NEWSLETTER December 2021
MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dear Parents,
Terry Senior, Principal
Last week I was invited by the Head of Secondary to speak to the students about respect. I wanted to provide the students with some tools on how to deal with challenges, what effective communication looks like and the how they can make a positive difference to others with the things they say and do. It was nice to learn that students were using some of these strategies when they went back to class.
As a school we are working towards our MoEHE accreditation and have met as a staff to review our schools core objectives. It is very important to us that our objectives support our vision and our mission statement:
Thank you to all the parents who replied to the NPS survey. The endorsement for us as a school is important to not only Hamilton but the ISP group. As a school we are very proud of the progress our students are making and we constantly talk about what learning is: ‘getting better’. Hamilton as a whole is ‘getting better’ as we constantly strive to improve our provision in all areas of the school. Thank your continued support as we refine our processes, so we are more effective and efficient.
Mission: We are committed to developing the spirit of excellence and sound character in our students, through an innovative, well-balanced education.
I would like to give a special ‘shout out’ to our teachers. All our students participate in the lessons and the staff work very hard to ensure the lessons are engaging and cater to the learning needs of every child. The middle leaders and divisional heads frequently go into the classes to review the learning that is happening in the classroom, and provide feedback to the teachers. We call the process ‘Looking for Learning’. During the lesson the person observing speaks with the students and identifies which learning zone the students are in; “Good struggle Zone or Bad Struggle Zone”. Bad struggle - treading water (the work is too hard) or sinking (the work is too hard). Good Struggle – Consolidating experiences or new learning. The aim is to keep students in the “Good Struggle Zone”, so they are being challenged at their level. The teachers reflect on their teaching and receive advice on what they can do better to improve their practice, which improves the student learning. One of the many highlights as a school principal, is to see the growing confidence of the students and their ability to articulate what they are learning and why.
Vision: Igniting; Passion, Purpose and Potential
I would invite you to look at our objectives below and if you have any feedback on how we can make them better or reword, then feel free to email: info@this.qa The following are Hamilton’s core objectives which are currently being reviewed: • Ensure students realize their potential, to become the best version of themselves • Ignite passion in our students • Build pathways where students discover their purpose and find their own place in the world • Foster imagination through a supportive and innovative environment • Instill a culture of collaboration while recognizing and transcending cultural differences • Provide opportunities for students to become excellent communicators • Immerse students in a culture of high expectations and success Looking ahead, we exited about celebrating Qatar National day as a school community and sharing in the richness of the country we reside in.
EARLY YEARS This month, as part of their 'helping the others' lesson, our Pre-KG children learned all about the people whose jobs are important in keeping society intact. They recreated some of their iconic cars by doing a collage activity. They used colored papers and glue as tools to make ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars. Well done Pre-KG!
For our KG1, ' Weather Wonders ' - Exit Point, students were asked to wear their favorite seasonal outfit. During this topic they learned about the different seasons and have become weather watchers. Bringing in their internationalism they have also discussed the types of weather they can find in their home countries. Weather happens everywhere in the world and it's what makes where we live and come from special. Great job KG1!
For our KG2, ' The Earth Our home ' - Entry Point, each classroom was designed as a different habitat. The children worked on a carousel to visit all the habitats, while learning some fantastic information about the different animals that live in the habitats. This was an excellent opportunity for the children to gain important facts that will help them with our topic and their general knowledge. The children also got to dress up as their favorite animal from their class theme. Well done to all the children and thank you to the parents for the continuous support.
Did you know that there are more than 200,000 different plants all over the world? That number is still growing all the time! Our KG2 students have been learning all about plants and how to cultivate them, they have been introduced to the different type of plants that exist. Students were able to plant their own plants, and it has been fun for them to go through the process right from putting the soil, to placing the seed, to watering and watching it grow. At Hamilton it is important that our students understand the world around them, so this includes understanding how things grow.
ELEMENTARY In the Money Unit topic for our Grade 1 math class, our students attended a " Shop till you drop " experience outside the class. Here they got the chance to go to the Hamilton Market and shop in a certain budget given by the teachers, they learned how to calculate the amount of the purchases and compare it to the amount of money they had. At the end of the session, they had an incredible time shopping like adults while practicing real world skills. Excellent shopping Grade 1!
Our Grade 1 students are enjoying learning about the different letters and their sounds by doing different activities in their Arabic lessons, they took part in activities like coloring, painting, making a collage, and analyzing words on the board. Well done Grade 1!
Grade 3 have been learning all about habitats during their Nature of Life unit in IPC. They have learned which animals are suited to each environment and how they have adapted to survive there. For example, did you know that camels have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from the sand? Or that polar bears are white so they can camouflage into the snow and hunt prey more easily? They decided to get creative to showcase their learning by creating habitat dioramas. They made ocean, desert, rainforest, polar, freshwater and grassland habitats! Students worked in the classroom and outdoor on the grass. They were so excited and showcased their teamwork brilliantly. Their dioramas were so beautiful to look at Great Job Grade 3!
for our Grade 3, ' Nature of life ' - Exit Point, our pupils studied animals closely, learned about their habitats, and explored their seven life processes. To end their unit, our students had a very special exit point. They all, worked together to produce a Netflix style documentary short film about different kinds of animals. Everyone was present for the big screening. We are so proud of our amazing young film maker.
for our Grade 4 “The Great, The Bold and The Brave”- Exit point, Students managed to come wearing the traditional dresses of the Ancient Roman culture, we had nobles, merchant traders, and great gladiators. They participated in a Roman Scavenger hunt, and discussed the importance of the Roman inventions. They displayed their activities work in the black box theatre. We were able to see everything from handcrafted army shields to pottery vases. They had an amazing time closing the topic
For our Grade 5, "Festival" - Exit Point, our students showcased their knowledge about three major empires - The Mayan, The Benin, and The Islamic empire – in our black box theater. The students created different stalls that shared details of the culture and daily lives of those in these empires. There was a lot of food tasting, dancing and game playing. Amazing festival Grade 5!
SECONDARY For our Grade 6 Social Studies lessons, students were learning map skills, which includes the main features of a map and how to read and use one. They continued developing their map skills by using human sized map. They were able to begin reading locations by looking at longitude and latitude. One of the more challenging aspects of this, is understanding how 3D landscapes, such as hills and mountains, can be viewed in a 2D format. To help students grasp the concept, they used potatoes! Students cut their potatoes in half, and then drew horizontal rings around them at 10mm intervals, these rings represented the contour lines on a map, this whole process helped them to get a 2D representation of their 3D potato. it was amazing seeing you practicing the lesson Grade 6!
Hot Chocolate Thursday In the Hamilton International School, We are having a new affair happening every Thursday, called Hot Chocolate Thursday. Students from Pre-Kg to Grade 6 get selected by the year lead with the teacher's input for something exceptional they did during the week. We recognize them for their outstanding progress and for exhibiting the Hamilton Values. They get to have hot Chocolate with our Principal, Mr. Senior. All our students are motivated to be the award winner from their year group. We have no doubt that every student will get their chance to have hot chocolate with Mr. Senior. We are proud of you!
Juventus in Hamilton Football fever is on in Qatar and our students are actively engaged in developing their skills. The Juventus Academy held football drills during our PE classes. The students were taught techniques that can help them develop their skills over time. Thank you, to our football partners Juventus Academy, for the joy they brought to our students through their drills.
Behavior Strategies Workshop At the Hamilton International School, we believe in everyone’s continued growth. Every Thursday our Intervention Department holds a “Behavior Strategies” - Applied Behavior Analysis workshop for our parents. The goal of this workshop is to support parents with providing tips on how to encourage a child’s helpful behaviors for better progress and how to discourage harmful behaviors that can negatively affect their learning. We are so happy to be able to see our parents back in our black box theater for workshops like this.
Auditions 12 Characters Ensemble Opportunity Audition material will be shared on teams (lines & songs) Backstage opportunities More info to follow
Hamilton's Parent Council Partnership between parents, teachers and students enhance student’s success. We know that children learn more and have better experiences when everyone in the school community works together. The Parent Council has an important role to play in school improvement by ensuring the parental perspective is represented and taken into account. What is the role of Parent Council? The Parent Council helps to create an environment where all parents know their views matter, and where they feel confident and comfortable putting them forward. They work on behalf of all parents to discuss educational matters that are of importance to all and work together as a whole school community to continually strive to get better. Parent Council will: Provide a voice for parents in schools. Support the school to develop strong home/school partnerships. Communicate regularly with the Parent Forum to both hear their views and keep them informed. Support improvement by discussing the school’s strengths and areas for development from a parental perspective. Help make links with the wider community. Support in organizing school events. If you wish to nominate yourself and become part of Hamilton’s parents’ council, you are kindly requested to fill out the following form before the 31st of December 2021.
https://forms.office.com/r/VuzRcF0RvD
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Refer A Friend We recognize that parents and friends are the best ambassadors for our unique style of learning and community-minded environment. To thank you for every friend that you refer to Hamilton, you will receive a QAR 1,000 as reward this can be credit to use towards any school related cost or cashback by end of the academic year. Contact the Admissions Team for Terms & Conditions - admissions@this.qa