2019 Talanoa Volume 5

Volume 5 22/08/2019

Newsletter of International School Suva

Principal’s Report

Inside this issue:

As we enter the last weeks of Term 3, I want to celebrate the excellent year we have had so far. I see students  highly engaged in academics, activities, and exhibiting our Learner Profile in many different ways. We have completed numerous service activities and student initiatives have led to a school campus ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Our Ocean Science program has been integrated with curriculum at all school levels in various ways and has, I believe, inspired a new sense of responsibility toward our ocean issues and environment in general. Our  camps have challenged and stretched students and exposed them to some new perspectives. Congratulations students, parents, and staff on the excellent learning community we are!

Last Term high school students were involved with a plastic ban and recycling initiative at Nasesara Village as partners with the Uto-ni-Yalo Trust. In coming weeks, a group of ISS students and staff will travel by boat to Rukua, a Beqa Island village, as part of a new partnership with the Uto-ni-Yalo Trust and the Pacific Blue Foundation to promote healthy communities and clean environment. These activities are examples of students learning from experts outside of our school, including local village visionaries, and putting their learning to use in the real world with applied learning activities. We believe these types of activities will give our students confidence and practical experience in how to work with others to implement positive change.

One point of information that many do not know, the school’s drinking water is, it appears, exceptionally good and safe. We filter drinking water at three locations on campus to a 20-micron standard, and our drinking water quality exceeds some bottled waters. To maintain this quality, our water filters are rinsed every week and replaced every three weeks. Signs are now posted at our drinking water locations regarding filtration of the water and we encourage students to use water bottles and to drink plenty of water!

Our major curriculum shift to the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program is moving forward well with formal authorization expected next year. We will have a visit from our IB consultant during term four and will have more specific input then. The result of this change will be a more consistent philosophy and approach for all our students. In addition, we believe a new focus on problem-solving skills and design thinking that is supported by the IB curriculum will greatly benefit all our students regardless of their career choices. We expect increasing levels of IB success with this adoption.

On the facilities front, a number of small projects have been completed and construction of the four-story J Block project continues. The new shelter in front of the Primary office has provided a quality lunch location as well as more activity space. The ECH now has added safe outdoor space in the form of a large balcony. This area will be used in a variety of ways. New wash-up sinks have been installed to support student-owned food containers and for art students. The J Block building is now a two-story structure with the third-floor supports being built. By the fourth term, the building should be taking its final shape, and we look forward to having a high quality 350-seat auditorium and ten added classrooms when that project is completed in Term 3 of 2020. As most people know, the space is needed because of several full classrooms and some specialized learning spaces that could benefit from better facilities. Planning for further improvement of Middle School and ECH instructional space is in progress.

The next two-week term break begins September 14, or in three weeks. I hope all families have some plans to make good use of the coming break. In the meantime, this is a good time to put extra attention into, and to finish Term 3 projects and work. Best wishes to the whole ISS community!

Steve Cathers, Head of International School Suva

Plastic Ban Around the World How Music affects living beings.

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PYP Exhibition

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Year 4 Camp

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Baby Rhyme Time

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ECH Article

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Fun Day A Greener Day

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MYP Corner

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Inclusive Education

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My Classroom Economy

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Choices - High School

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Year 11 Camp

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Basket Ball Nationals

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Counselors Corner

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Community & Service Projects (CAS)

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Literacy Week

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Upcoming Events

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Term Dates

Plastic Ban Around The World Today, a lot of places around the world are banning plastic and styrofoam. China has banned plastic and over the past 4 years, they reduced their use of plastic bags by over 40 billion.

Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are found in the blood and tissue in our bodies. Exposure to these chemicals is connected to cancer, birth defects, etc. This can also spoil our groundwater. For example, the US has thousands of landfills and beneath them, toxic chemicals seep into groundwater and goes into lakes and rivers.

In Fiji, they are planning to ban single use plastic by 2020 so it allows industries to revolutionise their machines and make multiple use plastics. According to the UN, 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris and 80% of that litter is due to plastic. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles get tangled up or swallow them which leads to suffocating, starvation and drowning. Plastic does not disintegrate but breaks down into smaller pieces. When we catch fish and eat them, we eat microplastics. We are now eating seafood with plastic. Scary, isn’t it?

At ISS (International School Suva), starting Term 3 this year, the canteen has agreed to ban plastic and styrofoam. The ISS community understands the importance of eco-friendly actions and this decision has been very well-received. Students and staff are bringing their own containers. For those who still are not used to bringing one, the canteen manages to provide the food in a non-plastic container. It may seem like just a small action but when all of us take this little step together, it will have a huge impact on the environment and the ocean.

Bibliography (Fact source): https://www.mailife.com.fj/fiji-to-ban-single-use-plastics-as-early-as-2020/ http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6167 Asher Choi Year 5 student

How music affects living beings Music is a thing a lot of people treasure and listen to at anytime. It can be relaxing when you are sad, angry, or even when your simply happy. Research has shown that even plants find music amusing and enjoy listening to it!

Like stroking plants when watering it, having music on regularly can make plants grow faster. Animals also have a reaction to music.

Firstly, the effect on plants. Plants have a great response to music, it’s not always good because just like humans and animals, it all depends on different genres. A study reveals that rock music makes the plants die within a few weeks whereas classical music helps them grow 20%. The reason for these reactions is not because of their preference for music but because different genres have different vibration patterns which affects their growth.

Psychologists at the University of Leicester in England have noticed that cows’ production of milk increases when listening to gentle music. This is because they get calm and less stressed. As far as dogs go, they sleep the best when classical music is playing. However, when heavy metal music is playing dogs start shaking out of nervousness. Cats on the other hand do not enjoy music as much as other animals, they definitely do not like loud music but also classical music does not affect them much. Sometimes cats even go out of a room when music is playing in it! So now you know what kind of music to play to your pet!

Now how does music actually affect humans? Well, studies have proven that music has positive effects on the human brain and body when studying. Music can also help with the treatment for autism, dementia, alzheimers, and other mental diseases. It reduces anxiety, anger, stress, and frustration by relaxing the mind. Of course the different genres of music have different effects on humans, classical music regenerates brain cells, but although it is a good thing in most cases, sometimes listening to loud music or listening to music at all can distract people and even harm your hearing.

Owlcation quotes: “Music is not just a harmless background noise created by musical instruments. The modern scientific research confirms the opinion of ancient philosophers that music and sound have both harmful and beneficial effects on people, plants, and animals.”

All in all, it is easy to state that music affects all living beings in different yet simular ways. There are both positive effects and negative, but I think everyone can agree that music is a precious thing that everyone should appreciate. So next time, when you’re stressed, just go for a soothing music. It could do wonders!

Bibliography:

https://www.yummypets.com/mag/2013/07/24/11813/how-do-animals-react-to-music https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/behaviour-and-training/understanding-cat-behaviour/do-cats-like-music https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/ https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/The-Effect-of-Music-on-Human-Health-and-Brain-Growth https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/how-music-affects-plant-growth.htm

Article by: Sophie Graf of Year 5

Primary Student Led Conferences and PYP Exhibition Student Led Conferences On Wednesday 4th September primary will hold their annual student led conferences and PYP Exhibition. This is a celebration of the learning journey that students have been on throughout the year and a chance for parents to see their child’s work and learning experiences that children participate in on a daily basis. More information will follow and a parent information session is planned for Friday 30th August. Please see the Primary Bytes seesaw page for more information.

What are the roles of the participants?

Student: Be on time, focus on talking about the process of the prepared work, and speak clearly.

Parent: Be on time for the conference, be positive, be concerned, be interested, ask questions, listen and be prepared to give a brief comment to encourage your child at the conclusion of the conference.

Teacher: Manage the time support and clarify where necessary.

Exhibition In the final year of the Primary Years Programme all students participate in the PYP exhibition. This represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school community. The exhibition project requires that each student demonstrates engagement with the five essential elements of the programme: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action. The inquiry, which encompasses a variety of subject domains, is conducted in the spirit of personal and shared responsibility culminating into the presentations you will see. It is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the learner profile that they have been developing throughout their engagement with the PYP. We look at the exhibition as a celebration of the student's learning before moving from the PYP into the Middle school.

Year 4 camp to Nataleira From the 7th of August to the 9th, year 4 students and teachers went on an exciting three day camp to Natalei Eco Resort in Tailevu.

It was a fun-filled, challenging, educational and awesome trip. We got to admire the beauty of the landscape and seascape, while enjoying different activities planned for us at the camp.

Some of the activities included were mangrove planting, reading to the community, playing team games and swimming in the ocean. Some other things we did are sunrise and sunset walks on the beach, dolphin watching, nature walk through the village, movie night and marshmallow roasting. All of them were fun each in its own way.

Swimming, dolphin watching, campfire and mangrove planting were of course the highlights of the trip.

When we went back to sleep at night, some of our friends still had a lot of energy and kept playing noisily and enthusiastically until the teachers said ‘Lights off’. The securities kept patrolling around the whole night to make sure we were safe.

We also learnt how to overcome different challenges that we faced in the camp. One of the problems was that the sand from the beach got in to our rooms and all over and inside our stuff. After a while, we decided to make peace with it because we understood that’s what beach is all about - heaps & heaps of sand. Another challenge was that the dogs in the camp site tipped over the trash cans in front of our rooms and perhaps took away some of our footwear. Later, we decided to keep our footwear inside the bure. There were bugs and insects around which freaked some of us out. Welcome to the real world!

We became more responsible and independent by learning to take care of our things and ourselves.

Some of us made new friends. We had little tiffs sometimes but sure we did become friends again.

Over all, we all had a fantastic and a delightful trip.

By Indiana Jezewski, Janah Zenos and Noah Rice

Fun Day - A Greener Day One small step for man, one giant leap for ISS

We all know fun day is a day we all love and enjoy. But do you think you’d love and enjoy this event as much if you knew it was hurting the world around us?

This year Fun Day was advertised as being more eco-friendly so I sat down with Mr. Cathers (Head of School) to find out more about this change.

Excerpts from the interview: Mr Cathers, how has fun day became more eco-friendly?  Well, this year we eliminated a lot of single-use plastic items. We made contact with a high school CAS group and they were able to find some biodegradable containers for the fun day food stalls. We created different displays highlighting the need to use environmentally friendly items and these have been displayed around the school.  We will donate 10% of our money to the Uto Ni Yalo. This is a local group who raise awareness of environmental issues in Fiji and the Pacific.  Throughout the day we had a few guest speakers talking about the environment.  There were different songs promoting a healthy ocean throughout the event.

Who came up with the ideas to support this change?  Most of our changes came from the students ideas. I think they are very aware of the environmental problems we face.

What made you change fun day to being more eco-friendly?  We are continuously trying to teach eco-friendly things. We hope that this will inspire new and better ideas and make the event more eco-friendly.

Has the feedback from this change been positive?  All the feedback so far has been good. This is advice that I would give: Small steps are what moves people slowly.

Additional information to check out:  https://www.iss.school.fj/  https://fijisun.com.fj/tag/the-international-school-suva/

By Anahira Danzler

MYP Corner August 2019 Dear ISS Community, Bula Vinaka, and many thanks for taking the time to read this edition of MYP Corner. At the beginning of this term the school hosted two IB trainers who provided MYP workshops with all secondary instructional staff. The 2-day course, Launching the MYP, was a great way to enhance our knowledge of the MYP program whilst collaboratively creating unit plans to deliver the best possible curriculum for our students. Upon leaving, the workshop leaders were extremely complimentary regarding the enthusiasm and dedication of ISS staff, in particular how they have embraced to move towards the MYP program.

The next step towards our full authorization is an upcoming visit from the IB in October. This will give us an opportunity to showcase our progress and reflect on areas for further development.

Speaking of Reflection, you may have become aware of how often MYP students are required to reflect in all of their subject areas. Why is it important to reflect? Reflecting is an essential act that both students and teachers should engage in daily. Reflecting may enhance meaning, promote insight and learning, and link new experiences to previous learning. To reflect, we must evaluate, judge, analyze, and synthesize information. IB values reflectiveness as an IB learner profile attribute. Furthermore, reflecting on our own ideas and the ideas of others, strengthens our international mindedness.

Kind Regards, Luke Ramsdale

Inclusive Education- Celebrating Diversity in the Middle School “Inclusive education is viewed as the participation, involvement, collaboration and acceptance of each student for himself or herself.” Booths et al, (2003, p.2) At ISS we pride ourselves in our focus on student-centered learning. We try to ensure that all students’ needs are met through differentiated instruction or by providing one to one support for students who have specific learning needs. Sometimes this may involve working with other year levels across the school to support a student’s individual education programmes. These programmes are designed in collaboration with the Learning Support Team and the pastoral teachers.

Our students are well supported in their learning and it is encouraging to see the collaboration between educators and students at our school. Below is a snapshot of collaboration between myself as a one on one support teacher with the Reception teachers and students during their Unit of Inquiry this term: Sharing the Planet with a focus on Environment.

By Annie Prasad (Year 7 ITA Teacher)

Medicinal uses of plants in our environment

Math Game on Grouping

Leaf and flower molds Nature Walk

Brainstorming and sor ng ac vity.

Brainstorming and sor ng ac vity.

MY CLASSROOM ECONOMY YEAR 6

At International School Suva we strive to expose students to a variety of learning experiences that can assist them to achieve to their maximum potential. One such experience is the “My Classroom Economy” where the activities are aimed at teaching financial responsibility and financial literacy.

In Year 6 they are learning financial responsibility through experiential learning. If you happen to walk into the year 6 classroom on Friday mornings you will find the students either banking, paying their fines or paying rent. If the need arises you might just walk into a court case where the “lawyers” are representing their clients and presenting evidence on their behalf.

Financial responsibility is a skill that is best taught early in life. When given the opportunity, students will be equipped with the skill to make good decisions as they encounter financial issues throughout life.

Students need to know how money works before they spend it and this comes only with a lot of practice.

WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE SAYING!!!!!

I like it because it is preparing me for the future because budgeting is useful!

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When I grow up l can be independent!!!

Students earn and spend money in the program, the same way adults do. • Students earn money through paychecks and bonuses. • Students spend money on rent, bills, and fines. • Additional

Lawyers represent clients in civil or criminal trial and present evidence for their defense.

They also advise their clients on their legal rights or obligations and counsel them on the best way to precede according to their legal circumstances. A lawyer conducts research on legal issues and is qualified to interpret laws, regulations, and rulings. They draw up legal documents like wills, deeds, contracts, lawsuits, and appeals. They may also oversee legal assistants or paralegals.

Choices…..

The Year 10 students will be starting their IGCSE Mock Examinations next week, but after this there will be choices to be made about which program they wish to go into for Year 11 and 12! We have started So what are the choices?

We have two programs that are run in Year 11 and 12. They are the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program OR the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (Canberra) ACT Senior Secondary Certificate program, where students may also sit the ACT scaling test (AST) and gain a tertiary admission rank. Both courses are rigorous but suit different learners. A comparison can be seen below:

Questions

IB Diploma Program

ACT Senior Secondary Certificate

Structure?

6 subjects (one each from Groups 1-5 and a final subject from the Arts or at ISS, a second subject from Group 3 or 4). Three are taken at Higher Level (more in depth).

5-6 subjects, one of which must be English and ISS asks students to also include Mathematics. Students can do majors (a subject taken over 2 years) or minors (a subject taken for 1 year) but there are requirements for completion of the certificate regarding the number of majors and minors.

Students must also complete the Core subjects of Creativity Activity and Service (CAS), as well as Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.

Are the subject choices the same for each program?

The Core subjects are unique to the IB Diploma.

If a student is doing a Tertiary package then they must also do the AST Outdoor and the Environment, Sports Development, Accounting, and Textiles and Fashion are only done in the ACT program at ISS. Students are expected to undertake service work and the requirements for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

How long is the program?

What happens if a student struggles with one program, can they change to the other?

Assessment?

Does this allow university entry?

Grading System?

2 years of full time study

It is possible to gain credit and recognition for things such as. internship, community and service.

2 years of full time study.

It is difficult to move into the IB Diploma from the ACT program because of the Core requirements and 6 subject structure, however, students can move from the IB Diploma Program to the ACT if they have completed Year 11 and gain credit for the work they have done in the year.

There is ongoing internal school assessment for reports, but key external assessment includes examinations based on the 2 years of work which are held in Year 12 as well as internally assessed, externally moderated tasks which are also submitted in Year 12.

Internally assessed program with a variety of assessment tasks, portfolios of student work are assessed at Moderation Days in Canberra throughout the program. The AST examination is held in September in Year 12 and is externally prepared and marked.

Theatre and Visual Art have externally marked projects instead of an examination as well as internal assessment to complete.

Both the IB Diploma and ACT program provide tertiary entrance (providing the AST is taken and an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) gained.

Grading is based on the IB system of 1-7 Grading is based on an A-E scale. (top score) for each of the six subjects, and an additional 3 points are given for The ATAR is a percentile ranking used for performance in the Theory of Knowledge admission to university, for example ‘a student with an ATAR of 85.00 indicates Essay and Extended Essay. This gives a a performance better than 85% of the total score out of 45.

Should a student not complete their CAS requirements they will not be awarded a Diploma.

population eligible to be in Year 12 or in the top 15% in relation to all the students who started school at the same time’. 1

1.http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/information_for_students/scaling_and_the_atar There will be an information evening to discuss these issues with parents, but should wish to start looking at each of the programs, then please see http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/ for the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate or go to https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/ for more information about the Diploma Program.

Each course has its merits for different types of learners!

Please don’t hesitate to email either Alex Karountzos (year 11 and 12 Curriculum Coordinator) akarountzos@iss.school.fj or myself mnavunisaravi@iss.school.fj should you have any questions.

Megan Navunisaravi & Alex Karountzos

Year 11 Camp on Beqa Road Camp was a memorable one, mainly due to the long hikes (26km) we had to go through. Hiking on those dirt roads without exercising beforehand was a big mistake some of us made; however, it was a good time to spend with classmates and bond with each other. Camp brought us closer together this year-- new friendships were made and old ones rekindled.

We hiked along Beqa Road, which was just a little bit off from Pacific Harbor. We began our hike from the main road, and by the third day, we finished our hike at a large river from which we were picked up. The hike was difficult at times because the hills we had to climb were either steep or lengthy.

However, it gave us a chance to go through that experience together and push each other on.

It also gave us a chance to support each other, mainly due to the reason that a couple of us were injured. For example, some twisted their ankles and some were on the verge of collapsing due to the weight which they had to carry all day.

Some even had to leave camp. But many offered to carry each other's bags and in this way, we looked out for each other.

On the second day, we were rewarded with a mini barbeque, since a group of us had to hike an extra three to four kilometers in order to fulfill the Duke of Edinburgh’s required number of hiking hours. We definitely completed that; however, we were sore and tired by the time we returned to school.

Making the fires to cook our dinners was pretty interesting-as was our campsite on the first day. The ground was unleveled meaning that we had to level it out using shovels in order to have a good night's rest. The second day, we camped at a school which was a lot better, as the ground was flat. On the second night, we all sat around a bonfire and just spent time together which was a memorable moment of the camp.

Overall, it was a hard camp but a memorable and fun one, as well. We basically bonded through our mutual pain and hatred of the dirt roads and hills. It will definitely be a camp which we will remember.

Year 11 Students Basket Ball Nationals—Photos by Angea Hui Y12

U19 Girls

U17 Boys

U15 Boys

Counselor’s Corner Bula! We are midway through Term 3. It’s been a busy term. We have discussed with the students the importance of attendance during Attendance Awareness Week. The week’s theme was Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow.

For every one day a student misses of instruction it takes him/ her 3 days to catch up. Also absenteeism in Middle School is one of the best determinants of a student dropping out in high school. To ensure that your student doesn’t experience stress from falling behind is to ensure that they are in school every day that is possible.

Tips to help your students maintain good attendance: 1.Make school attendance a priority by talking with your children about the importance of showing up school everyday, make that the expectation.

2.Help your child stay engaged by finding out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Make sure he/she is not missing class because of behavioral issues 3.Communicate with the school to check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.

For more tips go to www.attendanceworks.org We also took part in Bullying Prevention Week in Secondary. The theme was #SeeMe.

In Pastoral Class students discussed what bullying looks like here at ISS and ways that they can support one another and put an end to bullying in school. High School students signed a bullying contract pledging to not be a bystander and to treat others with respect. To end the week we had a visit by Lt Bari with the Fiji Police Cyber Crime Unit to talk to the students about Cyber Crime, in particular Cyber Bullying. Students learned that Cyber Bullying is a chargeable offense in Fiji and heard true stories of Cyber Bullying cases that have been investigated. Year 9 students participated in a poster contest highlighting Anti-Bullying and Bullying Prevention.

When you come to ISS again look for some of their work displayed throughout the school.

To learn more about bullying and how you can help your child go to https://www.stompoutbullying.org/ https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/ https://www.bullying.co.uk/ http://msp.org.fj/girl-empowered/dealing-with-bullies/ or call the Child Helpline at 1325 We were disappointed that the University Fair was cancelled however we have had virtual and face to face university visits this term. Thus far we have been visited by Vanderbilt University in the US, the University of British Columbia in Canada, and University of the South Pacific here in Fiji. We have New York University Abu Dhabi campus scheduled for 11 September.

For High School parents please continue to check your child’s career/ university preparation progress through the parent Cialfo accounts. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at 339-3300 ext 1045 or email me at ccross@iss.school.fj.

A GLIMPSE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SERVICE PROJECTS @ THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ….

Greetings from the ISS Mental Health and Wellness Group (MWHG) 2019!

Mental health awareness and care starts from our localized communities, an appreciation of which we as a collective would like to instill in our school community. We are a student service collective that is working towards mental health awareness, and we are achieving this through activities and advocacy. Mental health is rather stigmatized, even in this day and age, and it was our goal to address this through our mental health and wellness week. This week, inclusive of all members of the school, was held in week 3 of term 3, and comprised of activities such as a bake sale, open mic, movie night, treasure hunt, chalk on the hard court, and an express yourself mufti. All these activities were aimed at allowing oneself to feel comfortable in one’s own skin, to appreciate oneself and others. We are happy to note that, while a controversial and often taboo topic, our activities received plenty of support from students and teachers alike, from selling out at the bake sale to having too many items with too little time during the open mic. Our movie nights, screenings of Mulan and Patch Adams, also inspired good turnouts and overall created a welcoming and positivity throughout the school.

We have also created and printed pamphlets addressing issues like toxic relationships and stress management, written for the benefit of students, in a manner that understands students’ stresses and is understandable by everyone. It is our aim to distribute these locally within our school, and nationally in other schools with the help of the Ministry of Education.

We look forward to serving our community, within and outside ISS. Group leader, Ozayr Akbar, Year 12

We are the ISS Awareness Group and in the last year, we have been focusing on advocating for domestic violence especially for women through filming videos/commercials, and sharing them on social medias. The video includes some cultural aspects and the message is that saying sorry to the victims is not enough. One of our goals is also to have our video screening in cinemas as it will be most effective in spreading awareness. Our video is posted on facebook, instagram and youtube, and right now, we are in the phase of fundraising for the video to be screened in cinemas. We hope that by the end of the year, we will be able to achieve our goal and that in the future, there will be other students that are willing to continue this project. youtube: https://youtu.be./V9CAPHtOnM8 facebook: https://www.facebook.com/644140152749129/videos/670499406751104/ Olivia Lum. Year 12

LIFE’S A BEACH …

Life’s a Beach is a CAS group that is aimed at raising awareness and conducting beach clean ups to make beaches in Fiji, specifically the Bulei Beach in our community, MORE CLEAN. We all thought that keeping beaches clean is an important action in our country and this world especially due to the negative impact of climate change. Beaches, being an important part of Fiji, also gave us motivation and inspiration to form this CAS group. Temporarily, we have decided to document the process of us cleaning the Bulei beach and also conduct beach clean ups weekly. The documentary will then be edited and released as a form of raising awareness, informing the public that anyone can make a positive impact in keeping the environment clean. Last week, we collected a massive amount of rubbish from the beaches in less than an hour. The weight of the rubbish amounted to 51 kg! However, there was still A LOT of rubbish left. In addition to our current plans, we have also decided to continue the beach clean-up activity and later will discuss about the destination of the rubbish we have collected, like building bins there or getting in contact with the city council, but as for now, we brought the rubbish back to school as another CAS group needed some recyclable rubbish for their project.

Only a small part of the beach.

Sailing the year 9 students to their “Ocean’s Day Out” to the sandbank A few students from our CAS/DOE Uto ni yalo group were volunteer crew members on board the Uto ni Yalo on the 30th of July. These year 11 students assisted in ensuring that our year 9 students and teachers were comfortable and well looked after.

Fun Day 2019

Bag of Love The Bag of Love team consists of Mareikura Waiti, Oliver Sinclair, Harneet Haer, Sheldon Chow, Emily Gibson and You Su Ra who are advised by Ms Reimann. Our vision for the Bag Of Love Project is to provide kids in need with the basic necessities in the event that there is an emergency that requires them to make an urgent trip to the hospital.

Each bag of love will include a pair of pyjamas that come in a range of sizes for both little boys and girls, a bar of soap, a toothbrush, a small toothpaste and a face cloth.

The pyjamas will consist of shorts for boys and sleeping dresses for girls ranging in sizes from 2 to 12. Every garment will be handmade from 100% breathable cotton, making it comfy to sleep in. The bags themselves will also be handmade. We have kindly been sponsored by Colgate who have provided us with small packs of toothbrushes, toothpastes and soaps to include in our bags.

Our goal is to make at least 50 bags and to take them to a hospital or charity of choice where they will then be distributed in the event that they are required.

The involvement of the school community would help our project immensely. We’ve set up a ’Sponsor A Bag’ program meaning there is an open opportunity for anyone to make a $5 donation towards the contents of one singular bag. Should you wish to personalise the sponsored bag, you can also write a short note to the child receiving the bag of love, making it that much more special. Payments can be made at the business office and there are posters around the school that show more information. Please feel free to join us in giving back to the community.

Mareikura, Oliver, Harneet, Sheldon, Emily and You Su (Year 12)

Upcoming Events Term 3 Week 6 to Week 5 Term 4 T3 Week 6 Friday 23rd August Primary Assembly Primary Options Season 3 Begins IB/IGCSE Mock Exams begin

T3 Week 7 Monday 26th August IB/IGCSE Mock Exams Tuesday 27th August Primary Parent Information Session Thursday 29th August Kaji Rugby, Soccer Champs Friday 30th August Primary Assembly T3 Week 8 Monday 2nd September IB/IGCSE Mock Exams Study Leave Year 12 ACT Tuesday 3rd September AST Finals Primary Exhibition Opening Wednesday 4th September AST Finals Primary Student Led Conference Friday 6th September Primary Sports Day Primary Assembly Talanoa T3 Week 9 Monday 9th September Constitution Day Thursday 12th September HS Arts Evening Friday 13th September Mock Reports IGCSE IB Whole School Assembly T4 Week 1 Monday 30th September Teacher Only Day Tuesday October 1st All Students Start Friday 4th October Whole School Fiji Day Assembly

T4 Week 2 Monday 7th October ISA Testing Thursday 10th October Fiji Day Friday 11th October ISS Vacation—School Closed

T4 Week 3 Thursday 17th October Coffee Chat with the Counselor Primary & Middle School Arts Evening Friday 18th October Primary Assembly

T4 Week 4 Monday 21st October Year 9 Camp Mon– Wed Thursday 24th October Year 3 Camp Friday 25th October Last Day for Year 12 IB Students Primary Assembly T4 Week 5 Monday 28th October Diwali— Public Holiday Friday 1st November Year 3 Camp Halloween Social Primary Assembly Saturday 2nd November Garage Sale

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA TERM DATES 2019 TERM 1 (11 weeks) New Teachers Start

Monday, 14 January 2019

All Teachers Start

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Students Start

Wednesday, 23 January 2019

Term Ends

Friday, 5 April 2019

TERM 2 (9 weeks) Y11 & 12 ACT Students Start

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

Students Start

Wednesday, 24 April 2019

Term Ends

Friday, 21 June 2019

TERM 3 (9 weeks) Teachers Start

Monday, 15 July 2019

Y11 & 12 ACT Students Start

Tuesday, 16 July 2019

Students Start

Wednesday, 17 July 2019

Constitution Day

Monday, 9 September 2019

Term Ends

Friday, 13 September 2019

TERM 4 (10 weeks) Teachers Start

Monday, 30 September 2019

Students Start

Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Fiji Day

Thursday, 10 October 2019

ISS Vacation

Friday, 11 October 2019

Diwali

Monday, 28 October 2019

Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday

Monday, 11 November 2019

Term Ends for Students

Thursday, 5 December 2019

Term Ends for Teachers

Friday, 6 December 2019