Junior School Letters

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February 8th, 2008

Dear Parents,

Half term is fast approaching and I am sure that everyone is looking forward to the break. It’s been a busy 5 weeks so far, and despite all of the complications with the new building and new classrooms, the junior section has certainly put together a productive term.

Eden Island was a fantastic success-due largely to the significant parent turnout. I hope that parents had time to visit with each other and with teachers—which in the end helps to build more effective community relationships.

ISS has secured a driver which means we can make much better use of the bus. We are therefore making preparations to implement our Junior Section Swimming Programme. For those of you who remember our past programme, we are hoping that you find the changes to the system make it a more efficient use of time and the pool. We will be using our existing PE Schedule for the swimming times, and the bus will transport students to and from the pool. Tim, Mrs. T and a coach from the pool will take care of instructional responsibilities, and we would be happy to have any volunteers who would like to assist in the changerooms. We are waiting to confirm a start date with the pool—but we are hoping to get it up and running as soon as possible. Details will follow after we confirm a start date.

We now have our hall back which should help to promote some consistency with late class. Monday-Wednesday (1:45pm-2:45pm) late class will be in the year 6 room, and then Thursday and Friday late class will be in the Hall (1:45pm-2:45pm). The late late class will be in the library from 2:45pm until 3:30pm. I would like to point out that this late class in the library is for staff children only—and anyone else collecting their children from the library is taking advantage of our late class policy. Again, we are looking at changes to our late class system—and we are encouraging parents for the sake of the school and their children to be attentive to collection times. 2:30pm Monday-Wednesday if they have activities, and 1:45pm on Thursday and Friday. I know that from time to time activities have been cancelled last minute, and up until recently the late class seems to be moving from room to room—but for the most part we run the schedule as consistently as possible and we are asking parents to support the school by adhering to the schedule as best they can. If there are things that we can do to improve the system we are of course open to suggestions—though we are of limited in budget, spacing, staffing, etc…

Parents should note that the AGM is Wednesday, February 20th in the Main Hall. It is hoped that we have a good parent turnout for a number of reasons—but most importantly this is a meeting whereby a number of issues relating to the school are to be discussed and it is an ideal venue for parents to become involved in the development of the school—something that we all strive for.

The Junior Section is happy to announce that we have secured a new Year 5M teacher—Ms. Meranda. Ms. Meranda has come highly recommended and we are fortunate to have secured her services. While we have been very happy to have Ms. Mary delivering the 5M programme, we need her back in the SEN programme and we are hoping to have this up and running in full swing after half term.

Parent teacher interviews will be held shortly after the half term break. Again, the half term break is February 15th-18th, and the interviews will be February 28th. These interviews are intended for all of the new parents and then at the specific request from either teacher or parent. Letters will be coming home to organize interview times after the break.

Also, we are planning on doing a headlice check (yes again) after the half term break. If parents would like to help out by checking/treating their children at home it would make a big difference to everyone (parents, teachers, students).

If parents would like e-copies of the junior section letters than they can email me at ryasar@internationalschool.sc and I will put together a parents 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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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

______________________________________________________________________________________
January 25th, 2008

Dear Parents,

Things are starting to settle down into a productive routine around the Junior Section—though there is still a lot of work to be done on the school itself. Hopefully, as the work is completed we will see a direct impact on the daily operation of the section. We are eagerly awaiting the completion of the eating area around the tuck shop, and the completion of the new library and electronic library is something we are all looking forward to.

Most importantly though, we are hoping that the parking lot gets sorted quickly—not only for the sake of convenience but also for the safety of our students. We would like to remind parents that there is no need for any parent vehicle to drive into the school area between the hours of 7:15am and 3:30pm. Parents are asked to turn in the laneway at the perimeter fence of the EC section. The student traffic between the EC block and the rest of the school is rather heavy—and we cannot afford to have ANY vehicle traffic during school hours. The parking lot behind the EC building is for staff vehicles only. We know that the parking is never easy at the school—which is why we need the full cooperation of the parents.

On a more positive note—the Junior Section would like to invite all of the Junior Section parents to another ‘orientation’ evening at Eden Island next Friday, February 1st—5:30pm-7:30pm. It was great to see all of the parents out at the last event, and with all of the new families joining the Junior Section it seems like a good time to get together as a school community and enjoy a quiet evening together. The success of the evening hinges on the participation of the parents (and the weather), so we are encouraging everyone to come out. There are a lot of new families who would like to know more about the ISS community and this evening should be a lot more informative and enjoyable than any newsletter. To help with arrangements, we would like to ask parents to please complete the form at the bottom of this letter—so we have a rough idea of numbers.

Activities are now in full swing—thanks to a lot of hard work from the staff. Parents need to follow their child’s activity schedule closely, and please remember that the pick up times are 2:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 1:45pm on Thursday and Friday. The late class is very congested—and unnecessarily so as many of the students are neither staff children nor siblings of senior students. At this point we are looking carefully at the late class system and if we feel that it’s necessary we will be making some changes that will limit the availability of the late class as a service to parents.

Also, for the first time in a long time, the Junior Section finds itself with several openings for students in the Year 5 and 6 classes. If there are families that parents know who would like to register their children at the school for these years please encourage them to do so soon.

Thank you again for your support and please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

______________________________________________________________________________________
The ___________________ family will be attending the Junior Section Orientation evening at Eden Island on February 1st.

Number of people attending_______ (no children please)

___________________________________ ________________________
Signature date
______________________________________________________________________________________
admin@internationalschool.sc ……………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

______________________________________________________________________________________
January 15th, 2008

Dear Parents,

We would like to invite the junior section students to register for the term II 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 (Tuesday/Wednesday).

Term II 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. Parents will need to transport their children to and from the judo club, and 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. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at the school if you have questions.

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. The cost for this programme is 1500 rupees, and parents are responsible for collecting their children from the dive centre 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 session 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 (?). Please note that there are several other programmes (snorkelling, etc..) offered by the dive centre, and if you are interested you need only stop by and speak to Glynnis.

Catechism is being offered to those students interested in Bible Study, songs, and other activities/discussion revolving around faith. This club IS NOT for Communion or Confirmation preparation. Those already registered for Communion or Confirmation will continue with Sr. Bernadette. Those who wish to sign their children up for Communion or Confirmation prep. may do so for the Term III activities.

The Junior section will see more Football this term than ever before. Mr. Herron will offer two programmes—a 3-4 programme on Tuesdays, and a 5-6 programme on Wednesdays. The 3-4 programme will be a development programme and the 5-6 programme will be geared towards the development of a Junior Section Football Team. These programmes are open to boys and girls. Thursdays will be reserved for the Under 12 team (soon to be Under 13) and they will continue to train at the Astroturf.

Ms. Marchetti will offer a Performance Reading activity where students can develop their oral reading and performance skills.

After the successful introduction of the Spanish Club as an after school activity, we would like to continue with the programme. Please note that there is a small fee to cover the cost of materials (290rs). German Club will also continue to run on Thursdays. Both programmes are open to new students.

Ms. Lorna is organizing a Care Club—which will function as a community service club.

Ms. Hazel, Mrs. T., and Ms. Louise are organizing the Swimming Club for Term II. The club will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and it starts this Wednesday, January 16th. The students depart from the school at 2:30 on the bus and they finish training at 4:00pm. So students can participate in both the regular activity schedule and in the swimming club—so long as they can meet the expectations of the respective clubs and keep up with homework. 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.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

______________________________________________________________________________________
admin@internationalschool.sc ………………………………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

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January 10th, 2008

Dear Parents,

The Junior Section would like to welcome the students and parents back to another exciting term at ISS. Obviously, we are still waiting for the dust to settle from our latest expansion. And while things haven’t gone quite according to plan, it is impressive to see how much has been accomplished—and we can expect the progress to continue throughout the term. Like our students themselves, the school and Junior Section will be involved in a process of daily growth and development.

While we have come closer to finalizing our staffing arrangements for the Junior Section there have been some unexpected changes. Currently the individuals working in the Junior Section are as follows:

Originally, we had Mr. Shaftoe teaching Yr. 5—but we have unexpectedly had to make alternate arrangements and we are very fortunate to have Ms. Mary covering the class until we secure a full time teacher—something we expect to do shortly. Ms. Maryann,e Mrs. Seghal and Ms. Dugasse have joined us as EA’s and we’re very fortunate to have them as part of the Junior Section team.

As you can see by the January calendar it is not a very busy month—in comparison with December. Please note that after school activities will start January 21st—this will give us time to organize the lists and the venues/equipment needed for each activity. We will have one last assembly Friday, and then we will have to take a break for two weeks as the hall will be in use for the Senior Mock Exam schedule. With the influx of new students we can expect a degree of congestion with regards to parking—and we are asking parents to avoid using the school parking lot as much as possible. Furthermore, we are reminding parents that dismissal time is at 1:45pm and we are asking them to be prompt in collecting their children as the late class can hardly accommodate 200 students. We are no longer the small section of 75 students and we will have to look at altering our late class policy. Also, we are making arrangements for a head lice check for the junior section for Monday, and we would greatly appreciate if all parents could please check and/or treat their children’s hair this weekend. Unfortunately, head lice are a problem in schools around the world, and without the support of all our families the hard work of our parent volunteers will quickly be undone.

With the start of the new term we are asking students:
• To please wear a hat at all times while outside (as of Monday the rule will be no hat—no play)
• To please bring trainers for PE (ideally a separate pair of trainers that they only wear for PE/Activities)
• To please refrain from using the tuck shop after school unless accompanied by a parent
• To go directly to late class after school and once collected by their parents they must remain under their supervision
• To please return all books/materials that they may have borrowed from the classroom/library

We are very excited to have all of the new families joining the ISS community and we are looking forward to meeting each and everyone one of you. Please note that we have a degree of flexibility with the placement of students in each class and if you feel that your child should be moved it is certainly something that we can explore.

Thank you again for your support and please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

______________________________________________________________________________________

admin@internationalschool.sc ………………………………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

______________________________________________________________________________________
December 9th, 2007

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much for your wonderful support over the past week. The Junior Section and the whole school have been extremely busy with all of the Christmas, PTA, and end of term events. And while the teachers and students worked extremely hard, the parent involvement has been a key factor in all of the successes.

As a reward for all of their hard work, the junior section students are being given the opportunity to ‘go to the movies’ Wednesday morning. Deepam Cinema (Docklands) has made their theatre available to the Junior Section and we will be given a special screening of ‘Ratatouille’. The screening will be at 10:00am and staff and students will begin leaving from the school at 9:30. We will have to travel in shifts using the school bus—though any parent who would like to help out with transportation is most welcome. The children will return to the school for 12:00pm where they can then be collected (there will be no late class so please be sure to collect your children promptly at 12:00pm. The rest of the afternoon will be used by the teachers for meetings and further preparations for the ‘move’).

Before the students can enjoy the movie they still have some work to do throughout the week. Monday should be a regular schedule, though the evening will be busy with the opening of the long anticipated Wizard of OZ production. Again, the show will be at the National Theatre and tickets can be purchased in the office and also at the door. Tuesday will be an extremely busy day as we revisit the Carol Concert once more in our presentation to the EC section. Students are asked to come in their Christmas gear for at least the concert and they are invited to wear their Christmas clothes for the rest of the day as each class will have their Christmas parties throughout the day. For those who missed it on Monday, the Wizard of OZ will run a second night—Tuesday at 7:00pm again. Again, Wednesday will be the trip to the cinema which then leads into the end of term holiday. I know that the schedule has been a little erratic with all of the special events (concerts, plays, dancing, movies, etc…)—but each of these events provides important learning and development opportunities for the children as well—though it will be nice to return to our regular schedule with more focus on learning in the classroom.

Please remember that the EC and Junior sections will start back to the School on Thursday, January 10th.

Attached to this letter is a permission slip which needs to be signed and submitted in order for your child to attend the movie on Wednesday.

Thank you for your excellent support and please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or comments. Also, for those of you who missed a chance to purchase paintings on Friday at the Book ‘n’ Bake, the paintings are still on display in the hall and can be purchased through the office (150rs). Thanks to all of the staff and parents who worked so hard coordinating the workshop, display and sale of the paintings. It would be greatly appreciated if parents could submit copies of the pictures and video taken at the Carol Concert—it was a special night for everyone and we would like to make sure that we have the digital imagery to remember it.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

______________________________________________________________________________________
I give permission for my child, _______________________ to participate in the Junior Section fieldtrip to Docklands Cinema to view ‘Ratatouille’. Furthermore, I understand that my child will be transported either by the school bus or by a parent volunteer.

(Children are encouraged to bring their own snacks (NOT LUNCHES) as the canteen at the theatre will not be open)

______________________________ _____________________________
Parent Signature………………………………………………………. Date

______________________________________________________________________________________

admin@internationalschool.sc ………………………………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

______________________________________________________________________________________
December 4th, 2007

Dear Parents,

We are at what must certainly be the busiest time of the year with all of the special events and last minute arrangements to close out the term. We would like to thank the parents for all of their understanding and support as there is a lot of information to digest—and sometimes not a lot of time to process it all.

For example, this Thursday’s Carol Concert is moving along smoothly, though there are some last minute reminders that will help in our final preparations. As with last year, we are keeping the ‘costumes’ simple and are merely asking students to dress in Christmas colours (red, white, and green). Hats are both optional and encouraged! We would like the evening to start promptly at 6:00pm, so parents are asked to have their children delivered no later than 5:45pm. As everyone knows, we are dealing with limited space in our hall and we are asking people to keep this in mind. We would love to share our singing with everyone—but unfortunately we instead have to ask people to please be reasonable in the number of guests that they bring to this evening.

I know that with all of the other events (Flamenco Dancing, EC Concert, Wizard of OZ, Parent Teacher evening, etc…) that the Carol Concert seems to land smack in the middle of everything. Please note however, that the current date is not our original one as we had to adjust our calendar to accommodate the a few other items. As it stands though, we are hoping that our evening of singing is seen as a chance to relax and welcome in the Christmas season.

Please note the following dates and times:
• CAROL CONCERT—Thursday, December 6th , 6:00pm
• BOOK ‘N’ BAKE/PAINTINGS—Friday, December 7th, 2:00pm-4:00pm
• FLAMENCO DANCING—Friday, December 7th , 4:30pm
• WIZARD OF OZ—Monday, December 10th 7:00pm
• WIZARD OF OZ—Tuesday, December 11th, 7:00pm
• NON UNIFORM DAY—Tuesday, December 11th
• CLASSROOM CHRISTMAS PARTIES—Tuesday, December 11th
• CAROL CONCERT—presented to the EC Section—Tuesday, December 11th
• LAST DAY OF TERM—Wednesday, December 12th, 12:00pm dismissal

The new building seems to be moving along quickly, and we should expect term II to start as planned. As such, the two year 3 rooms will be in the new building with the remainder of the Junior Section taking up the existing Junior Section room plus most of the old EC Section. The staffing arrangements are as follows:

Please note that we are still weighing our decision as to which class Mrs. Dale and Ms. Jasmine will take—there are a number of factors that we are weighing in order to make the best possible decision. Also, you will not that Mr. David Shaftoe is assigned a Year 5 room. We are fortunate to have retained Mr. Shaftoe as he is a Canadian with considerable teaching experience who is currently residing in The Seychelles (particularly in the Junior Section). I hope everyone agrees that we have put together a very strong team to deliver the Junior Section programme.

There are a few changes that we would like to initiate within the Junior section (hats, pe shoes, etc…)—but we will wait until the start of the New Year to bring everything into play. However, with the holiday approaching we would like to remind parents that we have worked very hard to address the concern with head lice. As such, we are asking parents to be extra vigilant over the holidays, and we are encouraging parents to take the time to actually treat their children for headlice as a preventative measure.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Carol Concert—though I am sure that many of the parents have already heard more of the songs than they would like (sorry). Thanks again for all of your support, and please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior

______________________________________________________________________________________

admin@internationalschool.sc ………………………………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 315, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
Phone: (00248) 610 444 Fax: (00248) 610 460

______________________________________________________________________________________
November 23rd, 2007

Dear Parents,

The end of term is quickly approaching and there are a number of important items to discuss before we break up for the holiday.

Please note the following dates:
• PAINTING WORKSHOP—Saturday, November 24th (individual letters confirm time)
• SPONSORED WALK—Saturday, December 1st (2:00pm)
• CAROL CONCERT—Thursday, December 6th , 6:00pm
• BOOK ‘N’ BAKE/PAINTINGS—Friday, December 7th, 2:00pm-4:00pm
• FLAMENCO DANCING—Friday, December 7th , 4:30pm
• NON UNIFORM DAY—Tuesday, December 11th
• WIZARD OF OZ—Monday, December 10th, Tuesday, December 11th, 7:00pm
• LAST DAY OF TERM—Wednesday, December 12th, 12:00pm dismissal

Obviously, things are going to be very busy, and we’ll do our best to keep everyone informed and involved.

One topic that many parents and children are concerned with relates to the new building and new class assignments. Obviously, no one is looking forward to the complications that come with opening a new building and new classes mid year—but we are devoting considerable time and energy to the preparations in the hopes of a smooth transition. After much thought and consideration, the Junior Section has decided that we WILL NOT be splitting up the existing classes. After looking at the impact to the section as a whole, we have decided that it would be best to maintain the existing mainstream classes, split the extension classes by grade and place all of the new students in new classes. Obviously, a lot of attention and support will be focussed on the new classes and no efforts will be wasted in maintaining the academic integrity of each class.

I am sure that some parents who have students in the extension classes are concerned that the induction of 15 (approx.) new students will compromise the quality of the programme being delivered. We as educators share the same concern, and we are taking measures to maintain the high academic standards of each programme. Furthermore, ISS has been fortunate in the past in that many of its new students have contributed positively to overall learning atmosphere of the class, and we are anticipating that a number of our new candidates will be equally successful.

The Year 3 class presents a special case in that the mainstream class is currently being taught by the two Year 3 teachers, Ms. Jasmine and Mrs. Dale. As such, the new students will be placed in the new class with the existing extension class Year 3 students. In addition to this, we are moving a small group from the mainstream class to the new class—simply because of numbers. No one will be moved from their class without it first being discussed and approved by the parents concerned.

At the end of the academic year, the teachers will then be able to better gauge the abilities and personalities of each students and we will as a section endeavour to place students in the class which best suits the student, the class and ultimately the section as a whole. We are hoping that parents continue to demonstrate the excellent level of support that we have always enjoyed—and obviously we as teachers will continue to do our best to create a healthy and safe learning atmosphere for your children. Those with questions, comments, or concerns are encouraged to meet with me whenever convenient.

Please note that next week is the last week of activities. Therefore, throughout December the school day will end at 1:45pm—Monday to Friday. Parents are encouraged and expected to collect their children on time. We are not the small school of 150 students anymore, and people assuming that the late class is a free babysitter service are putting undue stress on this limited service (staff/siblings).

Obviously more communication will be coming home regarding the upcoming events and further details relating to the start of Term II. Again, thanks to all of the parents who attended the Parent/Teacher interviews—your support and involvement continue to be key factors in the successes of the Junior Section.

Sincerely,

Ryan Sargeant
HOS—Junior Section

______________________________________________________________________________________

admin@internationalschool.sc ………………………………………………………. www.internationalschool.sc