SummeRISe - Issue 106

89 Thursday, Thursday 05 21 May 2016 2015 Issue 106 GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG FS

PRIMARY PRIMARY

SECONDARY SECONDARY

GENERAL

FS & Year Art Week

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

DATE

EVENTS May

Thursday, 05 May

Al Israa wa Al Miraj*

Sunday, 08 May—Tuesday, 10 May

Annual Production

Tuesday, 10 May

RIS Open Day

Thursday, 12 May

Brown Day—Nursery

Sunday, 15 May—Wednesday, 18 May

Year 1 Field Trip

Sunday, 15 May—Thursday, 19 May

YLE Testing

Thursday, 19th May

Nursery Concert

Sunday, 22 May—Thursday, 26 May

Cambridge Progression - PS&SS

Monday, 30 May

FS2 Graduation

Tuesday, 31 May

Art and Photography Competition @ RIS

June Wednesday, 01 June

FS2 Graduation

Thursday, 02 June

Nursery Certificate Ceremony

Thursday, 02 June

Year 1 Annual Production

Sunday, 05 June

RIS Open Day

Monday, 06 June

Beginning of Ramadan

Thursday, 09 June

Black and White Day—Nursery

Wednesday, 15 June

Quran Recital Competition @ RIS

Wednesday, 15 June

Arabic Writing Competition @ RIS

Thursday, 16 June

Year 6 Graduation

Tuesday, 21 June

End of Year Reports - Nursery to Year 10

Thursday, 23 June

Students last day

Message from the Principal Social Media and Our Digital Age Dear Parents , Only some weeks ago I wrote an article (SummaRISe 101) outlining the benefits of social media and also the responsibilities that come with it. Social Media is without question a rapidly growing trend across the world. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whats App and the numerous other online platforms, students and parents must be cognizant of both the advantages and dangers that surround their use. Increased opportunities for communication, employment and social connection are equally, yet unfortunately, balanced with lack of productivity, cyber-bullying and the spreading of misinformation. Reading an interesting article in ‘7 Days’, ‘Put the phone down’, I was both surprised and impressed that the UAE is number one for internet usage by country with 98%, followed by the UK with 92% (2016 We Are Social report). In terms of social media, the UAE is second to South Korea, with 68% active accounts in the top social networking site. Yet these impressive figures come with a ‘health warning’. According to digitaldetox.org 61% of people admit to being addicted to the internet and their gadgets- according to this organisation, ‘high social media use can trigger an increase in loneliness, jealousy and fear’. So it seems that we should be both appreciative and responsible regarding the benefits that social media. It is therefore appropriate to remind all members of our community of the following principles: Principles – Be Responsible and Respectful 

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Users should be conscious at all times of the need to keep their personal and professional/school lives separate. They should not put themselves in a position where there could be a conflict between the school and their personal interests; Users should not engage in activities involving social media which might bring Raffles International School into disrepute; Users should not represent their personal views as those of Raffles International School on any social medium; Users should not discuss personal information about other students, Raffles International School and the wider community they interact with on any social media; Users should not use social media and the internet in any way to attack, insult, abuse or defame students, their family members, colleagues, other professionals, other organisations or Raffles International School.

Below is a very useful picture, with the use of the acronym THINK, which can help when using Social Media. This will be shared with all students as we continue to drive home the importance of using technology wisely and productively.

Mr Michael William Clack Principal

‫‪POLICE TRAFFIC NOTICE‬‬ ‫‪Dear Parents,‬‬ ‫‪Last Thursday the police were called by local residents to deal with double parking ( especially at the‬‬ ‫‪front entrance) and obstruction of public highways. May I kindly remind all parents to adhere to all traffic‬‬ ‫‪by-laws, RIS traffic flow measures and to cooperate with our security guards.‬‬ ‫‪Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.‬‬

‫السادة أولياء األمور المحترمين‪،‬‬ ‫تحية طيبة وبعد‪،‬‬ ‫نبلغ سيادتكم أنه في يوم الخميسﺍﻝﻡﺍﺽﻱ استدعى أحد المواطنين الشرطة لمعالجة مشكلة تتعلق بمواقف السيارات‬ ‫المزدوجة (خاصة أمام المدخل األمامي للمدرسة وفي الجوار ) وإعاقة الطريق العام‪.‬‬ ‫لذلك نود تذكير سيادتكم بااللتزام بجميع قوانين المرور العامة وإجراءات تدفق حركة المرور الخاصة بالمدرسة‪ ،‬كما‬ ‫نرجو التعاون مع رجال أمن المدرسة‪.‬‬ ‫نشكركم على تفهمكم وحسن تعاونكم‪.‬‬ ‫مدير المدرسة‬ ‫مايكل ويليام كالك‬

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May’s focus is Speech and Language What is a speech and language impairment?

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech impairment. Difficulties pronouncing sounds, or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech impairments.

Speech and language impairments may result from hearing loss, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and/ or physical conditions. There may be a range of difficulties from problems with articulation or voice strength to complete absence of voice. Included are difficulties in projection, fluency problems, such as stuttering and stammering, and in articulating particular words or terms.

Speech and language impairments may result from hearing loss, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and/ or physical conditions. There may be a range of difficulties from problems with articulation or voice strength to complete absence of voice. Included are difficulties in projection, fluency problems, such as stuttering and stammering, and in articulating particular words or terms.

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language impairment. A stroke can result in aphasia, or a language disorder.

What is speech and language delay?

Language delay is a failure in children to develop language abilities on the usual age appropriate for their developmental timetable.

Language delay is distinct from speech delay, in which the speech mechanism itself is the focus of delay. Oral communication is a two—stage process.

Considerations and Instructional Strategies:  Give students opportunity—but do not compel speaking in class. Ask students for a cue they can use if they wish to speak.  Permit students time to speak without unsolicited aid in filling in the gaps in their speech;  Do not be reluctant to ask students to repeat a statement.  Address students naturally. Do not assume that they cannot hear or comprehend.  Patience is the most effective strategy in teaching students with speech disabilities.

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Accommodations (may include):  Modifications of assignments such as one-to-one presentation or use of a computer with voice synthesizer.  Alternative assignment for oral class reports.  Course substitutions.

Resources: John Hopkins University http://web.jhu.edu/disabilities/faculty/types_of_disabilities/speech.html American Speech-Language-Hearing Association http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/

Raffles Swim Team The Raffles Primary Swim team have had a busy time, competing in two galas three days apart. The first on Thursday was the DASSA Swim League Top 4 Gala and was held at Nord Anglia School. There are five schools in the league and after a nail biting half time points update showed we were lying in fourth place, the team gave everything to achieve third place over all. Some of the highlights are listed below.

Christain

1st Place 25m Butterfly and 1st Place 50m Front crawl

Natalie

1st Place 50m Breaststroke

Matteo

1st Place 50m Breaststroke

Akos

1st Place 25m Front crawl

Y4 Girls Team

3rd Place 4x25m Front crawl

Y5 Boys Team

2nd Place 4x25m Front crawl

Y6 Boys Team

3rd Place 4x25m Front crawl

Following on from a great achievement on Thursday, the team went on to compete against our sister schools in the IVEI Primary School Swim Gala held as CAS. DIA and RWA have well established swim teams and compete against some of the top teams in Dubai, so we knew it would be a tough competition. However with our team training up to three times a week including two morning sessions before school, our team was the best prepared it could be.

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We were delighted to report that the students hard work has paid off and we received eight individual race medals, and seven relay medals.

7 Individual Race Results

Relay 4x25m Frontcrawl Results

Natalie – 25m Butterfly – Bronze

U8 Girls – 3rd

Noura – 25m Backstroke – Gold

U8 Boys – 2nd

Luke – 50m Backstroke – Silver

U9 Girls – 3rd

Luke – 50m Breaststroke – Silver

U9 Boys – 4th

Maria – 25m Frontcrawl – Bronze

U10 Girls – 3rd

Akos – 25m Frontcrawl – Silver

U10 Boys – 2nd

Christain – 25m Frontcrawl – Silver

U11 Girls – 3rd U11 Boys – 2nd

We are so proud of our team and could not be happier for them. They finished third place overall.

Keep up the training only one gala to go.

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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended family, The Nursery is a happy place and when we have parents getting engaged in their child’s learning, the Nursery develops an air of celebration. Thank you to all the parents who have been taking the time from their busy work schedules to add joy into the day of the Nursery children when they come to read as part of our ‘Mystery readers programme.’ One of the most precious gifts that any parent can give a child is a love of reading. If you help your child to develop an interest in books at an early age, you will open the gates to a world of wonder, knowledge, and entertainment for the rest of his life. One of the ways to instill a love of reading is to help your child choose books that will interest and excite him/her.

A good place to start is a public library (We have a conveniently located library in Mall of Emirates, called the Old Library). Most librarians are trained to identify books that are suitable for your child’s age level.

After the librarian has directed you to appropriate books, let him browse through them to select the ones he wants you to read to him at home. It is important to occasionally set aside some special time during the day for reading: after dinner or before bedtime, for example. Just make sure to give priority to this special time with your child. In this way he will learn: (1) he is an important person in your life, and (2) you place a high value on reading.

When you read to your child, try lots of different reading materials. The more you read to him, the more you will become aware of his particular interests and tastes. If you find one library book in particular that has captured his interest—for example, one he has asked you to read and reread five or six times— consider buying him his very own copy to keep in his room. Be sure to put his books on a low shelf where he will have easy access to them.

Finally, let your child become aware of your own love of reading. Talk to him about the things you like to read. Your own good example—more effectively than any words—will help instill in your child a lifelong love of reading.

We had science week during the month of April. During circle time we discussed that science is a part of our daily life. Everything we do and deal with in life is science from cooking, playing ball, growing a garden and understanding how technologies work to watching a rain storm. Understanding science helps children appreciate and relate to the world around them. During the week we did some fun experiments.

Thank you for supporting us in sending materials that the teachers may have requested to carry out the experiments.

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Science Week also gave us the opportunity to invite KanAfrik Drumming to the Nursery. The children thoroughly enjoyed this wholesome and enriching experience as they participated in the fun interactive music session. Later on, in class we linked this activity to the introduction of ‘Sound’ in Science; discussing vibration, beat and pitch in simple terms so that the children could understand.

On that note, I would like to extend a warm invitation on all the Nursery parents for our Nursery Concert on the 19th of May. The children have been practicing hard and are eager to show you what they can do.

We look forward to ending the academic year 2015-2016 with a bang.

Garima Kapoor Nursery Coordinator African Drumming relates sound to fun

Proud Mohammed writes his name

Sink and Float during Science week

Children enjoying drumming

Celery absorbs colour experiments-Science week

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FOUNDATION STAGE/YEAR 1 NEWS Dear Parents, We are entering the final term of this academic year; and we have a lot going on.

Please see below some ‘Save the Date’ dates:Week commencing 8th May – Foundation Stage trip to Dolphinarium Week Commencing 15th May – Year 1 trip to Kidzaina Week commencing 22nd May – Foundation Stage 2nd external assessment – Pips Week commencing 29th May – Phonetic Screening Check – Year 1 Week commencing 1st May – Y1 Assemblies begin until end of the academic year Monday 16th May – end of 30 Books challenge Thursday 19th & 22nd May – 30 Books assembly Week commencing 5th June – Visits to Year 1 and Year 2 Your continued support is required to help your child prepare for their next step in learning. If you would like to donate some of your spare time to listen to the children read or to read to the children, please let your homeroom teacher know.

Susie Mcshane Coordinator FS News At this time of the year, the children have grown in self-discipline, concentration and independence, which is being reflected throughout the school day while performing Montessori activities and interacting with teachers and peers.

Teachers were able to showcase this progress with parents during the Parents Teacher Conference (PTC) held recently, which was a great opportunity to discuss the achievements and the areas of development identified so far.

The month of April was also marked by the Artist Week, which was a very unique experience for the FS2 children who enjoyed drawing and painting. Each class learned about different artists, and it was really exciting to see the artworks displayed at the FS and Year 1 art gallery.

Children will have an exciting opportunity to meet with dolphins during our last field trip this month to Dubai Dolphinarium where they will enjoy watching wonderful live acrobatics by dolphins.

While we continue to express our sincerest appreciation to all parents for the effort taken so far to help their children with their homework, we highly encourage parents to continue assisting them in the particular area of practicing sight words.

FS Team

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Year 1 News April has been an eventful month. The children of Year 1 have been exploring many different aspects of learning. In science, we have been exploring many topics and doing many different experiments. In language, they have been busy being creative, writing stories and being exposed to different genres of writing. In mathematics, they have been exposed to mental mathematics concepts. We have had an enjoyable time during the artist week and the children are very proud of their art exhibit.

We have the field trip coming up this month, in which we will be giving the children the opportunity to explore and role play in a replica of real city.

We hope the children are enjoying the reading challenge and are excited about reading different books.

We cannot conclude without saying a big thank you to all you wonderful parents for your continuous cooperation and support.

Year 1 Team

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PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Parents, What an amazing musical show from Year 2 and 3 last week. It was a pleasure to have seen brilliant singing and acting during the Cartoon Network production. It was lovely to see so many parents supporting the children and I would like to give thanks to all of you in supporting the purchase of the wonderful costumes, that added to the event being so successful.

Arabic days this week have proved extremely successful. The children were able to present their work for others to enjoy. It was a celebration of the work being taught by the Arabic department and I know they were extremely proud of the children in their classes. The Arabic department also held a session after school for parents so they were more informed on the Arabic curriculum and expectations.

A few reminders : Please ensure your child is reading a book each night for ten minutes. In school we have launched DEAR – “Drop everything and read” sessions during one part of the day where everybody in class will spend time in concentrated reading. We hope to enthuse the children with a love of reading and to allow this time for quiet reflection and calm. We will be encouraging the teachers also to take part in this with the children to involve all in this valuable initiative.

Exercise books are going home now each week as before. It is important for us as parents to monitor our children’s progress. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to come and see your child’s teacher on the drop in day.

It is the time of year where the last trips have been organized for the primary school. Please make sure you provide the letter of consent and money in an envelope clearly marked with the child’s name. All trips that are organized have been thoroughly checked and authorized by the senior management and are planned as a cross curricular link to the curriculum being taught. This is a good way for children to consolidate knowledge through an outdoor setting and the children will come away with new skills and knowledge.

Make sure that your child comes to school wearing sunscreen as the weather is hotter and although most of the play areas are shaded there are sunny areas. Children play for around twenty minutes so will require sun protection. We would encourage the students to play sensibly and not to be running around.

Please encourage your children to play but to not be racing around in the heat. At this time of year, we need to encourage the students to drink more water to keep them fully hydrated.

I look forward to meeting with you during the many be exciting events that have been planned for the remainder of the term.

Ms. Jasmit Kang Deputy Head of Primary School

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Year 2 News In English, Year 2 students have been focusing on editing sentences. We have been correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes in pre-written sentences which has really shown us how much we have learnt so far.

In mathematics, we measured the weight of different objects around the room using standard units (grams and kilograms). We spent time estimating and predicting first and we used balances to compare weight. Following this, we knew we wanted more accurate measurements so we moved on to using weighing scales. The students enjoyed checking classroom items to find the grams and kilograms. After focusing on weight as a measurement we moved on to capacity. We used sand and water to predict the capacity of different containers. We then moved on to working with litres and millilitres.

In science, we started a new topic – changing materials. Children gathered a variety of materials from around the classroom like crayons, books, fabric, play dough, elastic bands, paper clips and they experimented to see how the items would change after squashing, bending, twisting and stretching them. They really had fun exploring the different materials in this way and recording in their copy books.

In Social Studies, we have been focusing on the continents of the world. For Earth day, children were given a chance to discuss how we can care for the environment, what is harming Earth, and how to reduce, reuse and recycle certain materials.

Year 2 Parent Read Aloud takes place on a weekly basis so we continue to welcome more parent volunteers to the classes. We have introduced the children to our DEAR program (Drop Everything And Read) so please allow your child to bring in their favourite book from home to keep in the class for this.

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Year 3 News Year 3 had a very exciting and enjoyable week of school preparing for and delivering their Musical Concert. The children looked fantastic in their colourful costumes and wigs. We would like to sincerely thank all the parents who worked hard on the outfits- it really paid off. The children delivered a wonderful show on Thursday and there was a great turn out of parents and family to support them. The concert was immensely enjoyable and the children were very proud of themselves. Students worked really hard and showed a positive attitude towards achievement.

Year 3 have also been busy preparing for their field trip to the Dolphinarium in Deira. The children are very excited to visit the Dolphinarium and explore all that it has to offer.

In English, we are continuing to develop our comprehension skills of inferring and scanning and how to draw information from a piece of text. In mathematics, students are revising Time in preparation for their examinationss in May. We have also started revision in science - learning about plants. It was interesting to hear the discussions amongst students and to see how much they remembered from the topics previously studied.

In Social Studies, the students are continuing to explore Ancient Egypt. We saw some fantastic projects completed as part of Homework- again, thank you to parents for helping out with these.

With lots of exciting things coming up, no doubt this term will be just as enjoyable as the previous one.

Year 3 Team Year 4 News Year 4 students have been busy since returning after our Spring break. We have studied hard over the past number of months and we are now beginning to review topics as we move forward to our Cambridge tests at the end of the month.

In English, we have been busy completing reports on different topics. We have finished our novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox and we have also written a recommendation on this novel explaining why we would recommend our family and friends to read it.

We have also been working on our debate writing, helping us to form opinions and give evidence to support an argument. In science, we are researching and investigating the topic of sound.

We have been busy discussing our different ideas and looking back over the steps of scientific investigation which we will be referring to during our lab reports. We recently had a wonderful field trip where we attended the ‘Ministry of Science’ show in Mall of the Emirates. The children greatly enjoyed this and had the opportunity to see some fun and interesting science experiments.

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In mathematics, we have begun reviewing the different topics. We have been revising our methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This week we will be taking a look back over measures.

Many thanks for your continuous support.

Year 4 Team Year 5 News Year 5 has been having a lot of fun in class and specially the science and social topics caught their attention and they did a lot of research and projects on their own.

In science, we did the Planets and Solar System and they did amazing write-ups and projects to reflect their research. In Social Studies, they were researching Ancient China and the students were amazed to see how silk is made and realized why silk materials are so expensive.

In English, the students were given the opportunity to explore and develop their writing skills in different categories such as letter writing and writing newspaper articles. The students have also increased their grammar skills by exploring Homonyms, Homophones and Homographs which can be tricky and can cause confusion.

In mathematics, fractions were at the order of the day and converting fractions into percentages and decimals were great fun and the students really enjoyed the practical part of explaining fractions.

Year 5 have an upcoming annual production as well as a trip to Fun Robotics which will be a good way to end off the academic year and keep a look out for the feedback on these events.

Year 5 Team

Year 6 News It has been an exciting couple of weeks in Year 6 ever since the completion of our Cambridge Checkpoint Examinations. The children have had the opportunity to explore new topics especially electricity in science and World War One in Social Studies.

In science, we have been investigating at electrical circuits and looking at how circuits can affect the components (eg. the brightness of a bulb). We have also looked at the difference between series and parallel circuits and used our knowledge to create devices that can be used around the home.

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In Social Studies we have been looking at the conditions in the trenches during World War One and how this affected the soldiers. We have also looked at some famous battles from World War One including the Battle of the Somme and how technology played a part in the war. This has carried over into our English lessons, where we have been writing diary entries and letters home to our families.

Some classrooms were transformed into trenches and the children learned how difficult it is to write when snipers are targeting you. Mr. Canavan’s class were treated to some ANZAC cookies to celebrate ANZAC day.

In mathematics, we have been looking at ratio and proportion and applying it to real life by planning a dinner party using recipes. Hopefully the children have been inspired to try their hands at creating a few interesting dishes.

ICT@RIS eSafety At RIS we endeavour to facilitate learning through a technology enriched learning environment that enables students to achieve high quality learning outcomes; however the school is mindful of the potential for bullying to occur. Central to the School’s anti-bullying policy is the belief that ‘all students have a right not to be bullied’ and that ‘bullying is always unacceptable’. We use Edmodo, which provides a safe way for teachers and students to connect, share content, access homework, participate in discussions, manage due dates, and receive class information.

We have Internet safety as part of the ICT curriculum. All students are aware of appropriate actions that must be followed when Cyber bullied.

Information for Parents - http://www.childnet.com/resources/supporting-young-people-online) The internet is always changing, and being able to keep up to date with your children’s use of technology can be a challenge. You may sometimes feel that your children have better technical skills than you do, however children and young people still need advice and protection when it comes to managing their lives online.

Issues that your child may encounter on the internet will vary depending on their age and online activities. We have grouped potential online risks into these 4 categories.

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Conduct: Children need to be aware of the impact that their online activity can have on both themselves and other people, and the digital footprint that they create on the internet. It’s easy to feel anonymous online and it’s important that children are aware of who is able to view, and potentially share, the information that they may have posted. When using the internet, it’s important to keep personal information safe and not share it with strangers.

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Content: Some online content is not suitable for children and may be hurtful or harmful. This is true for content accessed and viewed via social networks, online games, blogs and websites. It’s important for children to consider the reliability of online material and be aware that it might not be true or written with a bias.

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Contact: It is important for children to realise that new friends made online may not be who they say they are and that once a friend is added to an online account, you may be sharing your personal information with them. Regularly reviewing friends lists and removing unwanted contacts is a useful step.

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Commercialism: Young people’s privacy and enjoyment online can sometimes be affected by advertising and marketing schemes, which can also mean inadvertently spending money online, for example within applications. Encourage your children to keep their personal information private, learn how to block both pop ups and spam emails, turn off in-app purchasing on devices where possible, and use a family email address when filling in online forms.

You may get further assistance and information from Childnet (http://www.childnet.com/), a non-profit organisation working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. It is available in various languages.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL Message from the Deputy Head—Secondary School The importance of the National Agenda Having lived in Dubai for six years, I have been extremely impressed with the way in which the UAE has progressed and developed – both within its infrastructure and overall ambition. From the completion of the Burj Khalifa to the magnificent growth and expansion of Jumeirah Beach Residence, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum clearly has his sights set on excellence. Building upon the successful bid to host the Expo 2020, the UAE government launched a seven year National Agenda leading to the vision 2021, which will also coincide with the UAE’s 50th National Day. As part of this vision, the UAE has clearly outlined national indicators that will be measure performance and help compare the UAE against global benchmarks. One of the indicators is developing and building a first-rate education system.

As part of developing education in the UAE, Raffles International School must have a clear focus on raising awareness of the National Agenda priorities to all stakeholders. Two indicators that will impact the RIS Secondary School in the future will be student’s attainment in both the Trends in International mathematics and science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). These global tests help rank countries against one another and look at the performance of students in Mathematics, Reading and Science. TIMSS, conducted every four years to students in Years 5 and 9, collects valuable information in the key mathematical and science domains. PISA, a triennial study, collects information of 15 year old students in reading, mathematics and science whilst also assessing creative problem solving and financial literacy. In the 2012 test series, approximately 510,000 students in 65 economies (representing about 28 million 15 year olds globally) took part.

Although Raffles International Secondary School did not take part in the 2015 TIMSS (we did in 2011) or PISA series (as we do not have 15 year old students) tests, it will be very important to ensure a clear focus is embedded throughout the curriculum, providing students learning opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge in these areas. This week, and for the remainder of the academic year, assemblies and lessons will have a National Agenda focus and I very much welcome parents support in this process.

Below are some very useful websites if you wish to read further about the National Agenda of the UAE. https://www.vision2021.ae/en/national-priority-areas/first-rate-education-system https://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_International_Mathematics_and_Science_Study Inside the classroom, I am very pleased to welcome Mrs. Zenab Tambawala to the Secondary team as full time teacher of Information and Computing Technology (ICT). Mrs. Tambawala brings with her a wealth of experience from both the UK and Dubai.

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

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Year 7 Let us refocus our attention on HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum new scheme to get us all reading more books this year. The aim of the scheme is to inspire one million children each to read fifty books outside the school curriculum in one year, and to read consistently thereafter.

“Reading opens minds, magnifies hunger for knowledge and instils the values of openness and moderation that define great civilisations,” he said. This week we have begun reading during form time to make the Sheikh’s vision a reality. Each child has received a list of recommended fictional texts that we suggest all secondary students should have read by the time they finish secondary school.

Reading a book everyday has numerous benefits such as:  Mental stimulation 

Stress reduction

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Gaining new knowledge

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Vocabulary expansion

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Memory improvement

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Stronger analytical thinking

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Improved focus and attention

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Better writing skills (http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-readeveryday.html)

Take a look at the list and find the story that is right for you. We are encouraging you all to borrow these books for the library; buy them from your local book stores or simply download them on your devices and escape into a whole new world.

Year 8 News It is shaping up to be an exciting term for the Year 8’s, this week the students have taken part in the Arabic fair – where they have been sharing with other students their Arabic projects and developing their skills in the language – as well as taking part in the Eco fashion show and the Tedx event.

Four students from Year 8 – Shafia Sadia, Ellen Viira, Maryam Almehairi and Reema Zamir - took part in the Eco fashion show at RWA. They designed and created their own excellent clothes from recycled materials to show how you can be fashionable without having to damage the environment.

Students from Year 8 also took part in the TEDX event, with Yousef Al Farden presenting his ideas on ‘Life’s Labyrinth, a compass’. For this event the students had spent months working and preparing their speeches with the help of Mr Fleming in the English department. Yousef impressed everyone with his maturity and with his public speaking skills.

Finally across the secondary school students have been engaged in the reading initiative. Every single student has chosen a work of fiction to read in order not just to improve their reading skills but to increase their love of reading. It has been a great success so far, with student choosing a great range of different books and challenging themselves and their reading ability.

Year 8 Team

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Primary

SECONDARY

Year 9 and 10 News I hope this newsletter finds everyone well and ready for the final eight weeks of school. The highlight of this week was the Arabic activities which the Arabic department prepared for the whole school. Last Sunday and Monday, students had the chance to get involved in so many different activities and competitions.

There are many more exciting upcoming activities in the school; however we still have lots of learning to be done. We appreciate your help to keep the students focused. Preparations for the examinations week (22 – 26th May) is now fully underway. There are various reasons why we require the students to complete an assessment at the end of the year: diagnostic purposes to determine the current level of each student, monitoring purposes to check that students have made enough progress but also the assessment itself is instructive as the students will get feedback and go through their mistakes.

Therefore, we would like to focus on the importance of revision. As with any other aspect of studies, students need to organise their time and plan their revision in advance. Here are a few tips for revising: 

Create a revision timetable: You should start revising a few weeks before exams are due to start. Be realistic about your goals you set in the time you have available and remember you need to allow breaks every now and then  Balance your subjects: Allocate topics to days, and make sure you allow time for all the subjects.

Start with the ones you find more difficult. [http://www.manchester.ac.uk/studyskills/assessment_evaluation/assessment/ revision_strategies.html] Year 9 and 10 Team

ICT@Secondary School Five of our students took part in the DIATECH Interschool Web designing competition at DIA, on Thursday, 28th April. They had to design a website that showcased various innovative technologies available for learning. The results of the event are awaited.