Billabong High EPS International School
The official primary newsletter of Billabong High International school.
March 2014 – Volume 1
Message from the Vice principal Hello everyone! Welcome to year 2014!
March-2014 WHAT’S INSIDE Message from the Vice principal Welcome to the Billabong Family Field trip to a Naval ship Assembly Culmination day Grades 1-5 Italian Carnival and Animals Party Founders day School Clubs Dress up day Midday Prayers
Student work Lunch and Break Behaviour Policy
We have begun the new academic year with very high hopes and aspirations and we intend to continue with this note. To ensure an extraordinarily good year, we have focused on the development of all areas of schooling. Like each year, we developed a Primary School Event Calendar comprising of exciting programs and educational tours we shared this with all parents at the beginning of the year. The core purpose of these eventsisto provide a holistic, well-rounded education to our students. In addition to this, we created a Theme Based Weekly Assembly Schedule focusing on the celebration of special days of the year and addressing topics that both inform and entertain. Each assembly features stories, short skits and encourages student participation. Some of the special days that we have already celebrated include World Autism Day, International Women’s Day and World Water Day. We have also covered topics like Bullying, Team Work and Natural Disasters during our assemblies. As a new initiative we have started a Reading Program using ‘Cambridge Bright Sparks Series’ for our young learners of grades 1 and 2. Children are required to read different age appropriate levels of books and complete a set of readers in order to receive ‘Reading Achievement Award’. For local students to improve their Dhivehi Language, a weekly Dhivehi Reading Material is provided each week. We believe that for a better ‘school, parent’ relationship a good communication channel is vital. With this in mind, we have created our school blog https://billabonghigh.mv/blog to keep you informed of the most happening events. Teachers have created class blogs where they post students work and important notices. In addition to this, the following channels are being used to communicate to the parents: SMS to parents, Individual slips and notes, School notice board, Facebook page, and Home work Diaries We have a lot more in store for this year. However, none of this will be possible without the endearing support that we continuously receive from our stakeholders. A huge thank you to our guiding management, dedicated staff, supportive parents and our very courageous students! Looking forward for a great year, Best Regards, Primary Vice Principal Aishath Nahula
Welcome to Billabong family Mr. Rob is the 4th grade English teacher. Mr. Rob was born in the Philippines and grew up in the U.S. He graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.A. in Psychology. He has been an educator with various organizations including Amnesty International, the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida, Teach for America, and English First. He attended the U.N. University for Peace Master's Program in Peace Education because he believes that education is the key to solving any injustice. Mr. Rob hopes to empower his students to “be the change" they wish to see in the world!
Mr. Arthur is the new teacher of the 2nd grade. He is from New York City and he studied Philosophy at Brooklyn College. His hobbies are basketball, swimming and reading. If he hadn’t become a teacher, he would have been a policeman in the great NYC.
My name is Surabhi Suri. I am from India. I was born in the beautiful city of Lucknow. I have done my Intermediate, Graduation + Post graduation + B.ed from an Indian University. Ms. Maria is the new teacher of the 1st grade. She is from Spain and she studied English Philology and Primary Education at CastillaLaMancha University. Her hobbies are travelling and reading. She enjoys working with young children. If she hadn’t become a teacher, she would have been a professional ballet dancer.
My hobbies are cooking, dancing and reading books. If I did not become a teacher, I would have been a lady Army officer.
Field trip to a Naval ship
When our teachers told us that the Indian High Commission had invited us to visit an Indian Naval Ship which was anchored in the Male’ harbour we were very happy. On the 23rd of Jan all the grade 5 students set off to the harbour in a bus. We had fun inside the bus with our friends and teachers. The ship captain and other naval officers extended a grand welcome. They explained that this was a ship which went out to the seas to track down pirates and illegal activities. We were taken on a tour inside the ship. We were thrilled to see the weapons. Refreshments and cookies were served by the hospitable crew. After gaining interesting insight it was time for us to say goodbye. By Yazaan 5B
Assembly Assembly on “International Women’s day”
T
he theme for International Women’s day was ‘Inspiring Change.’ It was celebrated worldwide on the 8th of March. The primary school held its weekly assembly on the 10th of March, 2014. The theme was ‘International Women’s Day.’ As the world had celebrated this event, it was
appropriate that the students, however small, should be enlightened about the responsibilities and the duties that women share in the world today. It was also important to learn how the women of yesteryear were treated. As slides of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana,
Mother Theresa, Mrs. Hilary Clinton, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Ms. Marie Curie and Ms.Latha Mangeshka were displayed, the grade five students gave a description of how these great ladies had contributed to the society. The assembly was concluded by singing a few lyrics of a famous song sung by the songstress Latha Mangeshka.
Assembly on “The day Maldives embraced Islam”
O
n the 3rd of February we had a wonderful assembly. The assembly was on the day Maldives embraced Islam. Our teachers played an amazing play about how Maldives embraced Islam. We all enjoyed watching the play. It was a fun and interesting play which depicted the bygone era in which young girls were captured and eaten by a sea
monster who was known as the Rannamari. Asif sir portrayed the character of the holy savoir Abul Barakathul Bari who rescued the maiden Ms Fathmath Gassim. Muaz sir was the ferocious Rannamari. The other two characters were Ms Sameeha who was the maiden’s mother and Firushan sir was the king. Students were tensed when the Rannamari
appeared. It was very touching and enlightening to hear Asif sir recite the Quran with such tone and clarity. After the role play, our teacher Mr.Muaz gave a speech about the day Maldives embraced Islam. It was a very informative assembly. We all enjoyed it a lot and also learnt a lot about the way Maldives Embraced Islam. Aishath Abza Adil, 5A
Billabong High EPS International School, Primary Newsletter. March-2014
5
Assembly on Team Work
T
he first assembly held this year was conducted by Vice Principal Ms. Aishath Nahula. The topic of the assembly was team work. The main aim of the assembly was to explore the idea of teamwork and the advantages of working together. The assembly started with an introduction of the theme. Followed by this, two teachers Ms. Fathun and Ms.Nazu demonstrated a fun racing activity where
teamwork and cooperation were required in order to win the reward. At the beginning of the race, the two individuals worked against each other and failed miserably. However, with the advice of the children, the teachers understood how to work collaboratively as a team to achieve a better outcome for both of them. After the activity, children shared a short reflection time where they related the
Billabong High EPS International School, Primary Newsletter. March-2014
assembly to everyday life. They discussed the teams they are in (family, friends, class, school….), the qualities of good 'team players’ and the importance of teamwork. The assembly ended with a video of the moral story ‘The Turtle and the rabbit’. The new twist to the ending of the story was thoroughly enjoyed by the children and kept the audience completely engaged.
6
Grade 1 culmination day “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry” -Thomas Fuller
G
rade one’s first culmination for the year 2014 was about water and was held on the 16th of March 2014. The Culmination was a great opportunity for the parents to see what their kids have learnt throughout the Volume. It was also a chance to explore the concepts that the educators have used to teach the kids using the intellectual activities inorder to make learning fun and interesting.
showed subtraction, addition, ordinal numbers and prepositions. It was fun to see both parents and kids working
stalls, which exhibited the subjects, S.S, Math, English and Dhivehi. In Social Science, the students demonstrated uses of water, water for recreation, together to find answers for the problems.
During the culmination, the
students presented the various concepts that they have learnt in Volume 1. There were 15
water cycle, states of water, properties of water and also thirsty stem. In all these stalls both parents and the kids were actively involved. In the Math stall the kids
In Dhivehi, the students displayed the letters which they learnt throughout the volume, engaging the parents in a game. In English the students read “Peter’s Dream” for the parents. Grade one’s culmination was a success with the help of the students, teachers and with the involvement of parents.
Grade 2 culmination day
T
he culmination event of grade 2 took place in the school hall at 13:00 pm on Monday the 17th of March 2014. The stage was adorned with stars depicting the stars in outer space. Large boards displayed pictures and information about the topics taught in Social Science Volume 1.
the drama was “The planets”. The students were dressed up as planets and the sun. They
minimize the effects due to lack of gravity. In station 3, information about constellations was shared along with pictures of different constellations. In Station 4, students presented riddles about the planets in the solar system and the
A total of 76 students from grade 2 and 3 teachers contributed for this mega event. There were 6 stations in the hall where the work was
performed the characters of the sun and planets in the Solar system.
displayed. Parents graced the event with their presence. To begin the ceremony, the Quran was recited by a student. A short speech and the agenda were announced by Ms. Rashma, grade 2B teacher. This was followed by a drama by nine grade 2 students. The name of
In station 1, classwork sheets, assessment files and writing books for social science were displayed. In station 2, information about outer space and astronauts were given. A student dressed up as an astronaut while another student demonstrated how astronauts sleep in strapped sleeping bags. They also showed how the food in space was packed in order to
parents guessed the answers. In station 5, facts about the sun were displayed. In station 6, which was called “Are you smarter than a second grader?”, parents were challenged to answer questions related to the solar system and outer space. It was an enjoyable day for our students and us teachers. Ms Hamdha
Grade 4 culmination day
C
ulmination Day was the 11th of March 2014. It began when the grade 4 teachers and students brought down all the projects, leaflets, posters and games to the hall. We arranged chairs and tables like a semi-circle. Culmination was conducted on Social Sciences, English, Life Skills, and Mathematics. We felt glad that our parents were supporting us. First, we had to present our Social Science presentations. We felt nervous and our hearts were pounding, but after a while, we felt alright. We believe that is bravery. After that, we had to present our stories in front of all the teachers, parents and some of the students. Many
all the atolls in Maldives and how to say them in order. We got many positive remarks from
Mathematics games were enjoyed by the kids and some of the parents. It was a lot of fun during Culmination Day! We have learned a lot from the Culmination Day activities, like speaking in front of an audience. We even learned about different climatic regions such as forests, deserts and cold regions. Also, we played some Mathematics games like Master Mind and Bingo. We even learned about
our teachers and parents. In the future, we think Culmination Day could be made even better and more fun if we add some dramas and also a writing competition. Thank You!
Zaidhan Shakoor and Zaba’r Afeef
Grade 5 culmination day
W
e, the grade 5 students,
and issues faced by the
celebrated the end of
countries
we
representing.
Every
were
Volume 1 with a culmination activity.
This
activity
was
conducted in collaboration with Social Science and English in which we shared what we have learnt in both subjects with our
that we all have special talents.
parents.
Our
talents
enhanced dancing
were
further
through
singing,
and
rapping
performances to demonstrate the different intelligences.
English activities, we have been representing different
about
the
Multiples
countries in the UN general assemblies; we started with a
by
presentation which highlighted
Howard Gardener. Through the
the activities carried out by the
activities, students displayed
BHIS Primary MUN (Model
that there are 8 intelligences
United
Intelligences
proposed
Nations).
We
was given a chance to be part of
it
by
giving
them
an
opportunity to speak to an
As an additional part of our
In Social Science, we learnt
student
also
audience, which in turn will help us to boost up our confidence in presentation as well as our leadership skills. Based
on their
literacy
text,
volume the
1
18th
Emergency, there was a range of anti bullying posters along with story books exclusively
and each individual has at
created by the students on
least one or two dominant
display.
intelligences. We expressed
Special Thanks to our parents
our
for their support and gracing
learning
through
PowerPoint, quizzes, displays
the
and experiments. Through the
presence. We were happy to
activities we tried to show
read all the encouraging
that each individual learns
comments written by our
things differently and also
shared the different problems
event
elated parents.
with
their
Italian Carnival and Animals Party
“The
Italian Carnival was fun. We have taken a lot of pictures and we enjoyed the games like quizzes, flash cards and other interesting activities. I wish we could do it again!!!”
“I liked the Italian Carnival because we got the chance to make our mask and wear it in the class during the Italian period. I enjoyed it a lot because we learned about colours and animals through fun activities.” Aara 3C
“We had an event that was about animals. We were learning about wonderful animals in Italian language. Some students came dressed up to school on that day and I was a Panda. We revised the name of the animals in Italian and we had lots of fun together.”
“During the Animals Party we did many games on the board and we enjoyed it very much. There were 2 cats (Shahama and me) a bunny (Aara) and also 1 panda (Zaba)”. I hope to have more parties like this.”
Zaba 3C Thashau 3B
FOUNDERS DAY
O
ur school celebrated Founders Day with a grand Fun Fair on the 7th of
February. It was held at artificial beach. All our parents, students and the Billabong High staff helped to organize it. There were exciting entertainment items which showcased our students’
talents in music, singing and dancing. There was a lucky draw, too! Did you win a prize? I liked the choice of interesting games in the different stalls which were beautifully decorated. I had loads of fun knocking down the tins and fishing. Fishing was a bit tricky as you had to fish it up with a rod using a piece of magnet as bait. The basketball stall with a Beyblade station was also very thrilling. Girls had fun at the makeup and hair stall. There was a spooky horror house which was dimly lit inside with spiders and other creepy crawlies dangling all over the house. There was a head without anybody attached to it. There was a
skeleton too. Everything looked so real. There was a cemetery with skulls scattered. It was very scary. I quickly rushed out. The Founders Day Fun Fair was a great success. Yipeee! Three Cheers for BHIS. HIP HIP HOORAY!
MASHAIL 3 B
CLUBS Movie Club
I
n the Movie club, we watch exciting and adventurous movies. At the end of each movie, Ms Linda discusses the
genre and then we give thumbs up or thumbs down. We also write reviews based on the movie. I usually look forward to
write and illustrate my favourite part in the movie. Rating the movie from 1-5 is also exciting.
SHARA – 4B
Music Makers
T
he Music Makers Club has had fun learning experiences every week! During each meeting, we shared some of our favourite songs to increase our music appreciation. Many students already have
musical talents, so we have continued to develop our abilities with different instruments and different genres. We have played and practiced guitar, vocals, keyboard, and percussion. In
addition to improving our skills with musical instruments and music theory, we've also played games like musical chairs. We are excited to learn more and improve our lives through music education.
Dress Up Day
G
rade 1Dream Campus students of both 1D and 1E
class enjoy “Dress Up Day” by dressing up as community helpers, a lesson covered both in English and Dhivehi class. Students shared and spoke about what they aspire to be when they grow up. Students learned about community helpers
and as an extension lesson got to choose their very own community helper. Not only did the students learn about careers, but also how some professions are helpful to our community. Below are pictures of Dream Campus students enjoying “Dress Up Day”.
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Student work
Life skills In Life skills we learnt about the atolls of the Maldives. On the first week we learnt the names and numbers of the atolls. Then each student was assigned with an atoll inorder to make a guide book about the Maldives. In this book we have included much information about the Maldives. Like capital, culture, food, religion, national dress, weather, climate and main occupations. As a last activity our teacher Miss. Elizabeth came up with a very fun activity. That was to make our own map of the Maldives. Every child has to choose an atoll and write a page about it. When all the pages were finished we put up all the pages like a book. At the culmination day we displayed our book to show what we did on the Life skills. After culmination we put the book in the library so that others can read. It took more than four weeks to complete the whole book. Written by Zaidan
Lunch and Break Behaviour Policy Purpose: To create and foster a safe environment for all children during break and lunch and establish routines and expectations for all.
Break and Lunch Duty Teachers: Teachers have been allocated to supervise the students during Break and Lunch. Break/Lunch Duty Roster will be displayed in each classroom. If the teacher on duty fails to arrive within the first 5 minutes, class representative may report this to the coordinator/VP. All students should remain in class till Break/Lunch Duty Teacher arrives.
Procedure: Break (15 minute) During break all students will eat their snack in class and remain in class. Students who wish to use wash room must seek permission from the teacher and take ‘Exit Card’ when going out. Lunch The first 15 minutes of the lunch break is the time during which the children are asked to sit at their desks and quietly eat their lunches.
Students who buy food from canteen must get ‘Exit Card’ from the teacher before leaving the class. After use, the card should be returned to the teacher on duty. The next 15 minutes of the lunch break is the time during which the children move outside/ attend Noon Prayer. During this time, teachers on duty must move outside the class and stay on the assigned floors to supervise the students. Students who need to complete missed/incomplete class work will be sent to the library to complete work under the direct supervision of the Librarian. Library can also be accessed by students who wish to read or work quietly during lunch break. On rainy days students are advised to stay in class. External Social Areas: Children should be mindful about others while ‘playing’ outside (hall, play ground). The following are absolute and concern each child’s safety and welfare. Breaking any of these rules is considered a MAJOR OFFENSE and will result in the immediate intervention of a staff member or teacher on duty.
At the Canteen: When obtaining food from the canteen: Queue in a quietly and orderly manner follow the correct queuing system Be polite and courteous to both staff and each other. remember to use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ talk quietly and do not shout out always follow instructions the first time of asking When you have finished eating: Return crockery and cutlery to the places provided make sure your table is clean and clear of plates, food and any
Sanctions If students fail to do as requested during break and lunch they will be placed in isolation during these periods of the day until they can behave in an acceptable manner which is in line with the behaviour policy.
Internal Social Areas: Internal Social Areas (corridor, staircase, classroom, and library) are not play zones they must be treated with respect. At all times students must: Walk be polite and respectful not shout out use appropriate language
Primary Students Shall Not 1. Fight anywhere on school property. 2. Bring to school: any gadgets (bayblades, ipods, ipads, mobile phones…etc) 3. Threaten other people or use abusive language or offensive gestures. 4. Chew gum or eat snack foods within the school building other than during lunch time or on special occasions. 5. Destroy, damage or deface school property or the property of others. 6. Hit or strike other people in any way, roughhouse (pushing, tripping, shoving, play fighting, kicking….) or physically abuse other people (pinch, spit, bite, scratch, pull hair…). 7. Throw objects (paper balls, sand, rocks, gravel, litter…) on the playground or in the school.
Billabong High EPS International School Male’, Maldives.
Newsletter Team Ms. Aishath Nahula Ms. Fazla Khaleel Mr. Rob Manauis Ms. Niwanthi Karunaratne