As we reach the end of another busy week at the High School, I reflect on the start of the new school year and I am immensely impressed by the enthusiasm shown from staff and students and the positive ‘buzz’ about the place. Whether activities of investigation or discussion in lessons, it is a real pleasure to see students enjoying their learning.
Earlier in the week, a Mother Tongue evening was held at the Paterson campus, where parents, guardians and tutors could learn more about how we support home languages at ISS. It was an informative evening and a positive reminder of the importance of home language and identity for students in their learning. On Wednesday morning we hosted a ‘Guardians Coffee Morning’ at Preston and also took this opportunity to thank Alice Kuah for her commitment and hard work as the Guardianship Coordinator as she retires from ISS. The homestay and guardianship programme has grown significantly in recent years, and the successful partnership between ISS and guardians in supporting our students is in no small part due to Alice’s contribution. We wish her every happiness in her retirement. Guardians were introduced to Mr Gerard William who takes over this responsibility. High School students can now sign up for ECAs through the link available to them on Managebac. The selections must be completed by Wednesday 4th September. The activities will begin on Tuesday 10th September. Upcoming Events:
I wish you all a restful weekend, Christopher Hayward Thank you to all the parents who were able to visit the Preston campus on Tuesday evening to hear more about life in the High School, the exciting renovation plans for our unification with Elementary and Middle School next August, and also to hear about the Week Without Walls trips taking place in October.
As classes are back into Block 1 following the renovations for Phase 1 of the project it was exciting to see the architects plans which Dr Alvarez shared on Tuesday for the other areas of the campus. We are very excited about the planned improvements and new learning spaces, both indoors and outdoors, that will support student learning. You will be invited for tours of the site later in the year when more of the project work has been completed. Further information was shared with parents about the Week Without Walls trips for Grades 9, 10 and 11 which take place between 6th to 11th October. Grade 9 will travel to Hoi An, Vietnam. Grade 10 will travel to The Green Camp, Bali, Indonesia. Grade 11 will travel to Tioman island, Malaysia. During this week, Grade 12 remain at the High School to complete important assessment for the Theory of Knowledge component of the IB Diploma Programme and other activities supporting their various subjects. More information for each of the specific trips will be shared with you over the coming weeks. Students and staff look forward to the Week Without Walls trips with great anticipation and it is often recalled with fond memories by former students as a highlight of the year. Students have settled into the routine of lessons and it has been rewarding to see exciting activities and students enjoying their learning. High School Upcoming Events:
Christopher Hayward I am delighted to welcome you to the academic year 2019-20 by way of the first Preston blog post of the year.
It has been wonderful to welcome the returning students back to the High School, meet the Grade 9s who have moved up from Paterson and meet the 28 new students joining ISS for the first time. The hard work and preparation from the teachers over the last couple of weeks in preparing for the students’ return is clearly evident and I thank them all for their commitment to supporting student learning. This year we welcome eight new teachers to the High School: Christopher Garden - Music, TOK and IB Diploma Programme Coordinator David Gill - Mathematics Kristen Higgins - Individuals and Societies Brian Kim - Korean Language & Literature, Grade Level Leader (G9) Philip Miscovich - Music and Mathematics Yuki Ozuka - English Acquisition Matthew Schmidt - Drama and English Acquisition Blanche Venter - Visual Art You will have the opportunity to meet all teachers as all parents and guardians of High School students are invited to a ‘Meet The Teachers’ evening on Tuesday 20th August, 6:30 pm in the Hall. Further details have been shared through messages on Managebac. As the first week is underway, students have enjoyed lessons in some of our new and renovated learning spaces as we develop the Preston campus in preparation for the Elementary and Middle School joining us in August 2020. Finally, I would like to congratulate our graduates of 2019 as the IB Diploma Programme results have been released. Their hard work, commitment and motivation to their studies is evident as the class average is over three points above the global average and there are five students who scored 40 or more points. This is highly worthy of celebration and also a testament to the hard work, commitment and guidance from their teachers. One of the reasons teachers find the job so rewarding is due to being a part of such success and the teachers and students should be rightly proud of this set of results. Furthermore, last year’s Grade 10 students who completed the Middle Years Programme (MYP) also have much reason to celebrate. With 21 candidates and an average of 38, again above the global average, I am confident that these students have an excellent springboard as they now commence the IB Diploma Programme. Well done to all! I look forward to meeting many parents at the High School on Tuesday evening and also look forward with excitement and anticipation to the many success stories that will inspire us over the coming academic year. Have a great year ahead! Christopher Hayward |
Christopher Hayward: High School Principal
Fiona Edwards: High School Assistant Principal
Archives
April 2020
Categories |