Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
ISH NEWSLETTER
The latest news and updates from International School of Hellerup
I am delighted to bring you the October edition of the ISH Newsletter, with the latest news, updates and stories from International School of Hellerup! A safe and inspiring learning environment contributes to student learning and welfare and in this issue, you can read about two recent initiatives that aim to enhance the learning environment at our school. On page 2, Mr. Asanovski shares the latest updates about the upcoming playground renovation which is scheduled to be completed this school year and on page 6, you can read about the new “math corner” in the library, a teacher initiated project that has been realized with the help of parent volunteers and that is already very popular with PYP students.
IN THIS ISSUE: News from the Head of School Administration News PTA News ASCP News Library Corner
A number of exciting events will take place at ISH in the coming weeks and months and some of them will benefit from parent volunteers. On page 4 you can find out how you can help at the upcoming PYP Halloween Party and on page 13 you can read more about how to sign up to share your expertise at the upcoming Career Fair for MYP and DP students.
Primary School News
I hope you enjoy this issue!
ISH Philosophy Club
Warm regards, Karolina MacAulay Newsletter Editor
Strengthening the Home School Partnership Secondary School News
Message from the College Counsellor
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
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Student Council Retreat
News from the Head of School Mr. Nedzat Asanovski Head of School
Empowering Our Students It is very important that students from a young age learn what it means to live in a democratic society; what democracy is, how democracy works and how valuable it is to be able to influence our society. At ISH, we are committed to let our students experience how democracy works. We will therefore support the Student Council even more than we previously have and empower our students to have an influence in bigger decisions. In order to give the Student Council a good start to the year we organized a whole day Student Council Retreat for all members of the Student Council and the School Management on Monday, October 2. The agenda was filled with interesting sessions such as team building activities, mind map exercises, goal setting sessions,
constitution writing and year planning. What I liked the most about the day was the fact that the all the sessions were planned and arranged by the students. I would therefore like to extend my thanks to the president and the vice president of the Student Council – thank you Omar Said and Marie Rønde. I am confident that you, together with the members of the student council, will create better opportunities for the students!
Playground project We are planning to expand and improve our playgrounds. We have received two design proposals and have reviewed these with staff representatives from both the primary school and the secondary school as well as the Student Council, the PTA and our Board members. Once the playground design companies update their proposals based on our feedback we will review the project again and hopefully make a decision about what proposal we should move forward with. It will then take two to three months to get the playground equipment installed. At this point we don’t know when the whole project will be finalized but we are planning to have it in place before the summer break. I will keep you posted in the newsletters to come. Page 2
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Administration News Ms. Katrine Dalsgaard School Secretary
No Parking Outside the Main Gate We would like to remind you that it is not allowed to stop or park along the street outside the main gate on Rygårds Allé, or to use the parking spaces belonging to Crowe Horwath (the company located across the road from the ISH main gate). Instead we suggest that you park either on Bomhusvej (see map) or that you park a little bit further up Rygårds Allé, where stopping and parking is allowed. Another option is to stop at Rymarksvej which is located by the east school gate (close to Netto). We would also like to encourage you to consider using public transport when you bring your children to and from school. There are two train stations close to our school: Ryparken Station and Hellerup Station, and bus no. 14 stops just outside the school building. If you travel to school by bike you are welcome to park it in the allocated area at the back of the school building.
Stopping is not allowed outside the school main gate
We are working closely with Københavns kommune to monitor the traffic situation in our area and come up with solutions for improving the safety on the roads in our neighbourhood. A number of interesting solutions, for example a “kiss-and-drive” drop-off zone very close to the school, have been discussed, but at this stage we don’t have any updates about if and when they will be implemented. We will inform you when we have any updates.
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Rymarksvej
Recommended Parking Zones
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
PTA News Ms. Karolina MacAulay PTA Coordinator
Thank you to everyone who contributed to a great PTA meeting on September 28! We got to meet Omar and Marie from the Student Council, hear the latest updates about ISH access and traffic safety in our neighbourhood from our School Secretary Martine and listen to a presentation about the two design proposals for the playground renovation by Primary School Principal Stef Fleet. You can read the meeting minutes here. The next PTA Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 24 from 4:00 pm. At this meeting we will appoint our new PTA Chair and PTA Treasurer and we will get information about two new parent acitivites that we hope to start up shortly. The meeting agenda will be posted on the website (here) one week prior to the meeting. If you would like to add a topic to the agenda, please contact me at pta@ish.dk.
PTA Committee We are looking for candidates for these roles: • Vice Chair • Secretary • Event Coordinator(s) Job descriptions are available here. Please send me an email if you want to volunteer for a role.
PYP Halloween Party on October 31 It is a tradition that the After School Care Program (ASCP) and PTA collaborate to throw an annual Halloween party for PYP students, parents and teachers. This year’s party will take place in the afternoon on October 31st from 2:45 pm. We are looking for volunteers who can help with the following: • • •
prepare Halloween themed food and treats (cupcakes, sweets, savoury food – whatever you feel like making!) sell food at the party help with the cleanup.
If you would like to help, please email me at pta@ish.dk.
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
ASCP News Ms. Chiara Giani
ASCP Coordinator
Important reminder! On Monday, October 23 all ISH staff members will attend a professional development workshop and the school will be closed for students. On this day, the ASCP will be open for Pre-K and ASCP students, free of charge, from 8.30 am until 4.30 pm. Please sign up your child by Wednesday, October 18 using this form: https://goo.gl/forms/DCV0AIxgdj9so4aw1. Please note that on November 1st 2017 school will end at 12:00 noon. ASCP will be open, as usual, from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm.
PYP Halloween Party Halloween is coming soon, so grab your mask or your broom! The PTA and ASCP will host the annual PYP Halloween Party on Tuesday, Oct 31st, from 2.45 pm in the canteen. This year, the theme will be…. Monster Mash! The event is open to all PYP student and parents at ISH. Non ASCP PYP students must come accompanied by an adult. Don´t forget to bring some coins for the amazing spooky food sale organized by PTA.
ASCP Explorers Club! The ASCP team is happy to announce the first two trips of our Explorers Club. On Tuesdays, at announced times, Ms. Elana and Mr. Daniel will bring a group of ASCP students around the city to discover some beautiful and child-friendly corners of Copenhagen :) The first two field trips are: October 3rd, 2017 (K-PYP2): Children´s museum at the National Museum October 10th, 2017 (all grades): Fælledparken playgrounds These field trips will be free of charge and for ASCP students only. The group will leave the school´s premises right after dismissal and will return by 5:00 pm on school grounds. A snack will be provided as usual. If you have any questions, please contact the leader of the Explorers Club, Ms. Elana Thoren: ethoren@ish.dk, tel: 28 25 29 87
Recycling art project The ASCP has started a project that will need a lot of recycled items: (washed) milk cartons, paperboard boxes, toilet rolls… we will recycle everything that you will bring to our art room! Please support us!
All photos: The ASCP students visited the Children’s museum during the Explorers Club on October 3
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Library Corner Ms. Andrée Keenoy School Librarian
Kindergarten and Grade 1 kids are enthusiastic learners. They love to ask questions, to investigate, to explore, and to practice what they learn at school. In Grade 1 we have many budding mathematicians. They all love the library and reading books, so what better than colourful books to help them see the importance of numbers in their daily lives. For this reason, Ms. Jamé proposed creating a math corner in the library. Author Marilyn Burns says: “Combining math and literature in classroom activities is a way for teachers to invite children into the world of math. Reading books that weave mathematical ideas into engaging stories helps dispel the myth that math is dry, unimaginative, and inaccessible. Children’s books can not only generate
interest in math but also provide contexts that help bring meaning to abstract concepts. Using children’s literature is a win-win -- for children and for teachers.” (Education World) The Math learning corner allows children to relax, read, explore and engage in math games at their own pace. The best way to learn is through active play. It is an active form of learning that involves the whole self and the senses. Perceptions of size, pattern, and shape develop with building blocks and games such as Tangram and Domino. Our flat and round library cushions have also turned out to be perfect counting chips! Learning to play domino was the highlight of the student’s last library session. The children in the ASCP have been very creative in their use of the domino bricks and the library corner is very popular with them. A big thank you to the PYP 5 students, Grade 1 parents and other parent volunteers that have helped create this special corner and the posters and games. Volunteers Neda and Ellen have made a counting chain, a giant tangram and a giant domino from recycled material. Page 6
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Primary School News Mr. Stef Fleet
Primary School Principal
Our classes are humming with activity, as you will see from the updates in SeeSaw and/or Managebac Weekly News! The children should be able to see more and more connections between classes, because teachers are working more closely to share learning goals (Transdisciplinary Skills and Themes).
Parent-Teacher Conferences and Learning Goal-Setting in October
PYP 4 recently visited a Hindu temple
This year, we decided that October Progress Reports will be replaced with Student Goal Setting. The teachers are working with students to identify a small number of clear, specific goals that they should work towards in the coming weeks and months. Teachers have been guiding the students towards taking action in order to achieve their goals. During your Parent-Teacher Conference, the homeroom teacher will share the goals set, when discussing your child’s progress with you. Subject teachers (Danish, Music, PE) are including updates in the class’s regular weekly news, and are available for meetings if required (you will need to specifically request a meeting). Otherwise, you will receive written report cards with personalized comments for all classes your child takes, in December.
PYP 4 student enjoying their temple visit!
PYP Field Trips Many classes have taken their first field trip(s). For example, PYP 4 recently went on a field trip to a Hindu temple as party of their inquiry into different believes in unit 1 and PYP 5 went on a team building activity in Nordhavn that was organized in collaboration with Osterbro library and Copenhagen kommune.
PYP 5 on a team building activity in Nordhavn
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
PYP News Ms. Joanna Okolowicz IB Coordinator for PYP
PYP Programme of Inquiry We have recently updated our PYP Programme of Inquiry. The full programme is available for download from our website or via this link. The POI is a “road map” of student learning from Pre-K to PYP 5. It is based on IB standards and practises, teachers’ collaborative planning and the children’s inquiry. Each unit consists of five essential elements — the knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and actions that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future. In connection with the Learner Profile attributes and attitudes, students develop the ability to work cooperatively and to think creatively and critically. The POI incorporates local and global issues into the curriculum through six transdisciplinary themes: • • • • • •
The updated PYP Programme of Inquiry is available for download on the PYP Curicculum page on our website.
Who We Are Where We Are In Place and Time How We Express Ourselves How the World Works How We Organize Ourselves Sharing the Planet
Our Programme of Inquiry is a framework that guides us in providing our students with the highest quality education and equipping them with the tools they need to become life-long learners. I’m always happy to answer questions about the POI. If you have any queries, please email me at jokolowicz@ish.dk.
The Programme of Inquiry guides all the teaching and learning that takes place in PYP.
Upcoming PYP Dates Student goals visible in Managebac*: October 9 Parent-Teacher Consultation Week: October 9 -13 Sports day: Friday, October 13 October Break (school closed): October 16 - 20 Teacher Professional Development Day (school closed): Monday, October 23 Teacher Collaboration Afternoon (school closed from 12): Wednesday, November 1 *see Portfolio section in Managebac Page 8
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Strengthening the Home School Partnership Ms. Rashmi Jethani
a presentation answering those questions. He also gave us an insight into the life of a biologist and the nature of his present job as assistant professor. His visit was both interesting and inspirational for the students.
Grade 5 Teacher
Students in PYP 5 have been working on the unit of Evolution and Adaptation. We took the classroom learning further when we invited Mr. Philip Seymour (Helene’s father), who is a developmental biologist by profession and works as an Assistant Professor at DanStem, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (http://danstem.ku.dk) at KU. On September 12th, the students had an interactive session with Mr. Seymour and it was a fantastic learning experience for all of us. The students came up with different questions connecting to the main concepts learned during the unit and Mr. Seymour created Page 9
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Secondary School News Ms. Monika Pedersen
Secondary School Principal
We are almost six weeks into the semester and the pace is fast. Our MYP/DP Math teacher arrived on Monday and we are thrilled to have all our teachers in place. We have a number of new staff and there is a real sense of energy and enthusiasm in the classrooms and corridors. We are very proud to have such an international set of teachers, who, along with the students, bring diversity and internationalism into the school, which truly enriches the learning experience for students and colleagues.
MYP Retreats We were not gifted with the best weather during the MYP retreats. In fact, we were severely challenged with wind, rain, and really heavy downpours. And yet, despite this, each grade level had a fantastic time in each of their locations, and there were no complaints about the weather! This is a real credit to our students and their ability to deal with adversity! Here is MYP 4 in Roskilde by the Viking Museum ready to row in a Viking Boat:
Student Council The students had their Student Council elections last month and they were truly successful! It was great to have a whole school assembly with each candidate putting forward his or her election speech. Though some students were nervous, it was wonderful to see our students being able to risk take and try to follow their goal. The elected Student Council are as follows: President: Omar Said DP1 Vice President: Marie Rønde DP1 Finance Officer: Selma Erkut MYP 2B Communications Aiswarya Roy MYP 2A Officers: Krish Bhatia MYP 2A Social Activities: Anna Sophia Nielsen, MYP 1B Yash Bhatia MYP 4 Secretary: Duha Guvenc MYP 1B Class Representatives: Raima Munshi MYP 1A, Tazirwa Kaunda MYP1B, Jasleen Kaur MYP 2A, Yousef Arman MYP 2B, Nicolas Nielsen MYP 3B, Emilia Carai MYP 4, Anton Carlestram MYP 5 The students started their collaboration with a retreat to brainstorm ideas for the coming year, bond, and spend time with administrators in order to build a positive connection to promote their student voice.
Peace Assembly This year, in our advisory sessions, each grade level is responsible for hosting an assembly over the course of the year. We start with a very appropriate theme in these challenging times of Peace. The MYP3’s will be presenting and we hope to have a guest speaker, but this information has not yet been revealed! There will be an assembly near each school vacation.
Student Led Goal Setting Meetings
We are already planning our return trip, but we are thinking of going a little earlier, so the bonding experience can take place earlier. We also hope that the weather will treat us more kindly on our next trip!
In the coming weeks, the students will be preparing for their student led goal setting meetings with their teachers and parents. Further details will be sent in the near future, but please save the dates of Thursday 2 and Friday 3 November, for this important chance to better discover how your child is progressing. Page 10
ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
MYP News Ms. Anna Söderström IB Coordinator for MYP
Dear Parents, Our student led goal setting meetings will take on Thursday, November 2 and Friday, November 3. Please save the dates for these important student-parent-teacher conferences. The focus of the meetings will be for students to review their work and set goals with the help of their teacher and parent/s. The students are the leaders in this conference, so they must attend and be prepared to present. Students will need to organize their work in advance and review ManageBac and their grades in order to be prepared for the conference meetings.
MYP Retreats Each grade level in MYP went on a retreat in the beginning of September. Below are short descriptions of the MYP 1 and MYP 5 retreat. You can find stories from all retreats in the news section of our website: ish.dk/news. MYP 1 Retreat to Ishøj This September, the MYP 1 students accompanied their advisor teachers, Ms. Castillo and Ms. Søndergård, to Ishøj where they spent Thursday and Friday getting to know one another and relaxing together in the peaceful outdoors. Students spent their Thursday afternoon at the Dan Hostel interviewing and presenting their peers, competing in a fantastic talent show, and finally dining together and experiencing social interaction without the use of cell phones. On Friday, students journeyed to the Arken Museum where they learned about the local landscape through art created by Nanna Debois Buhl and experimented with light-sensitive paper.
You will also be able to book meetings with the Student Support Service, and pedagogical leadership during these two days. More detailed information will be sent home via ManageBac Although the weather was overcast and rainy, shortly. we all enjoyed our time together and will use this bonding experience to move forward as a As defined in the parent teacher handbook, more comfortable and tight-knit community this please remember that your first line of comyear. munication is your child’s subject and advisory teachers. However, the principal and I are very MYP 5 retreat to Helsingør and Helsingborg happy to communicate with parents to find out Despite the horrible weather, MYP 5 and their how we best can support you and your child. teachers Liz Mooore, Evis Qeska and Anna Please feel free to contact me at asoderstrom@ Söderström had a wonderful retreat in Helsingør ish.dk if you have any queries or concerns. and Helsingborg. We started by taking the ferry across the water to Sweden where the students were socialising at the same time as the explored the city. In the evening the students enjoyed a fantastic dinner and some Danish specialties in the hostel in Helsingør. Everyone was sound asleep early after a busy day. The second day we enjoyed a guided tour of the “Hamlet castle” and the students did some formative filming on site for their arts unit. The students showed wonderful spirits and engagement through our the retreat and we arrived MYP 1 students experiment with light-sensitive paper at back tired and happy late Friday afternoon. Arken Museum on their MYP retreat.
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
DP News
ISH Philosophy Club
Mr. Evis Qeska
IB Coordinator for DP
Secondary School Youth Speaker The secondary school students had a youth speaker last week. Anita Henestrosa came to ISH to give advice on how to succeed in school and in life. Anita, who grew up in Switzerland, moved to the United States to attend Purdue University, one of the world’s leading universities, where she earned Player of the Year honors in tennis. Following her graduation she moved to San Fransisco where she ended up homeless and struggling for months before landing an entry level sales position. Anita was able to get promoted three times in one year and became the best salesperson in the company’s 17 year history, only 1 year after she had only $4.36 left in her name. Today, she runs the project Mapit30K, which aims to inspire youth to go after their dreams. Her goal is to impact 30 000 students in 30 nations in 330 days.
Over the past four weeks, ISH has been hosting a Philosophy Club. The club is organized and run by two students, David Blum and Marie Rønde, under the supervision of Mr. Gezen. Currently consisting of 18 members, the club explores philosophical topics inspired by Sofie’s World. Every Wednesday, volunteer members host the class on a specific topic such as political philosophy; and lead a community lecture at a fitting Copenhagen location that is both inspiring in its own right, and give insight into the world of philosophy. The club is open for any student in MYP5 through DP2 that enjoys learning philosophy in a fun way.
Guest Speaker in DP2 Business DP 2 business students had a school parent, Kate Power, as a guest speaker in their class. Kate was kind enough to share her experience from working with charities such as GreenPeace and Oxfam with our students. The students had a chance to see how ethical objectives and sustainability are crucial for the world we live in. We heartily thank Kate Power for sharing her knowledge with us.
Welcome DP 1 Students! I would like to extend a warm welcome to our 28 new DP 1 students. Our 28 new students come from different countries and cultures and they contribute to our international and diverse environment in the Diploma Programme. We wish our students a successful two years in the programme and look forward to two exciting years.
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ISH Newsletter / Issue N° 27 / OCTOBER 2017
Message from the College Counsellor Dr. Hakan Kurt
College Counsellor Dear Parents and Students, I am the new college counsellor at International School of Hellerup. The counselling services at ISH aim to support our upper MYP and DP learners in making one of the most important decisions in their lives: choosing a career path through university or college choices. Students and parents are welcome to make an appointment with me on Mondays (13:00-15:00) and Wednesdays (12:30-15:00) to discuss details about different university pathways. Please feel free to email me at hkurt@ish.dk if you would like to set up an appointment.
Seminar: University System in Denmark We have invited an expert from Studievalg København to our school on Thursday, January 11, 2018. Students will be informed about the university system and admissions process to Danish Universities. Further details will be announced closer to the date.
Experts Needed for Career Fair We would like to organise a career fair for upper MYP and DP students in our school in February 2018. Therefore, we want to invite you as experts in your fields to share your experiences with the students. If you would be willing to participate in the event, please email me at hkurt@ish.dk and complete the survey at the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/tbSi3suhua7w6Wv32.
University Fair We have invited more than 21 universities to our school for a university fair that will take place on Wednesday, November 1 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon in the school canteen. Our MYP5, DP1 and DP2 students will have the opportunity to approach the universities and ask them questions. The following universities will be represented: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Bishop’s University (Canada) College of Charleston (USA) Columbia College Chicago (USA) Cornell University (USA) Denison University (USA) École hôtelière de Lausanne (Switzerland) Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (USA) Foothill and De Anza Colleges (USA) Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland) Hult International Business School (UK) IE University (Spain) Lawrence University (USA) Loyola Marymount University (USA) Lynn University (USA) Nova Southeastern University (USA) Ryerson University (Canada) Savannah College of Art and Design (USA) The University of Akron (USA) University of Colorado Boulder (USA) University of Notre Dame (USA) Wagner College (USA)
Photos from last year’s University Fair
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