The last day for our IB students Do you rember your last day at school? It is such a significant event and yet the IB examinations which begin today are the focus and for most of our Year 12 students leaving school does not seem quite real yet. It

25 May 2012

Electronic copy available at http://www.international.school.fj/docs/talanoa.pdf

Volume 8

Counselors Corner The last day for our IB students Do you remember your last day at school? It is such a significant event and yet the IB examinations which begin today are the focus and for most of our Year 12 students leaving school does not seem quite real yet. It

05 September, 2014

Electronic copy available at http://www.international.school.fj/docs/talanoa.pdf

Volume 6

Inside This Issue:

* Principal’s Report * Counselors Corner * Service Club Target * Upcoming Events * Primary Perspective * Hockey * School Council Update * Bula Wear Competition * ISS Senior Basketball * Plugged-In 2014 Program * Half-Marathon Sponsor Pledge Form * PTFA Article * Leadership Summit * Fijiwood Dance

Talanoa

Newsletter of International School Suva

Principal’s ReportPrincipal’s ReportPrincipal’s Report

Dear Parents and Guardians, I am delighted to inform you that Dan Shao has joined the staff at ISS and has started work in the Middle School teaching year 6 and year 7 Chinese. Dan graduated in Chinese Language and literature education from Shenyang University in 1999 and before taking up a post at International School Suva was teaching Chinese at Yat Sen School in Suva. I take this opportunity to thank Cynthia Chen and Carol Yao for teaching our middle school students of Chinese from the beginning of term two, when their former teacher left unexpectedly, until Mrs. Shao took over. As many of you are aware earlier this year the school was visited by a committee from our accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The visit followed the self study process which the school undertook during 2013 and 2014. The committee considers all aspects of school life under four categories:

Organization for student learning, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Support for student personal and academic growth, and Resource management and development

Following this visit the school was received further accreditation for six years and a comprehensive report from the WASC visiting committee. The next step of the process is for the school to develop the whole-school action plan from the information gathered in the self-study and the findings of the visiting committee. The report was received by the school in August and is currently being considered by both the staff and the School Council. A summary of the findings of the report will be posted on the school website in the next few weeks. As we look forward to the last two weeks of term I take this opportunity to invite you to the second Plugged-In Battle of the Bands completion, with special guest Knox, which will take place in the Multi-Purpose hall on Saturday 6th September from 6pm, and to view the year 5 PYP exhibition booths from 15th September. Finally, please be reminded that there will be no school on 17th September due to the national elections taking place on that day. Anna Marsden Principal

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UPCOMING EVENTS Term 3 & 4

Term 3 Week 09 Term 4 Week 01 Term 4 Week 03

Monday, September 8 Literacy/Library Week

Wednesday, 10 September

Young Writer's Day

Friday, 12 September Assembly - Year 5

Movie Night

Monday, 15 September PYP Exhibition Opening Night

Tuesday, 16 September

Primary Student-led Conferences PYP Exhibition school visits

Wednesday, September 17 Elections day - Public holiday

Friday, September 19

Peace Day Assembly

Monday, October 6  Teacher Only Day

 Tuesday, October 7  All students return

 Friday, October 10 

Fiji Day public holiday

Monday, October 13 ISA Assessment (Year 3 – 8)

Science Fair exhibition

Tuesday, October 14 ISA Assessment (Year 3 – 8)

Wednesday, October 15

ISA Assessment (Year 3 – 8)

Thursday, October 16 4pm Finance 5pm Council

Friday, October 17

FIJI DAY ASSEMBLY

Wednesday, October 22 

Science fair on MPH stage  

Thursday, October 23  Diwali public holiday

Thursday, October 30 

4pm Marketing Primary Halloween Social

 Friday, October 31 

Year 11 Social Talanoa

Term 3 Week 10 Term 4 Week 02 Term 4 Week 04

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From your Chair of Council The School Council meets twice a term as a full council and Council Committees meet at least once a term. In between these formal meetings, face-to-face, telephone and email conversations are also taking place. All members of the ISS School Council volunteer their services and elections take place at the school’s Annual General Meeting every March. Your current Council members are: Christian Adams, Nicholas Barnes, Bole Digitaki, Mark Halabe, Anna Marsden, Indira Sharma (Deputy Chair), Siobhan Sinclair, Lydia Sprankle, Kris Stice, Jacquelyn Terry (Chair), Neisau Tui-draki, Rosi Uluiviti and Michael Valverde.

Update from Council Committees

Facilities Committee The Facilities Committee continues to oversee the new building project and is working closely with the Finance Committee to ensure the project remains within budget. In addition the committee is working on plans for an access road running in front of the new building from Noko Noko Road to Ratu Dovi Road and brainstorming ideas regarding future building plans at the school.

Finance Committee The Finance Committee continues to work with the Facilities Committee overseeing costs on the new building. The internal budget setting process for 2015 has also started and will be completed in the first few weeks of next term. In every meeting the Finance Committee scrutinizes the financial accounts of the school. Governance Committee The Governance Committee has been exploring Council evaluation procedures and looking at ways to enhance the induction of new Council members. Furthermore, the Governance Committee continues to review the Articles of Association and oversee policy review.

Human Resources Committee The Human Resources Committee continues to review staffing needs and monitor staff recruitment and turnover. Work has continued on the staff exit interview form and the Committee will also be overseeing the revision of the opinion surveys.

Marketing Committee The Marketing Committee has continued to develop the school brand and to roll this out to printed material, the website and school merchandise. The Marketing Committee has also started working on the whole-school marketing plan.

Jacquelyn Terry Chair of Council

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Plugged-In 2014 Program 6 September

Host Miri Turagabeci

Judges

Igelese Ete Lai Veikoso Seru Serevi

Sponsors

BSP FM96

South Seas Music South Tex Ltd.

Competing Schools Gospel High School

International School Suva Latter Day Saints College

Marist Brothers High School Rishikul Sanatan College Suva Grammar School

Guest Performers

Knox

Schedule of Events

6:00 PM Opening ceremony and introductions. 6:15 PM Round 1 — Bands each perform two numbers and re-

ceive feedback from the judges at the end of their performance. Schools perform in alphabetical order.

7:30 PM People’s Choice Award. 7:45 PM Knox performs! 8:00 PM Round 2 — Top three finalists each perform their last

song and receive feedback from the judges. Schools perform in alphabetical order.

8:30 PM Knox performs! 8:45 PM Winners announced and final performance.

Venue: International School Suva Auditorium Lot 59 Siga Rd., Laucala Beach Estate, Suva

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Bula everyone… as term 3 comes to an end, it is certainly a favourable time to reflect on what has taken place over the course of the year and then to start working towards an even better term 4. All our work, planning, decision making and

stressing, will ultimately lead towards a brighter 2015. For some, Term 4 will definitely be a stress filled one. There will be students who are preparing for external examinations, those preparing for transition- from primary to secondary, from middle school to high school and from high school to tertiary studies. The list goes on... work experience preparation, catching up on assignments and assessment tasks, preparation for internal examinations and just finding time to do the things that need to be done. While the school holiday is a call for a well deserved break, think again, especially for students in the high school. The excitement of just holidays can easily upset a student’s learning momentum and more especially so for the Years’ 10 and 12 who are both preparing for external examinations. Ensure that your student understands that keeping some focus on school work will help them in the long run. Below, a few tips that may help in better managing your time and being good to yourself: MANAGING YOUR TIME In the time leading up to exams, study and revision should be a priority. Other commitments should be minimised (but not completely lost). Develop a study timetable – the amount of time devoted to revision for each course will vary depending on the course, the importance of the exam, and your ability in that course. Find out your exam timetable as soon as it is available and plan your study accordingly. Make sure you know everything about the exam possible (format, length, mark allocation, location, allowable materi-als etc) and determine how long questions should take to answer. Your time studying should be exactly that; not on face book or YouTube; not on your phone; not playing games; not cleaning your room. You still require adequate rest. If you do not get sufficient sleep you will not function at your best.

BEING GOOD TO YOURSELF A solid preparation equals reduced anxiety (stress) and increased confidence. Prepare well for exams. It is never too early in a year to start revising. Leaving it all to the last couple of days or weeks is not a solid preparation.

Maintain a balance in your life. You still need some time to socialise, relax, exercise and maintain your other interests. But, considerable effort does need to be devoted to doing the best you can in your exams. Eat well and sleep well. Stay away from foods that are not nutritious. Drink plenty of water. Minimise / eliminate (preferable) alcohol and drug intake. This includes drinks like coffee and energy drinks. Learn and practice ways of relaxing – meditation, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation etc. Stay away from people that irritate or annoy you. May we all have a safe and well deserved break and return refreshed for the new school term.

Fenella School Counsellor fdavid@international.school.fj

Advise for the next time you’re STRESSED:

Take a step back, inhale and laugh. Remember who you are and why you’re here…

You’re never given anything in this world that you can’t handle, Be strong, be flexible, love yourself and love others.

Always remember, just keep moving forward.

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With only two weeks left until our September break, we have much to reflect on with regards to learning in primary for Term 3. In between camps, excursions, exhibition and as-semblies, all classes have been busy in the class-rooms with their units of inquiry in collaboration with the specialist subject areas. This is where our transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning comes into play. This approach refers to learning that is authentic and relevant to the real world. Teachers, when effectively using this approach do not compartmentalize learning, but rather explore content within the context of inquiry. Rather than take a 40 minute lesson on data handling with tally marks and graphs as a stand-alone lesson, children in a PYP context would explore the same content but within their theme, for example, ‘Who we are’, students may notice that they all come from differ-ent countries. Teachers would then teach to that moment and investigate data handling by helping the students create a survey in order to observe, collect and record data about the nationalities repre-sented within their own classroom and school. Our year ones are currently focusing on human rights through the lens of multidisciplines, including PSPE with Mr Waqa. Our Reception students are cur-rently focusing on light and how it effects living things and the environment with Ms. Chandra in Hindi Studies, Mr Tim in Music and Mrs Stice in Vis-ual Arts. The inquiry topics should always be mean-ingful and relevant to the student and have rele-vance across subject areas. Learning that tran-scends their confines and connects with the real world! If you would like to know more about our transdisciplinary learning and teaching, come and see us. Ms Rosi, our PYP coordinator and I are always willing to discuss curriculum with our parents and caregivers.

Next week we celebrate literacy week once more, this time with a focus on spelling. Everyone I am sure has been busy learning their spellathon words in readiness for next Friday’s challenge. This was the chance for students to share with you all, how they learn spelling at school. There are many liter-acy activities on during this week as sent home via email last week to all parents and caregivers. You are all very welcome to attend any of our sessions at any time during the week. The book character parade is always lots of fun and this year we have including a pyjama Friday where students can come to school in their PJ’s and bring along their favourite bedtime story to share with their class.

The Year 5 PYP exhibition is also fast approaching. It’s busy times in the year 5 classrooms as they prepare for their exhibition night and week in the final week of term. All Year 5 students have been working hard to prepare their transdisciplinary in-quiries for display. We wish them every success for exhibition week! Appreciation is our last focus attitude for Term 3. Remember that “appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary!” (Margaret Cousins)

Keep an eye out in the last week of school for our last edition of the Primary Press for Term 3. Have a super fortnight! Karen

Primary Perspective

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Fijiwood Dance Competition

Two weeks ago we had a successful group of senior students perform in the Fijiwood Dance Competition at the National Gymnasium at Laucala Bay. The students only worked collaboratively for 4 weeks on this item and should be praised for their efforts. They were up against tough competition with schools competing from Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, and Suva. There were 21 schools in the competition with awards in a number of categories including Best Male and Female dancer. Unfortunately, our school did not come away with an award but the students said that the atmosphere out on stage was electric and the crowd was very supportive.

Nissan Pathfinder for Sale 2009 4.0 4WD TI - 7 Seats, Automatic

Good condition - Imported from

New Zealand in 2012

USD 25,000 – Duty not paid

If non-Diplomat, duty will be added to price

If interested please contact

Chris – 7776574 or cplus15@gmail.com

Vehicle is available mid-October

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SERVICE CLUB TARGETS THE SPCA

Please donate goods to our donation box soon to be located at the secondary gate. The Tuesday afternoon activity ‘Service Club’ has decided to fundraise for the SPCA. We have targeted this organization as one in great need as it survives on donations alone. This organization is taking responsibility for the abused and neglected ani-mals of Fiji and as such is most worthy of our assistance. On the 22nd of August we held a gold coin Mufti at school and then on the 30th staged a Bake Sale at the Pure Fiji Factory Outlet. Thanks to all the people that helped and supported us (including Pure Fiji) we have now raised $568. Irava at the SPCA has given us a list of things that the SPCA is ALWAYS IN NEED of. They include

Blankets Liquid bleach Soap powder Towels Steel wool Axion and of course food (dog and cat)

We aim to find ways to make our hard earned dollars stretch as far as possible and by contacting supply and wholesale companies, but you can also help by placing any of these items in our donation box (at the secondary gate) at anytime.

THIS IS NOT A DRIVE FOR THESE ESSENTIAL ITEMS! THE NEED IS CONSTANT AND ONGOING.

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HOCKEY Our hockey season has come to an end with Marcellin Primary winning the league Competition.

In the U/8 Grade and TLC winning the U/12. Our teams competed well with our under 8 finishing second in the Super 6 Tournament while the under 12 were losing semi-finalist. Despite these issues the players showed a lot of character, with two of our boys in the U/8 Toby Fuji Bennet getting the certificate of the most improved player, and James Meurig-Evans getting the most Valuable player. Also in the U/12 Luke Meurig-Evans got the most Valuable player and Tristan Whitefield got the most improved player. We look forward to bigger and better things next year.

Looking for a short-term Fiji Island living near Suva City for a minimum of 7 days?

Visit www.myfijihome.com for more information.

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ISS Senior Basketball From the 25th to the 28th of August, ISS competed in the 2014 National Tuckers Basketball Tournament. There were 21 schools from around Fiji competing, with over 700 student participants. ISS was represented by an Under 17 Girls’ team, captained by Emily Drakeford, as well as an Under 19 Boys’ team, captained by Joshua Uluiviti. Both teams faced tough competition and played very well. The Girls’ team hustled well, winning 2 out of 3 of the pool games. Unfortunately, there was a 3 way tie for first place within their pool of 4 teams, and since it was based on points accumulated, they finished 3rd, not progressing to finals. The Boys’ team had an excellent run, showing determination and perseverance, thriving within their pool of 4 different teams. They won all 3 of their pool games, being undefeated. The boys then progressed through to the quarter finals where they faced Natabua. The game was very well played from both sides, with a substantial catch up from the ISS boys in the last quarter, however, unfortunately after a long and close match, ISS came short by only a few points. Congratulations to both teams and all players! You should be proud! Emily Drakeford Year 11

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