Dragon Tales
Issue 14: August - October 2013
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this edition of Dragon Tales. If you would like to submit an article for the next issue please make sure you do so by Friday 13th December. If you are a student or a member of the teaching staff please submit your article to Mr Jon (Primary) or Ms Kim (Secondary). Other members of the community should submit their articles to Ms Rachael.
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from the Director Dear VIS Community, The first quarter of 2013-‐14 has been a busy one for our school. We have welcomed around 100 new students to our classes and begun some brand new courses. I am very pleased that we can now greet students with Ni Hao as we have commenced Mandarin Chinese in our primary grades. This new language choice has been popular and complements our French and Mother Tongue language classes very well. I am also very pleased that we have commenced swimming classes in our new pool. Along with weekly lessons for our primary students, our middle years students will each have at least one unit of study in PE at the pool. It was terrific to see our first classes working up rouMnes in synchronized swimming.
The co curricular programme has also been strengthened through the addiMon of the pool with our swim team and development squad doubling in size. The following pages will give you an insight into the courses, acMviMes and events that we have enjoyed during the first quarter. Our Dragon Tales are a great way of seeing what internaMonal educaMon looks like at VIS. Please share it with your friends and family across the world. Best regards
Greg Smith
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Interpreting Artifacts 09
Celebrating Peace 10
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Science Across The IB Curriculum 18
MRISA Leadership Summit 26
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Primary Reflections Jon Davidson Principal The Primary Years Programme is a liVle like a jig-‐saw. When designing learning engagements we need to balance a number of aspects such as skills, concepts aWtudes and knowledge. In September we saw these factors come together in a demonstraMon of what it is to be an IB student. September 21 st is when an esMmated 5.6 million people worldwide celebrated peace. InternaMonal Peace One Day has become an established part of the calendar at VIS and this year was no different. Details of the acMviMes can be found elsewhere in this ediMon of Dragon’s Tales, but I would like to concentrate on just one – our Poems for Peace.
exploring the concept of what poetry is, gaining knowledge of the different forms of poetry and bringing the aWtudes of commitment, creaMvity and empathy to the task. One feature that really shone out on that Friday a`ernoon, however, were the skills displayed by our students. As each of our students stood to read out their poems in front of at least five hundred people, they presented their work in a clear, arMculate and eloquent way. Everyone present could not help but be impressed with those Primary School students who stood in front of a large audience and communicated in such emoMve ways.
Grade five had been working on their poems for some Mme;
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Grade 6 Students Install Their PYP Exhibition Work at COPE The ExhibiMon is an opportunity for students to bring together their learning from the Primary Years Programme in a culminaMng unit to share with the whole school community. It is a process for students to demonstrate aVributes of the IB learner profile and a collaboraMve inquiry which involves students idenMfying, researching and taking acMon on a variety of issues of global significance. The ExhibiMon demonstrates the students’ ability to be independent and responsible learners and provides an authenMc assessment of their learning.
Last year saw many varied, imaginaMve and exciMng inquiries as part of our ExhibiMon. The overarching central idea for the ExhibiMon was. “InnovaMon transforms our world”. One group o f s t u d e n t s ( K e l l y , Y u r i e , KonstanMn & JT) made their own central idea and were inquiring into “Organisa*ons help and educate communi*es”. As they wrote at the Mme: “We are looking at organisa/ons that work with UXO clearance in Lao PDR. We are also looking at communi/es affected by UXOs in Lao PDR. We have a guiding
ques/on that connects the exhibi/on u n i t a n d o u r i s s u e . H o w d o organisa/ons innovate to create solu/ons?” Despite having moved into Grade Six this year, the group eagerly took the chance to share their work with a broader audience and so they helped install their work at the COPE centre. We are extremely proud of these students who were able to exhibit their work and showcase our school to hundreds of visitors from around the world.
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Learning in the Real World Class trips probably make up the fondest memories we all have of our school days. At VIS we make numerous visits to places in the community that support our learning. When Grade Two were looking at how “Human interacMons with natural habitats impact living things” they visited the Mekong and looked at how humans had changed that habitat. It is not always necessary to go that far afield. Many of our most powerful learning takes place much nearer home. When Grade One were looking at the properMes of maVer they only needed to go outside with an ice cube and a way of recording what happened. Through using the tools of a scienMst they discovered that water could change from a solid to a liquid – but then where did it go? In Grade Five students are again encouraged to think like scienMsts, wriMng up experiments and predicMng what will happen. This “class trip” went just across to the secondary school and called on the experMse of our wonderful science teacher – Ms. Carol Seymour. Besides having lots of fun they needed to display a range of skills. They used their research skills to make predicMons and form a hypothesis. They idenMfied constants and variables, collected and recorded data using a variety of tools and their observaMon skills. Class trips have many purposes, perhaps the most important is that trips bring learning out of the classroom and into the real world. Our students become scienMsts through being scienMsts. They are inspired, challenged and prepared to be learners for life.
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Artifact Interpretations Visual Arts Ms Linda Kent In line with our curriculum Visual Arts at VIS are someMmes taught as a “stand-‐alone” subject, but o`en as a way in which we can inquire into a unit’s central idea. As Grade Three were looking at the idea that “InterpreMng arMfacts provides an insight into people’s histories”, we decided to make our own arMfacts that told a story and represented our histories. Firstly the students created designs in their process journal, then, using bowls brought in from home, they each made a papier mache base and decorated them carefully. Paying parMcular aVenMon to the colours and symbols that they used to be certain they represented each student’s unique story. Here are some examples of what the students achieved. I am sure you will agree that they are decoraMve, but also contain powerful symbols, expressing each student’s individuality.
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Celebrating International Peace One Day Grade 5 Peace Poems The world is around us The world is wide What about the folks inside There is peace in some places but not in all That's just too Bad for the Big blue ball around us.
Peace can be anything you just have to believe its true, your idea of peace is part of you
Peace is the feeling of calmness And of the dove as it sores the sky Peace is the time of NO violence And a time when we create new friends Peace is about being caring And spending time with your family Peace is a time when a truce covers the world like a golden cloud
By Sophie
By Elsie
By Gabriel
Peace Is Every Thing Peace is a graceful dove and a beautiful flower A blossoming bud, in a white lake of lilies, bursting with fragrance
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Peace Peace becomes eco-friendly Olive branches persuade me to feel peaceful Peace helps me to achieve many things Peace is superior against war Fair means even Ying Yang means peace and war Contributing to people helps you to become a better peace maker By Liam
THE DEFINITION OF PEACE Peace can be as quiet as doves’ wings Or white flags rustling in the wind Peace can be as loud as trumpet blasts Or a battle stopped before won Peace is everywhere You just have to find it It’s not hard Just try By TenTen
I don’t know why people fight They should make friends I don’t know why people bully They should be caring open minded and balance But I do know why people make peace because now they are happy.
By Patrick
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Secondary Reflections Kim Green Principal
provide our learners with skills for self-‐directed and interdependent learning, empower our learners to be criMcal thinkers and problem solvers, ensure that understandings and skills transcend generaMons, Mme and disciplines, prepare our students to be successful learners for life.
our learners understanding of how they learn -‐ Approaches to Learning,
through criMcal thinking, through meaningful and relevant learning & assessment, through challenge & rigour, by developing enduring understandings, through the wide range of components Holis*c Learning that are integral to our programmes, such as; personal, social and health A fundamental concept of an IB At VIS we do this through the a educaMon, community, service, and educaMon is that it is holisMc. It is i n q u i r y -‐ b a s e d a p p r o a c h t o c r e a M v i t y , i n f o r m a M o n l i t e r a c y , important for us to deliver a holisMc curriculum delivery, by focusing on reflecMon and acMon. educaMon to
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Over this semester there have been many opportuniMes for parents, students and teachers to come together to celebrate our commitment to our community of learning and understand more about the holisMc educaMon delivered at VIS. Thank you to our parents and students who aVended the Secondary Expo Night, Co-‐Curricular Expo, SALSA informaMon sessions, Three Way Conferences, Parent W o r k s h o p s t h r o u g h T h r e e W a y C o n f e r e n c e s , C o l l e g e / U n i v e r s i t y InformaMon Sessions and introducMons to t h e M i d d l e Y e a r s a n d D i p l o m a Programmes. These opportuniMes are provided for our students, parents and teachers to connect and are designed to build relaMonships which ulMmately lead to create strong, posiMve partnerships between home and school. It is important for us to provide all of our community with understandings of what our learners will know, understand and be able to do. In addiMon to face-‐to-‐face workshops I strongly encourage all of our community to access Managebac and the VIS Website for curriculum informaMon.
Celebra*ng Achievement Over the course of a school year we celebrate student achievement through many different forums. Dragon Tales, A s s e m b l i e s , A w a r d s C e r e m o n i e s , ExhibiMons and Showcases. At the end of each school year our students who have completed their journey through the IB Diploma programme also celebrate their achievement when they receive their results in July. In this ediMon of Dragon Tales you will be able to see the highlights from the 2013 VIS IBDP Candidates. I know that all of our graduates were prepared for their new inspiring and challenging adventures in life and warmly congratulate them on their successes.
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A Snap-‐shot of Life Long Learning Each year our teachers conMnue to be inspired and challenged through ongoing learning opportuniMes. The following is a snap-‐shot of examples of life-‐long learning First Aid All of our secondary teachers have been parMcipaMng in first aid training prior to aVending SALSA. The training has included general first aid and resuscitaMon skills. We are grateful for the support of our School Nurse Moe Moe in this training and extend our hearnelt thanks to Brooke Morvinson for giving her Mme, experMse and for facilitaMng the sessions. Feedback for Effec2ve Thinking
On their return to VIS Suzanne Mazi, Nicky Shaw and Patrick Durkin are facilitating peer learning opportunities for their colleagues. We are excited to have the new skills and ideas return to VIS and value the two workshops that have already been led by our three VIS teachers – Effective Strategies for Thinking and Effective Strategies for Feedback. Learning 2.013 This conference is organized by a commiVee of educators and supported by The AssociaMon of China and Mongolia InternaMonal Schools (ACAMIS) and the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS). Learning 2.0 has always strived to be a conference where the focus is on learning and on what that means in our current technology-‐rich environments. It features many thought provoking keynote speakers and presenters from schools around the region. Lucas Clarkson aVended this conference and has returned to VIS inspired to bring new and progressive thinking into our classrooms.
This conference was organized by The AssociaMon of China and Mongolia InternaMonal Schools (ACAMIS) and featured Dylan William, Ron Ritchhart and Judy Willis, all instrumental thinkers within the education community. The key focus of the conference was to explore the Collabora2ve Task Based Learning for following four key ideas; the MFL/ESL Classroom Workshop 1. The purpose of education is to develop individuals who can effectively think with what they know. 2. Feedback plays a central role in developing effective thinkers. 3. Learners think most effectively when they understand their own learning process. 4. Effective feedback helps learners to be active participants in their own learning process
Olivier Gueval aVended this workshop and has returned with ideas and strategies to share with his colleagues. Since his return he has facilitated a workshop ‘Use of technology in learning and teaching with second language learners. The workshop he led for his colleagues introduced two web tools w w w . d o m o a n i m a t e . c o m a n d www.storybird.com in addiMon to the so`ware Audacity. IB Regional Workshops
These three inspirational leaders helped our VIS participants (Suzanne Mazi, Nicky Shaw and Patrick Durkin) discover new ways of making thinking valued, visible and actively promoted in the classroom.
These are designed to be subject specific w o r k s h o p s f o c u s i n g o n t h e s u b j e c t requirements. They aVract aVendees from variety of IB schools. This quarter MarMn IlMs
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aVended an IB Regional Workshop for Language and Literature. Teachers Teaching Teachers A wide range of secondary teachers have provided workshops, learning clinics and professional support to each other during our workdays and on Tuesday’s for example: Library resources and your curriculum; EffecMve Thinking Strategies; Back to the Basics with Managebac for Mother Tongue Teachers; Applying Learning Strategies; CitaMon methods; Understanding Learning Needs (using data); Understanding CAS and the role of the CAS advisor; ConnecMng to and Building Library resources ; DifferenMaMon of Content & Assessment; Close Reading Protocols. It is exciMng and inspiring to see our teachers teaching teachers. Thank you to everyone who h a s c o n t r i b u t e d t o c r e a M n g t h e s e opportuniMes. In addiMon learning and development has occurred in collaboraMon with the students for example; Personal Project, CAS and Community Service sessions. Connec2ng with the IB Community I am very proud to congratulate Jonathan Smedes and Claire Butler-‐Walker who have recently completed IB Workshop Leader Training. I also am proud to congratulate Carol Seymour, Jonathan Smedes and Claire Butler-‐ Walker who have completed their IB School Team Visit Member Training. They join the IB Educators Network and will represenMng VIS and the IB when leading IB Workshops and parMcipaMng in IB AuthorizaMon and EvaluaMon visits around the world. This quarter I had the opportunity to facilitate an IB Inquiry in the MYP workshop at an IB school in our region. It is always inspiring to work with colleagues to further develop understandings and explore how the IB frameworks can be brought to life in our classrooms.
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Action in the MYP Jonathan Smedes MYP Coordinator The beginning of a school year is
promote international-mindedness by
our students with the opportunities
always an appropriate time to revisit
engaging with and exploring other
and values that will enable them to
the fundamental concepts of the MYP
cultures, a key feature of international
develop sound judgments.
(Middle Years Programme). These
education as reflected in the
encourage parents and students to
three elements guide the manner in
attributes of the IB learner profile
look at the learning experiences
which teaching and learning is
Communication—representing
taking place at VIS and make
approached in the MYP and are
the notion that schools should
connections to these fundamental
essential when looking at what sets
encourage open and effective
concepts in order to revisit what an
the MYP apart from other curriculum
communication, important skills that
MYP education is all about.
frameworks. These three fundamental
contribute to international
concepts are:
understanding as exemplified by the
Holistic learning—representing
attributes of the IB learner profile.
the notion that all knowledge is
When I look at the various learning
interrelated and that the curriculum
experiences taking place at VIS, it is
should cater to the development of
clearly evident to me that the
the whole person, the attributes of
fundamental concepts are at the
which are described by the IB learner
heart of what we do. There is an
profile
acknowledgment that adolescents are
Intercultural a wa reness—
confronted with a bewildering array
representing the notion that school
of choices and these learning
communities should encourage and
experiences collectively help prepare
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*Information adapted from MYP: From Principals into Practice, Aug 2008
The IBMYP Information Session The IBMYP informa*on session on 21st August was an opportunity for all parents to find out more about important elements of the programme. In my absence, this session was led by Jennifer ThorncraM and began by outlining the big picture elements of the MYP, such as the Learner Profile, The fundamental concepts and the Areas of Interac*on.
Of specific interest was informaMon relaMng to assessment and the use of criteria. This was also the focus of two parent informaMon sessions that took place during three way conferences on 8th and 9th October. To summarise the focus of these sessions, formal assessment in the MYP is criterion related and students can expect feedback against the criteria. This feedback is intended to help students improve when undertaking future criterion based assessments and is very much seen as ‘assessment for learning’. Criteria between subject areas vary depending on the nature of the subject and the criteria used will only be if it is relevant for that parMcular assessment. One way to become more familiar with criteria is to access student assessment informaMon using managebac. Parents at these sessions were encouraged to talk with students about assessment feedback and use of criteria.
If you were unable to aVend any of these sessions or would like further informaMon about anything MYP related, please feel free to come to see me in room 3123 or contact me on jonathans@ourvis.com
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Scientific Inquiry across the IB Continuum
Introducing the use of data logging technology – the temperature probe. There has been a serious “buzz” in the science wing of secondary this semester and it hasn’t just been the MYP and DP students. Semester one has seen a variety of PYP classes using the science labs for their units of inquiry as well. Here are a few snapshots of what has been happening in Science across VIS. Grade 12: In their final year of the Diploma Programme, Grade 12 students conMnue to complete laboratory hours in Physics, Biology and Chemistry. The pracMcal aspect of the experimental sciences is essenMal in complemenMng the theory being learned.
Grade 11: VIS has introduced a fourth subject to the experimental sciences this year: Sport, Exercise and Health Science. It is an exciMng addiMon to the more tradiMonal Biology, Chemistry and Physics that is offered. All four courses show the interconnectedness of the theory and pracMcal work. Grade 10: Unit ques*on: To what extent do advances in gene*c technology affect society? Students have been inquiring into the structure, uses and changes that can occur in DNA and the effect this can have on reproducMon and inheritance. As acMviMes to get students interested, we
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Students make observaMons of colour change and odour
extracted DNA from bananas and replicated Gregor Mendel’s historical pea plant experiments in class. Students are c u r r e n t l y r e s e a r c h i n g a g e n e M c technology to use to answer our unit quesMon. Some examples include GeneMcally Modified Foods, DNA FingerprinMng and TherapeuMc Cloning. Grade 9: Unit ques*on: To what extent does our understanding of rates of reac*ons improve society? A ` e r l e a r n i n g a b o u t a u n i t o f measurement essenMal to chemistry, the mole, students inquired into reacMon rates and were also introduced to some important laboratory skills. A`er making connecMons between the experiments
Learning to light a Bunsen Burner and safely heat a substance
(Photo Opposite) WaiMng paMently to see what will happen to the vinegar and baking soda experiment and the chemistry that is occurring students went on to inquire into the topic more deeply. Some are doing this through planning their own experiments whilst others are wriMng essays to answer our unit quesMon. Grade 8: Unit ques*on: How do the structure and bonding of different materials affect their func*on? Students have spent the semester preparing a “Gallery Walk” to introduce the different types of chemical bonding. A`er displaying their
understandings they are now applying it in the laboratory. Students are tesMng different properMes and funcMons of materials to see how the bonding is affecMng their use. Grade 7: Unit ques*on: How can we use the scien*fic method to collect accurate and reliable evidence? Students have been compleMng a lot of laboratory work this unit and gaining a beVer understanding of the scienMfic method as a system used to gather evidence and look for relaMonships in data. Students are currently compleMng their final assessments by inquiring into a factor which might affect the pH of a substance. Grade 6: Unit ques*on: How can skills improve my ability to inquire in Science? As they transiMon from primary to secondary one of the biggest changes for some students is life in a Science laboratory. So much new and specific language and equipment is needed to be able to inquire in Science at an academic level. Grade 6 students began the semester learning these skills to prepare them for the later units of the semester. Grade 5: Central Idea: Energy may be converted, transformed and used to support human progress. The science labs were turned into an energy circus for a morning while the grade 5 students inquired into some energy changes. From combusMon to solar cells, the students made predicMons and observaMons about the changes they were seeing. Students were also able to work on their recording and communicaMng skills. Grade 2: Central Idea: The choices people make affect their health and well-‐being Near the end of their first unit of inquiry the grade 2 students came to the science labs to look at some of their food under various microscopes. Students were able to look at what happens to foods such as bread and mango when it is le` out too long. They pracMced taking notes and making drawings of what they saw as a form of observaMon. Grade 1: Central Idea: Proper*es of ma]er determine how people use it As a provocaMon and introducMon to their new unit, Ms Seymour went to visit the grade 1 classes to show them some interesMng and dramaMc experiments. The focus was on predicMon, recording and observaMon. Students used drawings, words and symbols to represent what they saw. Students have followed up the introducMon with learning about states of maVer and are beginning to ask their own quesMons such as: “Why does water go up when you put something in it?”
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ACTION IN THE DP In Term 1 of the 2013 – 2014 Academic year, our DP students have hit the ground running. Our IBDP 1 students (Grade 11s) have been seVling into their subjects (including Theory of Knowledge) and making decisions about Higher Level and Standard Level subject choices. At the October 8 & 9th Three Way Conferences, these choices were discussed with students and families who were asked to make iniMal selecMons by October 17.th There will be flexibility a`er this date up unMl the end of Semester 1. IBDP 1 students also began the CreaMvity, AcMon and Service (CAS) element of the Core component and are now meeMng on a regular basis with supervisors. Students will also be supported and inspired by our CAS Coordinator Mr BreV Derickson. IBDP 1 students will begin the Extended Essay in December.
Teresa Foard, DP Coordinator
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Our IBDP 2 students (Grade 12s) have been working hard on compleMng their Extended Essays. They have had two important check point deadlines with their supervisors, August 29th and September 18th. These points were opportuniMes for teachers to give students, in the first instance verbal feedback and in the second instance, feedback against the Extended Essay assessment criteria. The final dra` for the Extended Essay is November 20th. It is not possible to obtain an IB DP full Diploma without receiving a minimum of a D in the Extended Essay. Other important events coming up in Semester One for our class of 2014 are as follows:
IBDP 2: Semester 1 Important Dates 5 November
Group 3: History/Geography IAs due
18,19,20,21,22 November Grade 12 Focus Week 20 November Final Extended Essay 3-‐10 December Mock Exams 11, 16 December TOK Focus Days
The VIS IBDP 2013 results are something of which the enMre VIS community can be very proud. It is clear that without the tremendous support, guidance and care of teachers, parents and the wider VIS community that success in such an academically challenging programme would not be possible. A central proponent of IB philosophy is its emphasis on the whole child including, fostering the ten aVributes of the IB learner profile. To do this, IB educators and parents play their role in encouraging and modelling these aVributes. CongratulaMons to VIS for being the type of community of learning that enables our students to be academically successful and to develop into internaMonally minded global ciMzens with exciMng pathways in life.
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IBDP Information Session It was a pleasure to meet parents with our Grade 11 Diploma students at my first VIS IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) InformaMon evening in August. This cohort of students, are the largest ever at VIS to move into the IBDP and will become the graduate class of 2015. The evening was an opportunity to share the structure of the IBDP programme with parents and students, to highlight its academically rigorous nature and to emphasize the high regard that the IB DP is held in by universiMes. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the impressive results of our 2013 cohort. To pursue a full IB Diploma, students are required to pursue three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects. They must also undertake studies in the Core elements including Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE) and CreaMvity AcMon and Service (CAS). To successfully be awarded the Diploma, students must receive 24 points or above out of a possible 45 points. The IB has educated nearly 1 million students since it was founded over 40 years ago and has a reputaMon among universiMes for quality educaMon, high standards, consistent and rigorous assessment. Given that our IB DP Cohort of 2013 achieved an average of 31 points, which is above the global mean of 29.80 and, that 80 % graduated with Bilingual Diplomas, we can be confident that we are producing learners who have very exciMng academic pathways ahead.
MRISA Leadership Summit Laurie Derickson Counsellor This year six VIS students had the opportunity to aVend the 2013 MRISA Leadership Summit at Hanoi InternaMonal School. These students had the opportunity to collaborate and develop leadership skills with 42 other students from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This year the conference focused on building effecMve communicaMon skills among our student leaders. Over the course of the Summit, students engaged in team building acMviMes as well as Mme for personal reflecMon on their own leadership qualiMes. The students le` the conference ready to become new Omnesque inciderint nec at, minim commodo vim te, in paulo consectetuer est. Alileaders in the VIS an community. quyam moderatius nec. Hinc impedit est ea. Vix quas bonorum neglegentur at, an
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Peer Support This August, VIS welcomed a new 6th grade class to the secondary building. As a school, we understand that moving from the primary to the secondary building can be an exciMng and nervous Mme for students. Our 9th graders have been preparing for their arrival since May 2013. In May, these students invesMgated how best to communicate with students of this age and to forecast what quesMons or concerns they might have as new students. We looked at communicaMon styles and how to be a leader in a discussion.
acMviMes geared specifically for them during this Mme of transiMon. Together students discovered how to handle logisMcal pieces of secondary life, such as finding their classes and uMlizing their planners. In addiMon, students were able to develop friendships and bonds with a mentor student through a variety of team building acMviMes. On behalf of the secondary students and faculty at VIS we would like to welcome the Class of 2020!
During the first week of the 2013 school year, our 9th grade students supported the new 6th grade class with two days of
Visual Maps showing Class Schedule
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Counselling Corner
‘Transitions’
“Sabaidee”… My name is Laurie Derickson and I am the new counselor here at VIS for the secondary school. I am excited to be part of the VIS team. Please remember I am here to support you and your student during this secondary journey! Feel free to email or stop by my office at any Mme with any concerns or quesMons. This month I wanted to talk to you about transiMons. TransiMons are a part of our lives no maVer how old we are and are especially prevalent within an internaMonal community. TransiMons can be an exciMng and stressful Mme for anyone, but even more so for children. Even when the change is posiMvely anMcipated, such as moving up to the secondary school or moving into the DP program, facing the unknown can create great anxiety. As we grow older change in school typically entails a larger building, more freedom, more compeMMon, and more demands academically. Furthermore, students are expected to start to take more responsibility for their own academics and social life. It is normal and expected that parents will feel concerned as their children begin to adjust to these new changes. Many parents will ask, “What can we do to help our child during this transiMon period?” Listed below are some Mps that might help parents and students during this Mme: 1. Emphasize the posiMve – Help your child to idenMfy the posiMve aspects of the change (e.g. more freedom, more choices) 2. Develop a rouMne – Having a rouMne in place is parMcularly important during this Mme. (e.g. together decide a quiet place where your child can study every night, establish a certain Mme during the evening when your son or daughter will complete their homework) 3. Help your student get involved – Research has shown that students that are acMvely involved in a`er school acMviMes perform beVer in school and develop stronger social networks. 4. Talk to your child – ParenMng is all about communicaMng with your child. Make Mme each night to talk to your child about his or her day. 5. Seek out assistance – When concerns do arise please remember that we are here as a school to sup-‐ port you. Please email anyMmeJ UnMl next Mme…. Laurie Derickson School Counselor lauried@ourvis.com “The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his /me each day.” Orlando A. BaMsta
A Choice of Great Impact Choose, my friend, you Have the power to choose, whether Our path, whether your path will a great one Or one of great Suffering. Peace and war. Each a tempting choice, but you must choose. Peace. Do not be afraid. Everything will be easy. Absence of change, of worry Come, we will soothe your fears Even mighty lions will be as placid and accepting as lambs. Oh, dear Reader, who will you choose? Now we must Remember Lady Peace’s vulgar brother: Why war? War is the sport of men! Young boys Always dream of commanding an army. It’s in our blood! Real men do not fight the urge to fight! Have you chosen yet? Do see black and white, or only grey? Do you choose to dream, or fight, or will you go neither way? I’ve already chosen, friend, but now it’s not my time. I only hope you have been helped, by my humble rhyme. By Amelie, Grade 5