Literacy
579
568
581
No
No
Reading
524
533
519
No
No
Narrative Reflective Writing
557
590
570
No
Yes
Exposition Argument
598
597
586
No
No
These results indicate that we are on track within most areas, but plans are in place to improve scores across the board. Overall, these results are positive given that we are an inclusive school with a small cohort, and that every student was expected to sit the examinations. This Friday we have the Leadership Assembly. This is hosted by our Year 5 and 12 students along with our Head Student Team. Our student leaders are all deserving of congratulations; especially, the House Captains and their Deputies who have proven their leadership skills at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival. It is also notable that there were a number of impressive performances from the students at the swimming competition, whether they were new swimmers or those who participated in the previous „Blue Ribbon‟ event. This sets a positive tone for our team headed to the national competitions and has also given our PE staff good indicators as to how the swim program should be directed this year. Next week, the Outdoor Education students will go to Beqa as part of their unit, „Fundamentals and the Ocean‟. They will study sustainable water sports and tourism. The Year 10 students will be the first whole year group to go on camp this year and they will be camping near Sigatoka. This year‟s camp structure will change. They will not only focusing on physical challenges such as hiking, but they will also include service activities and teambuilding. The French students are currently planning a trip to New Caledonia which also has a significant service component and focuses on learning culture and customs and language immersion. Students studying Chinese in Year 9 have been invited to join the Middle School Chinese trip planned for the mid-year break. More details about these trips will be forwarded to interested parents by the teachers concerned. Congratulations go to former students Aninda Saha (a former scholarship student) and Carolyn Chen. Aninda currently studying Engineering at Queensland University has now been accepted into Purdue University to study Electrical Engineering. Carolyn Chen has been offered a place at George Washington University School of Law (ranked 30th in the US). Both students were high achievers at ISS and it is gratifying to see that they have seen similar success in their tertiary pathway. We would like to hear more success stories such as these, so please contact us if you have one. Megan Navunisaravi Head of High School mnavunisaravi@iss.school.fj
CISSMUN IX Model UN Shanghai - Student Reflection My colleague, Aieush Narayan (Y11), and I represented Finland at the Model United Nations conference at Concordia School in Shanghai earlier this year. The CISSMUN IX conference was everything we‟d hoped it would be. The exposure that we received by being with students who were literally from around the world was unrivalled, and we got to meet, talk and share ideas and experiences with students from France, Bali, Myanmar, Singapore, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, and of course, China. Our delegation had the opportunity to participate in a unique conference, almost completely different to any MUN conference we‟d ever experienced. The rules, procedures and flow of debate may have been different, but the atmosphere was the same and we were able to take away from the conference some amazing insights into debating and resolution-making that we hope to integrate into our own MUN school conference. As delegates in the ECOSOC council, we debated on issues like illicit drugs, hydroelectric dams, food relief in war torn countries, and government corruption on foreign direct investments. These issues widened our perspectives and helped us realise the magnitude of problems that we don‟t normally perceive to be of serious concern. Participating in this conference helped us hone skills, such as being strategic decision makers as well as good leaders. All in all, the Shanghai trip for the Finnish delegation was an experience of a lifetime, and it is our sincere hope that future MUN students from the school be given the opportunity to participate in this conference. Jeshua Hope (Y12)
GLOBAL ISSUES NETWORK ASIA 2018 - CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SHANGHAI I had the privilege of being a part of the Global Issues Network (GIN) conference in Shanghai in January. I participated with the year 11 students Winnie, Angie, and Olivia. The theme for the conference was called “A Place to Stand�. Considering that Fiji bears the effects of climate change, we wanted to discuss the environment. This brought us to discussing the plastic bag problem in Fiji. We received wonderful feedback from our international audience, which included keynote speakers, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, who have become world renowned advocates for a cleaner environment, with their global organisation 'Bye-bye Plastic Bags'. These girls have inspired dozens of countries to try and go plastic bag free. We took our interviews from the Fijian public, including academics and ordinary citizens, and took our presentation to China. We were able to bring back big ideas for our vulnerable small-island nation, and for maintaining a cleaner, greener environment. We hope to change the ways of our society for the better. Vinaka vakalevu to all the teachers who were able to supervise us during the conference and ensured that we had a fulfilling and educational trip. Special thanks to Ms. Dunbar who supervised our GIN group. Stella Keenan, Y12
Allons en Nouvelle-Calédonie!
The Planning Stages
Salut! This year, the senior French students at ISS are planning a trip to New Caledonia where we hope to put together some service time, build relationships within the Fijian and New Caledonian French community, and immerse ourselves further within the French culture. Some aspects of our planning involve business and marketing, allowing this project to give us real life, hands-on experiences. So don‟t be surprised if you see us fundraising to cover our costs for this trip! Through this, we also hope to have the chance at establishing ties with a sister school in New Caledonia. This would be a huge step towards the school becoming more of a global organization as well as doing something new and exciting! This first update was put together by the Year 12 students taking French as an IB or ACT subject to give you some background on our trip to New Caledonia, The Alliance Française de Suva ,and our visit with its director.
About Nouvelle Calédonie New Caledonia was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774 and was annexed by the French in 1853. Located in the Pacific Ocean it is situated 400 miles east of Australia and about 2 ½ hours by plane from Nadi to the main island, La Grande Terre. The Capital, Nouméa, is made up of Kanaks (the indigenous inhabitants of New Caledonia), Caledonians (descendants of early settlers) and metropolitans. Other French-speaking Pacific islanders have also settled in New Caledonia, mainly islanders from Wallis, Futuna, Tahiti, and Vanuatu. New Caledonia is a French territory with the Head of State being the President of France and a local governor. New Caledonia is represented in the French Parliament by two deputies and two senators. For more information on the Government of New Caledonia: https://gouv.nc/ New Caledonia is known for its beautiful beaches and marine life- rich lagoons. To find out more on things to do in New Caledonia visit the New Caledonia Visitor‟s bureau website:
https://www.newcaledonia.travel/au
The Alliance Française Some of you might not know what the Alliance Française is, or if you do, you may not know the function of the Alliance. The Alliance was founded in 1883 in Paris and there are over 800 chapters worldwide that functions to keep the French expat community in touch with their home culture and to introduce the rest of the community to the French culture. The President of the Suva branch is Meli Maivusaroko and the Director is Mr. Thomas Feldstein.
Carlos, Year 12 French student I started my studies in the Alliance Française about 3 years ago. Back then, my French skills could only be described as a man trying to swim on concrete, which basically means it was going nowhere. I was lazy and I had basically given up on properly learning the language. But the Alliance Française not only helped me improve my French skills but it also made me love learning the language. What stands out in the Alliance is the atmosphere it provides its Students. Once you enter the Alliance it‟s like you‟re not in Fiji anymore. Their libraries and their wide variety of French books and movies give you more insight, not only to their language, but to their culture, as well. If you‟re looking for a place to learn and have fun while doing it, then the Alliance is definitely for you.
The Alliance Française in Suva was set up in 1987. It is registered as a non-profit organization that has a very close relationship with the French Embassy in Suva. The Alliance‟s main aim is to teach the French language and culture, but it also teaches English, Hindi and Fijian in collective and private classes. The Alliance is the mediator of the renowned DELF/DALF French exams - these exams have four sessions each year, and those studying French are recommended to take them. There are regular movie nights and quiz nights for all those interested, as well as a celebration for Bastille Day (14th July). More information about classes and events can be found at the Alliance Française de Suva‟s Website: www.af-fiji.org. And more about the Alliance Française worldwide can be found at their website: www.alliancefr.org
Jeshua and Jennifer, Year 12 French Students
BONJOUR! On Monday afternoon, the 12th of February, the two of us were accompanied by Lilieta Soakai and Arthur Seam of Year 11 to have a meeting with Mr. Thomas Feldstein, the Director of Alliance Francaise de Suva regarding our New Caledonia Trip. Mr. Feldstein, who spent 4 years in New Caledonia, informed us on what life was like in the French territory. The country is made up of approximately 269,000 people with close to 100,000 living in Noumea, the Capital of New Caledonia. We also learned that housing and infrastructure are relatively more developed compared to Fiji. The trip to New Caledonia is unique because it is not just meant to be a cultural experience for the French students, but an avenue for us to participate in a service project. Therefore, we asked the Director questions pertinent to the proposed service project. The director suggested many brilliant and strategic ideas for fundraising and sponsorship and also advised us on other possible projects we could undertake, including helping an organization called Caledoclean which is involved in cleaning up beaches around New Caledonia. But perhaps the greatest outcome from the trip was receiving his assurance that the Alliance was interested in helping us in this adventurous journey. Want to know more? Watch this space for more tantalizing information in future articles!
Year 5B Article This week in Year 5B we worked on shared writing. When we did this we worked in 3 groups. Each person had a job, one was the writer, the second person was in charge of vocabulary, the third was in charge of grammar and last was responsible for coming up with the ideas to be used. We all had a chance to do each of the jobs through group rotation. This year, we wrote about what makes a great leader and what can we do to be a great leader. We hope you enjoy our work! Year 5B By: Talei Cakaukeivuya, Yue Ma, Steffan Baber, Isaac Mackenzie A great leader is a role model that knows the rules and follows them; they lend people help when they need it by being caring. A role model has esteem for everyone and has a positive attitude while being around others. They need to observe and look around to see what is happening all around them at all times. We can be a great leader by being respectful and open minded to others. We can also take action by helping others who are hurt in the school, and all around. We will be positive role models for everyone, we will be very cooperative and we will be able to work in big and small with different types of people while being able to concentrate. We need to organize ourselves before we tell others that something is wrong, and lastly we will try to include people who have been left out. By: Henrik Jensen, Qusai Jiwanji, Samira Latianara, and Ruitong Liu A great leader are role models for the year levels below them, great leaders help kids who are badly hurt. To be a great leader you have to be committed to your job and you have to take on a lot of responsibilities. A good leader cannot just tell other students what to do because youâ€&#x;re a role model to the young ones and a good leader would be a respectful communicator and lead by example. We will all be confident leaders and help others in need this year. We will be respectful communicators to the students who have problems. Year 5â€&#x;s should have good time management this year. By: Caleb Spence, Haleh Stice, Khushi Patel, and Rohan Ludher A great leader is someone who cooperates with others when they are hurt, sad or helps them in general. They can anticipate problems before they happen. They have a positive attitude when around other students by telling jokes and making them feel better! They are good at sports and P.E so they can play active games such as soccer with others. Great leaders should be organized and lead by example. They care for others. We will be great leaders this year if we cooperate and share our ideas. We can improve on being more kind to others by being a nice and responsible leader! If someone gets hurt on the playground we will first try to solve the problem and then we might get a teacher! They will be creative thinkers by possibly introducing new games to students! YEAR 5 WILL MAKE IT THE BEST YEAR EVER!!!
MS Y6, Y7 & Y8 Chinese Studies On 15 February 2018, the advent of the Chinese Spring Festival, students from Years Six, Seven, and Eight in Middle School had their first video conversation with Ms. Hou in mainland China, through the online platform WeChat. The students not only learned about the Chinese New Year celebration, but also fully applied and demonstrated the knowledge and language skills that they have learned in their Chinese classes. The students were enthusiastic and active, and they hope to carry out such activities regularly in future classes.
Year 2 ISS Talanoa Article Bula vinaka! Welcome to the new ISS students who came from different continents across the globe to join our Year 2 level this year! The new students are Caitlin Delaney; Xincen Chen; Sofia Dahan; Farah Mcelroy and Kan Tamanikoula. We also welcome Ms Hannah Nanovu who joins the Year 2 level team as homeroom teacher. To kick start our inquiries approach in Term 1, we began with the unit „Who We Are‟ in order for the students to get a better understanding of one another and their respective backgrounds. Our intensive inquiry approach in music with Mr Tim was engaging and they learned to play basic musical instruments and even formed a Year 2 band.
Excursion Arts Village - February 7th, 2018 It was an exciting start to the term with an excursion to the Arts Village. It was both an adventure and new learning experience! There they enjoyed Fijian Fire walking, meke performances and Fijian traditional games. These were reflections of our Transdisciplinary Theme „Who We Are‟.
Swimming Programme – February 12th – 23rd, 2018 The Year 2 swimming programme was in Week 4 and 5. It was amazing to witness the students‟ perseverance and commitment to mastering the basic swimming skills.
We wish everyone a successful 2018 academic year!
Teaching for Artistic Behavior in the PYP Lindy Stice, Primary Visual Arts Teacher The IB Primary Years Programme approach to teaching and learning is inquiry-driven and learner-directed. We encourage students to ask questions, to make choices, to reflect. Students grow as whole children; in knowledge, skill, attitudes, conceptual understandings, and capability for self-initiated action. This constructivist approach enables students, teachers, and parents to partner in building a solid foundation for lifelong learning. What does this mean for student learning in Visual Arts? It took time and the world‟s best teachers to show me. You might be wondering who these teachers are. They are the children themselves! I have learned that given time, space, resources, and guidance, children joyfully engage in the authentic work and play of artists. They seek knowledge, build skills, think conceptually, and take action. They make connections to their own experiences, to their surroundings, and to the world. They do this with intention and dedication. They do this in order to learn; they do this because they are inquirers. A group of art educators has conducted years of action research surrounding a choice-based approach to teaching and learning that fits with what the children have taught me. They call this Teaching for Artistic Behavior. Within this approach, learning in the art room is consistently choice-based and student-led. The child is the artist, and the classroom is the artists‟ studio. We can then ask, “What do artists do?” The many answers to this question can be thought of as artistic behaviors. Among these behaviors are: Idea generation. Artists play with ideas until they realize how they will create. Or, artists play with materials until an idea manifests. Engaging in transdisciplinary research. This supports the transdisciplinary programme of our school, and allows for ongoing student-led artistic inquiries. Practice and pursuit of the Studio Habits of Mind. These eight habits are Develop Craft, Engage and Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch & Explore, and Understand Art Worlds. They are considered to be part skill, and part inclination and motivation to use skills. They support transdisciplinary learning, overlapping significantly with Habits of Mind taught through other subjects. The Studio Habits of Mind are intended to summarize the essence and benefits of learning through Visual Arts. There are other benefits to Teaching for Artistic Behavior in the IB PYP. It can enhance social and emotional learning by allowing students to tap into feelings and issues that really matter to them. Individuals or groups can have depth of focus in artistic media or areas of interest. Collaboration is encouraged, and problem-solving is necessary. Choice-based art education also promotes the development of independent and creative thought. So tomorrow, and every day this year, the artists will come to the studio. I wonder how they will grow as people who care and who play. I wonder where their curiosity will lead them. I wonder where their creativity will lead us all. References Douglas, K. (2014). Engaging Learners Through Artmaking. Teachers College Press. Gaw,
C. (2018). Transition To Choice Based Art clydegaw.blogspot.com/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
Education.
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Clydegaw.blogspot.com.
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Hetland, L. (2014). Studio Thinking 2. Teachers College Press. Jaquith, D. and Hathaway, N. (2011). The Learner-Directed Classroom. New York: Teachers College Press. Making the PYP happen. (2009). Cardiff, Wales: International Baccalaureate organization. Teaching for Artistic Behavior. (2018). Teaching for Artistic Behavior. [online] Available at: http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018]. YouTube. (2018). Teaching art or teaching to think like an artist? | Cindy Foley | TEDxColumbus. [online] Available at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFRfJb2ONk [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
Cooking Class Upper Primary Last week upper primary students began their cooking journey as an after school activity. Mrs Dansey and Ms Alex taught students about the importance of having a balanced diet. We looked at the Healthy Food Pyramid and made yummy fruit kebabs. We also came up with sustainable alternatives to the bamboo skewer. This week, we will be making pancakes and learning about alternative sweeteners to sugar that can be used in cooking and as condiments.
Nuts, Nuts, Nuts… Towards the end of last year, the Senior Leadership Team along with the school nurse revised our „No nut stance‟. This revision came about not only due to the fact that ISS no longer has any students or staff members who suffer from a serious nut allergy, but also out of a desire to comply with the internationally recognized changes in best practice. Research now shows that the complete banning of peanuts, nuts, or other allergens from schools provides students little protection. Even with a complete ban in place, schools cannot truly guarantee a peanut/nut-free environment for anyone within the school community. Not only that, but such a ban as this can lead to a false sense of security for anyone who may have a serious nut allergy. The research also states that:
In schools that have banned peanuts, one percent of lunches still have peanuts in them Only seven percent of reactions happen at schools or daycares Children / staff with peanut allergies need to develop skills to prevent reactions themselves The best protection is knowing how to administer epinephrine
Therefore: Students, teachers and parents will be able to bring nuts, nut products, and foods containing nuts to school during the regular school day or during special events The canteen will continue to provide nut-free products. This decision will be revised should our circumstances change. Our full Tree Nut & Peanut Allergy Management procedure is available from the nurse.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/hamilton-peanut-ban-1.3326909 https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/2015/07/20/the-anaphylaxis-campaigns-views-on-the-proposedchanges-to-school-foods-standards-to-be-made-statutory-from-january-2015/ http://acaai.org/news/banning-peanuts-schools-and-airplanes-unnecessary
Year 1V Year 1 Nius (Coconuts) have had a busy start to the year! Together with Reception, we have had two weeks of swimming lessons where we learned to dive, float, and swim different strokes such as the crawl, breaststroke and backstroke. Along with improving our swimming and diving skills, we have many goals for the year ahead. Here are a few‌
Y1V continued...
Y1V Continued
LIBRARY
Happy Valentine’s Day! We have added some Welcome back to another new year at ISS Library. sweet reads to the liIn this first Talanoa issue, I would like to draw your attention brary collection. Come check them out! to the school‟s subscription online databases available
Amnesty Month
Many students have overdue library books from last year. The ISS library is holding an amnesty for the through the library webpage: month of February for these books to be returned. http://issfijilibrary.weebly.com/online-databases.html Starting in March any Our students are challenged academically each day to reach student who has overdue their full potential and to be successful 21st century life-long learners. Students can access these databases in the library books from last year will be website after school hours from home. With the internet unable to borrow more offering so much information, using our subscription library books until they have database will ensure that our students receive updated been returned or the lost information that are vetted by professional in each subject fee paid. area.
The library also subscribes to a wide variety of magazines keeping our students up to date with current events around the world. These magazines are available in the library.
ISS Scholastic Book Club Thank you to all students and parents who have ordered books through New Zealand Scholastic book club issue 1, 2018. Last year, we received more than $3000 worth of free books which has been added to our library and classroom collections. I look forward to a great year of books and reading
Calling for parent volunteers in the library! If you would like to volunteer to help in the library to teach a K‟NEX/Lego craft, or just to read a story to our students for 10 minutes at lunch time, please let me know. We‟d love to have you. This year, we want to invite parents to ‘adopt-ashelf’. In this program, parents are invited to come in any time throughout the day to organize their shelf. This not only ensures that our books are always in order, but it promotes a positive attitude towards the love of literature amongst the whole school community. Students love seeing their mum or dad‟s involvement in the library. If you are interested, please contact Ms Salu: library@international.school.fj.
Fun Sports
Swimming Carnival
Cyclone Gita Relief Cyclone Gita wrought havoc in a number of small-island nations, not the least of which was Tonga. Our hearts go out to those members of our school community who may have loved ones who have been directly affected. Those of us who were here will never forget the terrible impact Winston had on Fiji in 2016 nor the generosity and help that Fiji had received from all over the world to help us get back on our feet. It is our turn now to help our close neighbor.
Images taken from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia43039931 ISS plans to help by collecting items that can help people rebuild and reestablish themselves. At this stage, we do not want cash donations. Based upon our experience from Winston, we remember that it was the basic building tools and day-to-day items such as ropes, buckets with soap, tarpaulins, and childrenâ€&#x;s things that were the most useful for the cyclone victims. We are liaising with members of the Tongan community here to make sure that we only send what is going to be useful, but please be on the lookout in the next couple of weeks for specific requests for donations. Should you want to help or to donate, please contact us on either of the emails below. Megan Navunisaravi, Silina Bale mnavunisaravi@iss.school.fj silina@iss.school.fj
Upcoming Events
ISS Community
Upcoming Events Term 1
T1 Week 5 Wednesday, February 21 Year 7 Parent Breakfast Primary Parent Teachers Conference Thursday, February 22nd Parent Teachers Conference Friday, February 23rd Induction Assembly Year 3 Camp Information Session T1 Week 6 Tuesday, February 27th Year 11 Outdoor Ed Trip 45th Birthday Celebration Parent Workshop Friday , March 2nd PTFA - Mufti Day Primary Assembly T1 Week 7 Wednesday, March 7th Year 3 Camp Thursday, March 8th Year 3 Camp Friday, March 9th PTFA—Quiz & Curry Night Primary Assembly
T1 Week 8 Wednesday, March 14th Year 8 Camp Thursday, March 15th Year 8 Camp Primary Swimming Carnival Friday, 16th March Primary Assembly T1 Week 9 Monday, March 19th Model UN Tuesday, March 20th Model UN Wednesday, March 21st Year 4 Camp Thursday, March 22nd Year 4 Camp Friday, March 23rd Primary Assembly T1 Week 10 Monday, March 26th Year 10 Camp Thursday, March 29th End of Term—Whole School Assembly Friday, March 30th Public Holiday - Good Friday
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA World Class Citizens ~ Lifelong Learners
TERM DATES 2018 Term 1 (10 weeks) Tuesday16th January 2018 Thursday 18th January 2018 Tuesday 23rd January 2018 Thursday 29th March 2018 Friday 30th March 2018
New teachers start All teachers start Students start Term ends Good Friday
Term 2 (10 weeks) Teachers and Y11 and Y12 ACT students start All Students start. Term ends National Sports day
Monday 16th April 2018 Tuesday 17th April 2018 Friday 22nd June 2018 Friday 29 June 2018
Term 3 (10 weeks) Teachers start Teachers, Y11 and Y12 ACT students start All Students start Constitution Day – Public Holiday Term ends
Monday 16th July 2018 Tuesday 17th July 2018 Wednesday 18th July 2018 Friday 7 September 2018 Friday 21st September 2018
Term 4 (9 weeks) Teachers start Students start Fiji Day – Public Holiday Diwali Prophet Muhammad’s birthday Term ends for students Term ends for teachers
Monday 8th October 2018 Tuesday 9th October 2018 Wednesday 10thOctober 2018 Wed 7 November 2018 Monday 19 November 2018 Thursday 6th December 2018 Friday 7th December 2018