Volume 4 26/6/19
Newsletter of International School Suva
Principal’s Report We are starting our Semester three-week break and, hopefully, all families are using this time for valuable rejuvenation, recreation, and relationships! This is a good time to re-affirm that ISS values the whole child and the key role of the families. Successful schools always seem to support parents and their family goals and to encourage students’ emotional and physical well-being as much as academics. At ISS we promote the Learner Profile and know that some of those student traits must be learned in daily life from parents and other influential adults. Learner Profile qualities such as being caring, open-minded, and balanced must be learned as much during term breaks and at home as at school! Before I go on, I have a couple of very important reminders for parents: 1.Remember that beginning after this break, students will need to bring their own lunch containers. For students who purchase canteen food, Styrofoam containers will not be used. Alternate containers may be purchased but will not be encouraged. Students also now have a good wash-up facility to clean re-usable containers before taking them home or storing them in backpacks or lockers. Our past practice of allowing containers that are not friendly to our environment is now finished and we all need to plan for better alternatives. 2.All parents should remember the new FRCA requirement to get Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) for their children. This is not something the school monitors or is responsible for, but we hope all of our families take steps to meet this new FRCA requirement to avoid any compliance problems. The requirement, to be specific, is that all children of all ages, even pre-school, must have a TIN. More information about this can be found at http://www.fwarc.org/pdfs/606.pdf. The whole school celebrated World Oceans Day recently. Secondary school students did many projects including beach clean-up, mangrove planting, and oceans issues awareness activities. The Primary Oceans Day had an outdoor festival that included many activities and parents. Students painted fish, attached toothbrush “baleen” on a whale, were photographed in a shark’s mouth using green screen technology, explored wave and tide activity using a wash basin, decorated biscuits, and participated in a dance contest.
Inside this issue:
Fun Day Poster
Fun Day Update
Primary Semester One
The Problem of Deforestation
Market Day Year 2
Design Year 8
Integrated Humanities Year 7
Integrated Science Year 7
Integrated Science Year 8
ISS Sailing Club
Year 8 Visual Arts
Year 8 Mathematics
In the last Talanoa, I reported the high school students’ involvement with Nasesara Village and their plastic-free stand. Since then, a group of ISS staff, including myself, and students attended a formal launch ceremony for the village plastic ban, and we enjoyed wonderful hospitality and community spirit. Nasesara Village is inspiring others to take similar measures to preserve the beautiful and important ocean resources we have. A group of Year 12 students are planning a visit to a Beqa Island village after the break to learn from and assist them. These activities are examples of students putting their learning to use in the real world with applied learning activities.
As many of you know, the school is very full with record enrolments. Construction of added building space that will provide improved classrooms and meeting space continues with the four-story J Block project. Behind the scenes, that building is taking shape more each day with the bottom floor now visible and work on the next floor beginning. ISS still has a few very old and less-than-adequate facilities that are gradually being replaced with better spaces for learning. Watch for more information about this important improvement. School resumes for students Wednesday, 17 July. Teachers will have two days of IB training prior to that, and we will be ready for an outstanding Term 3 and Semester 2. Best wishes to the whole ISS community until then! Steve Cathers, Head of International School Suva
Year 7 Design The voice of youth at World Ocean Day. MYP Corner School Production Uto Ni Yalo Extension Program
Visit to the Le D’Entecasteaux
Year 12 Camp
World Ocean Day HS
Quotes from Year 10 Camp
Fiji National Swimming Championships
Upcoming Events
Term Dates
Primary Semester One Wow! It’s hard to believe it is the end of semester and we are half way through the year. Primary has much to celebrate as we continue to improve our programs and what we offer. It has been very busy and we have enjoyed the support from our community with all that has been achieved thus far. This semester we have: Introduced the Year 5 World Language program Introduced the Options program Looked for ways for students to have choice in what they do – Options program and SST Celebration Week Added lunch time concerts to our end of term celebrations Launched our Ocean Science Curriculum As teachers we have focused on the teaching and learning of mathematics, analyzed how we assess across all curriculum areas and are developing our ESL program Introduced the Learn to Swim Program with reception and year 11 The teachers have done an amazing job and are continuing to look to improve what they do in the classrooms and what we offer the students. It has been wonderful to receive feedback from the community about the work we are doing. Some of the parent highlights and comments from semester one have been, ECH2 sharing of their plays, World Ocean Day, Year 2 market day, year level shared morning teas after assembly, parent information sessions, Seesaw, year 5 wealth and power presentation, year 4 healthy breakfast and skits, year level assemblies, parent reading program and the swim carnival. We are looking forward to seeing what semester two brings.
THE PROBLEM OF DEFORESTATION When you walk around your neighborhood do you feel anything or do you notice it? Are the trees disappearing? As a kid (or if you’re a kid) you may have had a favorite tree to climb, and if you did ask yourself “Is it still there?” As many people know, the problem of deforestation is growing. There are only fourteen big rainforests in the whole world and they are getting smaller. Some of the most well-known are the South East Asian and the Amazon (the biggest rainforest in the world and the only place where freshwater dolphins live). All the animals living in the rainforests are losing their homes and more importantly lives. For example, the orangutan numbers used to be 230,000 but now that number has dropped by nearly 100,000 to only 104,700 left in the wild, which means they’re endangered. Then there is the Bengal tiger with only 2,500 left in the wild. The Bengal tiger has the biggest number of all the tigers species according to WWF(link to website below). This is all happening because of deforestation and hunting. What can we do about it? To begin with, I would like to start with one simple action. Lots of deforestation is happening so farmers can replant crops for palm oil. If we try to reduce our purchases of palm oil products, we will reduce the need to plant this crop. So please tell everyone to be mindful about what you do and think about your actions, who knows maybe your little action may make a huge difference (bad and good). I plan to speak more for the trees and share some action plans in the next two issues. This may be our future if we don’t act now. Thank you. Reference: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/10-products-that-are-killing-the-environment/ https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutanhttps://www.conserve-energy-future.com/biggest-popularrainforests-world.php
Where you can learn more http://wwf.org/
By: Anahira Denzler
DESIGN Year 8 Written by Tanisha Prasad
In Term 2, 2019, the Year 8’s unit in Design was about simple machines. We were given the task of investigating a current problem that Pacific Islands are facing, and had to develop a solution that could be used by residents to make life easier. We were required to incorporate at least one simple machine into our designed solution. Simple machines reduce effort and allow people to extend their ability to perform everyday tasks. This topic was very new to most of us. The word ‘machine 'commonly refers to a complex mechanical device powered by a motor, which is very different to the term ‘simple machine’. Widely used simple machines include the wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, screw, wedge and lever. It was very interesting, but challenging for most of us to come up with a solution to our chosen problem. We had limitations such as the resources that our targeted audience would have available. The majority of us focused on problems such as lack of clean water availability, power availability and hygiene, where the solutions empowered residents to be able to make the design themselves. For example, I wanted to design something for remote villages without electricity. This meant that all of the materials in my design must be naturally made. We had to put some deep thought into what we would use and whether the design would serve its purpose. We ended up with some fascinating and creative designs. Some people made a water filter out of bamboo, a wheelbarrow to help transport crops, or even a natural cooler for vegetables without electricity with a stand and wheels. After all of our inquiring, research, sketches and planning, we made a model of our design. The model demonstrated our solution and proved that our design and the simple machines within it actually worked. Overall, this unit was very unique and fun. We could express our creativity freely as we were not limited to any certain type of solution or way to make things. I feel like we have all gained a better understanding of what simple machines are and put them into context by incorporating them into a design and having a go at constructing them. At the same time, we learnt to make environmentally friendly and sustainable designs.
Year 7: Integrated Humanities This term we had the opportunity to meet Ms Analeisi from the Mobile Kindy and learn about her service and how her team are improving the lives of children in settlement areas around Suva. Our inquiry question was “Global problems are a reality but individuals have the power and choice to make a positive difference”. The goal of our unit was to write a letter to persuade Asco Motors to donate funds to support Ms Analeisi and the Mobile Kindy.We had to conduct background research and conduct a first-hand interview to understand the Sustainable Development Goal, Target 4.2 (Early Childhood Education) and the work of Mobile Kindy. We are looking to hearing if our letter were persuasive enough to have Asco Motors support the Mobile Kindy. We will keep you posted!
Year 7 Integrated Science As part of their Summative Assessment this term Students in Year 7 had to “Adopt an Element “of their choice from the Periodic Table of Elements. Research, designing a poster and sharing with their peers was a part of their learning.
Year 8 Integrated Science As part of their Unit this term, students studied Chemical Reactions. In the Laboratory, they carried out a chemical reaction experiment by using a Bunsen burner and other laboratory equipment to heat different substances which included Calcium carbonate, copper sulphate, paraffin wax, zinc oxide and sand. Observations made enabled the students to determine whether the reaction was a physical change or chemical change.
ISS Sailing Club For Tuesday afternoon activities program this semester, students have the opportunity to join the ISS sailing club. Here students were able to learn a variety of skills required to be a competent crew. This was initially held in the classroom, where they learnt all about keelboats, knots, weather, safety and navigation. They then had the opportunity to put some of these new skills into practice down at Royal Suva Yacht Club focus this semester has been on keelboat sailing and completing the competent crew course. Over the next few weeks they went sailing in Suva harbour aboard a 38ft monohull and to Namuka Island on a 40ft catamaran. The program culminated with a sail to Pacific Harbour on Sunday 16th June. The weather was slightly overcast but with a fresh wind blowing, students enjoyed a fast, sometimes bumpy ride down to their anchorage. Here they quickly got into their swimming gear to snorkel and paddleboard. After a good night’s sleep, students then joined their classmates for the year 7 & 8 camp. Thank you to Mr Cathers, Mr Ramsdale and Mr Legaz for providing expertise and supervision throughout the program. ISS sailing club will run again next semester.
Year 8 Visual Art The challenge of working on one artwork as a team is something that our Year 8 Visual Art students took on this term. Their audience ‌ junior Primary and their task to create an Oceans inspired mural for the space underneath the Think Tank. A task that challenged the students in terms of their time management, collaborative skills and attention to detail especially when their audience arrived for critiques! Students researched other muralists, split up into teams and drafted several ideas before presenting their ideas to our youngsters. After approval, they got started and working to a tight deadline successfully completed an engaging undersea backdrop that has transformed our children’s play area. It has been a golden opportunity to collaborate with Primary students and teachers, I would encourage all to go and have a look!
Consulting with the clients.
Presenting their ideas.
Drafting it out.
Finally Adding Paint
Year 8 Mathematics As part of our unit on Triangles, we have been looking at the Sierpiński triangle. It is a fractal based on an equilateral triangle with four equal triangles inscribed in it, first described by Waclaw Sierpinski. The Sierpinski triangle is self-similar and has a distinct pattern to it. It is constructed by finding the midpoints of each line segment of the largest triangle, then connecting the points to create smaller triangles. This pattern is then repeated for the smaller triangles and has infinite possible iterations. In Math class, we began to make tetrahedrons, also known as triangular pyramids in each lesson. Tetrahedrons have equilateral triangles as each face of the three dimensional shape. After we had made enough, Mr Legaz put us into groups of four and challenged us to figure out how to make the Sirpinski triangle with the tetrahedrons. He told us that it would have to stand on its own and look like a Sirpinski triangle on each face. We learnt that each inverted triangle in the pattern was supposed to be empty. We had to hot glue the points of each tetrahedron to another until they formed the right shape and pattern. Many of us struggled to figure out how to make it at first but when we finally did, everyone started to work together to make more Sirpinski triangles and join them together to make even larger Sirpinski triangles. We soon realised that there was no limit to how large we could make it. After a few more lessons of cutting, pasting and joining tetrahedrons together, Year 8 had collectively made two large, three dimensional Sirpinski triangles. Physically making the Sirpinski triangle helped us understand the concept and ended up as a really interesting and unique project that we all contributed to.
Bibliography Jwilson.coe.uga.edu. (2019). Sierpinski Triangle. [online] Available at: http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emat6680/parsons/mvp6690/essay1/ sierpinski.html [Accessed 20 Jun. 2019]. Study.com. (2019). What is The Sierpinski Triangle? - Pattern & History | Study.com. [online] Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what -is-the-sierpinski-triangle-pattern-history.html [Accessed 20 Jun. 2019].
Year 7 Design This year, we have started a new subject called design. In design we follow the design cycle to plan, create and reflect on our product. This semester in design our unit was called plastics in paradise and our task was to create sea creature puppets out of recycled materials and trash. It was a long process with planning and sketching designs and finally creating and reflecting on the process but everybody came out with unique puppets based on all sorts of sea creatures such as jellyfish, manta rays, turtles and more. The whole process was fun and challenging at the same time, first making our design and then trying to replicate it in real life. We were all rushing to get our puppets ready to be used in the puppet show we would be putting on at camp in the village for our service activity. I asked some year 7’s what they enjoyed most about the design cycle and making their puppets, what were some highlights/lowlights and what had they learnt. Here are some of their opinions: “I enjoyed the making of the puppets the most as you could showcase your creativity”- Lara yr 7 “I liked how we got to express our creativity and expand our imagination while designing our puppets”- Solomon yr 7 “I enjoyed colouring and painting my puppet the most”- Rinko yr 7 “I have learnt that making a puppet is quite hard”- Lily yr 7 “I didn’t really like planning the puppet”- Nicole yr 7
Written by Milla Kennedy-Foran
The voice of youth at World Ocean Day At the World Ocean Day celebrations, ISS student Jade Cave represented the voice of young working to save our oceans. At My Suva Park on June 7th, Jade joined a panel of scientists and activists and gave a powerful speech that demonstrated not only her depth of scientific knowledge, but also provided a rousing call to action. Jade presented part of her research on microplastics – completed last year when she was in only Year 8 – which found shocking levels of microplastic pollution in sites around Viti Levu. This research won the ISS school science fair, and shocked the crowd in attendance at how serious this problem has become. But more importantly, Jade’s presentation was a clarion call; a message from the younger generation to their parents, teachers and leaders. Young people stand to inherit this planet - and the mess that prior generations have created. They intend to do something about it. We would all do well to listen to what Jade had to say about how adults can support the next generation of environmental leaders:
Young people know a lot; we must always remember that and never speak down to them Young people have passion and skills, but they still need guidance, and collaboration, from adults And perhaps most importantly, we need to listen to young people. Really listen to them - they have a lot to say. Jade was the final speaker in the program and the crowd finished the event buzzing with excitement, inspired by this impressive young woman and her important message. Jade was a great representative for ISS, and for young people everywhere.
MYP Corner June 2019 Dear ISS Community,
Many thanks for reading this installment of the MYP corner. We have just completed our first semester of teaching the MYP. The learning curve in this initial stage has been steep but rewarding for all of us involved in implementing the program. One advantage that ISS has for implementing the MYP is that the school is no stranger to concept based learning, community service, learner profile traits and being an inclusive diverse international community, which I feel has aided I greatly in our continual transition. The next step of our transition occurs on the 15 th and 16th of July, when ISS will host 2 IB workshop leaders who will aid in our progress towards full authorization. Through discussions with your children you may hear the terms summative and formative assessment being mentioned. Both forms of assessment are important in delivering an authentic concept based education.
Have a great holiday. Kind Regards, Luke Ramsdale
School Production I think we achieved everything that we wanted to do with the production. It was supposed to be a different production from former productions of years past such as Alice in Wonderland and Beauty and the Beast, have a concept that would utilize more areas of the production such as tech and backstage, and a story that both children and adults could find entertainment in. Of course, reaching this road wasn’t easy because constantly we had to deal with communication issues, people not wanting to turn up to rehearsals due to other commitments and more. I certainly say that it would be an understatement if I just said that we lost our minds more than a few times. In the end though, both Taniela and I in the last few weeks of the production managed to find our footing thanks to Mr. Gibson and Mrs. K consulting with us and the cast and crew. This helped us find motivation to lead everyone to the end where we were all exhausted from work and exams and achieve greatness in the final hour. If I had the opportunity, I wouldn’t change anything from the production as this was one of the most critically acclaimed performances from iss in a few years. Just ask someone that watched. Changing it would take away from the magic that was Scott Pilgrim and the League of Evil Exes. All I have to say for someone that’s wanting to achieve something like directing the production or anything else in life really is that you have to keep pushing. It sounds cliche I know, but if you don’t think that it can happen then it won’t happen. For me, I never would’ve thought that I’d not only be the co-director for Scott Pilgrim but also the director for next years production. And one day? Maybe you’ll have your own Scott Pilgrim to look back on and smile at the memories too. Dreaming is better than nothing, so start dreaming today.
Uto Ni Yalo extension program This past month started with a blast with the launch of the Plastic Ban in Nasesara in Moturiki, followed by the World Ocean’s Day celebrations, and our canoe building continues to make progress. We are now doing a Bottle Drive to help with our canoe building activity. Should you have empty plastic bottles (larger than 500ml), please do remember our Year 11 & 12 Uto ni Yalo CAS/DOE group and drop off the bottles at the French classroom in the Secondary school. These PET bottles are being reused as additional buoyancy and are being inserted into the three sealed bulkheads of the canoes.
Uto Ni Yalo extension program CONTINUED..
Lilieta Soakai, Year 12 group leader for the Uto ni Yalo CAS group, shares a light moment with the Uto ni yalo crew members
The women of Nasesara showing us their alternative products to single use plastic bags
Vasisiti (Year 11) and Lilieta (Year 12)
Wai-Makare (Yr 11 & group leader) with Lilieta are working on bamboo for the canoes.
Unaisi Seniloli and Moana Kitekei'aho working on painting the canoes.
Uto Ni Yalo extension program CONTINUED..
Year 11 & 12 students at the Uto ni Yalo World Oceans Day celebrations
Grace Fong of Year 11 on the Uto and also doing Beach cleanup as part of the World Oceans Day celebrations.
James Baghwan ex-student and one of the executives of the Uto Ni Yalo Trust. Mr Baghwan’s organization hosted us for breakfast that morning.
Visit to the Le D’Entrecasteaux Our Year 10 students visited the French Navy ship Le D’Entrecasteaux on Wednesday 19th June. Students were informed about the different rooms of the vessel and life at sea. Merci beaucoup to Charlotte who guided us through the ship and answered all our questions. Malia Tuqa: “I thought the trip was very interesting we learnt a lot of things about military boats, this was interesting for me as I also do sailing. The tour guide Charlotte was very kind and helpful. To be honest it was more fun than I expected” Arieta Rubuti: “It was a really good experience as not everyone gets the opportunity to visit a multipurpose warship. And the fact that we got to meet the people who work in this ship like the captain, that was cool and the chef who specialize in various areas of the ship. The fact that they spoke to us in French was a bit difficult at first but we went with the flow and we managed to understand in the end”. Nylla Young: “It was interesting and inspiring also for future job ideas. This seems like something in my league.”
Year 12 Camp on Namuka Island Connecting with the ocean and each other
On Monday the 17th of June, students from the Year 12 class headed to Namuka Island for their very last High School camp. Camps are a chance to build relationships, learn new skills and take students outside their comfort zone. This camp did all that and more. This was their first ocean-based camp, and students undertook a variety of fun and educational ocean-focused activities. While snorkelling on the island’s beautiful reef they ran a reef survey which involved counting butterflyfish and parrotfish to establish baseline data of reef health. On these trips they also collected coral fragments and assisted the island’s owners to establish a new coral nursery. Finally, they learnt techniques of seagrass monitoring, and found out more about local plant species. Students were also involved in a beach clean-up activity; for almost 2 hours they worked together as a team to clean the Suva side of the island. It was shocking to see the amount of rubbish in the ocean that is washed on shore from the mainland.
Students also learned first-hand from Master Api the art of making a traditional ‘Lovo’. The result was that evening’s dinner - a delicious fusion of island tastes: palusami, lovo chicken and dalo. Camp has brought students closer together. At a stressful time, they were able to put their regular lives aside and just be together; cooking meals, sitting around the campfire, singing songs, playing cards and chess or just chatting, as well as a few team building exercises of course! Our hosts, Namuka Island owners Steve and Kirsty Gibbs, were incredibly welcoming and helpful in accommodating staff and students over the course of the three day camp. A hearty thank you as well to their children Peter and Sarah who very graciously took everyone out on their boat to snorkel on the reef and show us the hidden treasures of their home.
HIGHSCHOOL
To celebrate world Ocean’s Day, Years 10 and 12 Biology students joined the march organized by the Pacific Oceans Commissioner down at Mai Suva Park in the morning. After lunch two special guests were invited to the High school to speak to our students and share their knowledge and love of the Ocean. Semiti Lovo, a marine biologist based in Leleuvia Island Resort kindly accepted to speak to students in both the Primary school and Secondary school. His main message to our students was to create change and protect the ocean. Semiti also gave advise to a few boys in Year 9 who are intending to work on coral planting as their service activity. This generated discussion amongst the year 9 students. Kyla Raina Lal, a climate activist during her university days, one of the "30 Under 30: The Faces of Fiji's Future," and a lawyer by profession outlined what the international scene is like in what concerns climate change and what really happens behind the scene for youths around the world who are working together to affect change on the international arena. This sparked some of our student’s interest in linking up with NGO that are out there in the community.
Lunchtime saw our students expressing themselves artistically on the hard-court.
Quotes from Year 10 Camp
“I really enjoyed the activities we did which helped us to build our confidence. Also spending time with a few of my classmates that I never knew I would get closer to.”
“Meal times were fun because I got to see my classmates in a way I don't usually see them. Washing dishes, making dinner etc. There was also a family feel during meal times so that was fun.” “I really enjoyed going to the village and playing with the kids as it allowed me to use my Fijian language which enabled me to bond with the kids. I also enjoyed being with the kids because it was fun playing with them and listening to their stories.”
“The most challenging aspect of camp was the service activity of drain digging, but it was immensely rewarding and I loved it.”
“Camp this year was definitely a worthwhile experience because I was able to try things I hadn't done before and it allowed us to bond as a year level.” “It helped me to relax in the middle of a very chaotic time in my life and to get closer to classmates and teachers.”
“What I really enjoyed the most was the teachers taking us out of our comfort zone.”
“It was one of the best camps in terms of the experiences we had. I wish it was longer!”
“Super fun and great camp. Teachers worked hard to make it as good as it was and efforts payed off. Next year’s Year 10s are in for the time of their lives.”
Upcoming Events Term 3 Week 1 to Week 5 T3 Week 1 Monday 15th July Teacher Only Day Year 11 & 12 ACT Students Start Year 3 Trip—Exploration & Discoveries Tuesday 16th July Teacher Only Day Wednesday 17th July All Students Start Welcome & Awards Assembly Friday 19th July Primary Assembly
T3 Week 2 Tuesday 23rd July Primary Welcome Morning Tea Primary Parent Teacher Conference Parent Teacher Interview MS & HS Wednesday 24th July Year 11 Camp Thursday 25th July Primary Parent Teacher Conference Friday 26th July Upper Primary Assembly (Year 4)
T3 Week 3 Monday 29th July Primary Activities Begin Friday 2nd August Primary Assembly— Year 1 School Finishes at 12pm 5 Saturday 3rd August FUN DAY
T3 Week 4 Tuesday 6th August Primary Parent Workshop Inquiry Wednesday 7th August Year 4 Camp Friday 9th August Primary Assembly— ECH Coffee Chat with Counselor Annual Secondary School Netball Competition T3 Week 5 Monday 12th August Book Week Whole School Staff Meeting Friday 16th August Whole School 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