SummeRISe - Issue 99

89 Sunday, Thursday 17 January 21 May 2016 2015 Issue 99 GENERAL GENERAL

NURSERY

KG FS

PRIMARY PRIMARY

GENERAL

Ski Trip

SECONDARY SECONDARY

PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC

IMPORTANT DATES DATE

EVENTS JANUARY

Monday, 18 January

RIS Open Day, 9.00-10:30am

Tuesday, 18 January—Thursday, 20 January

FS Field Trip

Thursday, 21 January

Nursery Sports Day

Sunday, 24 January

Cross Country at DIA U8-U18

Sunday, 24 January—Thursday, 28 January

Science Week—Year 1

Sunday, 24 January—Sunday, 31 January

School Photographs

Sunday, 24 January

British School Overseas Inspection Report - Achievements and the way forward. SLMT meeting with parents.

PD half day noon dismissal Year 1 Field Trip

Thursday, 28 January Sunday, 31 January

February Monday, 01 - Thursday, 04 February

Year 1 Field Trip

Monday, 01 February—Thursday, 11 February

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

Wednesday, 10 February

Nursery - Open Day

Wednesday, 10 February

Art Trip - Year 4 - 6

Thursday, 11 February

Art Exhibition—Nursery

Thursday, 11 February— Friday, 12 February

Camping - Year 4 - 6

Thursday, 11 February

Meeting of Advisory Council

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

Sunday, 21 February

Basket Ball @ DIA U12, U14, U16

Thursday, 25 February

PD half day noon dismissal

Thursday, 25 February—Saturday, 27 February

Year 7—10 Camping Trip

Sunday, 28 February—Monday, 29 February

Book Week—Nursery

Sunday, 28 February—Monday, 29 February

Year 4 Art and Islamic Field Trip

Message from the Principal The Benefits of Bilingualism Over the holiday I read a number of books and articles and I was especially struck by the following article, ‘Why raise a bilingual child? by Olena Cento. With such a diverse and vibrant international community and a thriving French mother tongue programme, I considered the huge benefits of bilingualism and the prospect of extending mother tongue programmes at RIS. I would like to bring to your attention four reasons why every parent should make raising a bilingual child a priority. They are 1) emotional benefits 2) practical benefits 3) educational benefits and 4) cultural advantages.

1. Emotional benefits For the families with heritage language (which is different from community language and is spoken by previous generations) these are usually first benefits that come in mind:  Communication with an extended family —Children who can communicate fluently across cultural and generational boundaries in their family tend to stay closer to those families and rely on them more for support.  If parents’ fluency in the community language is very low then teaching a child minority heritage language will help both sides to stay close as a family. There is more chance for parents to take active role in the lives of their growing kids if the children speak parents’ heritage language.  It simply feels good to express your best parenting feelings in your mother tongue. It brings a special bond, intimacy and comfort with your child (ren).  Not all parents became bilingual because they learned second language as their heritage. Some lived in a different country for a while, learned another language at school or college, or simply have a passion for different languages and cultures. When these people have children, they may wish for their children to experience the same positive emotion and benefits from learning a second language.

2. Practical Benefits Most people bring up the practical aspects of bilingualism as their first reason for wanting to raise bilingual children. In fact, a lot of monolingual parents want to raise bilingual kids mainly because of practical benefits.  Travel is a good practical idea to start younger children on. It is especially true if at least one of the languages a child is learning happen to be a very commonly-spoken language like Arabic, English, Mandarin, English, Spanish, Hindi, Russian, French, Italian or German.  A second language can mean job opportunities. Globalization has brought a lot of changes and new work positions into the market. Understanding this benefit, a lot of parents enroll their children into foreign language education as early as 2-3 years old. Although English is the primary language of business and commerce in the world, the demand for multilingual professionals is steadily increasing.  Learning two languages early in life makes it easier to acquire more later on.  Knowing two or more languages opens the doors to the information presented in all of them: professional information, literature in the original language, online resources, and cultural heritage.

3. The Educational Advantage Child development specialists have many theories and arguments about the specific ways in which bilingual education trains and shapes a child’s brain. We already know many specific advantages unique to bilingual individuals, and particularly children raised bilingual from an early age:  Bilinguals score higher on average on tests involving creative thinking or problem-solving.  Early reading skills tend to come more easily to bilingual children. Learning two languages makes them aware of language as a tool they can use rather than a passive part of their environment that they have no control over.  Early bilingual training increases a child’s ability to focus on mental tasks. The bilingual experience familiarizes children with the process of puzzling out ideas as well as physical surroundings while they are still pre-verbal infants.  Bilingual children develop stronger overall skills in their primary language as well as their secondary.

Most of these advantages only become measurable in children with steady and advanced development in two languages. Real proficiency with more than one language, on the other hand, will give a child a lasting educational advantage going on in life.

4. The Cultural Advantage Deep understanding of another culture comes with knowing the language of that culture. Bilingual children are better trained to immerse themselves in other cultures than monolinguals:  Bilingual children are more likely to have an interest in the cultures that speak their second language, whether it is a “heritage” language or not. This can manifest early in life as an active interest in different educational avenues.  Children raised bilingual are more likely to show tolerance for other cultures at a young age.  In an increasingly globalized world, the ability to deal comfortably with multicultural experiences is a powerful advantage.

Important notes on Bilingualism Many of the advantages described here will show up most strongly if you start bilingualism in your child’s early age. Adults can acquire the same skills and strengths through bilingual training, but it happens much more slowly. Most of these advantages only become measurable in children with steady and advanced development in two languages. We always want to give our children something extra to enrich their experience, to equip them better for their professional and personal life, to prepare them better for their journey — and bilingualism can be a great tool for developing your child’s full capabilities.

For the full article go to http://bilingualkidsrock.com/why-raise-bilingual/ Another good read is, ‘Bilingual is Better’ by Rita Rosenback http:// multilingualparenting.com/2014/01/22/bilingual-is-better-the-advantages-of-speaking-more-than-onelanguage/ If you are interested in starting up a mother tongue programme at RIS would you please contact my secretary, Ms Sandra Afonso sandraa@rafflesis.com who will arrange a mutually convenient meeting time.

Key events/ dates for your diary: Staff Professional Development 28.01.2016-half day for students- Information Technology, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Child Protection training Week beginning 24.01.2016 SLMT feedback and Q and A session post British Schools Overseas Inspection Report- Achievements and the Way Ahead Advisory Council meeting 11.02.2016 to be confirmed Staff Professional Development- 25.02.2016- half day for students- Council of International School Staff Training- Self Study Committees- parent and student representation and feedback to be reviewed Please note that as from 14.01.2016 you should be receiving on a weekly basis, samples of your child’s schoolwork- parental dialogue and feedback is very much appreciated.

Michael William Clack Principal

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Football Finals

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

RIS

The U8s, U9s, U10s and U11s played in the Dubai football finals. The RIS staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing against some of the best schools in Dubai. In total, there was over 1,300 students involved from about 40 schools. The links for the highlights of the each day are below. The U9s finished in third place in the Division 7 with some excellent performances from Jose Maria Ropero to score a rocket of a goal to win the last game. The teams deserved to finish third and are looking forward to building for next year. The U10s were nothing short of remarkable in their efforts to win Division 4. The team finished runners-up in the league and narrowly lost out to a more physical GEMS side. The boys and Alicia were exhausted from the hard fought first game which they narrowly won 4-3. Visa and Iiro Viita put on a great passing display that ended in four goals and a win to secure a final. Well done to all teams and Mr Aeham and Mr O’ Brien for their commitment.

Full Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14O3k7rbTZ8 U8-Finals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqs9g-1hST8 U9-Finals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxP20_qah6Q U10-Finals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xgkuiHVpvw U11-Finals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0wov2IPv8k

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Eco adventure camping trip Dates for Primary School – 11th – 12th February Dates for Secondary School – 25th – 27th February Please make sure all money is deposited to the Accounts Department at RIS no later than Wednesday, 27th January at 4.30pm for both the Primary & Secondary camping trips. All information will be handed out during assemblies this week.

Sports days coming up end of January/Start February Year Group FS Year 1 Year 2

Day & Date 15th February 16thFebruary Sunday 31st January

Year 3 Year 4 Year 5/6 Year 7 - 10

Monday 1st February Tuesday 2nd February Wednesday 3rd February To be confirmed

The RIS PE department are looking forward to an exciting and busy 2016. Please remember to contact Mr Nolan with any queries with ASA’s. (thomasn@rafflesis.com)

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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, January 2016 At the outset, I would like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone. I do hope 2016 brings all of us closer to our dreams. The first term came to a grand end with a lovely party.

A big welcome to the new students that joined our Montessori Family this term.

Salma paints on her first day January is going to be the month of cultural explorations for the young learners of our Nursery.

Transportation, The Sun and Solar System will be introduced to the children in the simplest of forms, which they would understand and absorb. So much to look forward to.

Term 2 is always one of realization, no matter how many years a teacher has spent with children. Seeing the children blossom with their unique personalities, it is so rewarding to know that we are playing a role in their foundation years. At this stage, the children are more confident than when they first began, having made friends, established a bond with their teachers and being guided by learning at their own pace.

Keeping this in mind, our teachers are working very hard to put together Learning Journals along with the children. These will give you an insight into what your child is doing in class and celebrating achievements. Please continue to fill the ‘WOW’ notes whenever you notice something special in your child’s development. Please also take a minute to read the communication books and write back to us whenever you feel the need. A two way communication between the parents and teachers is integral to each child’s development. We would like to know of any changes that may have happened at home which you feel may be relevant to your child’s day at school.

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FS

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Parents are kindly reminded that if your child turns 4years by Thursday, 31 st December 2016, and you are interested in a place in Raffles International School Nursery or Raffles World Academy (2016-17), the Nursery to School transfers should have been completed online by Thursday, 14 th January 2016. After this, children of the Nursery will lose priority and the school admission system will be opened for external candidates as well.

Last but not least, in case your child has received an injury at home, of any kind, however small, kindly make sure that you inform your child’s class teacher in person at drop off time, or via a written note in your child’s communication book. This will enable us to make sure that any required precautions can be taken.

Garima Kapoor Nursery Coordinator December Party

Party—Picnic style

Puppet Show

Singing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Jourie Painting

Discussing growth of our plants

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FOUNDATION STAGE/YEAR 1 NEWS

Dear Parents, It is nice to hear the halls full with the laughter of the children again. Welcome back, I hope you all had a refreshing holiday, and spent fun times with your friends and family.

During the second term in Year 1 the children will have the opportunity to think creatively whilst putting together their own stories. This will take place during the Creative Writing sessions. You will be able to read these stories as the children will be taking them home for you to see. Our topic this week was, ‘My Weekend.’

In Foundation Stage, the children will be exposed to home learning. Your Homeroom teachers will let you know when this starts. Topics and the Weekly Chronicle are emailed to you ever Thursday. You will see all relevant information on these two documents.

Please visit our website for a reminder of the school uniform. Children are expected to come to school in the correct uniform, daily. If you have not done so already, please provide your child with the correct Raffles jumper for these cold mornings at this time of year.

Susie Mcshane KG Coordinator

FS News Reiterating the first few months of school, the children are continuing captivating information from the prepared environment at their own pace. They display a better understanding of class rules, grace and courtesy is evident as they work alongside each other with respect. They are continually demonstrating additional self-confidence while working independently with the lessons that derive interest.

“To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.”

Maria Montessori

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In the last two weeks of December, the children enjoyed working with the theme topic “Healthy Eating.” They were introduced to the food pyramid and the importance of a balanced diet, water intake and exercise. They were able to follow their diet during snack and lunch time and demonstrated an awareness of the food groups.

Our next theme topic is “The Solar System.” The children will be introduced to outer space, asteroid belt, atmosphere, appearances and properties of the Planets. They will be able to compare the other planets with the Earth.

The Winter Concert was a huge success, the students performed on stage with great pride and enthusiasm. It was lovely to see their excited faces ready to participate in front of the huge audience. They displayed a great deal of confidence, this is a commendable effort.

FS Team Year 1 News Welcome back and a very happy New Year. We would like to welcome all of our families back from the winter break, holidays and festivities. We hope you all had a restful and joyous holiday.

As we get back to school, we must remember that the development and safety of children at RIS are our first priorities.

In the words of Maria Montessori, “The adult must recognize that he/she must take second place, endeavour all that they can to understand the child, and to support and help him in the development of his life. This should be the aim of the mother, the father and the teacher.”

In the coming days and months, we strive to make sure that our children are at the centre of everything we do, we must continue to assist our children on the path of learning and discovery; establish good routines, habits and order within the lives of our children.

The children are gearing back into work mode, and it is our aim to make sure they are developing in every aspect. They are enjoying exploring the materials and enhancing their mathematical and language skills; a prime focus being on reading simple stories and writing simple sentences.

Please continue to help us in encouraging the children in wearing the correct school uniform, sweaters and jumpers should be with the school logo.

We look forward to your support and cooperation in making the learning journey of our children a memorable one.

Year 1 Team

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PRIMARY SCHOOL Dear Students and Parents, Happy New Year and welcome back. I am sure all the children had a lovely break with family and friends.

During the assembly last week it was lovely seeing the Year 2 children so enthused with being back in school and were so eager to get back to work. The children commented on missing their friends, their teachers and the learning at school.

I am happy to inform you that in 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 completed in the classrooms. I would like to request parents to acknowledge exercise books that 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.

As a mother of a Year 2 child in the school, I feel it is important that we are informed on our children’s progress week to week. As parents we can consolidate knowledge of topics covered in the classroom, enhancing our child’s overall learning and understanding of the curriculum being taught.

Uniform reminders Please ensure your child wears the correct school jumper and or sports jacket / fleece as the weather is getting colder. Black shoes are compulsory with uniform and trainers are permitted only for PE days. Girls are allowed to wear tights but they should be white only without coloured patterns please. It is important for the children to look smart, it shows respect for their appearance and creates a good impression when we have visitors to the school.

BSO Report Following on from Mr Clack’s last SummaRISe, he had confirmation from the CfBT Educational Trust that Raffles International School is now recognised as a British Schools Overseas. I am extremely delighted with the British School Overseas report it has shown Raffles International school to have many strengths, I have chosen some quotes below that highlight the fantastic attributes of our school: “The curriculum provides exciting opportunities for the children to learn through discovery.”

“A particular strength is the quality of music across the school.”

“Teachers make very good use of the resources and facilities available to them to stimulate interest and to introduce learning activities. ICT is used effectively and pupils are competent in the use of tablets and personal computers.”

“Keeping pupils safe is taken seriously and is a priority for this exceptionally caring school.”

“Pupils respect each other’s cultures and are genuinely interested in the welfare and culture of peers from other countries”

I look forward to building on these strengths with your support as parents so that RIS can grow from strength to strength and to work ‘Towards Excellence.’

I look forward to supporting you through this New Year, where I know and believe the children at Raffles, will work their very best to achieve the highest standards.

Jasmit Kang Deputy Head of Primary School Years 1- 3 Year 2 News In Year 2, we have been very busy throughout our first semester and are eager to dive back into our school work after returning from the holiday. We kicked off the week with writing about our holiday and sharing interesting stories about what we did and where we travelled. We worked on explanatory writing and learned about words with prefixes like “un” and “dis.”

In Mathematics, we continued to practice telling time and played some fun games to help us remember how to skip count by five. We also completed a Kahoot quiz on the iPads which was a big hit.

In Science, we learned about the Earth and how it spins on its axis and causes day and night. Some students were able to analyse the information they learned about the Earth, comparing our current Earth with an Earth that does not rotate around the sun. Excellent work Year 2, you are becoming such wonderful critical thinkers.

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”.

-- Native American Proverb Year 2 Team

Year 3 Team The Year 3 team would like to wish all the parents and students a very Happy New Year and best wishes for the term ahead. We have really enjoyed our first week back and the students all had very exciting holiday stories to share.

In English, students are working very hard to learn the format for writing formal and informal letters. We are looking forward to reviving the art of letter writing as the students continue to improve their skills.

In Science, the topic of forces has been introduced. Students have been conducting experiments to explore the forces of pushing and pulling. During one experiment, the children greatly enjoyed using a straw and a ball to explore the different use of forces.

In Social Studies, the students have been learning about various famous people who have made a great impact in life. These include Walt Disney and Wolfgang Mozart.

Year 3 Team Year 4 News The Year 4 team would like to wish all the students and parents a very Happy New Year and best wishes for the Term ahead. The past week has seen all students get back to work after the holidays and it has certainly been a packed schedule.

In English, we have been busy with our studies from our fiction text, Flat Stanley. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this humorous text and have completed a wide range of activities. From making predictions about the next piece of text to creating their own Stanley’s, to creating an alternative beginning to the story, there have been lots of opportunity for creativity and imagination to shine through. Everyone has been busy writing their letters to a friend asking them to take Stanley on an adventure overseas. We have been emphasizing the importance of always looking to improve one’s writing and have completed first and second drafts of this piece of writing.

In Mathematics, the focus has been on measurement. The topic was introduced this week and is being studied in great detail. Students had the opportunity to explore the different units of measurements as well as the different instruments we use to measure. They have completed length and weight investigations where the students moved to different stations making estimations and answering questions on the length and weight of certain objects. The children have been taught using a range of instruments including metre sticks, measuring tapes, scale balances and measuring scales.

In Science, Year 4 have continued with our studies of solids, liquids and gases.

Children are becoming ever more familiar with recognizing and classifying the different materials and how change occurs from one state of matter to another. In the Science laboratory children investigated the melting of ice and the melting of wax – making predictions about timings and discussing the reasons for and effects of change. We have also introduced new vocabulary such as physical and chemical change and particles as the students continue to develop their scientific understanding.

In Social Studies, our study of the UAE is completed this week with a full review and revision of what we have studied. Our trip before the holidays brought us all around Dubai and we were able to view many of the sites and features of Dubai such as the Palm, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall that we had looked at in class. The children are now moving on to explore all about The Romans.

Year 4 Team Year 5 News Happy New Year. I hope you all enjoyed your winter break.

In Year 5 we had a busy month in December. 5C took part in their assembly based on their inventions and they did a wonderful job. We have explored with capacity and area and perimeter in mathematics, solid, liquids and gases in Science. In English, we created wonderful persuasive brochures for RIS and Dubai and even began persuasive Debates which we will continue throughout January.

Do not forget UAE National Day and our Walkathon for charity which were a great success, we had great fun in Year 5. We had a lovely few days before the winter break and we learned Jingle Bells in Gaelic (the native Irish language) we also created a lovely winter tree to show our collaboration as a class.

We will be exploring Time in mathematics this month, which is a tricky concept so ensure you know the basics Year 5.

Year 5 Team Year 6 News Welcome back to a brand new year. We wish everyone the very best for the year ahead.

Year 6 are progressing well into the academic year as evidence by the results sent out before the holidays. This year they will also be working hard on skills like independent work/group work collaboration and critical thinking. Lessons in the class embed these skills which are necessary tools for success as they transition to the middle school later in the year.

Learning is becoming more ‘hands on’ in various subject areas. Students apply the knowledge and skills regularly to real life situations. Science lab activities continue to keep students engaged and they are enthusiastic about writing lab reports and extend to solving real life problems. In Mathematics, they have made floor plans for homes using area and perimeter. In English, students are exploring poetry and their features which will culminate in writing poems. In the unit on UAE, the Government and Armed Forces are being discussed in the classrooms.

In the coming weeks we look forward to various activities like Sports Day, Overnight Camping trip, Innoventures Talent Contest. School photographs will be taken in the month of February and exact dates will be provided closer to the time.

In Year 6, students have an opportunity to enroll themselves for the Primary Model UN After School Activity. This is a club that simulates the UN assembly and is represented in many schools worldwide. For those who thrive on public speaking, problem solving and conflict resolution on various issues facing the world this would be a great platform to start off from. We look forward to as many of you joining the club. We are also running Mathematic and English intervention ASA’s for those who need extra support in these areas to make progress over the next term.

Year 6 Team ICT@RIS – Primary School We welcome our students back from the break. This term is going to be very exciting, as we have many upcoming ICT events. Our annual ICT exhibition TerchnoRISe 2016, Interclass touch typing competition, quiz competition and Tech. leaders selections.

Year 1 students have started working with text using Microsoft Word.

Our Year 2 students have been using EDMODO on the iPads to answer quiz, take a poll and work on applications using the app launcher. They are using online PowerPoint presentation to present information in various ways.

Year 3 students are learning to edit images using various web based application. Year 4 to 6 participated in the Hour of Code event which took place worldwide in the week before the school closed. All our students enjoyed themselves thoroughly solving puzzles using codes.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL Message from the Deputy Head—Secondary School Dear Parents and Students I would like to wish all students and parents a Happy New Year and hope that 2016 brings happiness, health and excitement.

Over the winter break, I am delighted to announce that Mrs. Leena Atkins has joined Raffles International School as the Head of Mathematics/Teacher of Mathematics. Mrs. Atkins brings with her a wealth of educational experience from the UK and UAE and will teach a range of mathematics classes across the Secondary School.

As we begin a new year, there is a lot to look forward to at Raffles International School. This week, all Secondary students will begin working on the Young Apprentice Project. This highly successful initiative that was launched last year provides students the opportunity to collaborate and use cross-curricular skills to ultimately design a game that they will sell on Family Fun Day. Working on Business concepts whilst using skills from mathematics, English, art and design helps our students understand the importance of making connections across the curriculum. Detailed information regarding Family Fun Day will be distributed to all parents in the coming weeks.

Upcoming Innoventures school competitions will also give many of our students the opportunity to demonstrate their talents in a wide range of areas. The first event on the calendar is the X-Factor to be held at DIA on the Wednesday, 27th January 2016. Auditions are currently taking place in school and more information can be obtained through the Music and Art departments. In February, there is the Literary Soiree held at RWA and an Athletics meet at the Dubai Police Officers Club. In March, students will challenge other IVEI schools in a chess competition as well as debate in a Model United Nations challenge. Looking further ahead, three students will be selected to represent the school at a TEDx Youth event. For further information about any of these opportunities, please contact your son/ daughters Form Room teacher.

On Thursday, 18th February RIS will celebrate International Day. This popular event is a wonderful opportunity for students, parents and teachers to come together and celebrate the rich diversity we have in the school. 96 nationalities are represented at RIS and if you would like to get involved to organise a table/display for your country please contact Ms. Turnbull directly: emmat@rafflesis.com Please can all parents make sure that they have signed and returned the consent form for the upcoming school photographs. This is immensely important and all forms should be received by your son/daughter’s Form Room teacher before the schedule begins.

Just before the winter break, many of our students represented RIS at the Cambridge Schools Conference (hosted by RIS). Over 400 delegates from across the world participated at the event and had the opportunities to share best practice in the field of education.

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From the feedback provided from the organisers and delegates, our student ushers were highly commended and certainly at the top of the list.

Having watched them in action over the three days, I was extremely proud and thoroughly enjoyed observing them engage with and help others.

As always, if you would like to communicate with me regarding anything related to the Secondary School at RIS, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail, give me a call or stop by the office.

Ian Plant Deputy Head of Secondary ianp@rafflesis.com

ICT@ Secondary School Year 7 The challenge this week was to design and publish websites on the planets , the target audience being Primary students. Our students rose to the challenge by designing age appropriate websites Year 2 - Year 6.

Year 8 Students learned how to make a drawing of an object using an image from Google. They used various tools in sketch up to make a 3d model of the same image.

Year 9 Students were given a brief description on the Photoshop project for the tech week coming up. They researched for a project and are working on the same.

Year 10 Year 10 completed their holiday past paper and evaluated the same with the marking schemes. They practiced the spreadsheet paper and evaluated their work using mark schemes.

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Year 7 News After the fun and indulgences of the holiday season, going back to school can be a less than thrilling prospect so here are a few tips that can help you get back into the right frame of mind and get motivated for the new term:   

Exercising and eating well can help.

Setting some goals for the year or even just the term.

Getting involved: a good way to get back into things at school and possibly make new friends is to become involved in activities or clubs – sign up now.  Having something to look forward to: this year we have some exciting trips lined up including camping trip and the overseas visits.  Reward yourself: rewards can be an effective means of getting things accomplished.

Let us not forget HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid new scheme to get us all reading more books this year.

“Reading opens minds, magnifies hunger for knowledge and instils the values of openness and moderation that define great civilisations,” he said.

So last but not least, pop down to the library and pick up a book to get you into the swing of things.

Year 7 Team

Year 8 News Happy New Year to everyone. In Year 8, there is a big focus on ensuring student Learning Journals are updated. It is crucial that all Year 8 students reflect on the learning each month and document it in their journals, specifically highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement.

Some of our Year 8 students recently took part in the school ski trip to Switzerland. Accompanied by Miss Ryan and Mr. Williams, the students had a fantastic time on the slopes and even managed to visit museums to learn about aspects of Science.

Next week, Year 8 students will be involved in debating competitions during assembly time. Mr. Scott has put together a detailed schedule of debating topics for the students to prepare and work on. This opportunity will enhance our students public speaking, listening and questioning skills.

Please feel free to watch the debates in assemblies on Tuesday mornings between 7:30am and 8:00am in the Lecture Theatre.

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Year 9 & 10 News I would like to welcome everyone back and wish you all a very happy new year 2016. It is so wonderful to see all the students in our school again and I would also like to welcome some new students who have just joined our Year 9 and 10 sections. We have many activities and events planned for this year to make sure students receive the best possible experiences and opportunities within a positive and caring learning environment.

Just want to remind you about the International Young Leaders Conference which is taking place later in February. If you would like your child to participate in this wonderful experience please return the application form which was sent out earlier in December. Also, I would like to encourage you to join your child’s Edmodo account in order to be able to see Y9/10 announcements, assignments, homework etc.

Here is couple of more tips for successful study habits Start studying when planned.

You may delay starting your studying because you do not like an assignment or think it is too hard. A delay in studying is called "procrastination". If you procrastinate for any reason, you will find it difficult to get everything done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.

Work on the assignment they find most difficult first.

Your most difficult assignment will require the most effort. Start with your most difficult assignment since this is when you have the most mental energy. [http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills-articles/study-habits-of-successful-students.asp] Years 9-10 Team LIBRARY REVAMPED The new look with a lot of new titles in the collection. Story corner styled for the International Day with the flag of different countries displayed from the roof. Library Monitors - Anastasia Viazmenskaia 6D and Anastasia Armyaninova 6 C has been actively participating towards the upkeep of the Library.