89 Sunday, Thursday 28 21 August May 2016 2015 Issue 110 GENERAL GENERAL
NURSERY
KG FS
PRIMARY PRIMARY
SECONDARY SECONDARY
PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC
DATE
EVENTS August
Sunday, 28 August
All students return September
Thursday, 01 September
Box Appeal (FS2—Year 11)
Sunday, 04 September—Thursday, 8 September
PLE/KET/PET—Testing for EAL and EALB
Sunday, 11 September—Tuesday, 13 September
Arafat Day & Eid Al Adha
Thursday, 15 September
Nursery Curriculum Information Session
Sunday, 18 September—Thursday, 22 September
Curriculum Information Session
Wednesday, 21 September
Peace Day
Thursday, 22 September
Nursery Red Day
Sunday, 25 September—Thursday 29 September
Arabic B writing Week October
Sunday, 02 October
Hiiji New Year
Sunday, 16 October
Professional Development Day November
Sunday, 06 November
Parent Student Conference
Thursday, 17 November
School Holiday
Sunday, 20 November
Professional Development Day
Message from the Principal Dear RIS community, A very warm welcome to all the RIS community. I am very excited about the year ahead and especially the priorities we have set in order to build upon our success from last year. Key developments from last year include: Foundation Stage Embedding of the EYFs goals and benchmarks within the Montessori classroom and during the children’s day so that all the 7 areas of development for the children were addressed. Critical thinking and questioning became an increasingly crucial component of the classroom and daily practice, encouraging children to think creatively. Significant enhancement of the outdoor play area- added a sandy surface to the play area to give more messy play opportunities. Restructured the Activity room into an Early Years Activity Room so as to give further opportunity for the children to blossom in the area of personal social and emotional development, self-confidence and skills for managing behaviour. Created outdoor learning opportunities to take the learning to all areas of the nursery, beyond the walls of the classroom. Added Literacy resources and enhancement of a print rich environment (resources (books and story sacks) added to Nursery Library, Parent reading opportunities) End of Year concert, Sports Day, Artist week (followed by exhibition), Field trips, Mothers’ Day performance, Reading with Dads greatly enjoyed by the children and appreciated by parent community. Weekly Chronicle- kept parents updated and resulted in active participation from parent volunteers throughout the year. Please see below some positives for FS 2015-16 :
Opening of the Early Years Room – expansion this year Adapting the afternoon session to incorporate Early Years Center based learning in the classrooms Additional play time Phonetic Time – first 15 minutes of the day Creative Writing
Lower Primary highlights: Successful Reading initiatives Science weekly experiments/practical science has been a focus Broad breadth of ASAs provided Curriculum focus has been on cross curricular links with specialists and core subjects Student leadership and responsibility/citizenship
Upper primary ‘Cambridge Checkpoint results have shown once again an improvement in our students’ scores in both mathematics and Science Marked improvements in our student’s performance in Biology in the sciences, Data Handling in mathematics and in Reading in English. We are pleased with these results evidencing the impact of meaningful school initiatives such as the many developments in promoting reading during the Dubai Year of Reading.’
Secondary Highlights: Improvement/raised attainment levels in all aspects of Mathematics, English and Science Cambridge Checkpoint Results Performance above the International Scale Score in International Benchmark Tests (IBT) for the majority of year groups and subjects AED26,000 generated from Family Fun Day that will be utilised to purchase additional resources for Secondary Students Additional 7 classrooms built purposely for Secondary School usage Introduction of Secondary School Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – to be launched September 2016 Cambridge ICT Starters Certification.
20 students from 2 year groups each - 1 from Primary and 1 from Secondary had taken the test in May. 18 students from each Year group achieved Merit certification
Overall results demonstrate excellent technological skills with our students meeting the Cambridge Standards criteria.
As a school we will be striving ‘Towards Excellence’ meeting the key priorities and targets as outlined in our Strategic Plan 2015-2018. http://www.rafflesis.com/media/2596/ris-strategic-plan-2015-2018-reviewed-may-2015.pdf The key recommendations from our last inspection report and driving forward with the National Agenda/ UAE Vision 2021: The UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda emphasizes the development of a first-rate education system, which will require a complete transformation of the current education system and teaching methods. The National Agenda aims for all schools, universities and students to be equipped with Smart systems and devices as a basis for all teaching methods, projects and research. Furthermore, the National Agenda has set as a target that our students rank among the best in the world in reading, mathematics and science exams, and to have a strong knowledge of the Arabic language. The Agenda will aim to elevate the rate of graduation from secondary schools to international standards and for all schools to have exceptional leadership and internationally accredited teaching staff https://www.vision2021.ae/en/ national-priority-areas/first-rate-education-system Raffles International School - South was inspected by DSIB from 16 to 19 November 2015. The overall quality of education provided by the school was found to be good with a number of outstanding features. The follow areas were highlighted as major strengths:
What did RIS do well? Children in the Foundation Stage demonstrated outstanding learning skills. They made outstanding progress in English and mathematics and achieved outstanding attainment in mathematics. Students were well-motivated, displayed good behaviour and had an enthusiastic attitude to learning. The relationships between the students themselves and all adults at the school were very good or better. There was strong emphasis on healthy lifestyles and healthy eating, and access to a range of physical activities for all students. There were excellent health and safety arrangements. The commitment, vision and sense of purpose of the school’s leaders was good. There was very good engagement of parents in their children’s education and strong relationships within the school community. Outstanding resources and facilities supported students’ learning. Areas for further development Improve attainment and progress in Islamic education and Arabic as a first and additional language by ensuring teachers consistently prepare, plan and deliver lessons that offer opportunities for progression and challenge students of all abilities. Consistently provide more opportunities for students to develop their enquiry and critical thinking skills in the primary and secondary phases. Further embed the curriculum initiatives to ensure coherence across all phases. Raise attainment in the primary phase by sharing the very good and outstanding teaching practice. Sharpen the monitoring and evaluation of classroom practice by senior and middle leaders to ensure consistent accuracy and the promotion of the best features of teaching and learning. Further improve the progress of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). I am very confident that as a community we can build on our strengths, address areas for development and together, move forward delivering the very best teaching and learning for all our children. Michael William Clack Principal
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PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Parents, A very warm welcome back to school and especially to all the new families joining Raffles International School. I trust all of you had a good summer, and a relaxing time with friends and families. I am sure you are looking forward to getting back into the school routine along with the children. We have many new children and staff members joining RIS this year and I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to all of them. We had a successful induction week for thirty-five new teachers and new student orientation day on Thursday, 25th August 2016. Our first school day is Sunday, 28th August 2016 where the RIS gates will open to receive and welcome our students. RIS has always been commended by various inspection bodies, both national and international, for its warm, welcoming and friendly environment in which each member is valued and respected. We are a large international school with more than ninety nationalities represented in the staff and student community. The unity in our diversity is our strength and the learning ground of the school’s core values of responsibility and achievement through, respect, integrity and collaboration. We place high value not only in being tolerant and understanding of each other’s culture and value system, but actively learning, making connections, reasoning and appreciating and thereby cultivating a deeper respect and understanding. Our Circle of Culture study is primarily to have an on-going dialogue and learning of the many cultures and nationalities present in the class rooms, and I invite parents to take an active part.
RIS has a dedicated staff committed to providing students with high quality holistic learning, encouraging students to think, problem solve, innovate and challenge themselves whilst working responsibly and collaboratively. Deliberate and informed lesson planning makes sure all lessons are engaging for all ability groups and to the different kinds of learners. Our vision is clear and simple; happy, responsible and respectful children, engaged and independent learners aware of their strengths, areas of growth and their next steps in an exciting learning journey.
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Year 4 Orientation
Parents are the children’s first teachers. I have taken a number of initiatives to have parents more engaged and involved in the learning taking place in the classrooms. The weekly chronicle, the six-week plan, Circle of Culture, the parent volunteer reading programme to name some of them. Please do look out for school communication in the coming weeks to learn how you can be more involved and engaged. RIS is committed to the UAE National Agenda introduced by H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al, Maktoum. This new initiative is to steer the education community to work collaboratively and collectively to improve the quality of education at all levels across the UAE. We will have on-going communication with you on the international and external benchmark assessments our students will be sitting and how we use them to monitor their own progress and in meeting the UAE National Agenda targets. I am happy to report to you that the Cambridge Checkpoint assessments in the Primary and the Secondary school, and ICT Cambridge assessment results have been pleasing and have shown an upward progress in the core subjects, of English, mathematics and science. I wish all of you a successful academic year and look forward to welcoming you back to school. Zeba Khan Vice Principal and Head of Primary School
THE GIVE INTIATIVE HELPS NEPAL Dear Parents and students of RIS, CAS, DIA, RWA and Raffles Nurseries, The GIVE Initiative was created in 2014 to pool together all the fundraising efforts of our various campuses. The aim of its creation was to help the Innoventures Education family make a concrete impact in some of the underprivileged parts of the world. Its creation also took place to help our students measure and oversee the effect of their efforts on a community over time. When our students were surveyed they responded that “Education” and “Water Conservation” were the two areas that the GIVE Initiative needed to support the most. Two years and numerous fundraising activities later, we are now able to make the wishes of our students come true. Thanks to kind contributions of all students, parents and even the Innoventures Education board, we are now able to make a real difference. In January, 2016 the GIVE Initiative submitted its application to be a part of the “Adopt A School” project with Dubai Cares. As a part of this noble project, Innoventures Education will be sponsoring the construction of primary schools in western Nepal starting from November, 2016. The schools will aim to cater to the less fortunate communities of the region and will provide a safe, durable and comfortable learning environment for over one hundred students and countless adults of the nearby villages. The great benefit of these schools is that they will be able to host lessons during monsoon season and also at night, this was not possible in the past.
A previous visit from adult Buildon volunteers in Africa
Our first cohort of student builders and teachers will visit Nepal in November, to break ground and begin construction of the foundations of our first school. They will be supported by Buildon, an American philanthropic organisation that has helped to construct schools in third world regions for the last twenty years. Whilst there, our students and teachers will live with the communities they are helping and will get a chance to see where all our funds are going. They will be our pioneers in this venture. This expedition group consists of 8 students from DIA, 2 students from RWA, 1 student from RIS and 3 teachers. Our teacher chaperones are Ms Turnbull (RIS), Mr Jennings (RWA), and Ms Wojtowicz (DIA). We hope that in future trips all schools will be represented. The students representing Innoventures Education on this trip are: Adheesh Kataria: DIA
Rahimeem Shirazee: DIA
Ashali Kataria: DIA
Matthew Cairns: RIS
Ali Hilal: RWA
Praniti Mirani: DIA
Sara Ravenna: DIA
Jacob Tulberg: DIA
Leo Ahmad: DIA
Thani Al Mehairi: RWA
Marco Castellano: DIA Plans to sponsor a third school have already been initiated and we hope to send a second cohort of students to emulate what our first cohort is doing come November 2017.
Previous student volunteers who have helped Buildon in construction projects in Africa As you can see, this is a long term philanthropic project that Innoventures Education is a part of. We are essentially adopting a community and year after year improving their quality of life. Our yearly trips to the region will give our students a front seat for them to see how big a difference we are all making together. All schools and nurseries will be fundraising with this great project in mind from now on and it is our wish that we can sponsor one school every year indefinitely.
Some members of the communities already helped by Buildon in Nepal The GIVE Walkathon will be taking place in November 2016 in all our campuses. This is one of the most important fundraising activities of the year and it is my sincere hope that schools will put 100% support behind this event. As GIVE Coordinator I would like to thank all of the Innoventures Education family for your support in the upcoming events and projects. Let us all make a difference together. Colin Scicluna Events and GIVE coordinator Innoventures Education
Message from RIS Medical Team A warm welcome from the medical team to our RIS family. It is our belief that the overall welfare and protection of the students in our care is off paramount importance. With this in mind, the School Clinic takes health conditions very seriously in an attempt to safeguard students to the best our ability and expertise. Just few reminders for your attention:
Healthy lifestyle including healthy eating and sleeping habits is a priority and solid foundation for great learning atmosphere. Kindly notify the school medical staff of any severe allergies (requiring the use of Epipen) or chronic conditions your child is suffering from. Kindly submit to the clinic a recent copy of your child’s vaccination book (if not submitted already) to update your child’s health record. RIS is providing routine vaccination to students (above 6 years of age) under the umbrella of DHA. If you agree on your child receiving routine vaccination at school, please send your child’s original vaccination book. We are looking forward to a great year. Together we can raise healthy minds in healthy bodies. “Healthy child is a happy child”
Dr. Reem Ragheb School Medical Officer
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Dear Parents, I am very happy to welcome you to the new 2016-17 academic school year. I am looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure that your children can achieve their highest potential. We recognize that in order to be successful in school, our children need support from both the home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience Completes all homework assignments given by teachers Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of your child’s school life We will inform you if your child needs additional support in any area or subject Your child knows that you expect them to succeed in school and go on to college
In relation to the UAE Vision 2021 the National Agenda emphasises the development of a first rate education system. Therefore here at RIS we are absolutely committed to raising the standards of education at the school in order to shape your child’s future. Furthermore, the National Agenda has set as a target that our students rank among the best in the world in reading, mathematics and science examinations, and to have a strong knowledge of the Arabic language. In relation to this there will be a greater focus within the classroom to ensure that your children receive challenging, differentiated and engaging lessons each and every day.
Please feel free to review the Parents Welcome Pack. If you have any questions about the rules and expectations here at RIS, please feel free to contact me or to discuss them with your child’s teacher. It is very important that you and your child are fully informed regarding standards related to appropriate behaviour for a safe and productive school year. The wonderful RIS staff and I feel privileged to be a part of this school family. We thank you for your support and look forward to the new academic year. Gary Williams Dean of Students
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NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY Ever since 2016 has been declared “Year of Reading’ there has been an increased number of activities for reading all across the region. Reading is the base of the foundation of any civilization and remains the key to prosperity. Our school had the privilege of donating books for “Reading Nation” before the summer holidays. The library programme has some exciting opportunities in store for the students in this Year of Reading. We have added more than 1,000 titles to the existing collection in our Library. Out programme will be promoting the very best of children’s literature to students with activities designed to help students enjoy the stories even more. As the Librarian, I will be recommending our very best reading materials to keep the students “hooked on reading”. We have a list of special events planned in our school like Book Fairs, Author Visits, Reading with Dad, D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read), Reading Challenge (50 books in 50 days both in English and Arabic). Marathon Reading is a part of this initiative. This is the done to create an interest in children and to make reading a habit. Once that is attained all students will learn that knowledge is power. We are very excited about this coming year and are committed to making the Library your child’s favourite place in school. Susane Joseph Librarian
Modern Foreign Language “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart”. Nelson Mandela Welcome to the Modern Foreign Language Department at Raffles International School. Languages are part of the cultural richness of UAE society and the world in which we live and work. We in the Modern Foreign Language Department believe that learning a language is an important skill that all children have and in this ever-shirking world, a skill that is becoming essential in the workplace. Like learning a musical instrument, learning a language is an enriching experience that continues well after school. “To have another language is to possess a second soul”. Charlemagne.
Modern Foreign Language Coordinator.
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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended family, A warm welcome to the academic year 2016-17 at Raffles International Nursery, Umm Suqeim. As a nursery, we strive to instill 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. By the time I moved into management I firmly believed that children who have learned through Montessori, are by far the easiest to teach because the skills for learning have been implicitly nurtured from the time they entered school. When I became a head teacher, I was fortunate to inherit teachers who shared the vision of 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.
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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. Education is a particularly important focus of the UAE National Agenda and it includes eight key objectives that will pave the way towards the next phase of educational development in the UAE. Among these, a key target is that 95% of children in the UAE attend pre-primary education. Contributing to this vision, our Nursery provides a holistic education to just under 190 children between the ages of 18 months to 3.8 years. Awareness of the world around us starts at a young age, and we know that we have a big responsibility in enabling the vision of the UAE to become a reality by ensuring an unrelenting focus on high quality teachers, who understand the individual needs of the children. We have at the Nursery, procedures in place to make sure incisive evaluation of staff practice leading to rigorous performance management. 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 is always open; please feel free to walk in. Garima Kapoor Assistant Head Nursery
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PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Parents, A big welcome back, we hope you had a great summer break with your family and friends. We have a large amount of new families joining us this year, and we are looking forward to getting to know you all. It was a pleasure to meet many of you during the Orientation Day.
During the coming weeks your children will be exposed to many different environments. The most important environment for them is their Homeroom class. There, they will work with the Montessori material during the work cycle, where the teachers will assess the children through observation for their academic starting points. Once this is established, the teacher will set challenges for each and every child as they grown in knowledge. They will also get to know the Library, Sports Halls, Music Department, the Art classes and the Arabic and Islamic department. We have many exciting events happening throughout the year, so please keep an eye on the Communicator and check your emails regularly. What’s New? This year, we are very excited to introduce the children in FS to the new ‘Early Years Centre’. Here, they will have the opportunity to learn through play, whilst subconsciously learning how to problem solve, share and become team players. The FS and Year 1 children will be having their Art lessons in the Art Department this year. The children will have the opportunity to explore their new environment and art technics. In FS, we will be offering a lot more support to the Arabic language by offering 2 lessons a week. This will prepare the children of a higher standard for Arabic when they join Year 1 next year. Reading with young children can open many doors, through books children can find information about different cultures, people, places and the world around us. In FS and Y1 we strongly promote reading in class and at home. The children will be exposed to understanding how we build words though the sounds they learnt and how words make sentences, in turn creating their own stories. This year Sheik Mohammed has added reading to the UAE National Agenda, if you would like to take part is helping the agenda succeed and be part of the growth of readers in our school, please speak to your homeroom teacher who will be happy for your support in this area. We are all looking forward to getting this year started and getting to know the new families in FS and Year 1, also welcoming back the ‘big boys’ and girls’ to Year 1. We wish all the children a very positive, knowledgeable and fulfilled year ahead.
‘Let the friendships form’
Susie Mcshane Assistant Head of Primary
Saima Nabeel FS Coordinator
Kaniz Zainab Year 1 Coordinator
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The FS and Year 1 children will be having their Art lessons in the Art Department this year. The children will have the opportunity to explore their new environment and art technics. In FS, we will be offering a lot more support to the Arabic language by offering 2 lessons a week. This will prepare the children of a higher standard for Arabic when they join Year 1 next year. Reading with young children can open many doors, through books children can find information about different cultures, people, places and the world around us. In FS and Y1 we strongly promote reading in class and at home. The children will be exposed to understanding how we build words though the sounds they learnt and how words make sentences, in turn creating their own stories. This year H.H. Sheikh Mohammed has added reading to the UAE National Agenda, if you would like to take part is helping the agenda succeed and be part of the growth of readers in our school, please speak to your homeroom teacher who will be happy for your support in this area. We are all looking forward to getting this year started and getting to know the new families in FS and Year 1, also welcoming back the ‘big boys’ and girls’ to Year 1. We wish all the children a very positive, knowledgeable and fulfilled year ahead.
‘Let the friendships form’
Susie Mcshane Assistant Head of Primary
Saima Nabeel FS Coordinator
Kaniz Zainab Year 1 Coordinator
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Year 2 News Welcome to all new and returning students and parents to RIS. Here in Year Two we are very excited about the year ahead and cannot wait to get to know you all a bit better in the next few weeks. We have a busy and productive year ahead of us and cannot wait to get started. In Year Two we aim to make learning as hands on and enjoyable as possible for our students. We believe that if children feel confident and engaged in our stimulating learning environments that they will succeed in gaining skills, knowledge and understanding which will encourage them to become life-long learners. We have a team of ten Year Two teachers which comprises of: Mr. Simon, Miss. Sarah, Mrs. Louise, Mr. Kyran, Miss. Angelina, Miss. Aoife, Mrs. Judith, Miss. Stephanie, Miss. Jenna and Miss. Kate as Year 2 Coordinator. Please do not forget these top tips for Year 2: Please arrive on time at 7.40am. READ READ READ, everyday. Reflect on what you have learned in school every night when you get home. We look forward to meeting you and to a successful year in Year 2. Year 2 Team.
Year 3 News The Summer holidays have come to an end and a new, exciting academic year at RIS is upon us. The Year 3 team cannot wait to welcome all the children on this learning journey. The class rooms look colourful and vibrant. Loads of fun and educational activities have been planned including a visit to the science laboratory. The year promises a lot of challenging tasks, fieldtrips and enriching experiences. We look forward to welcoming you on board this scholastic journey. Year 3 Coordinators
Year 4 News Greetings from the Year 4 team. Hope you all have had a good summer and we are glad to welcome both the new and returning students. The Year 4 team; Rachel Kennelly, Rebecca, Green, Mitchelle Carvalho, Teri Bredekamp, Niall Healy, Orla Derrane, Michael Scully and Deirdre Menezes are looking forward to an informative and enthusiastic year with your children. We will enable them to work more independently by developing their academic skills, and giving them ownership of their own learning. In addition, we will help them to develop their collaborative skills. This will enable them to make friends and build confidence for their day to day interactions. In line with the U.A.E vision we are focused on high quality education, to meet the needs of different types of students and prepare them for external benchmark examinations. RIS follows the Cambridge Primary Programme which sets out a framework in the content areas of English, mathematics and science, that allows for adaptation of the content to include a variety of local topics; thus making it a truly international curriculum.
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The curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment promote the required knowledge and skills for students to do well and meet the require targets. RIS has embedded the “Circle of Culture” whereby a monthly focus is on a country represented within classrooms where students have the opportunity to make links between their own and other nations. We want all of our students to experience success and enjoy learning. Our lessons are differentiated to accommodate the variety of learning styles of our students. The teachers plan collaboratively and establish cross- curricular links in the planning and delivery of the curriculum, providing opportunities for students to develop 21st century skills. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher via email. If you have any queries or concerns you could contact Ms Mitchelle Carvalho the Year 4 Leader at mitchellec@rafflesis.com Year 4 Team.
Year 5 News Year 5 welcomes you to the 2016-17 school year. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential. We recognise that in order to be successful in school, our children need support from both the home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. This year we the team comprises of Ms. Susan Perry, Ms. Lillian Ann Harris, Ms. Sophie Neilson, Ikram Bostan, and Shabana Ahmed as the Year 5 Year Coordinator.
We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she: 1) Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience 2) Completes all homework assignments given by teachers 3) Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills 4) Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life 5) Informs you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject 6) Knows that you expect him/her to succeed in school The Year 5 team are eager to know the children in our classes and learning lots of new things together. We are looking forward to a successful academic year with our New Year 5 children. Year 5 Coordinator
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Year 6 Team Year 6 team is happy to welcome you to academic year 2016-17. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure that our children achieve the highest potential. A strong partnership with you will make a great difference to your child’s education. This year, we have five sections in Year 6 and we welcome two new colleagues Mrs. Hannelie Cranko and Ms. Sarah McMahon to our team along with the returning teachers, Mr. Barry Canavan, Mr. Paul Foley and Mrs. Shabana Bashir. As our students prepare to transition to the Secondary School, expectations on being independent and responsible will be greater than before. A high academic standard is expected of all students. Alongside we hope our students will be taking more ownership of their work and model behaviour expected of them. Please ensure that: Students attend school daily and arrive on time prepared for the day ahead. Complete homework and assignments given by teachers Read daily to develop love of reading and improve reading skills. Share their experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life. Please consider joining our parent volunteer programme to support the team in reading activities, school wide events and Circle of Culture programme. It is our desire to keep you updated with school activities on a regular basis. We will be sending home additional information and messages on regular basis in the Weekly Chronicle as well as SummaRISe. If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact your teacher. Year 6 Coordinator
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SECONDARY SCHOOL Message from the Deputy Head—Secondary School
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to Raffles International School for the 2016-2017 academic year. It is a lovely feeling to meet and welcome so many new students to the school as well as seeing all of the familiar faces return after the summer holidays. The start of the new academic year is an exciting time in which we all want to ‘hit the ground running.’ I am delighted to welcome the new teachers to our Secondary team and am sure you will get to know them all very well over the coming weeks. I am also very pleased that the seven new Secondary School classrooms have been constructed and are fully ready for use this academic year. This year will see the first group of Year 11 IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) students taking their examinations. Over the next couple of years it is our vision to ensure that the IGCSE cohort grows in numbers as well as to plan carefully and thoroughly for the introduction of Cambridge A-Levels in 2017-2018. The mission of Raffles International School is central to all that we will do in the Secondary Phase this academic year. Striving for excellence in the classroom, providing all of our students with opportunities to fulfill their potential and challenging them as lifelong learners is our number one aim. This fits perfectly into the National Agenda and Vision 2021 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has set out for the UAE. On a personal note, it was a very busy summer for me travelling to Belgium, England, Holland, Germany and the United States. Having time to relax, spend time with my family and travel was a wonderful experience and certainly helped in ‘re-charging the batteries’ ready for a new school year. Amongst the busy summer I also got married to my wife who is a member of the Innoventures Education family teaching at the Collegiate American School. I will always maintain that the most important aspect of any successful school is ensuring that students experience a safe, enjoyable and rewarding academic experience throughout their educational journey. Working together collaboratively at all times is certainly the best way to achieve this – and something I look forward to doing with you all this year. Ian Plant Deputy Head – RIS Secondary School
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Year 7 News Let me take this opportunity to introduce myself as Year 7 Coordinator, a role I feel both honoured and excited to be continuing in. As we move into the academic year it is my desire to see each pupil flourish academically and as socially aware global citizens. This goes hand in hand with the vision, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has for students in Dubai, “Education is a fundamental element for the development of a nation and the best investment in its youth”. Parents, I look forward to working with you to ensure that Year 7 have an enjoyable, enlightening and productive school year. Year 7 Coordinator Year 8 News It is a great pleasure to once again be taking on Year 8 the role of Year Coordinator and I am really looking forward to a great academic year 2016-2017. Having taught our current Year 8 students last year I am very confident that they are an excellent hard working year group who have a lot to give as individuals. It is especially heartening as I start my second year at the school to see so much potential in the students. All the work they did last year – from Debates, to sports, to Young Apprentice – all involve higher intellectual skills, creativity and teamwork. I know that this will continue this year and that our new Year 8 have the potential to be the best I have ever taught. I know that they will do their best to fulfil the UAE 2021 vision for education, and that by the time that year comes they will be well prepared young adults, capable of many great things. The groundwork for that has already begun, and it will continue this year. A very warm welcome back to Year 8, and I look forward to being Coordinator this year. Year 8 Coordinator Year 9 News The new academic year is upon us and it is with great pleasure that I introduce myself as the new Year 9 Coordinator. I have been a pastoral leader for over fifteen years, in an outstanding school in Devon, England. At RIS I will be teaching learning support, however, I have also had extensive experience teaching and leading the Arts and lecturing on the teacher training course at Exeter University. Over the next term I look forward to meeting and working very closely with your children, and you as parents to ensure that every child achieves their very best. I am passionate that each individual strives for excellence and accomplishes the very best they are capable of. As parents and teachers we will guide them to become rounded and positive citizens who will be successful in life. The clear vision is to look forward and be prepared for the coming term. All students will need to be FIT for learning; having the correct stationery, reading book and their diaries with them each day. Communication with yourselves is of the upmost importance, and I shall be encouraging your child’s tutor to use their diary as one such means. Reading is a key focus for the school this year, and I am keen to promote it. It has been proven that regular reading has a positive impact on a student’s progress. Students in Year 9 will have many opportunities and new initiatives to promote this. Over the coming few weeks I look forward to getting to know you all. As a parent of four children, I am acutely aware of the importance of forming positive relationships with yourselves and keeping lines of communication open at all times. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or information, in
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NURSERY
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Year 9 is a team. We will be a team who looks for excellence and high standards and aspirations throughout the year. My interests in the arts and sport have taught me that hard work and the ability to aim high helps you to achieve your dreams. I want the students in Year 9 to ‘Dare to Dream’, to look forward to what they want in life and work hard to achieve this. “So Dream, Explore, Discover, and Stand Out” Olaotan Fawehinmi Year 9 Coordinator
Year 10 and 11 News I am happy to welcome all new and returning families to the 2016-17 school year. I am looking forward to another productive year with a strong partnership with you to ensure that our students can achieve their highest potential. Please see below the Year 10/11 Form Tutors team for this year:
Year 10A: Ms.Sandhia Rai (sandhiar@rafflesis.com) Year 10B: Ms. Maria Danai Marinou (mariam@rafflesis.com Year 11A: Ms. Lynette Botha (lynetteb@rafflesis.com) Head of Year 10/11: Mr. Andreas Lambrias (andreasl@rafflesis.com)
We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she:
Attends school daily and arrives on time with proper uniform and equipment Completes all homework assignments given by teachers Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life
We want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities to make a great difference in your child’s education. Year 10/11 Coordinator