One of the key things that sets ISS apart from other school's is our focus on empowering students with the range of competencies and characteristics they require to become skillful, active and fulfilled global citizens.
As active global citizens we empower our students to:
The third of characteristic of an active global citizen (to create authentic and productive partnerships to make a positive difference in the world) has been very obvious in recent weeks with the work both ES and MS have done for the Food Bank and the up coming Urgent Run. Two other organisation that ISS works with to support active global citizenship are the Scholastic Environment Fund and Playeum. As you will see in ES news below, we were pleased to invite the finalist of the recent Scholastic Environment Fund Oratory Competition (which was hosted by ISS) to speak to our ES assembly. I would also encourage parents to take their children to an upcoming free event at Playeum; the Big Draw on Sunday 9th October from 11am to 6 pm to have fun and experience the work they do as an independent registered charity that champions children through play and creativity. Elementary School News We have had a busy week in the ES with both field trips and a guest Author visit. G4 were able to explore the old parliament building and sit in the same chair as former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Lew, while G5 visited the Science Center and used their understanding of kinetic and potential energy to build a marble machine. Grades 1-4 engaged with guest speaker, Blair Reeve, author of ‘Hogart The Hedgehog Turns Nink’ and ‘Greta Von Gerbil and her Really Large Lexicon’. Opportunities such as these provide our students with experiences to make connections between their learning in the classroom and the world around them. Assembly Guest In celebration of its 20 years service to Singapore, ISS founded the Scholastic Environment Fund in 2001. One of its principal aims is to provide opportunities for local Singaporean students and international school students to collaborate on environmental projects. Over the years the Scholastic Environment Fund has funded research projects, organised conferences and various competitions aimed at furthering the cause of environmental awareness. This week we welcomed the finalist from the most recent Oratory Competition, 10-year old Shaurah Suhbail Ashiblie from Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, to share her speech on “Knowing Green and Being Green – Are we doing our part to save the environment?” Upcoming Events: Friday, 7th October, 8-9 am MPR - Elementary School Mathematics Coffee Morning Friday, 14th October - International Day Saturday, 5th November - Urgent Run Middle School News Greetings and welcome to the Middle School (MS) and the week that was. We have been running, singing, donating and creating all week. On Monday our hardy band of cross country runners ventured out to Pasir Ris supported by Ms Allan and Ms Sit for ACSIS cross country. This group performed very well and continued on a fine tradition of good results from our cross country runners. This week we have had the Korean and Japanese counsellors in to find out how the respective students are settling into ISS. As always our Sambutan (celebration) on Tuesdays at 12:10 was fun filled and an active reflection of the wonderfully creative nature of our students. We had a Grade 7 all girl band perform, as well as a whole school performance in preparation for the International Day. Well done to Mr Shelly and Ms Mu for organising. Parents are always welcome to Sambutan. We hope to see you there. Today was Free Dress Friday. In line with our Service as Action philosophy, students who want to dress ‘free’ are encouraged to donate a can of food. This food is then transported to the Singapore Food Bank, which the school has a long association. Have a great weekend Upcoming Events: Friday, 7th October, MYP Swimming Gala, 8:00-1:00 CCAB Friday, 14th October - International Day Wednesday, 2nd November - Parent Teacher Conferences (PTC) 5PM - 8PM Saturday, 5th November - Urgent Run Wednesday, 9th November - Parent Teacher Conferences (PTC) 3PM - 5PM It has been a busy week at ISS with us hosting a visit from evaluators from the IB, CIS and WASC. All of the visitors were greatly impressed with the enthusiasm and passion for ISS shown by students,parents and teachers. We look forward to receiving their full reports on a couple of months as they will assist ISS in its continual growth as a school.
International Day One of the great community events of the year is nearly upon us. 14th October is this year's International Day. Wearing national dress or something indicative of one’s nationality/culture would help to highlight our community’s variety and richness. (Students may wish to bring a change of clothes for the activities in the second part of the programme.) The school day begins as normal but will finish after the international buffet, likely to be 1pm. If you are unable to pick your child up and wish for them to stay until 2:25 dismissal and take the bus home or go to PPU, please register your child here. https://goo.gl/forms/ubXUKrU5ZgfEwulr2 Parent involvement is strongly encouraged: working with the PTA, working with the students in setting up the activities (nationality based), attending the events on the field or viewing the activities in the classrooms. Please contact the PTA if you would like to be involved: [email protected] Urgent Run The Urgent Run 2016 is a global mobilisation event to draw attention to the urgent calls for action to end the sanitation crisis. Organised annually by World Toilet Organisation, it brings together communities around the world for a run or walk for sanitation. World Toilet Organisation (WTO) is a global non-profit working towards a world with a clean, safe toilet and sanitation for everyone, everywhere, at all times. Our mission is to continue to build the global sanitation movement through collaborative action that inspires and drives demand for sanitation, and provides innovative solutions to achieve sustainable sanitation for all. We will have ISS student, parent, and teacher signups until October 14th. Your registration will include a Running T-Shirt, Bib, Finisher Medal, and lots of goodies in your Race Pack. All payments MUST be made by this date to confirm your registration. All T-shirts and race packs will be distributed during the week of October 24-28th. THANKS. This year, we hope to make an even bigger ‘stink’ for sanitation! ABOUT THE RUN: Saturday, 05 November 2016, 8am to 12noon Angsana Green, East Coast Park (near East Coast Lagoon Food Village) SIGN UP- (ISS Google required) https://docs.google.com/a/iss.edu.sg/forms/viewform?hl=en&id=1LBrbJ6poDsDL3CVnzZ4IP3KIcXX_Uurv6CFzk-RwpM0 Elementary School News K1 led the school in celebrating Peace Day on September 21st under the central idea, ‘Peace begins with me’. They shared children’s books with the school, showed us ways to meditate and promote mindfulness, as well as created a space at school for us to share our wishes for the world. Please read our wishes on the display in the first floor corridor of the ES building. Author Visit for G1-4 Blair Reeve, author of ‘Hogart The Hedgehog Turns Nink’ and ‘Greta Von Gerbil and her Really Large Lexicon’, will visit ISS and lead interactive sessions with Grades 1-4 on Thursday, September 29th. Talented Teachers: Alison Camire, Meghan Luttrell and Linda Du have been trained as IB PYP Workshop Leaders and Visiting Team Members. Upcoming Events: Tuesday, 27th September - Grade 4 trip to The Arts House Singapore Thursday, 29th September - Author Visit for Grade 1-4 Friday, 30th September - Grade 5 trip to The Science Center Friday, 14th October - International Day Saturday, 5th November - Urgent Run Middle School News Welcome to the what’s happening in the Middle School (MS). This week is a once in every five year week for schools. The accreditation team that is visiting ISS has talked with MS students, teacher and parents. The outcomes of the review will be made known in a report presented to ISS at the end of the week. ManageBac Mostly it is business as usual in the MS. At this point of Semester One routines have been established and everyone is reasonably clear on expectations. As a parent or guardian I am going to give you some homework! Your task is to log on to ManageBac and look at exactly what is your child learning in each of their subject around this time. What is the unit in Design? What are they studying in Math? Which book are they reading in Language and Literature? MS Counsellor Great news that our School Counsellor, Beth Contraras, will now be active on the Paterson Campus both Tuesday and Friday. This is important in building rapport and confidence with the students. Also, Beth will play a key role in the Borneo, Bongkud trip and so can work with the students going on this Week Without Walls. Week Without Walls (WWW) Speaking of WWW, you all received a password via Managebac to access the trip specific pages on the website msweekwithoutwalls2016-17.weebly.com. This is more inline with a social media and communications guidelines. If you have trouble accessing please send an email to [email protected] Swimming Gala Hope to see many parents at the swimming gala on Friday 7th, October. Held at the CCAB swimming pool on Evans Rd, it is one of the sporting highlights of the year. Have a wonderful and restful weekend. Upcoming Events: Friday, 7th October - MYP Swimming gala Friday, 14th October - International Day Saturday, 5th November - Urgent Run Elementary School Sports Day
This year we are continuing to build our relationship with Singapore Food Bank. We have supported them by collecting food and monetary donations in the past. We have Food Collection Boxes in the ES/MS Office so we can continuously collect donations to be sent to families in need. This work supports the UN Goal of Zero Hunger which the staff and students in MS have been learning about. We have dates set up for staff and families to volunteer. There are open slots for families to sign up for each date. Please choose any dates you are able to participate. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e49acae2faaf49-issfood Next week is a big week for ISS with the International Baccalaureate (IB), Council of International Schools (CIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation / evaluation teams visiting. In order to remain accredited, we undergo regular evaluations that consist of a self -study followed by an onsite visit. This rigorous process ensures that standards are maintained and that our development processes are supported. Elementary School News After a rainy start to the day, it was great to see so many parents at our Elementary School Sports Day. The students demonstrated commitment and enthusiasm for their house events. I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. Nathan and Mr. Dino for their organization of a wonderful event! Students will hear more about the Sports Day House points at our next assembly. Talented Teachers: Gemma Cass contributed to an article in the IB World Magazine regarding social media in schools. Upcoming Events: Wednesday-Friday 21-23rd September - ISS Accreditation / Evaluation 5 Year Sync Visit with CIS/WASC/IB Saturday, 5th November East Coast Parkway - Urgent Run (More information to come) Middle School News Welcome to the world of Middle School (MS). This week (albeit a short one) has flashed past and will be remembered for the the magnificent student performances in our ‘sambutan’. Sambutan is Malay for celebration/welcome. Here in MS we feel this better embraces what we like to do every Tuesday. Celebrate student learning and welcome everyone to the celebration! This week was no different with performances from the Mandarin students, who revealed the story behind Mid autumn festival through song and performance; and the French class, who sung to us about the parts of the body. Wonderful to see parents join sambutan and there is a standing invitation to all parents for Tuesdays at 12:10. We hope to see you come along. This week Grade 8 Individuals and Societies went on a field trip to Fort Canning. All intrepid students considered the history and culture of this important Singaporean landmark. Well done Mr Ballinger, Mr Jonas and Mrs Johnson for organising. Upcoming Events: Wednesday-Friday 21-23rd September - ISS Accreditation / Evaluation 5 Year Sync Visit with CIS/WASC/IB Saturday, 5th November East Coast Parkway - Urgent Run (More information to come) It was a pleasure meeting parents last Friday at the PTA social here at Paterson. The PTA perform a vital function in nurturing our school community. If you would like to be involved with the PTA please come along to the PTA AGM on 14th of September in the ES MPR at 7:45. Parents are always welcome up at Paterson and I would particularly like to highlight the fact that parents are encouraged to come in and use our library before and after school. On the subject of the library we are constantly looking to improve our selection of good quality reading materials in languages other than English. If you have any good quality books in your home language that you no longer want, and would enhance our selection, please drop them off in the library. Accreditation / Evaluation Parent Volunteers needed. During our upcoming Evaluation visit, Parent Groups will be held by IB Programme and CIS/WASC visitors who want to understand what parents think of education at ISS. These groups are very relaxed so please do not feel scared about coming along. If you can take part, please sign up below. Click here to signup. Details: Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2016. Time: 3-3:45pm Location: PYP - Paterson (9C) MYP - Preston (classroom) Block 1 - 113 DP - Preston (classroom) Block 1 - 114 CIS / WASC - Preston (classroom) Block 1 - 111 Hari Raya Haji Holiday: Monday 12th September Monday 12th September school will be closed for the celebration of Hari Raya Haji. Marking the end of the Haj, Hari Raya Haji, also known as Eid al-Adha or “Festival of Sacrifice”, commemorates Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)’s faith and trust in God, demonstrated through his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of submission to God’s command. I would like to wish those of you in our community who are celebrating Hari Raya Haji 'Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Haji'. For all of you, those of you who are celebrating Hari Raya Haji and those of you who are not, I hope you all have an enjoyable and relaxing long weekend. Elementary School News
Thank you to those parents who were able to attend the PYP Coffee Morning this past Tuesday. It was a great opportunity to share an overview of the Primary Years Programme at ISS and discuss ways to support the programme at home. If you were able to attend and have not had a chance to share your feedback yet, please click here. ES Sports Day - Friday 16th September Please note that ES Sports Day is on Friday 16th September @ Clementi Stadium. (see map above). Students will arrive at school as usual on this day and will then be bused to Clementi Stadium. The day’s activities will finish @ 11:45 a.m. Parents can collect their children from Clementi Stadium between 11:45 am and 12 noon. There will be no formal school or lunch service at school in the afternoon. Parents are more than welcome to attend, however parents will need to make their own way to Clementi Stadium. If you would like to volunteer to assist in the running of track & field events at the Sports Day the event please sign up here - https://goo.gl/forms/BUoOY9Xo9XwiZkbE3 If you are unable to collect your child from the Clementi Stadium and you wish them to travel back to ISS please go to https://goo.gl/forms/k0apAzVWhqqKmaQ93 and indicate your preference prior to 12 noon on Tuesday 13th September. We need this deadline for the organization of buses. Students returning to school will be supervised until 2:25pm. The information has also been updated on the ISS Physed Blog Upcoming Events: Monday, 12th September - Public Holiday, No school Tuesday, 13th September - G4 trip to the National Museum Wednesday, 14th September MPR, 7:45 - PTA Annual General Meeting (AGM) Friday, 16th September - ES Sports Day Wednesday-Friday 21-23rd September - ISS Accreditation / Evaluation 5 Year Sync Visit with CIS/WASC/IB Middle School News Wow! What a seven days! It started way back last Friday with the PTA social. Thanks to Vicki de Bruyn and all the PTA who put on this wonderful afternoon. I know they will welcome anyone interested in being part of their industrious group. Then, between MYP coffee mornings and Week Without Walls information evenings - it’s been a busy time in the MS. Great to see so many parents at all these events. It is important in every student’s learning development that parents take this active role. It is a partnership between you, the parents, and the school to make sure we, as a community, create the best learning environment possible. Long may this continue. Week Without Walls Need to keep up with all things Week Without Walls? The website has everything you need - msweekwithoutwalls2016-17.weebly.com Deposit is now due. The final balance invoice will come out during the next week. Please send copies of your child’s passport and student pass to the Homeroom teacher. Reading Organisation and Writing (ROW) In the Middle School we offer a student support program called ROW (Reading, Organising and Writing). The support enables all students to dedicate time developing academic skills across the subject range that may require a more one to one and focused approach. Examples of the work that is carried out in ROW are reinforcing class content, gaining clarification on ideas, organising a homework schedule and guided comprehension activities.
ROW 2:45PM- 3:45PM Room 7 (Ms Shelley) Upcoming Events: Monday, 12th September - Public Holiday, No school Wednesday, 14th September MPR, 7:45 - PTA Annual General Meeting (AGM) Thursday, 15th September - G8 Individuals & Society excursion to Fort Canning (P1-4) Wednesday-Friday 21-23rd September - ISS Accreditation / Evaluation 5 Year Sync Visit with CIS/WASC/IB Zika Information I am sure many of you are worried by the news that Zika has arrived in Singapore. The current outbreak is in an area localised within the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive cluster which is approximately 9 km from Paterson Road. Whilst Zika is a very mild disease for the person catching it, it can have an impact on unborn children. The school follows a regular policy of fogging for mosquitos every Monday and has regular inspections from the NEA to ensure that the Paterson site is as clear of mosquitos as possible. We would ask that anyone who may be having any of the following symptoms;
We shall, of course continue to monitor the situation closely. For more information about the Zika virus please click here: Elementary School News With the Fun Run, our first House Event of the 2016/17 school year underway, the race for House points has begun! Thanks to Mr. Nathan and our House Leaders for a wonderful afternoon. ES Sports Day - Friday 16th September Please note that ES Sports Day is on Friday 16th September @ Clementi Stadium. Students will arrive at school as usual on this day and will then be bused to Clementi Stadium. The day’s activities will finish @ 11:45 a.m. Parents can collect their children from Clementi Stadium between 11:45 am and 12 noon. There will be no formal school or lunch service at school in the afternoon. Parents are more than welcome to attend, however parents will need to make their own way to Clementi Stadium. If you would like to volunteer to assist in the running of track & field events at the Sports Day the event please sign up here - https://goo.gl/forms/BUoOY9Xo9XwiZkbE3 If you are unable to collect your child from the Clementi Stadium and you wish them to travel back to ISS please go to https://goo.gl/forms/k0apAzVWhqqKmaQ93 and indicate your preference prior to 12 noon on Tuesday 13th September. We need this deadline for the organization of buses. Students returning to school will be supervised until 2:25pm. More detail information about Sports Day will be included in next week's blog. Talented Teachers Alison Camire presented an ‘Inspire Talk’ on "Redefining Change: Embracing Opportunity in Learning" and a workshop on "Emergent Curriculum in the Early Childhood Classroom" at the International School of Ho Chi Minh City’s conference, "3E Learning 2016: Redefining the School Experience" Upcoming Events: Monday, 5th September - G2 trip to the Botanic Gardens Tuesday, 6th September MPR, 8-9am - ES Teaching and Learning in the PYP Coffee Morning Monday, 12th September - Public Holiday, No school Wednesday 14th September - 7:45 am - 9:00 am PTA AGM Middle School News Greetings and welcome to what’s happening in Middle School (MS). Plenty of things happening in the MS. Last Tuesday night we hosted our mother tongue parents for an information evening. It was a a great insight into learning Language and Literature in languages other than English. Thanks to Mary Ann Shelley, Fang Shelly and all the students who helped out on the night. MYP coffee morning Next week parents and guardians have another opportunity to get a better insight of learning in the MS. On Tuesday 6th September at 8:15am there is a coffee morning in the MS Hall. Parents and guardians will get some ‘hands on’ insight into learning in the Middle Years Programme (MYP). Why is the Learner Profile so important? What are Approaches To Learning (ATLs)? How does the MYP assess? Week Without Walls Week Without Walls (WWW) is on the horizon (13/14 November - 18 November). Beyond it being a compulsory part of the curriculum here at ISS, students and teachers benefit from working together within communities throughout South East Asia. Providing support, educating and learning whilst immersed in another culture. This continues to reinforce the ISS vision of ‘Educating to make a difference’. This week students signed up for one of three trips:
Upcoming Events: Tuesday, 6th September MS Hall, 8:15-9:15am - Teaching and Learning in the MYP Coffee Morning Tuesday, 6th September MS Hall, 5:30pm-6:30pm - Week Without Walls information evening Monday, 12th September - Public Holiday, No school Wednesday 14th September - 7:45 am - 9:00 am PTA AGM |
Susan Tilney
Paterson Principal Archives
April 2020
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