newsletter 2

Volume 7 Issue 5 06 November 2013
newsletter
VISS
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL
READING
their children. Dads – this is your responsibility
too. Not only will you be helping your child,
but you will have some very special moments
that come only from spending time together
discovering the joys of books.
concerned at the amount of time our children
spend in front of an electronic screen and the
influence that this may have on their minds.
How do we manage this? The best way I believe
is a combination of good parental supervision
and helping our children learn to think (and
Lastly, in the electronic world we live read). I found the following suggestions as to
in, reading is not just an escape but a vital how to minimise any negative impact from time
antidote to the instant nature of image. spent in front of the various screens we all have:
It encourages imagination, creativity,
and independence, and its importance Watch with them – especially movies, and
should never be underestimated. There is speak up or turn the TV/computer off when you
considerable research that has shown that hear or see something that you find offensive.
children who watch a lot of television can
end up doing more poorly in school, may be Turn it off. Limit the amount of time your
more likely to have attention problems, and children (especially young children) spend in front
may have problems with self-control and of the TV/computer, and turn off any shows that
moral judgment. Reading is a much better you believe do not support your family’s values.
alternative.
●
Dr Roderick Crouch
Principal
T
he Sharjah International Book Fair
opened this week and our newsletter
celebrates the power and importance of
reading. Ms Gayle has provided some tips
about helping your child read. To these I
would simply add the following:
● Helping your child read (especially
in at least two languages) is one of the
greatest gi s we can give our children. It
is the basis of all other learning and so is
too important to a skill to be le to the
maid.
● Both parents - mums and dads - should
find the time to read or tell stories with
Keep it out of their rooms. Being able
In thinking about television and computers,
recently there have been a number of articles
in the newspaper over what access should
children have to the internet and other
forms of electronic media. For example, it
has been suggested that children under 18
should be banned from internet cafes. This
would be fairly pointless as our children all
have access to these things at both their own
and their friends’ homes! We all can become
to see the computer screen is a vital way to
keep tabs on what your children are viewing.
Talk and listen in. After watching a show,
have a conversation about the type of behaviours
that are good to follow, and those that aren’t.
Understand that watching violence
breeds violence. Many studies have shown
that children who watch a lot of violent
...continued
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programming, play violent computer or video games, and play music that glorifies violence are more prone to acting out in violent ways
than other children.
Don’t give in. If your children beg for video games, music or DVDs that you feel are inappropriate, ignore their pleas and don’t buy
them.
Help them understand real from fantasy. Stress that the shows are not real and that ac ng out what they’re viewing can be
dangerous.
Set a good example. Encourage ac vi es that involve the whole family that don’t involve a television, computer or game console.
Dr Roderick Crouch
Principal
FROM THE SECONDARY SCHOOL
T
his week marks the beginning of the Sharjah Book fes val and once again VISS con nues
its strong connec on with this wonderful annual event. Over the course of the week VISS
students from across the school will be involved in a fes val of literature. A number of our
Junior School students have been invited to a end the opening ceremony on Wednesday, whilst
our IB Arabic group will also be a ending the fes val to expand their understanding of Arabic
and regional literature. We are also lucky to welcome some of the acclaimed authors, who are
a ending the fes val, here at school. On Wednesday and Thursday students from Grade 8-11
will have the opportunity to meet and to hear two writers in our library- Marcus Sedgwick and
Tahir Shah. These visits are always very popular with our students and without doubt they
encourage a greater understanding amongst our students of the cra and joy of story wri ng.
Mr Dean Pyrah
Deputy Principal
Head of Secondary School
Also this week all of our IB students will complete their Group 4 Science project over two days.
This compulsory project focuses our student’s a en on on collabora on and group work as they
co-operate together to complete their mandatory project. The ability to work collabora vely to solve problems and to complete
complex tasks is an essen al life skill in the modern world and is something that is at the core of our learning at VISS.
It was a pleasure to see so many performing arts acts at this week’s assembly. We witnessed a wonderful performance from our
Grade 10 Drama students who performed a short conceptual piece and we also saw the first performance from our burgeoning band
program with a number of students across the Middle School illustra ng their growing exper se with their musical instruments.
Next week we are lucky to host Mr Waleed Aly, a well know Muslim Australian, who is on a speaking tour of the Middle East
sponsored by the Australian government. Waleed will give a workshop with our Senior School students and will also talk to our
student body. Waleed is a frequent commentator on Australian Muslim affairs and is also an ex IB student. He is a spokesperson for
the Islamic Council of Victoria and his insights into the important place of Muslims within Australian society are insigh ul.
Mr Dean Pyrah
Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary School
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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PINK WALKATHON 2013
O
n Friday 1 November, bright and early, students from VISS joined 15000 others to par cipate in the Safe and Sound 2km Pink
Walkathon. This annual event, now in its 10th year, was held at Zaabeel Park, and was followed by a carnival with rides, music and
LOTS of food. Par cipants were required to pay 50 dirhams; with all proceeds going to breast cancer research and to assist survivors
and their families.
Most students from VISS who par cipated, did so as part of their CAS program for IB. A big thank you to Yasmeen and Nour in DP1,
who organised par cipa on forms, collected money and distributed T-shirts. Also, thank you to Ms Lynda, Ms Julie, Ms. Rabab and
Ms Gillian, for coming along to support the students. It was warm and it was crowded but it was great fun, and for a great cause. Well
done to all students who made the effort to take part!
Ms Hediah Kadous
DP Student Welfare & CAS Coordinator
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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APPS OF THE WEEK
SENIOR SCHOOL
Evernote – Free (with sign up)
O
rganisa on is what all students need. Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you
remember everything across all the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and
improve produc vity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists and even
record voice reminders.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Quick Maths - AED 7.29
Q
uick Maths improves arithme c fluency and promotes development of mental strategies
for addi on, subtrac on, mul plica on, division and mixed opera ons. A great app to
increase speed and accuracy and to promote self confidence in maths.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Todo Math - Free
T
odo K-2 Math Prac ce is a series of 7 fun and engaging mul -level games that offer
children prac ce and support in KG through 2nd grade math fluency skills including:
coun ng, wri ng numerals, addi on and subtrac on. A fantas c app to get students develop
their love for maths.
PARENT IPAD WORKSHOP
A
huge thank you to all who a ended last week’s iPad Workshop. It was fantas c to see
more than 60 parents and students working together using educa onal apps. We covered
many topics of the program, notably its use as an educa onal tool for enhanced engagement
in student learning. Overall a very posi ve and informa ve session for all.
The Prezi presenta on is available at h p://www.prezi.com/pq-totwv86ut/
We look forward to holding the next Parent Workshop in Term 2.
Mr Coby Reynolds
iPad and eLearning coordinator
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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ARTS, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (ADT)
Year 10 Elective Drama Performance
T
he Year 10 Elec ve Drama class performed at Assembly this week. The class
has been developing playbuilding skills and working with the elements of
Drama. Developing original work assists students in developing collabora on,
communica on and crea ve skills. They must also become resilient and be willing
to reflect and improve on their work as they move towards the final performance.
Congratula ons Year 10 for an excellent performance.
Mr Jon Suffolk
Head of Faculty Arts Design and Technology
MUSIC NEWS
T
his term Grade 8 Music students are learning how to create and perform rhythmic os na . In class, they are working in groups to
create and perform a rhythmic composi on based on their study of the groups,"STOMP" and "Weapons of Sound". Following this,
the Year 8 will explore the topic ‘Jazz’ where they will learn how to play, perform and compose using the 12 bar blues.
The Grade 7 students have been studying how to write a musical soundscape using graphic nota on. A er this, Grade 7 will study music
from other cultures with an emphasis on improvising and composing based on the pentatonic scale.
MUSIC ACADEMY
I
f your child is interested in con nuing to learn, or in beginning to learn a musical instrument, VISS Music Academy offers a Private
Tui on Program for selected instruments. If your child has had experience playing a musical instrument, they may like to consider
joining the VISS band.
...continued
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[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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The following ensembles have commenced rehearsals for 2013/14:
VISS Singers
Director: Ms Nevann Hardwick
This ensemble is open to all Grades 6 - 13 students, and is a fantas c way to make friends and enjoy singing as a group. They rehearse
on Sundays at 12.50 pm.
VISS Band
Director: Mr Andrew Marshall / Ms Nevann Hardwick
Suitable for beginner / elementary woodwind & brass students. Entry by consulta on with Mr Andrew and Ms Nevann. This group
rehearses on Tuesdays at 12.50 pm.
Guitar Ensemble
Entry by consulta on with Ms Nevann & Mr Phil.
Recorder Ensemble
Entry by consulta on with Ms Nevann.
Small ensembles are formed as extension ac vi es for more advanced students, or where there is a need to offer a performing
opportunity for interested students. A condi on of being in a small ensemble is par cipa on in a large ensemble.
Ms Nevann Hardwick
Director of Music
VISS NETBALL TEAM
W
e are excited to report that VISS Netball is going from strength to strength. 68 girls are
training each week, and the school is hos ng the EISSA Netball league.
We would like to thank all of our students, staff and parents for their support and a special
thank you to our new coaches Nicole Williams, Nicole Scholtz, Janet Thomas and Jillian Olle.
The next encounter for the EISSA Netball League will be on Tuesday 12 November from 4pm
Parents and families are welcome to a end and support the teams.
Mrs Carolina Gonzalez
Head Coach
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL & EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
Y
esterday, Grade 4 students, Ms Reshama Gholekar and I were fortunate to attend the Official
Opening of Sharjah International Book Fair. It was a wonderful event showcasing a range of
specifically designed children’s literacy activities on offer. There were numerous titles of books on
display covering various subjects in literature, science, knowledge, culture, and philosophy.
The Fair is conducted from 16 November 2013 at the Sharjah Expo Centre.
At VISS we aim to develop in students a love of literacy pursuits for a variety of purposes. This
week’s newsle er contains ar cles explaining aspects of the literacy program in both the ELC
and Primary School. Ms Reshma, ELC Curriculum Coordinator, highlights in her ar cle the literacy
support provided to all our students and how the teachers engage the students in conversa on.
Ms Gayle Roads
Head of Primary School & ELC
Photographs show how we encourage the children to respond to reading texts through expressive
language ac vi es. Reading to children, and reading o en, is an essen al way we incorporate literacy into the daily sessions.
Mr James, Primary Curriculum Coordinator has wri en an ar cle about the primary school reading program. He explains how learning
to read is central to the children’s learning and the development of literacy skills for all students. He notes the role reading at school
and home has in helping create confident communicators, imagina ve thinkers and informed ci zens.
It is opportune that I share some handy hints about how parents can help their child with
reading and literacy activities at home:
❶
Provide the opportunity for your child to watch you enjoy reading. A variety of reading materials such as newspapers, magazines
or books will demonstrate reading for different purposes.
❷ Read aloud some interesting sections or amusing parts of your favorite book.
❸ Read many stories with rhyming words and repeated lines and encourage your child to join in on these parts.
❹ Once your child begins to read independently take turns reading to each other. This is also a great time to begin to read longer
stories - perhaps a chapter or two a day.
For more handy hints about helping your ELC or primary age child with literacy at home, please refer to the attachments on VISS
Communicator. These attachments are in both Arabic and English.
On another note, we are pleased to introduce a new VISS Values Awards sec on within the school newsle er. Ms Bernade e explains
in her ar cle the purpose of these new student awards. We congratulate the first recipients of these awards. We look forward to the
fortnightly celebra ons of students’ achievements related to our core school values of integrity, learning, community, excellence
and diversity.
Ms Gayle Roads
Head of Primary School & ELC
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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READING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
L
earning to read is central to the learning and development of all students.
Along with writing and speaking and listening, reading helps create confident
communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. As students move
through the levels of schooling the goal is for them to become independent
readers who choose to read for many different purposes.
In the Primary School, teachers use books and online texts that have meaning and
continually reinforce the fact that reading for meaning is important. Learning to
read does not happen all at once. It involves a number of stages that eventually
lead to fluency and independence. In the Primary School, students are given
daily opportunities to read and be exposed to reading. Students are involved in
shared reading of wonderful texts with the teacher, where they enjoy the story, discuss their thinking and work on reading strategies
together. They have the opportunity to be involved in guided reading sessions where students at the same developmental level work
with the teacher. At this time the texts are more advanced as the teacher works with students in further developing their reading
skills. There is also the opportunity to read independently where the students will select a text to read on their own.
Home reading is important in helping to support students reading development. Each student will bring home a book to read each
day. This book is selected to ensure that that students can read this book with ease and they develop confidence in their own reading
ability and continue to improve the fluency of what they read.
Students in our school also visit the library each week and select a library book to borrow. This is a great chance to spend some time
reading to and with your child enjoying the wonderful stories and illustrations found in many library books.
Ms James Whiteacre
Primary School Curriculum Coordinator
THE PRIMARY SCHOOL ART ROOM
Art can be used as a tool to communicate ideas and feelings.
In the Primary School Art room students from Grade 3 and 4
have been using water colour paints and crayons to create
posters which promote the Go Green message, ‘Recycle, Reuse
and Reduce.’ Their completed works have been submitted into
the Go Green Art competion open to all UAE Primary School
students.
Ms Jennifer Tully
Art & Drama Teacher, Primary School
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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NEWS FROM THE MUSIC CLASSROOM / PRIMARY SCHOOL
T
he students in Grade 1 are exploring sound through listening and creating their own sounds. They are learning how to manipulate
the classroom percussion instruments and all have had great fun singing songs and accompanying them on instruments.
In Grade 2 the students are exploring duration. To do this, they are identifying long and short sounds in music and creating long and
short vocal and instrumental sounds. The students have also been developing their singing performance and recently performed
‘Freight Train’ in the Grade 2 assembly.
The Grade 3 students have been exploring descriptive sounds. They have been listening to a variety of songs and pieces of music that
describe different animals and have been recognising how musical elements are used to aid these descriptions. The students have
also been developing their instrumental performance through playing the xylophones and glockenspiels in class.
The recorder program is a fantastic opportunity for all pupils in Grade 4 to learn an instrument. Through teaching the recorder we also
integrate the reading of musical notation. The pupils have made a fantastic start and are working towards performing in the Grade 4
Recorder Concert which is planned for Term 3.
The Grade 5 students are developing their singing and performance skills in preparation for the Grade 5 production of "We Are
Monsters". The students are becoming stronger and more confident in their performance with each lesson and we are all really
excited about the forthcoming performances of the musical which are planned for Term 3.
Throughout the Primary School there are a number of continuing students as well as many new students to the Music Academy.
Pupils may choose from piano, violin, flute, clarinet and saxophone in the Primary School and we look forward to seeing some
fantastic performances by our Music Academy students throughout the year.
Ms Jade Curran
Music Teacher
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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LITERACY IN THE ELC
‟There are many li le ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books
is the best of all.” Jacqueline Kennedy
DATES FOR YOUR
DIARY:
alk into any ELC classroom and you will see that our children are immersed in
literacy. The Australian Early Years Learning Framework embraces literacy through
its communication and learning outcomes. These outcomes focus on the importance
of children interacting verbally and nonverbally for a range of purposes. Skills such as
talking, listening, predicting, inquiring and story-based play are a big focus in the ELC.
Teachers use nursery rhymes, music, and a wide variety of high quality and interesting
texts to engage the children.
3SM Basketball Challenge –
VISS
Teachers place an emphasis on the development of strong oral communication skills
in their students by continually modeling appropriate language skills, such as proper
greetings and good manners. We are also constantly conversing with children, as well as
encouraging them to ask questions and to seek answers. Children practise their listening
skills while the teacher or other peers speak during 'mat time'. Learning how to wait for
their turn to speak and when to converse are important skills which all children need
constant practice to develop.
Grade 10 Camp
W
• Friday 8 November
Grade 8 Camp
• 17 – 19 November
• 18 – 21 November
Grade 9 Camp
• 19 – 21 November
AdvancED Accreditation visit
In addition to being exposed to rich and varied oral language, the classrooms in the ELC
offer a text rich environment. Children spend time each day looking through books and our
walls are filled with pictures of objects with the matching written words. Understanding
that written symbols have meaning and make words is a critical step in early literacy.
During play children often begin to write in order to represent their ideas on paper as
they discover that certain symbols have meaning. This scribbling or early mark making is
actually a first step in learning to write.
Another key part of our literacy framework is the focus on storytelling and dramatic play.
Our teachers choose rich stories with engaging plots and vivid characters that appeal to
children. After reading the story aloud several times and making students familiar with
the characters and new vocabulary, the teacher encourages the children to portray the
story through drama. This dramatic play increases the children’s ability to speak in front
of others, builds confidence, and enriches vocabulary.
• 18 – 21 November
VCE Graduation Assembly
• Monday 18 November
VCE Graduation Dinner
• Saturday 23 November
Whole School UAE
Celebration Day
• Wednesday 27 November
Parents can support their children’s early literacy by engaging them in conversation and
by using rich and expressive language. Reading to children, and reading often, is an
essential way to incorporate literacy into their lives.
Ms Reshma Kudrolli
ELC Coordinator
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999
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AWARD SYSTEM IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL
The beginning of any school year can be a challenging time for teachers , students and families. Establishing high expectations for
student engagement, performance and achievement and, of course, behaviour is required, so effective learning can take place.
The VISS values of: Excellence, Learning, Integrity, Community and Diversity are the springboard from which the students are
encouraged to live their lives, and they are challenged to demonstrate these values in everything they do. Creating a classroom
environment that reinforces positive behavior, stimulates attention and makes teacher expectations clear to the students is imperative
to implementing this school-wide approach.
This term the students have been engaged in a variety of activities to explore these values, and discover what they mean to them at their
particular grade level and how they can apply these values to their daily life and put them into action.
Our Primary School award system is based on seeing these values in practice.
For demonstrating the VISS values the student gains a signature at the back of their diary to acknowledge their efforts, and once they
have received 10 signatures at the back of their diary they will receive a certificate signed by Dr Rod and Ms Gayle to congratulate them
on their achievement.
Congratulations to the following students for their consistency in demonstrating the VISS values.
We look forward to acknowledging more students in future newsletters.
VISS VALUES AWARD WINNERS
Til Pawleka
Joury Kaddoura
Hissa Alsarkal
Alamira Liyan Eltahir
Hasan Alsari
Zaid Foudeh
Gerome Steininger
Yahia Hamad
Abdullah Abou Elleil
Harriett Whiteacre
Milana Whiteacre
Adria Carvahlo
Zinedine Hammad
Farah Alsari
Abdulrahman Alissa
Fatima Alsherayani
Tawfeeq Abu Safieh
Ramsha Iqbal
Aysha Khan
Aleksandra Sinelschikova
Hiba Sagheer
Marjan Mohammad Yusuf
Abdulmabood Alissa
Hanif Kapetanovic
Abdulrahman Dhannoon
Sufyan Siddiq Patel
Zain Yar Khan
Saeed Kanakh
Shahd Mardom
Elmoatasm Bila Amer
Hussein Nasser
Bernadette O’Sullivan / Deputy Head of Primary School and ELC
www.viss.ae
[email protected]
Tel: +971 6 577 1999