Thursday 21 May 2015 Issue 89 Thursday, 22nd March 2018 Issue 140 GENERAL GENERAL
NURSERY
KG PRIMARY
PRIMARY SECONDARY PRIMARY
SECONDARY SECONDARY
PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC
Recent Happenings Year 4 Concert
Reading with Dad
Nursery Art Exhibition
DATE
EVENTS MARCH 2018
Sunday, 25 March - Saturday, 07 April
Spring Break (FS2 to Year 12) Nursery will have regular classes until Thursday, 29th March
Thursday, 29 March Sunday, 1 – Thursday 5 April
Nursery end of term celebration Nursery Spring break APRIL 2018 Staff and students return Year 2 30 Books in 30 Days Camping Years 3 - 4 Al Israa wa Al Miraj* (* Islamic holidays are subject to the lunar calendar) FS2 and Year 1 Bake Sale Year 1 Science Week Innovents - Recycling fashion show Staff Professional Development Day FS 2 Science Week Primary School Checkpoints Camping Years 5 - 6 Nursery Book week Innovents - DIATech UKMT Junior Challenge Nursery Purple Day Year 2 Science Week Year 1 Field Trip Years 5 - 6 concert rehearsal MAY 2018 Year 6/7 Transition Morning SEN transitions Year 5 - 6 Annual Concert FS2 Field Trip Year 2 Field Trip Nursery Concert Secondary School Music Production rehearsal Secondary School Music Production CCA’s finish - Term 2 Ramadan starts* to Nursery Science week Year 4 Science Event Year 5 Science Event Year 6 Science Event Staff PD Day
Sunday, 08 April Sunday, 08 April - Monday, 07 May Monday, 09 - Wednesday, 11 April Thursday, 12 April Tuesday, 10 April Sunday, 15 - Wednesday, 18 April Wednesday, 18 April Thursday, 19 April Sunday, 22 - Thursday, 26 April Sunday, 22 - Tuesday, 24 April Wednesday, 25 - Friday, 27 April Sunday, 22 - Thursday, 26 April Thursday, 26 April Thursday, 26 April Sunday, 29 April Sunday, 29 April - Thursday, 03 May Sunday, 29 April - Thursday, 03 May Sunday, 29 April-Wednesday 02 April Tuesday, 01 May Wednesday, 02 - Thursday 03 May Thursday, 03 May Sunday, 06 - Thursday, 10 May Tuesday, 08 - Thursday, 10 May Thursday 10 May` Sunday, 13 - Monday, 14 May Tuesday, 15 May Tuesday, 15 May Wednesday, 16 May Sunday, 20 - Thursday, 24 May Sunday, 20 May Monday, 21 May Tuesday, 22 May Wedneday, 30 May
Message from the Principal As you are reading this, our Primary and Secondary School Reading Weeks have drawn to a close. During these weeks, students have dropped everything to read (DEAR) during the school day, they have taken reading outside into our gardens, they have dressed up as book characters, they have discussed their teachers’ reading, heard their dads read to their class, visited the DC Books fair and taken part in many more activities centred around literature, reading and books. This has all been wonderful to see.
Earlier this week, we were fortunate to have Mr. Nouraldin Alyousuf from Samah Dubai TV speak with students at our Arabic Writing Awards ceremony. During his warm address, he emphasised the importance of reading and literature in people’s lives; put quite simply he said, “I like people who read because they are more interesting”. This is an important message to our children and one that will stick with me for a long time. I have always been passionate about books and when I recall ‘growing up’ key milestones are linked with literature. I remember the first book I read to myself (Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’), the sense of being ‘big’ when I started my first chapter book (no picture books for me anymore), reading my first ‘grown ups’ novel (something by Alistair Maclean, I recall), my first face to face meeting with a published author (Chris Cleave, author of the incredible refugee story: ‘The Other Hand’). For many of us, our lives are intertwined with our reading, shaping our opinions and helping us understand the world around us better. Reading is part of our culture. It’s a gateway to our past, our connection with home and family, our escape from the ‘here and now’. It’s central to how we communicate and understand ourselves and others. It enriches imagination, encourages empathy and understanding and makes us think. For all these reasons, this Spring Break, I would encourage you to read. Not just our pupils, but our whole school community. Parents, model good reading habits, talk about what you are reading to give it significance, make reading and literature part of the dinner table conversation. Students, read around your subjects and make connections between your areas of study and literature – how do authors explain what you are learning about in history, geography, science? And for our youngest Primary School pupils, just read for pleasure, read to make you laugh, read because it’s FUN! Happy Holidays! Tim Richardson School Principal
TechnoRISe We had our annual ICT event TechnoRISe on the 14th and 15th March. Students from Years 2 – 6 displayed their ICT projects. Year 2 created digital stories with animation, Year 3 shared their knowledge of various subjects and topics through Photo Story, while Year 4 designed stop motion animation movies using various props. Year 5 created animation movies using Pivot stick figures and movie maker. Scratch games showing cross curricular links to Math, Arabic, English, PE, Science, Art, Social studies created by Year 6 students were liked by one and all. FS and Year 1 students documented their learning through MS Paint and Seesaw respectively that which were put up on display. Students proudly displayed their projects and showed their technical skills to friends and family. That you to all parents for supporting this event. Seema Vinod Head of ICT Department
GENERAL
NURSERY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, “The future of any society depends on its ability to foster the health and well-being of the next generation … When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship. When we fail to provide children with what they need to build a strong foundation for healthy and productive lives, we put our future prosperity at risk.” - Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University. In the year 2014, to mark the tenth anniversary of the founding of Innoventures Education, the Gift of Innoventures Education (GIVE) Foundation was launched. At the Nursery, we imbibe the values of sharing, charity and giving through the everyday discussions, circle time and continuous role modelling. We know that the most important thing we can do for our children is to help them develop values and skills that they can rely on throughout their lives. In our environment, caring for others, respecting others and the environment or the world we live in begins with simple Practical Life activities. Care of environment activities encourage the child to interact with the environment, exhibiting respect and love. These activities help the child form a connection with their environment, in which they find a personal responsibility towards it. Activities such as cleaning the table mats, dusting and sweeping up small bits of trash, cleaning windows, watering plants, call to the child and offer much towards development of the personality. ‘Care of environment’ exercises foster love for the environment and help children connect and engage with nature. This fortnight has been very special. Artist week was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for our children. After talking about various artists, the children were inspired to create their own masterpieces. Using child friendly, carefully designed techniques such as q-tip point painting, tape painting, splatter art etc., the children were independently able to produce art which was truly worthy of framing. Thank you to all the parents who came for our Art Exhibition. The Orbi field trip was another unique experience for our children as they had the opportunity to engage with the natural world in a truly multi-sensory educational environment. Reading with Dad was equally enjoyable. We have had an overwhelming response and active participation from our Dads. Animated story telling and voice makeovers! The children have loved every minute. Thank you to all the parents who made Recycled hats with their children during the Earth and recycling week. The range of creative ideas we have seen is wonderful.
Thank you to all the parents who came to meet their child’s teacher for the Parent teacher conferences on 20th and 21st March because close contact with your child’s teacher is as important during the early stages of school as it is in the later school years, kindly continue to make use of our Drop in Days for the rest of the academic year as well. Happy Mother’s Day to all our lovely mummies! You are special, and we hope we managed to bring a smile to your faces with our Mother’s Day performances in the nursery. We also wish all families a Happy Easter and look forward to welcoming you back to the Nursery on Sunday, 08 th April. Garima Kapoor Assistant Head Early Years
Orbi 3D BBC film
Our Dads comment on the experience of Reading with Dad
Recycled hat parade
Recycled snowman sock craft in Orbi
Reading with Dad
Mother’s Day Celebration
Recycling week
GENERAL
NURSERY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear RIS Community, And so Term 2 has drawn to an end – a relatively short term of ten weeks but just as busy, if not more so, than Term 1. As you know Innoventures has its own GIVE charity, which is currently supporting the set-up and running of schools in Nepal, and to which our school community kindly contributes via different events. This term, for example, we organized a Charity Beach Walk and in Term 3 we will likely hold a themed dress-up day to raise money. There are of course other ways to ‘give’ and be charitable to others. I am endlessly impressed with people’s generosity of time at RIS. Our International Fair is a fine example of this with so many of our parents spending hours and hours preparing for the Fair, setting it up, and then running it. We appreciate that not everyone is in the position to give their time, because – for example – they are working long hours to support their family and others. Our Reading with Dad event this term was very successful, with some 130 Dads participating, reading to their child’s class a favourite children’s book or presenting to an older class on their career path. As I told the Dads in attendance that day, I wanted to change the invitation letter that went out this year as it slightly gave the impression that Dads don’t do as much for their kids as Mums, and that Reading with Dad was a way of making amends!! Without wishing to get into a ‘who does more for their kids, Mums or Dads debate’ (!), we recognize that in today’s world the vast majority of us work / support / give / share 24-7. Our class 5D’s assembly performance in the last week of term to help celebrate Mother’s Day was a brilliant example of the multitude of roles that Mums perform for their families. The children held up or hung around their necks cue cards and giant labels with titles such as “Entertainer” and “24-hour service provider” – both funny and true of the role of Mums. As I write this I reflect on my own experience last night of looking after my baby daughter and two-and-a-half year old son alone while my wife went out for the first time with a friend (without the children) in 8 months! Whilst I just about managed to get the kids fed, out for a walk, washed and to bed without a disaster it was tough doing this alone even for 4 hours! I appreciate a lot more what it means to do that all of the time. Anyway, thank you to you all for what you bring to RIS – for all of your contributions, many of which I am sure go unnoticed. May I wish you all a great holiday, and hope that you receive the gift of time to spend with loved ones. Whilst everyone needs rest, just a reminder that we do urge our Year 6 students to undertake a little revision over the break as their important Checkpoint exams take place two weeks after we resume I look forward to seeing you all again from April 8th. Edward Cooper Head of Primary School
Key Stage 1 News Dear Parents, In Year 2, we have recently been focusing on using ICT and technology in our class room. Children have been incorporating ICT through the use of Beebot. Year 2 have been learning about position and movement in math these past few weeks. This unit explores programming, mapping skills and also critical thinking. With a strong emphasis on math vocabulary and instructional language, the students were challenged to collaborate and create a detailed map, complete with a start and finish square or block. They then challenged each other to programme their Beebots to complete the route on the map and also write the directions. Students revisited quarter turns clockwise and anti-clockwise and also connected their learning with our Social Studies unit on mapping skills and interpretations. Well done Year 2! The Mother’s Day performances this week were amazing. The FS children took to the stage and performed with confidence to all their mummies, whilst Year 1 children invited their mummies into their classroom to put on a personalized performance and Year 2 gave individual performances with songs and instruments. What a treat, I am sure there were very little dry eyes in the house. It was nice to see some many parents at school during the PTC’s. I hope you found them useful. Having the knowledge to celebrate the achievements of your children is always a good start to the Spring Break. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a joyful Spring Break, and Happy Easter to all that celebrate. We look forward to seeing all our children back on campus on Sunday 8th April. Susie Mcshane Deputy Head, Primary KS1
Key Stage 2 News Last week we held our ICT week at RIS. ICT provides children with the tools to understand the ever advancing technological development that are taking place in this modern world! With the widespread use of technology in the home and workplace, it is important that children can grow with the knowledge and skills to use it. As a teacher I always get comments that children and grandchildren show adults how to use a device such as a computer or tablet. Using ICT at primary level is a great foundation to grow from, especially as technology gets more advanced, we need the people with the right skills to use it and fix it when it goes wrong. It is very important that education keeps pace with industry and market developments. This process starts from primary school and in many cases it would develop some of the skills they have already started to learn outside of the classroom. Year 3 have been learning about Resilience and Perseverance during their Moral Education lessons. Grit involves sticking with something until you succeed. It’s another word for perseverance and resilience, and it gives us the strength to try, try and try again. Grit supports a “growth mindset” – a belief that our intelligence and skills can grow with effort. Children with a growth mindset thrive on challenges and view failure as part of the learning process. For an eight-year-old, grit might look like sticking with a task at school, even when it seems difficult; identifying skills they want to develop and practicing them; and continuing when they encounter setbacks. Help your child learn to persevere:
Use Process Praise - Process praise is descriptive and helps kids develop perseverance. Practice Cognitive Control - The area of the brain in charge of focus and attention continues to grow into early adulthood. Remind Children of Their Successes - Children who hear stories about how family members overcame obstacles are more resilient in the face of challenges.
Activities where students had to show perseverance and resilience
Jasmit Kang Deputy Head, Primary KS2
GENERAL
NURSERY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY SECONDARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY SCHOOL Students from the Secondary School are currently having fun skiing in Switzerland. Some of them are accomplished and experienced skiers whilst for others, this is their first experience of snow. We have been posting pictures daily on Facebook of what they have been up to.
Last week Year 10 and 11 had their termly rewards trip. This time the students chose to visit the paintball park at the Jebel Ali Shooting Club. Thankfully they all came back intact after having a great time seeing if they could hit Ms. Rai or Mr. Scott!
Later this week students from Years 7-9 will be descending on Hub Zero for two hours of interactive fun and exploration.
The Innoventures Arabic and Islamic awards took place this week. The audience were entertained with an enlightening speech from Nouraldin Alyousuf, TV presenter and media mogul, and Walid Marzouki, presenter at Sama Dubai TV. Thank you to the two departments for organising such an enjoyable evening.
The theme of the Secondary school this week has been ‘Books’ and fostering a love of reading. The students have had the opportunity to share books with staff and their peers. At times discovering new authors and genres. Year 7D read together for an hour in the PaRIS garden. They were all extremely relaxed and focused after this!
Ms.Prisca shared her love of books with a small group over lunchtime. However, the highlight of the week was ‘Dress up as your Favourite Book Character Day’. The students came in a wide variety of costumes, some of which we had to have explained. The staff also joined in with the fun with Harry Potter as our theme. Who can spot Harry? On March 7th, whilst some of the Year 7 students were in Dibba the rest of Year 7 took part in the torch relay to commemorate the Year of Zayed. The event, organize by the KHDA was a fantastic opportunity for schools across Dubai to come together to celebrate his life. RIS students walked from Kite Beach to Umm Suqeim Park, joined by students from other Innoventures schools. The annual Innovents Science fair was held at RIS last week. Students from Year 7 and 8 took part. They created experiments to prove different hypothesis. Year 7 groups
Year 8 groups
Ania Yousfi Jiyu Moon Alia Ahmad Charlotte Bonafous Azra Ozkaya Marina Bauerova Anushka Kabboor Mariya Venediktova
Tanish Dhakan Abdul Rehman Rizwan Davide Mondini Tymur Akhinko Yann Kariningufu Vanessa Burn Maria Baer Mahmood Qadadeh
Thank you to the Science department and parents for supporting the students to get ready for this. This term has been exceptionally busy. Not only outside of the classroom but also inside. The Year 10,11 and 12 students are focused on preparing for their iGCSE and AS level examinations which are coming up early next term. This is a difficult and can be very stressful time. Below are a set of strategies which may help alleviate this.
Top Tips on Stress Management 1. Learn to relax. Take “mini-breaks” throughout the day. Work at relaxation techniques, such as taking slow deep breaths. 2. Get organised. Having a realistic schedule of daily activities, including time for work, sleep, relationships and recreation. 3. Exercise. Physical activity always provides relief from stress. Half an hour of sport or even a short walk can do the trick. 4. Talk to friends. Talking and meeting with friends and sharing feelings and thoughts can be helpful in reducing stress. 5. Make sure you are in a calm, positive mood before studying. 6. Talk positively to yourself. Don’t pay attention to that internal voice saying you can’t do it; tell yourself you can do it and you will do it. 1. Find a quiet place to revise – your bedroom, school, local library and refuse to be interrupted or distracted. 2. Make sure you don’t just revise the subjects and topics you like. Work on the weak ones as well. 3. You will need help at some stage; ask parents, teachers, or even friends. 4. Eat properly and get lots of sleep. 5. Believe in yourself and be positive. If you think you can succeed you will! If you have any concerns please do not hesitate contacting a member of staff in school. Working together as teachers, parents and students can only serve to support and guide your child in the best possible way. Enjoy your break whether you are staying here in Dubai or travelling. Come back energised and refreshed ready to start the new term. Bryony Lynch Deputy Head Secondary School
Peter Rowlands Head of Secondary School
Message from the Head of Sixth Form It gives me great pleasure to write to you for the first time as the Head of Sixth Form at Raffles International School. I am very proud to have been asked to lead the A Level and BTEC team in what I believe is a school with huge potential. I am determined to secure a bright future for our most senior students and to ensure that they leave us with the skills and qualifications to step in to university or a career of their choice. Our Sixth Form students this week started work on selecting appropriate university courses in preparation for university applications at the beginning of Year 13. Students have been enrolled with BridgeU, an online careers service that allows them to manage their application deadlines, personal statements and course selection for their preferred destinations. We also welcomed University Advisors from IDP Education on Monday, who spoke to Year 11 and 12 Students on the application process and requirements of studying at a university in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Next term, students will have 1 to 1 career interviews and start to prepare their applications.
I have very high expectations of all staff and students in Sixth Form, and it is my intention that by working together in every area we can help all of our students achieve their full potential. There will also be an opportunity for Year 11 Parents to meet and discuss with me the benefits of their child going through the A Level and BTEC system, compared to the IBDP, IBCP or other curricula pathways at the start of Term 3. I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks and months ahead. Mrs Leena Atkins Head of Sixth Form and Mathematics
Secondary Counselling Department Raising Resilient Kids, by Lighthouse Arabia, Dr. Saliha
A big thank you to Dr. Saliha, Clinical Director and Founder of Lighthouse Arabia, for talking to our year 10 students as well as parents about Resilience. Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. People commonly demonstrate resilience when experiencing difficulty or distress, emotional pain and sadness. As Dr. Saliha explained, the road to becoming more resilient is likely, but does not have to, involve considerable emotional distress. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.
Ways to deal and cope with difficult situations are:
Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Accept that change is a part of living. Move towards your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggles. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience. Keep things in perspective. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings.
Dr. Saliha also spoke about the importance of allowing our emotions to be as they are. It is ok to be sad, frustrated, and angry. This was also the last “big” Parent Talk, the smaller Parent Support Group meetings will continue until the end of this academic year. I would like to thank all the parents who attended the very varied workshops. Some of you I have seen monthly, at times bi-monthly, throughout the 7 events we have hosted. It has been and continues to be a true privilege to being part of the RIS family and community. Upcoming events for ALL parents: TCK (Raising Third Culture Kids) Parent Support Group, April 17th, 8:00 am – 9:30 am. Counselling Room (S028). Please RSVP to priscat@rafflesis.com Prisca Toland Secondary School Counsellor
Book Character Day