Volume 7 23/11/18
Newsletter of International School Suva
Principal’s Report Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Friends of ISS, The year is quickly coming to an end and I trust all of you plan to spend some quality time with family and friends to re-charge your batteries. At this point in the year, most students and staff are ready for a break! As we near the year’s end, we have enjoyed some dazzling athletics, art and music events. I hope many of you got to attend the high School Art Night, the Primary Art Night, the International Film Festival, the music concert, and the Chow Games. Those events showcased the talents of our remarkable students. The best news for the school, I think, is that we have agreed on a new Strategic plan that will guide ISS to new heights of quality, engagement, sustainability, reputation, and student outcomes. I wish to thank all the parents and students that contributed to that work. The plan is available on the school website and has four main strategic goals: 1) Strong student results at all levels, 2) Increase ISS’s standing as a top globally reputable international school, 3) Develop and expand needed resources for ISS, and 4) Provide improved systems to guide and inspire the school. The plan can be seen as a promise to the school community to make meaningful improvement over the coming years in the areas identified. I believe all families will see and enjoy the positive growth and change each of the coming five years. We will report back to you about our achievements toward the strategic goals. We can announce that ISS is now a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP). The school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School (for the MYP in addition to the PYP and DP). IB World Schools share a common philosophy – a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education – that we believe is important for our students. (*Note: Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programs: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status give no guarantee that authorization will be granted.) We are excited and committed to implementing the MYP well and making every student’s school experience memorable and life changing! Please watch for further opportunities to learn about what this means as we move forward. Thank you to all who attended previous MYP information and feedback sessions! When you return after the Christmas break, you should see some dramatic changes in our facilities. Foremost, you will be able to walk up past the library to the Primary office, and to walk on a new open area looking down on the site of the new building (J Block) that is under development. Right now the area behind the construction wall looks like this: Notice the new space will include steps that can be used for events and performances. The upper level will become the new Primary platform and open area. I believe this will be a change that will allow several new improved activities. At this time of year, we also experience some of the sadness of some students and families departing from ISS. While we will never forget those who have touch our lives, we will miss their presence every day. We will have several farewell events during the final two weeks of the year, as well as celebrations of our students’ achievement with prize giving's and graduations. I hope most of you can attend some of those. They are always touching and meaningful! The next Talanoa will be in the new year. I look forward to the new year with its new opportunities. We will have some great new staff as well as some new programs and activities. We will also plan to make the whole year the best ever! So, please hurry back! I will be here when you return! Thanks for being a great school community! Stephen Cathers Children’s Advocate (and Principal/Head of School)
Inside this issue:
ISS Surfers
Year 3 Article
Year 2 Article
Reception
Fijian Studies
Athletics Carnival
2019 Primary Programs
School Nurse
Library
3D Art
Year 6
Chem Quiz
Music Concert
Counselor
Upcoming Events
Term Dates
ISS Surfers Carving to Victory Our young surfers have been in the spotlight recently, showcasing their talents in competitive environments. Most of these surfers are members of our ISS Surfing Club that go out for fortnightly surf sessions with Mr Gabel and Ms Bothamley. In these sessions they are coached by each other, their teachers and Mr Dwyer. We have also scheduled land training for these surfers to develop specific skills such as paddling, taking off, and executing maneuvers. Results Following the participation in the Rip Curl Micro Grommet Series held at Natadola over two days there were some exceptional achievements. These include: Darcy Dwyer Under 14 and Under 12 divisions, 1st place in both. rd Haleh Stice Under 12 division, 3 place. Myah Stice Under 14 division, 6ththplace. Judah Stice Under 14 division, 7 place. On Saturday and Sunday the 13th and 14th of October, the annual Suva Lighthouse Challenge took place. We had two members of the ISS Surf Club participate. The results were as follows: Darcy Dwyer Under 14 division 1st place; Under 21 division 4th place. Tom Landrey Under 14 division 12th place. Future We are looking to continue and grow our after school ISS Surfing Club to encourage surfers to develop their skills in fun and competitive settings. Watch out for future updates.
Year 3 students have been busy leaning about Forces and Energy. Students have been exploring how force is applied, the properties of materials, and how the use of force helps to make our work easier. A lot of learning has taken place in Music with Mr Tim where he has incorporated the teaching of forces in the use of musical instruments and voice. Students are particularly excited about the related experiments, such as dragon racer, launching balloon rockets, gravity, and paper helicopters. Working in teams for students with different leaning needs this unit has been a great experience for all. There is plenty of evidence of students demonstrating the learner profiles and the right attitudes towards learning.
This is Cool
Year 3 Article Last week, Year 3 students began the Unit of Inquiry on Forces and Energy. Students have had a wonderful time experimenting with sound, musical instruments and finding out the properties of materials. Mr. Tim has been working closely with the year 3 students, guiding them as they experiment with tone and pitch while they begin designing and making their own unique musical instruments.
In the homeroom classrooms, students have been making paper helicopters with Mr.Dasha to test the forces of gravity and the way air lifts the helicopters and moves them in different directions.
In Mrs. Hallmarks classroom, students have been experimenting with buoyancy and the principles of floating a sinking.
In Ms. Alex’s classroom, students have been making balloon rockets and looking at the principles of force. More specifically, Newton’s Third Law that for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ms Alex
The students in Year 2 were so passionate learning about human impact on Marine Ecosystems they decided they wanted to take some Action. The held 4 Action Days where the students made decisions on how they could help. They develop “4 Fiji – Pick up trash and make a splash”. If everyone picked up 4 pieces of rubbish when they are out at the seawall or beach then together we could make a difference. Their message was shared at the 50th Anniversary of the IB. The students were also interviewed by FBC news and The Fiji Times during our last Action Day. Every student in Year 2 has been motivated and enthusiastic to make a difference. They have created a mural at school under the art room and had t-shirts made.
Reception This term, Reception students have been very busy inquiring into how “making balanced choices about daily routine enables us to have a healthy lifestyle”. Reception has been having a lot of fun exploring various means of establishing a healthy lifestyle. In collaboration with Mr Suka, the students examined games; healthy and unhealthy foods; the relevance of different food groups; the parts of the body; exercising; and the importance of rest. Last week, we went on excursion to City Smile Clinic in town where we learnt about the importance of dental hygiene, the role of a dentist, and how to take care of your teeth. The Reception students were inquirers and risk-takers as they weren’t afraid to ask questions to further their understanding. After our trip to the dentist, Reception enjoyed a peaceful lunch at My Suva Park where they also go to run around and play games. Great job this term, Reception!
Year 2 Article Bula Everyone, Fijian Studies is about learning the language, culture, and history of Fiji. As a part of the program, students sounded out and wrote their names in Fijian. They also learnt culture and history through stories, poems, songs, and dances.
Our Unit of Inquiry’s Central Idea with Year 2 is “Inventions create change that is reflected in our daily lives”. During our tuning in rotation, the students discussed and formulated ideas of what they know about the Fijian artifacts and pictures displayed in front of them.
Athletics Carnival Our athletics carnival was supposed to be in Term 2 after we went through running, jumping and throwing skills and activities, but we were not able to hold it because of the unavailability of the ANZ stadium. We finally manage to secure a booking in September. In the past years, students have chosen their own events, but in this year, we had students rotate through all of the events: Running, Jumping and Throwing. This was done to allow us to identify and showcase the skills of all students and students in each of the different events. The 7 – 11 year olds held their events at the ANZ Stadium while our ECH and Reception had theirs in school. Twenty-five students from Primary and thirty students from Middle School were selected from the athletics carnival to represents the school in the annual athletics Suva 1 Zone competition. The Under 14 Boys stole the show in their relays and came out the winner in the Under 14 competition. ISS also came 2nd in the overall boys division. We were really amazed to see how they were able to compete with other local schools and it was really an outstanding performance. The students now are gearing up for the upcoming Athletics National Finals in the Chow Games. One student from Primary, Emilia Lobendahn Wood in year 4B, and fifteen others from Middle School will be representing Suva 1 in the competition. We are looking forward to your support and the school wishes them well.
2019 New Primary Programs 2019 will be an exciting year for the primary students as we look to introduce two new programs to the curriculum. Year 5 World Languages We believe that students should be given the opportunity to experience and learn new languages—including host country languages—and give our students the chance to experience a variety of languages before choosing a second language to study though the MYP. That’s why in 2019 our Year 5 students will have a term to study French, Chinese, Hindi and Fijian through our World Language Program. This will occur three periods a week through the current timetable. Options Program We wanted to give the students more exposure to STEAM learning and sports, and to pursue their own interests and inquiry. In 2019, we will introduce an options program within the timetable. Students will be grouped cross -aged and be exposed to a variety of learning opportunities focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics; learn different sports; and have the time to inquire deeper into their own passions and questions.
Smart phones have robbed kids of their childhood LESS than a decade ago our kids could grow up with limited external pressure. But the year our kids got phones changed that, and it’s affecting their whole lives. By Dr Tom Nehmy - Clinical psychologist (Australia) and founder of the Healthy Minds Program THE year 2012 was the moment our kids lost their childhood. Recent research out of the United States reveals a sharp decrease in wellbeing among adolescents from 2012 onwards — the year when smartphone ownership became commonplace among teens. Using survey data from 1.1 million young people, the researchers found that adolescents who spent more time on social media, texting, gaming and the internet were less happy, had lower self-esteem and lower satisfaction with their lives. But what about the wellbeing of Australian adolescents? As someone who works with thousands of young Australians each year to prevent mental ill-health, I repeatedly get asked if rates of mental illness in young Australians are increasing and if so, what has caused it. Well, yes, rates of youth mental ill-health do appear to be on the rise here. The recent ‘report card’ by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) revealed an increase in the number of young Australians experiencing “high or very high” psychological distress between 2011 and 2015, while the most recent annual Mission Australia Youth Survey found for the first time that mental health was now the #1 concern of young people. So, should we ban the smartphone? Are there any other factors contributing to this rise? Having spent years conducting research and working in the area of preventing mental health problems in young people, I have made some observations that may help explain this, and more importantly, what to do about it. WHY IS IT GETTING WORSE? Two major changes in the last 10 to 15 years have significantly altered the psychological environment in which kids grow up: technology and parenting practices. Smartphones, gaming over Wi-Fi and social media platforms have combined to alter the way young people spend their time. These technology-based pursuits have taken them away from non-screen activities that are associated with greater wellbeing. The US study found that adolescents who spent more time on non-screen activities such as face-to-face social interactions and exercise were likely to be happier. The link between activity levels and mood is clear. Real-world social activity and exercise are a part of maintaining good mental health, while being withdrawn from social activity and exercise can be both a symptom and a cause of problems such as depression. Social media has also allowed kids to compare themselves to an unlimited number of peers and idols who present unrealistic, highly-selective images of their appearance and lifestyles. The end result for teens? Feeling not good enough.
Continued….. DOES THIS MEAN WE SHOULD BAN KIDS FROM SMARTPHONES? No, but we should limit their use. The survey evidence suggests a few hours use per week was actually associated with higher happiness than no screen time at all, but then happiness tends to decline with greater use. Coinciding with the boom of smartphones and internet technologies has been one other big difference for adolescents growing up today: the way they are parented. Gen X and Gen Y parents have become known for an ironic process — being so diligent in wanting their children to be safe and happy that they sometimes do too much for their kids. This actually prevents their kids from becoming as capable or well-adjusted as those who are allowed to experience a range of normal difficulties and disappointments growing up. My colleague Dr Judith Locke calls this phenomenon ‘overparenting’, also known as ‘helicopter parenting’: being over-protective and too quick to solve problems and overcome challenges on the child’s behalf. Overparenting inhibits the natural building of distress tolerance and problem-solving skills — the precise qualities that kids need to be resilient when life’s inevitable challenges crop up. It is born out of love and good intentions, but overparenting can actually get in the way of kids’ healthy psychological development. Parents also need to be conscious about helicopter parenting. Letting your kids learn their own limits by doing things such as climbing trees (like Ellyanna Yates and Chelsea Plasto, pictured) will help them learn their limits. Picture: Brendan RadkeSource:News Corp Australia WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? There are actually plenty of practical strategies that can help support your child’s psychological wellbeing over the long-term. Limit time on devices. Providing a smartphone to your child should be based on a clear agreement. Teens should meet their responsibilities first (i.e. homework, chores), then they get screen time. After a set time at night, phones should go away, and not be allowed in the bedroom overnight (phones in bedrooms can also contribute to poor sleep habits). We should also look to the positive opposite of the withdrawn, socially disengaged behaviours associated with smartphone use. Encourage kids to engage in face-to-face social activities. Playing sports, especially team sports (this is a natural resilience-builder for kids). Parents shouldn’t be afraid to directly coach their kids on social skills. Parents can reduce over-parenting by letting their kids take on challenges and responsibility knowing that sometimes disappointment and failure are a part of that. Look for ways to expand your kids’ comfort zone in a gradual, age-appropriate way because taking on challenges, becoming independent and having responsibility will all help to build your child’s capacity to handle future challenges. Finally, parents should coach their kids to challenge the ‘perfect’ images and scenarios found on social media. Prompt your teen to ask two key questions when consuming any kind of social media: (1) ‘What is not realistic about this image?’, and (2) ‘How are they trying to influence me?’ Following these strategies will help your kids grow up more engaged, active and capable — and will help get them their childhood back. If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline Fiji on 132 454 or visit its website.
Library Bula vinaka! As we approach the end of another school year, the library team would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all our library users –students, staffs, guardians, and parents for using your library. Special thank you to our parent volunteers, our outgoing Year 12, and all our lovely student leavers. We hope that you will continue to explore new libraries and books! Scholastic Book Club We thank all students and parents who have supported their child’s reading by ordering through Scholastic Book Club. We are now eagerly waiting to receive our books from the Issue 7 catalogue. If we do not receive the books by the end of week 9, we will send an email out once we receive the books before Christmas and you may collect them from the library. Otherwise, we will distribute the books to our children on the first day of school, 2019. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding. Book Return We will be stock taking our library resources in Week 9 and would like all books back to the library by Friday 30th of November. For our returning staff and students, you are welcome to borrow books for the holidays on Thursday of Week 9. Upcoming event: On Monday 26th of November of week 8, there will be a Chinese Cultural Center Children’s Art Exhibition in the library at 10.00am. All Welcome! Library Christmas Book donation! If you would like to spread the “Reading Cheer” this Christmas and put a smile on a child’s face, please donate gently used or new children’s books for ages 0 – 15 years and drop them off to Ms Salu in the library. All donations will be distributed to the children’s ward at CWM hospital and the children of the Vunilagi Bookclub on 8th December, 2018. Thank you for helping to spread the joy of reading! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Ms Salu & the Library team! Email: library@iss.school.fj Flashback 1. Buddy reading in the library. Being a risk-taker means experimenting with a variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction and taking books that challenge you as a reader.
2. Library Makerspace, nurturing students creativity and innovation.
3. Our library is the hub of learning, reading, research, discussion and collaboration.
Library Continued... 4. Celebrating Harmony and Fiji Day by creating a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and
5. Happy Fiji Day celebration from the ECH 2W
6. Literacy week character costume dress up
7. If you never had, you should. These things are fun and fun is good - READ
respect.
Library Continued...
8. Tell me a story literacy week daily story sessions
9. Literacy Door Winners. The transformation of our school was magnificent as each class turned their classroom door into a favorite book cover!
10. Reading in extreme places winners.
11. ISS Library @ Sukuna Park for the National Library Week long celebration
3D art with locally sourced materials in Primary Following a visit by some staff to a pottery village near Sigatoka earlier this term, our ECH2 and Year 2 students have had the pleasure of working with clay sourced from the river bed in Lawai Village. Students asked about the origins of the clay and were intrigued to discover that it was harvested from a small riverbed, by women in the village, mixed with sand and refined by hand for us to use. They also learned that finished products are fired in dried out coconut husks, then glazed using pine tree sap sourced from the nearby forest. Our students particularly enjoyed shaping the lovely, smooth clay into different shapes; ECH2 students created imaginary sea creatures as part of their summative assessment task for their unit of inquiry on How we Share the Planet. Our Year 2 students focused on Fijian traditional invention as part of their Unit of Inquiry with a focus on Fijian Studies. It has been an enjoyable learning experience for all of those involved and we look forward to using this local source of clay more next year for future learning experiences.
Year 2 and ECH 2 students enjoyed each other’s company while shaping out their clay.
Reception students modeled their clay into different shapes and designs during Fijian Studies.
As we draw closer to the end of the first year in Middle School for our Year 6 students, we have learned to appreciate the value of time management, organisational skills, social skills, and using clear communication skills as a class. Semester 2 brought with it more learning from IDUs and projects that tested students in researching, rewording, summarising, paraphrasing, paragraphing, and referencing. It all started with the Science Fair, which covered experimental ideas that the students researched and or could refine or work on something original. More so, the overall reactions to Science Fair were that it was stressful, thrilling, challenging, chaotic, boring and took away for some a lot of sleep time. But there was also FUN this semester in the preparations for Fun Day and for many of the students it also required hours of planning, building and working as a year level to complete the ever demanding ‘HAUNTED HOUSE’. Another FUN activity was the Interhouse athletics competition. Even with the day being hot and humid, many of the students were driven to
their limits in the number of events they participated in students found it enjoyable and competitive. FRIENDS RESILIENCE was a breath of fresh air and a cooling stage to all the hype and activities. It was a program administered by Mr. Legaz that made students reflect on an act of kindness, a moment of happiness and something to be grateful for. Each week students were invited to share these experiences and many were challenged to being kind and grateful. It was a time of openness and sharing that many enjoyed and felt relaxed in.
Then to complete this rather hectic year, we finished with SERVICE projects; PINKTOBER Biggest Morning Tea, money raised was donated to the Fiji Cancer Society and the SHOE BOX Gift Giving – gifts will be given to those less fortunate this Christmas. Enjoy the holidays and see you in 2019!
Chem Quiz Some of our very interested young Chemists took part in the National Chem Quiz Competition, organized by the Chemical Society of the South Pacific. The quiz was aligned with the Ministry of Education Curriculum for the different categories, but the students were expected to work in a capacity that extended them beyond the regular curriculum. Their critical thinking skill, or their ability to problem-solve and produce solutions under pressure were the key skills tested. The event proved a good opportunity for our students to test their skills and knowledge of Chemistry in spite studying under a different curriculum from the national program. They were excited by the event and really rose to the challenge. We had some amazing results: our Junior category did exceptionally well with 90% of our participants attaining a pass with Credit; and in our Senior categories we had several participants pass with Credit, and one pass with Distinction. This student also received a special award as she came third overall in the Central Division for the Senior Category. What an achievement! Congratulations, and we are really proud of you all. We will celebrate this at Presentation Evening at the end of the year. These young scientists are now gearing up for their final examination (Internal and External) to wrap up an exciting year of learning and the Science department wishes them well. Mr Api. 2018 Music Concert Our 2018 Music Concert was quite the experience, in more than one sense of the word. This was my first year organizing the concert, and it’s safe to say that I underestimated the effort it would take to organize everything, from musical items, to program orders, and to microphone checks. Communication was vital, and that’s something I won’t be forgetting any time soon. However, it’s also safe to say that all the stress of organizing an event such as the Music Concert was well worth it. I was especially proud to see so many young and new performers getting up on stage and blowing the crowd away with their spectacular numbers. I see a lot of potential in the younger years, and it was so good to see how they enjoyed themselves performing and getting lost in the music. I’m glad I was able to help Ms. Yao provide a safe space for students to express themselves through the medium of music and look forward to doing it again sometime soon. Lilieta Soakai Year 11
Counselor’s Corner
Bula! Although it feels as though the term only just started, it is almost over. The counseling program has been very busy. ISS had its first university fair. We called it a virtual fair due to the majority of university admissions’ representatives were available only through an online conferencing platform. The students were able to talk “face-to-face” with an admissions representative to learn more about the university, its culture, and admissions requirements. The students that attended felt it was a great experience and were motivated to keep working hard to secure a place at a university. The following schools were present at the university fair, either via the online conferencing platform or in person: University of Amsterdam
Cal Poly Pomona
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
The University of Sussex
University College Roosevelt
The University of Auckland
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
The University of the South Pacific
The University of Canterbury
The University of the South Pacific School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
The University of Melbourne
Academic Colleges Group (ACG)
The University of Sydney
Auckland University of Technology
New York University
University of Otago
Group counseling sessions are underway this term. Group counseling sessions allow me to help multiple students dealing with the same concerns. It allows the School Counselor to reach the goal of serving every student. The groups also allow me to be proactive versus reactive; helping students learn skills and get the support they need to be successful before it becomes a crisis. This term’s group topics include stress management, study skills, self -esteem, and transition. If you feel that your student could benefit from support in these areas please email me at ccross@iss.school.fj to refer your student.
On the horizon we will be implementing a career/university preparation platform called Cialfo. Cialfo will centralize the career and university preparation so that students can explore the world of work and university as well as finalize their university options and submit university applications. Please be on the lookout for further information on Cialfo.
As always if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 339-3300 ext 1045 or by email at ccross@iss.school.fj.
Upcoming Events Term 4: Week 5 to Week 9
T4 Week 5 Wednesday 7th November Diwali— No School Thursday 8th November High School Music Concert Friday 9th November Primary Assembly Exams Year 9, 11 T4 Week 6 Monday 12th November Exam Week HS (year 9,11) Wednesday 14th November Fiji Elections—School Closed Friday 16th November Primary Assembly Chow Games T4 Week 7 Monday 19th November Prophet Mohammed's Birthday– School Closed Thursday 22nd November High School Arts Evening Friday 23rd November Primary Assembly
T4 Week 8 Monday 26th November Primary Concert Rehearsal All Day Tuesday 22nd November Primary Concert Friday 23rd November Primary Assembly Year 12 Led Farewell Assembly Saturday 1st December Senior Ball
T4 Week 9 Tuesday 4th December Middle School Celebration Wednesday 5th December High School Presentation Evening Thursday 6th December Farewell Assembly
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA
TERM DATES 2018 Term 1 (10 weeks) Tuesday16th January 2018 Thursday 18th January 2018 Tuesday 23rd January 2018 Thursday 29th March 2018 Friday 30th March 2018
New teachers start All teachers start Students start Term ends Good Friday
Term 2 (10 weeks) Teachers and Y11 and Y12 ACT students start All Students start. Term ends National Sports day
Monday 16th April 2018 Tuesday 17th April 2018 Friday 22nd June 2018 Friday 29th June 2018
Term 3 (10 weeks) Teachers start Teachers, Y11 and Y12 ACT students start All Students start Constitution Day – Public Holiday Term ends
Monday 16th July 2018 Tuesday 17th July 2018 Wednesday 18th July 2018 Friday 7th September 2018 Friday 21st September 2018
Term 4 (9 weeks) Teachers start Students start Fiji Day – Public Holiday Diwali Prophet Muhammad’s birthday Term ends for students Term ends for teachers
Monday 8th October 2018 Tuesday 9th October 2018 Wednesday 10thOctober 2018 Wed 7th November 2018 Monday 19th November 2018 Thursday 6th December 2018 Friday 7th December 2018