SummaRISe - Issue 135

th 21 May 2015 Issue 89 Tuesday, 28Thursday November 2017 Issue 135

GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG PRIMARY

PRIMARY SECONDARY PRIMARY

SECONDARY SECONDARY

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

Donations to the 'Box Appeal' have arrived with the labourers of Dubai

Flag Day - Thursday, 02 November

DATE

EVENTS NOVEMBER 2017

Wednesday, 29 November Thursday, 30 November

National Day Celebration Martyr’s Day*

DECEMBER 2017 Friday, 01 December Saturday, 02 to Sunday, 03 December Sunday, 10 to Tuesday, 12 December Sunday, 10 December Monday, 11 to Wednesday, 13 December Monday, 11 December Wednesday, 13 December Wednesday, 13 December Thursday, 14 December Thursday, 14 December Thursday, 14 December Sunday, 17 December - Saturday, 06 January

Prophet’s Birthday UAE National Day - Holiday Year 5 Field Trip Nursery Blue Day Nursery Field Trip University visit Year 12, 12:00 - 02:30 pm, Lecture Theatre Year 4 Field Trip Primary School—Term 1 Sports Team Awards FS2 Winter concert PARIS - Santa visit (yellow atrium) Dismissal for Winter Break (no noon dismissal) Winter Break for students (excluding Nursery)

Sunday, 17 to Tuesday, 19 December Tuesday, 19 December Wednesday, 20 December -Saturday, 6 January

Staff Professional Development (No students - excluding Nursery)

Nursery end of term celebration Winter Break for Nursery students

JANUARY 2018 Sunday, 07 January 2018 Tuesday, 09 January Wednesday, 10 January Sunday, 14 January Sunday, 14 - Wednesday, 31 January Tuesday, 16 January Saturday, 20 January Sunday, 21 January Sunday, 21 - Thursday, 25 January Tuesday, 23 January Wednesday, 24 January Thursday, 25 January Thursday, 25 January Sunday, 28 January Sunday, 28 January Monday, 29 - Tuesday, 30 January Monday, 29 January Tuesday, 30 January Wednesday, 31 January Wednesday, 31 January Wednesday, 31 January Thursday, 31 January

Students and teachers return Mathematics revision day Year 11 Mathematics revision day Year 12 SS IGCSE and AS Mock exams School Photographs - Lecture Theatre Innovents Spelling Bee, Years 4 - 11 Family Fun Day Nursery Green Day FS2 field trip SS Careers Fayre GCSE transitions evening and checkpoint meeting Year 9 Year 1 Recycling Fashion Show Year 3 Field Trip Beach run Year 3 to Year 12 Innovents Change associates parenting - 08:00 am, Lecture Theatre FS2 Math Day Innovents Arabic Writing Nursery Sports Day practice Innovents Quran Year 1 Math Fun Day Nursery Sports Day Year 11 transition evening

Message from the Principal Dear Parents and Colleagues, As you are aware, my tenure at RIS has come to an end after ten years of continuous learning and growth. I still remember the phone interview from Toronto, receiving my first contract as an EAL teacher, the induction period of the first batch of teachers in September 2007, the countdown to the opening of Raffles International School - South campus, the first student orientation day, the painting of the RIS tree and the hand images of RIS pioneers, first students, on its branches on the wall of the school library, the painting of the ‘dance studio’s glass windows, the arrival of the first learning resources which were spread out in the camel atrium as it is now called, the setting up of the school library over a weekend, the first National and International day celebrations, the opening of the Nursery on school campus, and the change of hands from Emaar to Innoventures Education in 2010. Memories keep flowing endlessly.

I remember all this and much more like it was just yesterday. On the other hand, when I watch children who have grown in front of my eyes, it suddenly dawns on me how close to the ground I am built, new babies and toddlers graduating from strollers to frolicking on their two feet, and the saplings planted with my own hands some years ago turning into trees, I realize that indeed immense time has passed and flown by.

Along with some of my colleagues who have been a part of the school’s journey since its inception, there are also a number of students and families who have been with us since 2007 and many others who joined RIS a year or two later. All of them will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Ten years of relentless growth, change and improvement is a challenging and daunting task to ‘SummaRISe’ in one article. Suffice to say, RIS is a unique school in more ways than one. The family culture, the sense of belonging and feelings of ownership that staff, parents and students have towards the school are difficult and rare commodities to find in today’s mobile and dynamic school population. This is what sets RIS apart from the many schools old and new that have sprung up in Dubai.

RIS staff are caring, committed, approachable and responsible practitioners. The children in their care look up to them with respect and affection. Our Middle management is the backbone of the school and provides the support that a large school like RIS requires.

“RIS is a listening school”- as one of the KHDA inspectors rightfully and aptly described a few weeks ago.

Our parents’ opinions matter and we try our best to respond to the critical appreciation we receive from all the stakeholders. In return, our parents are truly our partners in learning - supportive, understanding and appreciative. I have had the fortune to know many of the parents over years of association and have always found them to be truly and genuinely caring about the well-being of the school, understanding towards the challenges the leadership faces, agreeing to disagree with solution-oriented mindset, appreciative of teachers and the effort the school makes towards continuous improvement. It is for these reasons that the RIS Parent and Community are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

I leave the school in a very good place. With many more KHDA indicators uplifted in the recently held KHDA inspection, I am certain that RIS is on the right track for development.

The SLMT team including the new Heads of the Primary and Secondary School are experienced and committed to take the school on its onward journey. I can say with certainly, that our new but experienced Principal, Mr. Tim Richardson, will be delighted to work with our committed staff, enthusiastic student body, and supportive and commitment parent community.

I will miss my children the most and it is difficult to imagine that I will not be seeing their eager, happy and excited faces every morning before the day’s work takes over. From our children we learn many lasting lessons, especially how in diversity there is equality, where colour, creed and beliefs have no role in friendships apart from learning and celebrating, if we take the time to listen to them carefully. I wish them all the very best, may they keep safe and keep growing with the right set of values and discipline which will prepare them well for life.

As still being part of Innoventures Education but in a different capacity and role, I am sure RIS has not seen the last of me. I wish RIS all the very best and the school will always hold a very special place in my heart forever.

I take this opportunity to wish all parents a very happy UAE National Day. Also wishing all the families a happy relaxing and safe winter vacation. Merry Christmas to families celebrating the occasion and Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year to all.

Thank you for your continued support and appreciation.

Best wishes and warm regards, Goodbye and stay blessed.

Zeba Khan Principal

ICT@ RIS Innovation School video map - A first of its kind, this interactive school map was designed and developed by a group of our very enterprising Secondary School students.

This innovative map has video directions to each room in the school which can be accessed through scanning corresponding QR codes. The video has students directing visitors to each room. This project was greatly appreciated by the KHDA inspectors during their recent visit to our school.

Some inspectors could be seen following directions to classes on their smartphones. Well done boys!

This was a fine example of real life application of skills learnt in the class.

Microsoft recognition We are proud to announce that Raffles International School has been officially recognised as a Microsoft school. It is a testimony to the fact that technology is being used in a meaningful way to equip our students and staff with 21st century learning and teaching skills.

Parents ICT club We invited our group of parents to join the first “ICT club for Parents”. The purpose of this club was to give our parents a hands on experience of some of the digital apps that our students use in school. This will enable them to understand better how technology helps to meaningfully engage our students. We also got to clarify some of the questions that our parents had regarding various digital issues like Edmodo, BYOD etc. Thank you parents for your enthusiastic response to this activity.

Seema Vinod Head of ICT Department

Learning Support Department November 2017: ADHD Awareness month Suspecting or hearing that your child has ADHD (also known as ADD) can trigger a number of feelings. It can also raise many questions, including “what is ADHD?” You may wonder about symptoms, evaluations and how you can help. Learning as much as you can about ADHD is a great first step to getting your child the help he needs.

For many people, the words “hyperactive” or “out of control” come to mind when they hear the term ADHD. If your child doesn’t have those symptoms, a diagnosis of ADHD can be puzzling. Kids who don’t seem hyperactive often aren’t diagnosed as early.

There are actually three types of ADHD: ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive: Kids who have this type of ADHD have symptoms of hyperactivity and feel the need to move constantly. They also struggle with impulse control.

ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive: Kids who have this type of ADHD have difficulty paying attention.

They’re easily distracted but do not have issues with impulsivity or hyperactivity. This is sometimes referred to as attention-deficit disorder (or ADD).

ADHD, Combined: This is the most common type of ADHD. Kids who have it show all of the symptoms described above.

Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging. But there are many things you can do at home to help your child manage symptoms and learn key skills like organisation and planning.

ADHD strategies for parents:   

     

Accept and embrace your child’s diagnosis Be informed about ADHD and how it affects your child Build your support system with teachers, counsellors and friends Work with your child’s teacher Help provide structure at home Plan ahead where possible Create an effective reward system at home Do connect with other parents Remember to take good care of yourself

Whether you are just beginning to learn about your child’s ADHD or you are far along in the journey, remember you are not alone.

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

RIS Music Department “Innoventures Got Talent”

Our RIS team won accolades at the “Innoventures Got Talent” show held at DIA on 14th November 2017.

Overall, 42 students participated from four different schools competing in four different categories – music solo, music group, dance and variety. The following students represented RIS for the individual categories - Romina from 9A for monologue, Shamir of Year 9A for solo singing and Yewon of Year 6D for dance. A team of 23 students from Secondary School represented the choir category.

Yewon of Year 6D won second place in solo dance category and Romina of Year 9A won second place in monologue.

Cheers to RIS team. Congratulations!

Haroon Mundoly Head of Music Department

News from the Library - Author Visits An author visit is a wonderful way to connect students with the magic of books and reading. In RIS we had a very successful author visit for the Year groups 5 and 6 by Nayanika Mahtani who enthralled the students with a presentation on her book “The Gory Story of Genghis Khan” .The students had fun during the interactive session with her. An author visit encourages students to promote reading. There was book signing at the end of the session where students had a choice of buying her books.

This month dynamic author of children’s books Ms. Debi Evans visited our school on 20th November 2017. Her 4th and new book in the series called “Jewel Dog and the Dragons “was presented to the students. The students looked forward to her visit as they have been reading about Rolo’s adventures.

Five students were awarded a certificate along with voucher for books for being winners of the Summer Reading Challenge initiated through Library.

“Caught Reading” was one of the competitions initiated through library for promoting reading in the month of October.

Susane Joseph Librarian

Sports Achievement Award (MBR Awards) Hussain Nasser in Year4 has been nominated for an outstanding sports achievement award (MBR AWARDS).

Please vote for him by following the clear instructions attached here as we very much want him to be voted for so that he wins the number one spot.

Watch his super skills (see below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMppcKNpRk Gary Williams Deputy Head of Primary School

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended family, The way that children learn is a wonder in itself. You may find your child’s teacher drawing your attention to a particular skill that your child has been focusing on, or one that as teachers, we feel the need for them to focus on. Simply put, this stems from the Montessori philosophy which believes in ‘Sensitive periods’ in a child’s life. According to Montessori, from birth until about the age of six, we seem to learn from our environment without any conscious effort. Young children become skilled at numerous activities without formal instruction. They may not even be aware that they are learning.

According to supporters of the idea of sensitive periods, this occurs because it is very easy for children to acquire certain abilities during a specific sensitive period. Also, once a sensitive period is passed, the development of the brain has progressed past the point where that particular ability can be easily absorbed. After this, the ability must be formally taught, it will take a great deal of effort to learn and will not be as readily acquired by the child.

Age range

Sensitive period

0 – 3 (peak at 3)

a strong urge to use all the senses to explore the world

0 – 3½

an intense interest in spoken language

0 – 3 (peak at 2)

a love of order and routine

2–3

an interest in precise controlled movement 2½–3½ a fascination with very small things

Sensitive periods in the first three years of life: The sensitive periods of this phase ebb and flow. The love of order and routine, for example, peaks at about the age of two when the need to orient the self in the world is at its most intense. A toddler’s tantrum is interpreted by Montessori educators as a response to something perceived to be out of place or a familiar routine disrupted, in other words, an assault on the sensitive period for order. Toddler tantrums illustrate just how intensely young children experience this sensitive period when it is at its peak.

Moving on to another important point in the interest of our children’s safety and food regulations. Kindly check the expiry date of the juice, yogurt, milk, cheese and other products when you pack your child’s snack bag. It has been noticed that sometimes a product is already expired when it comes to school and this can lead to the children falling ill.

Please check the expiry date when packing your child’s snack

During Pick up and Drop off times, the utmost priority of the teachers is to ensure that the children are safely handed over to you.

Hence, we would like to request all parents not to have long conversations with the teacher at the class door. This can lead to a distraction and the teacher will not be able to give you her undivided attention. All teachers have a DID day in case of any issue or concern that you would like to discuss with them. Kindly make an appointment for the DID day or you may choose to wait on one of the Nursery benches till all the children have gone home and then the teachers will be more than happy to talk.

The last fortnight has seen our children engaged in a variety of role play and small world toy play during our Transportation topics. From using diggers in the sand, to finding beautiful 'hidden shells', to floating paper boats and having races, the children have thoroughly enjoyed first hand experiences involving exploration, imagination and discovery.

On Thursday, 16th November, the Nursery celebrated International Day for Tolerance. The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness on the dangers of intolerance. To encourage our children to understand diversity, the children dressed in national clothes of their own country on this day. We talked about friendship, love, tolerance and acceptance of each other’s differences during our circle time discussions.

We now enthusiastically await National Day celebrations on the 29th November. If parents would like to contribute in any way, please let your class teacher know. You may get decorations organized for the class, some Arabic treats (nut and chocolate free), flags, arranging a falcon for the children to see, painting the National Flag on the back of the children’s hands etc. We would like to expose our children to the richness of the culture they live in.

Garima Kapoor Children learn through play and exploration, Assistant Head Early Years through first hand experiences

Enjoying messy play based on the weekly topic of Transportation

International Day of Tolerance Our children-Proud of their roots

Yellow Day

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear RIS Community, Our KHDA inspection is over – a lot of exceptionally hard work went into the preparation, and some excellent feedback from our nine highly experienced inspectors has been received. We are already working hard to address some of the priorities. As with all improvement works, the cycle of development is ongoing; whilst it would be impossible to maintain the same level of intensity that is common building up to an inspection, we nevertheless want to maintain the momentum that an inspection announcement encourages. RIS is continuing its upward path towards increasing quality.

All schools sign a confidentiality agreement about the specific ratings a school receives in a KHDA inspection, but the verbal feedback we receive is intended to allow the school to continue its improvement work immediately. We received very positive verbal feedback about academics, our assessment and tracking systems, promotion of healthy lifestyles, accommodation and facilities, and pleasingly our excellent links with parents and the community. A big thank you to all of you who completed the KHDA Parent Survey and who came into school during the inspection to meet with the inspectors.

We also turn our attention to the busy end of the term. Teachers are getting ready to write their student reports, preparations are well underway for UAE National Day, and students are being readied for some important internal and external assessments. Our International Benchmark Tests (IBTs) in Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Science took place between November 20th and 23rd. These are very important tests, which are used by teachers to judge the progress students are making. The results are also used by the school to identify trends in performance so that potentially we can adapt our curriculum. Curriculum adaptation received especial mention by our visiting inspection team as a strength of the school.

With only two weeks left of the term, there is much to do. I hope all of it – whilst requiring a lot of effort – will continue to be good fun.

Best wishes, Edward Copper Head of Primary School

Key Stage 1 News Dear Parents, As the weather changes in the UAE we often see an influx of children getting sick. The best place for sick children is at home. If your child experiences a fever, vomiting or diarrhea please keep them at home. This will help us to minimize the spread of illness and your child will recover quicker.

The Desert Patch Workshop will visit our FS2 children during the month of December.

They will have fun decorating solid shapes with paper mache. Children will also be performing on stage for the very first time at Raffles during the FS2 Winter Concert. The children have been practicing their songs during their music lessons. We look forward to seeing you there.

As we reach the end of Term 1 in December, the children in KS1 will have lots of festive fun as we celebrate the festivities of the UK. Children will meet Santa Claus and enjoy the class parties.

National Day is fast approaching; we hope you see many of you attending the school celebrations. In FS and Year 1, we will be celebrating with a picnic and some UAE focused activities.

The children in FS have been working hard whilst exploring concepts with the use of the Montessori materials and they have had individual goals to achieve in math and English. We are seeing some lovely team building happening in the Early Years room, whilst they strengthen their English vocabulary. In science the children have been exploring botany, understanding how plants grow. Thank you to PaRIS who supplied the garden equipment and plants for the children to explore.

Children in Year 1 have been exploring living and growing thing during their science lessons this week.

The main focus of the lessons have been lifecycles and how humans and animals produce offsprings which grow into adults.

In Creative writing the children have been writing fictional stories about visiting space. You will be able to see some work samples during you DID visits.

Last week the children in Year 2 have been exploring 3D shapes and symmetry in math and learning about conjunctions and ‘bossy verbs’ during their English lessons. They are further embedding their knowledge of story structures – ‘beginning – middle and end’, also understanding time words such as ‘first – next – then’. In science, the children have begun to learn about materials and how they can be changed.

Susie Mcshane Deputy Head, Primary KS1

Key Stage 2 News IBTs are took place last week. This test is an international benchmarking test in English, Mathematics and Science for Years 4, 5 and 6 as well as for Secondary.

The children have revised topics in preparation for these tests and I know they will achieve very well as they have done in previous years. The results are used internally also to focus on weaker areas of our students and to forward plan for future testing.

This a busy time at school with lots of other exciting projects taking place over the next few weeks.

RIS National Day will be taking place on Wednesday 29th November. All primary students will be involved in singing and dancing presentation which will be held outside with all staff and parents. This is a wonderful occasion to be a part of and the children fully enjoy celebrating this day being proud members of the UAE. This will involve songs that children have practiced during Music and dances that have been rehearsed by different staff members. We will also have traditional stalls and food representative of the UAE. Another date for your diary is Saturday, 9th December when all children will be invited for Sports Fest organised by the PE department. All staff will also attend this event where all children will take part in a variety of sporting activities. This should be a fun morning for all to take part in and ties in well with our promotion of health lifestyles. All money raised will be given to GIVE our main Innoventures charity.

I do hope you will join us for these family events which will definitely be a wonderful day to remember.

Jasmit Kang Deputy Head, Primary KS2

News from Arabic A Department Students in Arabic A reading story club had a very exciting experience when one of the parents lead the club and read a story with the children. The parent choose a very nice story. It was about how to know the numbers and to count till number 10. She used fruits to give the story more reality to the children life.

I would like to thank Madam Ruoba for her support and would like to take this opportunity to encourage all the parents to join us in our clubs and make our students more happy.

Heba Al Saadi Head of Arabic A - Primary School

News from the Art Department This group art project is made by all Year 3 students as a tribute for the UAE National Day. Pupils studied the patterns on the traditional male Emirati head-dress “Ghutra� and then inspired by the unique Arabic geometric patterns they created their own designs using pencils and paint, afterwards they fixed it on the wall to form a big mural made of UAE letters.

Wassim Swaidan Arabic Teacher - Primary School

GENERAL

NURSERY

PRIMARY

PRIMARY SECONDARY

SECONDARY

SECONDARY SCHOOL In the Secondary School, we have made literacy a key focus for the coming year. Whilst we all recognize the importance of being able to read with confidence, we are not always fully aware of its benefit to other areas of study. Through reading you can expose yourself to new things and information. Through reading, you can begin understanding the world more. In social studies students are encouraged to read Primary and Secondary sources to help them have a greater understanding on different topics. It can also guide a student to develop opinions on different issues in an informed manner. Reading develops a child’s vocabulary. The more your child reads, the more new words will find their way into their vocabulary.

Reading can increase a child’s attention span.

Encouraging good reading habits and a love of reading helps your child to focus better and for longer periods of time. In tutor time once a week, all students have a Drop Everything and Read session (DEAR). Staff and students sit together in silence, reading together.

Please support the school with this initiate and remind your child to carry a reading book at all times. Students may also bring books in to swap on our Book Swop shelf.

Developing a love of reading at early age helps to foster a lifelong love of books. In addition, regular exposure to books has been proven to have an impact on academic performance. Over the coming year further evidence of literacy will come into the secondary school in lessons and outside of lessons. Please encourage your child to get involved in each of these.

The Secondary students are continuing to excel in different areas. Our Braniac competition students have won their first two rounds at Kidzania.

Congratulations to Mariya Venediktova, Hessah Alkadeeb, Ania Yousfi, Augustin Bert and Mirza Begg.

We look forward to hearing about your success in the next round. Keep a look out on our Twitter page for the results as they happen.

Year 8 and 9 students have been involved in filming for the National Geographic Kids channel.

Osha Almazrooei, Hana Feteha, Sara Hassan, Chloe Snaifer, Ali Amiri, Abdulaziz Al Bastaki and Abdulrahman Feteha. We look forward to seeing it broadcast.

Sports teams are continuing to enjoy success. The U14 boy’s football team won their first game at Cambridge International School Cambridge 4-3. Hard work and determination certainly paid off here. The secondary school swim team have also enjoyed success at the DASSA and Innoventures swimming competitions. Congratulations to all students.

We are looking forward to our National Day celebrations on Wednesday, 29 th November. The Secondary School students are taking part in a wide variety of field trips on this day.

Years 7 and 8 Year 9

: Kite Beach for wide games and an Emirati picnic. : The Grand Mosque and Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi.

Years 10, 11, 12: Motiongate Park for a lecture and presentation on Emirati culture, science and an Emirati picnic.

We look forward to sharing our experiences for these with you in the next SummaRISe. Peter Rowlands Head of Secondary School

Bryony Lynch Deputy Head of Secondary School

News from Secondary School English Department Following last week’s inspection, attention has been focused on the International Benchmark Tests (IBT).

The English team have been accommodating practice in lessons so the students are well prepared to do their absolute best.

Alongside IBT practice, students in some classes have been given the opportunity to research and teach a grammar point. The students involved have been extremely thorough in their preparation and have included differentiated activities, as well as assessment materials. The incentive has proven to be so successful, that it will be expanded across the whole of KS3.

Other exciting news is that many poems and stories have been entered into the Emirates Literature Festival. The title this year is “Memories” and there are some really strong contenders. The poetry entries, in particular, are impressive. The team will select the top five, three of which will go forward to the Literacy Soiree to be held in March. I will also arrange for those five pieces to be published in a future edition of SummaRISe. The last piece of news is that the Spelling Bee Competition was held on Tuesday, 21 st November.

Caroline Gaydon Head of English Department

News from Secondary School Mathematics Department In our inaugural year of sixth form, mathematics has turned out to be the most popular subject chosen.

We are teaching the Edexcel International A-Level (IAL) which offers modular examinations throughout the 2 year course.

Students of our Edexcel IAL in Mathematics will extend their range of mathematical skills and techniques, using them in more difficult, unstructured problems, and developing their ability to reason logically and recognise incorrect reasoning. The Edexcel IAL is available for teaching in international centres only and offers 100% external assessment with no coursework.

Our Year 12 students at RIS have embraced the challenges of A-Level Mathematics and know the challenges that lie ahead of them. Lessons involve discussion, debate and peer demonstration. Presently, we are preparing for our Decision 1 paper in January whilst also beginning Core 1 which is exciting. The students can’t wait to sink their teeth into Differentiation and Integration as we begin the pure mathematics element of the course. At the end of the two years, that they will have a very strong and sought after A-Level in Maths which will impress universities and future employers.

James Maguire Secondary School Mathematics Teacher

News from Secondary School Counselling Department What is GRIT ?

Angela Duckworth (TED speaker), defines grit as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” Adding to this and considering the big picture grit is also about attitude. So why do some individuals accomplish more than others?

Duckworth, a pioneer and expert in this field, is the first to say that the essence of grit remains elusive. It has hundreds of correlates, with nuances and anomalies.

Here are a few characteristics that play a role when measuring grit: Courage While courage is hard to measure, it is directly proportional to your level of grit. More specifically, your ability to manage fear of failure is imperative and a predicator of success. The supremely gritty are not

afraid to tank, but rather embrace it as part of a process. They understand that there are valuable lessons in defeat and that the vulnerability of perseverance is requisite for high achievement.

Conscientiousness: Achievement Oriented vs. Dependable As you probably know, it is generally agreed that there are five core character traits from which all human personalities stem called; The Big Five. They are: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neurotic. Each exists on a continuum with its opposite on the other end, and our personality is the expression of the dynamic interaction of each and all at any given time.

According to Duckworth, of the five personality traits, conscientiousness is the most closely associated with grit.

Long-Term Goals and Endurance: Follow Through One of the distinctions between someone who succeeds and someone who is just spending a lot of time doing something is this: practice must have purpose. That’s where long-term goals come in. They provide the context and framework in which to find the meaning and value of your long-term efforts, which helps cultivate drive, sustainability, passion, courage, stamina, and grit.

Resilience: Optimism, Confidence, and Creativity Resilience meaning, “the ability of people, communities, and systems to maintain their core purpose and integrity among unforeseen shocks and surprises.”

Thus a big component of grit is resilience, resilience is the powering mechanism that draws your head up, moves you forward, and helps you persevere despite whatever obstacles you face along the way. In other words, gritty people believe, “everything will be alright in the end, and if it is not alright, it is not the end.”

Excellence vs. Perfection In general, gritty people don’t seek perfection, but instead strive for excellence. It may seem that these two have only subtle distinctions; but in fact they are quite at odds. Whilst Perfection and Excellence can be seen as cousins, Perfection is seen as unforgiving and inflexible. Certainly there are times when “perfection” is necessary to establish standards, like in performance athletics such as diving and gymnastics. Excellence however, is an attitude, not an endgame. The word excellence comes with a notion of fulfillment of purpose or function and is closely associated with virtue. It is far more forgiving, allowing and embracing failure and vulnerability.

I hope you enjoyed this article about GRIT! A workshop/talk on GRIT will be organized for our RIS parents next year.

Anti-Bullying Four of our Year 9 students have created the “ANTI BULLYING GROUP”. These students will be part of the RIS anti-bullying campaign, through out this academic year. We are very excited to be working with these students and see all of their innovations, campaigns, and support.

Prisca Toland Secondary School Counsellor