Edition 22 - April 13, 2018
Meet 3 of our New International Hires
Please click on each photo below to read the bio of the first three new international hires for next year.
Michael Odbert
Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher |
Jessica Lonchas
Kindergarten Homeroom Teacher |
Damian Misiaszek
Middle School Social Studies |
Important upcoming dates
Friday April 20 International Day
Saturday April 21 Spring Bazaar
Tuesday May 1 Public Holiday
Wednesday May 23 Simultaneous Storytime Read-a-loud
Thursday May 24 Public Holiday
Saturday June 9 Grade 8 Prom Night (tentative date)
Tuesday June 12 Kindergarten Transition Ceremony
Wednesday June 13 Grade 5 Transition Ceremony
Thursday June 14 Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony 1.30pm start
Thursday June 14 Last day of school (Half day finish at 12 noon)
Dear Parents,
Welcome back after, what I hope, was a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break. It was wonderful to return home on Sunday to see that the weather has finally changed into Spring, that the sun is shining and we have beautiful blue skies, and excellent air quality.
International Day this Friday
This coming Friday on April 20, we will celebrate International Day. Students are requested to come to school in the morning, dressed in their national costume or colours that represent their country of choice. We acknowledge that many of our students are dual nationals or associate with more than one country, therefore, they may choose to represent just one country or come in a combined costume. It will be great to see all staff and students coming to school next Friday in national attire.
During the day, students will be engaged in a variety of activities that relate to countries around the world. In the afternoon there will be a parade for all students, and to finish the day, there will be a performance in the HS outside auditorium for all students by Capoeira demonstration and hopefully, if we can arrange it, a school band.
New staff for next year
We are currently in the process of recruiting new teachers for next year and at this stage we can confirm 3 new international appointments with 2 more international teachers still to be appointed. This is in addition to the additional 9 local hires that we will be hiring. Some of these will be replacing teachers who are leaving and some will be additional staff to what we have this year. We have significantly increased the number of international hires for next year and we anticipate that we will have an overseas, international teacher in every grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Each week I will keep you updated with information about new hires. Click the links below to read to biography of each of these new teachers.
Michael Odbert Bio
Jessica Lonchas Bio
Damian Misiaszek Bio
Student Led Conferences
Thanks to all the parents and students who helped to make our Student Led Conferences such a success. It was great to visit classrooms and see students actively engaged in showing parents what they have learnt so far this year. The presenting skills that I witnessed were exceptional, as was the depth of knowledge that the students were able to demonstrate.
Spring Bazaar book fair
Next Saturday is our 12th Annual Spring Family Bazaar! On Thursday, April 19 we will begin our BOOK FAIR Pre-sale in the ES and MS libraries. You and your children are invited to purchase English language books for Pre-K through grade 8 students in the morning before and after school until 15.30.
Students will go with their teachers during the day to purchase books. Students can also reserve books and pay for them by 8.30 am Friday morning. On Saturday, April 21, from 11:00 to 15:00 during the Spring Family Bazaar the Book Fair will continue.
This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase books for summer reading, as well as buy some of your child’s favorite books as gifts. I encourage you to visit our Book Fair on Thursday or Saturday during the Spring Family Bazaar.
Early close Wednesday for next year
As a reminder to a notification a couple of months ago, I want to remind parents that for the 2018/19 school year, early close will take place on a Wednesday afternoon and not Friday as it is now. We are giving this notification as I know that some parents arrange their working schedule around collecting their children after school.
Grade 8 Field Trip
It was wonderful to accompany the Grade 8 students as they participated in their Exit Point prior to Spring Break. I was impressed with not only their tenacity and courage in making it to the top but also the way that students supported their fellow classmates who found it more challenging than others. Thanks to the teachers who helped out on the day and for arranging such an engaging and fun day.
PTA thanks
Thanks to the PTA and parents for arranging the Spring Party and Easter Egg Hunt in the last week before Spring Break. It was great to see so many families attending and supporting the school.
Science fair
Clearly, the last week of school was extremely busy as we also hosted the annual Science Fair. It was my first chance to participate in a Science Fair and I certainly was very impressed with what the students were able to produce and in turn, present to others. Congratulations to all MS students and thanks in particular to the Science teachers for their inspiring instruction. Thanks also to all the behind the scenes helpers for making the day such a success.
The ten things you can say to your child that will make all the difference to their learning
1. Say to your child the word ‘yet’ as often as you can. For example, when your child says ‘I can’t do fractions’ you say ‘you can’t do fractions yet’. Help them to see the possibility that they will be able to achieve it in the future.
2. Say to your child: ‘you’re getting better’ whenever the opportunity allows. Learning is all about improvement and learning a skill needs patience and practice and practice and practice to improve. Your child needs lots of support along the way.
3. Say to your child: ‘what have you learned today?’ This question is a lot more specific than ‘what did you do today?’
4. Say encouraging things as often as you can when your child is beginning to learn something new and encourage them when something still isn’t perfect. Remember how much encouragement you gave your child when they took their first wobbly steps? Children need that same encouragement whenever they start learning something new. Learning is always harder at the beginning.
5. Say things to your child to show you can see that there’s improvement, however small. Compare ‘then’ and ‘now’ and praise the difference. Learning is about getting better; lots of ‘getting better’ steps.
6. Say to your child: ‘of course you’ve made a mistake, but keep going, you’re learning.’ Every child needs to know that making mistakes is all part of the learning process. Mistakes can be good because you can learn from them. You never really learn something well if you don’t make mistakes along the way. Make sure your child knows that mistakes are OK.
7. Say to your child: ‘your brain is wired in lots of different ways, some ways are better than others. Let’s try to make each part work as well as it can.’ Few of us will be brilliant at everything but we can get better at everything.
Say to your child: ‘take a break, do some exercise, then start learning again.’ The brain needs blood, oxygen and rest to keep going. If it doesn’t get them then it doesn’t keep going.
Say to your child: ‘if you find facts difficult to remember then it’s ok to use a ‘hook’ to help you remember.’ There are just too many facts to remember so your child should only worry about remembering the ones that really matter. For those, it’s perfectly fine to give their brain some help if they need to. For example VIGBYOR spells out all the colours of the rainbow. So does the rhyme Richard Of York Goes By In Violet; anything to trigger the brain to remember is good.
10. Say to your child: ‘I found x easy to learn, but I had to work harder at y.’ Make sure your child knows you went through similar learning struggles as they are going through. Show your child realistic models of learning; don’t fake your own excellence. On the other hand don’t promote inabilities either – unless you are promoting how much better you could have been if only you’d kept trying.
The Benefits Of Learning Through Field Trips
If you are going on a field trip, it is important to prepare your students by developing their visual literacy, and by integrating the trip actively into your curriculum.
However, important as that is, it is not enough. The and field trip experience takes place in a very different environment from your classroom. That may seem obvious, but let’s take a look at the differences, so that you can help your students maintain their focus to insure they have an engaging educational experience.
How to Say It: Better Questions to Ask Your Child About School
When your child comes home on the first few days of school—or throughout the school year—you may have lots of questions for them. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re talking to your child about school.
Grade 2 and 3 Philosophy lessons
David M. Larsson is a philosophical counselor and practitioner based in Denmark. He earned his MA in Philosophy and Japanese at the Center for Subjectivity Research, University of Copenhagen, where he specialized in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and Zen Buddhist philosophy. David currently runs a philosophical counseling practice from which he offers counselling to groups and individuals. He also conducts sessions for children in the nonprofit organization Rum for Undren ["Room for Wonder"], which aims to promote Socratic Wonder and critical thinking in schools and kindergartens across Denmark. David writes on Agora about his personal experiences with philosophical practice and the potential benefits of integrating perspectives from Asian philosophy into the field.
This week we were fortunate to have David visit our school and conduct sessions with students in grades 2 and 3. David helped students articulate their definition of friendship and its essential traits, culminating in their use of the "ingredients" to "bake the friendship cake". This was followed by an inquiry-based session asking students to creatively imagine how and why has the world and humanity started, culminating in an art exhibition curated by student comments. You can view the outline of this lesson by clicking here and also view some photos in the slideshow at the end of this newsletter.
Demir Kapija project
If you would like more information about the Demir Kapija project to support people with disabilities please click here.
Kindest regards,
Russell O'Neill
EMS Principal
Friday April 20 International Day
Saturday April 21 Spring Bazaar
Tuesday May 1 Public Holiday
Wednesday May 23 Simultaneous Storytime Read-a-loud
Thursday May 24 Public Holiday
Saturday June 9 Grade 8 Prom Night (tentative date)
Tuesday June 12 Kindergarten Transition Ceremony
Wednesday June 13 Grade 5 Transition Ceremony
Thursday June 14 Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony 1.30pm start
Thursday June 14 Last day of school (Half day finish at 12 noon)
Dear Parents,
Welcome back after, what I hope, was a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break. It was wonderful to return home on Sunday to see that the weather has finally changed into Spring, that the sun is shining and we have beautiful blue skies, and excellent air quality.
International Day this Friday
This coming Friday on April 20, we will celebrate International Day. Students are requested to come to school in the morning, dressed in their national costume or colours that represent their country of choice. We acknowledge that many of our students are dual nationals or associate with more than one country, therefore, they may choose to represent just one country or come in a combined costume. It will be great to see all staff and students coming to school next Friday in national attire.
During the day, students will be engaged in a variety of activities that relate to countries around the world. In the afternoon there will be a parade for all students, and to finish the day, there will be a performance in the HS outside auditorium for all students by Capoeira demonstration and hopefully, if we can arrange it, a school band.
New staff for next year
We are currently in the process of recruiting new teachers for next year and at this stage we can confirm 3 new international appointments with 2 more international teachers still to be appointed. This is in addition to the additional 9 local hires that we will be hiring. Some of these will be replacing teachers who are leaving and some will be additional staff to what we have this year. We have significantly increased the number of international hires for next year and we anticipate that we will have an overseas, international teacher in every grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Each week I will keep you updated with information about new hires. Click the links below to read to biography of each of these new teachers.
Michael Odbert Bio
Jessica Lonchas Bio
Damian Misiaszek Bio
Student Led Conferences
Thanks to all the parents and students who helped to make our Student Led Conferences such a success. It was great to visit classrooms and see students actively engaged in showing parents what they have learnt so far this year. The presenting skills that I witnessed were exceptional, as was the depth of knowledge that the students were able to demonstrate.
Spring Bazaar book fair
Next Saturday is our 12th Annual Spring Family Bazaar! On Thursday, April 19 we will begin our BOOK FAIR Pre-sale in the ES and MS libraries. You and your children are invited to purchase English language books for Pre-K through grade 8 students in the morning before and after school until 15.30.
Students will go with their teachers during the day to purchase books. Students can also reserve books and pay for them by 8.30 am Friday morning. On Saturday, April 21, from 11:00 to 15:00 during the Spring Family Bazaar the Book Fair will continue.
This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase books for summer reading, as well as buy some of your child’s favorite books as gifts. I encourage you to visit our Book Fair on Thursday or Saturday during the Spring Family Bazaar.
Early close Wednesday for next year
As a reminder to a notification a couple of months ago, I want to remind parents that for the 2018/19 school year, early close will take place on a Wednesday afternoon and not Friday as it is now. We are giving this notification as I know that some parents arrange their working schedule around collecting their children after school.
Grade 8 Field Trip
It was wonderful to accompany the Grade 8 students as they participated in their Exit Point prior to Spring Break. I was impressed with not only their tenacity and courage in making it to the top but also the way that students supported their fellow classmates who found it more challenging than others. Thanks to the teachers who helped out on the day and for arranging such an engaging and fun day.
PTA thanks
Thanks to the PTA and parents for arranging the Spring Party and Easter Egg Hunt in the last week before Spring Break. It was great to see so many families attending and supporting the school.
Science fair
Clearly, the last week of school was extremely busy as we also hosted the annual Science Fair. It was my first chance to participate in a Science Fair and I certainly was very impressed with what the students were able to produce and in turn, present to others. Congratulations to all MS students and thanks in particular to the Science teachers for their inspiring instruction. Thanks also to all the behind the scenes helpers for making the day such a success.
The ten things you can say to your child that will make all the difference to their learning
1. Say to your child the word ‘yet’ as often as you can. For example, when your child says ‘I can’t do fractions’ you say ‘you can’t do fractions yet’. Help them to see the possibility that they will be able to achieve it in the future.
2. Say to your child: ‘you’re getting better’ whenever the opportunity allows. Learning is all about improvement and learning a skill needs patience and practice and practice and practice to improve. Your child needs lots of support along the way.
3. Say to your child: ‘what have you learned today?’ This question is a lot more specific than ‘what did you do today?’
4. Say encouraging things as often as you can when your child is beginning to learn something new and encourage them when something still isn’t perfect. Remember how much encouragement you gave your child when they took their first wobbly steps? Children need that same encouragement whenever they start learning something new. Learning is always harder at the beginning.
5. Say things to your child to show you can see that there’s improvement, however small. Compare ‘then’ and ‘now’ and praise the difference. Learning is about getting better; lots of ‘getting better’ steps.
6. Say to your child: ‘of course you’ve made a mistake, but keep going, you’re learning.’ Every child needs to know that making mistakes is all part of the learning process. Mistakes can be good because you can learn from them. You never really learn something well if you don’t make mistakes along the way. Make sure your child knows that mistakes are OK.
7. Say to your child: ‘your brain is wired in lots of different ways, some ways are better than others. Let’s try to make each part work as well as it can.’ Few of us will be brilliant at everything but we can get better at everything.
Say to your child: ‘take a break, do some exercise, then start learning again.’ The brain needs blood, oxygen and rest to keep going. If it doesn’t get them then it doesn’t keep going.
Say to your child: ‘if you find facts difficult to remember then it’s ok to use a ‘hook’ to help you remember.’ There are just too many facts to remember so your child should only worry about remembering the ones that really matter. For those, it’s perfectly fine to give their brain some help if they need to. For example VIGBYOR spells out all the colours of the rainbow. So does the rhyme Richard Of York Goes By In Violet; anything to trigger the brain to remember is good.
10. Say to your child: ‘I found x easy to learn, but I had to work harder at y.’ Make sure your child knows you went through similar learning struggles as they are going through. Show your child realistic models of learning; don’t fake your own excellence. On the other hand don’t promote inabilities either – unless you are promoting how much better you could have been if only you’d kept trying.
The Benefits Of Learning Through Field Trips
If you are going on a field trip, it is important to prepare your students by developing their visual literacy, and by integrating the trip actively into your curriculum.
However, important as that is, it is not enough. The and field trip experience takes place in a very different environment from your classroom. That may seem obvious, but let’s take a look at the differences, so that you can help your students maintain their focus to insure they have an engaging educational experience.
- Students are energized by the excitement and anticipation of leaving the school environment.
- The transportation to and from the museum/site is often a pleasant open-social time.
- Students have the opportunity to see new things and learn about them in a more unstructured way.
- Students have the opportunity to determine what they learn and how they learn it. Said differently, student learning can be interest-driven, not teacher and curriculum driven.
- Students will experience a more holistic, integrated picture of the information that, in the classroom, may have only been presented in a textual and abstract way.
- Museums, and many other kinds of field trips are multi-media experiences; therefore, learning is enriched and reinforced with superimposing sensory and intellectual inputs.
- Most museums are designed to stimulate curiosity and actively engage the visitor, so you have a very professional partner working with you to help your students learn.
- In some museums you can arrange for your class to meet with a museum educator, often in a private classroom, to facilitate directed learning and/or provide a question-answer session.
How to Say It: Better Questions to Ask Your Child About School
When your child comes home on the first few days of school—or throughout the school year—you may have lots of questions for them. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re talking to your child about school.
- Try to ask open-ended questions to keep a conversation going. If you ask your child questions that can be answered with one word (yes, no, a name), then you’ll probably get a one-word response.
- Often kids are not specific, so you have to ask for specific information when you want it.
- Starting with factual questions is a great way to ease into conversation. (“I know your class size is bigger this year than last year. What’s that like?”)
- Avoiding emotion-packed words (happy, sad, mean) can help the conversation go on longer.
- Asking positive questions gives your child a chance to express concerns. Negative questions tend to stop a conversation.
Grade 2 and 3 Philosophy lessons
David M. Larsson is a philosophical counselor and practitioner based in Denmark. He earned his MA in Philosophy and Japanese at the Center for Subjectivity Research, University of Copenhagen, where he specialized in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and Zen Buddhist philosophy. David currently runs a philosophical counseling practice from which he offers counselling to groups and individuals. He also conducts sessions for children in the nonprofit organization Rum for Undren ["Room for Wonder"], which aims to promote Socratic Wonder and critical thinking in schools and kindergartens across Denmark. David writes on Agora about his personal experiences with philosophical practice and the potential benefits of integrating perspectives from Asian philosophy into the field.
This week we were fortunate to have David visit our school and conduct sessions with students in grades 2 and 3. David helped students articulate their definition of friendship and its essential traits, culminating in their use of the "ingredients" to "bake the friendship cake". This was followed by an inquiry-based session asking students to creatively imagine how and why has the world and humanity started, culminating in an art exhibition curated by student comments. You can view the outline of this lesson by clicking here and also view some photos in the slideshow at the end of this newsletter.
Demir Kapija project
If you would like more information about the Demir Kapija project to support people with disabilities please click here.
Kindest regards,
Russell O'Neill
EMS Principal