89 Sunday, Thursday 31 January 21 May 2016 2015 Issue 100 GENERAL GENERAL
NURSERY
KG FS
PRIMARY PRIMARY
SECONDARY SECONDARY
GENERAL Nursery Sports Day
PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC
IMPORTANT DATES DATE
EVENTS JANUARY
Sunday, 31 January
Year 1 Field Trip
February Monday, 01 - Thursday, 04 February
Year 1 Field Trip
Monday, 01 February—Thursday, 11 February
School Photographs
Tuesday, 02 February
Tennis @ CAS U8,9,10,11
Thursday, 04 February
Pink day—Nursery
Sunday, 7 February—11 February
Artist Week—Nursery
Tuesday , 09 February
Mathematics Day FS
Wednesday, 10 February
Nursery - Open Day
Wednesday, 10 February
Art Trip - Year 4 - 6
Thursday, 11 February
Art Exhibition—Nursery
Thursday, 11 February— Friday, 12 February
Camping - Year 4 - 6
Sunday, 14 February— Thursday, 18 February
Sports Week
Monday, 15 February
RIS Open day, 9:00-10:30am
Wednesday, 17 February—Thursday, 18 February
Year 1 Math Fun Day
Sunday, 21 February
Basket Ball @ DIA U12, U14, U16
Thursday, 25 February
PD half day noon dismissal
Thursday, 25 February—Saturday, 27 February
Year 7—10 Camping Trip
Sunday, 28 February—Monday, 29 February
Book Week—Nursery
Sunday, 28 February—Monday, 29 February
Year 4 Art and Islamic Field Trip
March Tuesday, 1 March—Thursday, 3 March
Book Week—Nursery
Wednesday, 2 March
Advisory Council Meeting
Thursday, 3 March
Book Character Dress up—Nursery
Monday, 7 March
Year 1 Mothers Day
Tuesday, 8 March—Thursday, 10 March
Emirates Literature Festival
Saturday, 12 March
PARIS—Family fun day
Sunday, 13 March—Thursday, 17 March
IT Week
Message from the Principal International Mother Language Day International mindedness must ‘permeate every aspect of Raffles International School’ Our Vision Providing world-class education Our Mission To empower students with a holistic, rigorous and international education for success in an ever changing world Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. 2015 is the 15th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/ Dear Parents, Following on from my article, ‘The Benefits of Bilingualism’, in the last edition of SummaRISe, I would like to bring to your attention the plan to celebrate International Mother Language Day, Sunday, 21 st February. Further details will follow shortly and this celebration of mother tongues will be jointly coordinated by the Head of Primary and the Deputy Head of Secondary. Basically, we plan to celebrate our diversity and the richness of our international student and parent body. The United Nations' (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrates language diversity and variety worldwide on February 21. It also remembers events such as the killing of four students on February 21, 1952, because they campaigned to officially use their mother language, Bengali, in Bangladesh. On International Mother Language Day the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN agencies participate in events that promote linguistic and cultural diversity. They also encourage people to maintain their knowledge of their mother language while learning and using more than one language. Governments and non-governmental organizations may use the day to announce policies to encourage language learning and support. On November 17, 1999, UNESCO proclaimed February 21 to be International Mother Language Day and it was first observed on February 21, 2000. Each year the celebrations around International Mother Language Day concentrate on a particular theme. ‘For UNESCO, “appropriate language education” is fundamental to enable learners to benefit from quality education, learn throughout life, and have access to information.
Language education can also be seen as a means to ensure that, down the road, learners participate as global citizens, acting for change at both the local and global levels‌‌..quality language education (and multilingual education in particular) is an effective means to ensure inclusion in and through education and build global citizens. If undertaken appropriately, it can equip learners with the language skills they need to contribute proactively to society, creating a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world. Language education also offers a framework for transmitting values and knowledge that strengthen a sense of belonging to both local and global communities, which are the starting point of civic engagement’. http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/language_education.shtml At RIS we look forward working in partnership with parents and students to celebrate our diversity and internationalism. Embedded in the RIS mission statement is the concept of a student centred international school challenging every student to become responsible global citizens. Comprising students representing 92 nationalities and teachers 27 nationalities, RIS is by name, definition and make-up a multi-national, multi-cultural community which only strengthens our uniqueness and strengthens our identity because there is so much diversity. As we approach International Mother Language Day, our aim should be to support each other and to value and promote international mindedness and understanding.
http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/background.shtml http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/resources.shtml Michael William Clack Principal
GENERAL
NURSERY
KG
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
RIS Please note that the Secondary School finishes at 3.30pm daily. Lessons are vastly impacted by students from Primary School who are still on the school campus waiting for siblings. The Year 2 play area is used until 3.30pm for Secondary lessons along with the classrooms on the bottom floor. Can you please take all students out to the PARIS gardens located either side of the reception between the hours of 2.30pm – 3.30pm if you need to remain on the school site until Secondary School/ASA’s finish. Failing that you may go off site and return at 3.30pm for the collection of children from ASA’s and class for Secondary students. Our student’s education is of the utmost importance along with health and safety of our students. Your continued support is greatly appreciated in upholding and improving our standards here at RIS. Sports Days: Upcoming sports day dates are confirmed below, parents are welcome to support their children on the day. Sports days for each year group FS
15th February
Year 1
16th February
Year 2
31ST January
Year 3
1st February
Year 4
2nd February
Year 5 & 6
4th February
Year 7 – 10
3RD February
Sports teams & morning training sessions; RIS swim squad training continues every Monday and Thursday morning in the large swimming pool. Our cross country team training will now only take place on Thursday morning’s and not Monday mornings. Students, teachers and parents are all welcome to take part. We train in the mornings between 6.40am—7.20am. Well done to everyone who has been taking part this term, keep it up. BSME U11 30th January
Football
Tournament
Saturday,
RIS football team will be playing the British Schools of the Middle East. The tournament is hosted by DESC School and will comprise of over 20 schools from all over the region including teams from Bahrain and Kuwait. RIS will be participating in the tournament for the first time and will have four group games as highlighted below.
GENERAL
NURSERY
10.20 11.00 11.40 12.20
KG
SECONDARY
GROUP C FIXTURES – PITCH 3 BISJ C V ST CHRIS A V RAFFLES V RAFFLES V
RAFFLES RAFFLES STAR AL TWAR BSAKA
Venue Due to the number of teams entered a decision has been made to host both tournaments at our Secondary College – DESC. DESC is located in Academic City (off the Dubai – Al Ain Road) Please see the school website for details of its location. http://www.descdubai.com/about-desc/contact/ Lunch As part of the team entry fee each member of the team will be provided with a lunch voucher which will entitle them to a lunch item, snack item and a drink from the refreshments tent. Water will also be provided for each team during the day. If students wish to purchase any additional items they are able to do so as the refreshments tent will have items for sale all day. Good luck to all of the team.
What is autism? Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviour. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. These signs often develop gradually, though some children with autism reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then regress. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs), the other two being Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development and language, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (commonly abbreviated as PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome are not met. Globally, autism is estimated to affect 21.7 million people as of 2013. As of 2010, the number of people affected is estimated at about 1–2 per 1,000 worldwide. It occurs four to five times more often in boys than girls. The exact cause of autism is not known, but research has pointed to several possible factors, including genetics (heredity), metabolic or neurological factors, certain types of infections, and problems occurring at birth.
Symptoms of Autism: Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture. Failure to establish friendships with children the same age. Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people. Lack of empathy. People with autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow. Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk. As many as 40% of people with autism never speak. Problems taking steps to start a conversation. Also, people with autism have difficulties continuing a conversation after it has begun. Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously (echolalia). How Is Autism Treated? Children with autism generally benefit most from a highly structured environment and routines. Treatment for autism may include a combination of the following: Special education: Education is structured to meet the child's unique educational needs Behaviour modification: This includes strategies for supporting positive behaviour and decreasing problem behaviours. Speech, physical, or occupational therapy: These therapies are designed to increase the child's functional abilities. Social skills therapies: These therapies address language and social pragmatics in those verbal individuals with autism. Medication: There are no medications currently approved to treat autism, but medications may be used to treat certain symptoms, such as anxiety, hyperactivity, sleep disturbance, and other behaviours that may lead to injury. Handy tips for parents and teachers: Be consistent. Stick to a schedule. Reward good behavior. Create a safety zone. Look for nonverbal cues. Figure out the need behind the tantrum. Make time for fun. Pay attention to child’s sensory sensitivities. Teach tasks as a series of simple steps. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much” – Helen Keller.
Message from the Dean of Students How can we make reading part of our family’s lifestyle? There are many articles and information on the importance of reading to your child and the overwhelming benefits. The University of Michigan Health System (2106) recognises that parents play a critical role in helping their children develop not only the ability to read, but also an enjoyment of reading. Here are some examples below of what you can do in order to support your child’s ‘love’ of reading.
Turn off the tube. Start by limiting your family’s television viewing time. Teach by example. If you have books, newspapers and magazines around your house, and your child sees you reading, then your child will learn that you value reading. You can not over-estimate the value of modelling. Read together. Reading with your child is a great activity. It not only teaches your child that reading is important to you, but it also offers a chance to talk about the book, and often other issues will come up. Books can really open the lines of communication between parent and child. Visit the library. Try finding library books about current issues or interests in your family’s or child’s life, and then reading them together. For example, read a book about going to the dentist prior to your child’s next dental exam, or get some books about seashore life after a trip to the coast. If your child is obsessed with dragons, ask your librarian to recommend a good dragon novel for your child.
There are many ways to include reading in your child's life, starting in babyhood, and continuing through the teen years. Focus on literacy activities that your child enjoys, so that reading is a treat, not a chore. Gary Williams Dean of Students
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, We have been spending some wonderful time outdoors, enjoying the cool breeze and wearing our ‘neglected’ woolies. Indoors, all the Casas are now moving towards some of the more advanced Montessori materials this term. We have had some new children join the Nursery and it is heart-warming to see their older classmates (older, by virtue of time and not necessarily age) making every effort to help them adjust. A few gentle reminders for the parents: Kindly make sure that the Nursery is kept updated in case of any change in the contact details of the people who you have nominated for us to call in an emergency if we are unable to get in touch with the parents. Please also let us know if you plan to take your child out of school on holiday during the term. While regular attendance is mandatory to ensure progress and learning in the classroom, we do understand that sometimes it may not be possible for young children to attend school due to such family reasons. We had a fantastic Sports Day on the Thursday, 21st January. A big thank you to all the parents who joined us and made this event special for our children. I am sure you felt proud of our little sprinters. The children had the Nursery photo shoot on the Sunday, 24th January. We look forward those adorable photographs. 2016 has been declared as the Year of Reading in the UAE. Certainly, acquisition of pre-reading skills begin when children are in the Nursery. Key in this outcome is the following:
GENERAL

NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Developing phonological awareness skills as a foundation for learning sound-symbol relationships.
Phonological awareness is the ability to detect and manipulate the sounds in words independent of word meaning. It improves school readiness skills and can be taught before children learn to read. Adults can help preschool children, by providing phonological awareness instruction that is systematic and explicit, integrated into daily activities, including planned individual and group instructional sessions, and tailored to children's learning needs at all developmental levels. Children benefit when adults use clear pronunciation of sounds and provide feedback to correct errors, including having children produce correct responses. 
Engage preschool children in interactive reading and dialogic (i.e. in the form of dialogues) reading to improve language and literacy skills
Preschool children develop early reading and language skills when adults use interactive and dialogic reading strategies. In interactive reading, children talk with the adult about the pictures and story; dialogic reading uses a more systematic method to scaffold adult-child language interaction around storybook reading. Adults can help children develop language skills by engaging them before, during, and/or after reading the text through explicit interactive techniques such as asking them to point to the story title, predict what might happen next, and retell story events. Such reading aloud can be used to assess and support oral language and vocabulary development through multiple readings, during which the adult helps the child become the storyteller by gradually using higher level questions to move the child beyond naming objects in pictures to thinking more about what is happening in the pictures, and how this relates to his own experiences. Enjoy reading with your little ones. Garima Kapoor Nursery Coordinator
Hand and Eye coordination
Reading Time
Associating numbers to quantity
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
FOUNDATION STAGE/YEAR 1 NEWS Dear Parents, ‘You’re never too old, Too wackily, too wild, To pick up a book And read to a chid’ ~Dr Seuss The National Agenda this year, supported by H.H. Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is reinforcing reading with our children. ‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents’
~ Emilie Buchwald.
There are many ways in which we can instill the love of books and literature with our children. By reading to your children every day will spark a fantastic imagination and encourage them to read more as they get older. By setting a healthy reading routine, your child will want to pick up books and read more. This year, we will be continuing to support reading and the love of books in the Early Years by introducing the Pre-Reading Programme to our students in the Foundation Stage and Year 1. This is a programme we put together last year to support the children where English is a second language. This supports and strengthens the English vocabulary as well as helping the children to read pictures and words. You may have received some information through the Class Links asking parents to give up some of their spare time to support this programme. Training by myself, will start shortly. Once parents have had the training, they will be given a schedule that suits them to read to and listen to children read. Please let your Class Link know if you are interested in supporting this programme. Susie Mcshane FS and Year 1 Coordinator FS News “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Within FS2 the children have been unconsciously working on both these areas, character building through grace and courtesy skills continuously being reinforced and critical thinking through the Montessori work time and Science. One of the weekly themes the children have become thoroughly immersed in is the Solar System. Discussions based on our Milky Way, and how vast space is, including talking about the first man on the moon lead children to talk about life as an astronaut.
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
The theme carried on into our field trip, where the children had a workshop based on our Solar System, it was a proud moment to watch as the children responded to questions regarding our planets and what was special about each of them. The field trip itself was a huge success as the children had fun using this opportunity to socialize, build relationships and skills that have already been reinforced in class. In the coming weeks we have much to look forward to; Science Week, School Photographs and Sports Day are just a few events taking place. Finally, based on the Continent note regarding enriching the learning experience of the children in the Foundation Stage, with you, as parents providing information regarding your child’s country of origin. May we say that this has been a huge success as the children not only take great pride in sharing what you have prepared, but also learn so much about their own country and are able to then share this knowledge with their peers, who in turn gain much knowledge of their culture awareness. Thank you for your continued support. FS Team
Year 1 We are already into the fourth week of Term and each day is exciting and busy. The coming days are filled with ample creativity and skills, from Science Week which is on Wednesday, 27th January 2016 and International Day on Thursday, 18th February. Creative Writing is now on another level as the children have become more confident. They are making beautiful drawings to support their write up. We have started sending the Creative Writing books home. The children in Year 1 are excited about the coming field trip to Adventure HQ. They will have the opportunity to climb and experience a zip wire; all under the supervision of the trained staff at the venue. Our children take a keen interest and they really enjoy the Art lessons, as every week they explore a different artist and their work. We display their art work on the boards in the hallway to showcase our children’s fantastic pieces of artwork. They are very excited about the after school activity which has already started from Sunday, 17 th January 2016. Gentle reminder, children must be collected from their ASA no later than 3:30 pm. The spelling quiz will continue every Thursday. Please do continue practising the sight words and recognizing the letters in each word. These words really help in developing reading and writing skills. We thank all our parents for their whole hearted support and cooperation in making the learning journey of our children a memorable one. Year 1 Team
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Students and Parents, As we celebrate the hundredth edition of SummaRISe, I clearly remember the brainstorming sessions in the year 2010-2011, to decide the structure and name for our fortnightly newsletter. It has been an interesting journey and the newsletter has come a long way since the time of its inception. I hope you have enjoyed reading the many editions of SummaRISe as much as the school has enjoyed putting it together over the years. As in the past years, RIS encourages the expansion of the Native Language programme during school hours. Currently we facilitate the French mother tongue programme which is run by the French Parent Native Speakers Association at an additional fee. Additionally, we offer Italian and Russian mother tongue programmes as paid ASAs. It is interesting to note that a bilingual approach that combines continued teaching in a child’s mother tongue with the later introduction of a second language can improve performance in the second language as well as in other subjects. Substantial research carried out in the field of bilingualism and literacy shows that a strong foundation in the home language benefits second language learning. Language skills are transferable and it is widely accepted that parents should be encouraged to communicate with their children in their home language and schools should support the children’s home languages. I encourage parent groups interested in seeing their home language offered within school hours to come forward to help the school grow and expand the programme. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested to know how the programme is structured and run during school hours alongside the French and Mandarin Foreign language programme offered by the school. The year 2016 has been declared as the ‘Reading Year’ in the UAE. In response to this great initiative, I have requested parents to volunteer some time to listen to children read in school. I would like to establish and embed a sustained reading programme in the Primary School with the support of parent volunteers. The success of the programme depends on parents able to give some of their time regularly. Depending on the number of parent volunteers and the time slots offered, we will structure the program me accordingly. If you have not already and are interested in being a part of the Reading initiative, please contact the following teachers as they are waiting to hear from you. Names Shiren Zainab
Grade FS1 FS2
Email address Shirinm@rafflesis.com Kanize@rafflesis.com
By now, parents have had the opportunity to go through the English language and Mathematics exercise books sent home over the last two weeks. Exercise books are a window into the learning taking place in the classrooms and hence books are sent home on Thursday and are to be returned on the following Sunday. Parents are expected and advised to take the time to go over the work with the children and have engaging and meaningful discussions on the learning taking place in the classrooms as reflected in the work accomplished in school. Please sign off and give constructive feedback on the sheet provided, so teachers are assured you have looked through your child’s work. Zeba Khan Head of Primary School
Year 2 News We have had a fun filled few weeks of learning in Year 2. We have been making the most of all the outdoor space available to us conducting some of our science and mathematics lessons outdoors. As this is the Emirates year of reading we have been putting extra effort into developing our reading skills in English and choosing challenging books for our enjoyment. We have been using explanatory and non-fiction texts to research facts about the solar system as well as exploring texts on screen. In Mathematics, we have been learning to subtract pairs of one, two and three digit numbers. We have been on a subtraction hunt and have been challenging ourselves with some really tricky sums. Some students have even begun to use the regrouping strategy when subtracting. In Science, we continued our topic on space and extended our learning to the inner and outer solar system. We learned the names of the planets and how they orbit around the sun. We used iPads and non-fiction books to research facts to make our very own fact file about a planet of our choice. We also did some wonderful presentations of what we had learned about our chosen planet. Excellent work Year 2. Year 2 Team Year 3 News In Year 3 children are learning about forces and carrying out many experiments. They have been testing materials which would be good to use for trainer soles. They have been introduced many new terms related to materials and forces. In Mathematics, the children have been learning about time. They have been learning about analogue and digital time. They have been learning to read to the nearest minute as well as writing time in digital and analogue. In English, the children have been learning to write different types of letters. They are able to write a thank you letter as well as a complaints letter. They are able to recognise what format to write the letters and what is needed in each section of a letter. In Social Studies, the children are learning about famous people. They have been researching Thomas Edison and his inventions and Mark Zuckerberg. The children gathered ideas down to create an invention. Year 3 Team
Year 4 News In Year 4, we have continued to work hard and had a very busy few weeks since returning back after our Winter break. In Social Studies, students have engaged very well with the topic on Romans and we are interested by the vastness of the empire and the Roman way of life. They are excited about learning about the past and have started to gain a lot of knowledge on the clothes and transport methods of the Ancient Romans. In Science, we finished up our states of matter topic with some interesting experiments. Students observed and commented on state changes involved in melting ice and boiling water as well as the burning of a candle. They have completed their end of unit test in Science. We have now moved on to the topic on electricity. There are some exciting and interesting experiments in store and we hope to see the continued level of enthusiasm throughout this topic. In Mathematics, we are starting on our fractions topic. We have recently finished up on measurements and students now have a good knowledge of the topic. We completed many in class investigations where we had to use a number of measurement tools to find different weights, lengths and capacities and this helped to show their understanding. In Year 4 we continue to encourage our students to spend time developing their literacy skills. At home students should read on a daily basis and they should record the books they read in their reading logs. Reading books is extremely beneficial to the students as it helps them to develop their vocabulary and imagination and in turn increase creativity in their own writing. In class, we are developing our comprehension skills by reading suitable pieces and choosing specific information from texts to answer the questions. Students are preparing to send their Flat Stanley letters off around the world. We hope that he has some interesting and exciting adventures and we get some photos to see them. Year 4 Team Year 5 News We have had an extremely busy, but exciting time in Year 5 recently. In Science, we have started our new topic on ‘How do we see’. Students investigated the fact that light travels in a straight line using torches. They could explain and record how we can see light. We also found out how shadows were formed. As part of our Mathematics topic we have been learning all about decimals numbers. Students will learn all the four operations using decimals points. In English, we have been learning about persuasive writing. We wrote our view points on different topics. We have started our new fiction topic Myth Fables and Legends. Students of Year 5 are exploring different fables and also their morals connecting it to our core values. Our new Social Studies topic ‘Natural Disasters’ is proving to be very popular and interesting. So far, we have researched and found out about students current understanding of disasters .
Year 6 News Following the winter break, everyone in Year 6 has firmly settled back into the working routine and should be commended for making a great start to the new term. Our big focus for this term is improving literacy levels and in particular reading levels among boys. Our current class novel, ‘Bud, Not Buddy’, was chosen specifically as it relates to experiences of a boy and keeps the boys engaged. Our previous class novel was the autobiography of Nelson Mandela which everyone found very inspiring and interesting. It is through reading books like these at home that children can develop their reading skills and subsequently their overall literacy level. Over the next few weeks we will be undertaking topic/progression tests to assess the progress across all subjects. These will cover the topics that the pupils have been learning within the last six weeks. Dates for each subject have been communicated to parents via the Weekly Chronicle. In general, you will find Year 6 receiving more test related material both in class and for homework, as we begin preparing for the important Checkpoint examinations in April. It is important that pupils are continually revising all topics within English, mathematics and science and not just focusing on the specific topic that they are learning in class. Specifically in science and mathematics, they should be using the text books to revise some of the topics that they may not have covered for a while. The official class photograph for Year 6 will take place on Tuesday, 02 nd February. In relation to this, we encourage everyone to maintain the high standards of wearing the school uniform.
ICT @ Primary School Our students have started preparation for the annual ICT exhibition TechnoRISe that will take place in March. Year 1 has started working on text using MS Word application, while Year 2 and Year 3 are learning to organise and handle data using MS Excel application. Year 4 applied commands to control floor Beebots, Year 5 used Movie maker to edit, import and publish animation movies and Year 6 are using scratch program to design digital games.
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY SCHOOL Message from the Deputy Head—Secondary School Developing a love for literacy and bilingualism Over recent weeks, I have been dipping in and out of books that lie scattered and generally unorganised around my house. Since I find it very difficult to read a whole book in one piece with enjoyment, I tend to read chapters randomly and somewhat erratically. Despite the literary chaos I encounter, the one thing that reading always gives me is a sense of satisfaction. Whether it is extracts from a classic novel or simply checking up on news from the local newspaper, my mind seems to be at ease from the many distractions we face in our day to day lives. I remember the first book I ever read. Pete’s Feet. 8 pages long. I could probably recite it now and certainly remember all of the pictures. From this very early memory, I can honestly say how much of an impact my parents had on me with reading and general literacy. Throughout my Primary and Secondary school life, I continued to enjoy reading and writing, particularly when making references to my favourite subject: sport. I would write articles for the school newspaper and often develop reports on football games and athletic events. As I was connecting my passion for sport with literacy, things became so much easier. Three dissertations and five published articles later (although I would not call myself the next Dostoevsky) I certainly am proud of my literary achievements. At RIS, the Secondary teachers are working incredibly hard to engage all of our students in the different aspects of literacy. Reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are constantly tested through all subjects across the curriculum and are often inter linked without the students being fully aware. A good example are Mathematical Literacy questions. The Programme for International School Assessment (PISA) PISA defines mathematical literacy as: an individual’s capacity to identify and understand the role that mathematics play in the world, to make well-founded judgements and to use and engage with mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that individual’s life as a constructive, concerned and reflective citizen (OECD, 2009, p.14). Through these type of questions, students must be able to confidently use the English language to fully access the meaning of the problem as well as solve it using creative thinking and strategy. Alongside the importance of literacy in school is developing the appreciation and understanding of bilingualism. Most of the students at RIS speak at least two languages, with many learning a new one in the form of Arabic, French or Mandarin. It is incredible to walk the corridors every day and listen to how our students interact with one another. I try my best to at least say good morning to our students in their own language and often allow them to give me homework to help me develop some of the basic conversational sentences. Some of benefits of bilingualism are being able to use information in new ways, putting words into categories, coming up with solutions to problems, good listening skills and connecting with others. Without question, developing skills in an additional language can only benefit our students later in life. As always, if you would like to communicate with me regarding anything related to the Secondary School at RIS, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail, give me a call or stop by the office. Ian Plant Deputy Head of Secondary
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
SECONDARY
Year 7 News Now that we are back into the swing of things, our daily routines have regained their normality and the confusion of early Sunday morning starts is all but a dream. Learning is once more at the forefront of our minds and there are lots of exciting events to look forward to. By now Year 7 have grouped up in order to compete through the ‘Young Apprentice’ project, an initiative that will not only develop invaluable collaborative skills, but will also teach our pupils lessons about integrity, respect, achievement and responsibility. The pupils have been tasked with creating a game for Family Fun Day and I can tell you now that the challenge has been met with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and some pretty good ideas. I am sure that with this onslaught of ideas there will be some disagreements and squabbles along the way so I have included some top tips on effective teamwork: The team understands the goals and is committed to attaining them. This clear direction and agreement on mission and purpose is essential for effective teamwork. Communication is open, honest, and respectful. People feel free to express their thoughts, opinions, and potential solutions to problems. People feel as if they are heard out and listened to by team members who are attempting to understand. Team members have a strong sense of belonging to the group. They experience a deep commitment to the group’s decisions and actions. Team members are viewed as unique people with irreplaceable experiences, points of view, knowledge, and opinions to contribute. After all, the purpose for forming a team is to take advantage of the differences. Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints are expected and encouraged. Comments such as, "we already tried that and it didn't work" and "what a dumb idea" are not allowed or supported. http://humanresources.about.com/od/teambuilding/f/team_work.htm Year 7 Team Year 8 News Firstly let me introduce myself, I am Michael Scott the new Year 8 Coordinator. I have been teaching Humanities in Raffles since September 2015 and am really looking forward to taking on the Year 8’s as they get into the second half of the Academic year. There are some excellent events planned for this term and I know that the Year 8's are looking forward to it as much as I am. Last week saw the start of the assembly inter-form debate tournaments for Year 8. The first teams Forms A and B debated whether school uniform was necessary with a resounding victory for Form 8B. Both teams spoke very well and very convincingly, and the audience were definitely fired up and had some very strong opinions on the subject of school uniform. This week’s debate will be between Forms 8A and 8C on the subject of whether students should have an after school job or not. These debates are an excellent opportunity for students to develop their public speaking skills and self confidence. It also give students a chance to think about the big issues that affect their lives. We are having upcoming debates on banning of video games, mobile phones in the classroom and social media. We will also be taking debate titles from the students themselves as we go into the third term. The Year 8’s will need to get thinking about what they want to discuss. Year 8 Team
GENERAL
NURSERY
FS
SECONDARY
Year 9 and 10 News Form Tutor/Registration time is a short special time students have to share with their peers and tutors in the mornings before they start the lessons at 8:00am. Apart from discussing academics, learning journals, progress, routines and homework, students also have the opportunity to discuss and socially interact with their peers, which is an important aspect and integral to school life and learning. Every day the students have a different activity for the Form Tutor time. Both Years 9 and 10 start the week with the whole school assembly in the Sports Hall. On Mondays, students watch BBC World News and discuss what is happening around the world. Tuesday mornings are dedicated for silent reading and students are encouraged to have a book/journal/magazine/newspaper to read on this day. On Wednesdays there are the Year 9 and 10 assemblies, where this term there will be debates on topics related to school life. To finish of the week, on Thursdays students will be updating their Learning Journals in order to reflect on the week’s learning. Last week’s Core Values Certificates were awarded to the following students for demonstrating the core values of our school: Tayano Afonso (Year 10A) Madiha Arif (Year 10B) Christian Bekhoj (Year 9A) Joud Taha (Year 9B) Nikolay Maydanskiy (Year 9C) Year 9 and 10 News ICT @ Secondary School Year 7 Students were introduced to Cryptography as they deciphered QR codes. They attempted a treasure hunt created out of QR codes and designed their own QR code clues. Year 8 Students learned how to make replica of an object in sketch up using the component tool. They applied their understanding of the application to draw a 3d image . Year 9 Students worked on creating 3D popup image in Photoshop. They used various types of images from the web to pop them out from a frame. Year 10 Year 10 did a self-evaluation checklist in document production and along with a past paper to analyse their understanding of Word processor.