2016 -17
HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 1 December 2016
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S NEWSLETTER NO. 4 Dear Parents, Just a quick update before my final newsletter of the 1st term and we go into the Winter break. Assessments have started for Years 8 to 11 and will be underway for Years 6 and 7 this week with DP 1 finishing on 6th December and Years 6 to 10 on 9th December. Years 4 and 5 (with only Year 4 at Gulberg) will write from 5 – 9th December. In all Years, students are to return home after each of their daily assessments and use that time at home for effective study and revision and this is when we rely on you as parents to play an important part in ensuring that effective study and revision. As I have said many times: sitting up at desk or table for frequent short sessions of alert study is more effective than lying down with the TV and mobile as dangerous distractions!! On Tuesday 13th December (barring no public holiday) we will be writing our first MAP International benchmarking test for Years 3 to 8. Three such tests will be conducted throughout the remaining school year in English and Mathematics to establish where our students are in terms of international standards of education in English and Mathematics. This event will be overseen by Mr. Rashid Khalid and 8 other trained staff at TNS. So effectively all assessments will be over by the 13th December and depending on the religious holiday on Monday or Tuesday 12th / 13th December, all students will be back in class on the 12th December for the last week of term where revision of their assessments will take place. On Saturday 10th December we will stage our Annual Winter Carnival at the TNS DHA grounds from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm essentially for our Nursery to Year 5 from both branches. This does not mean Years 6 and above are precluded but the event is essentially for the younger classes and their parents/family. An invitation is to follow. During the last week of term we will stage our end-of-term PTC’s (Parent - Teacher Conferences) for ALL classes at both branches from 13-15 December. Schedules will follow. Please attend these very important report-back; update sessions with your child’s class teacher. I want to thank nearly ALL of you for attending your children’s Project Presentations at both branches. A sincere effort on behalf of our teachers to return to the basics of our Reggio Emilia Approach with Early Years and our Project-based Learning (PBL) with all of our students was more than evident in these excellent set of Project Presentations. With more accent on the Process Journal and not so entirely on the Final Presentations our teachers, Art department, Project