Volume 2 05/04/19
Newsletter of International School Suva
Principal’s Report International School Suva has had an exciting first term with growth and exciting new developments. The Ocean Science Program has become more established with ocean units of study at most year levels and a new 2000-liter aquarium to allow close viewing and study of sea life. Students have followed this project from the concept and discussion phase in January to the design and equipment stage in February, to the full tank with sea life stage it is in now. On Friday, the 5th of April, the Ocean Science Program was officially “launched” with a morning ceremony including an unveiling of the aquarium with some new fish and other marine samples, new interpretive species signs, viewing cards, and a new viewing platform. The Ocean Science Program is part of the school’s new Strategic Plan which gives the school direction for the next five years. The key components of the strategic plan are a) improved teaching and learning systems, including improved teacher training and recruiting, refined curriculum, student-centered instruction, an ocean science focus, and a commitment to the learner profile; b) improved and clarified school identity, marketing, and advancement; c) improved resources for ISS quality systems including facilities, finances, and technology; and d) improved school leadership and management including a focus on school governance, climate, and policy. The strategic plan provides a roadmap for ISS to gain a global reputation for quality, innovation, and successful student results. Another exciting development for ISS is the construction of a new building, currently called J Block. This project has been in the planning stages for several years and is now taking shape behind the wall at the end of the school breezeway. It will include a 350-seat auditorium, 10 new classrooms, and a lift. Some drawings and artist renderings are posted in the office areas. Architectural drawings and photographs are also posted on the school website. This project will give the school much needed space for both existing and new programs. It will also provide a better location for large group meetings and staff professional development. Significantly, the lift will provide wheelchair access to upper floors of many of our buildings. The exact use of the classrooms is still being determined, but there are some specialized spaces for music and languages in the design. This building will also connect the Primary, MPH, Admin, and Secondary buildings better making the campus more unified and giving it a community feel. We anticipate the breezeway area to be the main gathering place and campus center when this project is finished.
Inside this issue:
Principals Report
Year 1D
Year 5
Kids for Kids Club
Year 2
WASC
MYP Corner
Year 7
Primary Options Program
Year 12 Physics
Advertisement
Francophonie Week
Model Un
Model Un Reflections
Head of High School
Finally, Term Two is coming in two weeks and it is usually a time of very productive learning and student engagement. Most classrooms and students have “hit their stride” with procedures and expectations in place, the heat and humidity have improved, many camps are scheduled in term 2, and many team and hands-on types of activities will be done successfully. I encourage all families to take advantage of the next 10 weeks of school to focus on learning and to give some extra effort; the result will probably be higher achievement than ever and new learning discoveries of all kinds. Until then, please enjoy some wonderful family times and help your students re-charge their batteries for the coming term. ISS believes that balance in life and emotional well-being are vital and part of a healthy child’s life. Let’s all embrace that ideal and take time to enjoy those we love and the fabulous place we live! Best wishes, Steve Cathers, Head of International School Suva
Upcoming Events Term Dates
Year 1D In 1D this term we have been inquiring into place value and number. The students have enjoyed a variety of different learning experiences and opportunities to develop their understanding and stretch their knowledge. In 1D they have enjoyed playing interactive games to consolidate their understanding, engaging in open ended math tasks that cater to any ability and independently taking ownership of their learning by working on their math goal.
Year 5 On Thursday week 10, the Year 5 World Language Chinese studies and French studies students presented their learning of the term. They did a great job. We have enjoyed the opportunity to take world languages this year and look forward to learning the 4 languages over the year.
Talanoa MYP corner Vol 2 Dear IBMYP Community, Thank you for taking the time to read the second edition of the 2019 MYP corner. I hope that you find this article informative. My goal is to improve the understanding of the IB MYP as we continue to implement the International Baccalaureate Programme here at ISS. We are coming to an end of a long and productive first term of teaching the MYP here at ISS. I have been constantly impressed by the efforts of teachers and students in making the transition to the MYP. Looking back over the term there has been a huge amount of great work undertaken in delivering authentic inquiry based education. I truly believe that this foundation we are setting now will reap great benefits for our students in future years. One of the key features within the MYP is the inclusion of ATL’s (Approaches to Learning). According to IB, the focus of approaches to learning in the MYP is on helping students to develop the self-knowledge and skills they need to enjoy a lifetime of learning. ATL skills empower students to succeed in meeting the challenging objectives of MYP subject groups and prepare them for further success in rigorous academic programmes like the IB Diploma Programme. In addition, ATL skills help to prepare students for responsible participation in local and global communities.
Throughout their units of study students will be assessed in these ATL skill areas, culminating in an overall ATL grade at the end of semester/year. Have a great break and I look forward to more great learning in term 2. Kind Regards, Luke Ramsdale
The Problem of Non-Renewable Energy As everyone knows, the problem of non-renewable energy is growing bigger. Most people know it as global warming, the ice caps are melting and coral reefs are being bleached. Sadly this is not a fantasy any more. Do you want this to happen? Because I don’t.
As people we can stop this by going renewable. I know it’s a lot to ask but an estimation says that by 2050, all fossil fuels may end. The earth's natural resources like coal, natural oil and petroleum are not going to last forever; it’s finite. Do you want an earth that is poisoned with pollution or a clean earth, it’s your choice go green or let the earth suffer with each move. By Anahira Denzler
Year 7 Ancient China Innovation Museum Our statement of inquiry this term has been “Ancient Chinese innovations provided significant contributions and ideas that brought about lasting change to individuals and societies�. For this unit, we were required to research an important Chinese innovation, and recreate it. We also found out about their functions and importance in human society, in the past and the present. To share our learning experience we set up a museum in the library. In our exhibit, there were some of the most important Chinese inventions and the artifacts. Each innovation had a caption that explained what it was and why it was significant. Lily Rice on behalf of Year 7
Primary Options Program This year we want to strengthen the opportunities our students have within the program to:
Work collaboratively with a range of students Work creatively through science, engineering, technology, arts and mathematics (STEAM) Research a personal passion To play a range of team sports
So the options program was born. This program looks to offer students the opportunity to participate in these areas while working across a range of ages and groupings. Now every Friday at 1:15pm – 2:15pm the reception – year 5 students take part in the options program. Classes are cross grouped into groups in Rec – Y1, Y2 – Y3, Y4 – Y5 and have 3 Seasons throughout the year. Currently the Rec – Year 1 students are participating in sports, Year 2 and Year 3 are rotating through different STEAM and the Year 4 and Year 5 students are following a personal passion research project. The children have been thoroughly enjoying these offerings each Friday.
Beam Line for Schools Competition: Using Positron Beams to Detect Casting Porosity Within the Metal The Year 12 Physics students have worked really hard to compile a proposal to do an experiment on the DESY II electron/positron accelerator in Germany. This is part of the Beamline for Schools Competition which is run by CERN and DESY. Two winning teams will do the actual experiment on the accelerator and best 30 proposals will win other prizes. This is the first year International School Suva is taking part and what a learning experience it has been for the students and teachers involved. The proposal included using positron beams to detect porosity in metal targets. Porosity (trapped air bubbles) reduces the effective thickness of metal and easily gets damaged when exposed to extreme high pressures. Such extreme pressures are experienced by deep water submarines, spacecrafts, aero planes and pipe carrying fluids. The proposal aims to detect those porosities without damaging the metal and hence avoiding the use of such metals in high pressure situations.
We are really excited to be the first team from Fiji to enter this competition! Ashniel Bijay, Kelemedi Gukirewa, Hae June Kwon, Mereseini Leano, Ozayr Akbar, Arthur Seam, Shin Yee Chee, Deeya Bhavsar, Olivia Lum MANY THANKS!
Francophonie Week: Celebrating the French Language For the Semaine de la Francophonie (French speaking week), our Year 12 students were introduced to an author from New Caledonia, Sosthène Desanges. Speaking on the theme of “How to start your novel” Sothene introduced some of his work to the students ranging from comic books, script writing for a TV series in New Caledonia and his work as a novelist. He is the author of an Oceania heroic-fantasy, called Ash and Vanille. The English translation of the book is on its way.
Ending the week with a bit of French music, our Friday lunchtime jamming session saw our students taking part in some French karaoke with tunes from Yannick Noah (Destination Ailleurs), Pink Matini (Je ne veux pas travailler) Anggun and Florent Pagny (Nos vies parallèles), Claude Francois’ famous “Cetteannéelà” and more basic songs for our students who are ‘beginners’ (les Alphabets & la famille). Students studying French from years 8 to 12 took turns in singing in French with extra entertainment from the year 10 students who showcased some very original moves!
Model UN Reflection My experience as Deputy Secretary General for 2019 MUN has been an eye-opening and enjoyable one that has given me much valuable insight into numerous intersecting topics. It was a privilege being a part of the system that administers the same event I looked forward to every year as a younger kid. Working behind the scenes helping to organise agendas, country allocations, collaborating with our amazing team of council chairs to maintain flow of debate as well as our wonderful heads; Ms Waqa and Mr Walker, made me appreciate this wonderful conference. One highlight would have to be meeting the British Commissioner, Her Excellency, Melanie Hopkins, our Chief Guest who discussed her role in the United Nations, negotiating skills and the status of women. The small acknowledgement she gave our Generals for being comprised of two girls is still something I haven't quite lived down yet.
HE Ms Melanie Hopkins, Chief Guest
Mira Mishra, Mrs Waqainabete, HE Ms Hopkins, Lilieta Soakai
Thanks to the Model United Nations, I’ve been given the opportunity for intellectual growth and perhaps more importantly; a platform to participate in the pressing world issues that are taking place as I write these very words. It's an opportunity for every young participant to acknowledge the role we play in society and the world as the future leaders; to care for our environment and the people in them as well as to understand that we will become responsible for them very soon. And as Mira and I hand over the mantle to next year's leadership team, I can only hope that we were successful in imparting these. Lilieta Soakai.
ISS MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2019 The Model United Nations Conference has been a highlight of all my high school years at ISS. With the beginning of each new year, came the anticipation of what each Model UN would bring - from the drama and friendships, to the barbed comments and alliances, it has always been an event close to my heart. From my first two years as a delegate, to last year as a Chair, I always dreamt of being the Secretary General. This dream came true this year. My experience of MUN 2019 would have been quite different to that of a first-time delegate, or to that of a chair, but I feel that my role gave me the opportunity to witness all of the councils continuously, something I had never done before, as I have always been restricted to one council. Before I go into the events of the conference itself, I must talk about the weeks of preparation that led up to it. For this, Ms Waqa must be commended as the teacher who has tirelessly worked to organise each and every conference to date. This forum that gives local students the chance to discuss world issues and to better themselves as citizens is so important, and would not be possible without her and the rest of this year’s admin team such as Ms Shaheena Khan, the rapporteur team, Mr Richard Walker, the media team and my Deputy Secretary General, Lilieta, all of whom have contributed greatly to this year’s success. From organising sponsors, to setting up the media team and website, organising the placards, allocating countries and inviting the schools, so much work goes into each and every event. Model UN helps to bring out and improve some important skills in young people. It improves research skills, through the in-depth knowledge required to be able to debate each agenda, social skills through the lobbying, alliances and resolution writing that all require collaboration, and critical thinking skills through the development of relevant arguments and applying research to the scenarios at hand. MUN also definitely improves public speaking and confidence, and is one of the best ways, in my opinion, to get out of your comfort zone. These are all crucial advantages that participating in Model UN gives you, but the most important skill it builds is a very necessary one in today’s society - helping students to learn more about political topics and to be better world citizens. In the current political climate, it is the youth who are standing up in front of the UN themselves, promoting peace. It is students like Greta Thunberg - who started the climate change strikes - that are trying to create a better world. These are the kinds of young adults we are trying to encourage, and I believe Model UN is a catalyst for them.
In this year’s conference, a variety of issues were discussed, from marine pollution and the refugee crisis to the Yemeni civil war and the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. Delegates defended their country’s standpoints well and brought up a variety of hard hitting attacks and points to justify themselves. Throughout the two agendas, delegates remained relatively on course, and those who were put in the Emergency Crisis on the second day, where we had scenarios ranging from the potential poisoning of our Sevens team to organ trafficking across Europe, coped well with the pressure and worked to form resolutions. It was great to see the conference bringing out emotions in delegates, and the balance they maintained between staying professional but also being engaging in their points. As Secretary General, I couldn’t be prouder of every student who participated, and I hope each delegate took this as a learning experience. Mira Mishra Y12 ISS Model UN Secretary General, 2019
HOW CAN WE HELP THE STUDENT IN TRANSITION TO YEAR 11 By Now, students in Year 11 have made subject and curriculum choices and have started to settle in to senior years of study. Information sessions for students and parents should have answered most questions about the transition process. We recognize that this can be overwhelming, often adding to insecurities about choices made. The High School support team have open door policies and encourage communication with students and with parents. The High School Curriculum Coordinator (Alexandra Karountzos) is there to support the subject and curriculum choices made. If in the first 6 weeks of school, the student feels that he/she has made an incorrect decision about subject or curriculum selection, there may be an opportunity to make changes with the support of teachers, Heads of Department and the Head of School. After the six-week period, the ACT students are required to wait until the end of the year to make subject changes. The IB students cannot make subject changes after 6 weeks. The school Counsellor (Chante Cross) is available for emotional support and guidance. This could include personal issues and understanding how to make and balance decisions or planning for further studies and careers. Students have the opportunity to share their concerns with consideration given to privacy. The Pastoral team (Henry Murphy and Leanna Thomas) are there for day to day guidance and dissemination of information. They are there as support for student communication and liaising with parents and teachers regarding student issues and giving advice to approaches taken to senior student requirements. Parents can help the students to take charge of learning and become responsible for their learning practices. They can assist by encouraging good time Management strategies and consistency in approach, which includes a balanced lifestyle between academic, sporting activities and creative outlets. Helping students to understand how their learning connects with the world helps to give perspective to the student who is looking closely at future directions and pathways. Learning Support: (Acting Learning Support Coordinator Elizabeth Simms) If a student has received a professional diagnosis, requiring additional support for learning, it is essential that information is shared with the school as the student may be entitled to additional learning support services and/or accommodations from the ACT/IB to their study.
HOME STAY WANTED! Looking for a warm home stay environment for an out of town year 12 student From Term 2 until the end of the school year. Email Jean at waitika@live.com should you be available to assist.
From the High School The last few weeks have been very busy for the High School! We successfully complete the 2019 Swim Carnival, with a number of our students competing for the first time or indeed bravely swimming 25m after having only just learnt to swim. Congratulations to all our students for the high level of participation this year and especially to the Sports Studies students (who helped manage and run the event) and the House Captains and Deputies who kept their teams on track. Unfortunately, the teachers lost the wooden spoon event, losing to a very competent Year 12 team which included our ‘blue ribbon’ swimmers! University planning is consolidated this year with the introduction of a new program which helps students and teachers track applications. This is CIAFLO which is a university guidance application platform. We have had one university visit us, RMIT of Australia and are planning our second virtual university fair later in the year. It is important that students start planning early so that by the time they are in Year 12 they are able to confidently begin applications. Thank you to the parents who have supported the Career Lunch program, talking with students about their careers and university experiences that helped them move into their current position. An internship program will be launched in the first holidays in April. Congratulations go to Ernest Gibson, who graduated ISS in 2015 and who has been awarded a Gold Medal in Politics at USP. Our Year 11 and 12 Arts students are off to Sydney next week. This is a unique chance for students to experience first hand all there is to offer in the Arts. They will be going to workshops in their designated fields, attending plays and musical performances and going to galleries. Students always come back from this trip enervated and passionate about mirroring skills they learn from their visits. In the wake of the terrible events in Christchurch on March 15 th, a year 12 team of students has initiated a program to build understanding of different cultures and religions. They plan small forums that will be run during pastoral and which will be open to interested students. Their plan is that through students talking to students, understanding will spread and this can only make our community more caring and able to celebrate diverse views and beliefs. They are also intending to run a day focused on small acts of kindness. In order to help students in Year 10 make the decision between the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate and ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank), we will have an information session earlier in the year this year. Results this year were varied. Pass rate for the IBDP was 89% (last year 77%), top score 37 (last year 36), average pass 29 (last year 29) and average grade obtained by candidates passing the diploma was 4.73 (last year 4.60). November statistics have not been released, but May statistics indicate world average pass rates at 78% and 29.8. This lower result compared to other years reflects a Worldwide downward trend in IBDP results since 2015. We would like to return to an average above 31 and higher top scores, and this year, the cohort has increased to being close to half the Year 11 student cohort, indicating greater interest in the Diploma. Year 10 IGCSE results were very varied and indicated a 60% pass (A-C) (61% in 2017) and lower than world average of 68% for all subjects studies. It is hoped that moving to MYP will mean that students are well prepared for their studies in Year 11 and 12. ISA results in Year 9 indicate we are on par with other like schools and for Exposition / Argument writing, Narrative / reflective writing, above OECD (2015) reference for reading and in line with like schools, Mathematical literacy in line with all other schools, and above the OECD average (2015) for Year 9. All Year 12 students doing the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate received a certificate (Tertiary package) and ATAR. The top ATAR was lower than last year (82 compared to 86) and standard deviation wider, but ATARs were above the top 50th centile for the 2018 Australian and international cohort and included 5 ‘Linguistically Diverse’ students (less than four years studying in English). We have discussed strategies as a teaching team to build the ATAR performance for 2019 but it is important to remember that many of our 2017 graduates who performed similarly have shown strong tertiary performance in their first year of studies, and it is expected that the 2018 cohort will do the same. Our students have graduated with strong skills in inquiry, critical thinking, understanding and care of others and the need to be socially responsible, an ability to work collaborative and independently and be effective global citizens. These are highly important determinants for future success in whatever area they choose. If you are interested in how Ocean Science is being integrated into the High School programs, please see the display which is up in the breezeway. There are samples of student work across the year levels, but most particularly in our first English unit for MYP4 or Year 9. They were asked to write articles such as would be submitted to the National Geographic, focusing on ocean advocacy. There is some extremely high quality student work displayed. We are also refocusing the direction for camps and including ocean science, either in terms of science based exercises or service work alongside the teambuilding and challenging experiences normally found through the camp program. Our senior students through CAS have entered the Global Social Leaders Competition, which focuses on the UN goals for sustainable development (https://www.globalsocialleaders.com/ ggcompetition/). Guest speakers from SPC and USP have assisted with the Year 9 Community program which has joined the Seagrass Watch. Students are also sailing regularly each week on the Uto ni Yalo through the Tuesday Activity Program. The year 12 Physics students have been working really hard to compile a proposal to do an experiment on the DESY II electron/positron accelerator in Germany. This is part of the Beamline for Schools Competition which is run by CERN and is a first for ISS – please see the article later in Talanoa. This is really exciting and we wish them all the best in this endeavor. Everyone is encouraged to attend our new family badminton nights on Wednesday evenings in the Multipurpose Hall. This is a great way to meet other parents and allow our students to gain valuable skills in the sport. That said, beginners are welcome as well. The spin-off has been an increase in the number of students playing for fun at lunchtime. Mira Mishra and Lilieta Soakai were Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General for the Model United Nations this year and they describe their experiences later in this publication. We had five local schools attend and the general concensus was that this was a terrific experience. International School Nadi is looking to set up MUN in Nadi as well and we will be happy to support this. We have a number of new students coming into High School in Term 2 and I would like to welcome them and their families. I am also delighted to welcome Pallavi Tripathi, a new humanities teacher who comes to us from India with a wealth of experience in the IBDP. She will be taking IBDP classes for Business, Year 11 Economics and classes in Year 10 as well. I look forward to seeing everyone come back from holidays refreshed and revitalized and wish everyone a very happy holiday. Megan Navunisaravi Head of High School
Upcoming Events Term 1 and Term 2: Week 10 T1 to Week 4 T2 T1 Week 10 Wednesday 27th March Annual General Meeting Thursday 28th March Primary Swimming Carnival Friday 29th March Year 10 IGCSE Mock Exams T1 Week 11 Monday 1st April Year 11/12 Sydney Arts Trip Whole School Staff Meeting Thursday 4th April Year 2 Trip to Museum Friday 5th April Whole School Assembly Year 2 Trip to Museum Primary Lunch Time Concert
T2 Week 1 Tuesday 23rd April Teacher Only Day Year 11& 12 ACT Students Start Wednesday 24th April All Students Start Term 2 Begins Year 12 Camp Friday 26th April Coke Games Primary Assembly T2 Week 2 Monday 29th April Year 9 Camp Wednesday 1st May Year 5 Camp Thursday 2nd May Parent Teachers Evening Secondary PTFA—AGM Friday 3rd May Primary Assembly T2 Week 3 Wednesday 8th May Year 10 Camp Thursday 9th May Coffee with Counselor Friday 10th May PTFA—Quiz & Curry Night Primary Assembly T2 Week 4 Friday 17th May Primary Assembly
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA TERM DATES 2019 TERM 1 (11 weeks) New Teachers Start
Monday, 14 January 2019
All Teachers Start
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Students Start
Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Term Ends
Friday, 5 April 2019
TERM 2 (9 weeks) Y11 & 12 ACT Students Start
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Students Start
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Term Ends
Friday, 21 June 2019
TERM 3 (9 weeks) Teachers Start
Monday, 15 July 2019
Y11 & 12 ACT Students Start
Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Students Start
Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Constitution Day
Monday, 9 September 2019
Term Ends
Friday, 13 September 2019
TERM 4 (10 weeks) Teachers Start
Monday, 30 September 2019
Students Start
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Fiji Day
Thursday, 10 October 2019
ISS Vacation
Friday, 11 October 2019
Diwali
Monday, 28 October 2019
Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday
Monday, 11 November 2019
Term Ends for Students
Thursday, 5 December 2019
Term Ends for Teachers
Friday, 6 December 2019