SummeRISe - Issue 98

89 Wednesday, Thursday 16 December 21 May 2015 Issue 98 GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG FS

PRIMARY PRIMARY

SECONDARY

GENERAL RIS National Day Celebrations

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

IMPORTANT DATES DATE

EVENTS DECEMBER

Friday, 11 - Friday, 18 December Tuesday, 15 December Wednesday, 16 December Thursday, 17 December Thursday, 17 December Friday, 18 December - Saturday, 02 January Wednesday, 23 December

Ski Trip Primary and Secondary Reports FS2 Winter Concert Nursery—End of Term Reports End of Term and dismissal for Winter Break - Full day school Winter Break Prophets Birthday

JANUARY Sunday, 03 January

Students and Teachers Return to School

Sunday. 10 January

Football @ RWA U12, 14, 16

Thursday, 14 January

Orange Day—Nursery

Thursday, 14 January

Year 3 Field Trip

Monday, 18 January

FS 2 Field Trip

Monday, 18 January

RIS Open Day, 9.00-10:30am

Tuesday, 19 January—Thursday, 21 January

FS 2 Field Trip

Thursday, 21 January Sunday, 24 January

Nursery Sports Day Cross Country at DIA U8-U18

Sunday, 24 January—Thursday, 28 January Sunday, 24 January—Sunday, 31 January

Science Week—Year 1 School Photographs

Thursday, 28 January

PD half day noon dismissal

Sunday, 31 January

Year 1 Field Trip

February Monday, 01 - Thursday, 04 February Monday, 01 February—Thursday, 11 February

Year 1 Field Trip School Photographs

Tuesday, 02 February

Tennis @ CAS U8,9,10,11

Thursday, 04 February

Pink day—Nursery

Sunday, 7 February—11 February

Artist Week—Nursery

Tuesday , 09 February

Mathematics Day FS 2

Wednesday, 10 February

Nursery - Open Day

Wednesday, 10 February

Art Trip - Year 4 - 6

Thursday, 11 February

Art Exhibition—Nursery

Thursday, 11 February

Camping - Year 4 - 6

Sunday, 14 February— Thursday, 18 February

Sports Week

Monday, 15 February

RIS Open day, 9:00-10:30am

Wednesday, 17 February—Thursday, 18 February

Year 1 Math Fun Day

Knowledge Summit 2015 Knowledge experts and influencers from the region and around the world discussed the role of innovation and education in developing innovative future generations in the Arab world, during the first day of the Knowledge Summit 2015 currently being held in Dubai.

Speaking at a session on ‘Innovation in Education – Future Outlook’, His Excellency Eng. Hussain Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education, said: “Innovation in education is the key to resolving challenges by finding new solutions to old problems. The UAE Vision focuses on education as a main pillar, in order to transition our nation from an economy based on oil to one based on knowledge. The first step in achieving this is to improve the curriculum, and we are collaborating with ministers, universities and various sectors, such as the industrial sector to develop a curriculum that empowers students.”

Speaking at the session, Poonam Bhojani, CEO of Innoventures Education, said: “Technology is a key factor in ensuring innovation in everything we do. We have implemented several technology-based innovations in our schools, including introducing robotics using simple tools, such as Lego. Harnessing the Bring Your Own Device trend and technologies such as Apple TV and tables enables us to empower students to drive their own learning experience. Virtual labs enable students to experience using their tablets to explore experiments such as DNA replication. Even social media can be used, in order to engage parents more in their child’s learning.” Please refer to the link below for the complete article. http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/education/lebanon-providing-excellent-example-of-educating-refugees-brown-1.1633227 http://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/first-day-knowledge-summit-2015-778492

Message from the Principal Last week and over the weekend, RIS hosted the Cambridge Schools Conference, 2015.

Some four hundred educators from over forty countries attended the conference. The conference focused on how teaching, assessment, learning spaces (real and virtual) and leadership will need to evolve in order to enhance student learning in the future. The aim was to provoke discussion about what schools and teachers can do to improve professional practice, and to provide ideas that teachers and school leaders can take away with them.

Questions that were considered during the conference included:  How will assessment for learning practice develop?  How will the role of the teacher change?  What will high stakes summative assessment look like in the 2020s and what are Cambridge's plans for computer-based testing?  How can schools develop students equipped for future study and the workplace who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged?

Twenty students volunteered as guides and are to be commended for being such excellent ambassadors for the school.

Overall, the conference was a tremendous success and confirms our commitment to the Cambridge and English National Curriculums. Together they prepare our students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. The Cambridge programmes and qualifications set the global standard for international education. They are created by subject experts, rooted in academic rigour and reflect the latest educational research. They provide a strong platform for students to progress from one stage to the next, and are well supported by teaching and learning resources.

Cambridge programmes and qualifications have a proven reputation for being an excellent preparation for university, employment and life. They provide a valuable international benchmark of learner performance.

The Cambridge approach supports schools to develop students who are:  Confident in working with information and ideas – their own and those of others  Responsible for themselves, responsible to and respectful of others  Reflective as learners, developing their ability to learn  Innovative and equipped for new and future challenges  Engaged intellectually and socially, ready to make a difference.

With Cambridge programmes and qualifications, your child is joining a community of students from more than 10000 schools in over 160 countries. Cambridge Primary develops learners’ skills and understanding through the primary years in English, mathematics and science. It is offered by more than 1000 primary schools in almost over 100 countries worldwide. Cambridge Secondary 1 builds on the foundations of Cambridge Primary, although it is not essential to have completed that stage. Cambridge Secondary 1 is offered in over 130 countries worldwide. It develops learners’ skills in English, English as a second language, mathematics and science, and is offered by nearly 2300 schools in over 130 countries.

Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international qualification for14 to 16 year olds, attracting over 900000 subject entries every year from 140 countries. Cambridge IGCSE is an international passport to progression, recognised by leading universities and employers worldwide as evidence of academic ability A global learning community With Cambridge programmes and qualifications, your child is joining a community of students from more than 10000 schools in over 160 countries. Cambridge created their programmes and qualifications for students worldwide but they make sure there is plenty of space for local content too. Distance does not create a barrier between Cambridge students around the world. Their online communities bring schools and students together to discuss projects and activities. By developing a global outlook for our students, we aim to equip them for success in the fast-changing modern world.

Excellent news

Today I received official confirmation from the CfBT Educational Trust that Raffles International School is now recognised as a British Schools Overseas.

As a result of this inspection, undertaken during November 2015, the school has demonstrated that it meets the Standards for British Schools Overseas. This judgement is endorsed by the British Government, quality assured by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and is valid for a period of three years.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the students, teaching and support staff, parents, PARIS, CEO, Advisory Council and Board members for their commitment, dedication and support in making RIS such a wonderful school and community. This is a fitting tribute and validation for all the hard work invested into our continuing journey of school improvement, ‘Towards Excellence’.

Finally, to those families that celebrate Christmas, I would wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and to all families, a very relaxing, peaceful and joyful holiday.

Michael William Clack Principal

National Day Celebrations There were many parents who volunteered their time to support the art activities and food buffet during the National Day Celebrations, which simply we would not have been able to provide without them. To those parents, your help was invaluable on the day and the school truly appreciates your hard work and dedication. There were also parents who helped enhance the cultural aspect of the day by sponsoring the outdoor activities, such as the Henna, falcon and dancers. The children thoroughly enjoyed the activities and as a school we sincerely appreciate the parental contribution to the celebration.

Emma Turnbull Events Coordinator Dear Parents, On behalf of our leadership management team I would like to introduce our new Islamic B teacher, Primary to Secondary) Mrs Safia Khatoon. Safia joins us at RIS as an experienced educationalist, counting over twenty-three years of experience working at other international schools in Dubai. She has an extensive range of skills and experience covering all ages from Primary through to Year 13 with International Baccaularate and British Curriculum. I am positive that she will be a wonderful addition to our school and will further improve the teaching and learning at RIS. Michael William Clack Principal

Dyscalculia What Is Dyscalculia?

Children with poor memory and below average skills for all things mathematical may have characteristics or symptoms of a disorder known as “dyscalculia.� They may have strong reading and language skills, good visual memory for the printed word, and may excel in the creative arts and sciences. Dyscalculia may not easily be identified as a problem or disability because the student may not have any other language disabilities.

What Are Some Signs of Dyscalculia?

Signs of dyscalculia may surface as early as preschool when teachers ask students to memorise their phone number and birthday, recall simple number line counting, sing number songs, etc. The child may be able to recite the information one day, forget it by the next day, and then must relearn everything again. Remember, students with dyscalculia may have normal or accelerated language acquisition in verbal, reading, and writing skills. They may exhibit good visual memory for print, but struggle with the simplest mathematics skills.

Some symptoms of dyscalculia you might observe, particularly in younger children, include difficulty: understanding place value, quantity, number lines, carrying, borrowing, and positive/negative values; solving word problems; sequencing information; organising steps in mathematics operations; handling money and making change; recognising or using patterns when adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing; understanding time concepts such as days, weeks, months, seasons, quarters, or telling time on an analogue clock; and keeping place value of numbers lined up on a page for solving different operations.

Older students may exhibit the above symptoms, as well as have difficulty: recalling timetables; being on time; recollecting names and faces; calculating mental mathematics (mathematics facts, time, and money); grasping concepts of applying rules, formulas, or a sequence of operations (algebra); visualising hands on a clock; recalling or

finding geographical locations on a map (pointing out states, countries, continents, oceans, etc.); learning the finger placement on an instrument or sight-reading music; keeping up with physical directions in dance (step sequences) or athletic games; remembering how to keep score in games or losing track of whose turn it is; and planning ahead strategically to win a game like tic-tac-toe, chess, checkers, or card games.

How Can Teachers and Parents Help?

Parents should voice concerns to teachers regarding their child’s poor mathematics performance early on, especially when the student is performing in an average range or excelling in other subjects. Some strategies for helping students cope with mathematical difficulties are to: allow the use of counting on the fingers and use of scratch paper; allow and encourage students to draw diagrams or pictures of math concepts; allow and encourage the use of graph paper to help keep place values of numbers in line; use coloured pencils to distinguish problems; use manipulative counters, tokens, etc. to help calculate basic operations; use mnemonic devices to learn mathematical concepts or order of operations (as in algebra with the acronym - Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally - parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add, subtract); help students memorize mathematics facts by using music and/or rhyme; drill and practice concepts on a computer, on paper, or with flash cards; and help students connect mathematical concepts to all aspects of daily living (preparing recipes, reading and calculating time schedules, paying bills, making change, etc.).

Parents and teachers should keep documentation and copies of papers that seem to mirror the student’s difficulties with concepts that should have been well mastered by his/her chronological age.

Documentation of difficulties and the strategies already in use to remediate maths skills is important to present to the special education team before administering a formal evaluation. Within this evaluation, the specific skills that the child struggles with will surface. Once the evaluation identifies these skills, teachers and parents can work together to help the student manage the dyscalculia disorder. Hiring a tutor or therapist familiar with teaching strategies for those with dyscalculia may be another alternative.

Edited article from Handy Hand-outs: www.handyhandouts.com.

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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, These are the last couple weeks in the first term, and what an eventful term we have had. All children have now been introduced to many areas of the Montessori classroom and are working well. For a lot of our children this will be their first introduction to the Montessori Programme.

National Day Celebrations

Creating the National Flag with our handprints

Colours of the National Flag

Our National Day Celebration was a big success. A special thank you to all the parents who volunteered their help and resources. We truly appreciate your involvement. Thank you for your support. Do not forget to visit our Festivity Tree Area, located just outside the Nursery Office. There you will be able to see some of the nursery children’s work related to different festivals. For National Day, each class made handprints on the National Flag.

During our Culture Topics of Personal Hygiene and Healthy Eating, followed by community Helpers, Drs. Nicolas and Asp. visited the Nursery children on 25th and 29th November with their Small Mouths Programme. Through stories and puppets the children were introduced to basic oral hygiene, healthy eating and the effects of plaque. The children went home with goody bags containing a free toothbrush and an information leaflet for the parents.

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Over the course of this term, our teachers have spent many hours reading to the children. Hearing new words and full sentences not only helps in building their vocabulary, but has also set free reign to imagination. It has helped to calm the children, especially when they get fretful and restless. I will not be saying anything new when I write that books teach children about relationships, situations, personalities, and what is beautiful and what is sad in the world they live in. Books provide material for imagination and free play. Fairy tales fascinate children, and help them distinguish between what is real and what is not. Books teach children thinking skills early. When you read to your child, he learns to understand cause and effect, he learns to exercise logic, as well as think in abstract terms. He learns the consequences of actions, and the basics of what is right and wrong. Keep reading….

On that note, I would like to wish you a safe and happy winter break. See you in the New Year.

Garima Kapoor Nursery Coordinator

National Day Celebrations

Nibble Fingers– balance the knobbed cylinders

Pre reading skills—Matching words with beginning sounds

Reading to friends

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FOUNDATION STAGE/YEAR 1 NEWS Dear Parents, Internationalism and Culture Awareness At this time of year we celebrate the festivities of the UK by inviting Santa to the school to meet the children. I would like to take this opportunity to provide some information on Santa and how the character came to be a main focus of the festivities.

The Man Behind the Story of Father Christmas/Santa Claus St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century AD in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money. He was also a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it. There are several legends about St. Nicholas, although we do not know if any of them are true.

The most famous story about St. Nicholas tells how the custom of hanging up stockings to get presents in, first start. It goes like this: There was a poor man who had three daughters. He was so poor; he did not have enough money for a dowry, so his daughters could not get married. (A dowry is a sum of money paid to the bridegroom by the brides parents on the wedding day. This still happens in some countries, even today.) One night, Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and into the house (this meant that the oldest daughter was then able to be married.). The bag fell into a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry.

This was repeated later with the second daughter.

Finally, determined to discover the person who had given him the money, the father secretly hid by the fire every evening until he caught Nicholas dropping in a bag of gold. Nicholas begged the man not to tell anyone what he had done, because he did not want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got out and when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that maybe it was from Nicholas. Due to his kindness, Nicholas was made a Saint. St. Nicholas the saint of children.

How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus In the 16th Century in Europe, the stories and traditions about St. Nicholas had become very unpopular. But someone had to deliver presents to children at Christmas, so in the UK, particularly in England, he became 'Father Christmas', a character from old children's stories (in Scotland he's more commonly known as Santa).

In France, he was then known as 'Père NÜel'; in Germany, the 'Christ Kind'. In the early USA his name was 'Kris Kringle'. Later, Dutch settlers in the USA took the old stories of St. Nicholas with them and Kris Kringle became Sinterklaas' or as we now say 'Santa Claus'.

Many countries, especially ones in Europe, celebrate St. Nicholas' Day on 6th December.

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In Holland and some other European Countries, children leave clogs or shoes out to be filled with presents. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklaas's horse, they will be left some sweets.

St. Nicholas became popular again in the Victorian era when writers, poets and artists rediscovered the old stories. The moral of the story is to be kind and giving, to give not to get back, but to give to help others; as many other cultures alike.

Happy holidays and for all that celebrate at this time of year, Merry Christmas.

Susie Mcshane KG Coordinator

FS2 News “Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” ― Maria Montessori. It is very pleasant to see how the children are becoming self-assured, confident and independent.

Alongside working with various Montessori materials; showing their responsible and considerate behaviours, we recently covered the topic ‘Healthy Eating’; it was a good opportunity to discuss with children the significance of a healthy life style.

The children have had some busy time filled with excitement. After the trip to Al Jalila Centre we celebrated the UAE National Day and enjoyed an outdoor picnic followed by various activities such as; Art & Craft, Henna and Face Painting.

This week we had our Art Workshop - it was amazing to see how children enjoyed and produced some really good pieces of art. The children of FS are putting their efforts in preparing for the upcoming winter concert - we look forward to welcoming all families.

We would like to thank all the parents for their continued support, especially to the parents who came to help us in making UAE National Day an exciting experience for the children.

We wish you all happy holidays and Christmas to those celebrating.

FS2 Team

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Year 1 News The United Arab Emirates 44th National Day celebration was a day filled with fun and laughter. It was wonderful to see the whole school community come together and enjoy the day and honour the country which has become home for so many of us. I would like to thank all the parents who helped out with the preparations, Henna and face painting which the children really enjoyed and to the parents who very kindly donated decorations to their children’s class.

It is always nice to see how all the children are coming along so well and helping each other all the time and taking on the role of an additional teacher. The children are into the Montessori work cycle and are working with all the materials according to their own level of development. Due to this fact, in Language, learning varies from sound recognition, blends, building phonetic words, reading stories to writing simple sentences with a capital letter and a full stop. In Mathematics, the students have enjoyed working on number recognition1 – 20/50/100, matching numbers to quantities, Ordinal numbers, sequence, units of time, skip counting by 2’s and 10’s and place value.

The children are getting more familiar with playing circle time numeracy games and also enjoy mental mathematics. In science, Year1 classes are doing different science topics each week. We have read many books and done many fun activities and experiments related to each topic. The students were observing, predicting what might happen, testing those predictions, and making sense of observations.

As always, we are thankful for the continuous support we receive from our parents especially with regard to our themes. The literature and resources that are sent in is much appreciated and enjoyed by all in the class.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Students and Parents, It has been a very productive term, and we continue to reflect and drive for continuous improvement Towards Excellence. We are pleased with the progress our children are making and would like to thank you not only for the continued partnership in your child’s education but also for your strong support and appreciation of school efforts. You are your child’s first school and teacher and your engagement and involvement in your child’s learning journey is of extreme importance.

In the recently concluded KHDA inspection, our students’ positive attitude and relationship with peers and adults was commended upon and this would not have been possible without your engagement and trust in our systems, policies and procedures.

We have enjoyed an action packed end to the calendar year with: field trips, National Day celebrations, winter concert, IBT examinations , assemblies and of course, the recently concluded BSO/KHDA inspection 2015. Management, staff and students join hands to thank PARIS and the parent community who volunteered their time and made the National Day celebrations a great festive, colorful and learning experience for all. I would also like to extend our special appreciation to the Emirati community for their generous support and for their particular contributions to the cultural and traditional aspects of the day.

I am happy to inform you that starting January 2016, exercise books will be sent home on a weekly basis.

This will help in keeping you more informed on student progress and the quality of work accomplished in the classrooms. I request parents to acknowledge exercise books are seen and provide constructive feedback to the teachers on the template pasted on the cover of the exercise books. This will also provide parents with the opportunity to discuss the classwork with the children.

For those travelling back home for the vacations, please keep in mind that we will soon be getting ready for International Day celebrations. This is always a good time to bring back any artifacts, national dress and other items, including the national flag, if possible.

All of us at RIS would like to wish you happy holidays and Merry Christmas to those celebrating the festival, a safe journey to all travellers, and a peaceful and prosperous 2016 to all. Please encourage children to engage in some reading activity every day to provide that literary stimulation and pursuit on school holidays.

We look forward to welcoming students and parents back on Sunday, 03rd January, 2016. Gentle reminder ,students are expected to wear the correct school uniform including the school jumper.

Best wishes

Happy Holidays

Zeba Khan Head of Primary School

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year 2016

ICT @RIS Primary School Our students have been working on different apps. to use technology for creative work and logical reasoning . All classes have been working on projects related to winter theme. The various applications used are MA Paint, animation, Scratch, Thinglink, Padlet and MS Powerpoint.

Year 2 Year 2 have had a great few weeks, filled with many exciting activities. We went on a fieldtrip to Ski Dubai as we have been learning about the different weather climates in Science. We had loads of fun building snow men, making snow angels and going on the rides. We had a huge National Day celebration where we learnt a song in music class and sang it for the whole school.

In English, we have been learning how to write exciting sentences using adjectives. Some of us have continued to write our own fables. Last week we read the fable ‘The hare and the tortoise’. We discussed the moral of the story and how we can learn from this in our everyday lives.

In mathematics, we have continued to explore 3-D shapes and their properties. We now know how many faces, vertices and edges most 3-D shapes have. We have also been on a learning walk around the school to look for many of the shapes we have studied.

In science, we reviewed different types of materials and their properties. We linked this with our adjective work in English.

Year 2 Team Year 3 Year 3 has had two short, but very busy weeks. In English, we have continued with adventure stories. We have also expanded our knowledge of Place Value and comparing numbers as well as estimating different numbers. Year 3 also began learning about the different life processes and various famous people who have influenced the way we live today, such as, Pablo Picasso and Nelson Mandela.

Whilst always eager to learn and focus on our academics, we were all also quite keen on the UAE Sports Day that was celebrated here at RIS. Everyone was dressed in their House colours and the students enjoyed the different tasks set out for them to do. They were encouraged to be healthy and fit not only on special days, but rather every day. Everyone had loads of fun.

We were all excited about celebrating the 44th National Day of the United Arab Emirates. The students all enjoyed learning about the cultures and traditions of the UAE and were proud to sing the National Anthem to all our guests at the National Day celebrations. The students wore traditional dress and the National colours with pride and explored the different facets of the UAE culture with enthusiasm on the day.

Year 3 Team

Year 4 News The Year 4 students went on their Field Trip on Tuesday, 8 th December. We visited Dubai Museum and it was a great opportunity for students to experience the culture and history of the environment which we live in. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

In Social Studies, students have engaged well with the topic of the UAE. We have learned a lot about the different Emirates over the past few weeks and we have created Venn diagrams on the differences and similarities of past and present times in Dubai.

In Science, we finished up our habitats topic. The children are confident in explaining the different habitats in our environment, animal adaptions to these habitats and human interference with animal habitats. We have moved on to the states of matter topic-solids, liquids and gases-with some interesting experiments that lie ahead.

In Mathematics, we have been reviewing word problems that link to addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The children have been working hard on choosing the appropriate strategy to solve different word problems.

In English, students have finished up their practice of poetry and the use of metaphors in poetry. We are now introducing our class novel Flat Stanley. Some of the children got great snaps of them with their own ‘Flat Stanley’ on this week’s trip. We look forward to learn about the adventures of Stanley.

Year 4 Team Year 5 News We have been very busy since the beginning of the academic year, learning to collaborate together as a team as we embark on a learning journey together.

We covered various topics so far, from geometry and measurement in mathematics, to states of matter in science. Along the way we have conducted many experiments, completed group work research presentations and enjoyed interactive, hands on mathematic lessons. The students have produced some amazing inventions and did very well presenting them to their peers.

We have also enjoyed some special event celebrations throughout the term. It started with our informative assembly about the different countries and cultures of the students in Year 5. The other events we have enjoyed are: the annual Beach Run, National Day celebrations and National sports day activities.

It has been an action packed first term and we all look forward to seeing what the remainder of the academic year brings. Year 5 wishes you all safe travels to those families who will be off on adventures.

A happy New Year and a restful winter break.

Year 5 Team

Year 6 News Year 6 has been very busy over the last two weeks. The children have been hard at work across all areas of the curriculum as well completing assessments and taking part in some events around the school.

On Thursday, 30th of November the school celebrated UAE National Day and the Year 6 children took part in numerous activities during the day. The children got to learn about UAE culture which will help them in their current Social Studies topic on the UAE. The highlight of the day was the children’s excellent performance of “Spirit of the UAE” and Year 6 was well represented in the choir and on stage.

Last Monday, the children took part in the UAE National Sports Day. This resulted in each class competing against each other in football, basketball and a relay race organized by the PE department. It was a lot of fun and the children enjoyed the competitive nature of the event as well as having some extra time out in the sunshine.

This week the children have completed their end of unit assessments across all subjects and have done themselves proud. A big thank you to parents for the hard work put in revising over the holidays. We will finish this week with a trip to Dubai Museum as part of our UAE topic in Social Studies. This will give the children a hands on experience to see what Dubai was like in the past and how it has dramatically changed over the years. The information taken from the museum will help them throughout the remainder of the UAE topic.

Over the final week of this year the children in Year 6 will be reflecting on their trip as well as presenting their Social Studies projects on the UAE. In English, they will be developing their comprehension skills with a festive themed comprehension week. In Mathematics, they will be continuing the measurement topic by looking at area and perimeter while in Science we will continue to investigate changes in materials.

Finally the Year 6 team would like to wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable winter break.

Arabic A News Reading Programme Implementation of the initiative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Nahyan to read. We have started this reading programme, and this aims to support students in their reading skills development and thus develop writing skills and communication in classical Arabic.

We encouraged students to donate Arabic stories. And they take courage and donated with a good number of books. We hope this will be a very successful programme, and that it will make an obvious difference in the students’ level generally in Arabic.

And here are some pictures showing how the programme is developing.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL Message from the Deputy Head—Secondary School Collaborating at the Career Fair Raffles International School (RIS) hosted its first ever Career Fair in conjunction with Intelligent Partners on Sunday, 6th December in the Sports Hall. The event, designed to help Year 10 students understand the various academic pathways possible, as well discuss possible university courses with regional and international institutions, was an overwhelming success.

Students from Collegiate American School (CAS) and Dubai International Academy (DIA) also attended the Career Fair. After the event, all RIS Year 10 students were grouped with International Diploma tudents from DIA to further discuss academic expectations, career choices, life in Years 12 and 13 and how to utilise a variety of study skills to maximise learning. Through this collaboration, RIS students were engaged and most of all inspired by the DIA students words of wisdom. Hopefully our students will be able to reciprocate the favour in the near future. A big thank you to all that attended.

As we approach the end of 2015, all students will soon receive their mid-year reports. These reports will help students and parents understand the progress and attainment made between the start of the year and December in all subjects. It is essential that students discuss their report card with their parents and continue to set targets through their Learning Journals. It is pleasing to see students setting targets for themselves, although much work is required in ensuring they know exactly how to reach them. The website below will help students and parents when discussing SMART targets. http://www.smart-goals-guide.com/smart-goal-setting.html From Thursday, 10th – Saturday, 12th December, Raffles International School will be hosting the Cambridge Schools Conference. This Conference will focus on how teaching, assessment, learning spaces (real and virtual) and leadership will need to evolve in order to enhance student learning in the future. Featured speakers at the Conference are Tony Little (former Headmaster of Eton College), Professor Gordon Stobart ( Emeritus Professor of Education, Institute of Education, University College London) and Dr Veronica Boix Mansilla (Principal Investigator and Steering Committee member at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education). I very much look forward to attending the Conference and sharing best practice with schools 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 School ianp@rafflesis.com

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Year 7 News

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A short time ago Rami Hamzeh represented Year 7 and RIS in the IVEI Olympiad. This is his exciting account of what happened.

On Wednesday, 11th November, 8 students named: Ali Amiri, Rami Hamzeh, Taeyon Jin, Hu Mingqian, Shayaan Hasmi, Ananyaa Rodricks, Mohammad Ishaq and Ahmed Thabit all went to Raffles World Academy (RWA) for the IVEI Olympiad. There were two sessions: the Middle School and the High School. There were six rounds in each session and four teams in this order: CAS (Colligate American School), RIS (Raffles International School), RWA (Raffles World Academy) and DIA (Dubai International Academy). The rounds went in this order: Group English, Group Arabic, Group Mathematics, Single English, Single Arabic and Single Mathematics. The first round, English, was a written spelling bee.

We did quite well tying with CAS for third. In the Arabic round we did the same thing, Arabic was quite a challenge for everyone there. In the mathematics round, we caught up taking second place and the way it worked was we were given a word problem and were expected to finish it within thirty seconds with a super fancy stopwatch (it was a website with a stopwatch operated by someone :P) . The next three things were the same things, but were given to us individually with different words, mathematics questions for all of us. In the Middle School round we did not do the best in the world and scored fourth place. It was really fun.

After the break (the food was really very tasty), the High School team started. The rounds went the same way but were a lot harder than the previous ones. The first round was quite hard for the ninth graders (who were the only graders we hadJ), but they did really well. The Arabic round was pitch perfect as RIS did not get a SINGLE WORD WRONG. Mathematics boggled the minds of all of the contestants as it included the Greek letter (shout out to Theodoros Karamitsos) Sigma.

In the fourth round, the single English round- we lost with the word Microcosmz and CAS got the word happiest - we’ve gotten over it. In the Arabic round we did very well again (goodness the High School Arabic was great), but lost at the fourth round. After the mathematics (which no other student other than the High School student and mathematics teachers understood) was finished we left RWA and came back at 4:30 pm.

It was an amazing experience which will happen in future years and next year, we are going to take that first place. All the Secondary Students who participated found it really fun, unique and most of all, challenging. The Innoventures schools all did well, which made every teacher very proud of their nominees for this Olympiad.

Year 8 News With mid-year assessments taking place this week at RIS, students should take the time to reflect on their study techniques and their effectiveness.

Studying effectively is not a matter of chance. Students who follow the methods below learn more easily, retain material for longer periods of time, and save themselves hours of study time.

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The ten study methods researchers have found that work are: 1. Making and Keeping a Study Schedule Set aside certain hours of each day for study just as you do for nourishment and sleep. Keep the same schedule faithfully from day-to-day. The amount of time needed for study will vary for each individual based on skills with the subject matter. An average of two hours of study each day for each hour in class is recommended. Going to class is only the beginning; the real work begins afterwards.

2. Studying in an Appropriate Setting — Same Time, Same Place, Every Day If concentration is your problem, then the right surroundings will help you greatly.

Your study desk or table should be in a quiet place – free from as many distractions as possible. You will concentrate better when you study in the same place every day.

It’s a mind set. For example, when you sit down at the kitchen table, you expect to eat. When you sit down in an easy chair, you watch TV, etc. Developing the habit of studying in the same place at the same time everyday will improve your concentration.

3. Equipping Your Study Area With All the Materials You Need Your study desk or table should be equipped with all the materials you might need to complete the assignment, e.g., pencils, pens, erasers, paper clips, stapler, dictionary, snacks, and liquid refreshments, etc. For some assignments, you may require a calculator or other supplies. With your materials at hand, you can study without interruption. If you have an answering machine, let it do its job during your study time. You can return the calls after you have finished studying. Taking your snack food and drinks to the study location will eliminate those endless trips to the kitchen which break your concentration.

4. Not Relying on Inspiration for Motivation Can you imagine an athlete-in-training waiting for inspiration to strike to practice in preparation for an event? Of course not. They train daily to stay competitive whether they want to or not. Like the athlete, you must get in training for tests and examinations by doing the assignments and preparing daily through review to be ready for the action.

5. Keeping a Well-Kept Notebook Improves Grades Researchers tell us that there is definitely a relationship between orderliness and high grades. Knowing where to find your materials when you need them is crucial. Keep a special section for each subject in your notebook as well as a semester calendar so that you can write down all important assignments as they are announced. Having all of this information together in one place is vital to your success. A well-kept notebook is a part of good time management. If you’ve ever misplaced an important assignment, you know how much valuable time can be lost looking for it.

6. Keeping a Careful Record of Assignments Put it down in black and white—including the details—and keep it in your notebook. Knowing just what you are expected to do and when you are expected to do it is the first giant step toward completing important assignments successfully and on time.

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7. Making Use of “Trade Secrets”

Flash cards are not just for kids! They are a legitimate study tool. Use the front of the card to write an important term, and on the back, write a definition or an important fact about that term. Carry your flash cards with you. Use them during “dead time,” such as standing in a check-out line, waiting in a doctor or dentist’s office, riding a bus, or waiting at the Laundromat. Keep a set in the glove compartment of your car for long lines at your favorite fast food drive-in restaurant or bank. Post them on your bathroom mirror to review while shaving or applying make-up. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish during those otherwise “dead times.” Think about developing your own “trade secrets” that will improve your study skills.

8. Taking Good Notes as Insurance Against Forgetting Learn to take good notes efficiently as your instructors stress important points in class and as you study your assignments. Good notes are a “must” for just-before-test-reviewing. Without notes, you will need to reread and review the entire assignment before a test. This may require you to read anywhere from 100-300 pages of material in one sitting. With notes, you can recall the main points in just a fraction of the time. The time you spend in note taking is not lost, but in fact, is a time-saver.

9. Overlearning Material Enhances Memory Psychologists tell us that the secret to learning for future reference is overlearning. Experts suggest that after you can say, “I know this material,” that you should continue to study that material for an additional one-fourth of the original study time. The alphabet is an example of overlearning. How did you learn it? Probably through recitation which is the best way to etch material into the memory trace.

Manipulate the material as many different ways as possible by writing, reading, touching, hearing, and saying it. In an experimental study, students who overlearned material retained four times as much after a month than students who didn’t overlearn.

10. Reviewing Material Frequently A student who does not review material can forget 80% of what has been learned in only two weeks. The first review should come very shortly after the material was first presented and studied. Reviewing early acts as a safeguard against forgetting and helps you remember far longer. Frequent reviews throughout the course will bring rewards at test time and will alleviate pre-test anxiety.

Although these ten study methods do work, there is one other component needed when using all of them – taking responsibility for studying by following through on assignments. All the study methods in the world won’t help you if you do not help yourself. As with most everything in your life, your motto should be, “I’m responsible for my success.”

If you put forth the effort to study effectively, the improved skills will soon become a habit and be just as natural as breathing. The result can be better grades, greater knowledge, and higher self-esteem. These skills will also serve you well in your professional and personal life.

Best of luck to all secondary students sitting their mid-year assessments this week.

Year 8 Team

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Year 9 and Year 10

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As the term draws to a close, I would like to congratulate the students for a great start to the academic year and to remind them to keep applying great levels of commitment to their studies. Both Year 9 and 10 students are currently hard at work completing numerous internal assessment tasks for a number of their subjects.

Students will have a number of tasks that they will be working on during the winter break, and I would encourage each and every one of them to find a balance between completing their work, undertaking some level of revision and, importantly, resting so as to return at the start of Term 2 in a good position not only to move forward academically but also mentally prepared for the demands of the next term.

Here are this week’s study tips for successful study habits.

Try to study at the same times each day.

Studying at the same times each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating. When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.

Set specific goals for your study times.

Goals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value.

You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times. *http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills-articles/study-habits-of-successful-students.asp+ Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy break.

ICT@ Secondary School Year 7 Students worked on Google maps, dropping pins on places and finding travel details between places. They designed their own Google map games using umapper.

Year 8 Students learned how to apply Sketch up tools to create Burk Khalifa. They felt the task challenging and was excited to see how a few circles could be converted into a structure.

Year 9 Students learned how to use Photoshop tools to create and manipulate images. They did a project using the crop, clone and colour tools they have learned in the previous lessons. They also did a project on recoloring flowers using UAE national flag colours as a curricular for the National day. http://padlet.com/sajnab/xelezaut4b9o http://padlet.com/sajnab/prqr1w2kieyl Year 10 Year 10 did their ICT mocks in data analysis and presentation authorizing. They also did paper 1 which is theory on input output and storage devices and also on components of computers.

Students were given feedback on their paper with the marking schemes provided by the CIE.

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PARIS

PARIS Dear Parents, What a busy month December has been so far. As part of National Sports day event held in school, PARIS provided refreshments for all students taking part in various activities around the school. They were graciously received by our children and we would like to share some pictures from this sporting day event: We would like to thank our parent volunteers who helped out on the PARIS refreshment table at the recent National Day celebrations. We hope you were able to enjoy a tea or coffee as a token of our gratitude for the support you have given us so far this year. Thank you to Mr. Williams and the teachers for organising a rota system which afforded the children the opportunity to take a photo or a ride on the PARIS sponsored Camel.

The Second Hand Shop is run from the PARIS room every Sunday morning 7:50 am to 8:15 am and afternoon 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm. All items in stock can be purchased at a cost of 20dhs, including new school specification swim hats. The SHS donation box is located behind the reception desk. Please be reminded that the open/close times have changed.

If you would like to share some ideas or have a proposal for PARIS, you can fill out a parent suggestion form at the reception. Please deposit the completed form in the box which is also located in the reception. You may also contact us by email at paris@rafflesis.com A group of Raffles parents have been busy setting up a Seasonal tree in the flag atrium. The tree has been decorated with ornaments which have been hand made by our very talented children in art class. A very special person will be dropping into school this Thursday for a short visit. The children will all get the opportunity to meet him if they wish.

May we take this opportunity to wish you and your families celebrating this festive season a very happy Christmas. To all our families, teachers and school staff, may this joyful season greet you with health and happiness. Our best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing winter break.

PARIS (Parents Association of Raffles International School)