ear Parents and Caregivers, January 30th, 2017
Welcome to Term 1! We hope you all had an enjoyable and restful holiday. Term 1 will be a very busy and fun term for all of us!
We would like to welcome everyone to the Tovuto (Whales) and Babale (Dolphins) class. By now you would have met all of the teachers who will be working in the Early Childhood 2 area. Mrs. Anjalina Devi and Ms. Rangeeta Singh and the Babale (Dolphins) class and Mrs. Mere Faletono and Sai Vula in the Tovuto (Whales Class).
During the first weeks, the teachers will endeavour to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere to ensure that your child is comfortable with attending sessions. Emphasis will be placed on developing and assisting social skills, coping independently, familiarising oneself with the school buildings and playground, making new friends and learning rules, manners and routine.
If you feel that your child is having any problems during the year, please do not hesitate to inform your child’s teacher of your concerns. We will endeavour to assist you in every way to ensure that your child’s time at school is enjoyable. We are certain you will enjoy your time with us and we are happy to have you here.
PYP Unit: This coming week (Week 3) we will begin our Primary Years Program (PYP) Theme of “Who We Are”. This unit encourages the children to discover, explore and learn about ourselves and our world through our senses. We will be exploring the five senses in more depth and so the children can discover what makes each of them special. We have planned many learning experiences connected to this unit throughout the first term.
Letters of the Alphabet: During the year we will be working with various letters of the alphabet. We are using the Jolly Phonics programme where there is seven levels to the program, therefore our first sets of alphabets we will be looking at, this term will be level 1 – (s,a,t,p,i,n). It will be helpful if children can bring in items connected to each letter – real items are always better than pictures. These items will be used as a basis for discussion and discovery with each letter. For the next two weeks it will be our settling in to the routines and getting use to the school environment. From week 3 we will be exploring further with alphabets and sounds.
Specialist Timetable: The ECH2 children have lessons with various specialist teachers.
Our schedule for these lessons is as follows:
Days
Time
Specialist Class
9-9:45 am ART - (Mrs. Tanya)
Tuesday
8:15-9:00 am LIBRARY - Ms. Salu
9-9:45 am ICT - Mr. Navin
Wednesday
8:15-9:00 am HINDI - Ms. Subadra
9-9:45 am PSHPE - Ms. Amele
Mon/Weds/Thurs/Fri
11-11:45am PMP - Ms. Amele
Bus/Car Pickup: It is important that you informed your child’s teacher if he/she is travelling by bus or car so the teacher on duty takes them to the appropriate drop-off point.
Uniforms: Students will need to wear proper uniform every day and that is the ISS bula dress for girls and ISS bula shirts/navy blue shorts for boys. We strictly wear black/brown/or blue scandals and no fancy shoes to school. With our Sun-smart Policy, it is important that they wear school purchased hats for outdoor activities. During PE classes ensure that your child wears sports shoes and socks together with their hats and bottles of water.
Communication: We believe in an open door classroom, therefore always communicate to us teachers anything concerning your child about school routines/eating habits/behaviours etc.
We would appreciate it if you could assist us in the following ways:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak with one of us. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding year.
Early Childhood 2 Team
Welcome to Term 1! We hope you all had an enjoyable and restful holiday. Term 1 will be a very busy and fun term for all of us!
We would like to welcome everyone to the Tovuto (Whales) and Babale (Dolphins) class. By now you would have met all of the teachers who will be working in the Early Childhood 2 area. Mrs. Anjalina Devi and Ms. Rangeeta Singh and the Babale (Dolphins) class and Mrs. Mere Faletono and Sai Vula in the Tovuto (Whales Class).
During the first weeks, the teachers will endeavour to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere to ensure that your child is comfortable with attending sessions. Emphasis will be placed on developing and assisting social skills, coping independently, familiarising oneself with the school buildings and playground, making new friends and learning rules, manners and routine.
If you feel that your child is having any problems during the year, please do not hesitate to inform your child’s teacher of your concerns. We will endeavour to assist you in every way to ensure that your child’s time at school is enjoyable. We are certain you will enjoy your time with us and we are happy to have you here.
PYP Unit: This coming week (Week 3) we will begin our Primary Years Program (PYP) Theme of “Who We Are”. This unit encourages the children to discover, explore and learn about ourselves and our world through our senses. We will be exploring the five senses in more depth and so the children can discover what makes each of them special. We have planned many learning experiences connected to this unit throughout the first term.
Letters of the Alphabet: During the year we will be working with various letters of the alphabet. We are using the Jolly Phonics programme where there is seven levels to the program, therefore our first sets of alphabets we will be looking at, this term will be level 1 – (s,a,t,p,i,n). It will be helpful if children can bring in items connected to each letter – real items are always better than pictures. These items will be used as a basis for discussion and discovery with each letter. For the next two weeks it will be our settling in to the routines and getting use to the school environment. From week 3 we will be exploring further with alphabets and sounds.
Specialist Timetable: The ECH2 children have lessons with various specialist teachers.
Our schedule for these lessons is as follows:
Days
Time
Specialist Class
- Monday
9-9:45 am ART - (Mrs. Tanya)
Tuesday
8:15-9:00 am LIBRARY - Ms. Salu
9-9:45 am ICT - Mr. Navin
Wednesday
8:15-9:00 am HINDI - Ms. Subadra
9-9:45 am PSHPE - Ms. Amele
Mon/Weds/Thurs/Fri
11-11:45am PMP - Ms. Amele
Bus/Car Pickup: It is important that you informed your child’s teacher if he/she is travelling by bus or car so the teacher on duty takes them to the appropriate drop-off point.
Uniforms: Students will need to wear proper uniform every day and that is the ISS bula dress for girls and ISS bula shirts/navy blue shorts for boys. We strictly wear black/brown/or blue scandals and no fancy shoes to school. With our Sun-smart Policy, it is important that they wear school purchased hats for outdoor activities. During PE classes ensure that your child wears sports shoes and socks together with their hats and bottles of water.
Communication: We believe in an open door classroom, therefore always communicate to us teachers anything concerning your child about school routines/eating habits/behaviours etc.
We would appreciate it if you could assist us in the following ways:
- Please ensure your child is picked up punctually at the end of the session. This is to allow the children to settle in to the school routine, without becoming too tired.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak with one of us. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding year.
Early Childhood 2 Team
Parents and caregivers
ECH 2 have settled well in class and they are happy. With all significant, relevant and engaging work that is going on, we are developing independent students who are able to do things by themselves, we are creating an environment where students demonstrate co-operation with other peers and students are committed to their work in the classroom.
PLAY is the FUNDAMENTAL tool that is used in ECH 2 for learning everyday. Math's Language, Science and Art are all embedded in the children's play.
The benefits of play-based learning are many. Through play, children learn to take turns, negotiate with peers, solve problems, cope with disappointment, listen to others, and empathize. And the benefits don’t stop there. Have you ever watched a group of young children engaged in high-level play? Imaginative play in kindergarten requires planning, higher level thinking, cognitive skills, math skills, and language skills. Ask a group of 5- and 6-year-olds to open a new restaurant and see what happens. If given sufficient time for sustained imaginative play, that group of kids will use anything they can find to set up the restaurant, advertise, and create some form of currency for their customers.
Play is the language of children. Play helps children work through their emotions and learn about the world around them. While short-term achievement might seem important, the long-term benefits of a childhood filled with play are far greater than a “4” on a standards-based report card.
“When children have educational experiences that are not geared to their developmental level or in tune with their learning needs and cultures,it can cause them great harm, including feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and confusion.
ACCEPT a child's play for it is their work.
ECH 2 have settled well in class and they are happy. With all significant, relevant and engaging work that is going on, we are developing independent students who are able to do things by themselves, we are creating an environment where students demonstrate co-operation with other peers and students are committed to their work in the classroom.
PLAY is the FUNDAMENTAL tool that is used in ECH 2 for learning everyday. Math's Language, Science and Art are all embedded in the children's play.
The benefits of play-based learning are many. Through play, children learn to take turns, negotiate with peers, solve problems, cope with disappointment, listen to others, and empathize. And the benefits don’t stop there. Have you ever watched a group of young children engaged in high-level play? Imaginative play in kindergarten requires planning, higher level thinking, cognitive skills, math skills, and language skills. Ask a group of 5- and 6-year-olds to open a new restaurant and see what happens. If given sufficient time for sustained imaginative play, that group of kids will use anything they can find to set up the restaurant, advertise, and create some form of currency for their customers.
Play is the language of children. Play helps children work through their emotions and learn about the world around them. While short-term achievement might seem important, the long-term benefits of a childhood filled with play are far greater than a “4” on a standards-based report card.
“When children have educational experiences that are not geared to their developmental level or in tune with their learning needs and cultures,it can cause them great harm, including feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and confusion.
ACCEPT a child's play for it is their work.