Principal’s Report

18 March, 2016 Ta l a n o a Volume 2

Newsletter of International School SuvaNewsletter of International School SuvaNewsletter of International School Suva

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we are nearing the end of the first term of 2016, I am struck by how quickly the year seems to be moving. Whilst we continue to welcome

new students to school, and also say farewell to those who are moving on, it is remarkable how the new faces of 2016 now seem to be well

established.

On that note I am delighted to welcome Helena Southcombe to the teaching staff of ISS. Ms Helena has a Bachelor’s and Master’s

Degree in Primary Education from the University of Eichstatt and has four years experience teaching in both Germany and

Australia. Ms Helena started in Year 4 today amid much excitement. I take this opportunity to not only welcome MS Helena but

also to thank Ms Carol Apted who willingly stepped into the classroom when Miss Buffy Jack left earlier this term.

It would be remiss not to mention the response of the entire ISS community to the appeal to help communities affected by Cyclone Winston. As

we all watched the path of Cyclone Winston move away from Suva during the evening of 19 th February, many of us started to breathe a little

more easily. The school, as you are aware, was relatively unscathed and the majority of staff were able to start back after missing only one day,

with students starting a day later. Lack of power and water affected some members of our community for days and weeks after but, generally,

school continued as usual. From the first day back at school students and their families wanted to help and they wanted this help to be

meaningful. The response of the entire community has been overwhelming and every week we have been travelling to affected communities to

offer assistance, give donations and work, and every week we have met members from our community making the same trips often quite

independently of any organization. The reports that have come back to us from community leaders and members throughout the country have

been one of hope. Certainly there is much work to be done to rebuild the country, but the resilience and generosity of the Fijian people leaves us

in no doubt that this will be done. The Year 8, 11 and 12 camps taking place next week are also taking place with a focus of giving back to our

local partners in the community and will see students clearing up,

Finally, I congratulate all our Head Students who were badged at our assembly earlier this term. The secondary Head Students are Adubi Plange,

Alena Waqainabete, Amelia Kami, Kevin Liu, Damien Raju and Arjun Bhugra, whilst in Primary the students are represented by Isla Robertson,

Toby Bower, Leamalie Jensen and Papanui Liew-Masters. I commend all our Head Students on the courage they have displayed in taking on

this position and wish them good luck for the year ahead.

Kind regards,

Anna Marsden

Principal

Inside this Issue

Principal`s Report

Council Update

Primary Update

Year 6 Community &

Service

Congratulations to our

Head students 2016

Francophonie Day

Middle School Physical Education

Outdoor Education

Middle School Physical

Education

Year 7 Camp

ISS PTFA

Secondary Science Update

- Data Loggers

The Royal Suva Yacht

Club’s Junior Sailing

ISS Production

Upcoming Events

From the Chair of Council

Council Update

Primary School Rebuild

The primary school rebuild is progressing according to plan however we did experience a delay early on

when it was discovered that the soapstone foundation near the green cottage was at a lower level than the

engineering surveys had indicated. This potential downside we have turned into a benefit as we’ll now

create some extra space to be used for storage and activity rooms.

We celebrated the first concrete pour a month ago with the primary school children who all came to

watch the pour, however I think they were more excited about the sausage sizzle and ice creams they

received.

An update on the master plan for the building projects can be found on the school’s website.

Head of School Replacement

Thanks to all of the parents who responded to my request for attributes they wish to see in our new head

of school. We included your comments into our review of the long list and have now selected a shortlist

of five. These five appear to be excellent candidates with a significant amount of experience in leading

international schools catering to students from early childhood through to secondary.

It is exciting to read their accomplishments to date and I’m looking forward to meeting them to listen to

their vision of where they can take our school.

Cyclone Winston

We all know of people who have tragically lost their loved ones or homes, and our hearts go out to them.

The response from the school community to this disaster has been phenomenal and is very humbling. I

happened to be at school on a Friday and watched as many children delivered food, clothing, hardware,

toys and books to the board-room; so much was donated that it was difficult moving around the room.

Once the goods were sorted and packaged, students then delivered the packages to carriers to take to the

villages in Tailevu.

Next week, instead of the normal school camp, the students in years 11 and 12 head off to spend the

week helping rebuild the village of Nataleira, in Tailevu.

We know there are many of you who are happy to remain as unsung heroes but a heartfelt thank you to

everyone who has donated and also visited villages in their own time to assist in the recovery.

Jacqueline Terry

Chairman, ISS Council

The International Schools Association

Notice

Notice is given of the 40th Annual General Meeting of Members of The International Schools Association to be held in the Multi-purpose hall at International School Suva, Siga Road, Laucala Beach Estate, Suva, on Thursday, 14th April 2016 at 6.00pm. Jacquelyn Terry Chair of Council International School Suva 16th March 2016

I,

_________________________________of_________________________________________

_

being a member of the above Association, hereby appoint

____________________________, of____________________________________ or failing

them

____________________________, of ____________________________________ as my

proxy to vote for me on my behalf at the Annual General Meeting of the association to be held

on the 14th April 2016.

Signature……………………………………Date……………………………

TO BE ELIGIBLE, A PROXY FORM MUST BE DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOL 24

HOURS BEFORE THE VOTING TAKES PLACE. FOR CONVENIENCE PLEASE

TAKE IT TO THE RETURNING OFFICER IN THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE BY 4PM

ON THE 13TH APRIL 2016.

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

PROXY FORM

PARENT REPRESENTATIVE

Lot 59, Siga Road, Laucala Beach, P.O. Box 10828, Suva, Fiji.

Telephone: (679) 339 3300, Fax: (679) 334 0017, Email: info@international.school.fj

www.international.school.fj

Member of AAIBS, Centre for U.C.L.E.S., E.T.S., I.B. Examinations.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUVA

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION

NOMINATION FORM

PARENT REPRESENTATIVE __________________________________________________________________________________ Please complete all the details on this form and return it to: Joan Foster Returning Officer International School Council PO Box 10828 Laucala Beach SUVA schoolcouncil@international.school.fj Note that all details need to be completed for the nomination to be eligible. All persons listed on this form must be eligible to vote in the ISS Association. Other than details required for the purpose of the election, all information will be kept confidential. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Details of Nominee: NAME: ________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL: __________________________________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBERS: HOME________________WORK________________MOBILE________________________ SIGNATURE: _____________________________________ WITNESS: _______________________________ DATE: ____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Details of the two persons willing to nominate the person should be listed below: 1 NAME _____________________________ CONTACT: ______________________ SIGNATURE __________________________WITNESS ________________ DATE__________________ 2 NAME _____________________________ CONTACT _______________________

SIGNATURE __________________________WITNESS ________________ DATE__________________

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO THE RETURNING OFFICER NO LATER THAN THURSDAY 7

TH APRIL 2016 AT

4PM ACCOMPANIED BY A STATEMENT OF NO MORE THAN 150 WORDS FROM THE NOMINEE.

The age old argument - homework, is it truly worthwhile?

Homework - an eight letter word which will always spark an immediate and impassioned

response. Thank you to all parents who completed our recent homework and

communication survey. From this information and feedback gleaned from our teachers,

we will be putting together a homework policy for primary, hopefully one that will ensure

all stakeholders are happy, especially our students. We do have to keep in mind how-

ever, that we cannot make every single person happy as we all have varying opinions

on any given topic. Finding that middle ground is what we hope to do. We have had

parents and teachers provide very strong arguments around why there should be

homework and the same for why we shouldn‟t have homework and all make very good,

valid points. If we look at the research around homework and in particular Professor

John Hattie‟s research, he would say that “Homework in primary school has an effect of

around 0”. I tend to agree. But, we are not here to cater for Professor Hattie or me. We

are here to do the very best for all of our students. So if we are to provide our students

homework, we need to get it right. It‟s saying that it‟s probably not making all that much

of a difference, but let‟s improve it. Research also states that 5 - 10 minutes has the

same effect as 1 - 2 hours and the worst thing we can do with homework is give students

projects. The best thing we can do is to provide homework that reinforces something

that they have already learnt. This was overwhelmingly supported by the parents who

completed the survey.

We also know through research that students are more likely to complete homework if

they know teachers are keeping track of their progress and providing feedback on errors

and areas for improvement. Feedback on anything students do at school is crucial and

does make a difference to their learning. This, however is not an easy task. So how

much homework is enough? There is absolutely no research advice on how much time

students should spend doing homework. After hearing all of this, do we adopt a set pol-

icy or prescribe a particular way of doing homework that will improve student

outcomes?

Research findings on homework suggest -

Feedback on homework is a vital step in the learning process and without timely

feedback some of the learning benefits of homework may be reduced;

Homework can reduce the amount of time available to pursue other activities and

interests which may have equal or greater long term benefit;

Homework at the primary level has little impact on academic performance, but

may play an important transitional role in preparing students for middle and

secondary school and beyond;

Measuring homework by the time spent doing it is an imprecise and inadequate

measure that does not take into account the quality of the work or the ability of the

student, or increasingly importantly, student access to technology;

Homework can have the effect of helping a parent to understand the progress the

child is making or otherwise and can therefore help make parent-teacher interviews

more meaningful;

Successful schools see education as a collaborative process between student,

parent and school, and consider parents to be partners in their child‟s education.

Schools that assist parents in providing support to their children tend to have better

educational outcomes;

Homework‟s value is largely as a tool to develop the capacity of students, eve when

it has nor mark or grade attached.

Effects of homework are higher when involving rote learning, practice or revision of

subject matter;

Effects were also higher when homework was not complex, or when it had a novelty

aspect;

Homework should clearly articulate a purpose and outcome so ensure students

understand why they are doing the homework - to practice skills, to apply skills, to

find new information, to create something or to elaborate things covered in class;

Vary the approaches to providing feedback. It is not always feasible for teachers to

comment on every single thing. Having a mix of teacher feedback, student

feedback, self assessment, sharing with a buddy, sharing with the class are all ways

to provide feedback.

What does all of this mean for us here at ISS in primary?

1. Not all students (from Early Childhood to Year 5) should be expected to do the same

amount of homework.

2. Teachers should not give too much homework.

3. The homework tasks may need basic parent support and encouragement, but

parents shouldn't be expected to be teachers. The homework should be relatively

easy, but not too easy.

4. Homework can be used for practicing and applying skills learnt at school - and

therefore useful in the sense that practice of a sport or musical instrument is useful.

5. Projects should be rarely given out as homework, although „novelty‟ homework that is

a change from the norm may promote engagement.

6. Feedback about the homework tasks is important. This may be related to learning

intentions and success criteria. It could be linked to achievement in other areas.

Reward effort.

7. If homework causes problems for a child, teachers should find a way to assist. E.g.

Modify, lessen the amount, provide direct assistance, chat to parents.

Primary Update March 15, 2015

8. If for any reason a parent communicates that his/her child is unable to do home-

work (e.g. sick, tired, parents don‟t feel homework is useful, too busy, need a break),

teachers should go with the parent‟s wishes and excuse the child from doing the

homework.

9. Teachers should discuss with their students about how to approach completing

homework tasks and offer support for those who need guidance.

10. Reading will be a „given‟ in any homework provided. Daily reading with or without

parental support makes a huge difference in any subject area.

Over the next two weeks, a homework policy will be developed and shared with all at

the beginning of Term 2. From that point in time, the school will follow this policy as a

whole. If homework is weekly, then it shall be that all year levels provide weekly home-

work. Once again, thank you for taking the time to provide your views on home-

work. It is greatly appreciated!

Other stuff

We hope you enjoyed reading our first Primary Press for the year. It was encouraging to

see so many people access the document. We even had viewers from Australia and

Europe. Our next Primary Press is due to be published at the end of Week 10. (end of

term)

To conclude the primary update this week, we would like to introduce our new focus

attitude for the remainder of the term - commitment. The PYP attitudes are a vital fo-

cus in the development of positive attitudes towards people, the environment and

learning. The attitudes are meant to be an explicit part of daily learning, modelled by

both students and staff. These are woven into daily school life - the classroom, at lunch

times, etc. Students also reflect on the attitudes during learning experiences and as-

sessments. When reinforced at home, these attitudes will become second nature for

children. Commitment is being committed to their learning, persevering and show-

ing self-discipline and responsibility. I always think of „The Little Engine that Could‟ when

I think of commitment. “I work hard. I finish what I start. I don‟t give up!” Please take

the time to discuss this with your children. This is worthwhile „homework‟.

What a terrific and funfilled swimming carnival this week! Congratulations to all in-

volved. It was fantastic to see so many students participate

and enjoy themselves. That‟s what it‟s all about!

Karen and the Primary Team

L-R: Papanui Liew-Masters (Deputy Head Boy) Leamalie Jensen (Deputy Head Girl) Toby Bower (Head Boy) Isla Robertson (Head Girl)

L-R: Damien Raju Adubi Plange Kevin Liu Alena Waqainabete Arjun Bhugra Amelia Kami

What is Francophonie Day?

It is a day that celebrates the numerous countries of the world that speak the French

language and share the French culture. There are over 274 million French speakers

on Earth and the International Francophonie Organisation aims to spread the principles and

lessons of the French language.

The “Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie” was founded on March 20,

1970 and is still active today.

Fun Facts about French language

● French is the 9th most widely spoken language on the planet and the one,

together with English, to be spoken on all five continents.

● French is also the only

language, with English, that is taught in every

country of the world, with 100 million

students and 2 million teachers - 20% of

whom are outside of official French speaking

countries.

Francophonie Member

Countries

How are we celebrating it at International School Suva

At International School Suva, the French students in Secondary School are hosting a day exploring aspects of French culture: food, music and sport. On the 18th of March, recess and lunch breaks will be dedicated to the selling of food such as: chocolate mousse, crêpes, chocolate éclairs, madeleines, crême brûlée, and quiche. As for entertainment, during lunch our very own students will be performing songs

and dances in French, as well as games to play and videos on display available to all who

attend the event. All the funds raised from this event will go towards the victims of Cy-

clone Winston (see poster attached).

Beatrice, Talii and Alejandro- Year 12 French-

Outdoor Education

Middle School Physical Education

Middle school students have embraced movement and learning new skills this

term. Our students have taken ownership of their personal preparation and

undergo a rigorous warm-up program which is self-led.

Over 98% of MS students participated in the Athletics carnival, putting into

practice new skill and techniques they have learned in class.

For the past three weeks, we have been engaged in Invasion Games utilizing the

skills and principles of Soccer, Rugby and Basketball. New concepts such as

running into space, anticipating play patterns and creating “miss-matches” are all

contributing to better team play as the students learn “game-sense”.

The highlight of this unit of work has been the special presentations and

work-shops put on by NRL-Fiji. The students learnt key concepts of the game of

Rugby League and Well-being.

We congratulate the students on their work thus far and look forward to

continued participation as we begin our Aquatics Unit.

Brett Barons / Jennifer Liew

MS PE Staff

Year 7 Camp

At 7:30am on Wednesday morning (9th March), 37 Year 7 bright-eyed and bushy tailed Year 7 students arrived at school happy and eager to hit the road and travel to their ultimate camp destination, Mosquito Island. Some

students were excited and looking forward to the activities planned while others were ready to just ‗chillax‘ on the beach and take in the sights. Upon arrival on the island we began a whirlwind of activity involving the setting up of our tents and the building of our very safe camp fires. We were so exhausted by the end of this that we just had to stop and eat. Some took longer to eat than others due to the huge bonfires prepared to cook lunch – of course the bonfire had to die down before pots and pans could actually be placed upon the fire to cook the food in. The students found the team building games enjoyable although most found it a challenge to actively listen on the first day which led to a 7:30pm curfew. Luckily there was much improvement during the following day and all enjoyed the subsequent bonfire on the beach during the second night, happily roasting marshmallows and sharing ghost stories. All students were encouraged to participate in all the activities to the best of their ability. One of the highlights was the impromptu concert the students participated in during the afternoon of the second day. No one could possi-bly forget the ―walrus aerobics class‖ performed by Hefrani, Maryanne, Josiah Stice and Gautam – lucky we had yoga mats and that we were able to record the stunning performance. Our camp wouldn‘t have been a success without the help of our Year 7 camp team. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the students, the parents who helped their child to prepare, Mr. Dona, Mr. Pana, Mr. Eddie, Mr. Lai, Ms. Tima and Ms. Shivana. We would like to also thank Mrs. Awais who attended our camp as well. It is hoped that the students continue to reflect upon the achievements they made at camp and apply the important life skills they have learned to their everyday lives (both in and out of the school environment). GO YEAR 7!

Year 7 News

Class Captains and Deputy Class Captains

Since the induction of our class captains and deputy class captains the Year 7

classrooms have been a hive of activity. The class captains have taken the

initiative to plan, organise and facilitate one pastoral session a week. This is an

opportunity for the captains to help develop a rapport with their peers and to

encourage teamwork amongst the year level. Their first session was based upon

goal-setting and the captains used the student diary as a tool to aid their talk and

hands-on tasks that they had prepared for the rest of the year group to do. The

session went really well and we look forward to seeing more sessions from the

captains throughout the year.

Solar Oven Investigation

As part of reduction of CO2( greenhouse gas) emissions, Year

7 put on their design hats two weeks ago to design their solar

ovens which they tested last week. They worked in groups of

four or five and brainstormed ideas for the best material to use

and they were required to describe the purpose of using their choice material.

Students were also asked to explain how their ovens work and were interviewed

on sight by our camera crew which consisted of Ms Shivana and Tooba. Video

of this activity is on Media\2016\Sec\Video\MS\Year7\Science\Solar Oven

activity

The construction of ovens began and the room was filled with

cardboard boxes, aluminium foils, cling wraps, rectangular

glass slabs, black paints, scissors, tapes and improvised plates

for cooking. Last Monday, students tested their ovens and

interestingly no two designs were exactly the same but all ovens worked. They

helped themselves to their afternoon snacks which they cooked in the ovens.

One group had 4 platefuls of nachos with cheese and bolognaise sauce while

the other groups had to share the contents of one plate. Chocolate and cheese on

crackers and other simple treats were enjoyed by all.

Musical

Tutoring

for all!

PTFA ‘Welcome to 2016’ Social Evening - 10th March, 2016

The PTFA wishes to thank all the Parents and staff who turned up to the

Social evening. This was the first social event by the PTFA (Interim committee)

and there was an expectation that 2016 will be a great year of working together

and moving forward as a community. We look forward to seeing more parents in

our upcoming events.

ISS PTFA Dear Parents, Teachers and Guardians,

Please be reminded that the ISS PTFA Annual General Meeting is being

held next Wednesday 23rd of March at 3pm in the amphitheatre at

school. We would love to have as many of you there as possible. This is

your chance to have a voice and also an opportunity to raise any items on

the agenda at the AGM.

Furthermore, please be advised that nominations for those who wish to

sit on the PTFA committee can be submitted via email prior to the AGM or

by attending the AGM on the 23rd March at ISS.

It would be wonderful for the PTFA to grow in numbers to help us have a

really fun and social 2016 at ISS. We look forward to hearing from you and

seeing you all at the meeting

Kind regards, Lisa Nili Interim Secretary PTFA, ISS

THE PTFA INTERIM COMMITTEE

President - Sharon Smith Johns

V/President - Candie Italiano

Secretary - Lisa Nili

Parent Liason Rep - Lorraine Rimmer

Social Committee Rep - Amerika Grewal

Teacher Reps - Lindy Stice and Renee Broughton

Administration Rep - Anna Marsden

Treasurer - Vinesh Chand (ISS Business Office)

Events & Marketing Coordinator - Salote Narayan

SECONDARY SCIENCE UPDATE - DATA LOGGERS

Great news for the secondary science students of ISS. The school has recently

purchased the latest version of Data Loggers and this will be of great benefit

and improvement to their academic learning. A data logger or also known as

a data recorder is an electronic device that records data over time or in relation

to location either with a built in instrument or sensor or via external

instruments and sensors.

The school purchased data loggers are able to interface with a personal

computer or ipad and use a software to view and analyze the collected data

either in the classroom or out in the field.

This latest device allows our students a comprehensive, accurate picture of the

environmental conditions being monitored, such as air temperature and

relative humidity amongst other things. This also means that the ISS

laboratory is well equipped with the latest resources for the students.

The Royal Suva Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing Squad is now open for

2016 registrations

If your child is 8 years older or more, able to swim 50 metres unaided and is interested in sailing, our

RSYC Junior Sailing programme officially opens on Sunday 3 April. We sail on Sundays from 12noon

till 4pm from April through to late November. Junior members sail in Optimists and Lasers provided by

the club.

Learn to Sail 2106

Junior sailing is divided into cadets or first time sailors and the squad. During the course of the year our

cadets learn seamanship and how to confidently sail for leisure. In addition, we have fun day sailing to

various locations in Suva Harbour and participate in races and regattas hosted by the RSYC, the Fiji

Yachting Association and other clubs in Fiji. Once confident and certified, the cadet sailors move through

to our RSYC Junior Squad for more serious fun.

The RSYC Squad 2016

For those members that have already participated in the RSYC Junior Squad or already know how to sail,

our racing season commences this month with the Savusavu Yacht Club hosting a regatta over Easter. A

contingent of our sailors are heading to S2 for Easter and will compete with the local junior sailors. Please

contact PeterOvenden@gmail.com for more information on the S2 regatta.

During the course of the year our squad improve upon their sailing technique and those that wish to, grad-

uate from Optimist dinghies to Laser sailing. Participation in our squad is an ideal way for confident sail-

ors to evolve their skills and build on their knowledge of leisure sailing and racing to an international

standard.

After every sailing we have sausage sizzle at the club and you are most welcome to join our young mem-

bers.

Parent Participation and Support

We are a volunteer group, so if you can lend a hand, please do. We like our junior sailors to be independ-

ent when rigging and cleaning up, however a helping hand when moving the boats in and out of the water

and back into storage is always welcome. From time to time during the year you may be asked to organise

a social event or be involved in fun day sailing to islands in the harbour. If you are already a sailor or

have a boat that can double as a rescue boat, you would be most welcome.

If you know of anyone that would like to sponsor the junior sailors, please let us know.

Safety is our Priority

At RSYC we take the safety of our junior sailors (and all sailors) very seriously, if your child is not confi-

dent with the water then there is little chance that they will make a good sailor.

Membership Applications

Drop by the club and complete a membership and junior sailing application form.

Ahoy Junior Sailors

ISS Production

2016

‘CAUGHT in a Dozen’

Production preparation has kept us all busy and on our

toes, but it is coming together quite well with its various

different varieties of characters and the unique elements

that include audio visual work. This has never been used in

the past productions, so we look forward to seeing you all

at the show. You don't want to miss this extremely funny,

heart-warming, and family-friendly tale.

Mia Kami

Student Director

1st & 2nd June

Save the dates..

T1: WEEK 10

Tuesday, March 22 Year 8 camp

Wednesday, March 23 Year 8 camp

3:00pm PTFA AGM

Thursday, March 24 Year 8 camp

PRIMARY PRESS

Term Ends

1:30pm Whole School Assembly - Year 4

5:00pm Year level update

Friday, March 25 Good Friday public holiday

Thursday, March 31 Suva Zone 1 Athletics Competition

T2: WEEK 1

Tuesday, April 12 All students begin

Monday, April 18 Model United Nations

T2: WEEK 2

Tuesday, April 19 Model United Nations

Wednesday, April 20 Year 3 Camp

Thursday, April 21 Year 3 Camp

Secondary PT intervies

Friday, April 22 Year 3 Camp

5:00pm Year level update

T2: WEEK 3

Wednesday, April 27 Year 4 Camp

2:40pm PTFA Monthly Meeting

Thursday, April 28 Year 4 Camp

Friday, April 29 Year 4 Camp

Coca Cola Games

Saturday, April 30 Coca Cola Games

T2: WEEK 4

Wednesday, May 4 YEAR 5 CAMP

Thursday, May 5 YEAR 5 CAMP

ECH Mothers Day Morning Tea

Friday, May 6 YEAR 5 CAMP

Talanoa

Upcoming Events (Term 1)