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Newsletter 11, November 9, 2017
Dear Parents,
I wanted to thank those of you who attended to PTA Parent Information Session' yesterday. I was delighted to see that more than 40 parents turned out to hear me talk about the new International Curricula that we will be implementing at the school. This was the first of a series of Parent Information Sessions that we will be running to ensure that you are fully informed and up to date with the process.
As promised, I have included documents, videos and web links that I used yesterday. As you can see above, I have provided you with a sample unit from each of the programs. Please click the on each of the pictures above to view the unit.
Additionally, I have included a copy of the powerpoint presentation here.
The Kath Murdoch videos page that I screened here.
Two more videos that interview teachers about the program here and here.
And finally, here is the link to the Fieldworks Education website which is the company that produces the program.
I hope you find all of this information useful and not too overwhelming. I look forward to working together with you in the future to increase your understanding and familiarity of the programs.
Teachers have already begun their professional development with the new curriculum and last Friday they participated in planning sessions. I have included some photos in the photo gallery at the end of this newsletter.
Parent-Teacher Conferences this Friday from 10am to 6pm
Please remember that Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place tomorrow between 10am and 6pm. There will be no school for students on this day. If you are an ES parent, you should have already signed up for your time slot so if you have yet to do that please contact your child's teacher asap. MS teachers would have also communicated how their day will work. To assist parents with what to expect and how to prepare for the parent-teacher meetings, I have attached an information sheet that was produced by Harvard University. I strongly encourage you to read this short document prior to the meetings on Friday. Please click this link to open the document.
CEESA Soccer
I was delighted to have the opportunity to watch the Middle School Girls soccer team compete last Friday and Saturday. I was not only impressed with the skills and talents on display over the two days, but also the sportsmanship and camaraderie shown between the girls from various schools. I am sure that many new and long lasting friendships were made over the two days. It was also lovely to see so many parents and fellow students supporting the girls.
Girls coaches report - The MS Girl Soccer Tournament in Skopje is over. We've had two exciting days and wonderful games. The fact that the games for 3rd and 1st place were decided after penalty shootout says enough about the quality of the teams and level of play. The sportsmanship level was incredible and the all the girls enjoyed the positive atmosphere on the fields. The girls are tired, but there are no serious injuries. Their positive attitude and enthusiasm made this event a great experience, and we enjoyed hosting it.
Boys coaches report - The Middle School Boys travelled to Kiev for their competition and managed to also perform well in the true sprit of sportsmanship. After arriving at the school in the morning, the players headed to the field to play the last matches of the tournament. In NOVA's first two matches we showed relentlessness and dominated the game. These games qualified us to play in the finals for the 1st or 2nd place trophy. The NOVA team was brimming with excitement before the game. Our team played hard and showed resilience on the field. Unfortunately, we did not win and instead came away with the second place trophy. We are extremely proud of our NOVA players and the perseverance and collaboration they showed throughout the tournament.
The tournament website has been updated with the scores from all matches, and the photos will be uploaded during next week.
Calendar Dates
In addition to the school development day for teacher training on November 24, there will an additional day added to the end of the Winter Break for students in EMS. The return date for students will now be Wednesday 10 and not Tuesday January 9 as previously advertised. This extra day is in lieu of extra day that staff and students will work on Friday and Saturday December 8 and 9 (Friday is Saint Kliment Ohridski's Day and usually a public holiday) when the EMS Winter Performance will take place. Friday is the full dress rehearsal and Saturday is the performance. More details will come out shortly about this performance.
Principal's Round Table
An initiative that I have successfully used in other schools, is to hold an informal coffee and cake meeting with a small group of parents from a variety of backgrounds and grade levels, where we can sit and have a general chat about the school. I plan to hold a meeting about once a month. I will shortly be contacting some parents to invite them to join me. I hope that this will open up yet another opportunity for the school to not only receive some feedback, but also listen to suggestions as to how parents can be more involved in setting the future direction of the school.
Label clothing
Now that winter is approaching, your children will be arriving wearing winter jackets, hats and gloves. They are required to remove them during class time and invariably some items get lost or mixed up. Can I please request that parents ensure that their child's name is clearly labeled in all items that they bring to school? This will make the job of the teachers much easier and hopefully avoid your child coming home with lost clothing.
Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?
During the week I read an interesting article that discusses the need for children to "start fighting". It's not as bad as it sounds but certainly resonates a little as far as developing social skills.
When Wilbur and Orville Wright finished their flight at Kitty Hawk, Americans celebrated the brotherly bond. The brothers had grown up playing together, they had been in the newspaper business together, they had built an airplane together. They even said they “thought together.”
These are our images of creativity: filled with harmony. Innovation, we think, is something magical that happens when people find synchrony together. The melodies of Rodgers blend with the lyrics of Hammerstein. It’s why one of the cardinal rules of brainstorming is “withhold criticism.” You want people to build on one another’s ideas, not shoot them down. But that’s not how creativity really happens.
When the Wright brothers said they thought together, what they really meant is that they argued together. One of their pivotal decisions was the design of a propeller for their plane. They squabbled for weeks, often shouting back and forth for hours. “After long arguments we often found ourselves in the ludicrous position of each having been converted to the other’s side,” Orville reflected, “with no more agreement than when the discussion began.” Only after thoroughly decimating each other’s arguments did it dawn on them that they were both wrong. They needed not one but two propellers, which could be spun in opposite directions to create a kind of rotating wing. “I don’t think they really got mad,” their mechanic marveled, “but they sure got awfully hot.” Click this link to read the rest of the article.
Student Services News
As part of our regular parenting tips from our school counsellor, there is an additional article about parent-teacher meetings.
Parent-teacher conferences. Those three words make many parents nervous. It's understandable: Parents fear hearing the worst about their child's progress and performance, and teachers can sometimes be intimidating. Here are ten strategies to help you rid yourself of any pre-conference anxiety and make the meeting a productive step toward your child's education. Follow this link to read the full article.
Bullying info for parents
Please follow this link for a variety of information for parents to support their child if they feel like they are getting bullied at school.
Technology Tips
This week our technology tips section, will feature some outstanding webpages that have been produced by our MS students. Please follow each of the links to view their creative pages. Their names are included in the weblink.
http://andijegeni.weebly.com/
https://alexsavu.weebly.com/
https://matteopiazzalunga1.weebly.com/
https://recipestoconsider.weebly.com/
http://l00sechange.weebly.com/
http://eniangelovska.weebly.com/
https://emirhankutluu.weebly.com/
http://blazhendimov.weebly.com/
http://damjankoneski.weebly.com/
http://lukazafirov.weebly.com/
http://maksimcigovski.weebly.com/
https://stefannpopovski.weebly.com/
http://studentcouncilnova.weebly.com/
Photos this week
This week we have a selection of photos from around the school that include the CEESA Girls Soccer, the PTA Morning Tea, staff training and photos from the MS assembly where they were involved in some teamwork and cooperation games.
There is also a very special photo of Florence Garrett who volunteers at our school. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, she competed in Paris in the DSISO Swimming Championships. As you can see by the haul of medals around her neck in the photo below, she had a wonderful swimming meet. Her medals were for the following events: Bronze - Butterfly leg of the 50m relay, Silver for the 100m Backstroke and Gold for the 50m Backstroke. We are all very proud of her achievements. Well done Florence.
Russell O'Neill
EMS Principal
I wanted to thank those of you who attended to PTA Parent Information Session' yesterday. I was delighted to see that more than 40 parents turned out to hear me talk about the new International Curricula that we will be implementing at the school. This was the first of a series of Parent Information Sessions that we will be running to ensure that you are fully informed and up to date with the process.
As promised, I have included documents, videos and web links that I used yesterday. As you can see above, I have provided you with a sample unit from each of the programs. Please click the on each of the pictures above to view the unit.
Additionally, I have included a copy of the powerpoint presentation here.
The Kath Murdoch videos page that I screened here.
Two more videos that interview teachers about the program here and here.
And finally, here is the link to the Fieldworks Education website which is the company that produces the program.
I hope you find all of this information useful and not too overwhelming. I look forward to working together with you in the future to increase your understanding and familiarity of the programs.
Teachers have already begun their professional development with the new curriculum and last Friday they participated in planning sessions. I have included some photos in the photo gallery at the end of this newsletter.
Parent-Teacher Conferences this Friday from 10am to 6pm
Please remember that Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place tomorrow between 10am and 6pm. There will be no school for students on this day. If you are an ES parent, you should have already signed up for your time slot so if you have yet to do that please contact your child's teacher asap. MS teachers would have also communicated how their day will work. To assist parents with what to expect and how to prepare for the parent-teacher meetings, I have attached an information sheet that was produced by Harvard University. I strongly encourage you to read this short document prior to the meetings on Friday. Please click this link to open the document.
CEESA Soccer
I was delighted to have the opportunity to watch the Middle School Girls soccer team compete last Friday and Saturday. I was not only impressed with the skills and talents on display over the two days, but also the sportsmanship and camaraderie shown between the girls from various schools. I am sure that many new and long lasting friendships were made over the two days. It was also lovely to see so many parents and fellow students supporting the girls.
Girls coaches report - The MS Girl Soccer Tournament in Skopje is over. We've had two exciting days and wonderful games. The fact that the games for 3rd and 1st place were decided after penalty shootout says enough about the quality of the teams and level of play. The sportsmanship level was incredible and the all the girls enjoyed the positive atmosphere on the fields. The girls are tired, but there are no serious injuries. Their positive attitude and enthusiasm made this event a great experience, and we enjoyed hosting it.
Boys coaches report - The Middle School Boys travelled to Kiev for their competition and managed to also perform well in the true sprit of sportsmanship. After arriving at the school in the morning, the players headed to the field to play the last matches of the tournament. In NOVA's first two matches we showed relentlessness and dominated the game. These games qualified us to play in the finals for the 1st or 2nd place trophy. The NOVA team was brimming with excitement before the game. Our team played hard and showed resilience on the field. Unfortunately, we did not win and instead came away with the second place trophy. We are extremely proud of our NOVA players and the perseverance and collaboration they showed throughout the tournament.
The tournament website has been updated with the scores from all matches, and the photos will be uploaded during next week.
Calendar Dates
In addition to the school development day for teacher training on November 24, there will an additional day added to the end of the Winter Break for students in EMS. The return date for students will now be Wednesday 10 and not Tuesday January 9 as previously advertised. This extra day is in lieu of extra day that staff and students will work on Friday and Saturday December 8 and 9 (Friday is Saint Kliment Ohridski's Day and usually a public holiday) when the EMS Winter Performance will take place. Friday is the full dress rehearsal and Saturday is the performance. More details will come out shortly about this performance.
Principal's Round Table
An initiative that I have successfully used in other schools, is to hold an informal coffee and cake meeting with a small group of parents from a variety of backgrounds and grade levels, where we can sit and have a general chat about the school. I plan to hold a meeting about once a month. I will shortly be contacting some parents to invite them to join me. I hope that this will open up yet another opportunity for the school to not only receive some feedback, but also listen to suggestions as to how parents can be more involved in setting the future direction of the school.
Label clothing
Now that winter is approaching, your children will be arriving wearing winter jackets, hats and gloves. They are required to remove them during class time and invariably some items get lost or mixed up. Can I please request that parents ensure that their child's name is clearly labeled in all items that they bring to school? This will make the job of the teachers much easier and hopefully avoid your child coming home with lost clothing.
Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?
During the week I read an interesting article that discusses the need for children to "start fighting". It's not as bad as it sounds but certainly resonates a little as far as developing social skills.
When Wilbur and Orville Wright finished their flight at Kitty Hawk, Americans celebrated the brotherly bond. The brothers had grown up playing together, they had been in the newspaper business together, they had built an airplane together. They even said they “thought together.”
These are our images of creativity: filled with harmony. Innovation, we think, is something magical that happens when people find synchrony together. The melodies of Rodgers blend with the lyrics of Hammerstein. It’s why one of the cardinal rules of brainstorming is “withhold criticism.” You want people to build on one another’s ideas, not shoot them down. But that’s not how creativity really happens.
When the Wright brothers said they thought together, what they really meant is that they argued together. One of their pivotal decisions was the design of a propeller for their plane. They squabbled for weeks, often shouting back and forth for hours. “After long arguments we often found ourselves in the ludicrous position of each having been converted to the other’s side,” Orville reflected, “with no more agreement than when the discussion began.” Only after thoroughly decimating each other’s arguments did it dawn on them that they were both wrong. They needed not one but two propellers, which could be spun in opposite directions to create a kind of rotating wing. “I don’t think they really got mad,” their mechanic marveled, “but they sure got awfully hot.” Click this link to read the rest of the article.
Student Services News
As part of our regular parenting tips from our school counsellor, there is an additional article about parent-teacher meetings.
Parent-teacher conferences. Those three words make many parents nervous. It's understandable: Parents fear hearing the worst about their child's progress and performance, and teachers can sometimes be intimidating. Here are ten strategies to help you rid yourself of any pre-conference anxiety and make the meeting a productive step toward your child's education. Follow this link to read the full article.
Bullying info for parents
Please follow this link for a variety of information for parents to support their child if they feel like they are getting bullied at school.
Technology Tips
This week our technology tips section, will feature some outstanding webpages that have been produced by our MS students. Please follow each of the links to view their creative pages. Their names are included in the weblink.
http://andijegeni.weebly.com/
https://alexsavu.weebly.com/
https://matteopiazzalunga1.weebly.com/
https://recipestoconsider.weebly.com/
http://l00sechange.weebly.com/
http://eniangelovska.weebly.com/
https://emirhankutluu.weebly.com/
http://blazhendimov.weebly.com/
http://damjankoneski.weebly.com/
http://lukazafirov.weebly.com/
http://maksimcigovski.weebly.com/
https://stefannpopovski.weebly.com/
http://studentcouncilnova.weebly.com/
Photos this week
This week we have a selection of photos from around the school that include the CEESA Girls Soccer, the PTA Morning Tea, staff training and photos from the MS assembly where they were involved in some teamwork and cooperation games.
There is also a very special photo of Florence Garrett who volunteers at our school. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, she competed in Paris in the DSISO Swimming Championships. As you can see by the haul of medals around her neck in the photo below, she had a wonderful swimming meet. Her medals were for the following events: Bronze - Butterfly leg of the 50m relay, Silver for the 100m Backstroke and Gold for the 50m Backstroke. We are all very proud of her achievements. Well done Florence.
Russell O'Neill
EMS Principal
Florence Garrett
