SummeRISe - Issue 115

89 Thursday, Thursday 03 November 21 May 2016 2015 Issue 115 GENERAL GENERAL

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Events at RIS

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PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

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EVENTS November

Sunday, 06 November

Parent Student Conference

Monday, 07 November

Learning Support Parents Coffee Morning

Tuesday, 08 November

Paris General Meeting

Wednesday, 09 November

Open Day

Wednesday, 16 November

16IVEI Classic Music

Thursday, 17 November

School Holiday

Sunday, 20 November

Professional Development Day

Thursday, 24 November

Nursery Blue Day

Monday, 28 November

DESC Junior Mathematics Cup December

Thursday, 01 December

Martyr's Day

Friday, 02 December

UAE National Day

Monday, 05 December

Year 3 Field Trip

Tuesday, 06 December

Nursery Field Trip

Wednesday, 07 December

Open Day

Thursday, 08 December

Year 6 Field Trip

Sunday, 11 December

Prophet's Birthday

Monday, 12 December

Nursery Green Day

Thursday, 15 December

FS Winter Concert

Thursday,18 December - Sunday, 31 December

Winter Break

Message from the Principal “Education is a fundamental element for the development of a nation and the best investment in its youth.”

Dear Parents, Our inspection will commence the week beginning Sunday, 13th November through to Wednesday, 16th November, lasting 4 days.

The underlying principle of any inspection process is to drive improvement through raising awareness of current strengths and areas for development. Inspection acts in a number of ways to drive and support school improvement:     

raises expectations by setting the standards of performance and effectiveness expected of school clearly identifies strengths and areas for development recommends specific priorities for improvement for the school and, when appropriate, checks on and promotes subsequent progress promotes rigour in the way that schools evaluate their own performance, thereby enhancing their capacity to improve monitors the progress and performance of schools and challenges and supports senior leaders, staff and those responsible for governance.

The core purpose of the UAE inspection process is to support the education statement in the UAE Vision 2021.     

achieve a world-class education system apply a high quality evaluation system measure the quality of school performance support school improvement support students’ outcomes

Over the last couple of years in particular, RIS has continued to develop, building upon its achievement and success and also learning how to improve. I sincerely believe as a community we are in a great place and I therefore look forward to welcoming the inspectors and inspection as an opportunity to celebrate our educational journey.

Please find below the online-survey for parents. It is important to select the correct school name from the list before answering the question. https://khda.gov.ae/Parents Your cooperation and support are very much appreciated and together we will forge ahead in our journey, ‘Towards Excellence’.

Michael William Clack Principal

RAFFLES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL UPDATE Established in 2011, the Advisory Council continues to play a significant role in the improvement of the school through its contribution to the school Board of Directors. The objectives of the Advisory Council are to drive the expectations of the National Agenda, school improvement, guide development, monitor progress and holds the leadership of the school accountable for the quality of education delivered. The Advisory Council is fully representative of the school community including: parents, professionals from the community, members of higher education, RIS senior leadership, Innoventures Education group management and a Board Director. Feedback from stakeholders, including parents, staff and students, is a fundamental part of school decision making. The Advisory Council meets formally three to four times a year. The Advisory Council is also informed about various internal and external reports related to the school’s progress including reports by accreditation bodies, external consultants, summary of parent surveys, the school improvement plan, and academic results. Parent inputs are also channeled through other forums including focus groups, formally scheduled parent gatherings and direct feedback.

RIS parents interacting with members of the Advisory Council and Senior Leadership Management Team

At the recent STRATSHOP (strategy workshop involving all stakeholders) and the recent Advisory Council meeting on 28 September 2016, the following were covered: 

Review of the schools strengths, areas for development, opportunities and strategic goals

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Role and responsibility of Governance in driving forward the UAE National Agenda towards realizing its target of ranking within the top 20 countries in PISA (currently 46 th out of 65 countries) and top 15 countries in TIMMS (currently 23rd out of 42 countries) before the deadline of 2021.

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Enhancing Islamic Education and Arabic by providing increasing levels of challenge and engaging students to raise attainment.

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Improving teaching and learning by the use of assessment information to inform lesson planning and set appropriate targets for students’ progress.

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Key enhancements to staffing by adding on eleven new positions.

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Raising teaching and assessment standards through the Leaders of Learning programme.

Consultants from the UK spent a week in school earlier this year to support the school specifically in the areas of analysis and use of data, developing teaching and learning, special education needs and Arabic studies

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Taking advantage of parental and community expertise to enrich the curriculum and co-curricular activity programme.

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Key enhancements to facilities:

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A new student management system (iSAMS) with parent portal implemented New website launched with enhanced content New IT lab and 8 new classrooms equipped with projector, computers and speakers New equipment  25 Wi-Fi access points to support BYOD programme  2new servers  2 multi-function and 8 standalone printers  Hardware upgraded in 2 IT labs

Raffles International School Advisory Council

RAFFLES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS AVISHESHA BHOJANI Avi's professional career spans Marketing Services, Media, Private Equity, Investments and Government sectors. At the helm of the BPG Group (www.batespangulf.com) since 1991, Avi consolidates the Group's interests across advertising, public advocacy, public relations, design, activation, media asset management and digital verticals, in the Middle East and North Africa regions. He has also assisted in the conceptualization and execution of a number of strategic Dubai initiatives and has served the Government of Dubai while assisting with the development of Knowledge Economy hubs in Dubai. An Alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Avi is a founding Director of Endeavor UAE, PanIIM Alumni Network Gulf and the Advisory Board of Abu Dhabi Capital Management. Avi is also the Managing Director of Innoventures Education, General Partner of Montana Capital and AMEA Ventures Ltd, and is Chairman of International Management Ventures FZ LLC. HAMDI OSMAN Hamdi is the Chairman of Solitaire IGT. He graduated in physical education from Helwan University, Cairo, in 1976. He then moved to the US to pursue his interest in professional soccer and in 1978 joined FedEx, an organization he served for 33 years. He is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Freights and Logistics, the American Business Council and the Supply Chain & Logistics Group (SCLG) of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He was also a member of the International Advisory Council and the School of Business and Management, American University of Sharjah from 2002 to 2005, and on the Board of Trustees of the American School of Dubai between 1998 and 2006. He is a former CEO of FedEx for the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

POONAM BHOJANI Poonam is an Economics Honours Graduate with an MBA from India's premier business school, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Prior to envisioning and cofounding Dubai International Academy, Poonam has had significant industry experience working on leading edge technology solutions with a range of organizations across India, Hong Kong, USA, Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands, Oman and UAE. She is the CEO of Innoventures Education and has served as the President of the Middle East IB Association of Schools and is the Secretary of the Dubai Private Schools Group.

DR. SEHAMUDDIN GALADARI Dr. Galadari graduated with Ph.D. from Imperial College, London. He joined the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the UAE University in 1991. He has served as Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Studies and on the Advisory Boards of Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research, Emirates Foundation, Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Medical Research Grant Committee of Sheikh Hamdan Award for Medical Sciences. He has been a visiting Professor at Imperial College, University of Glasgow, Duke University Medical Centre, Medical University of South Carolina and POSTECH in South Korea.

ALEJANDRO CARBON Alejandro is the Executive Director of Alternative Products and Analytics at Majid Al Futtaim Finance.

Alejandro is in charge of prepaid cards, remittances and mobile wallet businesses as well as running the analytics function for the entire business. Prior to that he has spent 10 years in consulting with McKinsey

& Company, working across multiple industries. An MBA with distinction from University of Michigan – School of Business, he brings a keen understanding of strategy, stakeholder engagement and processes to the Advisory Council.

NASSER TALIB IBRAHIM NASSER Nasser studied at the prestigious Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai. After stints with Pepsi (Dubai Refreshments) and Ghandi Electronics (Philips) he joined the Desert Group in 2006 and currently serves as its CEO. He has led the diversification and expansion of the group in trading, commercial, interior landscapes and golf and set up a potting soil manufacturing factory. He has been on the Boards of Nasser Group and Al Islami since 1996.

MICHAEL STEPHEN Michael Stephen is a Chartered Accountant and has a Diploma in Portfolio Management with over 20 years' experience in consulting and industry. He was part of the core team of Innoventures Education that set up Dubai International Academy in 2005. Michael started his career in an accounting firm focused on audit, tax, corporate law, and business and investment advisory services. He is a Fellow of the Association of International Accountants, UK and has been on the faculty of a business school in Dubai.

Parent of a Child Who is Struggling? (by Ann Douglas)

It is not easy to be the parent of a child who is struggling. You may be feeling stressed and overwhelmed and unsure of what to do to help. You may be feeling frustrated and angry or worried and scared – or sad that life is so difficult for your child. You may be feeling so many different things, sometimes all at the same time.

You and your child are not alone.

It may sometimes feel that way at times, but the numbers paint a dramatically different picture. Nearly one in five children and teenagers are affected by a mental, emotional, or behavioural disorder that is serious enough to cause them problems at home, at school, in the community, or in their relationships with friends. That means a lot of kids are hurting – and a lot of families are hurting along with them – because when a child is struggling, the entire family is affected at the same time.

The good news is that there are other people who understand the challenges that you and your child are facing – people who have been there and who are eager to lend a listening ear, share non-judgmental advice, and offer practical support. You don’t have to weather the storm on your own.

Having a child who is struggling does not make you a bad parent, just as being a child who is struggling does not make your child a bad kid.

It just means that you’re going through a difficult time as a family: that this is the particular challenge you are dealing with right now. Blaming yourself only makes the situation more painful and more difficult and it doesn’t do a thing to help your child. So instead of investing your precious emotional energy in an activity that is counter-productive at best, start treating yourself with self-compassion (which basically means treating yourself with the same amount of kindness that you would extend to a friend who is struggling).

It is important to reach out for help as soon as you begin to suspect that there could be a problem.

There are things you can do right now to start making things better for your child and your family. You don’t have to wait until you have a diagnosis or a treatment plan in place.

If your parent radar is telling you that something’s not right, pay attention to that feeling and start looking into having your child assessed. It’s better to err on the side of caution by checking things out than it is to ignore your all-powerful parent radar. Of course, it’s always possible that your child will be doing just fine by the time the assessment date rolls around – or that the clinician who assesses him will conclude that there’s no immediate cause for concern. What a great problem to have: discovering down the road that your child is actually doing just fine. It certainly beats the alternative: not getting in to see someone soon enough and watching your child (and your family) continue to struggle.

Some things that can make a world of difference for children (to say nothing of their parents) include:  using parenting techniques that bring out the best (as opposed to the worst) in your child—like learning how to validate your child’s feelings; 

becoming a strong advocate for your child and helping him to learn how to advocate for himself, too;

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working on your own coping and stress management skills and teaching those all-important skills to other family members, too;

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making a healthy lifestyle a priority for your entire family, which means eating well, exercising often, getting adequate sleep, and making time for fun.

You do not have to be afraid of obtaining a diagnosis for your child.

A diagnosis simply provides a snapshot of information about your child. It does not have to define or limit your child and it can provide you with valuable information that allows you to zero in the parenting strategies and treatment options that are most likely to be helpful to your child. A diagnosis also opens the door to all kinds of treatments and supports, including in-school supports that might not otherwise be available.

It is important to give yourself permission to continue to experience joy in your life, even when your child is going through a hard time.

Every parent deserves time off for good behavior, especially the parent of a child who is struggling. You can not put your life and your happiness on hold until some unknown future day when your child is no longer struggling. You have to do the hard work of finding happiness in your life right now.

And it does not have to be an either/or proposition. You can feel really sad about the difficulties that your child is experiencing while also allowing yourself to experience happiness in your life. So do not feel guilty for doing things that give you pleasure, like meeting a friend for a cup of coffee or going for a walk on a beautiful day. Self-care isn’t an act of selfishness. It is an act of self-preservation. And that is an act of kindness toward yourself and your child. After all, no one needs a happy and healthy parent more than a child who is struggling. http://www.heysigmund.com/

Jacynta Hodges Head of Counselling

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November 2016: RIS ODD Awareness month During our October Coffee Morning, Andrew Wright and Sarah Powell spoke about the benefits of Art Therapy. Art Therapy can be used to address educational, psychological and emotional difficulties in a safe and respectful way. I would like to thank all the parents that joined us for the coffee morning.

In November, the LS department will be raising awareness on Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD is one of a group of behavioural disorders known collectively as disruptive behaviour disorders, which include conduct disorder (CD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD have some similar symptoms. And some children may have both ADHD and ODD. Symptoms of ODD typically show off up before age of 8. Although the symptoms appear in multiple settings, such as home and school, they may be more noticeable in one setting.

Here are some of the common symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Defiance at home, school and with friends Negativity in dealing with everything Disobedience with no fear of consequences Hostility with authority figures, teachers, parents Very noticeable temper tantrums even in the teen years Argumentative Refusal to follow rules Academic issues Spiteful and vindictive Aggressive with friends Low self-esteem

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https://www.dealwithautism.com/what-is-oppositional-defiant-disorder/#Signs_of_Oppositional_Defiant_Disorder

‘All children with special needs just need a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them’ Faryal Saeed Head of Learning Support

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EAL Department It has been eight weeks since the start of term and the children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) have settled into school life well. Many came to school with very limited English, but they are now speaking confidently with their peers and teachers. They are engaged in lessons and determined to succeed. I have seen excellent progress when visiting classrooms throughout the school.

Two weeks ago, there were two EAL parent information sessions. Information provided gave parents strategies to use at home, a list of useful websites for activities and resources, and we discussed some helpful tips. Thank you to the parents for attending the sessions and your dedication to working with the school in a partnership to help your children acquire English quicker. If you did not get the chance to attend the sessions, you can access the D6 Communicator app resources section, where the PowerPoint from the sessions is located to download.

Please continue to support your children at home by keeping a vocabulary book to record new words, the translation into your native language and a sentence with that word. This will increase their vocabulary quickly. Words sent home as spelling homework could be used to keep in these vocabulary books as well as unfamiliar words from reading books sent home each week or books you have at home.

Studies have shown that reading at home with your child has an extremely positive influence on your child’s education and I am pleased to hear so many of you are doing this daily. Keep up the excellent work.

Simon Longdon EAL Coordinator

Secondary Swim Gala As part of the DASSA league RIS took part in the second swim gala in GEMS Wellington Al Khail last week.

The team worked extremely hard and earned themselves 3rd place. Some fantastic displays from the RIS swimmers and new editions boosted the team. Luca Volani and Orla Lynch placed 1 st after some exceptional races. Well done to all involved.

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Authors Visit

Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, PHD

Rachel Hamilton

Nishita Bhayani

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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, It is of vital importance that the learning needs of 3-5 year old children who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) are not overlooked in early years settings. Although young children will pick up English naturally and very quickly, our nursery recognises the important role we play as practitioners in the crucial years of language acquisition.

Little children who begin their education in a nursery which uses English as the main medium of instruction require clear guidance in areas of social interaction as well. As Ochs states: ‘It is evident that acquisition of linguistic knowledge and acquisition of socio-cultural knowledge are interdependent…

Children develop concepts of a socio-culturally structured universe through their participation in language activities’ (Ochs, Early Childhood, 1988, page 4). The importance on social interaction is laid because we understand that group interactions with peers can be a particular difficulty for little bilingual children in the early years. In our context, this is even more important because the ability to pick up English is also related to being able to interpret the cultural ground rules and expectations and on being able to happily participate in activities in the Montessori setting.

Even though there are clearly different rates and ways in which our children will acquire the second language (English in this case), there is research to indicate that developmental sequence remains the same. Patton Tabors has spent many years reaching this aspect and he gives the following sequence:    

There may be a period of time when children continue to use their home languages in the second-language situation.

When they discover that their home language does not work in this situation, children enter a non-verbal period as they collect information about the new language and perhaps spend some time in sound experimentation.

Children begin to go public, using individual words and phrases in the new language.

Children begin to develop productive use of the second language.

The teachers in our nursery employ a range of strategies to ease the process for our children and enable them to acquire English. Among the most frequently used efforts they understand and acknowledge the children’s non-verbal cues and gestures. They continue to talk even if they do not get a response from the children. Children are often paired with English speaking children for small group work or during structured play and role play.

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There is great stress on a variety of questions, along with repeating and praising the smallest of efforts the children make while attempting to respond in single words. Using ‘authentic language,’ the process of vocabulary addition carries out throughout the year, which is clearly differentiated in terms of children’s needs.

Garima Kapoor Assistant Head Early Years Celebrating Multiculuralism with a Diwali Card

Parents participating in the Diwali Celebration

Fun on Dress up Day

Sensorial Learning about size

Learning Road Safety through Play

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PRIMARY SCHOOL The Learning Support Department have been working very hard this term to keep parents informed about different areas of special educational needs.

They have already covered topics of Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. This week’s board is on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Please do attend the regular coffee mornings led by Ms. Faryal our SENCO as a way to gain from her knowledge and expertise as well as take any advice she has to offer on Learning support strategies and developments. This is an excellent way for you to be more involved.

There have been positive changes within the LS department and since the last inspection (IEPs) have been a focus, looking at specific strategies and targets. The targets have now been more focused and SMART. All stakeholders are part of the process ensuring there is close partnership between parent and support from school. SLMT are also involved to help support and observe the children and to ensure teachers are addressing those particular needs in the classroom.

Gifted and talented children are also focused on in the lessons and specific strategies are used to extend their learning. ICT is used as an avenue to focus on research questions. Critical thinking questions have been a focus this year and all teachers are aware on how important they are to extend the children’s thinking encouraging questions of “Why” and “How” do you know questions. This has been a focus for SLMT for observation of lessons.

Please have a look at the web link attached for an introduction to some critical thinking ideas http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/Critical-Thinking-Exercises.htm

Another way of extending thinking could be with children’s reading. Questioning the children about the story, characters or plot to gauge how much your child has understood is crucial to know their thoughts and opinions. Skills like inference and deduction are more difficult and any support from home would be a great introduction to this. The more open questions we ask the more we allow our children to think more deeply. Comprehension is an important skill and asking the children about their opinions about a particular text and asking for their reasons why, extends their ideas for writing.

Please look at the attached web link based on questions for reading with your child. There are a whole range that can be asked and you will get to really evaluate and analyse parts of the story in greater detail. http://www.shmemorial.org/cms/lib8/NJ01912932/Centricity/Domain/55/Parent%20Flyer_Book% 20talk.pdf Jasmit Kang Deputy Head of Primary

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FS News “Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” ― Maria Montessori.

Our aim is to provide a carefully planned, stimulating environment which will help children to develop within themselves the foundational habits, attitudes, skills and ideas essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning. It is very pleasing to see how the children are becoming self-assured, confident and independent, and working with various Montessori materials; demonstrate their responsible and considerate behaviour.

An advantage of the Montessori approach is that student’s individual strengths and interests propel them to higher levels of learning. They can find intellectual challenge without being separated from their peers. They learn through the levelled materials as well as by observing each other.

We recently covered the topic ‘Healthy Eating’. It was a good opportunity to discuss with children the significance of a healthy life style. They are enjoying learning about the topic “My city, Dubai.” They will be learning many interesting facts about Dubai. We will be covering the seven Emirates, Prime minister and ruler of Dubai, U.A.E Flag, currency, map, U.A.E national bird, national costume, festivals, the different places in the City and understanding the foods, animals, and plants from Dubai.

The children enjoyed dressing up as their favourite book character on the “Book Character Dress up Day”. It was a day enjoyed by all. The students were able to visit the book fair to buy books during this week.

FS team

Year 1 News “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss The children in Year 1 are encouraged to develop their reading and writing skills using the didactic materials. They are exposed to different genres of books and are enjoying reading to the parents during the parent reading programme. They have been busy writing descriptive stories about various topics during their creative writing sessions.

In Socials Studies, students are learning about the UAE. They have been introduced to the topic of UAE culture and national identity.

The students are participating excellently in this topic and gladly sharing their experiences of Dubai with their peers. Over the next week we will be talking about the importance of being respectful towards the heritage and culture of the U.A.E.

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We are talking about a different country each month during the circle of culture. A parent of the chosen country comes in to talk about the flag of country, the important landmark and food. If you would be interested to come in and share information about your country, kindly inform the teacher.

We would like to remind you of the “no hat no play� policy of the school. The Weekly Chronicle gives you an overview of the topics covered during the coming week. Henceforth, we will be sending the spelling and sight words list in the diaries every Thursday.

We cannot end by saying a big thank you to the parent volunteers for coming in to listen to the children read weekly.

Year 1 Team

Year 2 News In Year 2 we strive to cater to all learning styles and abilities, supporting those who need that extra bit of help while providing challenge to those who require more depth in their learning to master the knowledge and skills being taught in our lessons. We challenge all our learners through a mixture of real life application, extension tasks and critical thinking questions. We use blooms taxonomy to make our questioning open ended and challenging for learners of all abilities.

As we find ourselves in the truly multicultural setting of Raffles International School, where over 80% of our students study English as a second language, it is important that we make sure that all students can access the curriculum. Providing visual aids, vocabulary and modelling of sentences are of the upmost importance to our learners of English as an additional language.

This week in Year 2 had a presentation from the RIS school nurse who spoke to us about healthy eating.

Students can identify healthy and unhealthy food and are beginning to explain how particular foods affect our body and overall health. This was a particularly worthwhile presentation and all students came away more aware of how to care for their bodies and minds.

Year 2 Team

Year 3 Team Year 3 were busy completing their progress check 1 assessment tests throughout the week. The students worked extremely hard and showed an eager attitude towards learning and achievement.

In English, they learned about Acrostic and shape poems.

Students were introduced to the different features of these poems and how they compare and contrast. During these activities, all EAL, Learning Support and SEN students are supported by one on one teacher and classroom assistant attention. Furthermore, these students also receive support by being provided with word banks, visual pictures and concrete objects to enhance their learning.

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Students were also very fortunate to attend a talk of a famous UAE author, Ahmed Al Shoaibi. A variety of his books were read and discussed beforehand amongst the teachers and students. During the talk, students listened to some storytelling and opportunity for questions was given.

In mathematics, students have been recapping on 2D shapes, introduced to 3D shapes and learned about their properties including vertices, angles, faces and edges. A lot of practical activities and concrete objects were used for these topics to give EAL, Learning Support and SEN students a better understanding of the concepts. The level of excitement has been amazing as students got to experiment with marshmallows and toothpicks creating 3D shapes.

Year 3 Team

Year 4 News In English we have focused on writing a non-chronological report. We have identified the different features of a non-chronological report and used what we have learned to create our own report about Dubai. The students have been very creative with some wonderful subheadings and paragraphs.

In Mathematics we are working on different strategies and word problems in multiplication. We are now currently moving to the topic of division where the students will be introduced to more strategies.

We are encouraging students to continue to practice their times tables at home as often as possible.

In science we have moved onto habitats. Within this topic students have the opportunity to discover and learn about a variety of animal habitats. We have looked at many different animals and ways that these animals adapt to their habitats. The students have used their devices to develop their research skills and have found some very essential information regarding the various habitats and adaptions.

In Social Studies students are learning about the U.A.E. We are looking at the seven emirates of the UAE and the different characteristics of each one. Students have done many in class activities related to U.A.E physical features, climate and wildlife. The students from the UAE have been very helpful and happy to share their knowledge and experiences of their home country with their class mates.

Year 4 Team

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Year 5 News As dedicated teachers at Raffles International School, it is our responsibility to cater to the specific needs of each child in our classrooms. It is imperative that all lessons are accessible to every child, are inclusive and challenge them intellectually. All teachers at Raffles have taken part in training to support children who may have Special Educational Needs, are Gifted and Talented or have English as an Additional Language. As such, additional daily support is provided by teachers and Learning Support staff and resources are adapted to meet the needs of these children.

Students have enjoyed learning about poetry in English and have been linking this to the narrative topic we previously studied. They have enjoyed listening and watching poems being performed and have analysed and looked into the meanings of different narrative poems. In Mathematics, children have practised using formal written methods to solve multiplication and division calculations and have even been able to apply this to solving problems. We have begun our new topic in Social Studies; Natural Disasters. The children are very excited to learn more about these and the affects this has on different countries and communities all over the world. Children used their knowledge of light in science to create their own periscopes. First, children discussed how they could see around corners if light only travels in straight lines. Then, the children designed and made their own periscopes to solve this problem. True scientists.

Year 5 Team Year 6 News Over the past fortnight Year 6 have appeared for their first round of assessments and have shown encouraging progress. They are also writing tests based on the pattern of the Cambridge Checkpoints which will benefit them for the examinations.

Year 6 are beginning to show more independence in their learning; working in groups and verbalizing their learning in the class. There is an increased use of ICT for research and independent work as well as making Thinglink and Prezis.Year 6A presented their assembly on Oliver Twist and children enjoyed rehearsing and playing different characters.

The dress up day is a favourite day with students and they all came in interesting costumes showing their favourite characters.

Currently students are practicing for their IBT tests they will take in November and sample papers are being sent home for practice and reviewed in the class.

We hope to see parents on Sunday, 4th November during the PTCs. Year 6 News

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SECONDARY SCHOOL Gifted and Talented This week I want to focus my attention to a very interesting aspect of education: the Gifted and Talented (G&T). When I was at school, my main passion and focus was playing football and other sports at every given opportunity. I was good at football, and although I spent most of my teenage years practicing and training hard, I feel I was born with that talent. As I worked my way through university in the US, I learned more and more about gifted and talented programmes and strategies that are useful to engage these types of students. I was fascinated by the literature and largely the ongoing debate as to whether students are born with particular gifts and talents or if they are learned – in others words – is it nature or nurture?

I suppose like most research, there are answers that support both theories. Most interestingly for me was reading about Alfred Binet who developed the Binet scale (later renamed the Stanford-Binet scale) of intelligence and Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist, who is best known for his multiple intelligences theory. Both men have conducted fascinating research

Gardner’s theory suggests humans have several different ways of processing information, and these ways are relatively independent of one another. Binet’s scale was first used to determine educational placement (the score on the Binet-Simon scale would reveal the child's mental age). Both theories are intriguing and very much a part of 21st century education. Below are some links to websites that relate to both theories: http://www.pearltrees.com/u/5983015-birmingham-intelligences#l908 https://www.stanfordbinet.net/ At RIS, students are first identified as talented through the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4). Students who score 126 or above in any of the four test batteries (Verbal, non-Verbal, Quantitative and Spatial) are flagged immediately and teachers provide additional challenge in lessons through differentiated strategies. More information regarding CAT4 can be found at the website below: http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/cat4-cognitive-abilities-test-fourth-edition

Alongside challenging the gifted and talented at RIS, we are working very hard to promote the importance of reading. Over the past week, a bookshelf has been constructed close to my office in which students will be allowed to drop and pick up books each day. There will also be a dedicated section for parents and teachers, as well as a virtual book area that students will be working on in Art, ICT and English.

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Should you have any unwanted books at home, please donate them to the Secondary School bookshelf and feel free to take other books that may be of interest to you. The rule is simple: If you take a book, you must place another in the bookshelf.

Secondary School bookshelf As always, if you would like to communicate with me regarding anything related to the Second 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 ianp@rafflesis.com Year 7 News “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at”.

Stephen Hawking One of the most frequent questions asked by students is about what they should study when choosing a career path. This is usually accompanied by feelings of anxiety and self-doubt or excitement and a sense of self-assured confidence. The feelings behind this, whether positive or negative, are evoked from the inevitability of adulthood, a prospect that for some, cannot come soon enough, whilst others would rather stall.

For those that feel a sense of anxiety and self-doubt, it is important to put things into perspective.

These feeling usually arise from uncertainty, especially when one may not excel in a particular subject or finds it particularly difficult to grasp its content. One thing that should be firmly clung to, is the fact that everyone is good a something – that something just has to be found.

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students should get a sense of self-confidence from the subjects or topics that they do understand; the subjects that they excel in and the subjects that they enjoy irrespective of the grade achieved. Grades can be built upon as teachers work hand in hand to ensure further consolidation where there is doubt.

Pupils should also consider what issues bother them greatly, this is an indication of problems they may be able to solve and thus make a positive contribution on a local, national and/ or international level.

Year 7 Team

Year 8 News One of the many advantages of Year 8 is the vast diversity of our students, not just in terms of their national backgrounds but in their differing abilities and worldviews. We have students at RIS with every possible level of ability and grasp of English.

We have students who started at RIS only a year or two ago and who have already become fluent English speakers, in part due to the teachers provision of EAL support but also because of the students themselves integrating together. One of the great strengths of Year 8 is their welcoming attitude to new students. Just this week I introduced a new student to the year group, knowing that they would be well taken care of. In the same way our students who have joined with limited English very quickly learn to speak it fluently because of the friendliness and support of other students – many of whom well remember starting a new school in a new language.

Likewise we have students in Year 8 who have a range of different learning needs, and I am always proud to say that every student is accepted by their peers and integrates into the life of the school Year 8 Team

Year 9 News As teachers we all strive to engage each and every student in their learning and guide them to successfully grasp, retain, and apply new material. At times this can be challenging. Students do not all learn in the same way. Students do not all have the same personality and do not all have the same history of learning. It is our role to make them feel connected to their learning, to recruit their interest, and to find ways to make learning relevant, authentic and valuable to their lives.

Even in Year 9, students want adults to talk and enter into a dialogue about their learning. It is amazing what you can find out in 5 minutes. Here are a few suggestions how you can help your child feel connected to their learning.     

Link what they are learning to real life Ask then what they feel they have done well each day. Focus on the positives.

Use your child’s interests and fascinations to reinforce what they have learnt.

Give them choices and involve them in decision making Teach your child organizational and self-monitoring skills

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Find out what your children are passionate about and then use those interests as natural stimuli to increase engagement. It may help when they are having difficulties with homework or motivating themselves to do homework. Whether a child is fixated on one thing or has a few areas of intense interest, there are many simple things you can use to work those hobbies into their work. The result?

Happier, more motivated children.

This positive attitude to learning has shone through with our Year 9 students. Last week they helped organise and run a bake sale to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. The students designed posters and helped support members of PARIS. The Year 9 football and basketball teams have also seen excellent wins against Dubai College and Dubai English School. It is through teamwork and perseverance that these achievements have been made.

Throughout the year challenges will present themselves. Together with parents and tutors the students will learn how to overcome them and ultimately thrive on their successes.

Please come along and support your child’s learning next Sunday at the Parent/Teacher conference. We shall all be around and very much look forward to meeting you. If you wish to discuss things in more detail please arrange an appointment with Ms Gaydon, Mr. Jones or Mrs. Lynch.

“Pink Day” Year 9 Team

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Year 10 & 11 It is already time for students to receive their first Progress Report of this academic year. The reports are intended to encourage early and ongoing communication between parents, teachers and students and are an important part of the educational process. Every student is unique in his or her abilities. Reports provide information about the strengths and challenges of the students and also show how well they demonstrate the core values of our school.

Teachers provide a stimulating learning environment across the whole curriculum which maximises individual potential and ensures that students of all ability levels are well equipped to meet the challenges of education, work and life.

On Tuesday, 25th October, some Year 10 and 11 students visited the Dubai Design District as part of Dubai’s Design week. Students had the opportunity to enjoy the regional and international exhibits and to explore career prospects in multiple disciplines ranging from graphic and product design to architecture and industrial design.

Congratulations should be given to the U-16s Boys Basketball team for making our school proud once again after beating Dubai British School for the second year in a row. Well done to Augustin, Musa, Panagiotis, Khalil, Giovani and Jad from Year 11, Davlatbek, Dariush and Raphael from Year 10 and Filippo from Year 9.

We would also like to wish Matthew Cairns from Year 10B a safe trip to Nepal, where he will represent our school in the first community work trip organised by Innoventures and help build the first of many schools in western Nepal, sponsored by Gift of Innoventures Education (GIVE) initiative.

Year 10 Team