Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Updates from the Principal’s Desk Dear Panaga School Community,
Issue Thirty-Eight 4th October 2019
Celebrating Nigeria’s 59th Independence Day Thank you to our Nigerian community, who have helped us learn more about our world and the people within it. This week, across the school, we have had members of our Nigerian community educate and celebrate with us the 59th Nigerian Independence Anniversary.
Panaga School IFM/4, BSP Company Sdn Bhd, Seria, KB 3534, Negara Brunei Darussalam (+673) 3375728/3372139 (Teraja/Melilas), (+673) 3372694 (Mendaram/Rampayoh)
Teraja’s assembly was led by our Nigerian students and parents, in honour of this important day. We wish our Panaga Club Nigerian Section the very best for their “Sounds and Beats of Nigeria” celebrations this weekend.
Principal: Cindy Bin Tahal (+673) 3372355/8777028
Middle Years Learning Review Isabel Du Toit, who is an independent education cindybintahal@panagaschool.com consultant based in the United Kingdom, has spent all of this week at Panaga School taking a close look at learning in Melilas. Isabel has past experience in writing middle Head Teacher: years education curricula, is a past teacher and school Mark Walters leader of middle years departments and senior markwalters@panagaschool.net secondary schools. (+673) 3373972/8988224
Panaga School Senior Administration Officer: Jalinah Bte Ali (+673) 3375728 jalinah.ali@shell.com Admin Support, Rampayoh/Mendaram: Zurimah Bte Jumat z.jumat@shell.com Admin Support, Teraja: Hasmah Bte Hj Salleh hasmah.salleh@shell.com
She now works, both independently and with Fieldwork Education, as an education consultant. This is Isabel’s first visit to Panaga School and Brunei. With M2 in its third year of operation, as a school and with company support, we requested this learning review. It is always good practice to have independent measures of a school’s performance. This is conducted annually at Panaga School, however, Isabel’s visit has been really concentrated in Melilas. Throughout the Middle Years Learning Review, Isabel has engaged with parents, students, teachers, school leaders and Shell HR representatives. Policies, procedures, curriculum documents and other related information have been studied. All lessons in Melilas have been attended by Isabel as well.
Over the next few weeks, we will be issued a Middle Years Learning Review Panaga School Weekly editor: report, celebrating strengths and offering recommendations for us to consider as we continue to strategically plan to maintain excellence in Damian Brady damianbrady@panagaschool.com teaching and learning in the Panaga School Middle Years. Wishing everybody a wonderful weekend. Regards, Cindy
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Updates from the Head Teacher’s Desk Since arriving in Brunei, I have been eagerly anticipating the rain and this week it appears to have arrived. Watching the baby monkeys hanging from branches and then dropping into the puddles forming on the school fields was truly memorable. As the school bell rang on Tuesday afternoon, the skies opened and it was a truly comical moment to see parents and students standing under the shelters wondering when to make a break for their cars. The children once again demonstrated their adaptability being here and simply led parents (some reluctant) into the puddles and rain. The excitement for the children is always wonderful to see and sharing these moments is invaluable. - Mr Mark IEYC Thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend the IEYC meeting this week. Led by Miss Donna, the Early Years team were able to share the wonders of IEYC and the importance of Play for all and not just the younger children. Play is such a vital part of learning, and as parents, understanding this is vital to not only our children’s development but also our own. If you were unable to make the meeting, please do speak to any of the Early Years teachers. Safety focus of the week It has been brought to our attention this week that a number of pupils are not using the correct crossings when moving within the school car park. This is unfortunately being modelled by a number of parents. Whilst it is much quicker to cross at various places in the car park, we are working to instill road safety and awareness with the children and would ask that parents are supportive of this.
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
A message from the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Chair Dear Parents, We had the first PTA event for the new school year, the Annual General Meeting, on Thursday 19th September 2019. It was the largest gathering I’d witnessed for a PTA evening here in Panaga School and the enthusiasm our parents brought made it a really enjoyable meeting. Thank you all for the turnout and for all of the brilliant input.
Here are some highlights from the meeting: - The position of Class Coordinators is no longer deemed necessary and Parent Representatives can fill the gaps where needed. Our various Parent Representatives will organise joint coffee mornings and workshops for unified dissemination of information, coordinated by Amanda Reijmer-Yusuf. The workshops will be geared towards topics of interest to parents, teachers and our children as well. Your contribution and input will be greatly appreciated. - Sonja Perry (Parent Rep on the School Board) notified the PTA that her current expected exit date is June 2020. The PTA will look to elect a replacement representative for the 3rd term to ensure a smooth handover. It was decided that the new representative would be elected at the Term 2 meeting. We would like to thank Sonja for all her contributions to the school and the Panaga community. - In the past, International Day celebrations have occurred at the end of the school year, due to the timing of Ramadhan. This year, we plan to make a change, moving it to the second term to allow teachers to use the activities of International Day as a learning point for our children. - School photographs are planned for the first term. This will be organised by Kristy McGrath. Volunteers to help ensure a smooth running of photos are welcome, and as always, your ideas are welcome too. - The School Disco is happening again this year and I’m sure our kids are looking forward to warming up to show their friends their latest moves. Date and venue will be communicated accordingly. - A group of parent volunteers have come together to lead this year's calendar edition. It is set to celebrate the diversity of the students at Panaga School. If you would like to be part of this volunteer team, please let a member of the PTA know to get you in contact with organisers. - Pledges for the school year were finalised and the PTA will continue in the primary duty of providing support to the school to ensure our children have a wonderful environment to learn in. There were committees formed to lead the above responsibilities. Please feel free to let us know if you have input on any of the above. Sure to say, it’s looking to be another enjoyable school year ahead. Thank you for your continued support. Warm regards, Olayinka Idowu For the PTA Committee
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
7-Oct
8-Oct
9-Oct
10-Oct
11-Oct
Whole School Mendaram (PN-N)
Early Years Maths Day (PN & N) 9.30am: P2 trip to Panaga Health Centre
Rampayoh (P1-P3)
Early Years Maths Day (P1)
Teraja (P4-P7)
8.30am: Y5 Hornbill School visiting NTC
Melilas (M1-M2)
Under 13 Football vs JIS
Whole School
8.30am: Y5 Hornbill School visiting NTC
14-Oct
15-Oct
16-Oct
17-Oct
18-Oct
Janice Ireland
& Robin Belles
(Fieldwork) visit
Panaga School
all week
11.00am: PreNursery - "This is Me" Exit Point
Mendaram (PN-N) Rampayoh (P1-P3)
BJSL Rugby and Netball at JIS
1.30pm: P2 Exit Point
No ASAs
Teraja (P4-P7)
No ASAs
Melilas (M1-M2)
No ASAs
8.00am: IPC Exit Points (TBA)
Event information above is correct at the time of printing. To keep up-to-date with all school events, please go to: www.panagaschool.com/calendar.
Panaga Student Pupil Portal Pre-Nursery to P5
Please click here to access Weekly Lear ning Objectives and Home Lear ning for your child.
Please click here for next week ’s S p o r t s Tr a i n i n g S c h e d u l e
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Happy Birthday Nigeria! Nigeria turned 59 on Tuesday 1st October, and in P1, we enjoyed learning about why this day was special for some of our families. The children had a wonderful morning with Miss Yinka, learning about Nigerian Independence Day and Nigerian instruments. The P1 teachers were very proud of the respect that all children showed when exploring the Nigerian instruments and artefacts. Thanks to Kamsi’s mum for helping to organise this and for sending in some delicious Nigerian treats for us to share. We also welcomed Mr Oluwabankole who enjoyed helping us learn how to use the talking drums and how to create patterns using the colours of the flag. We used many of our Personal Qualities throughout the morning, in particular, we focused on Enquiry and International Mindedness to help further our learning.
We wish every Nigerian in our community a happy and fulfilling Nigerian Independence Day. Click here for more photos By the P1 team
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Superhuman visitor Dr Gonnie Alkemade visited the P2 children to talk about her work as a doctor and to answer many of their questions about the human body.
The children also learnt about the importance of vaccinations and a healthy diet. The children were keen to learn about blood and the heart, as well as bones, skin and how the brain works. Since the visit, the children have been sharing their new knowledge and understanding with their peers and families. Thank you so much for supporting learning in P2, Dr. Gonnie! By the P2 team
Pupil Portal - ‘Helping your child with their learning’
This week on the homepage of the Pupil Portal, you will have access to advice on ‘Helping your child with their learning’. This information comes directly from the International Primary Curriculum team at Fieldwork. It outlines 10 things you might want to say to support your children when they are talking about their learning, whether at the end of a school day or during home learning sessions. Many of the suggestions reflect conversations that are already taking place between teachers and students in class. The need for children to recognise the power of the word ‘yet’, when they say they cannot do something or to understand that they have to ‘practise, practise and prastice’ a skill in order to improve, are messages that need to be reiterated constantly. Check out the page to see all 10 recommendations and think about how you can use them to make a difference to your children's learning. The information has also been added to Edmodo for parents of children in P6 and P7. - Perminder Sanghera
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On 26th September, the P7 students were invited to JIS to celebrate European Languages Day. Philippe Poulain, JIS Head of MFL (European Languages), and his team planned numerous activities for our students in order to experience European languages, geography and culture.
We received a very warm welcome with drinks and biscuits, which went down a treat with the students and teachers. Philippe gave the students the itinerary for the day, which we kept as a surprise. The first activity was talking in French to the P5 students. They were given 5 questions in advance which we practised in class. The students also revised the questions at home. It was a great way to start the day and the dialogues the children had with others were amazing. They really worked hard on their pronunciation. It was like being in France amongst French children.
In period 2, the students played dodgeball called Ballon Prisonnier students. They also learnt how to famous French game Pétanque, a amongst all students.
The students are looking at whose ball is closest to the ‘cochonnet’ (the jack) and therefore the winner.
a French with M1 play the favourite
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After having filled up on croissants and pain au chocolat, the P7 students were teamed up with year 9 students. In small groups they were sent on a European treasure hunt. They had to identify European landmarks, flags and languages. For extra points, they had to learn Spanish tongue twisters and palindromes. Guess the landmark?
Some of the winners of the European treasure hunt
Very happy students having lunch at the canteen
In period 4, the boys and girls played football with P6. They mixed with the JIS students and played matches against each other. Thank you to JIS and the MFL department, especially Mr Philippe, for a truly memorable day and for giving our students unforgettable experiences.
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European Day of Languages would not be complete without some cooking lessons. The students had the choice of cooking ‘crêpes’, Spanish tortillas or ‘escargots’. Eight students volunteered to cook escargots, or as we say in English—snails. The cooking classes were the highlight of the day for all students. For Philippe and me, cooking the snails was without a doubt the funniest part of the day. Ingredients: A packet of butter 4-5 cloves of garlic 1 shallot Parsley French snails
Mush the butter until it is soft. Cut the garlic gloves, shallot and parsley very finely. Add to the butter. Choose the right size snail and push it into the shell. Cover with the garlic butter.
Cook in oven until snails are cooked.
Bon appetit! Well done to all for trying the snails! By Miss Steph
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
For our first beach clean of the year, Miss Gina and Miss Laura were joined by Movement & Dance from Rampayoh and Book Club from Teraja ASA.
We had a special visit from the Wetlands International team who talked to the children about some of the special seeds we can collect on the beach.
By Miss Laura and Miss Gina
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
P7 Entry Point - “Go with the flow” This week, the P7 children and parents engaged in a shared learning opportunity. As a part of their Entry Point to their new IPC unit, “Go with the flow”, the children selected a river that resonates with them from either their home, host, heritage or adopted country and created a piece of art work inspired by their river. The learners spent time sharing the importance of their river and sharing with other children and parents some information about their river. The children will be completing their art work during the remainder of the unit and the completed pieces will form part of a gallery in the unit’s Exit Point. A huge thank you to all of the P7 children and parents for supporting this Entry Point and sharing our International Mindedness. By the P7 team
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Thirty-Eight, 4th October 2019
MIDDLE YEARS DE Computational Thinking; decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms have been the focus for the past few lessons. The students built a robot using:
1 x Klip Motor Driver Board for BBC micro:bit. 2 x clippable TT motor boards (with cable tie and screws). 4 X clip leads. 1 x ping pong ball A simple chassis template.
for
robot
castor.
The onboard computer is a BBC micro:bit - a pocket-sized computer 70 times smaller and 18 times faster than the original BBC Micro computers used in schools. It has 25 red LED lights that can flash messages and be used to create games (and control vehicles). The challenge was to successfully build, test and code the vehicle so it could navigate a self designed maze. To do this successfully, they needed to work as part of a team to complete the design task and make suggestions for improvement, concentrating on clear sequences whilst building and testing our robot rover. Micro:bits can send messages wirelessly with each other through radio signals! We plan to use this to control the micro:bot with another micro:bit to control the rovers remotely.
By Neil Lynch