25th January, 2019 Volume 7, Issue 125   

CONTENTS  Featured Story From the Primary Principal  Primary Learning Focus  From the Secondary Principal  Secondary Learning Focus  Introducing  From the PTA  

  IMPORTANT DATES  January 28th - New Family Orientation Morning (8:00 - 9:00 am) 31st - Secondary Trips Week Presentation to Parents February 1st - Primary Semester One Reports Published 2nd - PTA International Food Fair (12:00-3:00pm) 6th - MYP Music Concert 8th - 15th - D2 Practice Exams 8th - PYP Student-Led Conference 8th - PYP Art Exhibition 8th - Secondary Semester One Reports Published 

 

  

Featured Story 

 Inter-House Cross Country Run 

 

  The annual Cross Country Run was held on Wednesday, 23rd January. Students from P1 - D2                               participated in a variety of races.  

 

  

   

 

    It was fantastic to see our students take part with enthusiasm and to see so many parents and                                   teachers acting as positive role models by running.  

 

 

   

 

   

   

 On behalf of the PE Department, I'd like to thank you all for supporting the Cross Country event.   Mark Howarth Head of PHE  

 

 

 

 

  

From the Primary Principal 

 

Interhouse Cross Country Run Thank you to those parents who attended the Interhouse                 Cross Country Run, and a bigger thank you to those                   parents who were running with their children. The               students had a great day and were really motivated when                   they saw parents running with them. Every student who                 took part in the run scored a point for their House team. A                         big thank you to our PE team for organising the event.  Virtual Learning Another week, another Virtual Learning Day. I would like                 to say thank you again for your commitment to continuing                   the learning at home and ensuring that students do not                   break the routine of school.  

 Karen Crooke 

Last week, PYP teachers had further training on Google Classroom, and it was evident that                             students were engaged online throughout the day. The activities set this time were more focussed                             on students working independently, with minimal support from parents, and some of the                         conversations I have had, and pictures I have seen, have shown students happy, engaged and                             learning.  

 

Primary Learning Focus 

   

 

   Storytelling in P2 The P2 classes have started their           inquiry into the ancient art of           storytelling. The children are       already demonstrating their     confidence and enthusiasm.  

 

 

 

 

 They have already been       exploring different ways that       stories can be told. We have           created an Early Years Theatre         outside the classroom and a         walk through story map.  P2 Teaching Team  

 

  

From the Secondary Principal 

 

Semester One Reports Our Semester One Reports, for students in M1 to D1,                   will be issued on Friday, 8 February 2019. These are full                     written reports for each subject and cover the work                 students have been doing for the entire semester.   Secondary Trips Week – February 2019 The Secondary Trips Week will take place from 10th/11th                 to 15th February. Detailed information has been shared               with all students and parents. If you have not received                   any information or have queries, please contact Mr.               Melvin Kumar (melvin.kumar@stonehill.in)   

Narendra Mehrotra 

The final information session for parents and students will take place on Thursday, 31st                           January from 1:45 to 3:00pm in the MPH. All service providers will also be present for this                                 presentation.   D2 Practice Examinations The D2 practice examinations will commence on Friday, 8th February and end on Friday, 15th                             February.  Oakridge Codefest Winners  Congratulations to Sachin and Krutartha for winning INR 12, 500 and a trophy at the 24-hour                               Codefest organised by Oakridge International School, Bangalore.  Secondary Cross Country Run The Secondary Cross Country event was successfully completed on Wednesday, 23rd January.                       Thank you to Mr. Mark who was ably assisted by Ms. Zoe, Ms. Amanda, Mr. Avinash, Ms. Vandana                                   and Mr. Karan. It was wonderful to see almost all students participating, including many staff                             members and parents, which really contributed to the positive atmosphere during the event.   

 

 

  D1 Presentations This week, some of our D1 students are giving a presentation on their experience after their first                                 semester examinations for this year.  

  

       

 

  

Secondary Learning Focus 

 D1 Language Acquisition Semester One Exam - Student Reflections 

 

 

The audio and reading texts helped us             understand what kind of questions to expect in               our final IB exams in D2. The audio text was a bit                       intimidating, as the people were speaking fast             with unique accents. However, I’m happy to say I                 was able to do better than I expected. Overall, it                   was a good experience as I got to test all aspects                     of my Spanish understanding and learn how I               can improve in the language.  

Zachary 

Since we had already experienced the format for               all our Spanish papers, we were able to               immediately comprehend the questions and get           into the test. We were given an ample amount of                   time for the writing test, as well as enough time                   to read the three texts on the reading test.                 Although the listening texts were a bit hard to                 follow, we were able to understand them.             Overall, we had a good experience with the               Spanish exams.  

Sachin  

 

The Semester One Exam tested us on three core                 skills in Spanish - writing, reading, and listening.               Having done similar tests last year, I found it                 encouraging that I was able to write more and                 understand more when listening and reading.           The listening test went especially well, as I was                 able to keep up with the fast pace of the audio. It                       also exercised my critical thinking skills in order               to choose the right statements.    

Karthik 

 

 

Students and teachers from the school told me               my French is good and that I don't need the                   Semester One Exams to prove it. So why do I                   need to take the French exams? Well, I think                 exams are really important because they give             you more than a grade; exams teach you how to                   work under pressure, to follow a set format and                 push yourself to the limits to get the best out of                     the experience.  

Jose Pedro   

   

Upcoming Events in the Language Acquisition Department  

● Tuesday, February 5th: Chinese New Year ● Wednesday, March 20th: Francophonie Day 

 Ms. Dorothee Chareyron Head of Language Acquisition Department    

D1 Students Win Grand Prize at Oak Codefest 2019  

On the 19th and 20th of January this year, Krutartha and I attended the Oak Codefest 2019 conducted                                   at the Oakridge International School and bagged the Second Grand Prize. As part of the hackathon, we                                 built an Android application that functioned as a helpful aid to geography. We integrated a Liquid                               Galaxy, or an immersive display of screens displaying Google Earth into the project. We also had a                                 quiz section where the user could test their knowledge. We incorporated artificial intelligence into this                             section of the app as well.   There were several innovative ideas that were brought to life in the hackathon, including an app that                                 aids the traffic police by detecting potholes, an artificial intelligence model that recognizes sign                           language, and more.Overall, we had a great experience in the hackathon. 

 Sachin, D1 

          

 

  

Introducing  

Each week we feature a Stonehill Teacher in our weekly                   bulletin. This week we interviewed PYP Coordinator,             Anthony Hamblin.  Qualification and certifications:  MA in Educational Leadership and Management, PGCE             Early Years, BA Acting  What do you teach at Stonehill? I’m the PYP Coordinator, which means that I am                 responsible for the Primary Curriculum. You will also               find me in classrooms with the students, working with                 teachers and parents during meetings and workshops,             and supporting PE events and Productions. I also teach                 Performing Arts to the P5s!  Where are you from and where else have you lived? I’m originally from London and that is where I had my                     first teaching position. I was then in Azerbaijan for 5                   years as an Early Years Teacher Leader.  What inspired you to become a teacher? Before becoming a teacher I had a few different                 careers. The most influential in my life was Acting. 

 Anthony Hamblin 

I had been acting since I was a child, both during and after drama school I had an opportunity to                                       tour primary schools with short performances and pantomimes. I realised that I enjoyed                         supporting learning in the classroom. I was also a Teaching Assistant at an Inner London School                               for a couple of years before becoming a teacher.  What is your educational philosophy? I would say that I’m all about agency - the opportunity to give students (and our teachers) voice,                                   choice and ownership over their learning, and collaboration.  What made you choose Stonehill? The students are what makes Stonehill such an amazing place to work. I have also really enjoyed                                 living in India, especially eating as many new, different things as I can.  What is the best part of your job? Being able to drop into classrooms and being a part of the student’s learning journey.  What are your hobbies and interests? I like all things tech and love trying to get it into our student’s hands. I’m also a big fan of singing                                           and dancing.       

 

 

What is your favourite book? I would have to say anything written or illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, including ‘The Day The Crayons                                 Quit’ by Drew Daywalt. I’m also enjoying ‘The Innovator's Mindset’ by George Couros.  What is your favourite music? I like any and all music, but my favourites are tunes from the late 1990s (think Savage Garden and                                     5ive) and Third Wave Ska (Less than Jake and Reel Big Fish). This music is not for kids though! 

 

From the PTA 

 

PTA International Food Fair - 2019 

The PTA is busy putting the final touches to this year’s International Food Fair. Bring your friends and                                   neighbours along - the more, the merrier! 

Best regards, 

Team PTA 

 

  

 

 

   

Cafeteria Menu 

 A detailed monthly menu can now be downloaded from the menu page on the school website. 

It contains the Continental, Indian and Boarding Menus.