WEEKLY COMMUNITY BULLETIN
The Principal’s corner
Learning in action!
Curiosity creates opportunity, empathy and growth.
Throughout the week I was able to observe lots of different examples of learning in action across our campus where curiosity played a key role: Kindergarten students on a numbers hunt, Grade 9s artfully creating a scale display of the solar system in physics, Grade 5s collaborating in music on pianos and xylophones as part of a pre-programming session for micro:bit and Grade 2s interviewing members of IST staff about their job to name a few. The privilege of working in a K-12 school is that you get to see all of this happening day-to-day, and across the different age groups. I am always amazed at how engaged our students are, and how brilliant they are at demonstrating high levels of curiosity, not only for the concepts they learn, but also with each other, and their immediate environment. They get to keep this curiosity beyond the classroom walls, and apply it in other contexts like our Forest School programme for the younger students, CAS activities in Grades 11 and 12, or unique service-learning opportunities like our Bandari Project trip to Tanzania next February (open to G9 and 11 students).
Friends of IST are nurturing this sense of curiosity for one another by hosting a welcome event for new families today, giving us opportunities to discover more about each other, where we are coming from, and what existing parents and colleagues can offer to support and ease these new transitions. This naturally leads me to highlight our upcoming Festival International (IST International Day) on October 13th, where we will all come together to celebrate our diversity in a number of ways. Please read the message below from Mr Noble - and do please save the date in your diaries!
Before I go, I want to acknowledge the impact of the earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya; we want to extend our thoughts, support and sympathy to all of our families and friends directly or indirectly affected by these exceptional events. Our sense of community and care for one another come to the forefront in moments like these.
Rachel Leonard
IST Principal
The Primary corner
We Value Each Other!
I think the word that would best describe our week would be collaboration. It was wonderful to see so many parents in school on Wednesday for “Meet the Teachers”. Thank you to the Friends of IST for organising the uniform sale on the same day. Students have been collaborating too: Grade 5 had to work together in P.E to tackle Adventure Challenges and Grade 1 listened actively to each other as a secret message was whispered throughout the class. To ensure we value each other when collaborating there have been many discussions about Class Essential Agreements and Protocols for Group Work.
Student council elections have also been happening and I look forward to collaborating with the student representatives and Parent Delegates soon.
Alison Pattinson
Head of Primary
The Secondary corner
STEAM this week!
We had a brilliant STEAM assembly from Ms Yoshinari and her students this week. The G6-10 STEAM club is a great opportunity for students to use their knowledge, their curiosity and their creativity in taking on some of the challenges facing our world today. Congratulations to those students involved last year and in particular those who won awards! Students should contact Ms Yoshinari if they are interested, we would love to see more of you sign up this year (20 spaces available)!
Nick Fretwell
Head of Secondary
#whatISThebuzz @IST next week?
Next Week | |
Monday 18 September Tuesday 19 September | Visit by Police Officers from the Securité de l' Ecole unit to deliver advice and support to our G6, G10, G11 and G12 students and discuss with them some of the situations they may be confronted with such as bullying or cyberbullying. They will talk about the dangers and effects of these issues both for victims and perpetrators and what the legal framework is surrounding this under French law. |
For your diaries - save the date! | |
Friday 13 October | Festival International (International Day) WE NEED YOU! - please let us know how you can take part and save the date! We are looking forward to welcoming the whole community on to our site to get together with friends, new and old, and celebrate the diversity of our community! With food, stalls and entertainment from all over the world it should be great fun! See all the details here, where there is also a sign-up sheet, and a call for help! Do please put the date in your calendar! |