SummaRISe - Issue 131

th 21 May 2015 Issue 89 Thursday, 14Thursday September 2017 Issue 131

GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG PRIMARY

PRIMARY SECONDARY PRIMARY

SECONDARY SECONDARY

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

Meet the Leadership Team Sessions - 13th & 14th September 2017

DATE

EVENTS SEPTEMBER 2017

Sunday, 17 September Tuesday, 19 September Wednesday, 20 September Wednesday, 20 September Thursday, 21 September Sunday, 24 September

Teacher CCAs start Paid CCAs sign-up at 01:30 pm in the atrium World Peace Day Paid CCAs sign-up at 07:30 am Hijri New Year * Curriculum Information Sessions FS: 08:30 - 09:00 am, Dance Studio Year 1: 05:30 - 06:45 pm, Dance Studio Curriculum Information Session Year 2, 05:30 - 06:45 pm, DS Curriculum Information Sessions Year 3: 05:30 - 06:45 pm, Dance Studio Year 4: 05:30 - 06:45 pm, Lecture Theatre Curriculum Information Sessions Year 5: 05:30 - 06:45 pm, Dance Studio Year 6: 05:30 - 06:45 pm, Lecture Theatre

Monday, 25 September Tuesday, 26 September

Wednesday, 27 September

OCTOBER 2017 Sunday, 01 October Sunday, 08 - Thursday, 12 October Thursday, 12 October Tuesday, 17 October Sunday, 22 October Thursday, 26 October Sunday, 29 October to Thursday, 02 November

Paid CCAs start Book fair Pink Day - Innovents Year 2 Falcon show Parent Student Conference (Afternoon session) Literary Soiree Years 7 - 11 Innovents Half Term Break for students (excluding Nursery)

Sunday 29 October to Tuesday, 31 October

Staff Professional Development - No students, excluding Nursery)

NOVEMBER 2017 Wednesday, 01 - Thursday, 02 November

Half Term Break for Nursery students

Wednesday, 01 November

Nursery Staff Professional Development - No students

Monday, 06 November

RIS Open Day 09:00 - 10:30 am

Tuesday, 07 November

UKMT Senior Challenge

Sunday, 12 to Thursday, 16 November

FS2 Planting week

Tuesday, 14 November

Nursery Open Day

Sunday, 19 to Thursday, 23 November

Year 1 Field Trips

Sunday, 19 November

Nursery Yellow Day

Monday, 20 to Thursday, 23 November

IBT Exams (tbc)

Sunday, 26 November

Secondary Internal Assessments

Wednesday, 29 November

National Day Celebration

Thursday, 30 November

Martyr’s Day*

Message from the Principal Dear Parents, I am sure the children and their families are settling back into the routine of school life, friends have met again and new friendships are beginning to take shape. The first few weeks of school are important to set the tone for a positive academic year. Teachers are talking and discussions in classrooms are focused on school routines, classroom rules and expectations, movement around the school campus, and our core values Collaboration, Achievement, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Innovation.

Home-school connections feel more important than ever to me these days, as a parent, and as a teacher.

Parents have invaluable insights that can help us better meet students’ learning needs. Forging strong connections with parents is an ongoing process and it begins with the first days and weeks of school. I am focused on building stronger and enduring relationship with the parent community to enhance the school experience of our students. Some new initiatives like year group focus groups, open days for class visits, and parent workshops are being organised. I look forward to your support and your participation which will keep us encouraged and motivated.

Curriculum information sessions have begun and we have structured it differently this year. Parents will have an opportunity to visit the homerooms and spend some time with the homeroom teachers, prior to the curriculum information sessions. We will also hold interactive workshops for primary school parents on mathematics strategies. This will help you to provide more informed help to your child at home.

Our Secondary School is growing quickly with new students joining us regularly. We are happy on how fast students have settled with school life. The secondary leadership team and I are determined to help our students understand the value discipline, setting high goals and remaining focused on the journey ahead. I am confident that parents will appreciate our approach and support us in the measures we undertake.

Thank you to all the parents who made it to the Meet the RIS leadership team sessions and to the over 300 parents who watched the events on Facebook live video. This was an exciting development and innovation at RIS. I am happy that we were able to reach out to a large number of parents in the comfort of their homes or workplaces.

I am confident that the academic year 2017-2018 will be an exciting time for our children.

We are a team with a shared goal of enabling students to have a successful school year.

Yours sincerely, Zeba Khan Principal

ATLAB STEM Academy Dear Parents, ATLAB STEM Academy is an innovative and revolutionary approach to STEM education, integrating hands on learning aimed at connecting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concepts in a way that includes real life application for children. With ATLAB STEM academy, students will be exposed to various fields such as robotics, 3D printing, electronic circuitry, augmented reality and the Internet of Things (IoT).

What will it be like if you 'popped' in to see a session in action? All sessions are hands-on and project orientated. Lessons can be, at times, noisy through collaboration and discussion as well as being motivating and fun. Sometimes students will experience failure but they will be taught problem solving skills, perseverance and other strategies to find solutions. Occasionally our facilitators will step back and let the students lead if they know more! We want students to be given enough room to 'kick off' their journey towards becoming creative, innovative and critical thinkers.

How can parents be part of STEM?  By encouraging the students to complete the research work given after every session.  Actively participating in the STEM exploratory week that will be held once a year.  Providing your feedback on a continued basis.

What will students take away from the programme?  More interest in Science and Mathematics  Opportunity and inclination to participate in the international competitions like FIRST LEGO League, World Robotics Olympiad, Gulf 3D Printing Olympiad and Story Games.  A deeper understanding of real world application.  A better understanding of the various career options in store for them. st  Be equipped with the essential 21 century skills, for example, creativity and critical thinking.

For more information about STEM kindly visit us at www.atlabstemacademy.ae Thank you and a warm welcome to the STEM family and look forward to equipping your students with the skills needed for succeeding in the future.

ATLAB STEM Team

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended family, Three weeks into the new academic year and our children are beginning to settle in. With your support, it will not be long before the tears give way to beautiful smiles of sunshine. We will keep on doing our best to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and to ensure that each child feels safe and loved. Some children take longer to settle in compared to others. Each child is unique and special. Please do not get anxious if your child is still crying and not yet fully settled. I am always open to suggestions and do understand that these first few days can be full of anxiety.

As a nursery, we strive to instil within the child the intellectual, emotional, and physical skills needed to become a self-motivated learner, flexible thinker, creative problem solver, and to support their natural and ever-increasing curiosity about the world in which they live. We believe in encouraging the development of the whole child by providing a comprehensive Montessori education. This nurtures independent thinking, provides early years foundation skills as well as awareness of their environment, empathy for others, social ability and confidence.

As an early years’ practitioner, I echoed Montessori’s ideas long before I knew that I would ever teach young children. At the helm of the Nursery, I am fortunate to have teachers who share the vision of the Montessori approach in full – no half measures. The education our Nursery strives to provide is true and complete in every way, with a clear understanding of a philosophy of child development and a rationale for quality in that development. Through our work with the children, we stress the importance of the development of a healthy self-concept. Education, according to Maria Montessori, is a preparation for life, not only a search for intellectual skills. The children have one intuitive aim – their self-development.

They desperately want to develop their inner resources and ability to cope with an unfamiliar and complex world. Children who accomplish this, move into harmony with the world and become responsible, global citizens.

Through our deeply rooted system of role modelling, our children will begin to understand, accept and imbibe the core values of the school. They will learn to respect themselves, their environment and those within it. Collaboration will come easily to them as inside our classrooms, collaborative learning is from peers is key. The prepared environment offers children daily opportunities to teach a skill or share information with others. Further, because every child is particularly good at something, the opportunity exists for every child, every day. The children will be encouraged to demonstrate values we expect from all individuals, including honesty, integrity, good manners, responsibility and peacefulness. Our method of assisting the children method discourages traditional competitive measurements of achievement, such as grades and tests, and instead focuses on the individual progress and development of each child.

The Montessori Method is designed to promote independent learning and support normal development in children. A Montessori lesson is defined as any interaction between an adult and a child; it incorporates techniques that are defined to serve as guidance for the adult personality in working with the child.

NURSERY TIMINGS Normal timings for the nursery are 08:00 am until 02:00 pm. We appreciate your punctuality as it is an important factor helping ‘our’ children understand and respect the routine of the day. Kindly note that we are also unable to accept children in class before 7:40a.m. While you may see the Teacher and Assistants in your child’s class before that time, they are preparing for the day and getting the classroom ready to give ‘our’ children a fruitful day ahead.

Please note that in the morning the nursery gates will be locked at 08.15 am for security purposes. The gates will re-open at 1:45 pm. If you wish to pick up your child in between these hours, please use the main school entrance and collect a Visitor’s pass to obtain access into the nursery area.

A FEW GENERAL REMINDERS  Please keep us updated in case of any change in parent contact details  Please remember to label your child’s belongings including lunch and snack items, bottles and spare clothes.  Please remember to pick up a Visitor’s pass if using the main school entrance.  Please ensure that you collect an Early Leaver’s Form from your child’s teacher if you are picking up your child early on any day (i.e. before 01:00 pm)  Please remember our healthy eating policy and that all classes are a chocolate, crisps and nut-free environment.  Please note that the equipment we have in our Indoor Play area and the Out-Door Play area is for the use of the children within the nursery hours only 8:00 am/2:00 pm, under the supervision of school staff only.  Please ensure that your child has regular attendance. This will help the child to make friends and develop a bond with his/her teacher, as well as understand and respect the class routine.  Please ensure that you have uploaded photos for Parent IDs and that your class teacher has received all the documentation she has requested to complete your child’s admission file.

We are all very excited and eagerly look forward to a year of learning, fun and enjoyment. We understand that you are leaving your most precious possessions in our care. We will love them as our own. Please feel free to share any concerns with your child’s teacher or me. I am excited about this school year and working with the children. As a parent, I understand how hard this first-time experience can be for you and your child, but together we will make this year a positive, productive and fun one for ‘our’ children. I would like to assure you of my dedication to the wellbeing of ‘our’ precious possessions.

My door always open; please feel free to walk in.

You will see me around the Nursery during pick up and drop off times. At all other times, my door is always open and you can also easily reach me on 044271228 or send me an email on garimak@rafflesis.com

Garima Kapoor Assistant Head Early Years

First day at Nursery A big day for our little ones

Children have fun balancing on the beam during outdoor play

A little one enjoys colouring in her first week back at Nursery

The beginning of relationships and year long friendships

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear RIS Community, Just a few short weeks into my new role as Head of Primary at RIS, and I am feeling settled and more excited than ever. What a fabulous school to work in; thank you to everyone – students, staff and parents – for making me feel very welcome. Working in large schools such as RIS can present the challenge of getting to know everyone. After a short while, almost everyone knows the Head but the Head is naturally still struggling to know the names of more than 1300 students, 180 staff members …. let alone the names of your good selves!

This is a very exciting time for RIS, with key developments in curriculum and assessment coming to fruition. I have very much enjoyed taking up the reins as Head of Primary and being able to cast a new perspective on the various improvement projects underway in the school. We are excited about the changes afoot, and I look forward to getting to know RIS more and more so as to help identify how we can progress further still.

There is a great deal of momentum in the school as we start the new year and work towards our KHDA inspection, expected in November. As part of the new Senior Leadership Team, I am honoured to be working alongside our new Principal Ms. Zeba Khan and Head of Secondary Mr. Peter Rowlands – two persons with a wealth of educational experience. I am convinced that together we will lead the school to new heights, and further on our journey Towards Excellence!

We are all on this journey together, and as we progress towards our aims our students are of course progressing through their school years and moving onto universities or the workplace. In addition to all of our mid and long term plans to improve outcomes, my job as Head of Primary is to try and ensure that every day is one of quality and happiness for our students. We want our students to jump out of bed (maybe not a bunk bed!) eager for the school day to begin, and to return home to you bursting with energy and excitement about their learning. We want them to enthuse you with a love of learning so that you feel more motivated than ever to support your child’s studies at home.

Our overall aim of improving student outcomes is not possible without highly motivated and talented teachers. I don’t think I am generalizing in writing that throughout the world, the quality of teaching is what makes a difference. Yes, having cutting-edge technology is important in facilitating learning that is relevant for modern times, but picture the inspirational teachers past, present and future teaching in huts and shells of classrooms who are able to have a positive lifetime impact upon their students. A key part of my job at RIS is to help develop such teachers, and I am sure that we have more than our fair share!

Key focus areas in 2017– 2018 for our city and our school involve you the parents: Moral Education and Reading Literacy. For me, parental involvement should not only mean inviting parents into pre-planned activities. There should also be the opportunity for parents to shape community activities,

and I am looking forward to meeting with our PARIS members to discuss ideas. We all live incredibly busy lives, and asking parents to participate in every school event and know everything about their child’s school is unrealistic. You entrust us with the formal education of your children, and we thank you for that trust, and ask only that you visit us and participate in our many community events when you can. As you know, the benefit to a child of knowing their family is able to share in their school achievements and activities is enormous.

Edward Cooper Head of Primary School

Key Stage 1 News I would

like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new families in FS2. It has been a great pleasure meeting most of you and getting to know your children. I am looking forward to meeting many more of you in the coming weeks.

The children in FS2 have settled in well this year. They have been exposed to the Grace and Courtesy activities in class through the use of the Montessori materials, and role modeling by the teachers. This will support their Personal, Social and Emotional development. There has been some lovely art work coming from the classrooms, we have seen some up and coming Artist of the future.

We have already celebrated some birthdays in FS2, exploring the Montessori Celebration of Life. This helps the children to understand the concept of the passage of time and how one year signifies one ‘trip around the sun’.

The children in Year 1 and 2 have acclimatized to their school life, with confidence and ease. The Specialist lessons have taken place in Art, Music, ICT and PE. Arabic will be introduced to them within the coming weeks along with the Mother Tongue programmes in French, Russian, Hindi, Spanish and German, for native speakers.

Some gentle reminders:       

Year 1 and 2 uniform – white shirt and maroon short/trousers Black school shoes/none slip PE trainers FS Maroon v neck top and maroon short/trousers PE – maroon and gold v neck top with black shorts Healthy packed lunch Registration – 07:50 am Pick up time – 2:30 pm

We are looking forward to a positive year ahead, and seeing many achievements from our children in Key Stage 1. Please do not hesitate to contact your Homeroom teacher if you need further guidance and support.

Susie Mcshane Deputy Head of Primary School - FS2 - Year 2

Key Stage 2 News The start of the year has been buzzing already with excitement and rigour.

One of the most exciting changes for this year is the introduction of the STEM lab both for Primary and Secondary.

Children in Year 3 onwards, take part in a lesson every week with an external STEM team. (Atlab) The children use Lego education materials to deliver key concepts of Mathematics and Science which is taught in each year group, linked to our Cambridge Curriculum. This is delivered interactively and with a “hands on approach” which caters towards problem solving, team learning as well as encouraging curiosity and independent learning, through a fun and interactive way.

“This will transform education from a typical teacher-centric classroom to a child-centered one by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery and exploratory learning,” said S. Senthil Kugan, General Manager of Atlab, distributors of Lego Education.

We very much look forward to sharing with you, the STEM work that will be carried out each term and I am sure the children will be discussing their learning experiences at home with you. In Year 3, the children have been introduced to “Talk for Writing” which promotes Speaking and Listening as well as Drama. This method is proven to show great progress with writing and has

worked very well with Year 2 last year. We are using this method of teaching English for all of the Primary sections. This will be introduced to parents further in the Curriculum Information sessions week beginning on the 24th September.

In Year 4, the children are very excited to use Near Pod this year. This is a fantastic App that is used on the children’s devices. This is used in all lessons and is used for real life situations as well as a tool for recording in lessons. I am sure the Year 4 team will share their experiences throughout the year.

In Year 5, the children have started their Social Studies topic with the “Brown paper bag biographies�

This involved the children choosing five items from home that were important or special to them. This involved the children presenting and discussing with the children in their classes. A lovely way of allowing the children to introduce themselves!

In Year 6, the children have been writing their goals for the year. This has been a useful exercise for the children as they have to opportunity to reflect on their targets and to aim high! What a great way for the children to be part of the target setting process.

I am thoroughly excited to be part of the Year 3 - 6 team and I look forward to being part of their learning journey this year. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Year Team Leader and then myself on jasmitk@rafflesis.com Jasmit Kang Deputy Head of Primary School - Years 3 - 6

Primary School - Pastoral In some ways, the line between positive and negative behaviour exists in the eye of the beholder. Your value system, which stems from your family and cultural background as well as your own life experiences, will determine what you believe to be positive behaviour. Your feelings about yourself and life in general will also colour your perceptions. When adults feel positive about themselves, they are better able to understand and accept their child’s behaviour.

This is based on the premise that positive behaviours are those which help children move along toward the goal of becoming well-adjusted, fully functioning adults. In other words, behaviour that is typical of a particular stage of development, that paves the way for the next stage, is positive. Positive behaviour is not, therefore, the same thing as compliance with adult wishes, especially if those adult wishes reflect a lack of knowledge of children's development.

Some positive behaviour can appear negative. T. Berry Brazelton (1992), a renowned pediatrician, argues that there are predictable times in the lives of all children when their behaviour “falls apart”: when they seem to move backward in development in ways that perplex and dismay their parents. These times invariably signal a rapid spurt of physical, cognitive, or socio-emotional growth. An example might be the child on the verge of walking, whose frustration at being left behind evokes a sudden change in disposition and screams of rage. Brazelton views these periods, not as crisis points, but rather as “touchpoints,” unparalleled opportunities for understanding and supporting development, if we anticipate them positively and avoid becoming locked in power struggles.

By studying child development and carefully observing the behaviour of many children, you can learn to adjust your expectations so that the behaviour you expect is within the bounds of possibility for children to achieve. By observing the behaviour of a particular child over time, you can begin to understand what particular behaviours mean for that child. You may begin to see how behaviour that seemed irritating to you actually serves as a positive function for a child.

Focusing on positive behaviour places negative behaviour in better perspective and develops a more accurate impression of the whole child. It allows you to emphasize strengths and help children overcome weaknesses. Early childhood educators with heightened awareness of positive behaviours will set the stage so that those behaviours can occur, and will respond in ways that make these acts occur more often. In other words, they will use techniques of indirect and direct guidance.

Gary Williams Deputy Head of Primary School - Pastoral

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

PRIMARY SECONDARY

SECONDARY

SECONDARY SCHOOL From the Secondary Leadership Team It has been an amazing start to the academic year in the Secondary School. After outstanding results from out GCSE students, 82% A* - C, the team are now working to build on this success. The students have settled quickly back into their learning and we are getting to know them and you as parents.

Currently we are looking at each student to determine their targets for the coming year. We will base this on the international tests they have completed, their previous results and their work in the first few weeks. we have had the privilege of going into many classrooms to see the learning in action and am pleased with the attitude of the students to their studies. There is a genuine thirst for knowledge and understanding and the students want to do their best. Over the course of this year we will be regularly reporting to parents on student progress but if you have any questions please do contact us at school at any time.

New and Exciting Changes Student voice and leadership In the coming week’s students in Year 11 and 12 will be invited to apply for the student leadership council and the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl. The leadership council will be involved in developing sport, the school's environment group, working with the Primary School on a voluntary basis, organising events and the student council.

Break times and lunchtimes Students are now able to move around the ground floor and are allowed to stay in the cafeteria throughout lunchtime. Sports activities are being run by the PE department; volleyball, basketball, table tennis, football, netball and in the near future Pilates/Yoga. Students may also visit the library to read, use the ICT facilities or attend the movie club in the lecture theatre.

Celebrating Achievement Students are able to receive green notes for excellent work and service to the school. These are recorded in their diaries. Each student’s tutor records the number of green notes received and these are recognised with commendations from tutors through to the Principal. Running alongside these will be reward trips and opportunities for students who are making excellent effort and have a consistently outstanding attitude to their learning.

Parental Engagement The Secondary team is very keen to work closely with parents. You will begin to see more opportunities being offered for you to meet the team and to learn about what we do in school and how you can best support your child. Please feel free to contact us whenever there is a question, news or concern.

Social Studies and Moral Education All students in Years 7 - 11 will be studying Social Studies and Moral Education. These are exciting new initiatives which have been introduced by the Ministry of Education. In the next edition of SummaRISe further information will be communicated and we are keen to involve the parents with these two areas.

How can you support us on a daily basis?  Encourage your child to use their diary to record homework and key dates 

Check that your child is in the correct uniform; one pair of stud earrings, one watch, all black shoes, plain socks, non-extreme hairstyles, no make-up and the correct RIS uniform. Students should arrive and leave with their uniform on.

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Check your child's diary and sign it each week. This is an excellent communication tool.

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Attendance is key in fostering excellent attainment. By discussing the importance of excellent attendance and though close communication with the school when attendance issues arise.

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Ensure that your child arrives on time. Registration is at 07:40 am. Students will be recorded late after this time. Late arrival leads to lost learning.

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Encourage respect for everyone in the RIS community and good manners at all times.

Recognising and celebrating achievement is central to our philosophy of success and supports the RIS core values. In order to support students achieve their very best we look to teachers, support staff, parents and the students themselves to work together. Through effective and positive collaboration we can all strive for excellence. If you wish to discuss any of the above points please do not hesitate to contact me on bryonyl@rafflesis.com Peter Rowlands Head of Secondary School

Bryony Lynch Deputy Head of Secondary School