Talanoa - Volume 3

Ta l a n o a

Volume 3 08 May, 2015

Newsletter of International School Suva

Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Guardians,

primary students today, I am worried about filling our new library and am looking for recommendations of good books which we At the end of last term our community watched as cyclone PAM should include in our library stock. If you have any ideas please gathered momentum. Whilst we were initially fearful for our let me know. homes, our thoughts quickly went to our regional neighbours.

Having witnessed the devastation our students, parents and staff Finally, everyone at ISS wants to ensure that there is sufficient were then quick to respond. Students raised money through communication between school and home and, in the interests mufti collections, car washes, a silent auction and a bake sale. A of increased communication, I am delighted to be restarting the total of $12, 150 has been raised and we are currently putting Principals‟ coffee morning. This was a time every term I set together a plan to disperse this money and ensure it reaches aside to meet with any parent who wanted to drop in for coffee those who need it. Thank you to everyone who has supported and a chat. I can promise coffee and cake and would love to our students as they worked hard to raise this money. meet you. The first coffee morning is set for Tuesday 12th May at 10am. Please come!

The library is an exciting place to be at the moment as we have just put in 60 laptops for students to borrow during the school Anna Marsden day. Thirty are dedicated for our middle school and I have been delighting in watching our middle-school students check these devices in and out. I was reflecting with our librarian that it was only 18 months ago that we were so pleased to have three laptops in the library and look where we are now. Add to this to the iPads, wireless network and XOs, it is remarkable that the school has moved so far forward in its IT provision in recent years. Ravneel Prasad, Sanjeevan Naiker, Michael Khelan, Meeta Khatri, Naca Sikinairai, Dasha Singh and more recently Abdul Sharuhk have worked so hard to provide this excellent service to our entire community and I know it is appreciated by all.

As many of you are aware the International Schools Association of International Schools Suva held their Annual General Meeting at the end of last term. I am very happy to introduce you to the 2015/6 Council, which is chaired by Jacquelyn Terry. The current members of the council are: Neisau Tuidraki, Bole Digitaki, Christian Adams, Lydia Sprankle, Mark Halabe, Nicholas Barnes, Sikeli Tuinamuana, Indira Sharma, Siobhan Sinclair, Rosi Uluiviti and Kris Stice. There will be many opportunities to meet members of the School council throughout the year including at the opening of our new building. This event is planned for the beginning of term three and you will all be invited. The actual date will be finalized very soon. The building id looking terrific and we are all very excited. As I said to the

Inside this Issue  Production 2015  Mother`s Day Morning Tea  Participant & Medal Winners  English Field Trip  Year 12 Camp Overview  Francophonie Celebration \

 Year 7 Article  Library  Primary Update  Middle School  PTFA Articles & Calendar  Upcoming Events

Production 2015 – Powered by People and Planning

This year‟s theatrical production of „Beauty Through the Eyes of a Beast‟ hits the stage for two consecutive evenings in Week 6.

Here this year‟s student director, Ernest Gibson, and I.S.S. drama teacher, Mrs. Alex Karountzos, lead a full team meeting in Week 3. This is a mere glimpse into the countless hours of planning, collaborating, drawing, painting, singing, dancing, practicing, rehearsing, scheduling, and troubleshooting taking place to ensure a successful show. Performances will take place Wednesday, May 20th and Thursday, May 21st.

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Bright and Colourful English Department ‘Morning Tea’ Helps to Celebrate Mother’s Day On Friday, May 1st the middle school and high school staff members of International School Suva were treated to a special morning tea in honour of Mother‟s Day. Tanya Vatubua put forth the suggestion to use the weekly morning tea time to celebrate the „mums‟ on staff. Miss Tanya‟s inspiration was then brought to life by the creativity of Neelam Raj who, along with the enthusiastic support of Tima Naqamu, Kini Salato, and Salome Wati, transformed the temporary site of the staff room in the Multi Purpose Hall with an infusion of colourful trimmings, butterflies, and poetry - all designed to help each and every mother feel appreciated.

Pictured from L - R

Nicole Karountzos - Year 9, Talei Meleisea - Year 8, Luke Evans - Year 6, Tabbai Soko - Year 4

A number of ISS Students participated in the Fiji Games held throughout the Easter weekend with events that included Swimming, Taekwondo and Shooting. Their achievements at a National level is a testament to their commitment and hard work. ISS recognizes these achievements and congratulates them.

Swimming: 1. Tabai Soko represented the Island of Rotuma competing amongst older students in the Open grade events and was awarded a silver medal in the open grade relay team. The Grand Prix saw him coming in second in the Under 12 grade, thus qualifying him for the Fiji National Swimming Competition.

2. Talei Maiesia also took part in the Grand Prix Swimming competitions and came 3rd in her grade. She also qualifies for the Fiji National Swimming Competition coming up later this year.

Taekwondo: Luke Evans was awarded the Silver Medal at the Fiji Games Taekwondo Competition in the Under 13 Catergory, which saw him competing amongst Fiji’s best.

Shooting: Nicole Karountzos who is a member of the Shooting Association of Fiji was awarded a Gold medal in the Junior grade and a bronze medal in the Open grade competition.

ISS wishes to acknowledge and thank the following people and companies for their efforts in assisting the students with raising funds for the victims of Cyclone Pam. Bands/Performers

Silent Auction Sponsors

*KNOX *KKU *SASSY *VLY *MR GRIN *VOU *MASTI ARTS DANCE GROUP *ANA RABUKA *KUKI *TECHNICAL GLITCH

Sound/Tech Sponsors *SOUTH SEAS MUSIC Media Sponsors

Food & Drinks Sponsors

IS Car Wash Sponsors

English Department Field Trip

“While visiting the Catholic Church, a truly deep feeling of peace filled my heart. Maybe it was the candles burning quietly in the corner. Maybe it was the softly tinted light seeping through the stained glass. Maybe it was the resemblance to my church back in America. Or maybe it was the hand of god, reminding me that he loved me.”

– Mercy L. Neal

On Friday April 17th the Year 9 students participated in a four period field trip related to their study of Yann Martel‟s novel, „Life of Pi‟. The first destination was the Jame Masjid Muslim Mosque on Amy Street, where Maulana Faiyaz patiently and enthusiastically shared interesting information about Islam with the group. This was followed by a visit to the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on Pratt Street, where a helpful parishioner conducted a guided tour and provided thoughtful answers to many questions. The last stop was the Hindu Temple on Holland Avenue. At the Hindu Temple, Pundit Jayendra welcomed the students with a lovely chant and proceeded to eagerly answer all of their “I don‟t think I have ever been inside a place so bright and captivating like an Indian questions. temple. We were told to take off our shoes at the entrance and sit on the mat. We were The following comments are from reflections written by the students. welcomed with a very soothing song. After the song, I couldn‟t help but continue staring “During our field trip, we visited a mosque, a cathedral at the walls and statues. If you‟re not used to it like me, and a Hindu temple. All these are the sacred places of the colours, the hanging banners, and the statues kind different religions where the people of that religion go to of hit you at first, and you are scared. I was scared. It pray. All these religions are those that Pi followed was so out of my ordinary…that I just sort of froze when throughout his life: Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. With we were given the chance to look around. the help of the guides, I learnt a lot more about every Nevertheless, as I write this, you know what is going religion, including my own. Most of this information was through my mind? Piscine Molitor Patel. When we intriguing; it was clear why Pi was drawn to all these were first reading „Life of Pi‟, as a Christian I was so religions. Though similar in many ways, I discovered all offended with all his „opinions‟ and „views‟ regarding my the different religions had their own unique aspects, faith, however now that I think about it – I sound exactly rituals and beliefs. In Islam, the mosque is built facing south/Mecca. All these places of like him.” – Bengi Rwabuhemba worship are architecturally different and are designed solely and specifically for the “During the excursion we visited religious places. different prayer styles and rituals of each religion.” – Jose Santos I found the temple the most interesting place out “Today was not an ordinary day. I experienced some things which I will never forget in of all the places we visited. During our stay at the my lifetime. What stood out to me today was the amount of respect my fellow temple I mostly focused on the pictures around classmates gave to my religion - the way they listened and the way that they looked at the temple. The pictures made me curious and everything with respect as if they have followed this religion for a long time.” made me search about the religion of Hinduism – Sayinah Ali once I got home. But the best part of the trip was probably the fact that the people who guided us “The first stop was the one I cherish the most because of its and informed us about their religions were very great appearance and the man himself, Maulana Faiyaz. It was open, like literally after the discussions on their a delightful experience…where I found some information that religions they would always say, “You could visit was very interesting to me. The Islamic religion was the best for us anytime” which I might do someday so that my unexplained questions could be me because the information was very fundamental, meaningful, answered. The trip was very educational; not only was it interesting but the different and easy to understand. It would have been better if we could religious teachers made us feel welcome and it expanded my knowledge on the have stayed longer for more insights.” – Puana Puana different religions.” – Carlos Manaog “The second stop was the cathedral which was a catholic church and no matter how many times I‟ve been in that church it‟s still so beautiful. The class got to see the confession rooms and many other things. The stained glass on the windows was amazing. The lady taking us around told us many things like that the church was built in 1902 so the church has been there for 113 years which is amazing. I‟ve been to quite a lot of churches but none had a stone chair in it; the lady said it is for the archbishop.”

– Jade Matthews

“The temple was colorful and ….it looked really beautiful. There were also these pictures on the wall on the left and right side above our head. It told the story of the gods. We were told that respect is important and for us to be respected we have to respect others. The thing that was so sweet at the Hindu temple was that they actually got us drinks for the class which I thought was really nice and the whole class just went for it. I really enjoyed the trip because I learned more about my own religion and others which was great.” – Jade Matthews

CAMP OVERVIEW This year the camp undertaken by the Year 12 students of International School Suva was a service camp which was designed to serve as a fundraiser for the victims of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, Tuvalu & Kiribati as well as to give us somewhat of an experience of what it feels like to be in their shoes. With the recent devastations caused in the aforementioned nations by this freak of nature (Cyclone Pam), our year level was very quick to extend their support by unanimously deciding upon going forward with this fundraiser-camp idea.

On the first day, we hiked from our school to Lami where we took a boat to Mosquito Island. We spent the first night at Mosquito Island with no food supplies and heavily pouring rain all through the night. I thought it was a perfectly accurate experience of what the victims were going through because I personally felt it could not get any more uncomfortable.

Having had endured the rainwater gushing into the tent as well as the hunger in my stomach, I truly feel that I have gained a better understanding of what it would feel like to be in a natural disaster. On the second night, we organized the 1 Love Family Fiesta concert where we had renowned Fijian artists performing for this noble cause. We also had food and drink stalls, face painting and a silent auction. In total we were able to raise $6923.65 for the victims of Cyclone Pam. - Aninda Saha

Reflections Camp was fun; I really enjoyed it a lot. I felt proud and happy becoming a helping hand for societies in need. It was challenging for me to experience a similar situation as they did in Vanuatu but we are all happy with what we have achieved by working as a team and taking up a role. At the end, we all managed to get through; we were all happy with the final outcomes. The memories that I had made in those three days will last forever. - Sun Ho Lee Last year, camp was both physically and mentally demanding. I had an expectation that this year‟s camp would be much easier and entertaining. So, as soon as I heard that the year 12s were having their camp in school and in Suva, I was truly disappointed. However, now I feel that I have achieved som ething very big. The fact that I did something good for those who are less fortunate than me makes me feel proud of myself and my friends. I think this camp was the first time that all year 12s have put together their efforts and achieved something very concrete and solid. I could also feel the pain of those people in Vanuatu, by not having a place to sleep and by not having dinner. This camp was a really invaluable experience for me.-Ickbum Kim I found camp great; it was one of the best camps I‟ve ever been on. The hike on day one was a little bit challenging because I kept getting cramps, but it was good. I really enjoyed our stay on Mosquito Island even though my tarp didn‟t work and I had to sleep on top of a table. I think the best part of camp was helping out with the One Love Family Fiesta. I was in charge of the barbeque and for a while it became a little bit stressful because we had no bread and the line kept growing. We sold a lot of food and I think we did well. I‟m happy, everyone did a great job and it was a great night out. The last day was also exciting; we went to Colo-I-Suva and went swimming. I think everybody had a great time and overall the camp was great; I would do it again. -Lachlan Ellul Camp was a wonderful experience! This was the first time I attended camp and it was a Service Camp. I enjoyed helping raise funds for the victims that were affected by Cyclone Pam. The 3 days were tiring but I am proud of what I accomplished and also proud of what we accomplished as a class. Looking back, in the beginning I was unsure if I wanted to go to camp however; I am very happy that I decided to go, it was an experience I will never forget. -Shikha Singh

La Fête de la Francophonie 2015 Last March all French students from Year 6 to Year 12 have celebrated International Francophonie Celebration around the school. It has been a great opportunity for them to share their knowledge about French language and culture with everyone through the use of displays, presentations, videos, dance and even a flash-mob! Each student has participated in his or her very own way to make this event truly special.

Aaryan, Petero and Daniel “We like French. It‟s a nice guage.”

► What is ‘La Fête de la francophonie’?

International Francophonie Celebration is celebrated each year on the 20th of March. It is celebrated around the world either as a daily, weekly or even monthly event. At this occasion, the ‘International Organization of La Francophonie's’ 77 member states put an emphasis on French language and Francophone culture.

French speakers are over 274 million on Earth and French is the second-most spoken language after English; French is the official language in 29 countries. ► Why learn French?

We have asked our Year 6 French students to share their thoughts:

Eseta-Claire lan-

“We can learn more things and it might help me in the future as I want to travel the world.”

Tooba, Samantha , Ishaana, Hannah and Nivetha “To help us in our future, make new friends and perhaps get a job in France.”

10 Reasons for learning French Auritro, Ziyad, Darcy and Tevita “Because French might help us in the future and It could help be useful if we visit France.”

Jacob, Arieta, Connor, Sallyanne and Josiah “French is a widely used language spoken on each continent. Learning about pronunciation and accents is cool. It will be easier to make friends with people coming from France.”

1. A world language More than 200 million people speak French on the five continents. The Francophonie, the international organization of French-speaking countries, comprises 68 states and governments.

French is the second-most widely learned foreign language after English, and the ninth most widely spoken language in the world.

French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world.

France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes, which run Frenchlanguage courses for more than 750,000 learners.

2. A language for the job market An ability to speak French and English is an advantage on the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world (Canada, Switzerland, Belgium as well as North- and Sub-Saharan African countries). As the world’s fifth biggest economy and number-three destination for foreign investment; France is a key economic partner.

3. The language of culture French is the international language of cooking, fashion, theatre, the visual arts, dance and architecture. A knowledge of French offers access to great works of literature, as well as film and song in the original French. French is the language of Victor Hugo, Molière, Léopold Sendar Senghor, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alain Delon and Zinedine Zidane.

4. A language for travel France is the world’s number-one tourist destination and attracts more than 70 million visitors a year. A little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France (from the mild climes of the Cote d’Azur to the snow-capped peaks of the Alps via the rugged coastline of Brittany) and offers insights into French culture, mentality and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Monaco, the Seychelles and other places.

8. A language that is fun to learn French is an easy language to learn. There are many methods on the market that make learning French enjoyable for children and adults alike. It does not take long to reach a level where you can communicate in French.

9. A language for learning other languages French is a good base for learning other languages, especially Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English, since fifty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French.

10. The language of love and reason First and foremost, learning French is the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich, melodious language, often called the language of love. French is also an analytical language that structures thought and develops critical thinking, which is a valuable skill for discussions and negotiations.

Source: http://www.consulfrance-houston.org/spip.php?article1426

What’s happening in Language Department? ►European Union Amazing Race Europe Day (also known as Shuman Day) takes place annually on the 9th of May. On that day we celebrate peace and unity in Europe.

5. A language for higher education Speaking French opens up study opportunities at renowned French universities and business schools, ranked among the top higher education institutions in Europe and the world. Students with a good level of French are eligible for French government scholarships to enroll in postgraduate courses in France in any discipline and qualify for internationally recognized French degrees.

6. The other language of international relations French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, The International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is the language of the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

7. A language that opens up the world After English and German, French is the third most used language on the Internet, ahead of Spanish. An ability to understand French offers an alternative view of the world through communication with French speakers from all the continents and news from the leading French-language international media (TV5, France 24 and Radio France Internationale).

Maia, Nirro, Rhea, Tasuku and Olivia On Friday 8th May, five of our Year 8 French students will represent ISS at the occasion of The European Union Amazing Race organized by the Delegation of European Union for the Pacific. We wish them all the best!

►Improve your French skills out of the classroom!

▪ Listen to French radio in Suva Stay tunes on Radio France Internationale radio (FM 103.8 in Suva) and get the chance to practice your listening skills at home, in the car or from anywhere on your electronic devices.

▪ Borrow magazines and books in French (available in the Language Department)

What’s happening in Year 7?

How time flies, it‟s already week 4 and there is a lot happening within our year level.

We are full steam ahead with the preparations of our whole school assembly, The International Day of Families, which will be held next Friday (May 15) in the multipurpose hall from 1.30pm. Our theme, quite obviously, celebrates families and Year 7 along with ECH 2 are looking forward to presenting their thoughts through displays, song, dance and drama. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Year 7 teachers welcome a new addition to their team, Miss Shelly, who will be teaching English and Social Science. Miss Shelly has been at ISS since 2003 and spent a good number of these years teaching Year 5 in primary. She looks forward to working with the Year 7 students on lots of exciting projects throughout the year. For interested parents, there will be a “meet the new teacher” evening with the Year 7 teaching team on Thursday, 14th May from 6.00pm in the Year 7 pastoral classrooms (B302/303). The evening will begin with a small presentation by the Year 7 teachers.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Le monde des ados

Fortnightly magazine for teenagers focusing on France and world news.

DEAR We continue this term with DEAR (Drop Everything And Read). This whole school initiative is to instill in our students a love for all kinds of texts (fiction and non-fiction) and to create within them a desire to be a lifelong reader, as not every child has an opportunity to do this at home.

Le Petit Nicolas

If you have liked the movie, you will love Sempé and Goscinny’s books!

Ms. Amandine Neirinck

Some of the reading formats that students may choose from (although this list is not exhaustive) include: Books – historical fiction, real life fiction, informational books, biographies, autobiographies, etc.

Magazines – National Geographic, Time, etc.

Newspapers Graphic novels & comic books This opportune time allows the teachers to model the habits, choices and attitudes good readers develop. It also allows for an opportunity to develop reading strategies that can be applied across all areas of the curriculum from problem solving in math to reading informational texts in science. In Year 7 we aim to create this desire to be lifelong readers by having a range of texts available to the students for this session. Students are welcome to bring reading material in from home (with their family name clearly printed on the material to ensure its return) to share with other students. Families are also welcome to donate reading material to our Year 7 reading corner.

Throughout the week, opportunities will be given to students to not only read for pleasure but to analyse the reading strategies they are currently using and perhaps develop new strategies that will help them now and in the future. To this end we have started an interactive DEAR reading log in which students can monitor their reading material choices as well as reflect upon their readings and the strategies they are using.

May 8, 2015

Primary Update “Courage doesn‟t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, „I will try again tomorrow.‟” A favourite quote and very pertinent one in regards to the latest focus learning outcome and learner profile attribute, Courageous. It means doing something every day to be better. Courage isn‟t always defined by acts of bravery. It is also defined by our small acts of facing difficulty despite our fear or hardships. Is there something that you have always wanted to try? Taking that one step towards achieving that goal is being courageous. Taking that step out of your comfort zone is being courageous. Try new things, openly risk making mistakes so that you can use them to improve on the next attempt. That‟s what lies at the heart of courage. It‟s about making another attempt when things don‟t go as expected, and another, and another… up until the moment you succeed. That is what true courage is about, and that is what it takes to develop courage. Our courageous award winners will be highlighted in our next Primary Press in Week 6.

Camp fever is in the air in primary. Last week, our Year 4 campers had a lovely time at Pacific Harbour with their camp themed „Survivor‟. Flag making, tug of war, survivor auctions, coconut team toss, shipwreck survival skills including fire starting, water/food acquisition and shelter building was part of the rotational activities organised by teachers and parents. It was three fun-filled days of action, adventure and learning. Well done to all involved! Year 5 students and staff are also making their way to Pacific Harbour this week for their three day camp. We will fill you in on all the details in the next Primary Press.

Moderation has been on the staff PD agenda these past few weeks with all students from ECH2 to Year 5 participating in an on demand writing task, entitled „The Box‟. Using the same assessment criteria, teachers have marked each piece of student writing and then as a year level, year level team and as a school, they will discuss writing samples to determine the correct standard for a particular student in a particular year level. Moderation is a collaborative process with the aim to achieve comparable grades in a diverse range of authentic assessment tasks within and across schools. The process involves cohesive groups working collaboratively to discuss the qualities demonstrated in student work and to achieve consensus about the standard of qualities. In a nutshell, it should provide consistency of grades across classes, year levels and the school.

Whole school behaviour management strategies are also on our agenda. We hope to „reveal‟ the new strategy to be used across primary in the very near future.

Much thought and research has been put into this very important part of school life. We want the approach to be sustainable and practical and provide the chance for students to „own‟ their behaviour through determining rights and responsibilities of all, the language of choice, rewards and consequences. Thank you to those parents who provided their insights into our current system and what would be beneficial to include in our review.

Have you visited our website of late? All of our year level pages, single subject pages and the new look learning support page have been updated to reflect 2015. For those of you who haven‟t, please take the time. This is the link to our class webpages: http://internationalschoolsuvaprimary.weebly.com/ourclasses.html. This is the link to our curriculum pages and documents: http://internationalschoolsuvaprimary.weebly.com/our-curriculum.html. If the links do not work, just head to the primary webpage and start the journey. We promise it will be worth your while.

With Mothers Day on Sunday, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our mums a happy mothers day!

Karen and the Primary Team

Let's Talk Middle School!

“Much has already happened in the middle years in Australia and internationally (especially USA, UK, Singapore and New Zealand). It has come about essentially where teachers saw a need to work differently with students in years 4 to 9 and to implement transition strategies to make the change from primary to middle/secondary schooling more seamless.” (Lesley Englert, Middle Phase of Learning: From Research to Action) In order to better understand learning in the Middle School we need to understand the Adolescent Learner. Andrew Fuller‟s research shares that the frontal lobe of the brain is the last to mature in adolescents. This is the area which helps us to plan, consider, control impulses, make wise decisions, to be kind, caring, considerate people – this somehow goes missing during adolescence during restructuring – which is why students often need help with further planning.

Barratt (1998a, 1998b) has been influential in developing the table below to show adolescent learning needs. These factors influence how we develop our learning experiences and our approaches to teaching and learning in the Middle School.

Table 1 Identity

Exploring how individual and group identities are shaped by social and cultural groups

Relationships

Developing productive and affirming relationships with adults and peers in an environment that respects difference and diversity

Purpose

Having opportunities to negotiate learning that is useful now, as well as in the future

Empowerment

Viewing the world critically and acting independently, cooperatively and responsibly

Success

Having multiple opportunities to learn valued knowledge and skills as well as the opportunity to use talents and expertise that students bring to the learning environment

Rigour

Taking on realistic challenges in an environment characterised by high expectations and constructive and honest feedback

Safety

Learning in a safe, caring and stimulating environment that addresses issues of discrimination and harassment

The New Basics Project Technical Paper (Education Queensland 2000, p.15) notes that students moving from primary to secondary schooling face:  Curriculum transition from often integrated primary school curricula to a secondary school system that, in most cases, still consists of a disintegrated „collection code‟ (Bernstein 1990) of subject „boxes‟ with highly variable levels of integration  Pedagogical shifts from student-centred teaching in primary schools to subject-centred teaching in junior secondary years Discontinuities in personal support, as a result of highly variable emphases on self-development, life-planning, physical and psychological health As a result we have witnessed that many students struggle with the shift. Hill and Russell (1999), for example, claim no student growth in reading, writing, speaking and listening occurs in the middle years. This has been variously termed the 'middle year‟s slump' and Year 8 slump in student outcomes and engagement.

This is when we as a staff stepped back and asked ourselves“Hang on, Hill and Russell published this observation way back in 1999 and it still seems to be the trend in Middle Schools around the world today. So what do we need to do differently at ISS?" We needed to reflect on our core business which is clearly stated in our Mission Statement, "ISS is committed to rigorous and high academic standards and instillation of ideals of life-long learning and responsible global citizens. We strive to ensure that every student leaves ISS with an international understanding, an ability to think critically, act with compassion, care about themselves and others and display the attributes of the School Learner Outcomes."

As a staff we aspire to reflect our Mission Statement through our curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning in order to help all students achieve success and remain engaged in their learning.

Hence, with the introduction of a separate Middle school we are in a position to develop and strengthen:  A shared ethos  Interdisciplinary teacher teams  Integrated curriculum  Seamless transition  Constructivist approaches to learning  Grouping strategies to cater for differentiated instructions  A focus on pastoral care Flexible use of time and space Finally,in their book „What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know‟ by Trudy Knowles and Dave F. Browne, they share interesting insights from Middle School students who provide snapshots to help adults understand the Middle Schooler. Below is a poem and some of the questions that these authors have posed which have now become our questions. I quote, " hink about these possibilities: T • What if we truly supported and encouraged young adolescents in their quest to develop a self?

• What if we based schooling on the knowledge of early adolescent development?

• What if we designed a school that acknowledges the physical changes that these students are going through?

• What if we developed a curriculum that responded to their changing intellectual and social worlds?

• What if we provided an environment that supported their need for social interactions and emotional stability?

• What if we listened to what they said?

• What if their questions became our questions?

• What if . . . ?"

Here is how Lindsay, an eighth grade student, describes herself inboth poetry and art.

What’s on the Inside?

I am an artist, who draws what she feels, sees, and encounters, I need love from my friends and family, I need affection to help me be successful in life, I want to be all I can be, To do this I will work hard to achieve, I am human, I make mistakes and learn from them, I will not give up and therefore, I will be the best by being me.

LINDSAY HAMILTON Lindsay’s self-description Further information on the Middle School Learner can be found on the links below. http://andrewfuller.com.au/talks-by-andrew/#professionals http://www.michaelcarr-gregg.com.au/links.shtml http://educationnext.org/stuck-in-the-middle/ http://www.bushcenter.org/education-reform/middle-school-matters ROSI ULUIVITI CURRICULUM COORDINATOR

PTFA CORNER

In need of year 8th and 10th Parent Liaisons (PLs) Parents liaisons are utilised in many schools worldwide and is regarded as a successful method of facilitating communication between your children’s year level/pastoral teacher and parents. PTFA launched this initiative last year and volunteers have been working very well. PTFA would like to thank all of them for their fantastic job.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY PTFA: never better said

In the beginning of 2015 at the Parent Information Nights, the teachers have asked for volunteers and practically all levels have been covered. However, 5 months have passed and we still need to cover year 8th and 10th Parent Liaisons.

This

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simple

reminder

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tasks

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PL:

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Sending out reminders about upcoming events, meetings, excursions and needs for donations or volunteers.

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Acting as a point of contact for parents and students new to the class

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Acting as a liaison/ listener for social and educational issues of parents and students and the teacher Collecting donations and purchasing gifts for the teacher for special occasions

Don’t be shy, this position could be challenging and rewarding, as per Angelique Nervale’s opinion. Quoting this 7th PL " It’s a good way to know what’s happening in the school. I like to help and make positive changes for our kids , be in contact with other parents and help facilitate communication. By getting involved you feel you are part of the school community. I think it’s a good example for my children".

Wendy Robertson is the parent PTFA Coordinator of PL. if you wish to be a volunteer or ask any question please contact her at: wa_robertson@yahoo.com.au

The One Love Family Fiesta event was supported by the PTFA with a donation of food, drinks, park fees and music equipment hire fees for a total amount of $3,127. The donation was over the PTFA annual 10% revenue contribution but we felt that this was good venue to help Hurricane Pam victims and also wanted to support the children helping their community. An additional gas grill was purchased by the PTFA to help with the cooking that night so the PTFA purchased a new gas grill that was used at the event and will continue to used in other school events including our annual Fun Day. Lydia Sprankle, Interim April President of PTFA, said " The PTFA was really happy to help with their cause. It was such a fantastic night at Sukuna Park for the One Love Family Fiesta event. The music, fashion show and dances were great, food delicious and the children happy and dancing. The ISS Year 12s did a fabulous job and didn't need our help during the night after all . They were determined to do it all themselves. It was nice to see children, teachers and parents involved in this students initiative. Awesome team work in such a short time frame!"

Fun Day 2015 Dear parents, guardians and teachers, We are very excited to note that one of the highlights of the ISS calendar, Fun Day, is getting closer and preparations are underway. Fun Day will this year be held on Saturday, 8 August and with the fully functioning new building at its heart, Fun Day is set to be bigger and better than ever. As always with such a large event for the school community, many hands make light work and we invite all parents and teachers interested in being involved at any level to attend the next Fun Day meeting from 2.40-3.40pm on Tuesday, 12 May in the HUB (next to the Secondary art room).

Another Fun Day tradition is also continuing - the Fun Day poster competition, which gives all ISS students the opportunity to win a prize and have their art work become the face of Fun Day 2015, to be used on posters and advertising materials. Details are on the page attached, with entries due to to the primary or secondary office by Monday, 25 May. Updates on Fun Day 2015 will be provided regularly on the ISS PTFA facebook page and questions can also be sent to ISS parent Myke Leahy at mykeleahy@hotmail.com

PTFA CALENDAR OF EVENTS 13-May Social Hour at GPH 27-May Monthly Meeting 05-June Movie Night 10-Jun Social Hour at GPH 17-Jun Monthly Meeting 08-Jul Social Hour at GPH 29-Jul Monthly Meeting 08-Aug Fun Day 12-Aug Social Hour at GPH 26-Aug Monthly Meeting 05-Sep Family Sports Day 09-Sep Social Hour at GPH 16-Sep Monthly Meeting 14-Oct Social Hour at GPH 22-Oct Quiz & Curry Night 28-Oct Monthly Meeting 29-Oct Primary Halloween at Primary Hardcourt 11-Nov Social Hour at GPH 14-Nov Garage Sale 25-Nov Monthly Meeting

Career Speaker Series to inform 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Engineering, Arts, Law , Education, Medical service, Business, Economics, Science, Technology, Environment, Communications ….

Which is your field?

Would you be interested in speaking over the lunch hour to our high school students about your academic and professional journey? ISS High school students require your support. They need professional advice from you. Do not worry, it will be short and informal, but will provide these teenagers with a look at the many roads the leaders of our community have taken in their lives.

What single piece of advice would you give your teenage self if he was listening to you today at ISS? What are you most passionate about professionally? How did you arrive in your current career field? What path brought you here? Simple questions and honest answers which will bring light to all of them.

This last year this PTFA initiative was instantly supported by the school management. The Head of Secondary School, Megan Navunisaravi and School Counsellor, Fenella David are facilitating this activity at the school level.

In late January, the PTFA started asked parents to volunteer to speak to our students. Five lunches have been organised so far and another four are scheduled for upcoming Wednesdays from 12:20 p.m. - 1:10 p.m. Volunteers do not feel alone in this experience. An ISS student hosts the speaker’s campus visit and introduces him to the attendants.

Laura Itzkowitz speech

Amerika Grewal, a former career advisor at a college on Staten Island is the PTFA parent leading and coordinating this initiative to help with the career and college readiness of the ISS students. She is enthusiastic about the students’ role in this activity:"It's going really well! The student hosts have been excellent! Each week we have had more high school students volunteer to serve as a host. I’ve contacted representatives from James Cook University, Griffith University and SP Jain School of Global Management who emphasized the importance of good interview skills. Our ISS students are burnishing their interview skills by interviewing others and then writing a brief bio and introducing their guest speaker".

Please contact Amerika at Amerikag@gmail.comif you are willing to help somehow or need more info.

Tentative Calendar of scheduled Career Speaker Series: Date

Professional

Profession

Student hosting

March/11/2015

Juana Lovell

Biological Services Fiji

Ernest Gibson

March/18/2015

Baia Morthy

Human Resources.

March/25/2015

Latileta Quoro

April/22/2015

David Dugacanavanua Laura Itzkowitz

New CEO for the South Pacific Stock Exchange .

Former ISS Head Girl Auditor, Ernst and Young, LLP Pacific Regional Health Delegate at Australian Red Cross.

Executive Director, Fiji Fashion Week Total Event Company Manager, Communications Fiji Limited Development Aid Worker, International Trade and Development Cultural Advisor, SPC

Alena Waqainabete Anmol Mohanty

May/6/2015

May/20/2015 June/3/2015

Ellen Whippy Knight Loretta Jackson

July/15/2015

Nick Hobgood

July/29/2015

Elise Huffer

Debanjan Dhar Qian Li (Jelly)

Upcoming Events (Week 5 - Week 8) Week 5 Tuesday, May 12 IGCSE Maths Exam Secondary Swimming Carnival Wednesday, May 13 5:00pm ISS PTFA Social Hour Thursday, May 14 8:45am Reception Excursion to Museum and Handicrafts Friday, May 15 Whole School International Day of Families Assembly - ECH2 Year 3 Exploration Excursion International Day of Families assembly (1.00 - 2.00) Week 6 Semester exam week Production rehearsal all day Tuesday, May 19 Secondary Activity Program ends ICAS Digital Technologies Wednesday, May 20 IGCSE Chinese Exam School production Thursday, May 21 School production Friday, May 22 Primary Assembly - Fijian Studies (8.15 - 9.00) Primary Press YC update Saturday, May 23 IGCSE Chinese Exam

Week 7 Wednesday, May 27 2:40pm ISS PTFA Monthly Meeting Thursday, May 28 ISS Blood Drive Friday, May 29 Primary Assembly - Reception (8.15 - 9.00) Week 8 Monday, June 1 T2 Week 8 ISS GO GREEN DAY Exams y9-12 Wednesday, June 3 ICAS Science 12:20pm ISS PTFA Lunch Talk: Loretta Jackson, Event Management Friday, June 5 Primary Assembly - Year 1 (8.15 - 9.00) Talanoa