ES Celebrated Science Day here Click here t o read Br. Larry s Lasallian Reflection

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1 St Joseph s Institution International Elementary School Newsletter ES Celebrated Science Day Christmas Term, 11 November 2016 Dates for your Diary Mon 14 Nov Tue 15 Nov Wed 16 Nov Fri 18 Nov Sat 19 Nov Mon 21 Nov Tue 22 Nov Wed 23 Nov Thu 24 Nov Fri 25 Nov Sun 27 Nov School Council Election Week G4 Field Trip G2 - G6 Sports Day Mass SJIIES Golf Event Christmas Fair IPC Assessments Parent Briefing Building Children of Character Workshop 4 G3 Field Trip Principal s Open Coffee Morning Annual Music Concert Mass CPG Meeting School Council Disco for G2- G6 Advent Wreath Making Workshop Christmas Term Dates here Click here to read Br. Larry s Lasallian Reflection Dear Parents, Principal s Diary I wrote earlier this year about the work of John Hattie. He is a researcher whose book, Visible Learning, shook up the educational establishment in It was a synthesis of more than 800 meta-studies (50,000 studies) covering more than 80 million students. The point of this meta-analysis was to look at the impact that a teacher and a school has on student success. He went into what success actually looks like, and what influences have the strongest positive impact. The book identified 136 classroom interventions and listed them in order of effectiveness. Interestingly, many of the drivers that we associate with school improvement, and are highlighted in the media, have little effect. I am talking here about issues such as class sizes, homework, and private schools vs government schools. What came out prominently through his research was that the quality of the teacher-child relationship is key. If the teacher has high expectations for the children, and promotes this through effective feedback and setting clear success criteria, then the children will make good progress. While on my conference in Kuala Lumpur I attended a session conducted by Dr Tim Stuart from Singapore American School. In it he highlighted the other end of Hattie s list. What are the factors that have the biggest negative impact on a student s learning? At the very bottom of the table is depression. Dealing with mental illness seriously impacts learning and can cause a child to regress in their academic work by more than a calendar in twelve months. It is extremely clear to us that early intervention is crucial when it comes to dealing with the mental health of children. We continue to offer significant support to children and families in the ES through our Counsellor, Melanie Lyon, as well as the very strong character education programme, underpinned by the Virtues Project that is in place. Second from last, and one that affects all expat families, is mobility. Mobility across cultures can be one of the most wonderful sources of learning and personal growth that life has to offer. These benefits only occur though when mobility's massive challenges are managed well. Some of these issues were touched on when I wrote about Third Culture Kids (TCKs) a few weeks ago. The negative effects from mobility can largely be attributed to peer effects. The loss of friends and the grief experienced as a result needs careful management. The key factor attributing to student success with mobility is if the new student can make a friend in the first month. This means that strong peer support and buddy programme are essential in any new school your child attends.

2 Principal s Diary Continued The work of John Hattie has had a profound effect on the world of education. SJIIES will continue to offer the best education. Using up-to-date, scientifically-based research to make curricular and instructional decisions are what good educational institutions do. At SJIIES, we continue to review and reflect on our practices in this way so that we can ensure that we continue to offer the best educational programme possible for our children. Kevin Hannah Principal, Elementary School News from the Principal s Desk Kevin Hannah Science Day On Thursday this week the ES celebrated Science Day. The theme of the day was Up, Up and Away! Different year groups collaborated with one another on a project. I particularly enjoyed watching our Prep 1 children work with Grade 2 in the making of kites. I am not sure how well they will fly but they were certainly highly creative. The strength of relationships between the children was apparent as they happily worked together in the creation of these masterpieces. Thank you to Claire Douglas, Head of the IPC, for her enthusiasm and hard work driving this day and ensuring all materials were available and making it the success it was. 2

3 News from the Principal s Desk Continued First Holy Communion I look forward to celebrating the First Holy communion of 19 children from the ES tomorrow. This is a significant milestone in the religious life of a child as they complete this sacrament. It brings them into the communion of the church and allows them to participate more fully in the mass. The work taken to prepare the children for this sacrament, as well as reconciliation, is very involved and I would like to thank our team of catechists, both parents and staff for all they have done. G2 to G6 Sports Day Next Wednesday is Sports Day for all children in Grade 2 to Grade 6. This is the first time we have held a whole MY and UES Sports Day. To add to the excitement the event will be held offsite at Yio Chu Kang Stadium. Children should arrive in school as normal. We will then take a register and bus all the children to the stadium. Children in Grades 2 and 3 will compete in a modified programme involving a rotation of ten stations while the older children will compete in a more traditional sports day format. If you have not already told us that you will take your child directly from the stadium, please do so here. Golf Challenge Due to rain the golf afternoon scheduled for Friday 28 October had to be cancelled. This event has now been rescheduled for next Friday, 18 November. You can still sign up to play at this fun event. More information can be found later in the newsletter. Christmas Fair Following last week s Principal s Diary on the Christmas Fair, excitement has continued to build across the community. ESTV has added to this by creating an advert to promote the raffle. Please click on the link here to view it. A reminder that coupons are on sale before and after school. Thank you for your support. Office Reminder Recently the office has become a bit of a mess due to the number of items being left in it. We are doing our best to keep it tidy and I would like to ask you not to leave items there for collection from another parent. There are frequent for this and sometimes they are big items for which we do not have space. There are often instances where parents come to collect items but our reception staff can t find it as it was given to someone else which causes confusion and wastes time spent searching for it. Assessment in the IPC On Monday 21 November, the IPC team will be running a workshop into how we assess in the IPC. This will give parents a brief overview of how we teach and assess the subjects under the IPC umbrella. We will focus on the language used in the teaching of IPC and explain just what those words mean when you see them on the reports. The workshop will take place in the ES Dance studio from 8:00am - 9:00am. If you would like to attend please complete the form. It would be most useful if you could indicate any particular questions you would like addressed in the session. Click here for the form. School Council Disco Vince Burke Friday, 25 November, 5.30pm 7.00pm Grades 2-6 children are invited to join us for an end of term boogie. Soft drinks and hot dogs will be available, for a small charge but children should have dinner at home. Please reserve a place for your child for this event HERE. Closing date for registration is 22 November. This event is for our current students only, not for parents! There is no charge for this event but online registration is required so that we can plan with accurate numbers. There will be an express drop off available at the bottom of the ES steps from 5.15pm. Pick up will be at the usual Pick Up location for car pick ups or at the Pavilion for adult collection at 7pm. 3

4 Spotlight On Sport Peter Vassbotn See you at Yio Chu Kang Stadium on Wed. 16 November BACK ON THE TRACK! Sports Day 2016 ACSIS Season 2 has begun! Good luck to all teams, match schedules coming home soon Training in black, matches in red, Special Events in Blue 4

5 Spotlight On Sport Continues Congratulations to all our school teams from ACSIS Season 1! A special congrats to our MEDAL WINNERS: - 9U Boys Football : BRONZE - 11U Boys Basketball : SILVER - Katherina B. : XC SILVER - Ayden L. /Tirta R. : 14U Badmin. GOLD - 11U Boys Tennis : GOLD 5

6 Catholic Corner First Communicants and Saint Solomon Assembly Walk along God s path. -Saint John Baptist de La Salle Simone Tan This week, the First Communicants rehearsed for the First Holy Communion Mass which will be held on 12 November at 10am. Even though the children were looking forward in anticipation to this momentous sacrament, they showed self-discipline and prayerfulness during rehearsals. Let us remember to pray for the children and their families on Saturday morning that the children will experience a very special encounter with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Saint Solomon Assembly- by Andrew Basso During Friday's assembly last 4 November, Grade 4ABa presented a reflection on All Saints Day. All Saints Day is Catholic day of celebration and it is held on 1 November each year. This is a special time when the church invites us to remember the Saints. On 16 October this year, Pope Francis canonised 7 new Saints. There was a special ceremony at St Peter s Basilica in the Vatican City. The service took 2 and a half hours but you can access a shorter version here. This year was a cause for a special celebration. As members of the Lasallian family, we celebrated the fact that one of these newly canonised Saints was a Lasallian Brother. His name was Saint Brother Solomon Leclerq. Grade 4ABa presented the story of his life to the Elementary School through a role play accompanied by a video. He was born at Boulogne, France on 14 November 1745 into a wealthy family. His name at birth was Nicholas Leclerq and he wanted to enter religious life from an early age. When he took his religious vows on 25 March 1767, he changed his name to Solomon. He was just 22 years of age. He was a teacher and a headmaster who worked at various schools around France. Saint Solomon lived in an exciting and difficult era the time of the French Revolution. During this period, the common people rose up against the Kings of France to make a fairer, more democratic society. This created problems for the church and the brothers. The new government had made new laws for them to follow but the brothers could not agree to these rules. So they were forced to flee the city, leaving their schools and communities behind them. Soon, all of their rights had been taken away and they lived in constant danger. On 2 September 1792, while living alone in secrecy in Paris, Brother Solomon was captured, arrested, and imprisoned. After several weeks he and other prisoners were killed by the sword in a monastery garden. He was just 47 years old. Brother Solomon was beatified by Pope Pius on 17 October 1926 along with 188 of his fellow martyrs. This is the first step towards becoming a Saint. It is when the Pope declares that he lived a holy life and served God. The canonisation of Saint Solomon Leclerq took place on 16 October He is the first Lasallian martyr. He was also the first brother to be beatified. The feast day of Saint Solomon Leclerq is on 2 September, the day of his death. On that same day, the church also celebrates the martyrdom of other brothers who lost their lives for their faith during the French Revolution. At the end of the assembly, the children shared this prayer: Lord, May our hearts be moved by the heroism of Saint Solomon. May our voices be energised to speak out for the rights of oppressed people. Saint Solomon, beg God to give us what we need to build cities of peace. Well done Mr Basso and 4ABa for the amazing assembly! To commemorate the canonisation of Saint Solomon, Brother Larry has given each child a gift of a prayer card with the Saint s poignant words. The cards will be distributed over the next week to the children. Do consider signing up for the Advent Wreath Making Workshop and Mass, registration closes on 21 November. Confessions will be available for all students and family members at the chapel next Tuesday 15 November from 1150 to

7 Catholic Corner Continues The Spirit of Christmas Within Me C H R I S T M A S A R T E X H I B I T I O N As we prepare for the Christmas Season at SJI International Elementary School, we welcome all students to take part in this year s Christmas Art Exhibition The Spirit of Christmas Within Me. We will showcase the entries received at various locations around the school and the Chapel so that everyone in our school community can see The Spirit of Christmas Within Me and perhaps be inspired to feel the Spirit of Christmas within themselves. Please click here to register Please ask your child to: 1. Pick up the Art Paper for his/her entry from the school office. 2. Write his/her name and class (clearly please) on the front, lower right-hand area of the paper. 3. Listen to the Christmas song (using the link provided) and create his/her work of art using any media he/she likes. (Please note: The picture or design should reflect his/her interpretation of the song and the theme: The Spirit of Christmas Within Me.) 4. Return his/her completed entry to the The Spirit of Christmas Within Me box in the office by Thursday, 1 December. The more, the merrier, so we would greatly appreciate your encouragement and support of your child to take part! 7

8 Virtues Corner Kerry Tremblay I have come to think of the practice of presence as a form of sacred curiosity. It is my impression of how the creator looks on us, with eyes of love and compassion, fully aware of our foolishness and frailties, and highly curious about what choices we will make, with eternal patience and all the time in the world. Linda Popov, p. 248, A Pace of Grace. How do we practice compassion? In the Virtues Educator s Guide it is suggested that compassion begins simply by noticing when someone seems sad or troubled. This is followed by thoughtfulness. We reflect by putting ourselves in the other person s shoes and asking ourselves how we would feel if the same thing were happening to us. We think about how we can help. Then there is action. We take time to listen, and ask questions like What are you sad about? and How can I help? We are forgiving when others make mistakes, and a friend when someone needs a friend. Each week the adult reflection card is sent to the school community. It is offered with an invitation; for each person to pause and think about what is happening or how they feel today and then how this week s virtue speaks to them. Virtue of the Week: Compassion What is Compassion? Compassion is having kind feelings toward someone who is hurt or troubled. It is caring deeply and wanting to help, even if you don t know them. It is being kind and forgiving to someone who has hurt you. Signs of Success Congratulations! You are practising Compassion when you Notice when someone is hurt or needs a friend Imagine how they must be feeling Take time to show that you care Ask how they are and listen patiently Forgive others when they make mistakes Do some service to help a person or an animal in need I invite each of you in our SJII community to do the same as you read the card on this newsletter each week. What is the gift in this for you? This simple reflection routine helps to bring the virtue to our awareness. The virtue is cultivated within a family or community when we choose to act on our awareness. It happens little by little, day by day. Please note that some of the Virtues Resources including the Family Virtues Guide and the Virtues Educator s Cards will be available for sale at the Christmas Fair. 8

9 Elementary Parents Support Group WHERE TO BUY YOUR COUPONS: Christmas Fair - 19 November 2016, 10am - 3pm The Christmas Fair is only 8 SLEEPS AWAY! i. Reception during School Hours ii. Outside Nurse s Room before school iii. In the Pavillion from 1.45pm onwards. iv. Wednesday P1 & P2 only in the afternoon from 1.45pm 2.15pm in the Pavillion. v. Wednesday G2-G6 Sports Day all day at the Yio Chu Kang Stadium. PRE-PURCHASE your coupons and enter a competition to win a jar of Christmas Candy and some FREE coupons. Winner to be announced at Assembly next Friday! COUPONS - You will need Coupons to buy anything from the Class Stalls, Food, Drinks and Rides at the Christmas Fair. The only cash payments that will be received will be to purchase more coupons and raffle tickets and outside Vendors wares. Please note that coupons will not be sold the morning of the G2-G6 Sports Day yet will be for sale all day at the Yio Chu Kang Stadium where the Sports Day is being held. Coupon Sales for Prep 1 and Prep 2 parents will be from 1.45pm 2.15pm in the Pavillion VOLUNTEERS if you are able to assist us please contact us at sjiichristmas2016@gmail.com. CHRISTMAS FAIR RAFFLE TICKETS! Thank you to those families who have already sent their purchased Raffle Tickets back to the school. If this is still on your To Do list then hurry and make sure you get your Raffle Tickets back in time to win any one of these fantastic prizes including an Apple Watch Sport, UE Boom2, GoPro Hero+ Camera, Parrot Mini Drone, Wireless Headphones, Xbox One. Click here to find out more from Santa s Elves about the upcoming SJIIES Christmas Fair and Raffle. SILENT AUCTION 3 nights in Sri-Lanka up for Grabs at the Christmas Fair! WE NEED YOUR HELP! Calling out for Baked Goods to be donated to our Café & Cake Stall located up on stage in the HS HALL on the morning of the Fair! NO CAR PARKING in school grounds on the day of the Christmas Fair. Alternative Parking is available at the Polo Club or the SLF building next to SJI International 9

10 Elementary Parents Support Group Continues Following the great success of our first ever Christmas Bake Off last year, we have decided to run it once again! Once all entries have been judged by a selected panel of judges from across the school, the yummy delights will be served at our Crib Service. Prizes will be awarded to both the winner and runner-up of each category at the last Assembly for this term. The entry fee is $3 per category and we ask that all entries be delivered to the ES Office by 8am, the morning of 8 December Entry forms will be available from the ES Office from Monday 14 November, and entry forms are to be submitted by Thursday 1 December. We kindly request that the entries are decorated/baked by the children. 10

11 Lasallian Reflection Enabling students in a Lasallian community to learn how to learn, and to learn how to live, empowering them to become people of integrity and people for others Enter to Learn Leave to Serve Have you noticed the banner of Pope Francis hanging on the high school building as you come up the main driveway to the school? If not, take a close look, because it will be coming down later next week. That is because the Holy Year of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis last year, officially comes to an end on Sunday, 20 November, when the Holy Father will officially close the holy door at St Peter s Basilica in Vatican City. We can all take to heart the banner message, proclaimed to us in the words of Pope Francis, Mercy is the force that awakens us to new life and instils in us the courage to look to the future with new hope. At one of the High School assemblies earlier in the year, I asked the students, Who is the most merciful and forgiving person you know? Hopefully you can call to mind those gracious people in your own lives who model love, generosity, and compassion. Better still, I hope you are the person others call to mind when considering this question. Compassion has been the Virtue of the Week in the Elementary School, very fitting for the end of this Year of Mercy. Our consideration of this virtue reminds us that we are practising Compassion when we forgive the mistakes of others, and when we are helpful to those in need. Mercy and Compassion are intertwined. In the face of the many challenges of the day, let us take inspiration from the words of Pope Francis, and seek the mercy and compassion that we need be courageous and hopeful as we look to the future. Our 19 young people who will be making their First Holy Communion tomorrow (Saturday, 12 November) in our Chapel are signs of hope. Congratulations to them and to their parents and teachers! This Sunday, in Singapore and around the world, the local churches which had been designated as sites for holy door pilgrims will officially and ritually close their doors in anticipation of the end of the Holy Year. This includes the five churches of Sacred Heart, St Vincent de Paul, Risen Christ, Holy Cross, and Divine Mercy. Last Friday, 4 November, our pilgrim group of SJI International parents completed our Holy Year pilgrimages to these churches with our visit to Divine Mercy Church in Pasir Ris. Through the course of the year, as this group of faithful parents carried out their observance of the Year of Mercy, at each site we prayed for the intentions of SJI International students and families, as well as for the needs of our own families, the Church, and the world. And at each site we wrestled with the challenges that this Holy Year has offered to us, how to be merciful and forgiving in the face of injustices, pain, and suffering near and far. 11