SummeRISe - Issue 120

21 May 2015 Issue 89 Thursday,Thursday 26th January 2017 Issue 120 GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG FS

PRIMARY PRIMARY

SECONDARY SECONDARY

RIS Parents Coffee National Day

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

DATE

EVENTS December

Sunday, 29 January—Thursday 2nd February

29-2nd: FS & Year 1 Science Week

February Wednesday, 01 February

Open Day

Thursday, 02 February

Nursery Pink Day

Sunday, 05 February

Master Chef Cake Competition - Secondary School

Sunday, 05 February—Thursday, 09 February

05-09: Year 1 Field Trip

Wednesday, 08 February—Thursday, 09 February

08-09: FS Mathematics Fun day

Thursday, 09 February

Nursery Sports day

Sunday, 12 February

Nursery Open Day

Wednesday, 15 February

Staff Professional Development

Thursday, 16 February

Mid-term Break

Sunday, 19 February

Mid-Term Break March

Thursday, 02 March

International Day

Message from the Principal International mindedness must ‘permeate every aspect of Raffles International School’ Our Vision Providing world class education At RIS students are expected to 'develop and transform their attitudes beliefs those which are in tune with ideals of world citizenship, which 'would include the breaking down of barriers and prejudices .... Transforming t h e focus of young people's from the parochial to the global and from the narrow-minded to the broad-minded' (Waterson Hayden, 1999: 18). The D a la i Lama refers to international mindedness as "the oneness of humanity", and he goes on to explain: "nowadays, whatever happens in one region eventually affects many other areas. Within the context of our new interdependence self-interest clearly lies in considering interest of others".

Cross cultural awareness and appreciation of diversity are keys to global citizenship this century.

‘International education’ has become an even more important approach to preparing students for active and purposeful lives as global citizens. The essence of international education and a challenge for international schools is embracing the concept of international mindedness'. In fact there lies the success of international education as students of such schools develop global perspective that is built upon understanding and respect for one's own culture and that embraces knowledge of global issues and their interdependence cultural d iffe ren ce s .

In 1974 UNESCO stated that internationa education should teach about peace and human rights in order enable every person promote and co-operation, which are necessary in solving world problems" (Hill, 2012). At RIS the aim is to prepare our children for the future and to embed core values such as integrity and respect which will guide them on their educational journey ‘for success in an ever changing world’. At RIS international mindedness goes in tandem with the ideas of collaboration and helping others. International mindedness 'is a frame of mind an approach to issues, an attitude towards oneself, others and the world at large (Ellwood & Davis, 2009), it must permeate every aspect of the school; teaching, extra-curricular activities, celebrations, sport, music, art and community projects Embedded in the RIS mission statement is the concept o f a student centred i n t e r n a ti o n a l school challenging every student to become responsible obal citizens. Comprising s t u d e n t s representing 90plus nationalities and teachers 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. Our aim should be to support each other and to value and promote international mindedness and understanding.

Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness.” Ola Joseph

Developing Global Citizenship: A Catalyst for Whole-School Improvement?

The definition of what constitutes an international school is increasingly fluid, and the notion of a school being in a host country is increasingly redundant in many contexts where local citizens are looking for the qualities that may be developed through an internationally-focused approach to students’ learning. This marks a move away from national to global citizenship in the formal education offered in many countries.

However, its ambiguity is expressed in its differing definitions, interpretations and the socio-political contexts in which global citizenship is often used (Oxley & Morris, 2013). Schools are concerned with the development of ‘global citizenship’ in our young people, defined and contextualized by the school. As a result, The Council of International Schools (CIS) is working collaboratively on a whole-school basis with ten schools on a pilot basis to co-evaluate and help expand this work on developing students’ global citizenship. These pilot schools were not looking for another evaluation/ accreditation process: some were already accredited or, in the case of government schools, had in place a mandatory quality assurance programme overseen by the respective regulatory authority. The focus of the work, CIS International Certification (IC), is on institutional change/school improvement, and this is where the similarity with the evaluation/accreditation process probably ends. It is deliberately and distinctively different. CIS is now embarking on the second year of the pilot with a diverse group of schools: for example, one in mainland China, working in partnership with an international school in Hong Kong, a bilingual (French/English) school in Toronto, some in the United States, some in Australia, one in England, a bilingual (Spanish/English) school in Buenos Aires. All are CIS member schools and we can, therefore, vouch for their quality. Many, but not all, are IB World Schools. The work is led at school level by a leadership group, and this helps to frame the focus on how the leadership of international schooling must be assessed against the cultural considerations that shape the leadership discourse (Dimmock and Walker, 2005:1-6).

The schools are united through wishing to focus on the power of global citizenship to act as a catalyst for whole-school development and we have worked together to use this focus to help the school’s ability to reflect, take action and develop, with a focus on students and their outcomes, in the broadest sense. So, how does the process work and what’s special about it?

CIS has refined the International Certification process through the two phases of its pilot through listening to the feedback given by the partner schools. The process entails; 

consulting on and reaching by consensus, a shared, contextually-appropriate definition of global citizenship for the school community;

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providing guidance in developing and implementing plans to improve intercultural learning opportunities in the school community;

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for the leadership group overseeing the IC, taking an intercultural assessment that will measure the intercultural perspectives of school leaders and staff that influence the school’s strategy and programmes. The tool used is called the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)1 and includes an individual online survey followed by a group debrief meeting to discuss the collective results;

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planning and overseeing seven projects which demonstrate the school’s development and achievements involving and including key stakeholders from the entire school community;

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communicating both with the school community via a blog and the wider community of CIS schools via a common, shared virtual space, encouraging networking and collaboration for mutual development; and

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planning for future developments in global citizenship.

The culmination of this work is achieved through the sharing of the seven projects:

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a review and reappraisal of the school’s Guiding Statements and their link to global citizenship; a whole-school project on global citizenship;

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sustainable environmental practices with reference to the school’s operating systems;

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a focus on pedagogy;

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service learning;

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how the school expands opportunities for students through global networks; and finally

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the contribution of co/extra-curricular activities.

Unlike an accreditation protocol with its focus on meeting standards, CIS uses project rubrics and criteria contained in continua, for each of three domains: leadership commitment; students’ growth; and institutional and community support. In this way, the school self-evaluates and CIS advisors join the school in a co-evaluative capacity, and there is a commitment to joint, shared, collaborative evaluation and development. Let’s hear from the first school to achieve CIS International Certification, Mentone Girls’ Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia.

The process of developing our (Strategic) Plan took into account the reality that our young people are inheriting a hyper-connected world full of inspiring realities, amazing possibilities, and unprecedented opportunities for women. However, these exciting possibilities are coupled with some incredibly daunting challenges. So, one of the most important things we can give to our students is a sense of authentic connectedness. A GREAT school teaches them this; how all things hang together, how different facts and knowledge relate to one another, how people are connected – locally, nationally, and internationally – in their daily learning, in leadership, and in life. A great school helps students consider people as three-dimensional human beings who need, want and desire the same sorts of things that they do, wherever they come from, and to realise that one’s actions have a ripple effect that can influence Wellbeing, Achievement, Values, Enterprise and Success. We call these our WAVES priorities. They are the cornerstone of our educational philosophy and drive our curriculum and the particular way in which we engage with young women.

With the importance of connections in mind, we have been developing and re-aligning our curriculum to help each Mentone girl become a remarkable woman, internationally-minded and a true global citizen.

At every age from Kindergarten to Year 12, we are teaching our students about intercultural understanding and the power of authentic interactions. We are also teaching our students how to stay in tune with themselves, how to better manage their thinking, emotions and reactions, and how to ‘disconnect’. With the confidence of self, the appreciation of others, and a broader view, they will be better equipped to meet the many challenges of their times.

Schools will, I believe, want to look increasingly deeply at how they are preparing young people for global citizenship. This project, moves away from the usual approaches to school evaluation/accreditation to evaluate against criteria in rubrics. The project-based approach offers schools choices of what they wish to exhibit and jointly evaluate in order to demonstrate students’ achievements as developing global citizens.

Author: Dr. Graham Ranger, formerly, Director of School Support & Evaluation, CIS Notes 

Fran Reddan Principal, Mentone Girls' Grammar School www.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au

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Dimmock, C., and Walker, A.D., Educational Leadership: Culture and Diversity Sage Publications, London, 2005

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Oxley, L. and Morris, P., Global Citizenship: A Typology for Distinguishing its Multiple Conceptions, Institute of Education, University of London, published online, 26/06/13 (British Journal of Educational Studies Vol.61, No.3, 09/13, pp 301-325)

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The Intercultural Development Inventory Mitchell Hammer http://idiinventory.com

Mr Michael William Clack Principal

Message from the Dean of Students Student Achievements—RIS Student Malak Faisal makes us all very proud Malak Faisal is a certified figure skater in Year 4C at Raffles International School.

Her story first began on her fifth birthday at Dubai Ice Rink where she fell in love with figure skating. Since then, Malak has trained and competed in four major skating events in the UAE. In December 2016 she attended her first International competition in Bangkok Thailand where there were more than 350 athletes competing from all over the world. She won 1st place and brought home a gold medal. She is also ranked in the top 10 within her age group. She was extremely excited to be a part of such a big event. Her winning routine was entitled “Heart of Courage” which she chose because it represented her strength and passion. She even designed her own costume to express her personality and the music. Training and competing in Bangkok were a dream come true for Malak.

She is now regularly training as part of a team in Dubai for an upcoming competition in Abu Dhabi in April 2017.

Skating is Malak’s passion, she feels free and is able to express herself when she is in the rink. She especially loves practicing her jumping and spinning techniques as they are challenging and she feels proud when she masters a new move. Her coaches say that she is a very fast learner and that she puts her heart and soul into every rehearsal.

Skating is the truest form of self-expression for Malak and she pours herself into every aspect of her performances from music to costume design to the routine itself. She has truly set an example for other children that if they follow their passions and dreams they can achieve anything.

Gary Williams Dean of Students

Counselling Department Social development is about the values and skills that help children relate well to others and contribute positively to their families, schools and communities.

In the following article, taken from www.kidsmatter.edu.au website, it describes a number of ways in which social skills may be influenced around the home. The paragraph describing ‘Naming feelings for children’ is particularly important information. Teaching children to recognise and to be able to name their emotions helps to develop healthy relationships and helps them to recognise why they feel the way they do and recognise when others may need support, help and understanding.

Social development: Suggestions for families Family relationships and expectations have a major influence on children’s social development. Family relationships set the foundation for children to relate to others. Children learn how to manage relationships by observing the ways that parents, carers and other family members relate to others.

How parents and carers can help: Tips for developing young children’s friendship skills   

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Arrange plenty of opportunities for your child to meet lots of different people starting right from birth.

Children learn from seeing how you treat your friends and family.

Children find it easier to get along with others if they can do the same things (learning to swim or having ball skills). Talk with children about how to be with others. (When someone comes to visit we say ‘Hello’, for an older child "Being a good sport means saying well done to the other person even if you don’t feel like it."). Play games with them so they learn about cooperating and considering others.

Read stories about friends.

If a child is aggressive, respond to their feeling but tell them that you don’t like their behaviour. Ask them to think of another way to get what they want. When they are very young you need to show and tell them. ‘I know you feel angry when I am on the phone, but I don’t like it when you hit. If you want me to come just touch me gently.’

Have other children over one at a time when your children are young. This means no-one is being left out while they are learning.

When children are first learning to play together have something planned for them to do.

Teach your child to smile and greet other people. Don’t force the issue if your child is not ready. It may help to practice at home, when you greet each other in the morning for example.

Teach children some skills like relating and listening to others, being friendly, and responding and showing interest in what others have to say.

Help them to show interest in what others are doing, and give compliments to their playmates.

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Praise your child for being friendly and caring about others.

Help children to use words to say what they need and feel (e.g. ’I would like a turn with that’; or ‘Would you like to play in the play house with me?’).

Naming feelings for children This is very important in helping children learn to manage their own feelings. It also helps them to start thinking about what other children are feeling. Sometimes a two-year-old will spontaneously do something to offer comfort for a child who is upset or give a dummy to a crying baby. There are lots of opportunities for learning about feelings such as frustration and anger when there is more than one toddler, as they take toys from each other if they want something and physically hang on to what they have. Adults can help them to say what they feel in words, to think about others and to manage frustration when things don’t go their way (e.g. to help them to wait for their turn).

Tips for developing older children’s friendship skills Teach social and emotional skills Teach children social skills such as listening to others, taking turns, making friends and resolving conflict. Emphasise skills for cooperative and respectful relationships and acknowledge children’s efforts to use them.

Use positive discipline Setting reasonable expectations for children’s behaviour, and communicating them clearly and respectfully, sets the tone for cooperation. Being consistent and positive in your approach to discipline communicates to children that they are valued, even if a particular behaviour is not.

Talk about values Read stories that emphasise values with your children. Ask their opinions on whether they think a particular action is respectful, responsible and caring etcetera. Discuss the pros and cons of different kinds of values for promoting effective social relationships. Make talking about values and opinions part of everyday conversation, for example, by talking about things you see on TV. Capitalise on ‘teachable moments’ When something happens that requires a response which draws on values, it presents a ‘teachable moment’. Ask children to think about what the problem is and what they could do to improve the situation. For example, when feelings have been hurt you could ask your child’s opinion of what the person might be feeling hurt about. Extend your child’s thinking through asking questions like, ‘How could you find out what Jo is feeling sad about?’ and ‘What do you think you could do to help?’

Involve children in family discussions and decision making Encouraging children to contribute to family discussions and decision making gives them practice in listening to others’ views and seeing things from different angles. Listening and contributing to family discussions helps children understand what your values are and shows them that their voices are valued.

Involving children in these ways in family discussions and decision making promotes respectful and responsible behaviours.

Promote a strong sense of identity When parents and carers notice and acknowledge what children do to help, it shows children that their contributions are worthwhile. This gives them a sense of pride and encourages them to ‘do the right thing’. Help children to work out ways to stand up for what they believe in and let them know that you are proud of them when they do. This helps children to build confidence in their own strengths and values.

Supervise media use It is very important for parents and carers to supervise children’s media use and ensure that the things they view are appropriate for their age and level of understanding. When children are repeatedly exposed to violent or inappropriate media images they can see these things as normal. Children often imitate the behaviour they see on TV or on the internet.

Jacynta Hodges Head of Counselling

The Learning Support Team have been very busy this month with Individual Educational Plan (IEP) review meetings with parents. During the month, the department would like to raise awareness on Auditory and Visual Processing Disorder.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition that makes it hard for children to recognise subtle differences between sounds in words. It affects their ability to process what other people are saying. The following skills are often affected by Auditory Processing Disorder: Communication, Social Skills and Academics.

Visual Processing Disorder (VPD) is when children have difficulty processing or interpreting visual information. Children with Visual Processing Disorder may have difficulty telling the difference between two shapes or finding a specific piece of information on a page.

Below is a brief checklist on APD and VPD: Auditory Processing Checklist Difficulty following oral directions Short auditory attention span Difficulty in recalling stories or songs Difficulty following conversations Potential speech and language delays

Visual Processing Checklist Omit words or letters Inaccurate placement on lines Difficulty with letter formation Poor spatial awareness

What can be done at home?

Auditory Processing Disorder Provide a quiet spot for studying Use simple one step direction Have your child look at your when talking – encourage eye contact Speak at a slightly slower rate and slightly higher volume to your child Ask your child to repeat directions back to you

Visual Processing Disorder Try doing some simple puzzles Play catch or roll a ball back and forth together Break information into concise steps and number each step Write information in large clear letters Use colour coding

“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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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, Personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is unarguably the most important of the prime areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFs) for the children of nursery age and underpins all other aspects of a young child’s learning and development. Children need to develop a sense of emotional well-being and a confidence in themselves, building on their awareness of their needs and feelings of others and making sure that their experiences of making relationships with both adults and peers is positive. This is the age at which children learn the skills they need to become actively involved in the world around them.

Early Learning Goal Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.

EYFS REVISED ED 2014 As defined by the Early Years Framework (2014):  Personal development is about how children come to understand who they are and what they can do.  Social development covers how children come to understand themselves in relation to others, how they make friends, understand the rules of society and behave towards others.  Emotional development concerns how children understand their own and others’ feelings and develop their ability to be empathetic – to see things from another person’s point of view.

In the EYFS, personal, social and emotional development includes three aspects of children’s learning and development:  Making relationships  Managing feelings and behaviour  Self-confidence and self-awareness.

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In our nursery, the children’s day is structured to provide a reassuring amount of consistency without being too rigid. The environment, indoors and outdoors, is well resourced with open-ended materials to provide the children with plenty of opportunities to play with things that interest them.

Socio-constructivist theories of learning and development, such as those of Vygotsky, place an emphasis on learning being a social experience where the individual learns from others who are more experienced than themselves – both children and adults. Our teachers and class room assistants listen to the children, observe what they are doing and use their judgment and experience to avoid conflict by intervening sensitively. We have a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviour, whereby children are encouraged to ‘use their words,’ and talk about feelings and emotions, helping them to find the language to express themselves effectively. Our teachers have very high expectations of the children but are never hesitant to recognise kindness, consideration and cooperation between children. This support, consistently given, helps our children to understand their emotions, control impulsive reactions and learn how to manage and display their feelings in socially appropriate ways.

Learning cannot be effective unless children feel comfortable, socially, emotionally and physically.

Helping children learn how to manage their feelings is a crucial stepping stone for success in learning and as educators this is a responsibility we take very seriously.

Montessori Time - ScienceMagnetic vs Non Magnetic

Montessori Time 1 - Numercy

Storytime with Casa H

Music and Movement - Wheels on the bus

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PRIMARY SCHOOL In April we will be visited by the Council for International Schools as part of the ongoing accreditation process. We have conducted a Self-Study over the last 18 months incorporating views from parents and students regarding the school’s strengths and areas of growth, deeply rooted in our core values and mission statement.

Results from the Endicott survey conducted last year have fed in to numerous school improvement efforts and it is our belief that by working collaboratively the school will be recognised for its work on internationalism and global citizenship.

Key strengths of our curriculum related to Global Citizenship include the well regarded ‘Circle of Culture’, whereby parents and students work together to present to classmates the uniqueness of their home country and culture, as well as the similarities with our host country the United Arab Emirates.

We will soon be holding our high profile International Day event and we encourage all parents to contact their home room teacher should you wish to run a stall to represent your country.

With International Day and the ‘Circle of Culture’ comes deeper understanding of the cultures of others, this understanding is developed through mutual respect and tolerance His Highness Sheikh Mohammed stated that “the UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan will continue to promote the principles of tolerance established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. As tolerance is a key value of our ancestors and our founding fathers. The UAE has succeeded in spreading it throughout the Arab region and the world.

” https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/uae-cabinet-approves-national-tolerance-program Join us in celebrating our tolerant community.

Matthew Barrett Deputy Head of Primary School

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FS News It has been a good start to the New Year. Since returning to school after the winter break, the children in FS have had an opportunity to learn about transportation, rainforests and mini beasts. Topics that have been explored and thoroughly enjoyed. Following which they have benefited enormously from a trip to the little explorers. Apart from it being a trip full of laughter, fun and much joy. It was also an educational time, one the children used to demonstrate safety skills learned within the classroom, such as staying together, safety on a bus and following rules and guidelines. We have much, much more to look forward to with science week on the horizan, mathematics day and International day around the corner, just to name a few.

Within the classroom it is a pleasure to see the children within FS developing a sense of order and orientation of activities through the repetition of daily routine on a weekly basis. The children have come to understand that they learn through ‘work’ and have been, as such working towards their individual goals.

Montessori observed in children from three to six years old, being in a psychological state she termed "normalization". Normalization she further went on to describe as something that comes from concentration and focus on activity, which assists the child’s developmental needs, and is further described as the ability to concentrate as well. Being predominantly a Montessori environment, at this time of the year, much of this is taking place within FS as we observe children deep in concentration on their work.

Finally all the learning that takes place cannot be accomplished without the continued support of yourselves the parents. Let us continue to work together to make this year a memorable, educational one for the children where we see the children moving to greater heights in all areas of the curriculum.

FS2 Team

Year 1 News Year 1 have been extremely busy over the past couple of weeks. ASA’s are now up and running and the children are excited to participate in them. The parent reading programme has continued this term, helping the children enhance their reading skills. Please continue to encourage your child to read at home, this will make a significant difference in their writing also.

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In creative writing, the children have started writing their own stories, focusing on punctuation and adding details to their sentences. The children have been introduced to incorporate the character and settings into their story. In mathematics, they are beginning to partition two digit numbers into tens and ones. We have also been finding halves of small numbers and shapes by folding, and are beginning to recognise which shapes can be halved.

In Social Studies, the children have been recognising the differences between themselves and others around them. Students have been exposed to data collection and recording their findings. The children really enjoyed this task, it also encouraged them to work collaboratively asking relevant questions about their learning. Each month during Circle of Culture we talk about a different country. A parent of a chosen country comes in to discuss and share information and key facts about the important landmarks .

If you would be interested to come in and share information about your country, please do inform the Homeroom teacher. A big thank you to the parents who have come in already.

The school Mascot posters are now up around the school. We have been discussing with the children what a mascot is and highlighted where the posters are around school. Kindly encourage your child to follow the Raffles Core Values, to enable them to become better citizens, by showing integrity and respect in different situations. The children appreciate that the school rules are there to create a safe and happy working environment for everyone.

In order to keep developing your children’s learning skills please be reminded that in Year 1 children must be responsible for their own learning. Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the teacher encourages challenge to motivate them in the whole curriculum. Please continue to encourage your children to talk about their learning and feedback to teachers about what is working well. Thanks you for your continuous support.

Year 1 Team

Year 2 Team In Year 2 we view our students holistically and try to integrate aspects of personal and social development into each subject we teach. Our core values are taught as a set of rules to encourage respect, collaboration, a sense of responsibility and integrity within our classrooms, around the school and wider community. In Year 2 we teach children how to achieve new things focusing on personal reflection, persistence and target setting to reach our goals. Reflection is a key element in each subject, with students reviewing their work weekly and commenting on what they think went well as well as things they might improve on. You will notice this highlighted in purple pencil in your child’s copy books when they are sent home to you weekly.

Global citizenship is not an additional subject, it is an ethos involving everyone from learners themselves to the wider community. This year is the UAE ‘Year of Giving’ we will planning different ways of promoting a sense of community and citizenship within Year 2. We have a great foundation to work from, having students of so many different nationalities to share their identities, traditions and cultures promoting understanding and friendship as key components in our school community.

Year 2 Team

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Year 3 News Year 3 have been very creative, mapping out their own adventure story, investigating the effects of sugar on teeth and researching famous people. They are being rewarded with certificates to commend them on their hard work and exemplary behavior.

In English, they have been busy planning and writing adventure stories. They have been very creative in inventing their characters, settings and using a variety of vocabulary to make their stories interesting.

They have been coming up with amazing ideas by solving problems and resolving with a solution, making it exciting for the reader. In mathematics, they have been learning about multiplying 1, 2 and 3 digit numbers using a variety of strategies such as the grid method. In science, they have been learning all about leading a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a balanced diet. They have been investigating the effects of sugar on their teeth and learning how to prevent tooth decay.

In Social Studies, they have been researching famous people. They have had fun researching about famous people such as, Walt Disney, Pablo Picasso, Cristiano Ronald and Mark Zuckerberg. They have been challenging themselves to see how these famous people have helped make the world a better place. Soon they will be presenting their projects about a famous person from their home countries. We look forward to the children presenting their projects and learning new interesting facts.

The school core values are intrinsically woven throughout the academic curriculum to help the children become ideal future global citizens who can make educated choices. World culture is promoted through various activities such as International day, Circle of Culture as well as by learning poetry from around the world.

Year 3 Team

Year 4 News In Year 4 we have continued to work hard and have 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. We also continue to explore our knowledge about the different cultures within our classrooms through Circle of Culture.

In science, we have continued with our learning on the topic of matter with some interesting experiments. Students commented on state changes involved in melting ice and boiling water as well as the burning of a candle. We have also looked at how different materials have different freezing and melting times. We have linked the topic of freezing and melting to global warming and the loss of some animal’s habitats. We have discussed how it is our responsibility as global citizens to avoid increasing levels of pollution in our environment, which leads to this warming of the earth.

In mathematics, we are completing our fractions topic. We have recently looked at ways to find equivalent factions and we have also explored ways to simplify fractions. The children have carried out experiments using Smarties and we have also looked at solving word problems with fractions. We will move onto Coordinates and Angles next week.

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Within class, we are developing our story writing skills by reading our historical fiction text, ‘Escape from Pompeii’. We have explored emotions and feelings in writing and we have also looked at how we can gather explicit and implicit information from texts. Here 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.

Smartie fraction investigation

Science Investigation-melting

Year 4 Team

Year 5 News While the focus may sometimes be placed heavily on the academic development of our children it is just as vital for us to focus on the personal and social development .

The Year 5 teachers are working tirelessly to establish the correct mindset for their students and thus develop the student’s personal and social well-being. Students are taught that everyone faces obstacles and challenges on their path to success but that the deciding factor of whether they succeed is their ability to preserver and continue working towards their goals. This instils in the students the skills of being able to keep trying and not to give up easily and thus furthering their own personal development as individuals who will succeed in the world.

Working collaboratively with others and developing one’s ability to think about those around us is an important skill for students to learn. These skills further enhance our student’s well-being and make them truly global citizens, able to work with others when required or support those in need. The Year 5 students have been asked to ‘dig deep and address some areas of their social development to ensure that they are showing others respect and kindness during all of our activities. It is always easy to include a new friend in a game and work with someone who you may never have worked with before.

These are the values which shine through as we try to enhance and develop their personal outlook.

Year 5 Team

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Year 6 News As we move into Term 2, it is important to highlight the Checkpoint examinations. The preparations for the examinations are in full swing as we have just concluded the Mocks examinations, the result of which will give students a clear picture of their performance in primary school so far. For teachers it will also reflect the strengths and areas to work on so that students are fully prepared to sit these examinations in April.

Post mocks, we organised our fantastic trip to The Green Planet. Children were given the opportunity to familiarised themselves with aspects of environmental pollution; cause and effects.

They wrote a report on how to reduce pollution and created their Eco-Pledge. This aspect is to develop the social awareness of how we impact the world we live in and what can be done to save it.

Year 6 Team

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SECONDARY SCHOOL Personal and Social Development & Global Citizenship As a school that is preparing for the Council of International Schools (CIS) accreditation visit, RIS can confidently say that Personal and Social Development and Global Citizenship is of high priority and very well embraced across the student and teacher body. Over ninety nationalities of students attend Raffles International School each day, working together inside and outside of classrooms, embracing difference, communicating in different languages and learning to accept one another. CIS outline the various components of Global Citizenship as: ETHICS... research about, discussion of, and action related to issues of principle of personal, local and global importance, DIVERSITY... the understanding of and respect for the similarities and differences of a range of individuals and peoples, GLOBAL ISSUES... the understanding of multiple perspectives of local and global events and issues, COMMUNICATION... the development of fluency in multiple languages, including mother tongues, used to communicate within and across cultures, SERVICE... the development of the understandings, skills and dispositions to serve the local and global community, through engagement in meaningful service learning, LEADERSHIP... the acquisition and refinement of the skills of leading and following within different cultural contexts, SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE... a personal commitment to a life style which supports local and global sustainability displayed through example and advocacy (1).

Through these various areas, students are able to learn and develop key skills that are essential in the world today. Developing international mindedness is essential at RIS, raising global awareness and helping students understand more about internationalism, global literacy, international capabilities and intercultural sensitivity is at the heart of all lessons and activities.

In the coming months RIS will celebrate International Day, a wonderful event that demonstrates the diversity we embrace at RIS. Although the notion of flags, festivals, food and fashion only touches upon the surface of international mindedness, International Day is just one way to raise awareness to our

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In the coming months RIS will celebrate International Day, a wonderful event that demonstrates the diversity we embrace at RIS. Although the notion of flags, festivals, food and fashion only touches upon the surface of international mindedness, International Day is just one way to raise awareness to our students, parents and teachers of the wide range of cultures we share on a day to day basis.

I look forward to seeing you all on International Day, dressed in your countries traditional clothing and sharing the tasty food from around the world.

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 ianp@rafflesis.com References http://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=1801 Year 7 News Our identity as a school is inextricably linked to the global dimension that is the fruit of having over 90 different nationalities from all over the world. This new identity compels us to promote an inclusive, values-based environment that reflects the aims of what it means to be a good citizen and even more – a global citizen.

This means we are constantly looking for ways to enlighten the pupils on social and cultural issues such as: human rights, environmental protection, religious pluralism, sustainable development, poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance and the celebration of cultural diversity.

Ultimately we hope to raise awareness of the principles and practices of global citizenship, and build a new generation of global citizen leaders.

Year 7 Team

Year 8 News One of my main goals as Head of Year 8 is the personal and social development of the students. This is a crucial time for students, many of them are starting to become teenagers and are starting to think of themselves differently, and behaving differently towards each other. This brings with it many challenges as it is not always easy for children to cope with these changes. One of the main themes for this year that we will be tackling is for students to develop an awareness of how to cooperate with other people. They will need to further develop their skills of empathy and emotional intelligence that are vital for their success both in school and outside.

As a wider goal for year 8, and related to the ’Year of Giving’, students are encouraged to see themselves not just part of the school community but also the wider community of Dubai. This year they will have the chance to develop charity projects and to ask themselves what they can do to improve their community. I have already had numerous good ideas from students, and cannot wait to put them into practice.

Year 8 Team

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Year 9 News At the end of last week students from Years 7, 8 and 9 went to Mall of the Emirates, Magic Planet as part of the secondary school’s new rewards system. The students were selected based on their efforts in lessons over the first term. The students who had accumulated the most green notes in their year group were invited to attend. It was a fun evening with all having a great time bowling. The invitation acknowledged the student’s ability to engage in a positive way with their learning and their contribution to the wider school community.

This is what can also be termed as citizenship. Each of these young people had evidenced an awareness of their role at RIS which has allowed them to flourish, through involving themselves in the wider community. These values and skills are also being developed through Social Studies. During the week the Year 9 students have been researching contemporary issues and presenting their findings to their peers. Topics including the use of gaming technology, phones and global warming have been hotly debated. Promoting an awareness in class has highlighted different aspects such as social justice, an appreciation of diversity and the importance of informed discussions. Furthermore the teachers have been guiding the students to follow a ‘Learn-Think-Act’ approach to their learning.

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Year 10 & 11 News The personal and social development of students is becoming more and more important within our school. School is not only a place where children learn reading and writing but it is also a place where they learn to get along with other people developing their social skills. Social skills are the skills children need to interact adaptively within our multi-cultural environment. Failing a “social test� can be more painful than failing an English or a science test. For some students, social skills can be the hardest subject to pass in school and they play a very important role in a child’s emotional health developing their social skills and well being.

Besides the development of social skills, the education for global citizenship is embedded in the philosophy of our school. Global citizenship enables students to develop the core competencies which allow them to actively engage with the world.

Global citizenship is best implemented through a whole-school approach, involving everyone from students themselves to the wider community. It is promoted in class through teaching the existing curriculum in a way that highlights aspects such as social justice, the appreciation of diversity and the importance of sustainable development. It is also enhanced by many extra-curricular activities like debates, charities, local and international trips.

Year 10 & 11 Team