Panaga School Biweekly, Issue 133

Panaga School Biweekly

Issue 133 22th March 2023

Panaga School Biweekly

Panaga School

IFM/4, BSPCompany Sdn Bhd, Seria, KB, 3534, Negara Brunei Darussalam

Phone: Teraja Office +673 3372139

Rampayoh Office +673 3372694

Principal: Cindy Bin Tahal

Cindy-Rose.BinTahal@ bsp-shell.bn

Mendaram Deputy Principal Donna Bonham donnabonham@ panagaschool.net

Rampayoh Deputy Principal Claire Richmond clairerichmond@ panagaschool.net

Teraja Deputy Principal: Mandy Russell amandarussell@ panagaschool.net

Melilas Deputy Principal: Robert Unsworth robertunsworth@ panagaschool.net

Business Service Lead: CylaAhmad cylaahmad@ panagaschool.net

Panaga School Biweekly

Editors:

Hannah Zakaria & Donovan Dolamit publications@ panagaschool.net

Dear Panaga School Community,

Today marks the end of Term 2 and the beginning of school holidays. Term 2.2 consisted of 18 days that were filled with engaging learning, which is reflected in this brimming edition of Panaga School biweekly.

Book Week will take place in the second week of school’s return. Have you got a dress up costume to represent a favorite character or word ready?

After School Activities will resume on the 20th April for students in P2 to M2. Please see the link in this edition of Panaga School Biweekly to sign up.

School Leavers - if your family will be departing Panaga School on final departure, please ensure teachers and school administrators are made aware of this to support your transition.This also assists with staffing requirements.

Ramadan will begin at the end of this week. Information has been sent to families about adaptations to school operations in support of Ramadan. Please connect with your child’s class teacher or a member of the senior leadership team if you require any further information.

Wishing everybody a safe and happy school break.

To all of our Muslim community, wishing you the very best for the holy month of Ramadan ahead.

Term 3.1 - 2023

SchoolAcademic Calendar 2022-2023

SchoolAcademic Calendar 2023-2024

After

Information and Sign up forms below:

Workshops for parents

During this half term the Additional Needs Team (ANT) has been pleased to welcome parents from right across our school community to two workshops: Supporting your child’s speech and language development and Supporting a child with English as an additional language.

The newest teacher to join our Additional Needs Team, Miss Claire, led a workshop teaching parents about expected language milestones for young children and how to support with language development.

Issue

133 |

workshops for your diary - all parents are welcome…

20.4.23 at 10.30am Teraja meeting room - This workshop about dyslexia will identify what dyslexia is, how to recognise signs and how to support your child. Led by Miss Mia

10.5.23 at 10.30am Rampayoh staff room - Transition workshop. As a transient population, our children experience more change than most. Not only do they move across campuses while attending Panaga School, our children also experience moves across countries. This workshop will help you to support your child when these changes happen. Led by Miss Claire and Miss Mia

Friends of Mendaram - Dental Talk

At this month’s coffee morning, we had a special visit from the Panaga Health Dental Team. Dr Padma talked to parents about the importance of oral hygiene in the Early Years, followed by a question and answer session. If you missed the talk, leaflets are available in the Mendaram Foyer. Among other fascinating facts, we learned that enamel is the second hardest substance after diamond … and yet we still manage to damage it!

No need to floss all your teeth. Just the ones you want to KEEP!

Remember to replace your toothbrush every 3 months for optimum cleaning.

Mendaram Marvellous Maths Day

Marjory the Marvellous Mouse was hiding, so what better way to begin Maths Day, then to kick start the morningwithapatternpuzzle to solve, to open the box whereMarjorytheMarvellous MathsMousewashiding.She gave the children lots of challengestocompleteusing differentmathsskills.Marjory promised a surprise if the childrencompletedallofthe challenges. We are pleased to report that this was achieved, with all children excited to get a special stickerfromMarjorywhenshe wasfound.

Learning about Russia

The Language of the Month across EarlyYears is Russian and Natalia, Rodion’s mum and Katya, Raya’s mum, came in to teach the children some Russian language and a little about Russian culture. The children saw some beautiful photos of buildings in Moscow and St Petersburg that looked like fairy tale castles, as well as photos of Rodion showing all of the 4 seasons in Russia. We learnt that our names look different when written in Russian. We finished with a story read in Russian and English that was very similar to the story of The Gingerbread Man.

Thank you so much to Natalia and Katya for making the visit so memorable.

MendaramTeam

P2 IPC Unit - Let’s Celebrate

Learning Target: to be able to order events from my life on a timeline.

Wehavebeenlearningaboutdifferentcelebrations.Weorderedpicturesof celebrationsthatwehavebeenapartofthroughoutourlivesonatimeline.

4.Wesatintheseatsandsawlotsoffeaturesoftherescuehelicopter. WetaughttheRescueTeamtosay“SuperHeroes!TotheRescue!” andtoposeforcoolpictures.Theygaveusagiftpackandwethanked themforshowingusaround.Itwasacooltripwithlotsofnewlearning.

1.TheridetoAndukiwasfun!Wesangsongsandpointedtoourfavouritelandmarks.

alsosharedourpreviousknowledgewiththem.Signewasairliftedtoo! ....byhandthatis.

lights,hotwindspeedmeasuringrods,cockpits,wings,propellersand

was… a few of us got jet lagged without even flying!

Scan with your camera to watch video

2.Welistenedtoasafetyvideoandchattedwiththewinchmen.We

3.Wetalkedaboutthefeaturesoftherescuehelicopters;emergency

5. Funny thing

Rampayoh Sports Day was held on 10th March 2023

Teachers’Race

More

photos here:

Ice Lolly by the PTA

Blue

This week, the Performing Arts ASA participants put on a stage play based on a gripping part of Brunei’s history. It was called ‘SULTAN BOLKIAH’. The play provided quite a bit of newknowledge for students, teachers and parents. Acting skills from performers blewusaway,makingus laugh, nod a few times and blink tears away at thetragicending.Wayto goactors!!!

SYNOPSIS

The play follows Sultan Bolkiah, the 5th Sultan of Brunei, also famously known as the singing captain.Duringhisreign, Brunei had the most power and territory even up to parts of the Philippines. He married a princess from Sulu, PuteriLelaMenchanai.

Link to more photos

Link to Video

Hocus Pocus!

P1, P2 and P3 came together to use their knowledge, skills and understanding to take part in a day of fun Maths challenges!

Red House

More pictures can be found here…

P5 Volcanoes

P5 are coming to the end of their IPC unit “Active Planet”. Over the past few days they have been making exploding volcanoes. They created their own magma to see if their villages would be destroyed by the lava!

FOOTPRINTS FROM THE PAST

P2 and P4 joined together in order for P4 to share their knowledge and skills from IPC unit Footprints from the Past.

FOOTPRINTS FROM THE PAST

P4 students taught new scientific vocabulary about fossils such as Ammonite and Trilobite also art skills based on finding textures. We had many budding teachers!

Football Competition - P5 & P6 Boys

Brunei Junior Sports League (BJSL) competitions are events that our students have the opportunity to participate in. For a lot of our students, BJSL is a highlight of their school experience.

Last week, issues with transport arrangements resulted in our P5 and P6 boys unexpectedly missing this planned opportunity. Mr Nathan and Mr Rob shared in their disappointment at being left behind, while the girls and P7 boys team went ahead to compete at ISB in Bandar.

Things are neither good or bad, but thinking makes it so - Shakespeare

At Panaga School we teach Personal Qualities, it is through life experiences that we get to practice such teaching. Our P5 and P6 boys, while disappointed, practiced resilience and adapted. While they missed out on their inter school football competition, Mr Nathan and Mr Rob took the two teams left behind to the multipurpose court for a 5 aside football match, with a treat at Serikandi Cafe offered afterwards.

An investigation into why this transport issue has presented for the second time recently with BJSL travel arrangements has been conducted, with future arrangements now planned for with direct contact with the transport provider. We are hopeful to avoid any such future incidents.

Girls Football After School Activity

P6 FAIRGROUNDS -ENTRYPOINT-

P6 had a magical day learning in the Panaga club playground and the art of lawn bowling from our visiting expert Tobias. We learnt about various forces and language associated with playground equipment and bowls, as our entry point to our unit Fairgrounds. This provided a practical introduction to our learning about physics, with opportunities to discuss concepts like gravity, thrust, momentum, friction, drag, lift and mass. P6 was also challenged to work out equations around money and change, as we finished off our fabulous morning with breakfast purchased at the cafe.

The entry point was fun! My favourite bit was the breakfast and I got to order food by myself.Caleb

I learnt about lawn bowling.Also about push and pull the Panaga club swing with Ms Maura on it! - Ethan

It was a very fun and educational Entry Point. It taught us a lot about forces and we also learnt how to play lawn bowling.

-Asiya

I really liked the Entry Point! I think that you need cooperation and resilience when playing the lawn bowling.Joseph

I enjoyed the entry point because we got to learn about force in a fun way and got to learn Lawn bowling- Sophia

It was an excellent experience! I have learnt so much at that time especially when playing the lawn bowling! I loved it! -Yasmine

P7 Letter writing entry point

Ahuge thank you to all of the parents, students and teachers who helped support the P7 letter writing entry point.The children enjoyed a calm and reflective hour reading a variety of letters addressed to them from a variety of people in a variety of languages.Abeautiful way to start a new term and a new writing unit. -Ahuge thank you to those who contributed from the P7 team and P7 children.

P7 Moving People trip

The P7 children took a trip to Bandar to learn about the heritage of Brunei. This supported the children in learning about the historical changes to our host country,whilelearninga little more about Bruneianculture.

In addition to visiting the technology museum and learning about the 7 ethnic groups of Brunei, the children also were given the opportunity to visit the new Science museum. During their visit they looked a little closer into the history of oil within Brunei, as well as finding some familiar faces on the wall of fame within the museum. It was an action packed day of learning for all of the children and adults who attended the trip.

P7 Moving People trip

Eco Schools ASA

Eco-Schools is a growing phenomenon, which encourages young people to engage in their environment by allowing them the opportunity to actively protect it.

Already pupils have started an environmental audit, formed a committee, built bug hotels, learned about Borneo’s ecosystems and attended a meeting at Brunei Shell Petroleum Headquarters with the SchoolAdvisory Board to talk about Eco Schools.

TERAJA & MELILAS

Melilas Tree Nursery

This week, the team carried out some maintenance on the tree nursery space and continued to plant more seeds. We have planted nearly 200 seeds of 4 different beach forest species so far. Hopefully the monkeys will stay away and they will start to germinate!

Science

M2 have been learning about plant science, including, investigating plant hormones, called auxins, which coordinate phototropism. They have built mazes for potatoes to grow inside of, to see if they can find their way out. Hopefully the lab won’t look like a jungle after the holidays!

M1 have been learning more about chemical reactions, looking at combustion and the conservation of mass.

M2 STUDIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BORNEO AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR

The eighth of March marked a thrilling day on mine and my classmates’calendarsInternational Women’s Day, and a Google Meet with the one and only Lynette Silver. Lynette Silver is an incredible historian, author, and researcher, who we had the privilege to talk to on Wednesday the 8th March. M2 is currently learning about World WarTwo in South-EastAsia, and Mr. Matthew organised a call with this renowned historian so we could have our questions answered and interests piqued.

Lynette Silver has written many books about an event called the Sandakan Death Marches; an infamous forced march that occurred during the Second World War. It resulted in the deaths of 2434 British and Australian prisoners of war - and only six survived. Silver came across this subject while investigatingAustralian POWs and their stories back in university. I had the privilege to be able to interview her, and upon being asked what first drew her to this subject, she said, ‘I’m more interested in the forgotten souls of war, rather than the brave heroes.

In her past, Lynette Silver has faced some prejudice; war history is a generally male-dominated field, and yet she has not given up.After 30 years of researching the Sandakan Death Marches, finding the families of the victims, and making memorial sites to ensure that the POWs at Sandakan are remembered, she has become the go-to historian for this tragic event.

Colleagues of hers have said she has a talent for finding hidden information, which turned out to be extremely useful while specialising in this specific topic - theAustralian government had covered up the truth of what occurred at Sandakan so that the families could live without the horrors of what happened haunting them.

The Sandakan Death Marches were a terrible event, but far too few people know about them. If you don’t know this dreadful story, I highly recommend taking a few minutes out of your day to look it up. Pick up one of Lynette Silver’s books, visit a monument, watch a video or read an interview - anything to ensure that the victims continue to be remembered.

This opportunity has been incredible, for both my classmates and myself.Thank you to Mr. Matthew, Mr. Rob, Miss Cindy, and of course, Lynette Silver.

written by Lila Blue Gough

M2 Science visit to The Brunei Tropical Biodiversity Centre

M2 attended a presentation about biodiversity in Brunei and learned about the 7 different types of forest.

M2 pupils were challenged with a quiz and to record their experiences using tablets.

M2 Science visit to The Brunei Tropical Biodiversity Centre

many tree species.

The exhibition at theTropical Biodiversity Centre has many interesting displays of animals and plants.

Language Leaders

In January, the Language Leaders taught their very first language lesson to P2 and P3. The students were allowed to choose the foreign language as well as the topic. They had a month to plan and prepare for the lessons. On the day, although there were some nerves, the students outdid themselves. The P2 and P3 students were very lucky as they received two different language lessons in one day. Well done to the Language Leaders for teaching such great lessons. It is not easy to stand in front of a group of small children and teach in another language. Also well done to the P2 and P3 students for doing so well in the lessons. Thank you P2 and P3 for having us.

Language Leaders receiving their bronze certificate

International Women’s Day 2023

On Wednesday March 8th P7, M1 and M2 recognised and celebrated gender equality with a morning reflecting and exploring gender equality.

Our oldest students chose from a selection of activities designed to provoke thoughtfulness on a range of gender equality issues; considering such themes as the difference between equality and equityandequalityofopportunityandoutcomes.

To see the wonderful quality of work produced please investigate the padlet link below where our P7, M1 and M2 students uploaded theircontributions.

Mr.Rob

IWD#2023 padlet link and QR Code

https://padlet.com/robertunsworth/internationalwomen-s-day-2023-pxusx6esjz4bno7w