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The Weekly Bulletin of
Stonehill International School Volume 5, Issue 69
2 June 2017
FEATURED STORIES
P4 Reflect on their Learnings from this Year
P4D & P4P with Mr. Dave & Ms. Pareen
It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to an end. Sometimes we do not realise how much we have grown over the year until we stop and reflect on our learning. The P4 students have been doing just that, reflecting on their growth and learning over the year. Here are some of their reflections in their own words.
IMPORTANT DATES: JUNE
1st – 5th M1 – M5 EXAMS 5th D1 EXAMS END 7th – 8th DP GROUP 4 PROJECT 8th PYP TRANSITION MORNING
9th P8 LEAVER’S ASSEMBLY 12th SECONDARY SCHOOL MUN DAY 12th P3 LEARNING JOURNEY CELEBRATION (2:10pm) 13th PYP CELEBRATION OF LEARNING AWARDS CEREMONY (2:10 – 3:00pm)
CONTENTS 01/ FEATURED STORIES 06/ MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF THE SCHOOL 07/ PRIMARY NEWS 13/ SECONDARY NEWS 16/ SPORTS NEWS 17/ PTA NEWS
HIGHLIGHTS P4 Reflect on their Learnings from this Year A year in PYP Languages Class of 2017 Graduation Ceremony News from the Secondary Library
THE TIGER
What have you learned this year?
This year I have grown in my writing. In the beginning of the year I just wrote nonsense. For example, in September I wrote ‘i To is a Baut a BoD ohhTts a Bohe taim There was a BoD FolenG Daunof The TscHreren’. I know part of the reason it did not make sense was because I mixed up my English and German words. I can see that I have grown as a writer because in May I wrote a story and my writing was much neater. The story started ‘Once upon a time there were three fairys. One had short hair. The other one had normal hair. And the last one had very long hair. They lived in a magical forest.’ I can still grow as a writer because now I know that fairys is spelled fairies and I should not start a sentence with and. Luna
I have learned a lot of new things this year. My favourite unit was the unit about plants because I really like nature. I am curious about learning new things about nature. Some interesting things I learned in our plants unit was that plants make photosynthesis. Water and nutrients carry up the stem to the leaves and that is where photosynthesis happens. It gives nutrients to the plant and gives us oxygen to breathe. I also learned that plants don't grow so quickly they need time. Malia
Roni, Mansher, Chanhyeok, Lisa and Sienna
I learned to respect our planet by saving plants and electricity. I also learned about materials and how strong they are. Roni I have learned lots of things this year. I learned about money and how you get change, how to save electricity, evaporation and how it happens and how plants make sugar for their food. Mansher I learned how to write stories and to use my imagination. I learned to take care of plants and save electricity. I also learned about time. Sienna I learned about renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy, materials and how they change when they are heated and I learned to use my imagination. Chanhyeok I have grown into a caring girl and a risk-taker. I am now a girl who can speak in English. Lisa
What is your best memory from P4?
Mizuki, Anvita, Chanhyeok, Sienna and Aaditya
My best memory was when we planted seeds in our garden. We planted pumpkin, spinach and lettuce. After the pumpkin grew, Ms. Pareen made a pumpkin pie and we ate it. Mizuki My best memory from P4 is when we planted our class garden and grew pumpkin, spinach and lettuce. Anvita My best memory is when we were learning about money and we made our own currency. We brought things we wanted to sell and set up our own shop in the classroom. Chanhyeok My best memory is when we had a class party. We got to eat popcorn and watch a movie. Sienna My best memory was when we learned about energy and we made signs for saving electricity in our classroom. Aaditya
My best memory from P4 is having Eya in my class. Eya has been my BFF! She always makes me laugh and she is a good friend to me. I am very sad because she has left. I hope that we can keep in touch by Skype. Isabelle
My best memory from P4 is meeting and getting to know Phionn because he always puts a smile on my face. I have enjoyed school more since Phionn has been here. We play different kinds of games like hide and seek and hide and seek tag. We are in the same reading group and when he reads he changes his voice and he makes us laugh and we have more fun. Takashi
Nadine, Isabelle, Sana and Eya.
Phionn and Takashi
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Friends, Please join me in heartily congratulating this year’s graduates! The D2 class of 2017 celebrated their graduation last Saturday at a lovely ceremony held on a beautifully decorated outdoor stage on our own campus. The ceremony featured a message by Stonehill’s founder, Mr Jitu Virwani, chairman of Embassy Group, who also presented the diplomas to the graduates. The graduation was followed by an impromptu sharing of memories from teachers, students, and parents, and a sumptuous buffet dinner. We were honoured to have several alumni present as well, which served to make the occasion even more memorable.
Our graduates have been accepted at some of the most prestigious universities in India and around the world, including, in India, BITS Pilani, Christ University, Mount Carmel College, and VIT Vellore; in the United States, NYU, Rutgers, Rice, Purdue, and California Polytechnic; in the UK, Kings College London, the University of Bath, and the University of Warwick; as well as the University of Mannheim, Germany; the Technical University of Denmark; and Leiden University, The Netherlands, among many others. Please visit www.stonehill.in and see the full list under the Alumni tab. To the graduating class, we wish you all the best on the next stage of your journey, and stay in touch with Stonehill! We look forward to welcoming you back as alumni. Wishing you a pleasant weekend. With best regards, Dr. Beverly Sortland Head of School
PRIMARY NEWS
P8 invite you to join them for their final Primary School production, Do You Remember.
When: Friday 9th June, 2:10pm Where: Multi-purpose Hall
School is the place where we experience many ‘firsts’, and the most memorable can be re-lived through the songs and sketches in this hilarious emotionally-charged musical, which promises to deliver a bucket-load of laughs… and tears!
Do you remember your first day at school?
This play has been adapted by P8 students to help address their personal transition issues as they prepare for M1. Please join us for this special P8 production on Friday, 9th June at 2:10pm. P8 Team
A Year in PYP Languages
We had a new curriculum in Additional Languages this year. It has been an exciting journey of discovery for students and teachers alike, as we were able to explore culture and language from so many different angles. Designing a curriculum that is relevant and makes learning fun at the same time is a challenging task, but the team of dedicated teachers we have at Stonehill met their targets. We can confidently say that students progressed in their additional language. The variety of learning experiences highlighted in the pictures below this short extract testify to the diversity and fun the students have had through the learning experiences offered to them. We look forward to consolidating our curriculum and making Additional Language even more enjoyable and rewarding next year.
January - Chinese New Year Celebrations
February - Celebrating Carnival in P4 Spanish
Making learning Fun
P5 learning sentence pattern through writing
Learning vocabulary collaboratively using online resources in P7
P6 presenting songs and legends of Latin America in the Primary Assembly
Display to show how we make connections to consolidate language acquisition
The PYP students also took part in the 2017 Language Perfect World Series Competition between May 15
and 25
PYP students love to have lunch with their Additional Language teachers
Examples of student work displayed
November - Grade 12 French class met PYP students to interview them on different celebrations
Effective class teaching to help Grade 5 plan their daily activities and their timetable in Hindi
Total Physical Response Approach in Chinese
Mr. François Stalder Head of Whole School Languages
SECONDARY NEWS
Class of 2017 Graduation Ceremony
The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2017 was held last Saturday, 27th May. It was a poignant ceremony with words of wisdom from Mr. Jitu Virwani, Dr. Beverly Sortland, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, and myself. We’re very proud of our graduating students for their hard work and dedication to the IB Diploma Programme these past two years, despite the challenges that they have had to face. On behalf of the school, I wish them the very best for their future endeavours.
Secondary MUN Day
On Monday, 12th June students in M1 to M5 will be participating in an exciting activity called Model United Nations (MUN), organised by the Individuals and Societies department. All pertinent information regarding MUN Day has been emailed to parents and students. D1 students will continue with their normal classes.
Leaving Families
Secondary parents who already know that their children are leaving Stonehill at the end of the academic year are asked to contact Ms. Saathi Vinay ([email protected]), if their son/daughter requires a recommendation letter, an academic transcript (M4 to D1 students only). Please understand that it takes a few days to prepare such documents, so if you require any of these, do contact us as soon as possible.
Secondary School Leavers Assembly
Parents are warmly invited to attend the Secondary School Leavers Assembly that will take place at 2:00pm on Thursday, 15th June in the Multi-Purpose Hall. The assembly is run by the Student Council to recognise and thank those students and staff who are leaving Stonehill at the end of the academic year, and to wish them all the best.
Secondary School Awards Ceremony To celebrate the significant achievement of our students this academic year, parents are cordially invited to attend the Secondary School Awards Ceremony on Friday, 16 June at 10.35 am. We hope that you can join us for this important celebration.
Secondary Semester 2 Reports
The secondary Semester 2 reports will be issued electronically on Friday, 16th June at 10:00am. Please note that the last day of school for students is Friday, 16th June and all buses will depart for home at 12:15pm. Warm regards, Narendra Mehrotra Secondary principal
News from the Library We’ve come to a successful end to the year at the Library, with a lot that has been achieved. A recent event was the P8 Transition time at the secondary library. We welcomed an enthusiastic and eager group of readers and learners who had some amazing observations of the secondary library. Their enthusiasm and excitement to be part of the secondary library is refreshing and encouraging. We look forward to welcoming them as M1 students next year. I would also like to share with you some Summer Reading Challenges and useful links to keep the students reading through the summer. The goodreads Summer Reading Challenge is a great recommendation to see what books would engage your children - https://www.goodreads.com/book_movie_challenges/show/4525
The must-have-series is great for M1 and M2 students. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/496.The_Must_Have_Series_for_Children_Ages_6_to_12 For some the older students M3 to M5 ideas.ted.com have given a mega list of summer reading suggestions - including book reviews. http://ideas.ted.com/what-should-you-read-this-summer-a-mega-reading-list/ For grown-ups and multi - generational reading, here’s a wonderful link on a reading list that ranges from sentimental stories to non-fiction narratives like ‘ Making Sense of Science and ‘ The Man Who Grew Trees’ - why half of Provence has oak trees because of a single man during WW1. Some amazing titles. http://reading.berkeley.edu/ Some of these can be downloaded on your Kindle or ipads as well. One most important detail - please encourage your children to return all library books before 9 June 2017. We sincerely hope you enjoy your summer holidays and make sure reading is high on your list of things to do with the family. Do drop us an email if you need to reach out to us at [email protected]
With our best bookish wishes, Ms. Preethi Stalder Secondary Librarian Teacher
SPORTS NEWS
BYFL Weekend Football
We have had many inquiries from parents about weekend sporting activities for their students. For those who are interested, here is one such opportunity next to our school. Since the beginning of this school year, we have had about 20 Stonehill students join the Bangalore Youth Football League (BYFL) Saturday and Sunday football training at the Centre of Sports Excellence next to the school. The sessions are run by well-qualified coaches and focus on ball skills, technical awareness and game time. The coaches also run some of our football ECAs here. However, most of the trainees are boys, with few girls taking part. In a bid to increase their level of participation, they have agreed to start a girls football training session from August. Parents who are interested in signing up from August can try have a trial session on Saturday, June 10th, from 8:00 – 9:30pm. If you are interested in finding out more info, please contact Meghana on 9066068181. Dr. Gilbert Kaburu PYP PE Teacher
PTA NEWS
PTA Annual General Meeting
The last PTA Annual General Meeting for this academic year will be on Thursday, 8th June from 9:00 – 11:00am at the main Admin building. All parents are welcome to attend this, and have a chance to meet the PTA Executive Committee members for the 2017 – 2018 academic year, as well as learning more about all PTA activities and initiatives this year.
Urgent: Nominations re-opening for certain PTA EC Positions The following positions in the PTA Executive Committee have still not been filled and so we are urgently seeking people for these positions: • President • Treasurer • Country Rep Coordinator • Events Coordinator • Arts Coordinator • DP Class Rep Coordinator (non-voting position) Working on the PTA is a very rewarding experience, and we encourage all parents who are interested in getting more involved in their children’s school and community to step forward and nominate them or other interested parents for one of these positions. Just to remind you, the Mission of the PTA is as follows: The Stonehill PTA is a nonprofit organisation that exists to enhance and support the educational experience of all students at Stonehill International School; to welcome new families and develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement; to promote a positive community spirit in the school environment through volunteer support aligned with the Stonehill International School and Stonehill Education Foundation’s goals and initiatives. While all parents/guardians of children attending Stonehill are automatically members of the Stonehill PTA, the Executive Committee handles the day-to-day operations of the PTA. If you have the time, dedication and relevant skills to volunteer and are willing to serve on the PTA Executive Committee, we would like to hear from you. Please remember, the Executive Committee works as a team, and there is always a helping hand available amongst the committee members. You can nominate yourself for a position or nominate another parent / guardian for a position. It’s that easy. Simply complete the nomination form that was emailed to you earlier in the week and email it to the PTA chairperson, with copy to the Secretary, at the addresses on the form itself, no later than midnight Friday 2nd June 2017. Nominations received after this date will not be eligible for consideration. Following the close of nominations, the PTA Chairperson and Secretary will meet and validate the nominations. When there is only one nominee and they have confirmed their nomination, they will be confirmed in the role. If there is more than one nomination for a position outlined above, and they have all confirmed their nomination, then that position will go to vote to the parent community.
The new Executive Committee for the coming year 2017-18 will be announced at the Annual General Meeting to be held during the week starting June 5th. If you have any queries or would like to know more about what is involved, please call PTA President: Pamela Milne 9740019454 or email any other current Executive Member of the PTA:
TREASURER Kavitha Ramanathan ([email protected])
SECRETARY
Deepa Krishnamoorthy ([email protected])
CLASSROOM PARENT REPRESENTATIVE COORDINATOR Deborah Manzoori ([email protected])
EVENTS COORDINATORS
Wai van de Werff ([email protected]) Jill Sudarshan ([email protected])
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Mike Flynn ([email protected])
SPORTS COORDINATOR
Sal Moonsamy ([email protected])
ARTS COORDINATOR Melissa Chin ([email protected])
CHARITY COORDINATORS
Emily Bergstrom ([email protected]) Kavitha Ramanathan ([email protected])
WELCOME COORDINATOR
Martijn Rauwers ([email protected])
COUNTRY REP COORDINATOR Caroline Rulkens ([email protected]
PYP CLASS REP COORDINATOR Pam Pennefather, [email protected])
MYP CLASS REP COORDINATOR
Shereen Hasan ([email protected]) We hope to enjoy your support and involvement in this nomination process in order to maximise the success of YOUR PTA in 2017 – 2018. Best regards, Pamela Milne Stonehill PTA President
Stonehill International School
Tarahunise Post Jala Hobli Contacting the School: Bangalore North 562157 India Admissions Ms. Rishika Ganapathy T + 91 8043418300 Primary School Ms. Nijika Bhardwaj + 91 8043418318 Secondary School Ms. Saathi Vinay M + 91 9008307684 Transport Mr. Rahul. I E [email protected] Head Nurse Ms Charlette Macdonald
