Junior School Letters

May 30, 2008

Dear Parents,

With half term fast approaching we can look forward to nice break before we begin our final preparations to close out the term. This is always a busy time of year, and as parents you can expect to be inundated with updates as far as dates and times of special events and field trips.

It has been a busy term III thus far with a number of fieldtrips and special events to keep the students interested and engaged. The school bus has been very busy these past few weeks with field trips to the waterworks, the Roche Caiman Bird Sanctuary, Eden Island, Alliance Francaise, and of course Port Launay. ISS was also well represented at the inter-school athletics competition, and we’ve seen considerable focus on the development of football in the junior section with the Eurofootball Camps training camp and also with the Primary Boys football team. Sr. Bernadette has been busy with the Confirmation and First Communion Preparations—congratulations to the students who have received their Confirmation and good luck to the students who are preparing for their upcoming First Communion. The year 6’s are currently involved in the Transition Programme getting their initiation into to the Senior School. Amongst all of this activity we have still managed to focus on our academic programmes in the classrooms and our students have continued to make excellent progress.

With the upcoming Assessment Week (June 9th-13th) we will be given the opportunity to measure the levels of student progress and achievement. This will be the first time that many students will see the QCA/SATs from the UK—but this assessment system is designed specifically for the National Curriculum which is used at ISS. Again, parents and students should note that while this is an important indicator as far as student performance—these are not exams whose results will be recorded or necessarily reflected in the year end report. These tests are being implemented so we can measure student performance and the overall performance of the section—so we can then make the necessary adjustments to individual and section wide programmes to better meet the needs of our students. Please note thateachers are not prepping students specifically for these tests—nor should students be revising for these tests.

There are many other upcoming events noted on the calendar—for example the Sponsor Spell, half term holidays, fieldtrips (bon voyage to our staff and students involved in the much anticipated trip to France). We will need to begin making preparations for the PTA Fete (July 4th), and we are exploring dates and options for a Sports Day. With athletics behind us, we can anticipate a shift for the track to the tennis courts, as Tim is preparing to use his expertise to deliver the Tennis unit of the PE programme.

Please note there will be no activities on Tuesday, June 3rd or Monday, 9th June—a number of our teachers and students are away for the French trip and with everything else going on at the moment it is probably best to have a regular dismissal of 1:45pm for these two days. The number of students attending late class is disappointing as it really is a matter of scheduling and responsibility. To see the school taken advantage of to such a degree is surprising—but to see the number of children simply left waiting after school (sometimes for hours) is something that we would like to see come to an end. It should be noted that there has been tremendous strides made as far as head lice—thanks in part to Mrs. Bailey and her team of parents—but also because of the efforts at home from all of the parents in the section.

I hope that this letter helps to keep parents up to date and informed as to all of the activities in the Junior Section. Please contact me at the school if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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Dear Parents,

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The third term is well underway and we seem to be back in the regular routine of working hard and playing harder. The first week of activities has finished and it seemed to be a big success. Please note that the diving sessions will commence next week (May 5th). Furthermore, we can expect an announcement regarding junior girls football on either Monday or Tuesday—there are still some last minute details to organize.

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Again, the late class has shifted to the new library for parents collecting their children after 2:45pm. However, the 2:45pm late class is designated for staff children only—so please don’t get in the habit of relying on this late class as a babysitting service. Monday, May 12th will see the beginning of a new A Level/IGCSE exam schedule—and as such the hall will be closed down. Therefore, after school activities, late class and assemblies will all be moved to the EC hall. Parents will notice signs posted around the school while exams are being held and are reminded to please make as little noise as possible. Also, please ensure that your children are fully supervised after school and not left to wander or play on the playground.

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The Junior Section is happy to announce the start of our athletics training in the PE Programme. Much Like the swimming schedule, the bus will be taking students back and forth to the stadium. Students must of course be prepared for PE (hat, clothes, water, sunscreen, etc…). And like the swimming, we are maximizing the use of the bus and drive to deliver a programme whereby students will have the most access to the facilities and coaching. Should any parents wish to be involved they are more than welcome. We can always use extra hands with supervision on the bus, and I am sure that Tim can use some help with timing and equipment at the stadium. Please contact me (ryasar@internationalschool.sc) if you would like to help out.

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It would probably be in our best interest to hold another headlice check in the near future (May 7th-8th). As such, I would like to encourage parents to check and treat their children’s hair over the course of the week.

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A number of parents have inquired as to the dates of our assessment week. Please note that at this time we have assessment week scheduled for the first week after half-term (June 9th-13th). This is not a “Final Exams” session whereby students are expected to revise, etc… This process is an assessment of the students’ overall knowledge, skills, and abilities—and the results will help the teachers and junior section as a whole to tailor each programme to meet the needs of our students.

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Please contact me if you have an questions or comments

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Sincerely,

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Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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April 23rd, 2008

Dear Parents,

I am sure that everyone is excited to see the start of Term III. As with most Term III’s we can expect this to be a very busy period of time with numerous events, fieldtrips, activities, etc… Of course, there should be a considerable amount of work involved as well.Everyone should have received a copy of the activities letter—which needs to be returned as soon as possible. Activities are scheduled to start on Monday, April 28th, and as such registration forms need to be in by Thursday in order for them to be returned on Friday. I hope that parents are impressed with the number of activities being offered this term. The junior section is working very hard to put together wide variety of choices that should supplement the learning that is taking place in the classrooms. Please note that some students will be required to participate in the Reading/Math support classes—and this will be indicated on the registration forms when they are returned.As indicated in previous letters, the swimming programme came to a close at the end of term II. The alterations to the programme were more or less successful—though there are some adjustments that will be made for next year. The smaller class sizes, twice a week schedule, and bus transportation all contributed to more time in the pool with effective coaching—which should mean a more effective programme overall. That being said we can still do more to make it better, and we are already looking at these changes for next year. We would also like to thank the number of parents who made themselves available for additional supervision on the bus and in the changerooms.On the subject of parent support at the school, a number of parents have expressed an interest in providing classroom support and general support throughout the junior section. As such, I would like to invite interested parents to attend a quick meeting after school Friday (1:45pm-2:00pm) in my classroom, whereby we can discuss different opportunities for parental involvement/support in the Junior Section.

There will be some changes to the routines of the Junior Section. With the upcoming Senior School exams, we will no longer have access to the Hall, and as such we will be moving our Late Class. Also, the library has moved so parents will have to go upstairs in the new building to track down their children. Once exams start the late class timetable will be as follows:

Again, this late class continues to be a problem in that too many parents are abusing the system. In order for this system to work we need parental support, and children need to be collected on time.

Please note that there is a Swimming Competition this Saturday for those students involved in the Swimming Programme. Ms. Hazel has already informed those students who are competing, but they are reminded to be at the pool no later than 8:30am (pick up at 10:30am). Also, the Primary Boys are playing in their first match at the Mont Fleuri Field on Saturday at 9:00am. Please come out and support our ISS Junior athletes.

Please contact me at the school is you have any questions or comments

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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April 22nd, 2008

Dear Parents,

We would like to invite the junior section students to register for the term III after school activities. We have laboured to put together an exciting list of options, and as with previous years, students can select three activities which interest them. Students are encouraged to choose alternates in case their first choice is full. Please review the activity descriptions closely, so as to avoid any confusion and last minute request for changes. Students are asked to please submit the completed forms as early as possible (Wednesday/Thursday). Parents are reminded to pay close attention to their child’s activity schedule to ensure that students are collected on time.A big thanks to all of the staff who have worked so hard to offer this impressive selection of activities!

Term III Activities List

Judo Games will be run at the Judo Club (by the pool) again. This activity is geared towards junior athletes who wish to develop some basic grappling/wrestling skills through various games and activities. The school bus will be used to transport students to the Judo club—though parents are responsible for collecting their children at the Judo club. The activity will start at 2:15pm and run till 3:00pm. Children interested in attending judo practices may stay and train with the senior students for the extra session being run from 3:00pm-4:00pm.

Diving I is the PADI SEAL TEAM programme which is offered to students who are 8+ years old. This is an introductory programme that includes 5 diving sessions and 1 snorkelling session—all in the pool. The cost for this programme is 1500 rupees, and parents are responsible for collecting their children from the pool at the end of each lesson (4:00pm). Diving II is the PADI MASTER SEAL TEAM which is available to those students who have completed the PADI SEAL TEAM certification. There are 10 sessions to be completed at a cost of 250 rupees per session or 2250 rupees for the entire programme. Diving III is the OPEN WATER CERTIFICATION, and the students must be 10+ years old. Students are responsible for attending all sessions, passing written exams and paying the fee. Diving IV is the JUNIOR SECTION DIVING CLUB which is open to junior students who have already completed their OW Certification. The activity will be held on alternating Wednesdays, whereby divers can participate in dives lead by the Underwater Centre. The cost for the dives will be 200rs/student/dive. Parents are welcome to join!

There will be adjustments to the Junior Section Football Programmes. Please note that the 3-4 and 5-6 football activities will be open only to players SELECTED to participate. These training sessions will be geared towards to the development of a competitive team for each age group and as such the number of participants will have to be limited. Those selected are not obligated to participate. Again, the football sessions will be held at the Astroturf (2:00pm-3:00pm) and the bus will transport students to and from the pitch.

The Spanish and German Clubs will continue to run on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please note that there is a small fee to cover the cost of materials (290rs). Both programmes are open to new students.

Reading/Math/French Support is being offered to certain students from certain grades as part of the Activities Programme. Some students will be requested to participate in these support sessions—though they will also be open to other students from each respective grade.

Ms. Hazel, Mrs. T., and Ms. Louise are organizing the Swimming Club for Term III. The club will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The students depart from the school at 2:30 on the bus and they finish training at 4:00pm. This club is geared towards competitive swimming—though students who participate are not obligated to compete. These sessions are not intended to be swimming lessons.

Mrs. Seghal will be offering Maths revisions sessions for those students (Yr. 3/4) who are interested in preparing for the upcoming Australian Maths Competition. Many students have received letters encouraging them to participate in the AMC—though the competition is open to all students interested. This competition is geared towards high performance students and school also must pay the registration fees—therefore we try to limit our entries to our students who demonstrate an aptitude for Math.

Other new activities being offered this term include: Singing (Ms. Dugasse/Ms Noella), Girls Cricket (Mrs. Patel/Ms. Sheryl), Film Club (Ms. Mary/Ms. Meranda), and Netball.

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March 7th, 2008

Dear Parents,

With three weeks left there are only a few items to organize before we go on a well deserved break.The Junior Section Swimming progamme is well underway, and so far we’ve had very positive feedback from everyone involved. Though there were a few hiccups at the beginning, we seem to have everything worked out—and the children are thoroughly enjoying themselves as they develop their swimming skills. We anticipate the progamme ending with the close of the term—though we are exploring options for a return to the pool at the end of term III (July) for a bit of a surprise for the students.We’ve just endured another wonderful headlice check in the Junior Section and obviously everyone has been very supportive in that the results are very encouraging. The section has grown significantly in size—though the number of headlice incidents continues to drop. I do apologize for having to send home a number of students—but we are doing our best to limit our exposure to this annoying aspect of school life. Again, we would appreciate it if parents could remain vigilant, and treat their children’s hair—perhaps over the upcoming holiday.

The parent teacher interviews were well attended and I hope that everyone had the chance to meet and discuss student progress with the teachers. If there are any additional concerns, or if parents were unable to attend at the scheduled times then I would encourage parents to make arrangements to meet the teachers at a later date/time.

Obviously, we are still waiting for some last minute additions to the new building and yard. Parking remains and issue—but we would like to remind parents that they are to park only in the lot at the FRONT of the new EC building or at the NIE building beside the school. Students and teachers walk back and forth between the buildings, and we cannot have traffic coming in and our of the school yard during the day. The parking lot behind the EC building is for staff only. Hopefully, we will see some developments regarding parking by the time Term III begins.

We’ve received the registration packages for the Australian Maths Competition and will begin the process with the start of Term III. As with previous years, the AMC will be held in July and therefore is open only to students who will be in the country during our summer holiday. Again, we will be putting together a Maths Club for an afterschool activity and we are encouraging students interested in the AMC to participate in these extra sessions. More information will be forthcoming as we get closer to the starting date.

Parents may be interested to note that the new Junior Section shirts have been ordered and will be ready for purchase at the beginning of Term III. As stated earlier, these will be light blue golf shirts with the school logo. Also, there will be a transition period (certainly term III) and perhaps into the 08-09 academic year whereby both the old and new shirts will be acceptable as part of the school uniform—this way parents don’t feel that they’ve wasted money on any of the green shirts that they’ve recently purchased.

I would like to thank the parents for all of their support and involvement in the school over the course of the term. The Junior Section has gone through a challenging period of growth and development, and we’ve been very lucky to enjoy the parental support and staff commitment during this time. I hope that everyone is a pleased with outcome of the school expansion and that we’re all looking forward to another successful term to finish the year.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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February 28th, 2008

Dear Parents,

As indicated earlier, the Junior Section parent teacher interviews are scheduled for Thursday, February 28th.
These meetings are reserved for new parents or for interviews scheduled by specific parent or teacher request.We are asking parents to please indicate their preferred times, and we will endeavour to meet your scheduling needs. If you would like to meet with any of the specialist teachers (ICT, French, PE, SEN) then please indicate as such underneath the timetable. If you are unable to attend meetings on either the 28th then please arrange another time and date with your child’s teacher.Thank you for your support and involvement in your child’s education.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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Child: __________________________________ Class: _________
_____ teacher requests an interview ___ parent requests an interview
___ no interview is required at this time

Thursday ,February 28th, 2008

Please check if you would like to see any of the following:

_____FRENCH _____ICT ____PE ____SEN

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Parent signature Date

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admin@internationalschool.sc www.internationalschool.sc

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February 21, 2008

Dear Parents,

I hope that everyone enjoyed their well deserved break at half term. With 6 weeks left in the term there is a lot of work to do before we break up for our next holiday.

One item that will help maintain our focus is the upcoming parent teacher interviews. As before, the term II interview session is reserved for new parents or for interviews specifically requested by either parents or teachers. Parent-teacher communication is an essential component in the education process and we are looking forward to sharing thoughts and concerns relating to each child’s progress. Please complete the parent teacher interview form that is accompanying this letter.

Parents should be happy to note that swimming will commence February 25th in the Junior Section as part of the PE programme. Furthermore, we are hoping that the organizational changes will result in a more effective programme with less impact on the parents and junior section schedule. We are endeavoring to run the swimming in conjunction with the existing PE timetable. This will require a large degree of focus and discipline on the part of the students—but in the end should be quite manageable. Parents are simply required to ensure that their children are prepared for their swimming lessons—bathing suit, towels, goggles (optional) and uniform. Students will depart from the school and return to the school on the bus—they will be accompanied by either their teacher or classroom assistant. Tim, Mrs. T. and a coach from the pool will deliver the lessons. If parents would like to help out in the changerooms or with bus supervision it will be greatly appreciated. A minute by minute timetable will be posted on the junior section info board for the breakdown of the swimming programme. As this is the first time we are operating the swimming programme in such a manner, we can expect a few changes along the way.

Parents should note that swimming is a compulsory part of our PE curriculum. A lot of time and energy is devoted to this programme and the results have been very positive. We have always enjoyed tremendous support from our parents in the past and we are looking forward to continued support. Please take the time to encourage your children to be enthusiastic participants in this programme and we will endeavor to provide a safe and healthy learning atmosphere for them at the pool. We would like to ask parents and students to complete the attached permission slip to confirm their participation and allow for the use of the bus as transportation.

If parents would like e-copies of the junior section letters than they can email me at ryasar@internationalschool.sc (only 2 emails so far) and I will put together a parent mailing list. Please include your child’s name and class so I can track each class accurately.

Thank you again for your excellent support. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

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Student name:__________________ Yr:__________

My child has permission to participate in the Junior Section swimming programme and is also allowed to travel to and from the pool using the school bus.

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Parent signature date

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