Newsletter of International School Suva
Volume 4
September 2021
Principal’s Report September 2021 Greetings ISS Family, We have had quite a journey this year that began in March of last year. I am happy that we have survived until now in fairly good condition, and that many signs look positive for the coming months. We have a short break to catch our breath now before beginning Term Four, and I think we should accept some credit for what we have achieved. First, in spite a major global catastrophe, one that will probably be remembered with the same reverence as our two world wars, our school community has remained mostly healthy and safe, and our students have gained a successful year -and-a-half of vital education and learning.
Second, we now have concrete signs that the Covid pandemic is receding. Vaccination levels in Fiji are among the best in the world, and, not surprisingly, case numbers are declining. Not too long ago we saw more than a thousand new cases each day and active case numbers growing steadily. Now our active cases are half of what they were just three weeks ago, and our recovered cases are triple that number! The number of adults fully vaccinated is approaching 70%! Furthermore, our teenage students are starting to get vaccinated at the moment, and that should help bring an end to this disease. I think we should all have some reasonable hope and look forward toward better times! In line with that, we are working on plans for returning to face-to-face school activities as soon as that is possible. During Term Four we will share what that might look like. In short, you should expect some gradual phased-in group activities to the extent allowed by the government. You will also see a concerted effort to maintain safety protocols as we are allowed to resume campus activities so that we do not have a relapse. You will also see selective activities based on levels of risk. Regardless, I believe all our staff and students will be eager to see each other face-to-face and to restore the benefits of human interaction. As for timelines for this “return to normal” or “mostly-normal,” I cannot know exactly whether this will happen quickly or slowly. I expect there to be some caution from the Ministry of Health, and so I encourage everyone to be patient a little while longer. My hope is that we will see each other in person sometime during Term Four and occupy classrooms once more in January. I am sometimes a good guesser, but sadly, I am not clairvoyant! We will have to wait and see! One thing I can promise is a grand gathering, once allowed, in our new auditorium! With restrictions finally relaxed, we are now putting the finishing touches on that facility to make it ready for you to enjoy. I think you will appreciate that improvement and how it helps us showcase our students! We are also working to finish the new office study space for our Year 12 students to help them finish with great style and success. You will see that new facility just outside the library, and I think you will be impressed. For you who will be in Year 12 next year, we look forward to your testing the new space and giving us your feedback! I also hope that we will be working on our new early childhood building the next time you are on campus. Because of that work being done in Primary, we have plans for expanding and creating some new play areas to make up for the temporary building zone. I will share more later about that as it develops. I hope you are enjoying your term break one way or another. We will be back to the hard work of learning soon enough. Our teachers will be the learners Monday the 4th of October when we have professional development. Then school starts on Tuesday, the 5th. Next term, we have two long weekends: Monday the 18 th of October is the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday, and then we will have Thursday and Friday, the 4th and 5th of November off for Diwali.
We hope to see all our students on Tuesday, the 5th of October, fresh and ready to do great things! Best wishes, Stephen Cathers Head of International School Suva
Inside this issue:
Year 6 Language & Literature
Primary Update
Year 6 Self Portraits
ECH Online
Year 6 Drama
Primary Art & Design
Middle Years Program (MYP)
Year 7 Language Literature
Year 9 Drama
Year 8 Art
Year 10 Art
Year 8 Language & Literature
Year 8 Drama
Alumni Story: Navi Fong
Science Fair
Term Dates
New Teachers Profile
Primary Update Term 3 By Ms Rebecca Clentworth This term we have continued with our distance learning program with an increased emphasis on student well-being and connection. Our teams have been working together to design and offer the students multiple ways of connecting with each other in social settings. Our class ambassadors have also taken a leadership role in organising these, and taking a role in ensuring the wellbeing of their classmates. These have included: Social themes for meetings Lunch clubs Quizzes and game meetings Setting up of chat groups Group projects Dance parties Lunch cooking and picnics The feedback from the students is that they are feeling more connected to each other and have times when they can just chat to their friends. We look forward to continuing with our social activities as distance learning continues into Term 4.
ECH 1 Online Learning
ECH2 Kuita Class
Year 6 Language and Literature Poetry Unit Our focus for English class in Term 3 has been Poetry. As an introduction to poetry, we looked at several literary devices in English class, which were then applied to 3 different types of poetic forms: diamante, free-verse and quatrain poems. We all created a Poetry Journal for ourselves into which all our work was completed, including unit foundation information and creating the three types of poems mentioned above as well as analysing them using a strategy called the SWIFT strategy. The Unit foundation is the following: Global Context: Personal and Cultural Expression Key concept - Creativity : Generating novel ideas by crafting our own poems.
Related concept We looked at three: Self-expression - The expression of one’s feelings, thoughts or ideas through poetry. Structure - the way in which specific forms of poetry have been put together. Style - the types of stylistic and literary devices used by the poet for effect. Statement of Inquiry - Poetry is one of the most powerful and effective ways to explore our identity, beliefs and values. Moreover, the themes, structure and style inherent in the poetic form can shape or influence self-expression.
Inquiry questions: Factual What is poetry? What are the conventions of poetry? Conceptual How does literature shape our ideas about the world around us? How are literary devices used to enhance poetry and its meaning? How does poetry contribute to our understanding of self, others, and the world? How does the use of voice empower the individual? Debatable Are imagery and symbolism as literary devices important to the understanding/appreciation of poetry? Is a picture better than words?
We would love for you to read the poems that our students wrote by accessing this link: https://bit.ly/3AoKeEQ or you can view the presentation through this link: https://bit.ly/2VS9Ef0
Becoming a Playwright Year 6 Drama Scripts Their Own Scenes for the Stage In Year 6 Drama, Ms. Manning introduced dramatic arts students to the world of play writing for the stage. Students in the class went through multiple sessions of in-depth study and practice centered around writing dialogue, characters, and conflict for stage performances. Year 6 playwrights delved deep into skills and techniques such as the “Show, Don’t Tell” methods of storytelling for an audience. The culmination of this performing arts drafting and revising was a two character, one location written script. The scripts became a showcase of everything the young performers had studied in the unit, combining external and internal conflict with well-developed and realistic characters motivated by individual wants. Ms. Manning is extremely proud of all the scenes these talented playwrights brought to life through this assessment. Check out some photographs of these students’ working on their scripts!
MYP Personal, Social & Emotional Learning Dear ISS community, Recently, in our Secondary PSE (Personal, Social and Emotional learning) lessons, we have been looking at communication and how this can impact, both positively and negatively, the relationships we have with the people around us. As we continue distance learning, many of us are becoming more withdrawn and rarely connecting with people outside of our home. Now, whilst this is great for keeping us safer from COVID, it does mean that many children are feeling more isolated and alone, and many are relying even more than they previously did on social media platforms (I know - I didn’t think that was possible either!). How many of you pick up the phone and actually call people on a daily basis? My guess is very few, and instead, we hide behind text messages, emojis and sharing things on the variety of platforms we use. Can we really know how someone is feeling through a message of ‘yeah, I’m fine’???? We cannot see their facial expressions, we cannot hear the tone of their voice. With the increased usage, relationships change and the connections we once had disappear. And with this comes the increase of cyberbullying within and outside of our ISS community. We have been speaking with our MYP students about this and reflecting on our own behaviours online. There are many simple things we can do to ensure that we don’t fall into a trap of being involved in any negative, or hurtful comments, and rather use these platforms to properly check on our classmates, our relatives and our friends. This has then led us to talk about our ‘Digital Footprint’ online, and this is especially important in the world we live in today, and as we get older. We’ve asked our Year 9 and 10 students to reflect on their digital footprint and think about what they want to show up in 2-3 years time when they are applying to universities, or for their first full time job. We’ve also concentrated on how to create a digital footprint that you want others to see = what do you share on social media?; what global issues do you support and create awareness of? What language do you use when communicating? What tone do you use in that language? There is SO MUCH for our young people to navigate in the online world - please don’t let them do it alone. There are many amazing resources out there for parents to help you understand the world in which our children live. It’s not changing. It’s not going away, so as parents, we need to make a real effort to understand it - if for no other reason than to keep our children safe. My challenges for you all this week: 1. Pick up the phone and call someone instead of messaging. 2. Have a conversation with your child about their digital footprint 3. Set clear boundaries about device usage with your older secondary student, and make sure the privacy and security settings for all of your children are appropriate Resources: Kids Help Line: https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/cyberbullying
Esafety: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/online-safety-basics Qld Health: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/blog-10-things-keep-kids-safe-online/
Year 6 MYP Design Year 6 have been tasked with designing a boat prototype that can operate in and between the Pacific Islands. Here is some of the vessels they came up with:
Auguste
Abigail
William
Jayda
Raphael
Year 8 MYP Design Yr 8 Design have been creating upcycled products from items around their home after researching upcycling and the joining qualities of different materials.
Charlotte
Judy
Samira
Sienna
Meaty Bones Soup for the TCK Soul A collection of personal memoirs by Year 7 Language and Literature With introduction by Ms Manning When people walk through the gates of International School Suva they are no longer simply on the tropical island of Viti Levu, Fiji. The gates of ISS are a portal and on the other side people find themselves in a twisting and turning kaleidoscope of experience, language, culture, and tradition. ISS is an international community. Even those that have lived in Fiji the majority of their lives are impacted by the Third Culture Kids that make up the student body (and staff) of ISS. Merriam-Webster states that a third culture kid (TCK) is a young person whose perspective and identity is “influenced both by their parents' culture and the culture in which they are raised”... … (Our) TCK’s experience was the inspiration for Meaty Bones Soup for the TCK Soul. As a TCK myself, I often found it hard to relate to others. While my father can walk through his hometown and narrate his childhood to our family from one end of a street to the other, I will never be able to do that. My story, a TCK story, is made up of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation and spans continents. So, what do TCKs have? We have stories. Stories made up of exploration, loss, triumph, and tears. Our shared stories remind us we are not alone. Why Meaty Bones Soup? An iconic and classic Fijian dish, The Fiji Times described it as a dish as comforting to make as it is to eat . The author went on to say, “there is nothing more rewarding than enjoying a bowl of hearty, deep-flavoured meaty bone soup that is not only filling but great medicine for the body”. I believe this statement perfectly encapsulates what sharing stories does for Third Culture Kids. It rewards, it fills, and it brings healing. We hope you enjoy these personal memoirs written and edited by our Year 7 TCKs. We pray that you find encouragement and connection within these volumes.
Protest Art by Yue Ma (Year 8)
Protest Art by Sienna Tobin (Year 8)
Protest Art by Rui Zhang (Year 8)
Sonnets About Life By Year 8 Language and Literature With introduction by Charli Jackson The Year 8 students were tasked with exploring sonnets and writing their own and have put together an anthology of their poems. Thirsty five students wrote sonnets about earthrise, social issues and apology and they are all worth a read. Use this link https://bit.ly/39mOIzT Or you can view the presentation through this link: https://bit.ly/3zohY3Y in order to access the interactive features.
Humans have always wanted to find ways to express themselves creatively, its part of our nature. One of the most prominent examples of this is in the art of poetry. Poetry has helped thousands of people express themselves and share their deep and unspoken thoughts. Poets can share who they are, create beautiful things, discover and explore their own World.
We read poetry because it inspires and understands us. it gives us perspective into who the author is and who we are ourselves. poets use their thoughts and words to give meaning to things that at first glance could seem to be nothing. They study the world around them and see it as others. Then they put this into words. poems are feelings written on a page, and that's why it's so impactful. The structure of poems force the poet to keep only the essential parts, which in result creates a way to convey the desired effect. this can form connections with the audience, which in its turn can cause a shared feeling of dependence on each other and the writing. Using many different literary devices, such as figurative language, poets have found ways to touch hearts and change minds, bring people together, form relationships and overcome diversity . Though an old art form, poetry continues to inspire and change us. This form of communication is truly powerful. ——————————————————————————————————
Voice Power Year 8 Drama Creates and Performs Radio Dramas By Ms S Manning Before the internet existed, before Netflix, before even the invention of the television one form of entertainment ruled the world: The Radio Drama. An Audio Play or Radio Drama is defined as "purely acoustic [heard only] performance. With no visual[s], radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story." Year 8 Drama, under the guidance and leadership of Mr. Gibson and Ms. Manning ended Term 2 by introducing Year 8 performers to the world of performance through sound. A perfect unit for a season where public performances are prevented by the current global pandemic. Succeeding at Radio Drama means actors and actresses must develop a deeper understanding of their voice as a key aspect of storytelling. When a performer has all the central elements of their performance stripped away, body, facial expression, visual staging, all that is left is the voice… and yet it could be argued that a voice is mankind’s most powerful weapon. For good or bad, a voice can transform the lives of those who hear it. For this unit, students’ goals were to show their understanding of the keys of vocal performance. This included weeks of study of topics such as articulation and enunciation. Then they looked at the physicality of one’s voice, diving deep into how our body’s aspirators and resonators work to create powerful performances. Students practiced making homemade sound effects, working in post production and editing to manifest realistic and memorable auditory storytelling. Students became script writers, voice performers, and radio drama producers to write, record, and edit their own professional radio drama productions. Looking to get hired by a new school podcast series, students developed their stories and scripts based on one of the ten IB Learner Profiles: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective. The final results are a collection of deeply personal and relatable radio dramas filled with dialogue and emotion that reflect the best of these students’ creativity and ability. Mr. Gibson and Ms. Manning are extremely proud of how the students explored and created new ideas while using their voices to share their values.
Science Fair is an independent research on a scientific topic using the scientific method.
Science Fair has become an integral part of the Science Curriculum taught at the International School Suva. Students are guided into choosing a research questions which could be answered by following the Scientific Inquiry Cycle. In previous years, only Years 6, 7 and 8 took part in Science Fair but from this year, it was also introduced for students in Year 9 and 10. Science Fair has many benefits. First of all, it allows teachers to assess students on the MYP Integrated Science Criteria B (Inquiring and Designing) and Criteria C (Processing and Evaluating). Secondly, exposing students to the Scientific Inquiry Cycle allows students to see how bodies of knowledge is developed in Science. It also develops students’ problem solving, critical thinking, communication, research and self-management skills. With the online learning, students were encouraged to choose research questions which could be easily answered with materials available at home. Even though, there were many challenges, students are congratulated for the tremendous work that they have done and for the completion of the science fair project. The digital display of the students work on the Science Fair will be coming out soon.
New ISS Podcast Year 9 Produce Film Podcast Episodes By Ms S. Manning “Literary Domination Society” is the title of the unit for Year 9 Language and Literature students Traditionally, the unit focused on studying novels and included literary circles and book clubs. Snacks and conversation were central to student analysis, connections, and developing point of views. With 2021’s Distance Learning, the teachers decided to make some major tweaks to the unit. While the focus is still on collaboration, conversation, and creative discussion, the book clubs were transformed into film clubs. And their final product? Not a simple literature circle with candy, but instead a fully produced podcast series released for global access! Students’ goals included creating film clubs, establishing club vision statements and rules, meeting regularly for club planning, selecting a film or television series to talk about, and finally developing a script for a podcast episode built around analysing the film of their choice. Topics of study during the unit included the differences between debate, discussion, and dialogue, along with public speaking skills and script writing strategies. The final result culminated in Reels, Rereads, & Ruminations: An International School Suva Podcast Series.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, and more, the series has already surpassed 100 plays in over 8 countries around the world. Student club members debate, discuss, and dialogue about films, television shows, and books, seeking to analyse written and visual texts in a way that draws in readers and viewers of all ages. Click on one of the attached links or search them up on your phone’s podcasting app, pick a film you’re interested in and give it a listen!
New Teacher Profiles Sharna Tobin (MYP Coordinator) Brendan Tobin (Secondary Teacher—Mathematics and PE) G’day, Hiya, Susadei, Mhoro, Zdravstvuyte, Salom, Bula We are very excited to join ISS this year— it’s nice to be coming a little closer to home after being away for 10 years in England, Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Uzbekistan. We both began our teaching career in north Queensland, Australia, and since being overseas have been teaching and learning in the International Baccalaureate system. Our girls have completed the PYP, two of them are in the MYP at the moment (Years 6 and 8) and one has just finished the DP and is headed off to university in January. Focusing on skills they are going to need for life (Approaches to Learning - ATL skills) and the commitment to international mindedness and the core Learner Profile attributes are some of the reasons that we continue our adventures in this system.
As a family, we have felt so welcome when living and working in other countries, and have learnt so much by immersing ourselves in the culture and lifestyle. Some of our favourite things have come from these experiences: Beach time in Queensland, Mozambique, Thailand Camping and safari time across southern Africa Somsas, Bai Sach Chrouk, Sudsa… Thanksgiving, Holi, Navruz Traversing the Silk Road; following elephant trails; through deserts in Oman and climbing the highest sand dunes in Namibia; mosques in Morocco; temples in Angkor Wat, cathedrals in Rome. The Aral Sea—an environmental nightmare!
As a family, we enjoy hiking (well, most of us do!), bike riding and board games. Volleyball is our sport of choice at the moment, and some of us go running (whilst some of us cheer the runners on!) At the places we work, we try to participate completely in school life. As an Athletics/Activities Director, Brendan has coached many sports over the years, whilst Sharna focuses on netball and directing Model United Nations. You will always see us at events, cheering the students on quietly (or loudly) as they participate in something they love. We are looking forward to getting to know you all and becoming a part of the ISS and Fijian community. We’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us an email at any time! stobin@iss.school.fj btobin@iss.school.fj
Where Are They Now? Alumni Stories By: Navi Fong—Class of 2012 Bula, my name is Navi Fong and I attended International School Suva from 1999 - 2003. I then moved to a few public schools including Stella Marist School in Nasese and Marist Brothers’ High School in Flagstaff before returning to ISS in 2011 and 2012 for my final two years of secondary school education. Today, I am the artistic director for VOU Dance Fiji, a contemporary Fijian dance company (founded by ISS ex-student Sachiko Miller) and have been working within the creative industry here in Fiji as a dancer and choreographer for 9 years now. In hindsight, I can confidently say that the opportunity to work as a full-time artist is attributed in many ways to my time in ISS, particularly within those final two years. My time as a returning student taking IB was life changing, albeit very brief.
I recall noticing on my first day back that the relationship between students and teachers was weirdly relaxed - this was slightly unsettling at first but quickly became something I enjoyed and am now thankful for. It was liberating to not have the usual power dynamics that exist between teachers and students in conventional school environments - it meant that there was room for trust and open communication. It meant that our voices were valued, and our opinions mattered - a quality that is essential to and now a cornerstone of my current practise as an artist. I was able to speak openly and in full confidence about what I envisioned for my school work, and for my future. Often, I would not have the words nor the understanding of what the latter was. I am eternally grateful for teachers like Mrs Karountzos my Theatre Arts teacher, and Mrs Liew my Pastoral teacher, who believed in me more than I did in myself and would help me fill in those blanks. I felt genuinely cared for as a student in their classrooms and knew that they had my long term best interests at heart, a quality I have come to adopt as part of my pedagogy as a dance teacher. Finally, It goes without saying that the curriculum at ISS is both rigorous and holistic, or rather rigorous because it is holistic - whether that relationship is causal or not is up for debate - but the curriculum or syllabus would not have mattered without an environment that was conducive to independence and inclusion. A huge vinaka vakalevu to all the staff and students that made my years in Laucala Beach some of the best years of my life.