Talanoa 2017 volume 1

Volume 1 24 February, 2017

Newsletter of International School Suva

Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Guardians,

Inside this Issue

In our first issue of Talanoa for 2017 we have a lot to update you on. Schools traditionally are busy places where change is constant  Principals Report and at times communication can be lost in the busyness of teachers, students and parents day to day activities. I trust you will find this first edition informative and will give you a sense of the many things our community continues to be involved in.  PTFA  Counsellors Corner  Head Students 2017  Primary Article  Library  Year 6 Article  Year 8 Article  High School Article  Nurse Update  MS Chinese New Year Primary Building Update Since the beginning of the year there have been a number of changes to the building plans. Initially they were to fast track Phase 2  HSK and HSKK (Specialist rooms and Concert hall) and Phase 3 (the Wellness Center) of the project in order to provide permanent solutions to the need for more playing and parking spaces. However, in order to accommodate the immediate concerns of parents a decision was  Gallery made by the Facilities Committee to focus on Phase 2 and delay the completion of phase 3. Instead it was agreed that the area  Upcoming Events seen in the picture above would be converted to a grassed playing space with a dedicated area for car parking at the bottom.

Shaping and filling of the base layer has begun (see above) and it is exciting to know that before long the view from my window will be filled with primary students running around and enjoying the sunshine.

Plans for this are well under way, quotes for the work has been obtained and the Facilities Committee and Council continue to look for solutions that will provide the best answers for the most number of people. We will continue to keep you updated on progress in the Talanoa but also on the website under “Building updates”.

New Staff: University student Intern - Nora Miehe Nora is from Germany and is about to graduate in a Masters of Education degree in August of this year. Her subjects are English and Geography. She will be working with and assisting Year 6 teachers and students. We welcome Nora to Fiji and to ISS. Tagimoucia Yalanavanua: Tagimoucia has been employed on a short term contract for 1 Term as a Teacher assistant. She has several years teaching experience and a Diploma in Teaching.

Continued …..

Vishal Nand We have employed Vishal Nand as a fulltime OHS Officer. He has extensive training and experience in OHS and Project management both in Fiji and abroad.

Mr Nand has joined us from his most recent post as an OHS Officer with the Ministry of labour and will be an invaluable support to the school as we continue working to deliver world class facilities at ISS. Resignation On Monday 13February 2017 Amandine Neirink, one of our secondary school French teachers tendered her resignation. She is moving back to France at the end of Semester 1 to be with her family. Her last day at school will be 16th June 2017.

HR Review.

As some of you may recall, The ISS Association and ISS Council agreed that the school would hire an independent consultant to carry out a review of the school's human resources policies and practices. The reviewer would also be tasked with providing recommendations to Council for areas to improve and areas in which the school is doing well with regard to human resources. We are pleased to announce that we have hired an independent reviewer, Mr. Andy Thompson, from New Zealand to carry out this review. He will start the review at the end of February and we will provide more details as they become available.

WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES (WASC) REPORT From November 13 – 15th last year two members of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges conducted the Mid-Cycle review of our school. The mid-cycle review allows the school to gauge its progress since the last visit and to focus on areas that need on-going development. The summary informs the action plans of staff and administrators and ensures standards are maintained.

The extract below is a summary of commendations and recommendations made by the team.

MID-­CYCLE VISIT VISITING COMMITTEE REPORT ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR SCHOOLS WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA Visiting Committee Members (Co­Chairs) Jayne Lund, YK PAO School, Shanghai, China Jill Watson, American International School of Guangzhou, China A. Commendations: • Comment on significant progress the school has made in responding to the critical areas for follow-­up and in carrying out the related action plan. (Both) 1. Building curricular cohesion in PS and MS by changing the role of the PYP Coordinator to a K-­8 Coordinator, and making staffing changes so there are distinct MS teams.

2. Happy thriving students who feel welcome, comfortable and well-­supported in their learning, including with EAL and LS needs

students

3. Developing of Scope and Sequence Documents in core academic areas, and beginning to develop mastery charts to further articulate grade level expectations 4. Progress made to improve IT provisions and support throughout the school, including enhanced infrastructure, hardware, and the ongoing work of ICT department facilitating the use of technology to support and enhance learning across the school.

5. Increasing PD opportunities for faculty aligned to School-­wide Action plan/goals, both on and off campus 6. Adapting the daily schedule to ensure all teachers teams have common planning times at least twice per week 7. Completing the new buildings/facilities, and plans in place for continued facility development 8. Revision and alignment of the Salary Scale, including the increase in minimum wage for non-­teaching support staff.

9. Commitment of the Council and Senior Leadership Team to the school mission in the realization of facility development goals, and on-going strategic school improvement plans.

B. Recommendations: • Comment on any critical areas for follow-­up/action plan sections that have not yet been completely addressed, if applicable.

• Identify any new areas of concerns, if applicable.

1. Develop school-­wide assessment policy and practices, with continued focus on developing authentic common assessments, moderation, and using assessment data to inform instruction.

2. Using external and internal Math assessment data, conduct an investigation into student performance levels, curricular rigor, and instructional consistency across the school.

3. Select a school-­wide platform for documenting the written curriculum that anyone can access anytime, from anywhere.

4. Continue to enhance the school’s technology program, including a 1 to 2 year plan, which clearly addresses the direction the school intends to go in relation to being a 1:1 laptop, or a BYOD school, and providing on-going IT training for faculty to effectively support the IT goals of the school.

And finally, remember that “"Success comes in cans, failure in cant’s." - Unknown” Kind regards, Hector Hatch Interim Principal

PTFA Update AGM The PTFA AGM was held on the 22nd February at 5:30pm in the Amphitheatre. The Committee thanks all the parents and members who attended the meeting.

As per the AGM process, the existing committee stood down and elections were held. The appointed President and Vice President are as per below, with the remaining roles to be clarified within the first meeting of the new committee.

President – Craig Sims Vice President – Sharon Smith-Johns We also wish to sincerely thank Lisa Nili for all her hard work and fantastic support for the PTFA and the ISS Community, at the AGM she has stepped down from the Committee.

The committee thanks all the PTFA members for their comments and contributions to the PTFA. Nominations for PTFA Committee Within the next two weeks, following the first PTFA Committee meeting of the new Committee, an email will be circulated asking for volunteers who would wish to join the PTFA Committee for vacant spot(s).

More information will follow and between now and then, if you are interested or would like some information, please do feel free to send through an email to ptfa@international.school.fj or speak to any of the committee members.

Social Evening PTFA wishes to thank all the people who attended the Social Evening on the 9 th February at the Breezeway. It was a great night and provided an opportunity for new and existing parents to meet.

Parent Liaisons There are a few remaining Parent Liaison roles which are vacant and these are being finalised this week, more information will follow on this in the next two weeks.

First Aid Training The PTFA would like to offer you the opportunity to participate in a first response First Aid course that will be run at ISS in the MPH on Saturday 25th February 2017 at a cost of $75 per person. This is a full day course running 9 - 5pm.

There are limited spaces available and this will be booked on a first come, first served basis.

This is an excellent opportunity to ensure your children’s nanny is also qualified to perform first aid should the need arise.

The course is run externally by a qualified and accredited trainer and has been organised in recognition on some of the feedback received by ISS Parents.

From the Counsellor BULA Everyone and Welcome to the new academic year.

School is already off to a great start with lots of activity. This year promises to not only be demanding but also full of fun and exciting. New students seem to be settling well into their new environment and are looking forward to the new programs.

There was a leadership workshop held for the Year 12’s on Saturday 4th February. This workshop was proposed back in 2016, when the group was still in Year 11. An early leadership training and planning in the new school year would enable them to reflect on what took place in 2016 and how they could create better opportunities for 2017. A team of facilitators from Leadership Fiji; Anabel Ali, Julianne Verma and Tupou Halofaki, generously gave up their time to be with the Leadership Team and their classmates, enabling them to realize their role as leaders.

Reflection of Muhammad Uzair: “The workshop invigorated a sense of leadership and will help us by alleviating stress and pressures that come with being Head Students. It will also allow for our senior students to take on bigger roles within the school because they have now been taught what it means to be a leader and how to be a good one. It was a very engaging experience because we were able to interact with each other through active activities and team building exercises. This gave us inspiration to work together in the future to tackle obstacles that come our way as leaders of secondary school.”

We are currently in the process of planning the school’s Annual Careers Expo. This is scheduled for Week 8 of this term. Any career expo gives students an opportunity and a platform to gather information about the different careers available to them. It is important that students make right choices in regards to future career prospects so as to be able to gather necessary information and to also know what is required of them to get that level.

Career Expos’ stirs students’ curiosity and encourages them to engage in their own research as they seek opportunities in reaching their career goal.

A survey was undertaken to gauge our student’s future career plans and to ensure that the program be both beneficial and appealing to students.It is now interesting to note the trends in students’ career aspirations and future destinations for tertiary education. We look forward to meeting especially our high school parents as parents play a role in your student’s future. When parents are involved with students thought processes for the future, they are also preparing themselves both emotionally and economically for what lies ahead.

Top Tips for Career Planning

TAKE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CLASSES- Do not pigeonhole yourself into one tight line of study. Branch out and take a good look around to see what interests you.

COMPLETE A FEW SELF-ASSESSMENT TESTS- Self-assessment tests can tell you a lot about yourself and may help you match your skills and interests with possible careers.

DEVELOP A CAREER INVENTORY- What kind of organization do you want to work for? What type of environment do you prefer? How much travel do you want to do? What kind of work schedule do you prefer?

Think it through on your own, or take a career and interest assessment to get your answers.

RESEARCH DIFFERENT CAREERS- Browse different websites for detailed descriptions of different careers and statistics about the fastest growing fields.

DO SOME VOLUNTEER WORK- Explore possible career tracks and build a strong networking base through volunteer activities. Volunteering teaches you about yourself and your world while preparing you for the future and connecting you to your community.

NETWORK- Meeting people who work in your prospective field can give you valuable insight into what life is like in that career. Gather information by gathering contacts.

F I N D A M E N T O R - Part coach, part motivator, the mentor works as a guide from within the context of the work environment. The perfect mentor is someone who works well with you and who has the experience and success you seek.

A R R A N G E S O M E I N F O R M A T I O N A L I N T E R V I E W S - There’s no better way to get a feel for a certain career than talking to professionals in the field. Find them through your college’s career center, your school’s alumni association, job fairs and professional organizations.

From- http://www.fastweb.com/career-planning/articles/top-ten-tips-for-career-planning Wishing you all a successful 2017 Fenella David School Counsellor fdavid@international.school.fj

Head Students 2017

Back row (left to right): PIO MANOA, MUHAMMAD UZAIR AKHTAR, and JEREMAIA SINGH Front row (left to right): ZAMELA GINA, MUNEE SONG, ANASEINI HURSTEL Uzair- It’s a privilege to be one of the Head Students for 2017. Some of my highest aspirations for this year include uniting our school into one big community, making the year 12 feel like actual seniors that our juniors can look up to and respect, having a more sports oriented school and furthermore building school spirit. Some of the changes that pushed through is the addition and improved mentoring program plan that we were able to design with the help of the Leadership Seminar in Week 2 and the usage of the Multi-Purpose Hall by the Year 12’s without teacher supervision during morning trainings that has benefited us a lot in the sense of improving our various techniques in the different sports that we play (as long as parent permission is given).

There is no such thing as a perfect leader but I believe that our distinctive leadership team of 2017 will be able to make changes that we will be remembered for.

Munee- A great leader is not someone that dictates but rather someone who is not afraid to fight for changes that will benefit our peers and is willing to serve with all our heart and might and that is what our leadership team is comprised of. This year something that I am very eager to do is to raise the school spirit and have students be proud of our school when we participate in certain events like the Coca-Cola games. I want to improve and promote the Arts program - Music, Drama and Visual Art so that students are provided with the right information and all the support they can get in choosing these fields and the academic courses for their future. I aspire to build good communication with the teachers and students to avoid conflicts and lastly emphasise that our time in school is not only to study but to have fun and enjoy.

Zamela- Being elected as a Student leader is a privilege and something which I will use as a platform to implement changes from being a more environmentally friendly school to building students self-esteem. With the help of the team and support of the teachers I will drive to make the school more sustainable by negotiating with the canteen for a reduction in plastics used, improve awareness on harmfulness of plastics used in school, improve mental health awareness in school and create a Zen garden in school, work with the counselor to create more awareness on body positivity as well as online and real life counseling facilities, educate people on stress coping strategies and improve student relationships throughout high school through year level competitions.

Pio- To be a head student of any school is an honor, but to hold such position in the school that I've spent my entire high school life is both a privilege and an amazing opportunity. In this academic year, my goal is that together with my fellow leaders we will be able to bring positive changes to the school community. Changes that will have lasting benefit to students, teachers and the reputation of our school. We realize that not all of our goals will be achieved in this time frame but if we dedicate our time and effort we will be able to steer our school in the right direction.

Jerry- As a leader, I have a vision for a more united ISS, one where Students are encouraged to express themselves creatively.

To create an environment that allows even the younger grades to be able to approach seniors without fear. An environment that nurtures the talents and skills the students have the need to express. Sure we go to school to get educated, but doing things like dancing, singing, playing instruments, playing sports, doing art, acting, these are experiences in School that make us excited to even come back day to day. So my main goal as a leader is to get more of these activities out there to students so they can get the full experience, like Battle of the Bands and Talent Quests, Dance Competitions or even small lunchtime gigs. These are the events I will push for. A School that isn’t afraid to shine, that is my dream Anaseini- It is indeed such a milestone to be part of the leadership team of 2017 especially as a new student who had joined last year. I aspire to be a good role model to all students of ISS and emphasize the importance of sports and co-curricular activities as a means of balance to our academic work. Really working towards building school spirit and unifying the school to realize that we are part of something bigger on a global scale, we are part of an international family and we should appreciate and celebrate the unique diverse nationalities amongst us.Taking it one step at a time and fixing the little things in order to accomplish the massive challenges so that at the end of the day we as a leadership team can be satisfied that we have worked to the best of our abilities to change our school for the best.

Vinaka Vakalevu Head Student Team 2017

Primary Article Opening of the new Primary School building for the first day of school in 2017 The new Primary School building opened for the start of the school year amidst excited children who are enjoying their new classrooms and interactive projectors. The new building means students can now find space to play outside even when it rains.

We are enjoying new table tennis tables and regular lunch times in the Multi-purpose Hall.

The children can now eat outside with friends from different classes and year levels. Collaborative art work at lunch times has also been popular as the children worked with some Middle School students to create 2D timber figures which are almost ready to be glued to the wall surrounding the front grass. Students from all classes will then be invited in the coming weeks (weather permitting) to add to the painted figures in different ways to complete the Primary Mural.

Next term, we will open more space to play with the addition of a grassed area on the other side of the walkway from the Primary Office to the main teaching block. This in conjunction with the planned re-opening of the sandpit and playground area will be welcome additions to the Primary space next term.

Inaugural Primary Fun Sports January 27 th, 2017 To round off an exciting start to the school year, we had our first Primary Fun Sports event on Friday 27 th January. We used the different spaces available in Primary to introduce students to most of the different parts of the new Primary area. Students rotated through six activities with their group to participate in the dress-up relay, island hop, relay race, rock scissors paper game, pencil dip, musical statues, bean bag toss challenge, chalk drawing and bowling. Although no one did every activity, it was a great chance to use the space creatively, meet students, teachers and teacher assistants, do some exercise and have lots of fun. I think we will be repeating something similar again in the future!

“Crunch and Sip” Healthy eating and drinking programme launch February 10 th, 2017 The crunch and sip programme was first developed in Western Australia and is based on some alarming statistics about how few vegetables children eat. At the heart of this programme is the concept of providing children with the opportunity to snack during the day on fresh vegetables or even fruit to encourage healthier eating habits. It also aims to prevent dehydration by having children drink water instead of juice or milk based drinks during the day. So far, we have had a “What’s in your lunchbox” Rap performed in assembly along with an entertaining explanation of the programme by some of our Year 1, 3 and 4 students, trays of delicious fruit and vegetables passed around by children during morning tea time, reminder posters and classroom discussions on healthy eating.

Early reports indicate that the children are showing an increased awareness of the importance of eating fruit and vegetables as snacks.

We are hoping to continue this programme throughout the year, so please continue to send your child to school with a small container of fresh fruit or vegetables every day.

Swimming Programme in Primary School Our swimming programme has begun with Years 2-3 and now Reception and Year 1 enjoying a healthy start to the day at Damodar Aquatic Centre. The programme aims to teach non-swimmers the basics of water safety and survival as well as to teach correct strokes to those who can already swim. It provides a great lead up to our swimming carnival which is planned for March 23rd.

LIBRARY

Database of the month

World Book Kids is developed especially for young children, with thousands of easy-to-read articles packed with stunning illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and engaging games and activities. Visual cues helps kids find information easily.

Bula Vinaka!

At ISS, our students are challenged academically day to reach their full potential and to be successful 21st century life long learners. In this issue, we highlight one of our subscription database, World Book Online, available in our library webpage. Our students can access World Book Online and the other databases in the library website after school hours from home.

Key Features:

New in the Library!

World Book Advance Advanced is a powerful multimedia reference tool, perfect for high-school students, that integrates reference articles, eBooks, and primary source databases in a single search. It also includes access to up-to-theminute news publications from all over the world.

The library staffs are ready and excited about this new World of Animals: Fun and easy-to-use year and is committed to making the library your child’s favorite place in school! Parents are most welcome to tool to help students research their visit the library with your children from 2.30 pm - 3.50 Key Features: favorite animals.

Advanced research tools inpm daily (Monday—Friday) for quiet reading, home clude dictionary, atlas, and more.

Hands-on science projects and experi- work research and borrowing books. ments cater to many different levels and interests.

My Research allows users to compile content in individualized accounts from thousands of fiction The library also subscribes to a wide variety of and nonfiction eBooks, plus addimagazines keeping our students up to date with current tional titles in 8 languages.

Journals

For students in elementary and middle schools, World events around the world.

Book Student includes all the articles from the print versions of the World Book Encyclopedia, plus thousands of additional articles, learning resources, and research tools. World Book Student is also optimized for tablets for the ultimate mobile research experience.

Key features include: More than 40,000 encyclopedia and reference articles

Citation Builder creates flawless citations in MLA, APA, and Harvard formats.

Access to up-to-the-minute news publications from all over the world Please visit the library webpage to explore world book further.

• World Book Biography Center, with more than 10,000 biographies • Thousands of links selected by World Book editors and expert contributors • Rich multimedia

• Historical features

ISS Scholastic Book Club

• Extensive dictionary and atlas

Lucky Book club catalogue, Issue 1 has arrived! Thank you to all students and parents who purchased books through scholastic book club last year

• Correlations to state and provincial curriculum and achievement standards • Audios, videos, and animations

Calling for parent volunteers in the library!

We received more than $3000 worth of free books which has been added to our library and classroom collections.

The beginning of these year has seen the library full to capacity at lunch break. If you would like to volunteer to help in the library to teach a craft, jewellery making, Lego craft, adopt a shelve or just to read a story to our students for 30 minutes at lunch time, please let me know. We’d love to have you.

This year, our students have a choice of ordering from either the New Zealand or Australia Book Club catalogue. Thank you parents, students and teachers for the orders received.

• Educator tools • Student activities

Hope to see you at the library soon!

Ms Salu Vaciloa - Teacher Librarian Email: library@international.school.fj.

Library website: http://issfijilibrary.weebly.com/

The year 6 Information Breakfast th

On Wednesday 15 February the students, teachers and parents of year 6 shared breakfast together. Ms Fox and Mr. Legaz introduced themselves and explained where they are from and how they became a teacher. Ms Fox showed our parent the year 6 website and how to log into PowerSchool. After we ate a delicious breakfast, we showed our parents our classrooms and all the work we had done so far this year. I had a lot of fun playing Quizlet in front of our parents and showing them my locker. I definitely hope next year we will do it again.

Written on behalf of Year 6 by Jia Sharma

Middle School Friday Activities Last Friday wasn’t just a normal Friday, in Middle School the house teams were competing to win the Middle School trophy.

Our first task was to make a new team name and create a new cheer. They were all so creative, Red Troopers, Green Gliders, Rewa Butter and the Beasts. All together there were four events; Table Tennis, Alien Invasion, Basket weaving and Creative Costumes. All the houses worked really well together but in the end Green Gliders (Kangaroos) took home the trophy.

Written on behalf of Year 6 by Jia Sharma

Year 8 Article We welcome all the new students in Year 8 where some crossed continents and some took big strides from their previous schools to join us. There was an air of excitement in the room on the first day when the new faces arrived and were greeted and buddied with the old students. The new comers include Talia Yett, Dolores Manoa, Deborah Lovolevu, Ifereimi Waqainabete, Jared Southwick, Nylla Young, Alana Oliver, Manueli Vuetimacuata (returning student), Riyashna Nand, Naatapuitea Ete, and Chenxi Zhu . The students are transitioning well into the ISS learning community.

We are also pleased to welcome Mrs Tagimoucia Yavalanavanua who recently joined the Year 8 teaching team to assist the learning support students.

Last Wednesday morning there was a good turn out from parents when the class had a dual breakfast and information event.

The class captains did well to present about the Middle School Scope and Sequence, Pastoral sessions, ISA/ACER results and the Technology tool component of their learning.

We wish the newly elected class captains the best as they undertake their roles and responsibilities. Congratulations to Arieta Rubuti (801 Class Captain), Auritro Sami (801 Deputy Class Captain), Josiah Neal (802 Class Captain) and Hefrani Barnes (802 Deputy Class Captain).

2017 is a big year for the class as the students prepare for another transition to high school. We wish every student a fruitful and enjoyable year.

The first few weeks in the High School Firstly I would like to welcome all new students and their families into the High School community.

We started the year going directly into studies but taking a break on the first Friday back to do Fun Sports with the Middle School. Not only challenging physically, it required students to effectively problem-solve, think critically, work as a team and build House Spirit and for our seniors, manage their teams and be effective leaders alongside having fun. Kiwi House won the competition, very closely followed by Iguana, then Eagles and finally Kangaroos.

We also held the first ‘wooden spoon challenge’ which was a tug of war. Organised by the Year 12 students, the challenge is hotly contested between a team of teachers and a Year 12 team. Whilst the teachers won the tug of war, we unfortunately lost the second challenge of Dodgeball.

The Year 12 students attended a Leadership Workshop on the second Saturday of the term. This was run by Leadership Fiji and was attended by most of the class. It has been reported on elsewhere in the Talanoa, but it was an excellent opportunity for students to develop their goals for the year and identify strategies that will help them achieve their goals. The 2017 Head Student team is very interested in building school spirit as well as implementing a mentoring program for younger students, both through peer mentoring in pastoral programs and tutoring.

They have also worked to build support for sporting activities. They are well supported by their classmates and there are a number of potential leadership roles in clubs and activities that the senior students are involved in. Their first fundraising activities included selling 1700 balloons for Valentines Day and running an extremely successful social.

To start the CAS / Duke of Edinburgh service program, Mr. Leslie Tikoikoca came to share what it means to be a blind person. He also ran an activity called the ‘Blind Leading the Blind’. His speech was extremely moving. Sayinah Ali of Year 11 reflected: Hearing the speakers talk, especially Leslie, really changed my mindset on this issue with the special kids. At first I didn’t pay much attention, but I was very fascinated with the way, Leslie talked about himself and what he’s been through made me realize that it was quite a rollercoaster ride for him. I can’t help but to respect him and the way he carries himself. His experiences not only made me cry but it made me appreciate my life in a whole different perspective. It has definitely changed my perspective on how I will approach someone with a disability, based on what I have learnt from, Leslie... …I acknowledged that he has it worse than me, and wakes up every day striving to achieve his goals, to make himself and others around him happy. It made me realize that there is much more to life even if you don’t have something it should never hold you back from reaching your goals and working to your full potential to get there. Only you have the authority to change your life, and the things that affect it, you have the option to cancel out the negativity, and make space for positive outcomes. I learnt that having a disability doesn’t make you weak it only makes you stronger, and I aspire to be just as motivated in life as, Leslie is because it would help me to be a better role model, and person in my life.

This was a good start to the program where students will participate in the ‘Learn to Swim’ program for disabled students from local Fijian schools.

The first ‘Meet the High School Pastoral Teams’ was held last week. We used a new format where student reflections, goals, and pictures were used to tell a story of the start of the year. Year Coordinators, Pastoral teachers and curriculum coordinators were on hand for any questions and the IT department ran a session on use of the parent portal for Gradebook. If any parents still don’t have access to this, it is important that you let us know as this will be the means of reporting student progress at the end of Term 1, rather than a hard copy report.

Parent-Teacher interviews in the second term will be based on information in the Gradebook.

All students completed a survey about the Careers Expo to be held March 15th. As a result, we are moving to a seminar based approach which should allow see greater involvement of students. Any parent who is willing to participate and run a seminar please contact Fenella David. Amerika Grewal started the Career Lunch program with a thorough discussion on US university applications and ten students were given the opportunity to visit the resource room at the US Embassy. We continue to look for speakers for the Career Lunch program as well and discussion such as the application process for university can be extended to a seminar for parents if there is interest.

Several teachers will go to Moderation in Canberra next week. This is an excellent opportunity to network with other teachers of the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate, moderate the work from other colleges and learn more about the AST examinations. The teachers attending will provide professional development for teachers who remain behind, and this can only strengthen our delivery of the program.

Congratulations go to all the students who have been elected by their peers as leaders of their pastoral class or House. This is a significant leadership opportunity and they are encouraged to work with their pastoral teachers and Head Student team. Their first duty will be to participate in the student-run Student Representative Council. This is a forum where students have a voice via their class representatives and Head Students to evince positive change and initiate any programs.

Next week we have Inter-House Athletics on Tuesday. Students are encouraged to wear their House t-shirt, and actively participate even if they may not be the greatest athlete. Other events coming up are the Model United Nations which will be preceded by a series of weekend workshops which will help prepare students for their roles in this event. Directly after this there will be a Year 12 Outdoor Education camp at Nakorosule based on their current unit on recreation on rivers.

Our Year 10 students sitting Cambridge International Mathematics and / or the Mandarin Chinese examination in the May session are very focused in their preparation now, and will sit Mock examinations later in the term. It is extremely important that these exams are not missed unless there is a medical reason for doing so. Our IB Diploma Year 12 students are currently working on their Extended Essays and for many this continues to be a challenge as it is the first major piece of academic writing at 4000 words. The Year 9 and 11 students are settling well into their new course of study and whilst for some the transition is relatively easy, parents or guardians of any student finding the change challenging are encouraged to contact us directly so we can provide any support needed.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your pastoral team, curriculum coordinators or myself should you have any questions about the happenings in the High School.

Megan Navunisaravi Head of High School

School nurse news and notes

ISS Blood Drive Thank you to all of the Staff and students who donated blood on Monday.

The final tally for donations came in at 33.

A reliable source has informed me that the previous record held since 2014 was 32 .

CONGRATULATIONS Let’s try for 40 in Term 2

Viral illness currently at school-Mumps Special points of interest: Mumps is caused by the mumps virus, which belongs to a family of viruses known as paramyxoviruses. These viruses are a common source of infection, particularly in children.

The virus is airborne and can be spread by: an infected person coughing or sneezing; touching their nose or mouth, then transferring the virus onto an object, such as a door handle, or work surface; sharing utensils, such as cups, cutlery or plates with an infected person Signs of the virus are very non-specific with the most common symptoms being low grade fever, loss of appetite and headache…the incubation period is usually 16-18 days…You may think you have a cold/flu during this time.

Only 30-65% of sufferers will develop the swollen parotid glands (near the ears) which causes the neck to swell; can occur on one side or both. A person will be contagious for a 5 day period after the onset of parotitis and must remain isolated for this time.

If you have had MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) immunization, literature states that MMR vaccine is 78% effective for prevention of mumps.

Please see your GP for testing if you are concerned that your child or a family member may have contracted the virus.

If you or a family member has a confirmed case of Mumps please notify the school as soon as possible.

J. Barons (RN)

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Middle School On Tuesday the 31st January students in Middle School at International School Suva celebrated the Chinese Lunar fourth day of the Chinese New Year. Year 6 students were joined by students from Year 7 and Year 6 who study Chinese to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Rooster. To start our celebration the Year 7 students preformed a Chinese song and dance. We then had the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and traditions lead by the China Culture Centre. Students learned to write calligraphy and paper cutting. Finally, the students made dumplings with the Chinese parents and shared lunch together.

Introduction for HSK and HSKK A number of our ISS senior students are encouraged to undertake the HSK and HSKK examinations and in recent years have passed HSK (level 3 and 4) and HSKK. This is a test that is administered through the University of the South Pacific’s Confucius Institute (and you register for it there), but it is very useful for senior students should they wish to apply for scholarships or have work that may require evidence of proficiency in the Chinese language.

What is HSK? The Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) is an international standardized test of Chinese language proficiency. It is used to assess non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. It is an accredited examination which is taken by all of those individuals who wish to gain proficiency in the Chinese language. This test is generally done by individuals who wish to have a certain certification of their level of proficiency in the Chinese language. This is in fact the only standardized Chinese language test and is ideal for those who either wish to study or work in China. It can be considered equivalent to TOEFL and is as important. HSK consists of six levels, namely HSK (level I), HSK (level II), HSK (level III), HSK (level IV), HSK (level V), and HSK (level VI).

What is HSKK? HSK Speaking Test (HSKK) assesses the test takers’ oral Chinese abilities. HSKK consists of three levels, HSKK (Primary level), HSKK (Intermediate level) and HSKK (Advanced level). HSKK is conducted in the form of audio recording.

Importance and benefits of taking the HSK test: HSK test is an extremely important exam to pass for all those who are seeking a job opportunity in China. This test is accepted anywhere within Mainland China and really adds to the CV of all those who wish to work either temporarily or permanently in the country.

This Test is also very important for all those people who wish to work in their own country but their job serves the public of China in some way or the other. For example, customer service companies that deal with Chinese population or BPOs linked to China may need their customer service agents to have the HSK certification.

For all of those individuals who wish to study in China or pursue higher level courses or studies, HSK Test is a crucial examination. To pursue studies in China, it is important to be aware of not only the basics of the language but also the advanced levels because study visas are granted on the basis of Chinese level proficiency.

HSK examination is also often taken by those people who are just interested in learning the language and wish to proclaim their excellence at it.

Another point of HSK test certification is for those whose businesses are linked to China or for those who need to travel to China every now and then for purchasing, selling or visiting exhibitions etc.

For further information please contact Cynthia Chen.

Welcome Assembly

Fun Sports

PTFA Welcome Drinks

Middle School Breakfast

Middle School—Orientation Beyond the Classroom

Valentines Social

Induction Assembly

Upcoming Event Term One - Week 6 - Week 10 T1 Week 6 Tuesday, February 28 Secondary Inter-house Athletics

T1 Week 9 Tuesday, March 21 Model UN (HS)

T1 Week 8 Wednesday, March 15 MS - Year 6 camp Career expo

Wednesday, March 22 MS - Year 7 Camp Year 12 Outdoor Ed Camp

Thursday, March 16 MS - Year 6 camp

Thursday, March 23 MS - Year 7 Camp Mock IGCSE Chinese / Maths (April sit) (HS) Year 12 Outdoor Ed Camp

Friday, March 17 MS - Year 6 camp Talanoa Saturday, March 18 HS Mock Chinese Speaking Exam Monday, March 20 Model UN (HS)

Friday, March 24 MS - Year 7 Camp Mock IGCSE Chinese / Maths (April sit) (HS) Year 12 Outdoor Ed Camp T1 Week 10 Thursday, March 30 Suva Zone 1 Athletics Year 11/12 SPS Officiating at Zone Friday, March 31 Term Ends Earth day assembly