Primary Press March Edition

3/27/2015

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA PRIMARY

PRIMARY PRESS

From the Head of Primary It is the end of term already! Hasn‟t it been a productive, busy and exciting term in primary to begin the school year including the swimming program, parent teacher interviews, information evening, family evenings/breakfasts, our primary swimming carnival and not forgetting all of the fantastic learning that occurs daily in all of our classrooms.

Thank you to those parents who took the time to complete our behavior survey just recently. We will now spend time processing the information and data and report back to you all after the break. Teachers also completed this survey and we have our school captains ready to have discussions with the students regarding their feelings on what is currently happening in the school in regards to this very important part of school life.

Teachers have been busy this term focusing on the teaching of writing and we are currently writing our genre scope and sequence and developing our „How we teaching writing‟ document including the strategies used to teach writing here at ISS. Students of Year 3 – 5 have been learning about the seven steps to writing success of which will be outlined in this month‟s Primary Press for your information. As each step takes approximately 2 – 3 weeks to teach, we have now reached Step 3, which is „Tightening the Tension‟. We have more sizzling starts to share with you all also in this edition. We hope you enjoy!

During our break, the teachers will be learning more about differentiation and effective instruction from Dr. Belinda Karge, all the way from the USA. Belinda is a professor at California State University and will be spending a week with us delivering professional development and modeling in classes. She is also an accomplished author of books such as „Human Diversity‟. We look forward to her visit.

It was a very successful and inclusive swimming carnival for primary this term, well organized by our PSPE teachers, Mr Joe and Ms. Emele. It was fantastic to see ALL children participate and feel success and at the same time, catering for our better swimmers, who some of, will go on to compete at the next level. Congratulations to all involved and a big thank you to our parents who helped out on the day, including the PTFA for taking the time to provide us the chance to purchase healthy fruits and juices on the day.

We spend one more week after the break focusing on the learner profile of being „Thinkers‟. Which learner profile do you think should be next? We will ask the students their thoughts on their return.

Lastly, we would like to take the time to wish you all a very safe and enjoyable break with the children. We look forward to the new term which begins on Tuesday, April 14.

Karen and the Primary Team

This term Reception has had lots of fun!

We started with learning about cooperation and working together and now we are learning about balanced choices and living a healthy lifestyle. We have been inquiring into making good choices related to eating, exercise, hygiene and our daily routines. This week we had a special guest who came into our classrooms to teach us about brushing our teeth. We all got a tooth brush and tooth paste and we went outside to practice. Thank you Mr Ryan. We had fun!

We had an awesome day at our Reception and ECH2 pool party and healthy morning tea.

Thank you ECH2 for spending the day with us!

We are looking forward to an exciting time in term two.

AWARDS Year 4R Will Burdon Mele Ofa Yashan Patel Sofia Canioga Kama Bradley Nicholas Heuss Hyun June Kwon Papanui Liew-Masters Hannah (Jingyi) Chen Ben Cook Faith Khelan Noah Howlett Talei Cakaukeivuya Shea McCarthy Robin Eastgate Mathis Reynaud Leamalie Jensen Hannah (Jingyi) Chen Luna Reynaud Leona Douglas Jacob Cook Jeremiah Arunga Toby Bower Aiden Briggs Takuma Kokuba Aviv Deng Sijin Park Telya Papavassillou Kaelen Balpe-Leahy Aaliyah Chandra Grace Immanuel Jaine Chandra Heilala Fassau Kaia Whitfield Hannah Chen Nicholas Heuss

2 0 1 5

What‟s New in Year 2?

A Voyager‟s Tale Our Year 2 students had the privilege of learning about navigation techniques used by sailors on a traditional Fijian canoe („camakau‟) from two very experienced voyagers last week. Mr. Semiti Cama and Mr. Sakiusa Veikauyaki came in as guests of Ms. Kasatoka to speak to the children as part of our inquiry into „How the World Works‟. The Central Idea for this unit of inquiry is „We are part of an interconnected space system which we continue to explore‟. In class we have been learning about the composition of the Solar System and how the planets are connected. We are also inquiring into space exploration. Ms. Kasatoka has helped us to understand how the sun, moon, stars and tides are connected to traditional navigation and voyaging. The two gentlemen who visited us are from the island of Moce in Lau and shared the fascinating story of their voyage from their island to Suva. We were left in awe of their bravery and knowledge of the sun and stars which helped to guide their way.

Developing inquiry questions with Ms. Kasatoka

Sharing our thoughts during group discussions

Mr. Semiti Cama and Mr. Sakiusa Veikauyaki with their model „camakau‟. Their tales of voyaging on a traditional Fijian canoe left the Year 2 children in awe.

Goodbye, dear friend!

We are very sad to have to say goodbye to Dominic Abad-Vergara in 2C who leaves us to go to New Zealand. Dominic has been with the children in this year level since they were in Reception and has lots of friends in both Year 2 classes. The Year 2 children and teachers wish Dominic and his family all the very best in their new home and school.

Holiday Homework We have been busy drafting, editing and writing reports based on the planets we have been studying in class. A lot of research has been carried out using information texts in the classroom and in the school library. However, we ask for parents help with looking for pictures online of the planet your child has chosen which they can use as part of their final report. If you do not have access to a printer, please help by saving any images on to a USB and sending this in with your child on their return in Term 2. Have a wonderful break!

Whatâ€&#x;s New in ECH2?

ECH2 has been busy continuing our study of the Senses. We have painted with watermelon, coffee, and scented paint, used our 5 senses to pop popcorn, made ice cream, and tried going on a walk while blindfolded and wearing ear plugs. We have discovered how important our senses are for exploring our world and for keeping us safe! In math we have been working with patterns, sorting, subitizing, and different ways of counting. We have continued our work with letter S, I, and T and have added F and A. We had a Pool Party with Reception while the rest of the school was away at the Swimming Carnival. Everyone had a great time playing in the water and we loved our shared tea. Thank you to all the families who sent a snack to share.

Zion Nabouta was welcomed to our class a few weeks ago. We are excited to have him and look forward to a great year together!

We would like to again remind parents that the children have Sports on Mondays and Thursdays and should wear their Sports uniform as well as sports shoes. Show and Tell is on Fridays; please watch for a schedule to come home early next term.

We wish everyone a safe and restful holiday! See you on the 14th of April!

The Seven Steps to Writing Success This program is about switching kids onto writing! It‟s making story writing easy by breaking down writing into seven main skills. „Chunking‟ makes writing so easy to teach – and far more fun to learn.

Best of all, most writing activities can be done in just FIVE minutes a day. Each step takes about two weeks to master with daily practice. Below is the narrative story graph on which the seven steps are based upon.

As we begin Step 3, Tightening Tension, we would like to share with you what this is all about. Our top tip for this step is that you must believe the hero (male or female) will fail. The tornado is too strong or the villain is too evil. Yet, through strength, talent and determination, somehow our main character wins. Tightening tension is about creating that nail-biting tension in your writing. Fill your scene with detail to make the reader feel as if they were really there. Use the five senses as a guide.

Imagine a volcano erupting. Close your eyes and think what you would: -See (smoke, people running, fire spurting, ash floating in the air…)

-Hear (rumblings, people crying out, animals squealing, sirens blasting….)

-Touch (hot air, ash, scratches and bruises, people pushing you…..)

-Taste (sweat, blood, thirst and the taste of fear…..)

-Smell (smoke, heat, sweat, burning…..)

Visualize the scene in your mind, and then list the details. Add in your feelings. Now the tension scene is easy to write. Try the five senses activity at home. Try these topics: An important ski race, a small boat in a storm at sea, a rock concert or caught in a bush fire.

Starts Sizzling Starts, Step 2 is all about starting your story with action to hook your readers. You‟ll write a whole lot better when you have something exciting to write about. A story has about 60 seconds to grab the reader and make them want to keep turning the pages. So your story has to start with action! We have been practicing our sizzling starts with some ideas from Ms Whittaker. E.g. the dog with three legs in a haunted house, Barry goes missing in the chocolate factory and there are no teachers at school today. What do you think of our sizzling starts? Not bad for a first time effort!

Year 4R Boom! Baylian screamed, “Help me! There is a dog that is turning into a ghost. It is trying to bite my butt! Ouch!” (Tabbai) “Barry! Barry! Where are you?” Barry was on the edge of the chocolate waterfall. “Oh no!” everyone screamed. (Zachary) Tabbai is screaming like a girl because that‟s how he likes to party. All the students are alone with no teachers in sight. (Rimata) Yay! There are no teachers and no guards. We can do whatever we want! (Talei) Boom! The mixing machine exploded in the chocolate factory. Everybody was swept away but we could see Barry in the chocolate river. (Sieun) “Aaaah!” screamed baby Alicia as a shadow slipped out of the cupboard. The shadow howled loudly then disappeared into thin air. (Nelle) Barry, Gary, Larry, Jerry and Kerry raced over to the staffroom and stole all of the bananas. They became the richest kids in the world. (Toby) Larry, Garry and Jerry screamed loudly, “No teachers!” Suddenly Marry said, “Who cares. I will be the teacher now!” (Jason) “Barry, where are you?” everyone screamed. You could hear him from a large distance. He was missing at the chocolate factory. (Yashan) “Woohoo!” screamed Baylian splashing mud all over the classroom. Along with Jason, who was throwing a computer at Toby‟s head? And don‟t ask me how bad Rimata was. He was going lunatic without a teacher. (Matt) “Baylian….” Rimata as the teacher was marking the roll. “Barry….” “Missing!” screamed Barry‟s best friend. (Baylian) We reached school and everyone was playing and partying. (Saugat) “Ruff!” We don‟t even own a dog. The house must be haunted. (Emmett) A ghost dog was in the house. The kids were scared. (Max) Boo! A ghost dog appeared in the house of Lulu. (Hannah) Here we go! But where‟s the littlest Barry? Oh no! It was too late. (Neriah) Boom! There was a huge explosion at the school. Everyone was screaming. The kids stood still when they saw the teachers carrying guns. (Grace)

Year 3J 1...2...3 The school doors opened. Suddenly the power went off and the school was being sucked into a tornado. (Daniel) “The kids are all here but where are the teachers?” said one of the kids. “They might be dead or sucked up into space.” (Ben) It was the day after the parent teacher interviews. The evil witch had killed all of the teachers.

(Lenny) The evil ghost can turn into anything. Even a dog with three legs. (Yifan) “Ahaaa!” screamed the kids as they looked behind to see the teachers all turning into chocolate.

(Finn) “Oooooh! Oooooooh!” the great ghost moaned from within his dark castle. He was freezing. That would mean the whole world will freeze. (Ruxi) I turned around to see the ghost. I heard a growling sound and turned back to see a zombie dog with 3 legs. (Emily) “Ooooooh! Ooooooh!” screamed the evil ghost. Boom! All of a sudden the power went out, then I heard a scream. (Maggie) “Look! Look! All of the lights are off.” The kids were scared. (Architha) “Ooooooh!” A voice boomed from the farthest cemetery out of town. (Myah) The kids had to go home but Maggie screamed, “Party!” I saw the teachers by a big tree. Bam! Bam! Bam! All but one was gone. (Camryn) I hear voices. I see a teacher, eating by the tree. (Helen) The evil ghost is keeping all of the teachers. They‟re angry. (Carlo) The doors were creaking. The ghost came into the castle laughing, makings sounds and faces.

(Alex) All the naughty kids at school were looking for the teacher. They were running but she caught them!

(Tara) The kids started partying. The teachers were gone. Had they been kidnapped? (Matt) There were no teachers at school. A tornado was coming and they were all in there! (Charlie)

Year 5M “Aaaaah! My teeth are huge!” They were at least 7cm long. Oh my gosh, how am I going to eat?

(Theodore) “Oh no! Waaah! Muuuum! I look like a rabbit with teeth the size of my eyeballs!”

“Oh sweetie, we all look different, don‟t be ashamed.” (Leilani) “Nooooo!” I screamed as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. “I can‟t go to school like this,” I moaned to myself. It was my first day at my new school and I wondered what people would say about the „new girl‟ with the four meter long teeth. (Sophie) “Aaaaah!” I screamed. “I have big teeth!” My mum came into my room and tried to make me feel better. My mum smiled and I screamed, “You have big teeth too!” (Carmina) “Ah! What happened to my mouth,” said Molly. She had big teeth. How can she eat now with teeth so big? (Nadeesh) “Oh mum! Look at my teeth. They are so big! Oh no! What will I do?” (David) Whoosh! Rooster, the three legged dog was about to catch the ghost. Boom! (Oskar) “Aaaah! Mum!” “What honey?” “Um,” I muttered with my mouth closed. I muttered again with my mouth closed. 1…..2….. I opened my mouth and my mum fainted. I had the biggest teeth in the world. (Katie) “Barry! Barry! Where are you? The bus leaves in 5 minutes.”

“Miss Bubblewobble, where are you?” replied Barry who was by the chocolate corner. (Hiona) Bang! Bang! “What was that?” I said. “Ooooooh!” I screamed. A 3 legged dog was coming. (Reina) “Ft zan‟t kalk!” I went straight to the dentist and he said that I would die in one day or you just need to….. My teeth were too big! (Typhaine) “Ouch!” I fell. Suddenly I saw three Dracula walking towards me. I rubbed my eyes. (Manoa) “What was that?” I said. I knew my house was haunted. A three legged dog was standing at my door. “Stay back!” I barked as it got closer and threw dog food.

“He went that way!” little Suzie said, pointing in the direction of where Barry was seen last. Suzie‟s class was on a trip to the chocolate factory. Barry was the smallest in the class. “He‟s gone!” screamed Suzie. (Claire)

“Mum! Help!” I screamed from my painful position. “Mom, I can‟t feel my leg! Ow! Ow! I‟m over here. Please.” (Jade) There are too many ghosts! Where‟s my mum? I can‟t run with three legs. I‟m too slow! (Maui) “Aaaah! What happened to my teeth?” I said. Suddenly they were growing and growing until POP! (Helen) “Woof! Woof!” My dog started to bark but there was nothing there. I let him outside. The next day he came back inside but only had three legs. On his collar was a note that said, “You‟re next!”

(Griffyn)

Year 4J Woosh! The 3 legged ghost dog ran toward me. I ran as fast as I could but it bit me and was turned into a ghost, roaming around the house of the 3 legged ghost dog. (Judah) The three legged ghost dog, Micky was in trouble. His owner, Merry, the wicked ghost was about to punish him in the most wicked way! Run Micky! (Jingyi) Bam! Bam! The kids were kicking the lockers. The boys were back flipping on the lockers! All the kids were at school but no teachers could be found.

Grrrrr! “Who is that?” The door opened to a dark dog appearing to wear a white coat. (Abby) “Barry!” I called. We walked further into the darkest part of the chocolate factory. “Barry!” We walked past the chocolate river. In the river, we saw a shoe floating past. (Leamalie) We ran straight into the chocolate factory. Barry, the youngest kid ran straight into the chocolate room, his mum came running after. When Barry‟s mum reached there, he was stuck in a tube.

(Emma) “Party!” screamed everyone. There were no teachers around. (Kaia) “Arnold!” I called. “Where are you boy?” I heard the floorboards creak and a shadow just behind.

(Isla) “Yeah!” all the kids screamed. “No homework! NO school!” We saw a bus stop out by the gate. Out came the teachers. (Jacob) “Wonka! Where‟s Barry?” I asked.

“Right there,” Mr Wonka smiled. We all looked up. Me, Sam, Matthew, Nicky and Jacob. There was Barry. Stuck in one of the chocolate tubes. And was too fat to get out. (Aiden) “Ha! Where is our teacher?” Just one teacher is here. “Where is our teacher?” The older children are here but not the teacher. It is horrible. (Luna) The other children, along with me are at school. But, but, but……not Miss Smiggle. Miss Smiggle or Miss Body. Not one teacher! (Leona) My brother and I came outside to check on our dog. He had lost a leg so we rushed him to the vet.

Around midnight, the foot came alive! (Jayden) Bang! The teacher was gone. All the kids said, “Where is the teacher?” Something must have happened to the teacher. Was she sick? (Christopher) “Barry! Barry!” His grandpa screamed. “Where has he gone?”

“He‟s probably at the chocolate ride slurping all of the chocolate,” Willy Wonka replied. (Toby) “Wow! There are no teachers at school!” We didn‟t want to do anything. Was it Saturday? (Sam) Everybody party! We are going to stay here until midnight! After the disco, we still couldn‟t find the teacher. (Jeremiah) Boom! Jacob punched Ms Buffy‟s computer but then Sam the bully came. (James) All of the kids are in school with no teachers! “I am going to teach class today!” I yelled. (Natalia) “Booooooooo!” screamed the creepy and scary ghost. But then, an amazing dog that had three powerful legs appeared. It could climb a mountain in one hop! (Papanui) “Aaargh!” screamed the old woman. I was the dog that had a super power and only 3 legs. I saw a little fatty ghost and the old woman screaming. I bit the ghost to save the old woman. (Hyun Jun

Library Yes we are open during the 2 weeks break and all services will be available. We have many new books added to our library collection and parents are welcome to come to the library with your children to check out books.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 2.30 pm.

Closed during the weekend and Easter.

Please take the time to browse the library webpage. We have upgraded our Brain Pop subscription to include Brain Pop ESL, Brain Pop Jr and Brain Pop. Username and password is available on the library webpage. Brain Pop subscription is available 24 hours and also from home. Also available on our library webpage are free eBooks and audio books. Here is our library website address: http://issfijilibrary.weebly.com/research.html Wishing you all a good 2 weeks break.

Wakanisi Vaciloa Librarian Term 1 flash back!

ps pe

PSPE A great first term saw the students in yearâ€&#x;s 1 through to 5 participating in the Swimming Program and the House Colours Swimming Carnival. It was great to see all students improve and develop their confidence and skills within the aquatic environment. A huge shout out to all of the parents, teachers and teachers assistants who assisted throughout the 8 week program and especially those who helped convene the swimming carnival! Due to the high level of parent support on the day, it was a great success. We are very lucky at ISS to have such enthusiastic parents who provide so much support for our students and staff at these events. It was great to see and we are very appreciative! Again, many thanks and looking forward to Term 2!

Joe and Emele

Guess who is doing some body building?

That is right, it is our Year 4s! Do not worry too much. We are not actually lifting weights. We are, however, building working models of two interrelated body systems in our Unit of Inquiry, Body Systems. Our central idea is, “Body systems are interrelated and work together for good health.” We are even going to become doctors in order to present a diagnosis as part of our summative assessment in Term Two. The students are pumped learning about the body and how all the organs work together to keep us alive. They even got to see a cow‟s heart dissected in the high school science lab! Good news is, no one got sick. The kids loved Mr. Stice‟s presentation and all were natural thinkers and inquirers. Have a look at some of our pictures and remember, “Stay active. Eat well. Relax and live long. Change your mind and body inside and out.” No. That is not from me, but Pinterest. Have a great holiday and we look forward to everything Term Two brings!

Hallo Long Iufalla Evri Wan

Wednesday 20th March Early Childhood had a Pool Party, up in the Primary Green. Every day since then, we get asked, „When is our next Pool Party?‟

Friday Fruit Day, No 1, fruit of the day was watermelon, after which we put our peelings in our compost. „If You Are Happy and You Know It Shout Hurray.‟ Celebrating International Day of Happiness and the generous donations you all gave towards our Pacific Island neighbor, VANUATU. Safe Holidays and enjoy your Easter Day! Chee Chee Nee, Arigatou, Vinaka Saka Vaka Levu, Dhanyavad, Merci Beaucoup, Gam Sa Ham for a fun and rewarding term.

The ECH 1 „Vonu‟ Team.

Primary Visual Arts It‟s been an exciting term in Visual Arts! ECH1 students have explored colour, learning how to mix primary colours, and how to observe and name colours in art. ECH2 have extended their classroom learning by experiencing sensory activities in art. Following a wonderful inquiry on working together, Reception students have been learning about texture in art.

Year one have been amazing us all with their art inspired by Pacific Island art and culture.

Here are just a few of the masks they created (see photo above). Year 2 is having a lot of fun trying out different ways to make three dimensional art, or sculpture. Students are becoming familiar with the lives and works of significant artists during Year 3 lessons, and trying out some of the artists‟ styles and techniques themselves. Currently, Year 4 is engaged in a challenging inquiry of body systems. We are using Visual Arts to sort out our understandings, and to go deeper as we plan for our model component of the upcoming summative assessment (see photos at left.) Year 5 students are taking responsibility for their learning by conducting their own inquiry into an artist of their choice, and using the key concept of causation to better understand the artist‟s life and work.

ECH 2: Sculptures inspired by B of the Bang by Thomas Heatherwick

Finally, thanks to families who are able to donate recyclables. At the moment one item we are especially in need of is Styrofoam trays, the kind that meat or produce is packed in at the supermarket. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for student learning in the arts!

Year 3 We close the term on a high note with the year 3 classes running the Water Assembly with year 9 students. Students have put together poems to recite at assembly. Haiku, Acrostic, Free verse and rhymes and a rap are on the list.

It has been exciting term learning about conflict resolution and about Tourism. The students are excited about creating their ideal resorts and incorporating activities and attractions to suit the environment they‟re building in. For the first time as part of the assessment, teachers and students will be using blogs where students voice their opinion and perspective on other students‟ resort reports – a 21st century popular writing text. Mr Naca, our ICT teacher has been teaching the students the skills and appropriate language to use when blogging.

We are sad to say goodbye to Josh McCarthy and Daniel Rosier, who leave ISS for a new adventure. We will miss them dearly and wish them well in their new schools.

In Ms. Torika‟s absence, Miss Williams and Miss Josephine have been working together to teach 3J. We thank Ms. Williams for stepping in and welcome Mr Dasha who will teach 3J in term 2. We wish everyone a much deserved 2 week holiday.

Music with Mr Tim We rounded up our first term with our Year one students tying in their unit of inquiry “Community” through the music lens.

We discovered how Music is present in the different parts of community and the direct effects of what a community would be like without Music. One of the most liked examples of this is the use of Music in Cartoon movies.

Our year one students watched a short segment of “Tom and Jerry” with music present and the same short segment without music and instantly picked up the importance of music in movies as they bring about emotions, expression, suspense, and thrill while watching movies. This was the total opposite when the music was removed.

As for our choir, for the first time in years, we have had the opportunity to perform alongside our Middle School students led by Ms. Bex Nabouta our new Middle school music teacher. This collaboration lifted the spirits of our young singers as we all performed in the opening ceremony of the Model UN that was staged here at ISS. I look forward to an exciting term 2 up ahead and I wish all students and teachers all the very best for our 2 weeks holiday.

For the love of Music, Timothy Nova Ulacake (Primary Music Teacher)

All the way from Kota Kinabalu in Borneo Ms. Inga and Ms. Lucy send their regards from the EARCOS Teacher Conference being held in Kota Kinabalu where they are participating in much professional development in their areas of expertise including learning support, extension and special needs. They are with the Learning Support team from ISS. The team have have emailed to say that they are coming back with loads of new ideas and information, ready for our next Primary Press. They sure look like they are having a great time and representing our school in true Fiji style.

The Writing Process

“Sumeria? Yes!” “Indus? Yes!” “Greek? Yes!” “Roman?

Yes!” “China? Yes!” “United States of America? Say what?”

“That‟s not ancient, that‟s part of modern civilization.”

The Year 5‟s have been inquiring into how today‟s society incorporates many aspects of past civilizations for development. The focus subject for this unit of inquiry (UOI) has been Hindi Studies. Apart from the regular front loading and fact finding, Ms. Chandra shared with the students the beauty, majesty and history of the Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan. Students had to research some of the world‟s ancient civilizations to find out what significant monuments and structures were built and how present society has benefitted from the artistic, cultural, social and technological innovations. They also learned about 2 dimensional drawings and shapes that could be transferred into 3 dimensional models. The Year 5 students had ample opportunity to practice all the transdisciplinary skills which are research and thinking skills, social and communication skills and self-management skills in the course of their inquiry.

3D model of the Roman Arena

3D model of a Viking Long Boat

2D scale drawing of the Roman Arena 3D model of an Egyptian Pyramid

2D scale drawing of a Viking Long Boat or Karve

Year One is Having Fun! Where We Are In Place and Time For the second half of this term, the Year 1 students have been learning about how a community is enriched by its members and the different perspectives they bring. We have been investigating what a community is, who lives in a community and how a community functions. Part of our investigation has led us to an understanding of how we are a part of different types of communities, e.g. family, school, sports house, mum and dadâ€&#x;s work, etc. and how we bring different and unique traits to these communities. We have also been exploring how most communities have common community helpers, e.g. police officers, fire fighters, doctors, dentists, etc. and we have discussed why these jobs are considered to be an important part of the community in which we live.

Family Night Lots of fun was to be had at the Year 1 Family Night which was held last Tuesday evening. Everyone had fun participating in the quizzes and games and all enjoyed a lovely dinner. It was great to see the parents have an opportunity to socialize together as a year group and for new families to network with some of our more longstanding families. We would like to thank the parents for their contribution to our dinner and to the staff who assisted the teachers on the night.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Year 1 students for their hard work this term. They have participated in lots of discussions that have challenged their thinking as well as lots of learning that has helped to develop their skills. We look forward to another exciting term of learning when everyone returns to school on Tuesday, 14th April.

We would also like to thank the parents and guardians for your positive support of your childâ€&#x;s learning and we look forward to working with you all again next term.

The Year 1 Team

PYP Curriculum Corner I am amazed how quickly the term has flown. One of the privileges of my role in the school is that I have the opportunity to work alongside all the teachers and students in every year level.

This term there has been a focus on refining how we offer differentiated instructions in our classrooms in order to cater for the needs of each child. In some classes we have been reviewing how best children learn Mathematics.

Mathematics in the PYP Constructing meaning about Mathematics

Applying with understanding

Transferring meaning into symbols

CELEBRATING STUDENTS LEARNING THROUGH THE PYP In the ISS PYP framework teachers plan learning experience using the stages of the math cycle which allow students to:  construct meaning about mathematics through interactive learning experiences where students reflect on their understanding by using manipulatives/resources etc. and discussion with peers or the teacher to make sense of what they are learning.

This is vital stage of learning particularly with older students as they begin to learn about more complex concepts in the primary school in order to make connections about their learning.



transfer meaning into symbols once they have developed an understanding of a mathematical concept. Their ideas can be represented using symbolic notation such as pictures, diagrams, modelling with concrete objects and mathematical notation.

Students are often encouraged to use their own method of symbolic notation before transferring it to the conventional mathematical notation.



apply with understanding what they have learned by choosing appropriate problem solving strategies to utilize their mathematical skills and knowledge.

Rosi Uluiviti PYP Coordinator

with the Year 3’s Year 3‟s have been busy for the past 4 weeks into their new unit of inquiry where they are exploring the Central Idea “Communities provide interconnected services designed to meet people‟s needs.”

Students gathered and collated information based on the resort of their choice. With the use of MS Publisher, students planned and created a bird‟s eye view location of their resort. They also gave their opinion and suggestions about the advantages and disadvantages to the environment and the local community.

Through ICT students have been learning about how to use a blog site to post and respond to discussions. As part of the learning process we created a blog space in the IT lab for students to demonstrate their learning. Each student was given the opportunity to post their answers and at the same time have the chance to view others opinions and ideas. They could also give their support or views on what others think. Finally, students will then be invited to apply their learning on our Year 3 blog site.

This is one of the ways students at our school develop an understanding of what it means to be a responsible digital citizen.

National Flag Design Competition Details Fijians can submit their designs for Fiji‟s new national flag by e-mail, by post and by hand delivery.

The competition is open to everyone. If you have an idea, do not be afraid to share it.

Young people and schools are especially encouraged to take part.

You do not need a computer design program and you do not need to be a professional designer to make a submission. Sketches and drawings will be considered the same as electronic designs. All you need is pen, pencil and paper to participate.

However, whatever format you choose, you are encouraged to submit your design in colour.

If you do not have the Internet at home, you can use any one of the 25 Government Telecentres located around the country to submit your idea. Each Telecentre has a scanner that you can use to scan your design and send in by email. If you have never used a scanner before, there will be someone who can help you.

The deadline for submission is 4:30pm on Friday, 1 May 2015.

Be sure to include your full name, address and contact details with your design. A written description that explains the different elements of your design and your reason for choosing them is also encouraged.

How to submit your designs:

By Mail: Send your design to the Department of Information PO Box 2225, Government Buildings, Suva Applications by mail should be in an envelope, clearly marked: “Design for New Flag Competition”

By Email: Email your design to newfijiflag@gmail.com The subject of your email should read: “Design for New Flag Competition”

By Hand Delivery: Deliver your design to the Department of Information Ground Floor, New Wing Government Buildings 26 Gladstone Road, Suva Applications by hand delivery should be in an envelope, clearly marked: “Design for New Flag Competition” Give full rein to your imagination and join us in this historic national effort.

WE ARE THINKERS AT ISS! “Let me think about it!” “I’m still thinking about that.” “Can I get back to you about that? I need some time to think.” How many times have we heard people say these things to one another? According to the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB-PYP), people who are THINKERS exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to make sound decisions and to solve complex problems (IBO, 2000).

THINKING SKILLS The search for understanding is central to the Primary Years Program; however the emphasis on the development of concepts does not preclude the importance of developing skills. Students need to develop a whole range of skills beyond those normally referred to as basic, including skills, which transcend the individual subjects. These skills are those things students need to be able to succeed in a changing, challenging world.

How does the Learner’s Profile connect to the IB-PYP Attitudes?

The IB-PYP Attitudes help us to develop positive attitudes towards people, the environment, and learning.

1. INDEPENDENCE: THINKERS are independent—they think and act independently, making their own judgments based on reasoned principles. THINKERS defend their judgments.

2. CREATIVITY: THINKERS are creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas.

3. EMPATHY: THINKERS are able to put themselves into other people’s situation, in order to understand their thoughts, reasoning, and emotions. This ability to empathize allows for THINKERS to make informed decisions.

How can parents help to develop students who are THINKERS at home?

• Encourage your child to try to think of multiple solutions to problems independently.

• Pose different real-life problems and questions to your child, like, “I’m not sure how to arrange the glasses so they can all fit in the cupboard,” or “I wonder how much the groceries in the cart will cost…how can we make an estimate?” or “We need enough cookies for the 20 people in your class.

What kind of change should we make to our recipe?”

• Ask your children questions when they are working on a problem like, “Do you have any ideas about how we might begin?" or “How can we do this differently?" or “I had never thought of that. Tell me more about it." Or “What other ways can we show that?" or “Why do you think that?" or " How did you figure that out?"

• Catch your child being a thinker. Make sure your child knows he/she has done something good.

Expressing your approval is a powerful way to reinforce the profiles.

• Help your child to become a better thinker by allowing them to solve problems and make decisions on their own.

• Talk with your child about current events from multiple points of view.

• In our mathematics curriculum, students are often asked to explain their thinking. As your child completes homework with this type of question, your child orally rehearse their thinking—it will make it easier to write it down.