Sixth Form News

The International School of Seychelles played host to the annual prom which took place one star-stricken evening. It was decided by vote that the theme for the prom would be ‘candy land’ and a huge amount of work was put in by the Sixth Form to transform the school into something of a sugar coated wonderland.

For two weeks, students from years 11-13 all worked together into transforming the school into a candyland. Our goal was to create a prom never before seen at ISS.
To our delight, we managed to get our hands on a candy floss machine as well as sugar popcorn. In our initial brainstorm of possible decorations, we considered the idea of a chocolate fountain with floating apples in, but were soon disillusioned.
After abducting the art room, we managed to create an arsenal of colourful decorations, including a giant gingerbread man, two massive gummy-bears, and an array of smaller pieces to embellish the hall. Nina, our head girl, was able to arrange a car-load of florescent helium balloons which we tied alongside the steps leading up to the hall, creating a magical, floaty feel to the dance floor. Alex and Sophie-Anne created a swirling backdrop, embedded with real lollipops that people could pluck off – kind of like a candy growing tree. Drapes of bright colours hung from the ceilings, which added effect to an already exuberant evening.

Upon arrival, couples would have their photograph taken and would then be directed up the red carpet and into the hall. After a few hours of dance, talk and photo-taking, dinner was served. With thanks to our wonderful waiters, an enjoyable atmosphere circulated smiles in the English rooms, providing our photographer a perfect opportunity to capture dazzling images. Once everyone had had their fill, votes were collected, tallied, and ready to be announced.
Our Head Boy and Head Girl won Prizes for Prom King and Queen; Joss and Alex J as Prince and Princess respectively; the award for cutest couple went to Nanias and Nina.

The presentation was followed with a very entertaining performance by two acoustic guitars and a vocalist. Alex, who played the leads, Jean-marc, who played rhythm, and Enrico, who did the vocals, all performed “Drive – Incubus” and to be honest, it was quite spectacular.

The prom committee put a phenomenal effort into this event and all the attendees were extravagantly dressed making this year’s prom definitely one to remember.

Nina Reinschmidt Gibran Rizvi Year 12

A jumble of parents, teachers, students, friends and even friends of friends made up the crowd looking through the various stalls on offer; ranging from a fresh fish stand to fundraising stalls and even an in-school disco! Students and teachers work very hard every December to make this great event a success. Everyone takes pleasure in an afternoon of fun; flocks of children drown the candy-floss stand and bouncing castle, while the adults pick and choose through gorgeous hand-made jewelry, interesting reads, as well as a raffle boasting many crowd-pleasing prizes which keeps everyone anticipating for more. Everyone indulges themselves in gastronomic specials as stalls are set up even better than an ‘all you can eat buffet’; homemade Christmas cakes, traditional Creole cuisine and scrumptious burgers or hot-dogs straight of the grill give everyone’s taste-buds a treat.

As part of the Sixth Form, we all worked to support our school’s Fundraising Club; we sold an assortment of Christmas cards designed and made solely by students. This was a great success as many appreciated the fact that the children of the school, even at such a young age, were striving to support the less fortunate and so no one hesitated to grab a few cards before they left. We also sold a variety of jewelry; there was certainly something there for everyone! In addition to this, Sixth Formers ran their own stalls and proceeds went to the PTA where we know the money will be well spent in order to improve everybody’s school experience!

Undoubtedly, our annual school fete raised an amazing amount for the school as well as the charities of Seychelles; as a section, we, the Sixth Form, made S1960 Scr which contributed to making a grand total of Scr 9019 Scr for the Fund Raising Club. This great achievement would not have been possible were it not for the generous donations from students and parents; old toys and books that could without doubt be reused and enjoyed by others, the food and cakes that kept everyone happy as well as the time and devotion everyone put in, in order to make each other’s afternoon an enjoyable one.

We all worked as one school community and this is a true representation of the close knit family we really are!

Senuri De Silva Year 12

APPLYING TO UNIVERSITIES……
For generations, students seeking further education have had to look beyond the parameters of our little country. Although the opening of The Seychelles University in 2010 pigeonholed a celebrated moment in our history, hundreds of sixth form graduates still gaze far across the water, wondering what secrets hide behind the horizon.
Everywhere has something different to offer. Having spoken to many post-secondary students around the country, I believe natives of the Seychelles have always embraced the thought of studying abroad. Travelling Europe is a personal aspiration of mine, but others dream of exploring the plains of Asia, or surfing the shores of Australia. Now, International School has made life just that much easier for anybody with their hearts set on the United States of America.
In late September 2010 we were pleased to accommodate a short visit from Jennifer Boulle, the educational advisor at the US Embassy in Port-Louis, Mauritius. Mrs Boulle provided students and parents alike with an hour-long PowerPoint presentation on higher studies in the US. In her presentation she informed us about the application process international students would have to go through, as well as offering examples of a wide range of schools over a wide range of states across the US. International fees for universities, or ‘colleges’ can range from $15,000-30,000 per annum, and schools target the highest academic achievers. Certain schools can get very competitive and therefore have a keen eye for all-rounded students, not only those achieving the highest grades. Jocks, musicians and philanthropists are always amongst the international student community, so if you enjoy sport or play an instrument, do say so in your personal statement when applying!
Thanks to Mrs. Kennedy’s hard work, ISS is now an official Standard Aptitude Test (SAT) Center, providing anybody interested in furthering their studies in America with a much easier means of sitting the exam. Students before had to travel to Mauritius or Nairobi. The Embassy in Mauritius has generously donated SAT study guides and college reference books to the National Library, so SAT takers have all the resources they need for sitting the test.
Alex Durup. Year 13

Applying through UCAS

Applying to universities can be stressful, to say the least. All of those forms, references, grades to fill in. It’s an endless, nerve-shattering process; or that’s what I always thought it would be at least.

We’ve been prepared for our future careers since Year 12. We had Careers class every week, during which we spent time searching on the internet for university courses or in some cases, internships. We also discussed our personal statements, and everything it entails; the structure, what details would count as necessary and what wouldn’t. We also began writing the first drafts of our statements, and submitted them under the careful scrutiny of Mrs Kennedy, the current Head of Sixth Form and Mr Stravens, our Sixth Form Advisor.

Since then, I’ve written quite a few drafts, they’ve been edited endlessly and mercilessly; making sure that anything and everything relevant that could make me a more desirable candidate to my university of choice was thrust in.

When I applied to my universities of choice, it turned out that since I’m applying to the UK, all I have to do is apply through UCAS, a website that can be accessed anywhere in the world and is strictly only for UK universities. Mrs Kennedy and Mr Stravens showed all us applicants how to log on to the website and how to fill in the appropriate details such as our various qualifications, subjects, university choices and course choices.

The best part of the website in my opinion is that you don’t have to go through the repetitive motions of filling in a form for each respective university. The website sends your one application to up to five universities of your choice.

Mrs. Kennedy wrote our references, which included all our activities in or out of school. Our subject teachers wrote up our predicted grades, and before we knew it, the applications were sent off. Some of us have already received a few offers back from our respective choices.

All that’s left now is the wait.

Rachel Pool Year 13

I.E.L.T.S. 2010: ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR

As part of the annual application process for tertiary education, the majority of the year 12 students registered to take the internationally recognized English proficiency tests known as I.E.L.T.S. (International English Language Testing System). This year was no different and on Saturday 25th September, the examiners from British Council Mauritius arrived to assess the listening, reading, writing and speaking abilities of the fourteen (14) International School students, as well as that of another group of forty-six (46) candidates made up of some ex-students and the general members of the public.

Amidst the apparent perception that the tests are getting more difficult with each new year, ninety-three percent (93%) of our Sixth Formers who took the tests achieved a 7.0 and above band score, qualifying them as “good” to “expert users” of the English language.

Of exceptional note was the achievement of a band score of 8.5, attained by Shefali Sehgal. Other excellent results, of 8.0 band scores were those achieved by Beverley De Charmoy Lablache, Clara Hoareau, Sophie-Anne Larue, Rachel Pool and Gibran Rizvi.

This year was the fourth consecutive year that International School Seychelles has been able to offer the IELTS tests, here in the Seychelles. In contrast to the last three years where we benefitted of the services of IDP Mauritius, this year the tests were conducted by British Council Mauritius with whom we have an agreement. We trust that as a result of this partnership, come September 2011 (or hopefully twice yearly), we will once again be able to offer this service to our students, as well as anyone else who needs to take I.E.L.T.S. tests, either for professional and / or personal development.
You can obtain additional information from the following website:
www.ielts.org

ISS STUDENTS IELTS RESULTS: Band Score Results for the last four years

BAND SCORES 2007 2008 2009 2010
9.0 0 1* 1* 0
8.5 1 3 3 1
8.0 5 9 6 5
7.5 4 4 3 6
7.0 4 3 3 1
6.5 6 4 0 0
6.0 2 1 0 1
5.5 0 0 2 0
22 25 18 14

N.B. *: Perfect band score of 9.0 achieved by Kurt Gilbert and Kimberley Taieb in 2008 and 2009 respectively

SAT for US Universities…..

International School of Seychelles is the official testing center in the Seychelles for the SAT and ACT examinations which are important in the application process for universities in the United States, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand as well as some European countries. The students are made aware of the type of grades they require to enter the course and colleges of their choice.

What is the SAT?
The Sat is a standardized exam that most high school students take before applying to American Colleges which it tests you in three areas: reading, writing and mathematical reasoning. Some students also take SAT’s in certain subjects depending on the admission criteria of the universities.

Where it can be taken?
It is now available in Seychelles at the International School of Seychelles (ISS).
The ISS provides the venue and day to day guidance in preparing for the tests, as
well as applying on line

When it can be taken?
Tests run nearly every month throughout the year. Just check on line for dates and check that the school is open for that session.
Teachers will be more than willing to provide time to do the exam.

How and Where to apply?
There is a website available in internet that gives you more information about the SAT, and how you can register. It is very simple and also gives advice on securing the best score possible

Additional information from

www.collegeboard.com

Dalila DeGiorgi and Shefali Sehgal Year 13.

‘WE ARE NOT BORN FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR THE WORLD’

Here at the international school we are very fortunate. We all have a loving secure homes, top rate education and in most cases a perfect lifestyle. You can’t get very far without seeing the most expensive gadgets like iPhones, Blackberries and iPods in the playground. Sometimes people are so involved in their own bubble they forget about the people less fortunate around us that desperately need our help. The ISS founded the Fundraising Club to give students the opportunity to give back to the community, do their bit to strengthen society and help those who can’t help themselves.
The ISS Fundraising Club is beneficial for the students in school just as much as it helps charities outside of school. It is implicit in teaching us organizational skills, teamwork, co-operation, self motivation and most of all responsibility. It opens our minds and makes us aware of the situations that some families are in, and allows us to appreciate how much our parents have done for us.
We’ve organized events such as discos; – the Halloween Disco for Secondary and Christmas Disco for Junior section were both extremely successful – erected bake sales, and participated in DSA events selling drinks and Christmas cards, and organized stall for the PTA events.
So overall I would say the IFC is benefiting everyone. However I couldn’t finish this article without showing our gratitude to Mrs. Kennedy, who runs the club. Without her it would be non-existent. She facilitates everything, motivates us, comes up with inspiration and gets so many sponsors to help us out. She puts her whole heart into the event, without expecting anything back in return.

Amelie Johnston Year 12

CAKE SALE ….
As part of the Fund Raising Club headed by Mrs. Kennedy; we had a very successful Cake Sale for the Secondary and Sixth form Sections.! A selection of cakes varied from the Forbes’s chocolate brownies to the Lai Lam’s Iced-Cake, not forgetting the high demands for Fetes & cupcakes from Mrs Loustau Lalanne too! Serving each slice for Sr.5 and Whole cakes for Sr.50 was totally worth it; as a result we managed to raise over 1500SCR in 25 minutes!! Quite an achievement! The money raised will go towards the Children’s Home Foundation charity in Seychelles.
It had been a delight serving the fellow students of all ages, not forgetting the School’s staff that came for seconds as wel…perhaps to help them cope with more lessons and marking!!!!
It was a fun and enjoyable experience & we look forward to participate in the forthcoming events of this club!
A BIG thank you to all who donated cakes and the staff and students without whom we would not be able to achieve our aims……….
‘ We are not born for ourselves but for the world’
Gopi Budhia & Prem RamadossYear 12

SIGNIFICANT DONATION MADE BY THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SEYCHELLES TO THE ASOCIACION OBRAS SOCIALES DEL ‘HERMANO PEDRO’ OF ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA
The motto of the International School Seychelles is ‘You are not born for yourself but for the world’, an appropriate sentiment for an institution which takes pride in promoting a compassionate and informed view of the world from our small island Republic. One of the senior staff of the school, Nayna Kennedy, took a sabbatical year during 2008/2009 in order to work as a volunteer in the Anibal Choc ward for severely disabled children, part of the Asociacion Obras Sociales Del ‘Hermano Pedro’ hospital located in Antigua, Guatemala. Guatemala is a poor country and many families are unable to support children born with physical and/or mental disabilities – consequently a proportion end up being cared for in Anibal Choc ward. The hospital, which is managed by the Catholic Church, functions mainly through donations, and when Mrs Kennedy returned to the Seychelles after her year away she discussed the possibility of raising funds for the two children’s wards through organising fund-raising events at the school with the Head of School, Jane Lincoln, and the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr Allesandro Angenouzi, who recognised and endorsed the opportunity for the school community to support such a worthwhile venture.