Ta l a n o a Newsletter of International School Suva
Volume 3 06 May, 2016
Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Guardians,
Inside this Issue
Welcome to the first issue of Talanoa for the second term of 2016. As we continue to receive new students and their families into every section of the school, I invite you to work with us as we help them settle into ISS and Fiji. I take this opportunity to thank the parents, who in a host of roles, work for the good of the school and to better ISS for all.
Principal`s Report
Congratulations go to all our middle school students and teachers for their new webpages, these pages can be accessed via the school website or at http://iss.school.fj/ms/. These coupled with the newly introduced parents and student portals to the PowerSchool student management system and the use of Google classrooms will mean that all the information you need should be at your fingertips. This has been a mammoth task and I thank the leadership team and all the teachers and IT staff for the long hours and hard work which has gone into this. Please feel free to visit our Middle School online or electronically at any time, we are very proud of the changes that have taken place in Years 6-8 over the past few years and work will continue as we consolidate these successes.
Library Update
As many of you will have seen the new primary classroom block is growing rapidly. As I wander around the site I cannot believe how much has been done. The piping for the bathrooms is in and it is easy to already see the shape of the classrooms, at 9 by 9 meters they are going to be wonderfully big and airy. We are still aiming to have this building finished by the end of the 2016 academic year so many of you will see your children in the new classrooms in 2017.
Primary Update
Reaching Out For Happiness Year 7 Sorlandet Visits ISS Year 8 Camp ISS at Coke Games 2016
Inside this issue of Talanoa you will find articles from all sections of the school reflecting on their actions and learning and looking forward to what is coming up. Events reported on include the MUN, Coke Games, Careers Expo and recent service and action trips along with updates from some year levels and sections. Please take some time to read through this issue and feel free to contact anyone at the school should you like any further information. You are welcome to call in at any time and see what we are up to.
Careers Expo
Finally an invitation to you all to the Mother Earth Day Assembly which will take place on Friday 13th May from 1.45 pm in the MPH and the School production, which will be held on the evenings of the 1 st and 2nd June.
PE in Secondary
Model United Nations Alumni - Jamie Rodgers
ISS Great Debate Kind regards, Anna Marsden Principal
ISS Production Year 11`s at Burewai Community, Action & Service PTFA Upcoming Events
PRIMARY UPDATE Learning and Creativity Our recent focus PYP attitude, Creativity encourages children to be creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas. The PYP attitudes are also a vital focus in the development of positive attitudes towards people, the environment and learning. They are an explicit part of daily learning, modeled by both students and staff. They are woven into school life. When reinforced at home, these attitudes become second nature for children. The International Baccalaureate believes every person has the ability, and the right, to be creative. Creativity is also a key element of our PYP curriculum. Children are driven by inquiry and creativity to develop deep understandings within their learning. There is a need to prepare our young people for life and work in an increasingly uncertain and rapidly changing economic and social environment. As part of the group of higher order skills, creativity can help learners not only survive, but flourish in our fast changing world. It is a 21st century skill we can teach and assess. Creativity skills can motivate and allow learners to be confident in their own capabilities, enable them to transfer their creativity in other contexts and allow them to lead and work with others. Planning for creativity can make both teaching and learning experiences more challenging, engaging and motivating for everyone. We have all used activities for learners to brainstorm solutions to problems, be artistically creative and more. Creativity is not limited to these areas – it is also essential for science, maths and social and emotional intelligence. So how can you help foster creativity in your children? 1. Provide the resources required for creative expression – the key resource being ‘time’. Kids require a lot of time for unstructured, child-directed, imaginative play – unencumbered by adult direction and loads of commercial stuff. Space is also vital and giving them a specific place where they can make a mess is helpful. 2. Creative atmospheres are also needed. Brainstorm activities with the children for the upcoming weekend encouraging them to come up with things they’ve never done before. Encourage the kids to make mistakes and fail. Yes, fail – kids unafraid of failure and judgment will help to curtail their own creative thought. Share errors you have made. Laughing at yourself when you do make a mistake is a happiness habit. Celebrate innovation and creativity by covering your walls with art and other evidence of creative expression. Tell your kids about your favourite artists, musicians and scientists. Share your passion for photography etc. and embrace new technologies so your kids grow to find change exciting. 3. Allow them the freedom to explore ideas. Making them colour between the lines, so to speak, reduces flexibility in their thinking. 4. Read for pleasure and participate in the arts. Limit TV and iPad time in order to make time for creative activities such as learning to draw, reading a book or rehearsing a play.
5. Provide the opportunity for ‘divergent thought’. Let them disagree with you and encourage them to find more than one solution to a problem. Come up with many solutions to the one problem. 6. Emphasize process rather than product. Ask questions about the process. Did you have fun? Are you finished? What did you like about doing that activity? If we want students to be creative, we must give them not only the opportunity to do so, but also the finite skills, resources and targets to be able to do so.
READING and SCORE For all of our new families who have joined us this year, I would like to tell you a little about our whole school reading strategy that is introduced as early as ECH2 and Reception.
The SCORE Reading Comprehension Process is a process that effective readers can use before they read, while they read and after they have read a text. Originally developed by a team of talented literacy coaches, these strategies have been organized into a step-by-step sequence and given the easy to remember name of SCORE where each letter stands for specific comprehension strategies. The bookmark available lists each of these strategies and readers can use the bookmark to help remember the steps to use for effective reading. You can download the bookmark and our newly written guide for parents from our school website and print it for home use. This guide will provide you with strategies that you can use with your children before, during and after reading to help them improve their comprehension. While at school, children generally read ‘formal’ texts, at home; their reading is likely to be much more diverse. Children read magazines, websites, watch programs on television for information or entertainment, play complex computer games, engage in social media to communicate with others and read the signs and symbols they encounter in their community. As a parent, you can help them improve their comprehension of both school and everyday texts by reinforcing our powerful comprehension process known as SCORE with your children at home. Many readers may be able to ‘read the words’ but lack effective reading strategies and subsequently, have poor reading comprehension. This document will help explain to you the philosophy, key teaching strategies, and key comprehension processes underpinning this program, showing how you can use these at home with your child. If you believe that an information session would also benefit your understanding of our SCORE strategy, email me and if we have enough interest, we will organize a session. You can find the guide and bookmarks here on our primary webpage! http://internationalschoolsuvaprimary.weebly.com/the-taught-curriculum.html
Karen and the Primary Team kwhittaker@international.school.fj
LIBRARY SERVICE CLUB Every fortnight, the Tuesday library service club, made up of 10 Middle School Students together with Ms Jacqui of Green cottage and her team, and visits the “Bright Little Ones” mobile kindy based in Kalabu. This kindergarten offers early childhood education services to 60 local children and families in an area where there is no other alternative to a village hall. During these visits, the Library service club members read to and with the children. They engage the children in fun literacy activities while Ms Jacqui runs coordination, movement and team building activities. The biggest benefit our students get from this service is the knowledge that they are making a difference in the community to improve lives. Most importantly, our students learn and practise “empathy” in their interaction with the students. This week, the kindergarteners visited our school. They watched the performance of the fairytale “The three Billy goat gruff” by our students. Later the visitors divided up into two groups to enjoy singing with Mr Tim with specific movement activity led by Ms Jacqui. To reinforce personal hygiene, Mr Petero played the “toilet tag” game with them which the children enjoyed very much. The visitors returned to their homes with much to talk about and as their teacher says, “this trip will be the topic of conversation for many days to come.” We thank ISS for facilitating this wonderful experience for the little scholars. Thank you to all the teachers, teacher assistants and students who assisted in making the Bright Little Ones excursion a memorable one. Ms Salu Vaciloa Email: library@international.school.fj Website: http://issfijilibrary.weebly.com/
Toilet tag with Mr Petero Ms Milika and Ms Asilika run the kindergarten on a voluntary basis
The Kindergarten operates from a village hall with the hope of having a more permanent structure in the future.
Movement and coordination skills with Ms Jacqui
Legos in the library
Music with Mr Tim!
ISS Visits Bureiwai District School
HAPPINESS DAY
“Reaching out for Happiness� At the end of Term 1, Years 6, 7, 9 & 10 students were joined by Years 11 on a day trip to Bureiwai District School, in the province of Ra. Bureiwai District School is just one of many which suffered the full brunt of Cyclone Winston and sustained damage to its properties and surroundings. But perhaps the biggest issue is the trauma that such an experience would represent for children. Coinciding with International Day of Happiness, the reason for the trip was to reach out and bring some support to the children of Bureiwai by showing that we care. Our students prepared posters and balloons and generously donated a reading book for each child. ISS also organized lunch to be shared by all. We were greeted very enthusiastically by the Head teacher and by all the children of Bureiwai, who took part in games along with ISS students. Students then shared time to read and have lunch together, ending with ISS students performing dance items. The joy and excitement showed through the smiles of everyone who attended the celebration. Sara Volkmar
Year 7 Update
Middle School
WELCOME! Term 2 welcomes back all the Year 7 students. A very special welcome to Mai Hada who joins us from Kamikitazawa Shougakkou School in Japan and Mare Leenders, one of our returning students who joined us this term. It is great to see that Mare and Mai have both transitioned well to Year7. WORK! WORK! WORK! The Year 7 students are finding a reasonably good rhythm in keeping up with the demands of term 2 in regards to their classroom learning, research skills, laboratory design skills, social skills, self-management skills, assessment tasks and tests. We congratulate them for their commitment to their learning and their hard work. On Thursday morning, 5th of May we were excited to have the parents with us for the launch of the Middle School website, the Year 7 webpage and the Power School Parent Portal over a delicious breakfast. Many thanks to all who attended. It was a good turnout. The students are also enjoying Google Classroom where there is communication and interaction between teachers and students, student to student interaction about assignments, and tasks and learning strategies which are very useful to them.
Sørlandet SHIP ON A SCHOOL VISITS THE ISS SCIENCE LAB The A+ World Academy School on a ship named Sorlandet, travelled from Norway around the world and visited the ISS Science Lab to conduct some Science experiments for their students. The School on the ship was a pioneer with mainly year 11 and 12 students. They spent a day in the Chemistry and Physics labs in the Easter weekend conducting some practicals which they could not do while sailing around the world. The students were glad and thankful to ISS for facilitating them. Some staff and students got the chance to visit the school on a ship harbored at the yacht club and were equally thrilled with the experience!
Year 8 Camp - Sawakasa Village
Monday 21st March - Thursday 24th March, 2016
Year 8 students have traditionally gone to Sawakasa in Tailevu for survival camps over a number of years now. The 2016 camp took on a different focus from previous years, primarily based on the effects of Cyclone Winston. Although the village of Sawakasa sustained light damage, the students still thought it would be great to do some work around the village and lift the spirit of the children at school by giving a classroom an 'extreme makeover'. Students were accommodated in the village, while doing all their cooking and group activities in the community hall. As always the camp started with the traditional Sevusevu welcoming ceremony. After getting set up in the boys and girls’ houses, on opposite sides of the village, the students were soon on their way to the waterfall. Due to cyclone damage the regular walking track was too dangerous, so our guides cut a new route for us. Quite an adventure for a lot of the students.
Fiji Finals - Coke Games Recently we had the Coca Cola games, which was held at the ANZ Stadium from the 28th to the 30th of April. There were over 100 schools taking part and over 2000 students participating. There were three students who had qualified through Suva Zone 1 to the Coke Games: Maia Ramsden, Petero Lala, and Adubi Plange. These students, along with a very keen school squad of about 20 students have been training with the Pacific Sports Academy under the guidance of head coach Fesaitu Mario. The students have been very committed to the training schedule, and put in a lot of hard work to achieve a fantastic set of results. This was evident during their performances at the games. Maia won gold in both her events (1500m, 800m) breaking a twelve year record in the 800m event, with a time of 2m.21s. This record time is faster than the junior, intermediate, and senior times in the girls’ category. Adubi came 4th in both the 100m and 200m finals, and has since been chosen to represent Fiji in the upcoming Melanesian Game in the Under 18 age group. Petero came 3rd in the 200m heats but did not qualify through to the finals. However, this is his first time participating in the Coca Cola Games. Petero who is only 13 years of age, has used the Coke Games for experience and exposure, and will continue his training for the Chow Games which will be held later on in the year. With only three students taking part this year we are very happy with what they have achieved during the games. Jonathon Uluiviti, PE and Sport Assistant
From Talanoa: Congratulations to our three competitors, Petero Lala, Year 7, Adubi Plange, Year 12, and Maia Ramsden Year 9 who bagged two gold medals. These two medals from Maia were enough to see ISS finish in 6th place in the girls medal tally. They were cheered on by their school mates both at the stadium and from school. Thank you and congratulations also go to Jonathan Uluiviti, Dona Baledravu, Brett Barons and Jennifer Liew of ISS and Fesaitu Mario of Pacific Sports Academy who have been working with these athletes and supported them on the day.
ISS Careers Expo - 2016
-Colin Powell
The schools’ annual Careers Expo was eventually held on Tuesday 26 April, in the MPH, after being postponed from March 3, due to the aftermath of TC Winston. The aim of the program is to provide students with an opportunity and a platform to gather information about different careers that are available to them. It is important for students to make informed choices regarding their future career and the Careers Expo offers an avenue for students to gather the necessary information and understand what is required to be able to enter a particular field. The expo featured 19 booths managed by enthusiastic professionals from the various organizations who had so generously come along to share their experience and knowledge in their various career fields. This year the expo took on a bit of a change… we also had 9 professionals, each giving a tenminute presentation on the particular career field they were engaged in. This gave the students a more detailed description into presenters’ career fields and the options within those particular fields and the expectations that go with it. ISS was also very happy to share this great opportunity of planning towards future career goals with seven other schools in the greater Suva area. In the last five years we have had at least twelve of our local schools participating. However, this did not deter the enthusiasm and excitement of not only the students but also the exhibitors, presenters and teachers. No doubt, each student that left the expo was more enlightened on career options that are available and which will inevitably pave pathways for students to realize their dream.
We wish to acknowledge the contribution and presence of the following individuals and organizations, for without this special group of exhibitors, the expo would not have been possible: * Civil & Structural Engineering - Erasito Consultants * Creative Arts - VOU & Matt Young Company, Fiji * Digital & Visual Arts - Carson Young * Fashion & Design - Fiji Fashion Week * Environment Sustainability - Ministry of Fisheries & Forestry * International Relations - Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat * Law - Office of the DPP - Munro Leys * Librarian - International School Suva * Media & Journalism - Fiji Broadcasting Commission - The Fiji Times * Scholarship Opportunities - Tertiary Scholarship & Loans Board * Teaching - International School Suva * Tertiary Education - Fiji National University - University of the South Pacific * Tourism & Hospitality - Holiday Inn
And to the presenters, who gave great insight through their lively presentation in their chosen career fields: * The Creative Arts (Drama) – Mr. Matt Young, * Agriculture (Fiji National University- Dr. Kaliova Ravuiwasa * Business Management, Marketing & Sales- Mr. Divyesh Damodar * Medicine, Nursing &Health Sciences- Dr. Apenisa Ratu * Tertiary Scholarship & Loans Board- Mr. Akariva Kaufuti * Hospitality and Tourism (University of the South Pacific) - Ms. Ella Bennion * Architecture, Construction & Engineering (Erasito Consultants Ltd) Mr. Krishmal Dutt & Ms Natasha Woods * Law (Munro Leys)- Ms. Patricia Naisara & Mr. Josefata Cati * Science, Technology & Mathematics (University of the South Pacific)- Mr Surya Prasad We are indeed thankful to all those who have contributed to the success of the ISS Career Expo 2016. Fenella David
International School Suva - 18th & 19th April, 2016 After two thorough training sessions the International School Suva 2016 Model United Nations finally commenced. Thrilling and exciting it was to see four different schools (Dudley High School, International School Nadi, Jai Narayan College and ISS) converge and participate in one major academic event. This year, entiSpecial Awards: tled with the Secretary General position, I had the responsibility to Security Council oversee debates in all councils, Encouragement Awards: score delegates’ performances, Delegate of Saudi Arabia - Maia Ramsden (ISS); and conduct the opening and Delegate of China - Nawal Maharaj (JNC) awards ceremony. Best Researcher The debates were exciting and Delegate of Turkey - Celeste Kado (ISS) interesting. Delegates ‘fired’ one Second Best Delegate another with condemnations and Delegate of France - Elizabeth Capp (ISN) questions to both justify his or her Best Delegate country and gain the support of Delegate of Russian Federation - Uzair Mohammed other delegates. Sitting on the hot Aktar (ISS) seat, the delegate of Democratic People's Republic of Korea General Assembly swiped the crowd by skilfully arguEncouragement Awards ing that all nuclear proliferation is Delegate of Turkey - Proma Ali (ISN) an act of self-defence because Delegate of Russian Federation - Damien Raju (ISS) countries with mass destructive Best Researcher weapons oppress the countries without. By motioning targeted Delegation from Australia - Kate Hobgood (ISS); and planned moderated caucusNadya Putri (ISS); Cheyenne Ashley (JNC) es, the delegate avoided answerSecond Best Delegate ing human rights issues, and foDelegate of Iraq - Rahul Raniga (ISN) cused on the benefits of nuclear Best Delegate weapons. At the end of the day, Delegate of United Kingdom - Rohan Joseph (ISN) surprisingly, the resolution to arm all nations with nuclear weapon Korea Crisis gained the support of the majority, Encouragement Awards who carefully weighted the beneDelegate of Indonesia - Jeshua Hope (JNC); fits and drawbacks of the resoluDelegate of Russian Federation -Shouvik Hasan (JNC) tion with regards to his or her Best Researcher government's interest. It was clear Delegate of Ukraine - Smurthi Krishnamurthi (ISN) to see that the delegates were in Second Best Delegate their roles, a true representative of Delegate of China - Matthew Browne (ISN) their nations who fights for the Best Delegate interests of their people and govDelegate of North Korea - Samuel Knight (ISN) ernment. The un-moderated caucus was different from the moderated cauState of Israel cus, for it turned the room into an Encouragement Awards orchestra. The sound of speaking Delegate of Bangladesh - Jessica Browne (ISN) delegates, shuffling placards, and Delegate of Israel - Beatrice Santos (ISS) rambling feet synthesized into a Best Researcher grand symphony. It began with the Delegate of Lebanon - Devlin Grewal (ISS) dead silence, followed immediateSecond Best Delegate ly by the shuffling sound of a risen Delegate of China - Nabila Alia (ISN) placard. A voice of authority led to Best Delegate a strand of answers. Then came Delegate of USA - Youngkyu Hwang (ISS) the shuffling of all placards! With a thud, the delegates pushed the chairs aside, now came the sound
of shouting and arguing. The whole room was filled with energetic and skilful arguments. Then a voice of authority intruded upon the discussion, the time is up. Silence was regained in the room. The delegates calmly shook hands with the persons they has just shouted at or against, as if nothing had happened. But they knew that the argument ultimately made them friends, and it was the seeking of options to resolve crises that made them closer to each other. Model United Nation is a simulation of everyday life. Because we have to seek different opinions in order to understand personal flaws and thus move forward. Chuan Yuan Liu (on behalf of the Executive Team)
This year's Model UN was officially opened by Mr Luke Daunivalu, the Deputy Secretary Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Addressing the students, Mr Daunivalu highlighted Fiji's role in the international scene when it was tasked with chairing the G77 and China group at the United Nations in 2013. We are also extremely grateful to our sponsors, Bank of South Pacific and Jedi's Stationery.
ISS ALUMNI - JAMIE RODGERS ISS Talanoa caught up with Jamie Rodgers during his visit to ISS. As an ex-student Rodgers shares his success story and attributes it to the academic foundation he received whilst at ISS. (1997- 2010) Talanoa: Which Tertiary College did you attend and what were your achievements? I completed my studies at ISS in 2010, achieving my IB diploma, with a rather average 32 points, and finishing up overall as 2nd last in my class of successful IB candidates (I wasn't really the star student, haha). However, this was good enough to be accepted in the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, where I studied a double degree in: (1) Information Technology and (2) Corporate Systems Management. What I learned through the IB at ISS, prepared me quite exceptionally for University. In my first semester I surprised myself; collecting two high distinctions, and two distinctions, earning myself a place on the Dean's list for academic excellence. Following this, I completed the rest of my degree in a similar (better) fashion, and graduated with distinctions in both my degrees at the end of 2014. There were 2 memorable achievements during my studies: 1.
Representing QUT at CaseIT-2014, the largest global Management-Information-Systems business case competition; hosted in Vancouver Canada. My team won 2nd place overall, ahead of a number of esteemed, and very highly ranked global universities from around the world.
2.
Representing QUT at the Telstra-M2M-2014 competition, a national technology innovation competition, where my team was placed 3rd overall.
Upon graduation, my achievements had provided me a range of employment opportunities, with offers from 1. Cap Gemini - A global management consulting corporation, one of the worlds largest technology & consulting firms 2. Allianz Global Assistance - A subsidiary of German based Allianz; The world's largest insurance firm 3. Suncorp Group - Australia's largest general insurance company, and banks. Talanoa: Where are you working and what do you do? I am currently working in the Business Intelligence
domain of the Suncorp Group. I am performing a small scale project/team management role, in a team of 7 who perform (1) IT project delivery, (2) solution development, and (3) business operations. I work with globally distributed teams in China, India, South east Asia and Australia. Talanoa: Best memories of ISS? There really is no shortage of good memories from ISS, but the thing that sticks with me the most is the sense of community and belonging which was at ISS. During my speech at the 2010 end of year assembly, I made mention of the unique community ISS had, and how it was a culture which bred great things, and should be cherished and preserved. Now, 6 years later, I realize how true that is; and what I miss the most is the community and belonging which I haven't found anywhere else since. What I've achieved since leaving ISS is testament to exactly the kind of foundation in life, and opportunities ISS creates. Talanoa: What are your plans for the future? I intend to remain on my current career path with Suncorp for the near future; I have much more to learn and experience before tackling my greater goals. ISS embedded a mindset of global citizenship, community, and service. In the medium term, I'd hope to get more global exposure, to explore opportunities in Asia, Europe or America, but ultimately I aim to transition towards non-profit, philanthropic endeavours; to use the opportunities I've had in life - starting with ISS, to give back to the global community. Talanoa: Is there anything else you feel that is relevant to ISS. To the students: Cherish your time at ISS; the memories you create here will be some of the best you'll carry through life. Make the most of your learning opportunities; complete the IB. Your parents are sacrificing and investing a lot to give you this opportunity, and it is one of the best opportunities you can get for a head start in life. Don't over-stress though; academic excellence at high school really isn't everything - I finished 2nd last in my class, and I didn't turn out too badly :) To the parents: You've made a significant investment in your child's future in securing them tutelage at ISS. Though they may not understand or appreciate the entirety of what you've given them today; they will - with time, maturity, and experience.
To the teachers: Thank you; to the teachers still remaining who taught me - your guidance prepared me to get where I am today. To the other teachers, under whom I have not studied; your influence on today's students are preparing dozens, or hundreds of success stories - who will undoubtedly make my achievements look pedestrian. Thank you all for your investment in our futures, and the future of our global community.
Case IT 2014 - This is a picture of me & my QUT team winning 2nd place at the Case IT Global Business Case competition finals (Top 16 qualifying universities from around the world)
Case IT 2014 - an Action shot; me presenting at the Case IT 2014 finals, to a judging panel of global industry leaders
Telstra 2014 - This is a picture of me & my QUT team; we placed 3rd nationally across competing Australian universities.
Here at ISS, we would love to hear from our ex students. Become an ISS alumni member and receive the Talanoa Newsletters regularly. Please contact Salote Narayan on snarayan@international.school.fj and let us know what you are doing.
P E in Se co n d ar y
PE in Secondary By Jennifer Liew & Brett Barons
PE in Secondary
been hotly contested in the Multi-Purpose Hall and strongly supported by the secondary students who watch. This is a great event for student team building and clear evidence of the significant leadership skills that some of our senior students have.
Of course the most recent highlight for the semester has been the outstanding result from the Coke Games by Maia Ramsden, Adubi Plange and Petero Lala, and you can read more in another article. There are however, some exciting events All year levels of the middle and high coming up in PE. school PE program (Years 6-10) The Outdoor Education class in Year have been engaged in the Swim 11 and 12 has an upcoming trip to program this term. Students have Beqa Island as they are currently been placed according to ability focusing on an ACT unit titled levels with specialist coaches to gain 'Fundamentals and the Ocean' which the most from their time in the pool. looks at the impact of recreation In middle school, those students activities in a marine environment who are strong swimmers have been (amongst other things). They will be given extension activities with Mr Saving engaged in a number of activities Barons, learning Life including snorkelling and hiking. techniques and theory. The camp will run from Wednesday 11th May to Saturday 14th May. Week 5 is the culmination of the This is the culmination of several swim program with the school weeks of effort and their practical swimming carnival, held at the experience will culminate in a Aquatic Center on Tuesday 10th May. All parents and guardians are written Assessment task. welcome to come along to watch. The Year 12 students have The competition is to be run in the organized Inter-House Dodgeball 25m pool due to repairs still being competitions where House Captains undertaken in the 50m pool, but eforganize year level teams. This week forts will be undertaken to minimize the high school teams have faced off, any impact this might have. This in week 6 the focus will be middle event will demonstrate to you the school teams. The competition has skills the students have been
learning in their swim program during this term's PE classes and, for some, it will be a significant achievement to swim a complete length. Our more competitive swimmers will use the event to gain experience and times that will allow them to qualify for the National competitions held later in the year. Next term the focus for PE for Years 6-10 will be invasion games and net/wall games. You will hear more about this in later issues of Talanoa.
ISS Great Debate 2016 The Year 12 Tourism and Event Management students have spent the last few weeks delving into current issues of concern facing the tourism industry. They have explored a range of issues including: Exploitation of Women / Children and Animals, Sustainability, Carbon Footprint, and Cultural Concerns. To round off our exploration of these issues the students spent a week preparing a debate on Cultural Concerns in response to the statement, The majority of tourists who enter Fiji lack cultural understanding and often give inadvertent offence to locals. We then invited those staff and students who were interested to come and view our debate in periods 1 and 2 on Friday morning the 21st April. The response we received from students and staff was overwhelming. We managed to fill the auditorium, as all sections of the school came along to watch the competitors battle it out, from Grade 3 in Primary, right through to the High School. The battle was very close, but ultimately, and decided by popular vote, the affirmative team prevailed. The feedback from all who came along was great and has inspired the Grade 12s to want to repeat the exercise, so watch this space!
The Team : (L-R) Amelia Kami, Vikrant Singh, Natasha Weleilakeba, Eddie Kasami, Rhea Dass, Joseph Bennion, Rosemary Mario
ISS PRODUCTION, 2016 Cast List
Date: 1st & 2nd June, 2016
Time: 6.30pm
Parents - Linda
Kids
p u t h g u “Ca in the ” n e z o d A family Comedy that is sure to make you laugh out loud!!
Ella Sinclair
- Tom
Damien Raju
- Nora
Mercy Neal
- Charlie
Joseph Bennion
- Lorraine
Talii Cornish
- Henry
Carlos Manaog
- Sarah
Nicole Karountzos
- Michael
Taniela Tora
- Jake
Zion Semaan
- Kyle
Mason Shelton
- April
Talisa Cumberbatch
- Jess
Elodie Khan
- Kim
Aurora Sinclair
- Mark
Abhas Jiwanji
Babysitters - Hank
Shayden Saberi
College girl - Lauren
Tamena Evers
Illegal Foreigner - George
Arjun Bhurga
Psychic - Gamy
Natasha Weleilakeba
Clutz - Elizabeth
Alofa Aileen Paelate
Hanks Brother - Tank
Vikrant Singh
Crazed Fan
Aya Yamaguchi-Murray
Judge
Talei Semaan
Border Police 1 & 2
Jun-Il Lee & Sojung Yoon
Border police 3 & 4
Mira Misha
Teacher 1 & 2
Celeste Kado & Hannah Keteca
Tourist
Emily Gibson
Law Enforcement Officer 1 Kelvin Liao Law Enforcement Officer 2 Isikeli Sprankle Students
Leilani Sprankle, Rishal Patel, Hannah Fujii-Bennet, Rani Fairfax, Vasiti Rakai, Angela Hui, Katie McLean, Toby Bower, Talei Tikosaya
Bureiwai Village The last week of term Mr Murphy and I had the honour of being present at an event where we saw our students grow overnight in to responsible caring adults. Our service camp was based in the village of Bureiwai. This village has over a 100 houses. On the morning after Cycl one Winston only two or three houses were left standing and one death. We spent four days there and were immediately struck on our arrival by the silence. No laughter, and very little talking. Our first plan of action was to secure our camp site. They allowed us to camp on the grounds of the remains of the Assemblies of God Church. In order to do this we dismantled what was left of the structure, picked up glass, nails, sorted and prepared timber for recycling. We also did the same for the roofing iron and secured it off the ground for the villagers to be able to use later. Our liaison in the village had prepared a pour flush toilet and a double hose shower facility as well as a tarpaulin tent shed for us to do cooking and eat our meals in. Each of the staff and students had their own tents. That first day we finished work at 6.00pm and we had still not seen the village. The first night we were in some ways blessed with rain which really did not cool the air down at all but did demonstrate that many had not set up their tents correctly. The day also proved to be a very wet one. That first look at the village on Tuesday in the wet was a very dismal picture indeed and did open their eyes to a better understanding of what we were there for. The action plan for day two was to clean out the Methodist Church and its surrounding area. Close to the church were the remains of the Chief’s house. It consisted of his building’s foundation and the amenities inside of what remained of his toilet, shower, washroom building. Mr Stice discovered that the amenities were all in good working order with only some bits and pieces of plumbing missing which he had at the last minute brought with him. It was agreed that a group of students would work on rebuilding the laundry and it would then be used as a common place for others in the village to use until they are able to get their own homes back in order. The church proved to be a challenge that our students took on with determination. The entire structure had collapsed internally. We had to remove the roof, glass, cut away the wiring and remove heaps of concrete rubble. All the furniture was removed and mud and water had to be cleaned out of the building. Any timber that was reusable had nails removed and was then stacked to be used at a later date. Roofing iron was sorted and stacked. Students just slotted themselves into different areas where they saw a need. Conditions were very hot and also very wet that Tuesday but at no time did anyone express any discontent. At first our hammering and voices were all that was heard and then gradually we saw that a number of people started to come out of their shelters to start working on their own homes. By lunchtime there was a small cacophony of hammering and voices that had not previously been heard around the village since Cyclone Winston. Our work day went from 8.45am to 6.00pm with an hour and a half break at lunch. My respect for the student with each hour as they all began to demonstrate a tenacity to continue on the task assigned until it was completed. A relaxing activity at the end of the day was the “bathing” in the creek pool that all the village children used for washing. There the students quietly assisted the village children in removing rocks and debris and returning the pool to its former state. Day three of Camp was spent chopping, moving and burning the large amount of debris that had collected from fallen and chopped up trees. The clearing and burning of this debris was done to reduce the possibility of them becoming an impediment should Fiji go through another cyclone since we are technically still in the cyclone season. A small group of students completed the back entrance of the church and the building of th e laundry continued until late in the evening. Bureiwai was a village surrounded by large mango trees and also a number of mahogany trees. It was heart breakin g to have to burn these magnificent trees that had been blown done and cut up for easier disposal. Our last day of camp was generally just to pack up and attend the International Day of Happiness at Bureiwai District School. The final details on the laundry building and checking the fires from the previous day were done very early (5.30am) and completed by 9.30am. The total su mmary of completed projects over the four days included clearing the Assemblies of God Church and surrounding grounds, clearing and making safe the Methodist Church, building a functional public laundry, shower and toilet facility, clearing out rocks and boulders from the village creek and burning and removing excess branches and logs from a major common ground in the village. On our last evening in Bureiwai, our students went to the swimming hole in the creek to cool off and relax with the village children. That evening for the first time since Cyclone Winston the laughter of the village children echoed from the creek. We may not have been great builders but we feel our visit brought an air of hope to the village. Jennifer Liew, Year 11 Coordinator
Community & Service at ISS The Community and Service Program is a core element of the program offered at International School Suva. It is multi-layered and community-focused and is designed to help develop the spirit of community and service within each of the ISS students. It is a holistic approach that teaches much needed life skills and allows students to give something back to the community. This vital area of the ISS curriculum also aims to inspire our students to have a positive impact within their community. Below are pictures of our Year 12 students taking action whilst on camp in Nataleira Village after the subsequent affects of TC Winston.
From the PTFA Bula vinaka Parents and Teachers and welcome to the PTFA newsletter. We recently held our first meeting with the new committee and would like to share with you some developments we have under way. We welcome all feedback and comments; our email address is ptfa@international.school.fj all emails go to the President & Secretary of the PTFA. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our first upcoming "Open house" as detailed below. Parent Teacher 'Open House' The PTFA agreed to hold a PTFA ‘Open House’ meeting each term. The ‘Open House’ will be an opportunity for PTFA to give feedback on current projects and to give Parents and Teachers the opportunity to contribute and give feedback to the PTFA. To ensure working parents have the opportunity to attend, the meetings will be held at 6:00pm in the Amphitheatre, child care will be provided with a movie in the library. The first meeting will be held on the 26th May. Social Media The PTFA wants to be more proactive with communication and we agreed that Facebook was a good place to start. It was agreed to merge the PTFA Facebook page with ISS and create one ‘Official’ page which is managed by the Events Coordinator, Salote. In order to do this we will be closing the current page down and building a new page which combines PFTA and ISS information. We will also introduce a social media guideline as provided by the Australian government. PTFA Constitution After the initial meeting by the committee tasked to propose changes to the PTFA Constitution it was agreed by all that there was a need for wider consultation with parents and teachers before proposing any changes. The committee felt that the role of the PFTA needs to be modernized and its mandate and goals redefined. In particular · Aims and Objectives · Simplifying the constitution · Align aims to the needs of students, teachers and parents · Redefine the role of fundraising · Align mission to that of ISS council We will keep everyone updated on this process as we move forward. Sharon Smith Johns President PTFA - 2016
Upcoming Events (Term 2) Week 5 Tuesday, May 10 Secondary swimming carnival Friday, May 13 Whole School Assembly Year 1& Year 10 Mother Earth Day Assembly
Week 7 Monday, May 23 High School Semester Examinations start Wednesday, May 25 IGCSE Chinese Exam Listening & Writing
Week 6 Tuesday, May 17 ICAS Digital Technologies
Friday, May 20 PRIMARY PRESS 5:00pm - Year level update
Week 8 Monday, May 30 School Production rehearsal Tuesday, May 31 Matinee Performance School Production ICAS Science Wednesday, June 1 School Production Evening Performance Thursday, June 2 School Production Evening Performance