Volume 7 Newsletter of International School Suva
2 November, 2016
Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Guardians, Welcome to the final term of 2016. There are just five weeks to go until the end of the academic year and teachers are already preparing for 2017 to ensure a smooth transition. As we move to three classes per year level from Years 1 -5 we are in the process of organising work permits for four new teachers to start in January. It is my pleasure to introduce you briefly to these teachers and more information will be forthcoming before the end of the term. Dominique Harrison has been working at the British School of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Primary Education from the University of Brighton in the United Kingdom. Tishia Barnes has a Bachelor of Education (Elementary) from La Roche College, Pennsylvania, USA and has been working as the Early Childhood Coordinator at the Multinational School Bahrain. Siobhan McGregor has a Masters in Primary Teaching from Griffith University on the Gold Coast in Australia and most recently was working at the Norbury School in the United Kingdom. Mathieu Gabel has a Bachelor of Education (Primary) with Honours Class from the University of Queensland, Australia and comes to us from Australia where he has been teaching for the last year. Final IGCSE and IB Diploma examinations for Years 10 and 12 are now in full swing. The students have finished study leave and, on behalf of the entire ISS community, I wish them good luck as they move into this final phase. I thank their teachers who have worked hard to prepare them and to their parents for the continued support. We look forward to celebrating with the students at the end of term once all their examinations are over. Earlier this term we celebrated Fiji Day and it was wonderful to see the school community of students, staff and parents dressed in their colourful Bula wear. This was a true reflection of the vibrant nature of the country as we move on from the devastation of TC Winston to the glorious Olympic Gold medal win that brought us all to a standstill. Thank you to everyone who made the Fiji Day assembly so terrific.
I am sure some of you have noticed the flag flying on our new primary school building. This flag signifies that the roof is on. It is with great excitement that we watch the project as it moves into its final stages with just weeks to go. More details will be forthcoming. Our aim is to open the building (knowing we will still have some finishing touches to make) just before the end of the school year. The Primary Halloween Social and Tuesday’s Biggest Morning Tea were great examples of the school community working together. Thank you to Lisa Nili, Tracey Armstrong, the PTFA team and the primary teachers for all the hard work they put into the Primary Halloween Social. It is one of the most highly anticipated events in primary and never fails to impress. I would also like to thank everyone who donated to Biggest Morning Tea and I am delighted to inform you that we raised $963.70 which will be donated to the Cancer Society of Fiji.
As always at ISS, there is never a dull moment and we still have many functions coming up, including the Middle and High School celebration evenings, Year 5 graduation, PTFA garage sale, Primary School Concert and High School Music concert. Please see the school calendar on the ISS website, www.international.school.fj, for more details. Kind regards, Anna Marsden Principal
Inside this Issue Principal's Report Counsellors Corner Year 7 Update Biggest Morning Tea School Nurse Report Music Recital Library Primary Halloween Year 8 Reflection
Outdoor Education Music Concert Teacher Workshop Fiji Fashion Week Designer Chinese Excursion Book Club Garage Sale PTFA Quiz & Curry Night Upcoming Events
COUNSELLORS CORNER Talanoa Newsletter
Oh my goodness!!! This academic year is quickly coming towards its end and there are just so many things to complete… to see to…. There are the external examinations - both IGCSE and the IB Diploma to undertake. There is much to study, much to remember for internal assessments/examinations. There are tasks and projects to complete and presentations to be made. Discussions and decisions on subject choices…. There are curricula to be completed and final report comments to be made and presentation evening to prepare for and Grrr!!!……..
2 November 2016
“Its not the load that Breaks You down, It’s the way you carry it.” - Lou Holtz
Bula Everyone, “Doesn’t the above sound familiar? But note… how you handle situations will certainly keep your stress levels in check.” We all experience significant amounts of stress with all the activities and responsibilities that fill our daily schedules and it is sometimes quite difficult to find the time to try new stress relievers. Below are some simple tips to help manage and reduce your stress levels. 1. POWER NAPS- take a 20 minute power nap once you’re feeling sleep-deprived. It can help bring back energy levels. 2. EXERCISE- one of the healthiest ways to blow off steam. Do yoga, go running, go walking or biking, use a treadmill at a gym, go swimming, box it out….. 3. BREATHING EXERCISES- a quick way to calm down is to practise breathing exercises. This is especially effective for reducing anxiety before or even examinations or in situations where one feels overwhelmed. 4. PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION (PMR) - this involves tensing and relaxing all muscles until the body is completely relaxed. 5. MUSIC – music can help relieve stress and either calm yourself down or stimulate your mind as your situations warrant. Harness the benefits of music by playing classical music while studying, playing upbeat music to ‘wake up’ mentally, or relaxing with the help of favorite slow melodies. 6. STAY ORGANISED- It’s a fact that clutter causes stress, and can decrease productivity. Clear your work area of clutter and distractions. 7. EAT RIGHT- Diet can either enhance your brain power or drain your mental energy. So eat well-balanced meals at the right time and drink lots of water. Oily fish, seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, fruit juices, whole grains, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach….. Eating right, can keep you from experiencing diet-related mood swings, light-headedness and symptoms. 8. POSITIVE THINKING and AFFIRMATIONSOptimism and positive thinking can bring better health, better relationships and better results. We look forward to a happy and successful term. Our best wishes go especially to our Year 10 and Year 12 students who are either now preparing or sitting for external examinations. Fenella David School Counsellor fdavid@international.school.fj
Year 7 Update The Year 7 students have been quite busy with getting themselves focused on their last pieces of assessment for the year, Science Fair project, and Community & Service activities. Now with just 5 weeks to the end of this academic year there is already a feeling of anticipation of what next year entails. It will be a big year for them in terms of preparing themselves for another transition phase; this time to high school. We would like to thank the Year 7 volunteers who assisted in the painting of one of the wards in the CWM Hospital children’s wing. The students went down to paint last Thursday 20/10/16 from 4pm to 5pm. For some of them it was the first time to go to the CWM hospital. This week some volunteers helped out at the Primary School Halloween social. The act of giving their time and service to our own school community and beyond is always appreciated and valued. The Science Fair went very well. Students were required to include all the elements of an investigative experiment and it was pleasing to see that most of them have progressed in their investigative skills as well as in their scientific report writing skills. Congratulations to Arieta Rubuti who won 1st place, Gautam Makeja & Hayato Setoya in 2nd place and Josiah Neal & Auritro Sami in 3rd place.
ISS Celebrates Pinktober - Biggest Morning Tea
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and is known by many as ‘Pinktober.’ The students at ISS had a ‘Pinktober’ morning tea Tuesday 1st November, due to the Public Holiday for Diwali. The aim of the morning tea is to raise money as well as awareness of Breast Cancer. Did you know:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide
More than eight out of 10 (85%) people survive breast cancer beyond five years
1 in 7 women aged 50-70 who attend routine mammograms never check their breasts for signs of cancer outside these appointments.
Breast cancer also affects men, but it’s rare – around 340 men are diagnosed each year. There are three main risk factors:
1. Gender - being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer.
2. Getting older - the older the person the higher the risk, more than 80% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. Most men who get breast cancer are over 60. 3. Significant family history – this isn’t common, around 5% of people diagnosed with breast cancer have inherited a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. It is very important to perform BSE (Breast Self Examination) on a regular basis. The Maurer Foundation, for Breast Health Education, suggest you should do your BSE at the end of your monthly period. Also, you can easily set up reminder on your mobile phone once a month. Please follow the links below for more information on how to perform your BSE and signs and symptoms to look for. If you are worried or concerned in any way, please visit the women health clinic or your GP for further investigation. References
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps https://www.maurerfoundation.org/about-breast-cancer-breast-health/how-to-do-a-bse-breastself-exam/
Music Recital at ISS th 13 October, 2016
A music recital was held at the ISS auditorium on the Thursday evening. Twenty-three students performed a 2 hour programme of piano and violin pieces, for their families and friends. Many of the students played both the piano and violin, and the overall standard of performances showed great improvements in the skill levels of all of the musicians. A wonderful time was enjoyed by all. A special thank you to ISS and all the parents for their tremendous support in making this annual event possible. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! Gulnara & Zhanna Mukhametzhanova
LIBRARY
Bula readers! Check out some of the NON FICTION BOOK FOCUS new books waiting for you at your library! No more borrowing Hope everyone is enjoying the many from week 8 onwards. great books we have been adding to our This book is about “Malala, the girl who stood up for educollection. Take a look in the list posted cation and was shot by the Talon our library website: iban.� http://issfijilibrary.weebly.com/newbooks.html On Tuesday, October 9, NEW series in the library...and 2012, when she was fifteen, she many more.. Scholastic Book almost paid the ultimate price. Order - Issue 6 She was shot in Thank you to all parthe head at ents/ guardians and range while riding point-blank students who ordered the bus home from school, books through scholasand few expected her to survive.
Week 8
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest With school back in session, here is a tip and the youngest nominee evtic book club. Our books on images you can legally use for your er for the Nobel Peace Prize. arrived on Friday assignments. Images are protected by (21/10) and orders copyright laws just as much as the texts were immediately disAvailable in your library! on books and journals. Use this handy tributed to students flow chart to help you determine which throughout this week. images are okay to use Website: http://
thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2014/07/14/can-i-usethat-picture/
Halloween Library Display
Ms Salu & the library team. Email: library@international.school.fj
Primary Halloween
YEAR 8 REFLECTIONS
Science Fair Coming first place was a surprise to me, because there were many great innovations, such as the lotion, the water purifier and the thermal generator. The experience was great for me and I feel science fair is a great way to bring new ideas to the table, that people have not thought of. Connor Bower This year, the science fair project was much more recognized in my opinion. Compared to the two previous years of taking part in the science fair, I enjoyed this one much more because we actually had the chance to compete for a prize. Personally, this was my favourite and possibly last science fair, but I hope we could continue this in year nine, because after putting all the hard work and effort into a beautiful looking display, it's all worth it. Breea Kaba Our Middle School science fair project this year has finally been done and marked. Science fair is always an opportunity for the students to show their strategies and understandings of science. This year, there were no limits on the topic which meant that we could choose whatever we wanted to work on. I appreciated this, because I could find out what I was interested in and enjoy the process of working on my science fair. Congratulations to the winners of the science fair this year. Yixuan Qin
ODE On the 12th of September, 12 brave adventurers embarked on a 3 night, 4 day expedition into the interior of VitiLevu. The students had everything they needed in the packs upon their backs. After the Sevusevu at Nabouva village we headed west towards Colata. Once at Colata, the students set up camp and prepared themselves for the climb into the hills the next day. So began the ascent into the jungle, hot and humid under the jungle canopy, sweat oozing out of every pore, undeterred the brave students pressed on. Further adding to the challenge was the fact that there was a slight rise in elevation with Colata being at 21m heading to Namaraniuca at 553m in elevation. On reaching the top, the students set up camp for the evening. The students cooked on the fire and told stories. The next morning we set off and hiked for 10 hours till the evening set in with heavy rain, mud and an uncomfortable campsite next to the river. After a fit-full and uncomfortable night with not much sleep, we began the journey down the river, traversing over ridges to skirt around waterfalls, sliding down muddy banks, slipping and sliding as we went. We continued to hike for 12 hours till we met up with an advance group from Nakorosule Villagers and the Military Engineer Corps who came for a walk. They escorted us up and over the ridge towards Nakorosule. The last of us arrived at Nakorosule at around 8pm on Thursday evening. We were welcomed into the Funeral feast at the village and made our introductions. We then loaded onto the bus for the trip back to school. We were safely back at 11:30pm; an adventure that the students will not soon forget.
MUSIC STUDENTS’ CONCERT
The high school music concert is organized by Year 11 & 12 and ACT music students. This is a good opportunity to observe some of the music students’ program activity as well as take part in the concert to develop and enhance their performing skills. The music concert will be held on 3rd Novemberfrom 6:30pm ~ 8:00 pm. Baked goods and refreshments will be on sale as well. We invite you and your family to join us for an evening of music.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA FACILITATES INAUGURAL TEACHERS WORKSHOP Learning Together, Sharing Best Practice. Saturday, 8th October 2016 saw International School Suva host a workshop for teachers of both Primary and Secondary schools from around the country. The workshop was themed ‘Learning Together- Sharing Best Practice’ and its purpose was to provide a forum for professional conversations to take place between teachers, to share classroom practices that work, and to think creatively about how we can all work together to improve teaching and learning in all our schools. It was acknowledged that whilst curricula may differ, teachers can learn from each other and what works in one school can also work in another. Over 100 teachers from International School Suva and schools around Fiji took part in the 27 sessions offered on the day. Dr. Anna Marsden, Principal of International School Suva, thanked all participants for being risk takers and for being willing to come to school on a Saturday to be part of this workshop. She acknowledged the hard work that had been put into the day and was delighted by the turnout and positive feedback received from participants. The burning question left unanswered was when the second workshop will be held, with participants and presenters alike eager for more. Dr. Marsden went on to thank the Ministry of Education for their support of this initiative and for endorsing the workshop.Feedback from one participant summed up the day: ‘The only thing missing from this day were the other teachers from my school.’ Everyone who took part felt they were able to go back to school taking with them fresh ideas and practices which they have positively adopted. Teachers will be delighted to hear that International School Suva is already thinking about hosting more workshops of this nature and are hoping to repeat this experience in early 2017. S. Narayan Marketing Office
Student Designers
Oliver Sinclair with Ellen Whippy-Knight and his designs
Oliver Sinclair, Katie McLean, Typhaine Nervale, & Kushil McPherson entered the Fiji Fashion Week Designer competition in the Student Designer Category. They were the youngest designers in the competition. Congratulations to all our designers and to the many students who took part as models. Special congratulations goes to Oliver Sinclair who was placed 2nd out of 32 Secondary Student Designers, and to Typhaine Nervale who was placed 3rd in the same category.
ISS Student Designer Entries 1. Typhaine Nervale - Year 6 - 1st time to take part and was placed 3rd out of 32 Secondary Student Designers 2. Katie McLean - Year 6 - 1st time to take part. 3. Kushil McPherson - Year 9 - 1st time to take part. 4. Oliver Sinclair - Year 9 - Has been involved for a few years and placed 2nd out of 32 Secondary Student designers.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Organization
Typhaine with Ellen Whippy-Knight and her designs.
Year 10 Chinese Excursion at the Confucius Institute at USP The Year 10 Chinese class had an excursion to the Confucius Institute at The University of the South Pacific on October 18th. Dr. Li Denggui, the Chinese Director of CI-USP and other CI stuff, attended the event. Enthusiasm is definitely the word to capture the atmosphere of this cultural exchange. The five students firstly introduced themselves in Mandarin and depicted what Chinese culture is in their eyes. They then watched an exquisite video called “A brief story of Chinese traditional costume”, which impressed them deeply. Following this, they visited a well-prepared photo exhibition, based on historical and phenomenal events of China over the past few decades. The highlight for this excursion is the experience of learning to play a Chinese traditional toy “Diabolo”. Glad and satisfied, they visited CI-USP library and borrowed some books at the end of this tour. It is an exploration for them to see the trend of learning the Chinese language in the university and how it will benefit their future career. Chinese language has become a credit course at the USP. After the visit, students shared a Chinese cuisine lunch for their final class to celebrate their achievement of having passed the Chinese IGCSE examination in May.
ISS PTFA BOOKCLUB ***Parenting Bookclub will now be meeting on Tuesday 15 November****
Tuesday, November 15 5:00 PM Holiday Inn Patio Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells us About Raising Successful Children by Roberta MichnickGolinkoff PhD and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek PhD Becoming Brilliant offers solutions that parents can implement right now. Backed by the latest scientific evidence and illustrated with examples of what's being done right in schools today, this book introduces the "6Cs" collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence along with ways parents can nurture their children's development in each area. We'll also be talking about 2017 picks. What have you read that helped you in your journey as a parent? What books do you turn to again and again when you need advice? You can take a look at past reads and suggest new books for the group at https://goo.gl/wFnf6W Haven't read the book but want to see what it's all about? Please join us! RSVPs to amerikag@gmail.com appreciated but not required. Vinaka! Amerika
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amerikag@gmail.com • FJ 679.920.0885 • skypeamerika.grewal • US
646.450.5898
PTFA Quiz & Curry Night The 70s themed Quiz and Curry night brought together more than a hundred people from the ISS community of parents, teachers and friends. At the Royal Suva Yacht Club we took a trip down memory lane on Friday the 21st October as parents and friends turned up in numbers dressed in their colourful retro 70s gear. Knowledge of the 70s movies, politics, sports, music and more was the advantage of the night ending with lip sync battles that rocked the club. The night even saw everyone jive to the time warp taken from the movie - The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The PTFA Social committee organizers were led by Lisa Nili, and included Tracey Armstrong, Simone Todd and Shelley Kennedy. Together these pink ladies worked tirelessly to ensure that the night ran smoothly with their MC and T-Bird, Ed Armstrong. The PTFA Social committee wishes to thank the school canteen for providing the delicious spicy curry, the hardworking maintenance team, Kini and her team of dedicated ladies, Mr. Tim Ulacake for the music and sound and last but certainly not the least Shirin Ludher of Illumine for the 70s themed decor. Everyone who came enjoyed the night as it ended with disco dancing to the 70s hits.
Upcoming Events Term 4 T4: WEEK 5 Monday, October 31 Diwali public holiday
T4: WEEK 7 Sunday November 13 WASC mid-term review on-site visit
Tuesday, November 1 FIJIs BIGGEST MORNING TEA Last day for Tuesday afternoon activities
Monday, November 14 WASC mid-term review on-site visit Year 12 reports to HOS PTFA Open House Meeting
Wednesday, November 2 IB Exams begin. Thursday, November 3 Music Concert
T4: WEEK 6 Monday, November 7 Year 9 & 11Semester Mock Exam Week
Tuesday, November 15 WASC mid-term review on-site visit Thursday, November 17 Year 5 Graduation TBC Friday, November 18 End of IB Exams Thank you Morning Tea Year 7 French excursion
Friday, November 11 MS webpage update Year level update
T4: WEEK 8 Monday, November 21 D Group 4/EE week Yr 11 IB, Careers Yr Year 10 begin, Year 9 Camp Primary Concert Rehearsal - all day MPH
Saturday, November 12 PTFA - Biggest Garage Sale
Tuesday, November 22 Primary Concert
Wednesday, November 9 PTFA Committee Meeting
Friday, November 25 Year 12 Farewell Assembly Talanoa Back to Front Page