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Issue 31 - SY 2014-15
24 April 2015 Head’s Corner…..
VISION
The Overseas School
of Colombo shall be a
model of excellence
in education,
nurturing and
empowering our
community of
learners to achieve
global success.
MISSION
“The Overseas
School of Colombo,
an IB World School, is committed to
guiding our global
community toward
international and
intercultural
understanding.
OSC develops the
whole person as a
responsible learner,
striving for personal
excellence within a
culturally diverse
environment. ”
The article I have reproduced for you this week touches a subject that I believe is at the very center of providing excellence in education. It has been noted that great teaching can happen on the grass under the Bo tree as effectively as in a well-equipped facility. The effective teacher is the key element in education. I believe teaching and learning are facilitated by the modern materials, facilities, and equipment we provide here at OSC, but at the very center of great learning is the teacher. The selection of faculty is arguably my most important job in our quest for excellence in education at OSC. Subject area preparation is very important in this selection, but as Dr. Jenkins outlines in the article excerpt below, subject area preparation is only one aspect of selecting a good teacher. In fact, if I were to ask you to think back on those teachers who had the most meaningful impact on your life or career, I would guess that it would not be the most factually prepared teacher that would come readily to mind. Rather I would bet it would be that teacher who “touched “ you with their personality, presence, and passion. Four Qualities of Great Teaching In this Chronicle of Higher Education article, veteran professor Rob Jenkins (Georgia Perimeter College) describes the qualities of K-12 and college teachers “who most move us, who have made the most difference in our lives, and whom we most wish to emulate.” • Personality – Great teachers tend to be good-natured and approachable; professional without being aloof; funny, perhaps because they don’t take themselves or their subject matter too seriously; demanding without being unkind; comfortable in their own skin, without being in love with the sound of their own voices; natural; creative; and always willing to consider new ideas, sometimes on the spur of the moment. Some of us enter the classroom with more of these traits than others, says Jenkins, but that doesn’t mean we can’t develop and fine-tune how we come across. “With apologies to Lady Gaga,” says Jenkins, “your students will never know if you were born that way or not.” • Presence – This is “the ability to appear completely at ease, even in command, despite being the focal point of dozens (or even hundreds) of people,” says Jenkins. “That’s a type of presence to which we can all aspire, whether or not we’re born with great charisma. All it takes is a degree of self-awareness, a little concentration, and a fair amount of determination.”
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• Preparation – “Knowing what you’re talking about can compensate for a number of other deficiencies,” says Jenkins, “such as wearing mismatched socks, telling lame jokes, or not having an Instagram account.” He believes preparation has three levels:
- Long-term: Your professional degree and training; - Medium-term: Reading extensively in your field, attending conferences, and continuing to
explore new ideas and teaching techniques. “It means being so familiar with your subject matter that you can talk about it off the cuff,” he says.
- Short-term: Great teachers go into every class meticulously prepared – but also constantly
re-assess what they’re doing, prepared to abandon ineffective or outdated strategies. Some of this comes with experience, says Jenkins. “Then again, just because you’ve been teaching a course for 15 or 20 years doesn’t mean you shouldn’t approach it each term as if for the first time.” • Passion – “Of all the qualities that characterize great teachers, this is the most important, by far,” says Jenkins. “Passion, or love, manifests itself in the classroom in two ways: love for students and love for your subject matter.” Some educators are always complaining about how their students are irresponsible and disrespectful, say stupid things, don’t do their work, etc. Jenkins has found that students pick up on this attitude and heartily dislike those teachers. Jenkins wants to say to them, “If you dislike students so much, why are you in this business? Why in the world would you want to spend so much of your time with a bunch of people you find so disagreeable?”
“Conversely,” he says, “the faculty members who seem to love teaching and love (or at least really like) students are the ones who are the most popular and, I believe, the most effective… Students might not even like a course at first, especially if it’s one they’re required to take, but a teacher’s passion for the subject can be extremely infectious.” “The 4 Properties of Powerful Teachers” by Rob Jenkins in The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 3, 2015 (Vol. LXI, #29, p A31-32), http://bit.ly/1Cbnx0B; Jenkins can be reached [email protected]. Phil Joslin Head of School [email protected]
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Secondary School Principal
MAP testing underway - Over the next month, students in Grades 2-10 will undergo a second session of MAP (Measures of Academic Progress®) testing for this academic year. Our annual testing periods run in September and April. MAP tests are used to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, as well as from year to year, in the areas of Reading and Mathematics. Your child will take each test on a computer, during a scheduled time period in the morning. MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for each child’s level of learning. As a result, every student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. With MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth. Here is the schedule for next week: Once we complete the testing period and compile the results, parents will be emailed individual student results in PDF format. In the Land of the Geckos - From Thursday – Saturday, 53 student athletes & 8 coaches will be representing our OSC community @ THREE different SAISA tournaments: At the time of writing, all teams have arrived safely and have reported in, excited to start the tournaments!
Girls’ Football hosted by AISD – Dhaka (half an hour ahead of SL)
Boys’ Basketball hosted by AISC – Chennai (same time zone as SL)
Track & Field hosted by TAISM – Muscat (one & a half hours behind SL) Be in the know!
1. Follow our teams & show your support on TWITTER @geckoathletics 2. Updated results will be posted on each event website. 3. Email updates will be sent to the parents of our athletes.
Event links
Twitter @geckoathletics
Boys’ Basketball - http://www.saisaleague.org/chennai-2014-151.html
Girls’ Football - www.aisdtigers.org
Track & Field - http://goo.gl/nz0HmJ
Music Makers - One of the most exciting musical events of the year is coming up next week! Make sure you don’t miss this date - 29th April, 7pm in the OSC Auditorium!
Monday 27 April Day 2
Tuesday 28 April Day 3
Wednesday 29 April Day 4
Thursday 30 April Day 5
Reading MYP3, Grade 8
Reading MYP4, Grade 9
Reading Grade 2
Reading MYP5, Grade 10
LESS THAN ONE WEEK TO GO TO MUSIC MAKERS!! Wednesday 29th April 7pm, OSC Auditorium This event is just around the corner. Have you bought your tickets yet?! They are on sale now from the OSC Business Office, priced 500 rupees, including a finger buffet in the interval. Buy them now to avoid disappointment if they sell out! Come and join us for what promises to be the best concert yet at OSC, a true showcase of the amazing talent we have in our school community. From Broadway songs to Indian tabla music to Classical violin and flute pieces, popular songs and Celtic folk music, movie scores and jazz, there is definitely something for everyone. We also are proud to present a dance interlude of three dances, including 2 student ballet/contemporary duets and the nATANDA contemporary dance theatre of Sri Lanka, performing a new number called “Soul in Rhythm”. I am very excited for this event, and hope so much that you will be able to be there. Many thanks in advance for your support, see you on Wednesday 29th! Ms Loretta Duncan, HOD Arts
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Final SAT or ACT Exams - The final SAT and ACT exams for the current school year will be in June. These test dates are an excellent opportunity for Grade 11 students to establish a base score in preparation for next year’s exams. Below are the registration web sites along with the final registration dates.
ACT http://www.actstudent.org/regist/intldates.html Registration Deadline: May 8, 2015 Test Date: June 13, 2015
SAT http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-international-dates Registration Deadline: May 8, 2015 Test Date: June 6, 2015
Eileen Niedermann Secondary School Principal [email protected]
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UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS……..
29 April Music Makers - Auditorium 7.00 p.m.
30 April MYP Parent Workshop - Summer time strategies for academic progress
1 May May Day - Holiday
2 May SAT Test 7.30 a.m.
4 May Holiday
*7 May SCN AGM 7.45 a.m.
*Changes/Updates to calendar
Primary School Principal
I trust you all had a safe and relaxing break, enjoyed some sunshine to replenish your vitamin D levels and had a chance to participate in some of the country’s New Year celebrations. Classes are now moving into their last Unit of Inquiry of the year. We have seven weeks of school remaining and this is always the busiest time of year. Your children will need your support and guidance more than ever, to help them organize, prioritize and complete their assigned tasks. This is also the time of year when students begin to develop anxiety about moving to a new country. Student transitions have an impact on both the students leaving, as well as, the ones left behind. Friendships are important. Please take some time to discuss ways to continue friendships with your children and to discuss the positive aspects of a move. Reassure your child that everything will be alright. It is also important to inform the school at this time, so we too, can begin to prepare your child for their new transition. Endicott Survey This week all parents were emailed a link to the annual Endicott survey. Please take 15-20 minutes of your time to complete this survey. Entries remain anonymous, yet your input is valued as we
continuously look toward school improvement. If you did not receive the survey email, please contact Ms. Anne in the primary office at: [email protected] After School Activities Session 4 of activities will start next week. Remember that you have 2 weeks to make any activity changes…after that, you must stay with your choices until the end of the session.
7 weeks to go! Important Notices: April 27th - Session 4 starts for After School Activities April 29th - Music Makers; 7pm in Auditorium May 1st & 4th - Vesak Poya Days – NO SCHOOL May 13th - Student Led Conferences Have a wonderful weekend. Regards, Jason Grandbois Primary School Principal [email protected]
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SCN Mission Statement:
“Together we build a cohesive school community to enrich our children’s
SCN NEWS
DATES FOR THE DIARY
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FROM THE CALENDAR
SCN AGM IS NOW:
THURSDAY 7TH
MAY 2015, 7.45AM, PMPR
YOU ARE ALL WELCOME
The SCN is an OSC based volunteer organization made up of school parents with the mission of contributing to the students’ and their families’
school experience through diverse ‘Building Community’ actions.
Please join us at the meeting. We will be reviewing SCN activities, monies earned
and current and future expenditures.
SCN CONTACT DETAILS:
Secretary Tracey Discombe 0772338183 mobile Email: [email protected]
Treasurer Kathleen Pawley 0775195662 mobile Email: [email protected]
Primary Support Parents Coordinator - Leena Surana 0777901613 mobile Email: [email protected]
Secondary Support Parents Coordinator - Danielle Schroder-Floto 0777725591 mobile Email: [email protected]
National Reps Coordinators Veronica Omprasadham 0777681345 mobile Email: [email protected]
Louise Platt 0773071588 mobile Email: [email protected]
Events Coordinators Projects based
Coffee with Content/Coffee with Principals & Board SCN Rep. Margot Richart 0770696848 mobile Email: [email protected]
Blue Gecko Coordinators Paula Queiros 0777430211 mobile Email: [email protected]
Ragini Rallabandi 0770370611 mobile Email: [email protected]
Canteen Liaison: Siobhan O’Mahony 0771442776 mobile Email:o_mahonysiobhan@ hotmail.com
Welcome Committee: Margot Richart 0770696848 mobile Email: [email protected]
General Support: Siobhan O’Mahony 0771442776 mobile E: [email protected] Tina Jansen 0778935263 mobile Email: [email protected] Kanishta Krishan 0772280584 Email: [email protected]
School Community Network
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MENUS
Monday 27th April Stir fried Corn & Egg Rice Pasta in Cheese sauce(Veg) ( Non spicy ) Steamed Boiled vegetables in herbs ( Non spicy ) Baked pumpkin ( Non spicy ) Beef stew with green peas Grilled chicken thighs ( Non spicy ) Coleslaw salad ( Non spicy ) Mixed vegetable soup ( Non spicy ) Cut Fruits & Yoghurt
Tuesday 28th April (Indian theme ) Plain white Rice (Non spicy) Mini Nan tortillas (Non spicy ) Biriyani Tandoori chicken with Lemon (Non spicy) Chick pea masala Baked Potato (Indian style ) (Non spicy) Raita Salad (Non spicy) Fresh Green garden salad Fresh fruit salad
Wednesday 29th April (European Theme) Homemade Pizza options ( Rs 80/= to Rs 100/= per slice) (Margarita, peppers (veg), cheese chicken & cheese) Pasta Napolitano (Non spicy ) Mashed Potato Vegetable Moussaka ( Non spicy ) Boiled Egg Waldrop salad ( Non spicy ) Bread pudding / Fruit salad Pumpkin Soup with butter buns
Thursday 30th April Burger
Grilled Chicken patty --- Rs 150 Grilled Beef patty -------- Rs 150 Vegetable-------------------Rs 100
Healthy German Sausage (No Added preservatives or flavours) with Bun
5” Grilled Sausage-----Rs 150/= Baked Potato ------------Rs 100 Fresh potato fries -------Rs 120 Vegetable Salad---------Rs 80
Friday 1st May
HOLIDAY
Greetings to Everyone!!!!!!!!
Being healthy is important so your choice matters. Choose what’s good for you.!!!!!!
New Additions: Homemade frozen yoghurt Chicken & Egg toasties Healthy pizza options Millet flour Dinner buns Addition of snacks and lunch dishes including sweet potato,
scramble egg, chick peas Fresh milk from certified standardized farms is been brought from the farm on a daily basis. You can now enjoy fresh milk everyday.
It’s all about choosing your option in the canteen. You want to be healthy choose what is best for your health
What’s new this week? 1. Coconut water and fresh fruit Popsicles 2. Healthy processed sugar-free, Date Coconut Energy Bars (which are also gluten-free). Standard Price Card: We will be having a standard price for all meals. They are as follows: Small portion. (For primary students)---------------Rs 250/= which includes a main dish / available Vegetable dish options & one portion of meat or fish. Large portion. (For secondary students)---------------Rs 300/= which includes a main dish / available Vegetable dish options & one portion of meat or fish. Desserts /Drinks / Soups / Yoghurt will be priced between Rs 50 – Rs 100. Salad Bar- Each day we offer 8 different vegetable options where students can choose between getting a salad or a salad wrap.
The Overseas School of Colombo Pelawatte, P.O. Box 9 Battaramulla, Sri Lanka Tel: (94-11) 2784920-2 Fax: (94-11) 2784999 Email: [email protected] Web: www.osc.lk
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Spectacular House for Rent at Akuregoda…this two storied house consists of four spacious bedrooms with three attached bathrooms, pantries and fittings at its best for a quality living. Also a huge landscaped garden area with a swimming pool. Also for sale…. a luxurious apartment for sale at Havelock city. It is a four bedroomed condominium on a higher floor. Beautifully built and consists of 2250sqft floor area and a
magnificent view of the Garden and city. Contact : 0777 813 582 | 0777 383 407
…………………………………………………………………………… House-help Needed
Need domestic help . Live-in female cook who can cook Indian, Pakistani and some continental cuisine as well. Anyone moving out of the country - it would be appreciated if some reference can be passed on. Call: Amber . 0770153164 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
MMM Consultancy “Dreams Beyond Borders” Planning on sending your children to Australia for higher education? What about accommodation? What if your children have their own place to call "Home" in Australia, providing a stable and secure path for a brighter future to your children. We at MMM Consultancy facilitate mortgages from leading financial institutions in Australia, irrespective of your residency/ Visa status. If you are ready to change the future of your children with security and stability visit us at www.mmm-consultancy.com. We make your dreams a reality. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
ZUMBA CLASSES…. FORGET ABOUT THE WORKOUT !!! JUST LOSE YOURSELF IN THE MUSIC AND FIND YOURSELF IN SHAPE AT THE ULTIMATE DANCE-FITNESS PARTY !!! FOR CLASS DETAILS: Contact your LICENSED Zumba® instructor: Dilky Nanayakkara Call or Whatsapp on 0776751414 Or FB message through "ZUMBA with DILKY" Current class schedule 08:00 - 09:00 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday Bankhill Wellness No 69, Ratnayake Mawatha, Pelawatte, Battaramulla. zumba.com
