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VOLUME 22 – SPRING 2013
Wellbeing is an integral part of ISP’s
spirit. A few years back we asked parents
an open question about what makes the
school special, and one of the most
frequent replies was that ISP is friendly
and welcoming. The long tradition of
caring about one another is also evident
in the many testimonials that our
alumni write.
Recently, the spirit of wellbeing has
been enhanced with structure. At ISP,
wellbeing is much more than a value
statement, and we have a very practical,
hands-on and preventive approach to
these – sometimes delicate – issues.
Our goal is to ensure that each and
every student’s wellbeing needs are met
in the best possible way, while taking
into account the safety and interests of
the school community. This is a diffi cult
task, but thanks to the new structures,
increased training and growing expertise
in this area, ISP continues to strike the
wellbeing balance.
From the Head of School ............................ 2
Admissions Team ............................................. 2
Wellbeing Structures at ISP ........................ 4
Questions for the School Counselor ...... 5
Primary School Wellbeing ........................... 6
The School Nurse ............................................. 6
Moving Up to the Big School ..................... 7
PSE in the Secondary School .................... 8
iPSE – Empowering the Individual ....... 10
PSPE in the PYP Curriculum ..................... 11
Parent Testimonial ...................................12
the tribuneThe Journal of the International School of Paris
Wellbeing at ISP – Caring for One and All
sum
mar
y
Volume 22 – Spring 2013 1
In my previous professional
life, I had the privilege of working
in family therapy. Later on, I
worked as a School Counselor,
and was also tasked with teaching
a ‘Social Skills’ program. Already
then, being aware of potential
personal issues and their dynam-
ics was an important part of
personal development. In this
sense, the world has not changed.
What has changed, however, is
the diversity of issues and forums
in which they can arise, especially
via the internet and social media.
I am very proud of the consider-
able time and resources we have
focused at ISP to help students
develop good life choices,
because these are essential for
the future, as well as at school.
ISP used to be small enough for
a natural ‘high touch’ focus on
student needs. As we have grown,
we have formalized support
structures, and named Vice-
Principals of Wellbeing in both
Primary and Secondary Schools
who have teams that both gather
information, and make sure that
the right people are there to
support students appropriately
and in a timely fashion.
Just yesterday one of our
graduating students came to me
spontaneously, to tell me how
wonderfully ISP had supported
her over the past seven years. To
me, that is a sure sign that our
support systems and, indeed, all
our staff , are working well.
From the Head of SchoolAudrey Peverelli
As the fi rst point of contact at
the school, the ISP Admissions
Team (Catherine Hard, James
Cooper and Courtney Knight)
gives students and families their
fi rst experience of the school’s
wellbeing support systems. As
Catherine says: ‘Opening a new fi le
and meeting a family for the fi rst
time is like embarking on a new
and exciting adventure. There are
always new discoveries to be made,
most of them positive and each
one unique. Families, especially
students, are often nervous at fi rst,
which is why empathy and the abil-
ity to put people at ease are crucial
skills for an admissions offi cer.’
As with any new relation-
ship, the one between a pro-
spective family and ISP begins
with getting acquainted. ‘It is a
wonderful opportunity for us to
be introduced to so many amaz-
ing and talented students with
interesting backgrounds and great
potential,’ Catherine explains.
The Admissions Team can become
quite intimately involved with
the lives of incoming families and
what they are going through at
that particular moment. The emo-
tional and relational dynamics of
a family are always complex, and
these can be magnifi ed in a period
of transition.
‘It is our job to distinguish
between the immediate, short-
term turbulence that the family
might be experiencing and any
long-term issues or well-being
needs that have to be considered.’
The team achieves this through a
thorough and rigorous application
process. ‘It is our task to make sure
that each student we admit will
be able to access support he or
she needs, while always remaining
mindful of the wellbeing of
the ISP community as a whole,’
says James.
The application review process
often involves reading between
the lines, which is where the
Admissions Team’s combined
experience of more than 20 years
comes in. The fi nal decision on any
application is made after close
consultations with a number of
other ISP colleagues and a dialogue
with the candidate’s parents and
previous school. In doing this, it is
usually possible to identify any rel-
evant individual wellbeing issues,
and to make sure that the school is
well-informed and has strategies
and resources available to success-
fully support the student.
James continues: ‘Supporting
the wellbeing of prospective
students and parents is a key part
of the story. However, it is also
important to do everything we
can to safeguard the wellbeing
of the existing ISP community.
While we do not exclusively look
for students who are academic
superstars, we are very careful to
admit candidates who have the
potential to bring something spe-
cial to the community. We review
each application in depth, so that
Admissions Team:Custodians of Wellbeing Interview by Tuija Wallgren, Offi ce of External Aff airs
2 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.eduThe Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu
we can develop an accurate idea
of how that student’s presence in
the community is likely to infl u-
ence its other members. In cases
where we feel the infl uence on
the school community would be
primarily negative, we may not feel
able to off er a place to the appli-
cant in question.’ Sometimes it also
appears that ISP is not the best fi t
for a family for other reasons, or
there simply is no space available
for the children. In those cases the
team often assists the family in
fi nding an alternative school.
James and Catherine are very
grateful for the support they
receive from their colleagues.
‘We get strong support from the
wellbeing team and other col-
leagues. Everyone takes admis-
sions decisions very seriously.
Also, we feel that Ms. Peverelli, our
Head of School, truly understands
and values the importance of our
work, which may not be the case in
all schools. At ISP, we have a true
collaboration.’
Once a student is accepted, it is
time for the Admissions Team to
let go, and follow the results from
the sidelines. ‘We often become
very attached to the families
during the sometimes lengthy
admissions process. It is great to
meet the parents again at the New
Parent Gathering, to see that for
the vast majority of them the anxi-
eties have disappeared. Parents
are generally happy and surprised
at how easy the transition has
proven to be’, Catherine says. ‘Our
teachers and supporting staff are
truly caring, and the atmosphere
at ISP is warm and welcoming.
The best part is to witness how
the children blossom. During my
many admissions tours I often see
recently admitted students in their
new environment, surrounded by
their new friends. Getting that big
smile from a previously shy and
insecure student is the most
gratifying moment of this job!’
Admissions
Coordinators
Catherine Hard
and James Cooper
with their Assistant,
Courtney Knight
(center).
Catherine Hard gives
a tour of the Primary
School campus to a
prospective student
and his family.
Volume 22 – Spring 2013 3
The raison d’être of schools
is to facilitate learning. Every
school’s institutional structures
and expectations mirror the diff er-
ent kinds of learning they value.
Like all schools, we at ISP value
the learning of diff erent academic
literacies and their accompanying
skill sets, and this is clearly visible
in our daily routines, interactions
between students and teachers,
as well as in our investment in
resources. However, we also nur-
ture each child’s personal, social
and emotional development. The
personal nature of this practice
may make it less obvious, but it
is evident across our school. Both
sections of the school have their
own Vice Principals of Wellbeing.
Their task is to ensure that we can
provide a safe, healthy and har-
monious learning environment for
each and every individual student.
The Primary School Wellbeing
Team consists of classroom teach-
ers, Grade Level Coordinators,
School Counselor and Vice-
Principal of Wellbeing. The
Secondary School has a bit larger
Wellbeing Team – in addition to the
homeroom staff , Heads of Grades,
School Counselor and Secondary
School Vice-Principal of Wellbeing,
it includes PSE teachers and men-
tors. Considerable investment is
made in supporting each student’s
personal, social and emotional
learning journey.
Our Wellbeing Teams are guided
by an understanding of the space
that can divide the demands of
institutional education and the
emotional needs of our students.
Our young people are learning
about how ‘to be in the world,’
both as scholars and as individu-
als, and there are demands that are
sometimes challenging to recon-
cile. The Human Givens Institute
outlines a number of emotional
needs that we all have in order to
remain healthy. These are:
• Security — a safe environment
which allows us to develop
• Attention (to give and receive it)
• Sense of autonomy and control to
make responsible choices
• Emotional intimacy — to know
that at least one other person
accepts us totally for who we are
• Feeling part of a wider community
• Privacy to refl ect and consolidate
experience
• Sense of status within social
groupings
• Sense of competence and
achievement
• Meaning and purpose — which
come from being stretched in what
we do and think.
— www.hgi.org.uk
We know that as teenagers
begin to defi ne their identity they
seek autonomy, privacy and status
outside the home and outside
school. However, students cannot
always be autonomous in a school
day almost entirely directed by
others. It might also be diffi cult to
have a sense of status, or a sense of
competence or achievement, espe-
cially if academics are not really
where the student excels. Schools
are not private places – students
achieve (or not) in public, including
the publication of diploma exami-
nation results – so they might get
attention, but not always in the
way they need. This may sound like
a recipe for rebellion – but at ISP
this is not the case.
ISP acknowledges the emotional
needs of our students. We do not
regulate against them. Our teach-
ers do a great job because they
know that learning about the self
is the hardest thing any of us ever
do. Sometimes traditional aca-
demic structures do not meet the
emotional needs of students, and
it takes careful support strategies,
patience, courage and consider-
able personal skill to assist and
advocate for students who may
be in the space between what
school off ers and what they need
emotionally. Our Wellbeing Team
bridges that space, and off ers a
secure framework for students to
learn about themselves, providing
what may be the most valuable
learning experience that happens
at ISP.
Wellbeing Structures at ISP by Barry Mansfi eld, Secondary School Principal
4 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu
Seven Questions for ISP’s Counselor, Régine Leclerc Interview by Tuija Wallgren, Offi ce of External Aff airs
What are your qualifi cations and background?
I am a counseling psychologist with 22 years of
teaching experience, and I am currently preparing
a doctorate in education, focusing on relationships
between home and school.
How long have you been at ISP?
I have been here for seven years. Initially, I worked
together with a specifi c anti-bullying committee to
create ISP’s anti-bullying policy and I also introduced
the PSE curriculum. The main long-term work has been
to develop a ‘counseling space’ for students.
What does a school counselor do?
Being a school counselor is a very versatile and varied
job. In addition to off ering support and guidance, a school
counselor acts as a link between the support structures
within the school and external agencies. The counse-
lor plays a key role in identifying possible wellbeing
issues, informing and working with families and giving
referrals to external specialists if necessary. Students
may walk in at any time, or be sent by the wellbeing
team or a teacher. I also work closely with families.
Why is it important to have a counselor in school?
A big benefi t is the availability of immediate support,
and quicker and more effi cient crisis intervention. Early
interventions and therapeutic support are essential when
dealing with school phobia, cultural adjustment, identity
issues, eating disorders, and so forth. A trained coun-
selor seeks to read situations in a clinical way. A coun-
selor is available for immediate consulting, short-term
to longer-term support and guidance, and can refer to
external agencies if necessary. A counselor on campus
can provide instant and accessible emotional support
for everyone at the school, whether they need advice,
guidance or just a safe space in which to be heard.
What kind of help can students get from you?
My role is to respond to immediate and longer-term
learning, developmental, socio-emotional and psychologi-
cal needs of students. It can be done, for example, through
individual or group counseling, coaching, support and
guidance to families. It is important for any adolescent
to know that an adult can listen to them without being
judgmental. Sometimes just one hour of discussion is
enough to help. On the other hand, it is helpful for the
students to know that there is continuity in the support.
I also help the students in an indirect way by providing
guidance to other ISP staff members in situations where
their student may be going through a diffi cult period.
What is your role in the wellbeing team?
The counselor is one element of the team, and I
am informed of all wellbeing situations, whether I am
directly involved or not. My role is to bring in my coun-
seling perspective, and to be available for guidance on
behavior management, discipline, confl ict resolution,
support and so forth. As a whole school counselor, I am
also a link between the Primary and Secondary School
wellbeing actors. In Primary, I act more as a counseling
consultant to teachers, parents and the wellbeing team,
rather than someone who delivers actual counseling to
the students (although this also occasionally happens).
One diff erence between the counselor and the other
wellbeing staff is confi dentiality. I give my counseling
sessions in confi dentiality, with only few exceptions, in
which cases I have a ‘duty to warn’ others (parents and
administration). These exceptions are when students
are in danger of hurting themselves or being hurt
by someone else, or if they are about to hurt others.
Another diff erence is that a counselor uses therapeutic
tools, and specifi c counseling skills.
What is your approach to counseling?
My counseling approach is existential/relational and
psycho-educational. The relationship between a coun-
selor and student is crucial to the process. Counseling
is about creating links, and I believe that the counse-
lor’s role is to help a person repair and maintain those
links through relational role-modeling. Counseling is
also about helping the student to create meaning for
their life, which in turn creates personal fulfi llment
and motivation for personal growth. Having meaning in
one’s life makes people happy, and happy children and
adolescents come to school!
Volume 22 – Spring 2013 5
As a class teacher at ISP, I think
that my most important role is to
ensure that the students in my care
feel happy and comfortable in their
classes. Happy students are the key
to eff ective learning. Class teachers
have a special role to play as they
are responsible for their students
for most of the school day. Through
discussions, class teachers help
children to understand the school
rules and routines, making sure
that students are able to follow
these. Class teachers are there for
the children if they have any dif-
fi culty, if they are feeling unwell or
if they need help to resolve confl ict
with a classmate.
Through units of inquiry or by
dealing with issues as they arise,
class teachers help students gain
a sense of identity and support
them in developing healthy and
happy interactions and relation-
ships through Personal and Social
Education (PSE, see article about
PSPE in the Primary School on
page 11). This can be in the form
of circle time sessions, whole class
discussions, role play or reading
related books aloud in the class.
Class teachers are also responsible
for communicating any concerns
to parents so that we can work as a
team to help the children. If neces-
sary, class teachers will liaise with
the person in charge of wellbeing
to ensure children or families have
the required support.
The Grade Level Coordinators
work closely with the PYP
Coordinator and all teachers and
assistants within their grade level
to ensure consistency and con-
tinuation of learning between the
diff erent Grades within the school.
This includes helping teachers
develop scope and sequence docu-
ments, which ensure that children
build on their learning from one
year to the next without any of
the basic skills being missed. This
ensures a smooth transition as chil-
dren move from one Grade to the
next (including the important tran-
sition from Primary to Secondary
School).
Within Grades and Grade levels,
we also work very hard at the end
of each year and over the summer
At fi rst glance, the school nurse
is present to deal with the inevi-
table cuts and bruises that come
up on a daily basis. While this is
undoubtedly part of the role, in
reality our nurses do much more.
When students go to the infi rmary,
they fi nd a sympathetic ear, a place
where they won’t be judged, and
one where they can talk about
choices they might be considering,
or ones that they have made. They
can talk freely and are able to get
the advice of a healthcare profes-
sional, who is not a member of the
teaching team and has a role a little
apart from the others in school.
The school nurse also works
within the wellbeing team to make
sure that any discussion regarding
students takes into account their
broader medical needs. She is an
essential member of our team,
organising and coordinating our
students’ medical information,
ensuring that their vaccinations are
up to date, writing up Individual
Health Plans for students with par-
ticular needs, and communicating
essential information to members
of staff in a way that respects the
students’ confi dentiality. The nurse
is bound by medical ethics and
legal constraints, and also ensures
student safety. In addition, the
nurse conducts sight and hearing
tests for younger students, contacts
parents when accidents happen,
and is usually the person who
would get in contact with emer-
gency services, in those rare cases
where they are needed, either for
advice by telephone as recom-
mended by SAMU (Service d’aide
médicale urgente), or in person at
school.
Sometimes, when the nurse isn’t
doing all of these things, and when
My Thoughts on Wellbeing by Fiona Symons, Primary School Teacher & Grade Level Coordinator
The School Nurseby Damian Kerr, Secondary School Vice Principal for Student Wellbeing
ISP’s school nurse
Bénédicte Wetzel
attending a confer-
ence on anorexia and
bulimia to broaden
her knowledge on
these topics.
6 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu
she knows that the fi rst aid kits
are up to date, that crutches bor-
rowed have been returned, parents
have collected sick children, the
sécurité civile has been organised
for Sports Day, the First Aid Trained
list has been updated from the
last training session, and the last
batch of sick letters from doctors
have been fi led away, she might
have fi ve free minutes for a cup
of coff ee. But that’s when a staff
member, or even a parent, might
drop in because they have ‘a little
problem’ they’d like to talk about...
Nursing at ISP – it never ends.
to decide on class lists for the
following year, in order to ensure
that all classes are as balanced
as possible. Teachers pay specifi c
attention to having a balance of
genders, native English speakers,
children learning English as an
additional language, French speak-
ers and diff erent ability levels.
Whenever possible, we also con-
sider friendships so that children
feel comfortable in their new class,
and try to place students who are
learning English in a class where
there is another child who speaks
their mother tongue, so that they
have somebody with whom they
can initially communicate. This is
important in building children’s
confi dence.
Every student in the Secondary School has a
homeroom teacher who is the point of contact for
parents who need to pass on information, ask ques-
tions, or simply check in on how their child is doing
at any given time in the school year. The homeroom
teachers – there are 23 homeroom groups this year –
work in diff erent grade level teams. They ensure that
student concerns are passed on and make teachers
aware of any diffi culties that an individual student
may be going through, seeking extra support if and
when it is needed. They make themselves available
to parents and are involved in discussions about the
needs of the students in their groups, always look-
ing to be an advocate for their classes and the indi-
viduals in them. They lead assemblies about healthy
eating, subject choices, community and service, man-
aging stress, the extended essay or the personal pro-
ject, organising workload ... The list is endless.
For the last two years, we have had Heads of
Grades in the Secondary School to support the work
that we all, especially the homeroom teachers, do
with and for the students. Loretta Fox (Grades 6 –
8), Raj Bolla (Grades 9 & 10), and Céline Babulaud
(Grades 11 & 12) have become very important mem-
bers of the wellbeing team, fulfi lling vital roles in the
school. They work with Homeroom Teachers, Heads
of Department and Curriculum Coordinators to make
sure that the expectations of students and the sup-
port for them are clear, coordinated and consistent.
The Heads of Grades lead their respective homeroom
teams, and are the homeroom teachers’ points of
reference with regard to all of the diff erent aspects
of student life, all the while teaching an almost full
timetable in their respective subjects. The Heads of
Grades get to know all of the students in their grades
and are involved in discussions about students within
the wellbeing team, making sure that the whole
school context is known when decisions are taken or
plans are developed.
Homeroom teachers have a genuine and special
interest in the students in their homeroom classes.
This relationship goes beyond the one that typically
builds up between subject teachers and students.
Although they usually spend only 15 minutes with
their group each day, the homeroom teachers actively
seek out the students in their class during breaks,
congratulating them when they achieve something
special or giving them encouragement when needed.
They may even raise an eyebrow when they notice
that a student is not achieving to the level they nor-
mally do, or if someone has stepped out of line. It is a
delicate balance, but it is one which the students and
homeroom teachers understand and respect.
Mr. Kerr often takes
the opportunity to
chat with individual
students around the
campus.
Fiona Symons makes
her students comfort-
able in class, to ensure
eff ective learning.
Moving Up to the Big School
by Damian Kerr, Secondary School Vice Principal of
Student Wellbeing
Volume 22 – Spring 2013 7 7
When Toby Cann came to ISP in 2008 to
teach PSE, he was convinced that his work
would be easier at ISP than it had been at
the rough-end schools in England. He was
wrong. ‘The way students speak and behave
at school may be diff erent, but young peo-
ple face similar issues and problems all over
the world.’ At that time, ISP had recently
included PSE in its curriculum, and Toby was
the fi rst teacher who was hired to exclusively
teach the subject. The program had just been
started and it has evolved a lot since then.
The PSE curriculum that we have today is
specifi cally written for the ISP community,
more or less by Toby.
ISP is one of the few international schools
that have a PSE program. ‘It takes courage for
a school to have this program. It’s so much
easier for the school to claim that they don’t
have any of the problems and, therefore,
there is no need to discuss the issues with
the kids. The truth is that all schools have
drugs, bullying and risky behaviour among
the student body. The diff erence is whether
the administrators are doing something
about it or burying their heads in the sand.’
Toby has been in schools all his life. His
father was a headmaster of a private school
in Britain, and Toby himself began teaching
right after fi nishing his studies. ‘I’ve realized
that I do need to work with young people.
They give me energy and I feel that I’m doing
something important. ISP students are amaz-
ing! They are incredible, tolerant and open-
minded, and I feel that I’m working with kids
who will grow up to make a diff erence in this
world. It is truly rewarding.’
PSE is a very diff erent class compared to
the other subjects. It is not part of the MYP.
Students are not given grades, and instead of
looking at diff erent phenomena in the world
around them, the students are looking at their
own lives. The goal is to give students facts
and information, evoke discussion and debate
among them and give support to them during
this phase of enormous emotional and physi-
ological change. Students make their own
decisions based on the information they get
from school and the values, morals and cul-
ture that they have learned from their family.
‘This is not about what I did 20 years ago,
or what the students’ parents want them to
be doing 20 years from now. This is about the
students’ lives right here and now. There is a
Personal and Social Education – Honestly, Here and Nowby Tuija Wallgren, Offi ce ofExternal Aff airs
What is PSE?• Personal and Social Education
• Taught in Grades 6 to 10
• One lesson per week, Grade 9
three lessons per two weeks
• Curriculum is specifi cally writ-
ten for the ISP community
• Includes topics that support
students in making informed
choices
The nine areas of focus are:
• Community
• How to obtain privacy
• Control over one’s own life
• Status
• How to give and receive
attention
• Achievement
• Connection to others
• The dynamics of meaning and
purpose
• Sense of security
Toby Cann gives
Grade 12 students
advice on how to
cope with the pres-
sure during revision
and exam period.
Everything you wished you
could’ve talked about in school,
but didn’t. PSE: a sharing of
practical, supportive information
about age-appropriate life skills.
—Thomas Ryan, Learning Support, PSE and Grade 6Homeroom Teacher
PSE gives students the knowledge
and confi dence to cope with situ-
ations. It allows students to grow
together as a group and discuss
their opinions in a safe environ-
ment. —Raj Bolla, English, Theatre and PSE Teacher, Grade Level Coordinator for Grades 9 and 10
8 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.eduThe Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.eduThe Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu
part of the curriculum where we go through
choices in life, and talk about things like
tobacco, drugs, alcohol and sex. I remember a
student who, at the end of one of my weekly
PSE lessons, came up and asked me if I had
been spying on him, as he had been dealing
with exactly those topics in his immediate
life,’ Toby explains.
PSE is about the kids, not the teacher. A
PSE teacher cannot talk about himself. The
most important skill is to be able to listen and
understand. There needs to be an element of
trust in the class before discussions on these
topics, many of which are sensitive, become
meaningful to the students. A PSE teacher
often hears things that other adults are not
told, and like in all wellbeing issues, the
teacher will need to strike a balance between
institutional and individual needs. ‘Luckily,
we have a fabulous wellbeing team at ISP, and
everyone is always ready to be a supportive
sounding board to others,’ Toby says.
While making informed choices is a big
part of discussions in PSE classes, that’s far
from being all. The issues vary from social
psychology and community patterns to
learning how to meditate and concentrate
better. Says Toby: ‘These young people have
a full life ahead of them, and while we all
wish them well, we know that everyone will
meet hardships and challenges as well. We
have made the messed-up world, and now
we need to prepare the kids to survive in it.
And they will.’
From the left:
Mr. Willson, Ms. Bolla,
Mr. James, Mr. Cann,
Ms. Hindson and
Mr. Ryan. Ms. Burton
is missing from the
photo.
PSE is the most important of
subjects. We do not all need to
learn about quantum physics
but we all need to learn about
life. —Paul Willson, Physics and PSE Teacher
I asked the students about what they think PSE is, and these are some
of the aspects they came up with: ‘PSE allows students to examine
what is signifi cant in their lives, gets the important facts out in the
open and gives them a safe place to share their opinions and discuss
the burning issues.’ I could not have said it better myself!
—Jackie Hindson, Theatre, Music and PSE Teacher
I heard a student say “I love com-
ing to PSE- we talk about life
and there is no stress” and I knew
how precious this time with our
students is. —Christina Burton, Geography, Humanities and PSE Teacher
Perhaps you can’t teach people
how to be happy, but you can
certainly give it a good try.
—Jonathan James, Approaches to Learning Coordinator, English, French, PSE and Grade 10 Homeroom Teacher
Volume 19 – Spring 2011 9
Jonathan James wears
many hats at ISP, and sev-
eral of those are closely
related to wellbeing.
Jonathan is a language and
PSE teacher, a homeroom
teacher, MYP Approaches to
Learning Coordinator and
Personal Project coordina-
tor. He is also part of ISP’s
Individualized Personal and
Social Education (iPSE) pro-
gram as a mentor.
The iPSE program pro-
vides individualized support
to selected students who
might require extra help in
reaching their full poten-
tial. These students meet
regularly with an adult, who
can help them in identifying
the things that might reduce
their chances of being
successful. The aim is to
empower the young person
and help him or her make
informed decisions. The
mentors are all ISP teachers,
and have received specifi c
iPSE training.
‘The benefi ts of the
mentoring program are
manifold,’ Jonathan explains.
‘It gives the student an
opportunity to discuss his
or her learning with an
adult. This important time
for refl ection can help the
student to fi nd better revi-
sion and homework strate-
gies, clarify the importance
of good choices in activi-
ties outside of the school
environment, or reveal
some of the root causes of
under achievement. While
the nature of iPSE support
varies enormously between
individual students, the com-
mon thread is the listening.
The students should feel
that someone in the school
is clearly on their team.’
In its fourth year, about
30 ISP Secondary School
students are involved with
iPSE, and with ISP’s increas-
ing commitment to wellbeing
in general, the mentoring
program continues to grow.
More and more staff mem-
bers are being trained for the
program, making it possible
for us to off er the support
to more students each year.
‘The students’ needs are the
same as before. We are just
better equipped to meet
those needs with the mentor-
ing program,’ Jonathan
points out.
iPSE is important for the
school community as well.
Having a mentoring program
has raised the overall achieve-
ment level of the school.
It has improved students’
attendance and punctuality,
and made them generally bet-
ter at handing in their work by
the deadline. The results are
acknowledged by everyone,
illustrated by enhanced
school spirit and close
student-teacher relations.
The mentors work closely
with curriculum coordinators,
making sure that they are
aware of any special needs of
individual students as well.
Jonathan explains,
‘Mentoring is an important
tool for inclusion. The sup-
port can be incremental for
a new student, who might be
coming from another school
system with completely
diff erent expectations and
methods of studying. It is
also a good way of bringing
in kids who are at a risk of
being marginalised. If a child
does not fi t the mould, we
can support them in becom-
ing successful members of
the community. In some
cases we can even help
them think about the way
iPSE - Empowering the Individualby Tuija Wallgren, Offi ce of External Aff airs
Having an individual
mentoring program
is benefi cial for the
whole school, not
only for the indi-
vidual student, Mr.
James says.
10 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu
they interact with teachers
and their own peers, getting
them to treat everyone at
school in a way that actu-
ally makes them welcome
and supported by the
community.’
There is no confi dential-
ity element in the mentor-
ing program, and while the
relationship is student-
centered, the goal is to keep
everyone involved informed
about the student’s situa-
tion. Parents are a natural
part of support structure,
and the mentor contacts
them weekly or fortnightly
to report about the student’s
progress. The mentor also
keeps the other teachers
abreast of any important
developments concerning
the student. ‘Like the name
tells us, the individualized
PSE program is diff erent for
each child and mentor. While
it is important to inform the
parents, teachers and other
support people about the
specifi c needs or strengths
that students might have,
the most important goal is
to empower the students
themselves. It is fabulous to
witness that happen!’
In the Primary School, PSPE
(Personal, Social and Physical
Education) is actually a part of
our IB curriculum, Primary Years
Programme (PYP). There are six
subject areas within the PYP:
Language, Mathematics, Science,
Social Studies, Arts and PSPE.
The two areas of PSPE (Personal
& Social Education and Physical
Education) have many connec-
tions and are used to help stu-
dents inquire into identity, active
living and interactions. Much of
the PSE curriculum is embedded
into the daily routines and special
events at the school, which are
part of what makes ISP have such
a strong sense of community. This
includes the way we acknowledge
and celebrate diversity among our
students, arrange for all classes to
have buddy classes to work with
students of diff erent ages, share
learning in assemblies and estab-
lish expectations for how we play
collaboratively, behave at lunch
and respect ideas that may be dif-
ferent than our own. All of this goes
a long way in creating a culture of
trust among students and teachers,
within which students feel safe to
express themselves, take risks in
their learning and develop impor-
tant social skills through coopera-
tive activities.
PSE is also an integral part to
the units of inquiry explored in
each grade level. Many units allow
students to make personal con-
nections and consider big ideas
from diff erent cultural perspectives.
Units allow students to inquire into
a range of concepts such as beliefs
and values, relationships and per-
sonal and cultural identities. In
doing so, they refl ect on them-
selves as individuals and learn to
respect and appreciate similarities
and diff erences between them-
selves and others. Through inter-
actions with others, they learn
important skills in compromise,
reaching consensus, negotiation
and resolving confl ict.
As with other curriculum areas,
PSE allows the school to model and
foster attributes of the learner pro-
fi le so that our students become
principled, caring, open-minded and
balanced, not only as learners but
as human beings.
Wellbeing in the PYPby PYP Coordinator, Sean Walker
In his role as the PYP
Coordinator, Sean
visits the classes
and gets to know the
students he does
not have in his own
classroom.
Volume 22 – Spring 2013 11
ISP - Secondary School - 6, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris - Tel: 01 42 24 09 54 - Fax: 01 45 27 15 93ISP - Primary School - 96 bis, rue du Ranelagh, 75016 Paris - Tel: 01 42 24 43 40 - Fax: 01 42 24 69 14www.isparis.edu - [email protected] - [email protected]
Head of School: Audrey Peverelli Editors: Tuija Wallgren and Tasia AsakawaPhotos except page 2 top and page 6 bottom: Des Harris ([email protected])Design: A. Tunick (www.atunick.com)
ISP had a great deal of infl uence at a very diffi cult time in my daughter’s
life. She recalls all the times a teacher pulled her aside and took the time
to talk to her. Now that she is older, she realizes just how supportive ISP
has been, and she is aware of the good infl uence it has had in her life.
Today, she is a year away from University in one of the best schools in
our area. She was lucky to be admitted there, and she works very hard and
has her priorities straight. She loves music and loves to go dancing. She
has a very good group of friends. She is turning out to be a fi ne young
woman, and has quite strong opinions about drugs and alcohol. I think this
might have been the infl uence of the wellbeing program at ISP. She is very
outspoken about the subject, and rarely drinks and does not touch drugs.
At the school we transferred to when we left Paris, I was surprised
to fi nd that there was no wellbeing program like the one at ISP. In many
schools, there are a number of drug and alcohol related problems, but
their policy is more based on immediate expulsion than prevention. It
seems that nobody wants to deal with such problems, as the administra-
tion is afraid it might aff ect the reputation of the school.
However, as you know, these problems exist everywhere. In most cor-
ners of the world, kids try drugs and abuse alcohol. I think that ISP is very
progressive in addressing these issues head on. There is a lot of focus on
prevention, and parents who are willing to participate have an opportunity
to really get involved in their children’s lives. ISP gives second chances to
the students who commit to solving their problems. It is not all or nothing.
The school also has the tools to help teenagers in diffi culty: Class discus-
sions, individual therapy and meetings with wellbeing professionals or
Head of School.
The wellbeing program has been able to build a relationship of trust
with the child while, at the same time, remaining very informative to par-
ents. Overall, the wellbeing system at ISP has been a very positive infl u-
ence on my children’s lives. It especially provided the best of support for
my daughter at a very turbulent time in her life. We will always remember
the support ISP gave us during our time in Paris.
Wellbeing beyond ISP A testimonial from a former parent highlights the importance of wellbeing structures in a school
Top: A thank you card
from a student to a
teacher.
Bottom: Grade 5
students getting a
little fresh air.
12 the tribune — The Journal of the International School of Paris — www.isparis.edu