Updates from the Principal’s Desk Dear Panaga School Community,
Issue Sixty-Nine 10th July 2020
Panaga School IFM/4, BSP Company Sdn Bhd, Seria, KB 3534, Negara Brunei Darussalam (+673) 3375728/3372139 (Teraja/Melilas), (+673) 3372694 (Mendaram/Rampayoh)
Today marks the end of the 2019/2020 academic year. I wish to thank everybody who has been a part of this year's learning journey, which has presented the most unique opportunity to thoroughly test all of our Personal Qualities. This year has also offered the opportunity to enact our school vision, through unprecedented circumstances, Together, Improving Learning.
I commend each and every member of our Panaga School Community. Together, we have created a school that 90% of parents, from 150 who contributed to our annual school survey conducted in May, believe Panaga School to be a good school.
Together, we have generated a school where students have achieved outstanding academic results in this year's International Schools’ Assessment. When compared to 55,000 Principal: students internationally, Panaga students demonstrated Cindy Bin Tahal academic achievements that outperformed all schools in (+673) 3372355/8777028 English and Mathematics. We shall take away learnings from cindybintahal@panagaschool.com this school year to inform our strategic direction in the new academic year to constantly improve. As a school community, we shall forever continue to chase everchanging targets for Head Teacher: success. For now, I wish to extend thanks and Mark Walters markwalters@panagaschool.net acknowledgment to all members of our school community for the overwhelmingly positive parent opinions and academic (+673) 3373972/8988224 outcomes that have resulted from this school year. 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 Panaga School Weekly editor: Damian Brady damianbrady@panagaschool.com
This is also a time where we prepare for change. For our 8 teachers who are due to leave us, of whom we have celebrated in a previous Panaga School Weekly, we thank you for your commitment and bid you farewell. Miss Jackie, Miss Louise C, Miss Kate, Mr Mark, Miss Miriam, Mr Sha, Miss Sue, and Miss Suzanne - all the very best for the changes in store in your respective lives and careers, you are appreciated. To our 43 outgoing students (at this stage) including our 22 students from M2, we wish you the very best. Many adults wouldn't dare tempt an international move and here are our youth from Panaga doing exactly that, as a result of their brave and adventurous families. Wishing our outgoing students and families the very best, may your transitions be as smooth as possible. For our M2 students who shall remain in country, all the very best. Please continue to visit and be part of our Panaga School family. Until August, wishing everybody a safe and happy end of academic year break. Kind regards, Cindy
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Updates from the Head Teacher’s Desk The end of another year This academic year has been a truly unique experience for all of us and as it draws to a close, this is the time to look back and reflect on all that has happened. From the children arriving in August for the start of the new year, through to country-wide lock down, to online learning, to a full, and very welcome, return to school, it has been an incredible and unforgettable year. The children have all grown so much, both in height and academically. I encourage you all to take time to reflect on this time with your children in the coming weeks. They have had unique experiences and will remember this year for a long time to come. History in the making Over the past few months, I have had the privilege to be involved in Humanities teaching at Melilas. This has been so enjoyable and I have loved guiding the children in their learning. What I have shared with many parents and pupils is to be aware that we are currently in a situation where history is being written before our very eyes. At some point in the future, children in school will learn about 2020. How the world was gripped by a pandemic, how issues of racism were highlighted and actions taken. I would encourage all of you to share this time with your children, whilst it has been challenging, it is also a time for children to share their own experiences and gain an understanding of the incredible and diverse world around them.
Farwell and thank you Panaga As this year comes to an end, I would like to wish you all a very happy holiday and to also say farewell. Thank you teachers, LSAs, support staff, cleaners, parents, and most importantly, children for making my time at Panaga School so enjoyable. Thank you all for making my family and I feel so welcome in Brunei. It has been an unforgettable experience. As you all know I am not going far so please do say hello and let me know how your children are all doing. - Mark
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Eight, 3rd July 2020
Wildcard Winners Segment Congratulations to our Wildcard "Organisers' Choice" Acts.
Click here for the video
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Congratulations, thank you and good luck,
M2!
For more great photos, please click here.
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Varun has seen it all at Panaga School - literally Since the day I started learning at Panaga School, I was delighted to know how welcoming and interactive the staff were when it comes to monitoring and teaching us. Learning at Panaga School has made me so independent and made me understand the true meaning of right and wrong. Not only that, but every day I learn something new, which has really helped trigger my interest to learn more and prepare me for future schools. It really is an honour to have been able to learn from such great and enthusiastic teachers, all sharing different and efficient ways of learning. Everyone else, like the cleaners and assistants, have also assisted in making the school a wonderful place. All of the activities the staff organise always enlighten people’s moods. The creativity is just astonishing. I proudly say that I have learnt at Panaga School. The diversity of each and everyone helps define Panaga School as a significant school. From Mendaram to Rampayoh to Teraja to Melilas, the journey only got better and better. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the school get to where it is now and helping me prepare for high school. Sincerely, Varun
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Pre-Nursery learn from the masters to make their own masterpieces We would like to share with you some of the wonderful art work that PreNursery has been inspired to do over the last few weeks. We set up an art gallery so they could see each other's masterpieces and admire all of the hard work and effort that they put into creating them. Well done PreNursery, you are all superstars! By the Pre-Nursery Team
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
P2 introduce Nursery to what we do in DE Quite often, the best teachers are students themselves and when they were tasked with the job of introducing Coding to the Nursery students, P2 cheered at the opportunity. This sort of peer teaching will make Nursery’s transition to the ‘big school’, where they will have Specialist lessons in DE, Music, PE and Swimming for the first time, a lot less daunting. So wonderful were P2’s patience, calmness and expertise that they will be invited back next school year - as the new leaders of Rampayoh - to continue their mentorship. Thank you, next year’s P3s. Welcome, next year’s P1s. - Mr Damian
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
P2 Artists - The Circus P2 have been finding out about the Circus this half term. We’ve learned about the circus in the past and present day, and enjoyed Art. We have appreciated artists who have been inspired by the circus in their pastel and watercolour works. The children learned how to use a range of pastel techniques: blending, stippling, scriffito and varying pressures. In watercolour, we learned how to mix colours, blend, and vary the water to paint on dry paper and wet, appreciating the different effects. By the P2 Teaching Team
Experimenting with different watercolour.
Experimenting with different pastel techniques.
Suhruth’s beautiful pastel circus tent!
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
P2 visit P3! The end of the academic year is on our doorstep and this week the children in P2 had the chance to visit P3 to find out more about what school will be like next year. Some children said they were feeling a little bit worried about the move, so we went to P3 to find out more. The children were able to see the eating areas, which are exactly the same as P2. They then visited the P3 classrooms to see what they looked like, felt like and to ask some pressing questions. They were interested in the school trips for next year, story writing, and the all important choosing time! P2 were very impressed with the current IPC learning in P3 and saw examples of the clay tile buildings being created and the souvenir T-shirts P3 were making. One member of P2 said, “I was nervous about going to P3 before, now I can’t wait!” By the P2 and P3 Teaching Teams
Miss Laura really enjoyed telling the children about P3.
The children thought of lots of questions to ask.
So many interesting things to see and experience in P3. The children are looking forward to next year!
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Our final art project of the year was building holiday-inspired souvenir T-shirts. Do you recognise any of the famous buildings? After learning to use bubble writing, the children then had to trace their design onto a Tshirt. After that, it was time to start piping the flour and water mixture onto the shirts. This step required a lot of care.
When the mixture had dried, we got out the fabric paints for painting time! We used a combination of colours and learnt how to mix to create jazzy shades.
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
All smiles while painting! Professional T-shirt painters at work.
We left our shirts to dry overnight.
The final step was to pick off the hardened flour and water. This step needed A LOT of resilience, especially when some parts were difficult.
Finally, they were ready to wear!
Do you recognise any of these holiday destinations?
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
On Friday 3rd July, the P3 children went to visit Teraja to help them get ready for next year in P4. They met Miss Jo and some of the other Teraja teachers. They had a chance to visit the P4 classrooms, as well as looking around the school and playground. This exciting visit was followed up with Zoom calls between the P3 and P4 children. P3 had lots of questions to ask and the P4’s answers have left them feeling very excited about next year. For their transition video, please click here.
By the P3 Team
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Doodle Maths Summer Challenge According to a study by the University of Bath, “Just 20 minutes of DoodleMaths a week is scientifically proven to combat learning loss.” With the above quote in mind, to help maintain learning in math skills over the summer holidays, the DoodleMaths team have been inspired to create a Summer Challenge. Please see below details of how you can support your child with this. What you need to do: Step 1: Log in to the Parent Dashboard and in the Summer Challenge panel, press Register next to your child’s name. Step 2: Encourage your child to earn 750 stars (or 600 if they were born after 31/08/13) and achieve a 14-day streak in DoodleMaths. Step 3: When your child has reached their goal, visit the Parent Dashboard and press Submit entry to claim their reward. If you have any questions or need any help with this, you can connect directly with DoodleMaths through the Parent Dashboard or doodlemaths.com. Just click on the green chat icon to find answers or speak with the Doodle Parent Support Team. - Perminder Sanghera
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
GETTING CREATIVE IN IPC SAVING THE WORLD IN P5 This week in Literacy, we learnt about slogans and logos as a part of our persuasive writing. Using fabric markers, the children drew their designs onto a hat to share their message about Saving the Rainforest in IPC. - The P5 Team
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Rainforest Exit Point in P5 To complete the technology part of our IPC unit, we designed packaging for our smoothies, evaluated them and finally got to make and drink them! Some interesting recipes! A fun end to our Rainforest projects. By P5 Teachers
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
As a part of our action for climate change, we invited a local carpenter/artist to help us learn what we could make from materials collected from our local beach. Using a fishing rope found on the beach, Mr Tobias created ocean plait mats.
Mr Tobias made a beautiful turtle from bottle tops...
…and beautiful jewellery from shells.
….piggy banks “buoys”.
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Guess the amount of bottle tops used to make Betty and ask the P6 children for answer.
Miss Maura
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Elisa M1S
Julius M1P
Finlay M1P
Andrea M1P
Nadhirah M1P
Alisha M1P
In Humanities, the M1 students have learnt about the French Revolution. They studied the three estates during this time period: the third estate - the peasants; the second estate - the nobles and the first estate - the clergy, which were all led by the royals. For the first time ever, we decided to link Humanities with French. In French this term, the students learnt about reflexive verbs. These verbs are mainly used to describe daily routines. The students were asked to describe their daily routine in the present tense. They then had to pretend to be a character who lived during the French Revolution. They had to describe their daily routine during this time as peasants, nobles, clergy and royals. Many students chose to be peasants, describing quite accurately what their day would have been like, starting the day with a very basic meal of stale bread, whilst wearing old clothing with holes. Many also described how they would watch an execution using the guillotine. Some students also decided to be the king or queen, who of course lived a totally different life compared to the peasants.
Panaga School Weekly, Issue Sixty-Nine, 10th July 2020
Sarah M1P
Axel M1P
Maximo M1S
Lena M1S
Beatrice M1P Spandita & Adinda M1S
The students created amazing posters in French. They created comic strips for both the present and past daily routines. The pictures that accompanied the writing were very detailed and illustrated the different lives. Many students also opted to write the daily routines during the French Revolution in past tense as well as in the third person. Reflexive verbs are very complicated as not only do you have to make sure you use the correct conjugation, you also have to remember to use the correct reflexive pronoun. KC & Alfie M1P
Shreshtha & Ananya M1S
- Mark Walters and Steph Straatman