Mosaic@cis September 2015 Issue

Issue #03 SEPTEMBER 2015 Canadian International School

Multilingualism:

A Lasting

Gift

ROBOTICS inspired students TOGETHER

JOSEPH and the Amazing TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

C

THE

RUCIBLE SALEM WITCH TRIALS COME ALIVE

14 Editorial Editor Michelle Sharp Copy Editor Ela Erozan Gursel Jacqueline Weber Design Raymond Babol Robin Viernes

Photographs Communications Team & Faculty Distribution Mosaic @ CIS is published during the academic year by the Canadian International School Communications Department.

Canadian International School Lakeside Campus 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414 T: 6467 1732 Tanjong Katong Campus 371 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437128 T: 6345 1573 www.cis.edu.sg Inquiries and Feedback mosaic@cis.edu.sg

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CPE Registration Number: 199002243H CPE Registration Period: 8 June 2015 to 7 June 2019 MCI (P) 132/07/2014 Published by: Canadian International School Printed by: Carlisle Printers & Graphic Designers

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2015

38 26

43

Cover Story

02

Featured News

06

Academics

14

Innovation & Technology

24

Arts

26

Sports

36

Service & Outreach

37

Beyond the Classroom

38

Student Voice

43

Community

45

Leadership

47

COVER STORY

The

Crucible

Salem Witch Trials Come Alive!

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Skilled Artists of The Crucible

Took the Audience to the 17th Century Salem

by Julie Gouin, MYP/DP Drama Teacher, Director of the Crucible Directing this year’s High School production of The Crucible was one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career. There are times when I miss working in professional theatre because I love being surrounded by skilled artists, and with this production, I was.

Because the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the actors needed to experience (or portray) a range of extreme emotions. All of the characters were quite literally in life or death situations. This play had always struck me as a great acting vehicle for high school students, given the large number of well­written roles for young girls.

Still, I was blown away by how well our actors (who were playing older characters) grasped the circumstances and complexity of their roles. The students were invested in the story, and in their characters, from the very first rehearsal. This investment and their dedication continued throughout the rehearsal process, with many of them asking me for tips on how they could enrich their performances during “tech week” (the week the show opens).

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Seeing a display of their desire for continuous self improvement is one of my favourite things about being a teacher, and a director.

In addition to being surrounded by a talented and dedicated cast and crew, I was lucky enough to work with many theatre professionals on the set, and with regards to costumes and lighting. From the six­- metre - ­tall birch forest bathed in its eerie blue light, to the beautiful and intricate costumes, this production did not feel like your average school play. It really was a professional production that showcased the qualities and skills of our team. It was also highly rewarding to see different stakeholders reach. From the way the audience respond to the production elements, to the excitement of the students when they saw their costumes, or the smoke machine, for the first time.

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insight

into One Student’s Performance Logan Smith, Grade 11, played John Proctor, the protagonist (the leading character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc.). Understanding this character inside out was essential. Logan presented to the audience a perfect John Proctor, born and raised in 17th century Salem. Did Logan identify with John Proctor, the protagonist? Not entirely. The character of John was so caught up in the concept of “honour”, that he didn’t know what was the “right thing” to do. In real life, Logan empathised with the character and really “felt” his frustration towards the values he wanted to protect and characters who challenged them.

Logan’s preparation for the role was a lengthy one – a period of 6 months. He focused on the first half of the play and understanding his character and his emotions before the October break, and completed memorising his lines from October until Christmas.

When asked whether it was difficult to memorise all his lines in the Crucible, Logan surprisingly said that Shakespearean plays were easier to memorise and stick to as they require “archaic” English, very different from our everyday spoken language. When simple English is used, there is always room for interpretation of meaning, and to use similar words instead of following the script word for word.

In the Crucible, Logan was not only the “protagonist”, but also the assistant director who coached other actors’, and managed how things worked in the production’s background.

Through this experience, he got a good feel of what was needed in terms of spotlights and what happened behind the scenes, laying a great foundation for his future pursuits in acting.

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COVER STORY FEATURED NEWS

CIS Hosted the

F I R S T L E A G U E at Lakeside Campus

by Dion Norman, K12 Educational Technology Coordinator; Nianhan Huang and Christine Kie, Grade 10 Student Reporters

CIS hosted the Singapore First Lego League (FLL) competition at the Lakeside campus on 6 -­7 February. The Atrium was the centre of the hustle and bustle on the first day as more than 500 students (ninety­-two teams) came to take part in this island wide (and regional) event.

CIS was represented by 5 amazing student teams who were eager to show their prototype robots in action. CIS also hosted a team of students from Cambodia, the Liger Learning Center, who were delighted to participate in an international competition in Singapore.

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On the first day of FLL, teams delivered presentations on the future of learning in schools to a panel of professional judges.

Grade 10 student reporters, Nianhan and Christine attended presentations on how games can educate children in today’s educational setting. Reporter Nianhan enjoyed watching the iMovie that students had prepared to explain the educational games, while reporter Christine was impressed with the Algebra Game, which has the potential to help students who may be weaker in Maths. Our reporters concluded that educational games are excellent tools that can help to make learning fun, engaging and challenging.

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Next was time for some robotics action where students had to remotely control their robots from one end to the other end of the FIRST LEGO® League table. After the robots’ show, it was the teams’ turn to explain their robots’ functioning both in terms of design and mechanics. At the end, the judges asked questions about the making of the robots and students in teams responded as clearly and elaborately as possible.

The Robot Game, the highlight of the FIRST LEGO® League, was on Saturday 7 February. Sixteen official FIRST LEGO® League tables, each with playing field and fifteen missions, were set up for the competition in the Lakeside Gym. The competition started with a call for the first teams. These teams were given one minute to prepare their equipment and to check the correct model placement on the field. The aim for each team was to collect as many points as possible by completing missions within two and a half minutes. The team who collected the most points would win. The atmosphere was, needless to say, charged with excitement and a small amount of tension. Would everything go as planned? This was afterall, a culmination of months of hard work for each team.

Each team was given three rounds to complete the missions, and the best score out of these three was considered final.

Saturday’s competitions, although intense, were entertaining as students engaged with each other in dialogue and listened to a wonderful stage performance by Mr. Boon and his student band. Together Mr. Boon and band members sang, played guitar and performed some amazing drum performances!

CIS’s five teams were highly successful at FLL, with three teams walking away with three awards in different categories; Best Mechanical Design, Best Costume and 2nd runner-up for Best Presentation.

These accomplishments were the direct result of hard work, collaboration and synergy between the students and their coaches. Our students and coaches worked day and night to prepare for both the robotics challenge and their presentations on the future of learning in schools. Thank you to our student team members, and our dedicated group of coaches (Mr. Yates, Mr. Sergi, Mr. Boon, Ms. Tweedie, Mr. Westall, and Mr. Cooperman) who guided and supported their teams in a challenging yet rewarding learning journey.

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COVER STORY FEATURED NEWS

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“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.

So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Steve Jobs

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COVER STORY FEATURED NEWS Franklyn Heisler, who has been the Open Minds Coordinator (Lakeside Campus) for 10 years, is the embodiment of Steve Jobs’ famous quote. Throughout his long career in education and the arts, Franklyn has been following his passions and exploring his multiple talents, and now, looking backwards, it is clear he has been “connecting the dots”.

Not only is Franklyn an expert in connecting the dots, he has also been instrumental in the development, and implementation of the Visible Thinking initiative at CIS (Franklyn is a fellow of the Visible Thinking Initiative at Harvard University). The aim of the Visible Thinking Initiative is to make thinking “visible” in the classroom, thereby enabling students to reach an in - depth level of understanding on the topics they are examining. This develops a schoolwide “culture of thinking” in our classrooms, and deepens the engagement with learning amongst our student body.

This is an area that Franklyn excels in. Parents who accompany Franklyn and their children on Open Minds can see his expertise in framing his students’ thinking in action. Franklyn frames their thinking in order to develop understanding, thus developing their ability to see things from multiple perspectives. Known amongst students as one of the “friendliest teachers”, Franklyn starts all of his teaching sessions with icebreaker questions and sentences. For example, “I am not asking this question to see who’s got the right answer. I am posing this question to see the multiple possibilities for an answer.” These questions get students excited and inspire them to come up with lots of ideas, and get them into the “thinking” mindset.

Franklyn is an educator who firmly believes in class participation, because he knows that children learn best when they are active participants in the dialogue. Franklyn likens his role to that of an orchestra conductor, conducting a grand symphony through all instruments (his students) at his disposal. It is the collaboration and enthusiastic participation from the students that ends in a perfect piece of music. Students are thinking actively in Franklyn’s “outdoor classrooms” because they are zealously engaged in activities that let them generate and discuss new ideas, and understand new concepts.

Franklyn is a master in object-based teaching. Through the Open Minds programme, he teaches children how to observe, conduct experiments (to gain useful data), think, and review their understanding with the help of carefully selected objects. Be it an artifact from a museum or a twig from a tree in the botanic gardens, objects are great pieces of “evidence” that help us, when examining concepts and topics, come to a conclusion.

But how did Franklyn come to be such an inspiration to our students?

Let’s look back, and “connect the dots” as we examine this career in arts and education.

Why specialise in object based teaching? Franklyn’s appreciation for objects, and the stories they can tell, comes from his impressive background in the Arts. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, Franklyn was a significant ceramic artist at the forefront of contemporary ceramic art in Canada. His artwork creatively fused Japanese, Medieval and European elements of ceramic making. Some of his pieces were almost esoteric, as he combined European manufactured figurines with his own ceramic creations – symbolising perfectly the nature of humanity and politics.

His interest in art began at a very early age. His mother did laundry for a retired New York City art teacher when he was young.

By accompanying his mother to deliver the laundry, he was exposed to the art pieces that hung in the teacher’s living room and became mesmerised. The art teacher was surprised that the little boy noticed and thoughtfully contemplated her artwork. A student-teacher bond was established instantly, and Franklyn began taking art classes with her every Saturday, for a period of 6 years.

Although Franklyn experienced many different forms of art including sculpture, printmaking, weaving, painting, jewellery, and ceramics, the latter always stood out. He enjoyed the physical nature of the clay, and the ways he could manipulate it into a language that spoke more directly to his heart. At university, he took a class with a demanding professor who let him push the boundaries of ceramic making. He developed an interest and moved into the study of the history of ceramics. His unique approach to ceramics and his interest in its history provided an opportunity for him to lecture at many universities in Canada. It was at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan where while teaching, Franklyn had an opportunity to pursue another passion – dance. At the age of 29, he began studying classical ballet.

After 9 years, he moved to contemporary dance, and at the age of 40, he performed on stage in Flaming Glory. One of Flaming Glory’s critical reviews described Franklyn as “amazingly strong and intense dancer.”

Ongoing health issues saw Franklyn turn to another realm of contemporary art: curatorship. He started working as a curator at a modern art gallery in Canada and the job was a great fit. Franklyn’s creativity helped him become an “active” curator. He mastered the subtle art of deciphering an artist’s work, and created exhibitions that became even more fascinating through the subtle twists in his storytelling. He engaged gallery visitors with his passionate storytelling, educating art enthusiasts about the nuances and intricacies of art and the stories it tells.

The next logical step in Franklyn’s career was to become a museum educator, telling stories about artifacts to interested groups of students.

Franklyn opened the museum to children, breaking down traditional barriers that saw museum visitors “not touching anything” and “being silent”. He taught students to respect the artifacts and that they could touch and examine them without causing any harm. This job became the foundation of Franklyn’s current career at CIS, where he has been instrumental in the further development of the CIS’s Open Minds Programme which has been adapted from the model used in Canada in deepening children’s thinking and connections to their world.

For the last decade, Franklyn has been utilising Singapore and its nature reserves, cultural monuments, galleries and museums as an extension to classroom based learning, where students engage in hands on and minds on learning opportunities. In this time, Franklyn has also witnessed the complete shift in the emerging art scene, where artists have gained more freedom in expressing their ideas and create thought provocative powerful statement pieces. These subtle changes are sure to open new doors for the CIS Open Minds programme, and topics that students and teachers can explore together.

As an accomplished artist and inspirational teacher, we join Franklyn as he looks back and connects the dots.

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COVER STORY FEATURED NEWS

Coding is a Great Way to

Solve Problems!

by Maureen Kennedy, Ed Tech Coach Grades 4-­6, Lakeside Campus CIS hosted the second annual Code Avengers Code Camp on 15 ­- 17 January. One hundred enthusiastic students from CIS, and other international schools, coded furiously for two and a half days. The Code Avengers team from New Zealand led the participants through activities that introduced students to HTML, CSS and Javascript.

In the true spirit of our CIS mission, students were engaged, enlightened and empowered by working collaboratively, creatively and enthusiastically. As a testament to the popularity of coding in education globally, many of the students who participated in last year’s camp returned this year. One noticeable change this year was the increasing number of female students, from a handful of girls last year to more than a third of the coders this year. It was wonderful to see such a wide range of ages (10 ­- 17 years) working well in teams where everyone participated and contributed to the projects in meaningful ways.

Certainly there were excellent examples of inquiry­based learning throughout the camp. Students had the help they needed when they needed it from the Code Avengers team, but they were encouraged to be independent. They learnt to be resourceful problem solvers who can approach problems from multiple angles, and will not give up until a solution is reached. In fact, a comment that was heard repeatedly was “I didn’t know I could solve problems so well”. If you scanned the library, where students were working, you could virtually hear the mental gears turning!

As one would see at any well - planned adult conference, there were several keynote speakers who inspired the audience with their own personal stories of coding.

However, our Code Camp’s keynote speakers were 12

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students themselves who have taken their coding passion to another level. A student spoke about his mobile app that aims to help people with Celiac disease to find gluten - free restaurants in Singapore. In his quest to make sure the app was useful, he not only made a list of restaurants that claimed to be gluten-free, he ate at each and every one of them to review and ensure that they were what they claimed.

Another student created a mobile app to help a friend who has perfect pitch and practice sight reading without needing an instrument. Yet another student designed a remote controlled vehicle which he programmed to move in a unidirectional way. The vehicle knew where “front” was based on the position of the operator rather than front always being the front of the car. This was an extremely interesting way to think about controlling a vehicle versus the traditional driving method.

They all had a common message:

“Follow your passion and interest when learning to code.”

Here are few thoughts from some of the Code Camp participants:

Madeline in Grade 5: “Code Camp was awesome, I had a lot of fun. I really like how we made a website in groups. Our group won for making the best website. I met new friends and I really enjoyed being with them. Before I didn’t know how to code with lots of numbers and words. It was really hard, but I did it with a little bit of help. I liked the game we made with the key and I learnt how to move the player. It was hard but I did it!”

COVER STORY FEATURED NEWS

Jai in Grade 5: “I was so good at problem solving and I didn’t know that before. What I mean is when I forgot to add something in the code and then I had to figure out what was wrong. I didn’t know I was good at that. I especially liked the problem solving activity on the second day. We had to solve a problem using a grid.

Each cell on the grid contained a different shape. On the side of the grid were as series of coordinates.

Using the coordinates, we had to find the right cell that contained the right shape. It was like following directions the way you would if you were coding. It was great overall and I will go back next year. I think I will continue on my own with the Code Avengers lessons.”

Dante in Gr 6: “I really liked meeting new people and making friends.

I thought the Code Avenger leaders were humourous and I was inspired by them. I also liked to make my own game. Using Java wasn’t completely new, but the Java activities from the Code Avengers website were easier to learn from than other sites I have used.”

Guru in Gr 8: “I liked how the Code Avengers team taught us, and how we had to manage the project. I had to manage a team of eight, which was a little challenging, but in the end we were a successful team. I went to Code Camp last year, but this year was even more exciting; I learnt how to make a website. I enjoyed hearing the keynote speakers present because it was inspiring to see what other students are doing with coding and programming. I would like Code Camp to be twice a year, not just once.”

Clearly, Code Camp was inspiring! Coding projects in teams let students demonstrate their excellent thinking and problem solving skills. We certainly look forward to more next year.

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ACADEMICS

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Multilingualism: A Lasting Gift ACADEMICS

CIS hosted a parent seminar by internationally renowned language experts Helena Curtain and Huali Xiong on Chinese and Multilingualism on 27 November at the Hilton Hotel. Our keynote speaker, Associate Professor Emerita Helena Curtain, from University of Wisconsin­Milwaukee, is apioneer in language immersion programmes on a global scale. Co-author of Languages and Children: Making the Match, a textbook used to train language teachers in Kindergarten to Grade 8, Professor Curtain emphasised during her speech the importance of multilingualism in early childhood education. CIS Head of Chinese, Ms. Huali Xiong who has taught both English and Chinese as foreign languages in her 30­- year teaching career, highlighted the new approaches of teaching Chinese within CIS’s emerging bilingual programme.

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ACADEMICS

“How to Raise a Multilingual Child?” was the primary question that Professor Curtain and Ms. Xiong addressed during their speeches to the CIS and larger parent community. Our language experts spoke about the nuts and bolts of multilingualism: they explained the changing methods in language learning (and teaching best practices) and focussed on the benefits of multilingualism in brain development, academic results, and career benefits. Before they told us all about the “how”, the two experts established the reasons of “why” today’s parents should raise multilingual children.

Ms. Xiong amusingly reflected why children of different ages wanted to learn Chinese: When asked “Why are you learning Chinese?”, a primary aged student would say ‘because it’s fun’. A Middle School student would answer “because my mum told me to”, a high school student would confidently say “so I can get a good job”. Then Huali presented the question from a parent’s perspective. The parent would answer without hesitation: “I want my kids to be smarter, and learn a language that will give them a competitive edge.”

The reasons of “why multilingualism” were seemingly evident to our multilingual audience. What our parent attendees wanted to know was “how” their children could acquire Chinese (quickly), and what that looks like in a second language or immersion programme. Ms. Xiong addressed the parents’ questions with real life learning examples that contrasted the change in the approach to language learning and teaching over recent years, and what language teaching best practices look like.

“Hola, que tal?” “Qu’est­-ce que c’est?” “This is a table.”

In the not so olden days of teaching, students were taught these phrases and told to memorise them. They were required to learn sentences that they may never use in everyday conversations. These, however, were what our teachers told us we needed to do if we wanted to become fluent in another language. Oh, how they were wrong.

Language experts (including Professor Curtain) put a stop to this illogical learning journey and now focus teachers on “teaching through the language”. When teaching a foreign language, teachers no longer ask children to memorise words or sentences through artificial dialogues. A good language teacher will use best practices in educational research, and teach a new language through the culture of that language.

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ACADEMICS Language must be taught within a framework of understandable cultural context. When teaching Chinese, teachers will read stories (supported by illustrative graphics) that reflect the Chinese culture, rituals, customs and everyday life. Students are able to relate the words to the pictures and form a solid understanding of the language. For example, in bilingual classes at CIS, a picture story may illustrate how children celebrate Chinese New Year: what do children do during the New Year?

Do they dress up and visit their grandparents? Do they pay visits to elderly neighbours? Do they call them ‘grandma’ and ‘grandpa’? Why do they get red envelopes from all these grandparents?

A four year old introduced to this story not only understands the cultural concepts, but he also masters the Chinese words that correspond with these concepts. He doesn’t seek to translate, as he understands the language and its context ­through learning about Chinese tradition. The cultural aspect of language learning also helps to promote open­-mindedness, a characteristic unique to the IB learner profile at CIS. Open-­minded children appreciate different cultures as well as their own. They try to understand different ways of interpretation and expression, and learn to understand different perspectives from an early age. These students can think critically, and respect different views and beliefs, and know how to see the world beyond black and white.

Professor Curtain reinforced the message that language learning at an early age is very important in attaining fluency in the said language.

Children are not only expected to know the language, but also to use it.

Children initially understand more than they are able to vocalise, but as their understanding grows, learning and using new words come naturally, and they have no difficulty in pronunciation.

Some parents fear that introducing a new language to young children will slow their language acquisition in their mother tongue. To the contrary, studies demonstrate that learning concepts in another language will help a child’s understanding of similar concepts in their own language. They acquire understanding through at least two avenues to grasp the meaning of abstract terms. In other words, the more children master another language, the better they get in their own language. Simply put, they get smarter! Studies in neuroscience support this “smartness” through brain scan comparisons - bilingual brains are denser when compared to monolingual ones.

All of the research points to one thing ­the best practices adopted in teaching languages at CIS will benefit students immensely as they are immersed in environments that focus on cultural appreciation, language acquisition, and eventually, fluency.

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ACADEMICS

Innovative Ways

French

to Learn

by Odile de Troy, Amelia Sevilla, French Teachers

Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will understand, involve me and I will remember. (Confucius) We live in a multilingual society in a world characterised by greater mobility and interaction across national borders.

Consequently, developing cross-cultural communicative competencies is increasingly important for mutual understanding.

As World Language Teachers, we are constantly trying to focus on finding real life activities in order to create a communication-based and standards-driven curriculum for our students. CIS language classes aim to equip students with 21st century (communication) skills, by teaching them how to most effectively utilise the various technology platforms that are available to them. It is equally essential to offer greater opportunities for engaging students, working in collaborative teams, fostering critical thinking skills, and managing precious time and resources.

With this in mind, we implemented a project-based learning methodology as a way of bringing it all together. Projects provide opportunities for students to engage in real life communication, in context, with real people, and across the globe. As these projects were shared and read by our partner schools around the world, students were excited to exchange opinions and feedback from their pen friends who reside at a far-off corner of the world.

Communicating in French was the key focus. We used different tools and platforms in order to speak and write in French, and connect with other students globally. Exchange of correspondence and videos, creation of our own classes magazines, Edmodo exchanges, Skype Mystère, Twictée, Webémission… to name a few, are some of the platforms and projects done in class. We are currently working with schools in Canada, France, Belgium, Tunisia, Switzerland, Morocco, United States, and Senegal.

What we do at CIS is being noticed. In March, some grade 8 students participated in a “webémission”: a Skype video conference with our partner school in Canada. This videoconference was recorded and included in a web programme organised by the Ministry of Education of Ontario, Canada to illustrate intercultural understanding and exchange when learning a language. The visual element in the Skype call allowed spontaneity in responses and interactions among students.

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Highlight Project Included Magazines

Students created magazines where they elaborated articles related to current affairs or their own areas of interest. In some classes they decided to produce a special edition on Chinese New Year with the aim of sharing Singapore’s culture and traditions with their partner schools around the world. It was a rewarding experience for students as they could relate their French learning to their own interests and preferences. They communicated using their language skills in a challenging project that was shared with the rest of the CIS community.

Skype Mystere

The concept is simple: Classes Skype call each other and try to guess where the other classroom is located either in the United States or in the world. On the day of the call, students use their resources in trying to figure where the other class is calling from via Skype”.

Due to the huge time difference with Europe and North America, our students filmed themselves giving clues about Singapore so that the recipients of the video (students at the distant school) could guess where CIS class was.

Twictee

Twictée is the contraction of twitter and dictée (dictation in French).

Advanced students in Grade 6 have embarked on this worldwide project this year. It is basically an online dictation in which students from different francophone parts of the world participate and learn collaboratively on Twitter. You can find more information on here in French.

At the moment, CIS is the only school in Asia taking part in this project. The founder of twictée was so excited about having us among his community that he decided to pair us up with his students. You can follow our class on @CIS_mmeSevilla.

Pen Pals and Oral Exchanges

Our classes communicate with other schools around the world using handwritten letters, videos and emails. Whilst we enjoy the advantages of aspects of technology, there is also something magical about getting a handwritten letter. It seems so much more personal and at times not as contrived as some carefully worded emails.

Competition De Dictee Au Sommet De La Francophonie

Advanced students in Grade 6 participated in the “Competition de Dictee” in Dakar (Senegal) on 26 November. This international dictation competition was organised by Fondation Paul Gérin - Lajoie as part of the XVe Sommet de la Francophonie. You may read more information about this competition here.

ACADEMICS

It’s a Matter of Rights

… Human Rights!

BY CIS COMMUNICATION Grade 5 TK students examined the concept of human rights within their Unit of Inquiry (UOI) “Who We Are”. The UOI started off with a strong provocation (a process where educators stimulate students’ minds to come up with questions, ideas and actions) that saw our Principal, Mr. Paul Hoff putting on a remarkably professional performance.

On the first day of the unit, Grade 5 students were called to a sudden meeting in the gym. The meeting had been called by their principal who was about to announce critical changes to school policies. Changes that would impact their everyday lives in a dramatic way. The changes included restrictions on technology use for boys (but not girls); a requirement to “volunteer” to clean the school every third Saturday; no PE classes, and so on.

A deep silence filled the gym and Mr. Hoff left before anyone could voice their disagreement or opinion. Students were in an uproar over the unjust changes. They knew they could not let these things happen. Soon, the students decided to take action. They talked to teachers, prepared posters, signed petitions and looked for ways to fight for their (student) rights! At the end of the day, students discovered that the “announcement” earlier in the day was part of their unit kick off and was designed to spur discussion and action. They were relieved that these changes would not really be implemented because facing the fear of losing them, they fully realised the importance of their own rights.

Actions speak louder than the words. Believing Mr. Hoff’s roleplay awakened the activist in each student and urged them to fight for their rights. It was a perfect segway into a unit about human rights and related issues!

Over the next few months, students learnt more about human rights violations. They examined and explored articles in the international news, followed particular topics of interest, and engaged in very interesting dinner table conversations with their parents. Most students were surprised to find out that human right violations don’t just occur in developing countries, but also in developed ones. They were shocked to hear about child labourers hand making soccer balls in Pakistan, India, Indonesia and China. The more they researched, the more interested and concerned they became.

As a part of their learning journey, Grade 5 students read Iqbal, a novel by Francesco D’Adamo, that tells the story of a Pakistani child slave, sold to a carpet factory. Iqbal is brave enough to change the destiny of other child slaves. This powerful narrative about courage, hope and the fight against injustice played an important role in students’ understanding of the dark realities of the world. They could relate to Iqbal and Fatima (another child slave at the carpet factory), fictional characters based on a true story.

To add to the learning experience, students participated in a Skype video conference session with former UN official Mr. John E. Lawrence, who worked in the human rights field for more than 20 years. Students were excited to be presented with an opportunity to ask questions of such an expert. They soon discovered Mr. Lawrence had an in-depth knowledge of the sensitive human rights issues people worldwide face, and were enlightened as they listened to his expert perspective. Mr. Lawrence, on the other hand, was delighted to see students’ interest in learning more about the complicated topic of human rights.

At the end of this UOI, students shared their learning with friends, teachers and parents at the end of unit learning celebration.

Human rights topics of interest ranged from girls’ education to gender discrimination, from child labour to hazardous mining in Africa, and the plight of migrant workers involved in Qatar’s World Cup construction projects. They prepared poster boards with interesting visuals that effectively illustrated the topics and then presented confidently to the visitors without reading from their notes. Students were very knowledgeable on the topic and exhibited a passion for the topic.

Students exhibited leadership qualities during their end of unit celebration. Their passion and new-found knowledge educated parents and unit visitors about the extensive human rights breaches occurring on a global scale, and showcased how together, we, as global citizens all have a role to play in ending these practices and violations.

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ACADEMICS

World Leaders Pay a

Surprise Visit to TK

by CIS Communications

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. — Peter Drucker 13 March was marked as an “unusual” day for Grade 2 students at TK. Each class started their afternoon learning with some surprise visits from globally prominent leaders’: Malala Yousafzai, Princess Diana, Birute Galdikas, Benjamin Franklin, Bill Gates and The Wright Brothers. They were on campus to share their stories and inspirational life experiences with Grade 2 students. Each leader came from a different background, nationality, and occupation, yet their leadership was defined by their world changing results in various fields. Malala talked about her fight against Taliban to defend young girls’ rights to education. She shared that while she was proud to be the youngest Nobel laureate, she had a lot more work to do to improve girls’ rights to education in her native Pakistan, and the rest of the world. Princess Diana told our students about her life story, and her unwavering commitment to charity work: and her personal passion in working with patients suffering from AIDS and Leprosy. A passionate environmentalist, Birute Galdikas, took students on a “tour” to her Orangutan Foundation International and shared information that outlined the orangutans’ needs, struggles and likes. Benjamin Franklin took students back in time to the late 18th century, and excitedly introduced his scientific inventions (including bifocal lenses), and talked about his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

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Students were ready to fly an aircraft thanks to the exciting presentation by the Wright Brothers, inventors of the first fixed winged aircraft. Finally, students were in awe as they met contemporary self made billionaire, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. Although most of the children were familiar with Gates’ work in the computer world, they learnt more about the man, and the generous contributions that the Gates family has made to various charitable causes, that include fighting hunger, poverty and diseases in the developing world.

This was a very memorable introduction to the students’ new unit of inquiry on “Where We Are in Place and Time” thanks to our Grade 2 teachers, who had disguised themselves as these amazing world leaders, and introduced students to a world of change, invention and leadership.

At the end of the unit on 6 May, it was the students’ turn to disguise and act as world leaders, who have changed the world for the better. What a great way to bring learning to life.

ACADEMICS

Primary Years Learning Sealed With

P YP Exhibition

by Chris Keller, PYP Coordinator, Lakeside

In a PYP (Primary Years Programme) school, the culmination of primary school learning is the exhibition where students carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry. The exhibition synthesises the essential elements of the programme: knowledge, transdisciplinary skills, concepts, attitudes and action. It’s an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile that have been developing throughout their time in the PYP and to celebrate their learning and share it with the whole school community.

This year PYP students developed their personal inquiries in the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the Planet’ and connected to the central idea ‘Rights and responsibilities shape the lives of individuals and communities’.

As a PYP Coordinator, I am always excited when the Exhibition unit begins. It’s a clear opportunity to see where students’ interests develop and how they grow as independent learners in a collaborative group. At any given time during the unit, if you walked into the Grade 6 pod and classrooms, there was evidence of real learning taking place. There were groups of students meeting in open spaces, having conversations with mentors, interviewing a person from the local community, making telephone calls to visit a local organisation, researching with print material and reliable internet resources, or creating surveys and planning experiments. Excellent opportunities were provided for students to explore their ideas creatively through drama, poetry, photography, music, visual arts and ICT. Every student had time to reflect on their daily learning and

make their thinking visible through conversations, reflections in their learning blogs or on their class blogs. They thought about new understandings to their questions and issues and what their next steps should be. The engagement and energy were high because they had to choose what issue to explore, justify why and plan it out. They had to not only ask themselves just WHAT? but SO WHAT? and NOW WHAT? The exhibition was about student choice and learners taking ownership of their learning.

As students use and provide evidence of the five essential elements of the PYP they must ask themselves ‘How will what I’ve learnt result in positive change?’ This is the action component of the PYP Exhibition. There were many actions that occurred as a result of student learning, some of these were immediately evident and some may occur in the future.

A few of these tangible actions were: ● Shifts in students’ thinking ● Getting parents to change their choices when purchasing items ● Volunteering at a school for disabled children ● Visiting a soup kitchen to help deliver food to an HDB ● Using ICT tools to create videos that were posted to develop awareness of issues ● Collected PE equipment and sent it to the PIO School in Cambodia ● Creating leaflets to share about animal adoption Students are usually nervous before they begin the exhibition and teachers think about each student and how they can be successful during the process. CIS students truly demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment, and made valuable connections for rich and meaningful learning. The students not only gained new knowledge but they also further developed lifelong skills needed in the real world, long after formal schooling.

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ACADEMICS

Glamorous Fashion Show of

by John Alan Grigg, SK Teacher Senior Kindergarten students put on an amazing fashion show as an end of unit learning celebration recently. The purpose of organising a fashion show was to explore different materials, their unique features and combine them to create clothes. The more students learnt about the properties of the materials, the more knowledgeable and creative they became in using these materials as clothes and accessories.

From the moment we introduced the idea of doing a fashion show, a journey of questioning, observing and gathering information began - in an enthusiastic and collaborative way. As a class, we searched actual runway fashion shows and watched selected clips. The children then began to explore different materials and do some scientific experiments. We experimented floating vs. sinking; states of matter; magnetic and non­-magnetic; heavy and light, etc.

The big question that each student needed to answer was: “Which materials would they use to make their own clothes to wear at the fashion show?” The materials chosen were paper, plastic, wood, metal, natural materials (leaves, stones, twigs and cotton) and polystyrene. Children formed groups based on their choice of materials.

Next, the creative process started: Students began sketching the human body form in their art books. They spent about 2 weeks sketching bodies and adding clothing designs to these sketches. I then advertised for parents to come in to support the children and help make these sketches come to life. The parents were amazing in supporting and encouraging their kids during the whole learning journey. They came in, and took the time to listen to what the children envisioned and helped them explore materials and combine them into some amazing fashion pieces. After the clothes were made, it was time for the most fun part: The children got to practice being models on a catwalk.

They had a lot of fun moving up and down the runway in different ways.

In the last few weeks before the assembly, I asked the children what they would like to tell people about their clothes and which materials worked well and which did not work so well. They all had many great ideas and I had to do very little prompting… they could all discuss many properties of their chosen material. Before we knew it, the big day arrived. SK4 made us so proud.

They were super confident and did a great job strutting their stuff in their unique fashion clothes!

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ACADEMICS

Action for Fair Trade Coffee

by Rachel Poff, Grade 3 Teacher, Lakeside

We arranged a meeting with Mr. Aman (Sodexo) to come to our class so we could speak to him about putting fair trade coffee into Vive Café.

To allow for the different learning styles of the students, ideas were presented in different ways. At the end we had a poster, a poem, a slide show, a booklet and we read the book Zapizapu Crosses the Ocean. The students also started a Twitter campaign to use technology to affect positive change. During our Student Led Conferences, students and their parents created tweets about our campaign: #fairtrade #coffee #Room315. We also created a display board in the Grade Three hallway.

Action is one of the essential elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). It is important for students to learn that they can make a difference in the world. During our final unit of inquiry we really focused on student action in a variety of ways. This is the story of 3-3 and coffee.

Our central idea for the unit was “distribution of wealth affects communities and individuals access to equal opportunities”. After reading the book Zapizapu Crosses the Sea: A Story About Being Fair by Diane Abad Vergara, the students became interested in the idea of fair trade. As part of their home learning, they went to the grocery store with their parents and looked for fair trade products, found the fair trade logo and compared prices of products. Many families made changes and started to buy fair trade coffee, chocolate, bananas and other products.

Mr. Aman was exceptionally gracious with his time and enthusiasm. He listened to the children and really made them feel important. Best of all, he was persuaded.

Thanks to the hard work of the students, Vive Café will be selling fair trade coffee next academic year. In addition, the seven other school canteens catered by Sodexo will also make the switch to fair trade coffee.

I could not be more proud of the efforts of these children. What a fantastic example of student action and what a way to finish the year!

Our writing genre for this unit was persuasive writing. As writing is integrated into our units of inquiry, we completed a shared writing activity and wrote a letter to Dr. Odland asking him if we could put fair trade coffee in the Vive Café at the school. We explained to him about all the positive things fair trade could bring to coffee growers. We also told him that we thought Fair Trade coffee was an example of being caring and principled, which are two of our learner profiles. He wrote us back right away and shared some exciting information with us. He informed us that he had shared our letter with some other very important people at the school and from Sodexo.

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Sharing Our Stories in a

Digital Age

by Michael Black, Grade 4 Classroom Teacher

“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories.” Laurie Anderson

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY Our desire to tell stories is a practice that drives most of us throughout our lives. Straight to the point, we all just want someone to listen. I’d argue this theory holds true not only in our personal journey but also in our educational journey. Now in my second year of working within a 1:1 iPad classroom there is no doubt in my mind that allowing technology to become an active tool within the classroom provides students with a greater opportunity to create, communicate and reflect on their own stories. My short time in the 1:1 world has been a revelation. I’ve noticed a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of content as well as a greater desire for students to share their work due to what I believe is a more personal connection to the learning process.

When asked what the most exciting element of the 1:1 world programme has been for me to date, the answer is always one simple word, creation. I firmly believe that through creation students begin to unlock their potential that was previously inconceivable with classical education materials. Through the guidance of our brilliant EdTech team I was turned onto Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura’s SAMR model. The model aims to support teachers in designing and infusing digital learning experiences that utilise technology, into the curriculum. The ultimate goal is to climb the ladder to the Redefinition achievement level to allow students access to more powerful learning experiences.

In my pursuit of the Redefinition level, one app in particular has emerged as my favourite agent for creation and expression.

Transformation Redefinition

Tech allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable

Modification Tech allows for significant task redesign

In short, the Explain Everything app is an easy-to-use screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that allows students to annotate, animate, narrate, import and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. This app has been a building block for learning skills that we later apply and develop within other vital apps (Popplet, iMovie, Blogger). The advantage of an app like Explain Everything over the classical educational materials, such as pencil and paper, is that students can present information using multiple forms of expression (images, text, video and audio) all at once. Work can then be shared on through a multitude of platforms and reach a wider audience. I still shake my head in awe when I read a comment on one of my student’s blog from a relative, in a foreign country, who has been able to track and enjoy the student’s learning journey throughout the school year.

Storytelling has been one of the most powerful forms of education throughout the history of the world. Whether you look back to the Middle Ages when wandering bards shared their stories orally from place to place or to infection of knowledge due to the rise of the printing tradition in the 1400’s, storytelling has been front and centre. As storytelling platforms continue to evolve so will the magnitude to which we can share our stories. I see great value in students having an increased sense of purpose when expressing their ideas and when I consider the potential the digital medium has for allowing students to create more personal and captivating work, I can’t help but get excited where their stories will take us.

Enhancement Augmentation

Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement

Substitution

Tech acts as a direct t ool substitute, with no functional improvement

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ARTS

by Peter Westall, Grade 7 Grade Level Lead

A Musical Where Dreams Come True 26

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ARTS

Early in their careers (in the late 1970’s), a very young Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber put together a musical. This musical had catchy, popular songs; was very opera-like with no spoken dialogue; and contained songs that made references to numerous musical genres.

It is amazing that so many years later in 2015, the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is still popular, relevant and highly entertaining. One of many eye-catching scenes devised and assembled by Ms. Shanhong Hughes, Middle School Musical Director was of seventh grader Toby Ireson, who had the dream role as Joseph, whirling around his eleven “brothers” in a coat of many colours….”scarlet, black, ochre, peach, ruby and olive…”

But Joseph’s glory was somewhat short lived as, alas, sibling jealousy prevailed in the plot, and Joseph’s death was simulated with the dismembering of a wooden goat on stage and the departure of Joseph by camel to far-away lands, and into the household of Potiphar, a wealthy merchant played by Nayonika Van Witzenburg. The conniving Potifer’s wife, played by Elodie Yeo, let her desire get the better of her and she was soon plotting Joseph’s downfall. Poor Potiphar.

Even though he was depicted as “having few cares [as] he was one of Egypt’s millionaires”, his wife proved too much trouble for Joseph, and Joseph ended up in jail. The jail scene provided an opportunity to showcase our students’ singing skills, the overall “musicality” of the production, and the talent of our talented dance ensemble, an eager group of dancers choreographed by Ms. Sandra Stipic.

Any musical production that involves coaching classes (who have to learn songs and study a number of main roles), making props, and building stage sets is a monumental task. In Joseph, costumes were also a huge expectation and commitment. Members of our parent community, Mayra M Robles, Nancy Sanez, Jackie Blain, Ghaddra Wiegand, Neyled Rondon, Carmen Lo and Neela Kalewere, provided their skills, expertise and time, to dress all of the cast. Off stage there were teams of students painting backdrops, selling tickets, applying makeup to actors, and helping in so many ways to assemble the dream: a highly successful Middle School musical production.

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ARTS

From the MS Musical Director – Shanhong Hughes, Middle School Music Thinking back on the journey, it was such a long road. We had over 200 students audition for Joseph, but only 32 students were chosen as the final Musical cast. The difficulty was not finding the best talent, there were so many talented students in CIS, but in having to say ‘no’ to those who were very close to getting parts.

Our chosen cast was excellent, they all worked very hard and gave a big commitment to be there weekly for two terms, as well as the main show times. I am more than proud to say ‘well done’ to each and every student involved in the MS Musical. They each contributed to an outstanding performance, building skills in music, and sharing them so professionally.

Both evenings were played to a full house, and a lot of fun was had by all.

Student Perspective – Reet Lath, Grade 6 Student, Dancer It was amazing being up on stage and having the whole audience clap for you. It gives you the feeling that you’ve done something great, and that you can accomplish anything your heart desires. The Grade 5 choir was absolutely magnificent in Joseph, adding depth to the already beautiful singing of the brothers and cast members. The narrators looked stunning in their dresses, their voices echoing around the captivated audience. “Pharaoh” was super talented, and was singing her part splendidly. The brothers, of course, were amazing as always, their hatred for Joseph resonating through the entire hall. The dancers amazed the audience with their choreographed dance moves and their shimmery outfits, and, Joseph, the lead, was not surprisingly the star of the show. He surprised everyone with his enchanting voice and shocked the audience with the twisted storyline. All in all, I would say it was a huge success!

Taking part in such a show was a mind-opening experience that really expanded my horizons. It was not only fun, it was entertaining, educating, and to put it quite simply: mind-blowing.

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ARTS

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ARTS

And the Oscar goes to CIS...

The Gala Awards for the Singapore International Student Film Festival (SISFF) took place on the evening of 5 May, at Nexus International School, where all the prize winners were announced in a glamourous dress to impress event. Best Overall Film award went to CIS High School student, Sam Mukherjee for her impressive short film, Hiraeth. The best narrative for High School went to Justin Mawardi for his production called Parent.

Interest in the competition was high, and a total of 62 entrites were submitted. Entrants came from school around the island: Australian International School, Canadian International School, Chatsworth International School, International School Singapore, Nexus International School, Singapore American School, Stamford American International School, United World College SEA, and NPS International School.

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CIS students participated in the festival with 10 entries, mostly from Middle School and High School (Hanut Sengar, Delaney Bower, Zara Mehtar, Romi Ron, Raj Deshpande, Gyanendra Sengar and Mechelle Wu), and were nominated in various categories including best overall film, best narrative, best video art and best documentary.

Sam and Justin, our CIS prize winners in the Best Overall Film and Best Narrative categories, answered some of our questions about the stories behind their films, their source of inspiration and much more‌

ARTS

What is the story of your short film?

Sam: My short film is about a solitary girl who stumbles upon an abandoned beach house. In the process of exploring the house, she discovers a lone suitcase on a bed. In the suitcase she finds some belongings, but the one that stands out to the girl is an old polaroid camera, still containing a few pieces of film. Intrigued, the girl goes around the house taking pictures with the camera. However, she begins to notice the presence of a girl in the pictures, and begins following her around the house. After taking a few pictures, she notices that the girl in the picture has disappeared. In an attempt to find the girl again, she goes around the house madly taking pictures. She happens to find the girl again in one of her pictures, however this time, running out of the house. The photographer follows the girl, but stops when she notices that there is only 1 film left in the camera, and being a child of today’s age decides to take a selfie. The film ends when both the protagonist and the camera disappear, and the last film is seen in the sand, with a selfie of the girl in the pictures instead.

Justin: The story of my short film follows a young boy and his family during a time of tragedy. It recounts the events prior to the boy’s father ending up in a hospital bed. We, as the audience, learn (along with the boy, the main character of the story) how he regrets not spending enough time with his parents. He learns how ungrateful he has been, and realises (as we hope all viewers will), that we must really appreciate those around us.

How did you come up with the idea of this story?

Sam: Ever since I was little, I’ve loved embarking on adventures with my friends and exploring unique places. We stumbled upon the filming location, the Istana Woodneuk, during one of these adventures, and absolutely fell in love with the tranquility of this place. As for the concept, I wanted to take a simplistic, lighter turn on the theme of exploring an abandoned house, which is more commonly seen in horror movies. I’m usually a chicken when it comes to the whole genre of horror, however the concept of one particular movie “The Shutter”, has always struck me as absolutely brilliant.

I’ve added components of this concept in my film; keeping the theme on the lighter side, so that the film turns out more like a story. This is why I’ve also left the identities of the characters to viewer interpretation.

Justin: Frequent talks with my parents brought the roots of this story to life. After that, a little dramatisation and imagination came from influences such as Thai advertisements. But in essence, it was the lesson from my parents that stuck with me “to never get complacent and always cherish what I have”.

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ARTS

Why do you like filming as the medium to tell your stories?

Sam: I feel that through film, an audience gets to not only view a story from the perspective of the director, but is also able to feel the emotion that comes with each story. Each character in a film has an identity, a face and a personality, making them all the more realistic. In film, even the simplest of storylines, if executed well, make the audience want to experience what the characters feel or are going through, which is more difficult to do through other platforms.

Justin: Filming, simply put, is storytelling. It can be used to tell powerful messages without directly speaking it. It simply allows a whole new world to be explored and delivered to the audience.

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ARTS

How does it feel to be one of the winners of Singapore International Student Film Festival?

Sam: When my film was announced at the Awards Night, I honestly could not believe it. From the hour after hour of sorting footage, to watching the final version of the film, it has been an absolutely amazing experience. I’ve also had the constant support from my parents and friends, both during the process and after the win, which I could not be more grateful for. Knowing that my effort has been appreciated and recognised is a true honour, and I couldn’t be happier.

Justin: Fantastic, it feels like my efforts have not gone unnoticed. Seeing the film itself being played in front of the audience, as well as the genuine reactions received, truly just in itself was a fulfilling reward. The award was a great extra.

What’s next? Pursuing a career in filming or hobby to impress friends and family?

Sam: Honestly, I’m not really sure. I’d love to pursue filming as a career, but as of now, filming to me is still a hobby. Although, I guess I’ll have come to a decision after a few more short films.

Justin: I haven’t figured that one out yet, I’m still on the ropes with an answer.

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ARTS

Bright Young Musicians Performed at

AMIS Concert

One of the international school musical highlights of the year was the symphonic band concert hosted

by AMIS (Association for Music in International Schools) on 21 March at Singapore American School.

AMIS sponsors a number of annual music festivals for MS and HS students throughout Europe and Asia. These festivals allow students from different countries and schools, who’ve learnt music in different styles and methods, to play as a group and over a period of 2-3 days work out their stylistic and musical differences and find a common ground. Some students have never had the opportunity to play in an ensemble with other students who play the same instrument. Other students have leadership opportunities as they are invited to lead their section. Top student performers from international schools around the world are invited to participate in the AMIS Festival concert following a lengthy audition process.

Gifted CIS high school student musicians, Minori Dehara and Alexander Gunn, both in Grade 11, were selected to perform their instruments on stage among the best.

The concert was the culmination of a two day camp in which students rehearsed over and over as an orchestra with their experienced conductors, James Tapia of Syracuse University and Jeffrey Grogan of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, who flew in from the United States.

Student musicians worked hard to follow melodies, adapt their tune, and achieve a cohesive sound.

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The final concert demonstrated, to a mix of audience of friends and family, the talent and professionalism of the young performers. The final product was an ensemble of tremendously high quality and students had acquired a greater understanding of music and succeeded in blending and working together with other students. The AMIS festival once more reinforced the idea that music is indeed an international and universal language.

When Minori and Alexander shared their AMIS experience, they agreed that playing “in sync” was the greatest challenge they faced. Alexander, who plays tuba, said that playing with other tuba players and sounding like only one tuba was harder than he could have imagined. Yet they accomplished this hard task after listening, playing and echoing their parts numerous times. Alexander was happy that he improved his technique and lip muscle endurance after long hours of tuba rehearsals.

Violinist Minori was impressed that the conductors used colours to describe different sounds, making musical notes more visible with the help of colours. This colour analogy gave student musicians a better grasp of the same sound and slightly different tones. Minori felt that performing with professional conductors outside the school was a whole new experience that she greatly enjoyed. Minori, who is a DP Music student, dreams of performing on stage with David Foster one day!

This inspiring concert is just the beginning of the exciting musical journey that lies ahead for these skillful musicians.

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Celebrating Cultures through

Travel Photography Cultures can be celebrated in many different ways. CIS Grade 12 student Yashi Gudka, a genuine photography enthusiast, chose to organise a travel photography exhibit to celebrate just this ­the many different cultures within the CIS community. Her travel photography exhibit visually enriched the cultural mosaic of the festivities of UN Week (Lakeside) and took Atrium visitors (including students, parents and teachers) on a (virtual) tour around the world.

Yashi wanted to do something she was proud of in her last year before graduation. She wanted to draw attention to different cultures in her own unique way. And UN Week was the inspiration. Yashi wanted to use an exhibition of travel photos to reflect and showcase different cultures, landscapes and peoples. Yashi thought the theme would unite CIS students and reflect the many places we have collectively seen, from India to New York, Kenya to Italy, Indonesia to Switzerland. The core message behind the exhibit from Yashi’s perspective was that a theme of commonality runs across cultures, even though we might do things slightly differently. This was what she wanted the exhibit images to portray. There will often be multiple ways to do something.

As an example, Yashi’s photo of Dhobi Ghat, a giant open air laundromat in Mumbai, India, is the perfect example of bridging subcultures and the merging of tradition and culture.

The image illustrates the multifaceted Indian culture: the new alongside the old and traditional. The photo is full of colourful laundry hanging everywhere, both traditional saris and modern day shirts and jeans.

The age old adage of a picture is worth a thousand words is often true. One of the most heartwarming photos of the exhibit was the photo of two local school boys from the Lamdon School, Ladakh, India. The photographer, Grade 12 student, Ding Gao, took the photo during excursion week in Ladakh. While CIS students were gathering for an orientation meeting at the school, Ding happened to notice these boys staring at them. Ding managed to capture their genuine smiles and the spark of excitement in their eyes.

Yashi got her first SLR camera as a gift on her 13th birthday and has played with many different types of photography, ranging from food to landscape and portraits. When going on holidays, her camera is the very first thing she packs.

For Yashi, the subject of the photograph is what first gets her attention – this is what makes or breaks the shot. The technical aspects come next – lighting, placement, background, etc.

At the end of last school year, Yashi moved to the States to attend university. Whichever degree she pursues, she is sure that she would be off to explore the world around her, and learn about new cultures, with her camera.

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SPORTS

We Are the CHAMPIONS!

by Jeffrey Talabucon, Head of Aquatics

The final swim meet of the 14/15 school year – the Singapore Swimming Age-group Conference (SSAC) Championships – was held at UWCSEA East on 5-6 June. And CIS were the CHAMPIONS! Six international schools, CIS, AIS, SAIS, GEMS, Nexus and SJII, participated and were vying to win the Champion trophy. After 81 swim events, our CIS Huskies proved their strength by winning 2 age group trophies (11-12 y.o. and 15 y.o. & over champion trophies) and garnered a total of 2598 points. This outstanding score made us the overall Champion for SSAC 2015. What a stupendous achievement!

As Head Swim Coach, I am extremely proud of our team’s achievements this year. They have shown an amazing level of commitment, and done extremely well.

A Few of this Year’s Highlights: •

4 time champions – Huskies Swim Meet 2014, Nexus Invitational Meet 2014, SJII Invitational Swim Meet 2015 & SSAC finals 2015.

•

We have seen a 100% improvement rate in our swimmers’ personal best times.

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We have won numerous medals and awards, both locally in Singapore and at overseas competitions.

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More than 30% CIS swimmers qualified for the Singapore National Age Group Swim Meet

These achievements are immense, but it would be remiss of me not to thank the community behind the team. Thank you to our very supportive swim team parents, our swim coaches (Ms. K and Coach Mark), our Head of Athletics and Activities Mr. Jeff Martin and of course, our winners – The CIS Husky Swimmers!

I am excited about next year and look forward to building on our amazing 2015 successes. Go Huskies!

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SERVICE & OUTREACH

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Creativity, Action & Service (CAS)

by Michael Broadhead, MYP / DP Chem/Math Teacher Both MYP and DP students have taken on various leadership roles across the following initiatives:

Project Cuddles

Children’s Cancer Foundation

This year, CIS students across the high school have stepped up their Service & Action in the MYP and Creativity, Action & Service in the DP. There are many different outreach initiatives happening across the High School at any one time. Vallesca Da Silva, a high school senior, was chosen out of many candidates (Singapore wide) to organise the 24 Hour Stop the Traffik race for Singapore in Gardens by the Bay. The event included participants from around Singapore, with CIS being the most represented school. Students also collectively participated in the Terry Fox Run, while individual student efforts contributed to 141 Schools for Peace. 10 CIS volunteer trips to Causes for Animals animal shelter took place this school year – these trips saw students getting lots of pet therapy while walking, cleaning kennels, giving dogs baths, and feeding the adoptable furry friends. Many students are also taking roles in EarthFest, an upcoming sustainability festival in Singapore, that I am organising.

As part of their science unit on Body Systems, Several Grade 9 girls examined cancer, an important topic that is becoming a larger issue in the world. Empathising with how difficult it is to have cancer (and all you can go through), they initiated this project to raise awareness as well as to provide encouragement for those children who are battling cancer. The girls raised awareness in the school community as well as the community at large through a social media campaign (#fightchildhoodcancer) where they encouraged CIS students to write (positive) messages which were then sent to the children in the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Fed Up Movie Screening Throughout their lessons in science class, a group of Grade 9 students found out that obesity and diabetes were one of the most concerning health factors in developed nations. They realised that obesity can be prevented if people start taking action for themselves – which led to their own action. The group decided to start raising awareness so that more people could live a healthy lifestyle.

The movie we screened was called Fed-Up and their goal was to help more teens realise that our diet is very important and children all over the world suffer from problems due to their eating habits. The movie helped other students see the effects of our dietary choices, and what the food choices we make and the food we eat can do to us. To promote healthy eating, we also organised a table of fruits and vegetables at the movie screening.

In Grade 11, Nicole Ferguson was inspired by her own personal experiences when her best friend was suffering from a heart disease known as HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). During this time, her friend’s spirit was rapidly decreasing and Nicole was looking for ways to “cheer her up”. That’s how she decided to start Project Cuddles, to help anyone going through a tough time. Nicole aimed to spread happiness and cheer through what we call “kindness missions” where people do small acts of kindness for unsuspecting people. One of their biggest missions was surprising a lucky One Direction fan (plus a friend) with two standing tickets to the concert.

30 Hour Famine Amna Alqubaisi, a Grade 11 student was inspired by the school’s historical 30 Hour Famine events and volunteered to organise this year’s 30 Hour Famine on campus, on 10 April. She always wanted to plan a charity event where everyone would fight for the same cause. The primary aim of this event was to raise funds to help those in need around the world. Amna first contacted World Vision to find out more about the event’s specifics, then began the planning (venues, materials, dates…etc), and got all of these approved.

Turning conceptualisation and planning into action was challenging, but very rewarding.

The 30 hour famine event this year proved to be extremely successful. More than 90 students participated, and a sum of $3,000 was raised.

It has been a rewarding year for many of our students. Action, seems to be something that comes naturally to our student body, as they work to make the lives of others more comfortable, and help shape the society they would like to live in.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

A Beyond the Classroom LearnIng Journey Grade 5 Open MInds Programme

by Franklyn Heisler, Open Minds Coordinator, Lakeside In this article we look at how a Grade learning engagement is constructed and why the concept of experiential learning is so significant in the CIS Open Minds Programme

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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL â– MOSAIC@CIS

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Planning Learning – in Learning w no K to d ee N e th g in Construct

e that is designed on y, ne ur jo a is g in nd ta Building unders level of understanding t en rr cu r ei th m fro s nt to move stude c to a new point and pi to n ve gi a on e) ally (knowledg ing. While it can be virtu with nd ta rs de un of l ve le r deepe sonate w deeply a topic will re ho ict ed pr to le ib ss po im er y is both stimulating ov sc di of ge ya vo e th , each student and exciting.

Building Blocks – quiry Looking at the Unit of In

an a Grade 5 Unit of pl to ed us re tu uc str ar y This is the point is a transdisciplin ng rti sta e Th I).

O (U Inquiry ace and is, “Where we are in pl se ca is th in ch hi w e, them nstruct a central co to ed us en th is e time”. This them our lens to further focus idea idea that provides a for the unit. The central t en nt co c ifi ec sp on lps us learning ing past civilisations he r nd ta rs de Un –“ is it un e for th es ou our lives today and shap e to ns tio ec nn co e ak m to larg central idea provides a future.” The scope of a er focusing. snapshot that needs furth ugh lines of inquiry: ro th ed ish pl m co ac is is Th ilisations (form) 1. Characteristics of civ ected (connection) nn co e ar t en es pr d an 2. How the past from the past have on s m ste sy ts/ ac tif ar at th 3. The ef fects n) our lives today (reflectio es of ted, each of these lin no ve ha ay m u yo As ed: form,connection and ch ta at ts ep nc co y ke inquiry have rther define and focus fu es ns le us rio va e es Th ar y reflection. dation of a transdisciplin un fo is th m fro is It . iry the inqu at we iry and key concepts th qu in of es lin I, UO e, them gagements to provoke, en ng ni ar le e th n sig begin to de ing and deepening of ow gr e th ire sp in d an s confuse, derstanding of the unit’ un lly fu pe ho d an e dg knowle conceptual umbrella.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

How the Open MinDs Programme SupportS LEARNING One of the key elements in this UOI is the role CIS’s Open Minds Programme plays in supporting student learning. Open Minds is an experiential inquiry programme that takes place outside the classroom. There are significant factors that determine the kind of engagements we build to support the student’s study.

1. The sites chosen must be connected to the content of study.

2. The resources we use need to enhance

a nd assist in developing either student knowledge and/or understanding.

3. Learning engagements need to be, or have the appearance of being, authentic and at the same time challenging, engaging and hopefully relevant to the student’s life. provide the necessary breadth and depth o To f opportunities to explore the lines of inquiry in the Grade 5 unit, four sites were chosen: A sian Civilisation Museum, Chinatown, NUS C ultural Centre, archeological dig at East Coast P ark.

At the Asian Civilisation Museum, students are guided by docents (museum educators) who focus the tour on how the objects in their collection connect to social, cultural and religious aspects of people.

In Chinatown, students follow a guide to a number of commercial establishments – a teashop, an effigy shop, a bakery, and a traditional Chinese music centre. Each location builds on the ways in which the past and the present are linked. In the tea shop, they consider the role tea has played throughout history in 40

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

Archeological Dig

Chinese culture both from a dietary and a social perspective; in the effigy shop, the students look at the products that support ancestor worship in contemporary Chinese culture and consider how this worship has changed yet remained the same over time; in the bakery, they explore the role of particular foods as culturally significant, supporting Chinese values and beliefs; and in the music shop, how traditional music and instruments become a way to appreciate the past and influence music today.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM An archeological dig at East Coast Park provides an opportunity to uncover objects that existed in the past. The objects found provide evidence for the students to assess and evaluate familiar and unfamiliar domestic practices.

Last but not least, is a visit to the NUS Cultural Centre where the students use props to develop a linear history of humankind; where they explore the role of archeology in uncovering evidence of life ways by viewing and engaging with the museum’s exhibitions; where they handle artifacts to spark thinking and where they look at the exhibits that provide clues about daily life, traditions, culture, values and beliefs.

Why we provide experiential learning experiences?

In today’s classroom the main sources of factual learning are books and computers. These secondary resources support fact finding, but what we are trying to do at CIS is ensure a level of related conceptual understanding.

Conceptual understanding must include a balanced approach to learning where we blend the finding of facts with targeted hands-on, mind-on real world experiences.

Real world experience in balance with relevant factual knowledge can provide compelling evidence to support students in going beyond mere factual understanding moving them towards building related conceptual understanding.

With the introduction of cyber learning in education, teachers are tempted to turn away from hands-on, minds-on experiential learning engagements. As this generation of students become further removed the real world focusing more on the virtual experience, they lose the capacity to observe closely, a skill essential in developing creativity.

The Open Minds Programme helps to hone observations skills by broadening the field of observation beyond the size of a computer screen. In doing so we can also slow down to be more mindful and as a result more aware of our physical environment, the environment that demands our understanding to better navigate within it. If learning is limited to secondary sources, i.e. books and the internet, learning is diminished and so to our capacity to develop depth of understanding.

The Open Minds Programme is an experiential learning programme providing real life hands - on, minds - o ­ n opportunities in support of deepening learning. Talking with people, holding bits of history in one’s hand, feeling the thumbprint of a potter from thousands of years ago, digging in the sand to uncover mysteries of the past in the sometimes blistering heat, listening to the stories experts tell that connect us to the objects created by people for people, all of these experiences assist us in forming pictures of how we are intrinsically linked to what came before us. Without these moments of discovery we may not come to understand our complex connections to our world. As the grip of the virtual world grows stronger, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from what truly matters.

As it has been said, “if you do not know where you have been, you cannot know where you are going”.

The Grade 5 Open Minds Programme at CIS plays a significant role in helping students to uncover where they have been so that they may look more mindfully at where they are going.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

CIS Wins Silver and Bronze at National Readers Cup Competition!

by Lisa Miller, Middle School/ High School Librarian, Lakeside

They are the best readers in CIS and among the best in Singapore!

We all know that reading is important but the CIS Readers Cup proved it can be fun and exciting too! It was a spectacular turn out for this year’s competition as 14 teams, ranging from Grades 3 to 7, put their best book forward on the David Foster Theatre stage on 5 May after school.

In preparation for the event, students created their own teams, developed their own questions, met weekly in the Library and with a mentor teacher if they wanted extra support. It was no mean feat for students to work so independently. The initiative was solely theirs, and their enthusiasm, organisation and commitment were impressive.

Of course, parents played a huge supporting role as encouragers and even practice quizmasters. In addition, before the event, all the teams celebrated their efforts with scrumptious treats, courtesy of those same parents.

Finally, after a very tense and exciting six rounds of questions and Socrative quizzing, six teams (4 from Lakeside, 2 from TK) edged to the top and were selected to represent CIS at the National Readers Cup on 21 May. Over 17 teams competed in two different categories; the National Readers Cup each of the Younger (ages 7­-10) and Older (ages 10­-14). Needless to say, the competition was intense.

All p articipating CIS teams ranked in the top five with two Lakeside teams placing in the top 3 in their respective age groups.

Our Grade 3 team came third (bronze) while Grade 7 came second.

Silver: 2nd Plac e in the Older Readers Ca tegory

From Grade 7: The Book

worms

Aleena Bashir Vianna Hopkins Natasha Dingley Julia Ruedl Maddy Hill

Pranav Jain Mechelle Wu Janne Vervake

lace in the Bronze: 3rd P s Category r e d a e R r e g n You From Grade 3:

ls

The Hot Dot Gir

m Emma Buchsbau eil W Emma Van Der Isabelle Zeilstra Hana Farooqi

Congrats to all CIS student readers who took the challenge and accomplished!

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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

STUDENT VOICE

Unique Performances in Myanmar

by Carles Pereira Romero

My name is Carles Pereira Romero, Grade 11. I am a passionate musician and am an active participant in bands both at CIS and outside CIS. On 18 December, I was fortunate enough to visit Yangon, Myanmar to perform with the Academy of Rock Singapore, where I have studied drumming since 2012. We had two unique performances scheduled for this trip: one at an orphanage in Yangon, the other at Academy of Rock, Myanmar. As soon as we touched down in Yangon, we were off. We went straight to the orphanage to give an acoustic concert where we played “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, and “Long Train Running” by the Doobie Brothers, to a lovely audience of children.

The children really seemed to enjoy our performance and showed their appreciation by smiling the whole time.

While the concert went as expected, the most surprising thing happened right after our performance. Children who had been sitting in rows came up to us, kissed the floor and bowed down to show respect and admiration. We discovered later (from the Monks) that these children were traumatised orphans whose parents had been killed during the civil war, and they had never smiled or laughed before. After the concert we spent some time with them, serving food and chatting. My friends and I felt a definite sense of satisfaction and goodwill at having put smiles on their faces. We also recognised how lucky we were – our parents and families were with us.

The children’s enthusiasm towards our music brought back some memories of my own early childhood. I was only 2 years old when my Dad got me my first plastic drum set. According to Mom and Dad, the drum was trash within 2 weeks (because I played the life out of it). Dad was my first music mentor and really helped shape my love of music.

Although he didn’t play an instrument, he was a devout music listener.

He introduced me to active music listening, the notion of rhythm, and all kinds of music genres including Jazz, Rock and many more. His love of music was infectious. Listening to music and playing the drums has always made me happy – just like the children at the orphanage. I was just 3 years old when I got my first real set of drums: I remember I was very excited (and still am today when I play).

In Myanmar, our second performance was in a slightly more upscale venue, Utopia Tower, where the Academy of Rock, Myanmar is located.

We played alongside many other performers, including famous Burmese singers and musicians. The audience was a good mix of fans of the Burmese artists, teachers from Academy of Rock from Singapore and Myanmar, and our band mates’ families. Performing outside of school, in a foreign country, was a completely different experience for me. I was fully aware that I was performing in front of strangers in a brand new (and culturally different) environment. I tried to do my best and focussed on not making any mistakes! I aimed for perfection and enjoyed every moment of the concert. We played four songs: “Come Together” by The Beatles, “Say Please” by Tonight Alive, “Long Train Running” by the Doobie Brothers, and “Take Over, Break’s Over” by Fall Out Boy. I think the concert was a success. As a band, we were happy to be performing before a new crowd, and it was satisfying to watch the audience enjoying themselves.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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STUDENT VOICE

Green Machine in

by Radwa Elsabagh, Grade 9 student, Member of Green Machine The “Green Machine� is finally starting to take action that will now be evident to the larger CIS community. Since the beginning of the year, we have been planning many different projects that we have strived to accomplish in the school. These have included: roof-top planters, compost bins, and Earth Day celebrations. We recently received the building materials for the planters and compost bins, and have already started the building process!

Our aim is to build garden beds on the 4th floor rooftop, where we can plant various herbs, vegetables and flowers, and make the rooftop look better and a more appealing space. We would also like to collect compostable organic waste to create a natural fertiliser for the plants. The goal also includes involving students, staff and parents with building and painting the rooftop as well as the planting and maintenance of the garden at large.

So far, as Green Machine members, we have built one planter and are in the process of painting it. The recent weather patterns have made this task more challenging than we anticipated (a contingency planning lesson)! The materials that we have received are enough to build two planters, so the second planter will be built by two advisory classes; who are responsible for building and painting the planters, to build the planter, paint it, choosing and planting seeds, and taking care of the plants.

We also received two rain barrels along with the planters. These will be used for collecting organic waste at school in order to compost the materials. We want to spread the idea of composting within the school community, since people generally do not think of composting as an environmentally friendly way of recycling. Composting is a great way of reusing organic food waste to make a better soil that can be used to grow plants more efficiently. We have already started both bins by drilling holes on the top and on the sides of the barrel to allow air flow for the compost. We have started filling it with organic waste. The shape of the barrel makes it simple to roll around for easy aeration and mixing of the materials inside.

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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL â– MOSAIC@CIS

Action

COMMUNITY

CIS Ran for Terry Determined to make a difference in the quest to find a cure for cancer, the CIS community gathered for the annual Terry Fox Run in January 2015. The morning began with an inspirational speech by the High Commissioner of Canada to Singapore, Her Excellency Heather Grant.

Her Excellency spoke about Terry Fox, who in 1980, after having had one leg amputated, embarked on a run across Canada to raise awareness for cancer research. Her Excellency commended CIS students, teachers and parents on coming out to support Terry’s noble cause. She then joined the run, as did dignitaries from the Singapore Cancer Society and the Terry Fox Run Singapore.

Students from all grades participated in the run, and there was a definite sense of camaraderie and united purpose in the air. At TK, students ran on the field at scheduled intervals throughout the morning. As each group of runners finished, they were rewarded with orange slices, prepared by our hardworking PTA, to quench their thirst. At Lakeside, students ran at the same time but in multiple venues. Teachers adjusted the duration of the run based on students’ age and grade levels, and students learnt to pace themselves in order to reach their objective. A large group of very encouraging parent volunteers acted as marshals.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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COMMUNITY

The Terry Fox Run is a perfect example of why we teach students about the importance of action. Although Terry was forced to abandon his quest (after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres), and eventually lost his life to the disease, his efforts have resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. Terry’s action single handedly initiated the largest worldwide movement dedicated to raise money in the name of cancer research.

None of this would have happened without his initial commitment to action.

To make this event a reality, Mr. Elmer Reyes, Community Outreach Chair, and a team of volunteer teachers worked for months to ensure that the event went smoothly. Teams of parents took action and helped out in a multitude of ways.

Students took action by getting pledges and running.

While the final pledge forms are not in yet, we are looking forward to another great CIS contribution and hope that our collective action helps to find a cure for cancer.

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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL â– MOSAIC@CIS

Building the

LEADERSHIP

Leaders of Tomorrow Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self­study, education, training, and experience. (Jago, 1982)

Student leadership experiences are an integral part of student life, however, students need to be taught how to become a “leader”, and to learn the qualities associated with the discipline. With this in mind, fifteen High School Student Council members from Grades 9 to 12 attended a weekend Student Leadership Retreat in late November, 2014. The objectives of the retreat were to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the many facets of leadership, to develop strategic plans that would guide council actions and committees, and to develop and sharpen leadership skills that students could utilise in a variety of different situations.

The first day of the retreat saw our Head of School and High School Principal meeting with council representatives for a leadership learning marathon. Head of School, Dr. Glenn Odland and High School Principal Glen Radojkovich laid the groundwork for the weekend’s learning expectations through some inspiring presentations that related to their own leadership experiences. Dr. Odland suggested that student leaders look for answers within the room and collaborate to come up with solutions as needed (good practice in any organisation). Mr. Radojkovich emphasised the importance of the very first follower for any leader: “You only need one person to follow in your footsteps to start a movement. The first follower is vital in leading change and needs to be valued.”

Over the course of the two day retreat, students were given case studies to examine in order to expose them to leadership situations and challenges, in an effort to hone understanding and help them to improve their own leadership skills. One of the hardest leadership skills to practice was confrontation. Students knew they had to say no and communicate the wrong-doings when necessary, but they had to master ways to communicate this effectively and confidently (something that is not an easy task for many people). They focussed on the benefits of acceptable confrontation that would enable problem solving, and also how to offer help assistance in a positive manner in such situations. At the end of the “confrontation session”, they reached a consensus of understanding: “As leaders, they had to be “friendly” at meetings and “friends” outside when in social settings.”

Another interesting distinction they made was the continuum of leadership styles. The wide range of different leadership styles (from collaborative to assertive) not only changes from person to person, but can also change from one situation to another. A collaborative leader can act in an assertive manner in an emergency, while an assertive leader could choose to be collaborative in a brainstorming meeting.

The second day of the retreat was practice day: student leaders broke into their own committee groups: Student Life, Academics, Sports, Digital Life, Social, and Arts Committees. Each group worked on a mission statement and strategic plan for their own council sub-group, that would then be incorporated into CIS’s school-wide strategic plan. They finished the two day weekend with a scavenger hunt in the Orchard area, as they engaged in team building activities. Students were given a list of tasks, items to find, and a predetermined team to work with. Teams successfully managed their time, redistributed tasks based on individual strengths, and acted as well coordinated groups – a perfect example of good leadership in action.

Over the course of the weekend, students enjoyed being treated as young adults in a professional environment. They learnt about leadership styles, but more importantly they developed an understanding of how crucial communication and planning are in leading successful teams. The weekend retreat created the perfect environment for the students to “click” as team members, and it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about each other and to discover each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

The Student Leadership Retreat shows the commitment CIS has in developing essential life skills and equipping students with the means to become the leaders of the future. It was a great starting point for an ongoing interaction between school leaders and student leaders. The culminating activity of the retreat is upcoming – the Council will present the groups’ strategic plan(s) to the School’s management. They are excited to be taking a more active role in shaping their school’s future, and look forward to building a stronger sense of community with a shared purpose.

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

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LEADERSHIP

CIS Students Ran to stop

Traffik Human trafficking is the world’s fastest growing global crime.

According to an estimate by UNICEF, 1.2 million children are victims of trafficking every year. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that at least 20.9 million people worldwide were victims of forced labour in 2012. In 2007 the US Department of State estimated that 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year.

These are outrageous statistics that reveal the gravity of global human trafficking. Although you may feel disturbed, you might not know how you can make a difference. You may believe you are just a tiny human being with great intentions, yet no means to change the injustice in the world… Really? CIS students don’t think so!

CIS students involved in the Stop the Traffik Run, held at Gardens by the Bay in November, are well aware of the difference they can make, both on an individual and a collective level. Student leaders organised this 24 hour relay race, drumming up support from student runners and spreading the word to raise awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking. The money raised went directly to charities fighting against human trafficking.

Stop the Traffik is a global youth driven movement that was born in Southeast Asia in 2010. The first run to raise awareness about human trafficking was a 12 hour relay race organised in Hong Kong. Today, this humble run has grown into the largest collective run to take action against modern-day slavery, the trafficking of human beings, and has a strong presence in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

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CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ■ MOSAIC@CIS

The CIS student organised Stop the Traffik Run in November was the first ever 24 hour relay race in Singapore. Over 230 students from international schools across the island gathered to run for a good cause, and “stop the traffik”. Students organised themselves into teams and collectively ran a continuous relay over a 24 hour period.

Every lap they ran meant additional funds raised.

All together, student teams ran a distance of 2,918 km, and raised $40,000 to benefit anti-slavery grassroots charities Freedom Matters, APLE Cambodia, Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, HOME and SUKA Society.

The run would not have been a success without its army of volunteers and organisers. Almost 100 volunteers worked hand in hand with the organisers, and teacher mentors, to make this run a success, both in terms of fundraising and heightened awareness.

Vallesca da Silva, a CIS student since 2001, was the dedicated leader behind the scenes for this year’s Stop the Traffik Run in Singapore.

She was inspired by a friend who showed great passion for the fight against human trafficking in Nepal. Vallesca knew she wanted to make a difference, and she longed to be a part of something bigger.

So, following in her friend’s footsteps, she set out to make a positive impact on those less fortunate.

Vallesca had a daunting task ahead of her when she began, but she started spreading the word about the Stop the Traffik Run through social media and raised awareness in her immediate community. She sent mass emails to her mother’s friends, who soon became the first sponsors of the cause. As the word went viral on Facebook, 1.8K people liked the Stop the Traffik run page. Vallesca and her team worked day and night for six months: they organised talks at various international schools, participated in assemblies to promote the run, and recruited runners and volunteers who wanted to contribute to the fight against trafficking.

When asked about her leadership role at the Stop the Traffik run, Vallesca proudly said that it was like “planting seeds” and she would be very happy to see the plants grow. As a Grade 12 student, she will soon be passing the flag on to her successor to “water these seeds and cultivate them into plants”. The legacy will continue.

Will Vallesca pursue a career in a grassroots organisation? Probably not. Her professional interest lies in fashion and marketing; however, she is eager to be involved in shaping a better world and is determined to be a life-long activist.

Dr Neo T Tee Khin

A Pro A/ rof Ansgar Cheng

Drr May a Ling Eide

Dr Day a lene Leo L ng

Dr Ste S even Soo

Dr Eugene Chan

Drr Helena Le L e

Dr Elizabeth Ta Tn

Drr Edwin Ta Tn

Drr Debbie Hong

Drr Ho Kok Sen

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