talanoa volume 5
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Principal’s Report
07 August, 2015 Ta l a n o a Volume 5
Newsletter of International School SuvaNewsletter of International School SuvaNewsletter of International School Suva
Dear Parents and Guardians,
What with the opening of our new
building and Fun Day we have had a
tremendous first four weeks and the
rest of term looks just as busy. Thank
you to everyone who came to school
on July 22nd to celebrate with us as we
opened our new building. It is a great
testament to everyone involved and only fitting that Mark Halabe,
former Chair of Council, was our Chief Guest for the event. On
behalf of our entire community I thank Ram Bali and Vinesh Chand
for their leadership, building and financial, without them we would
not have had a building to open. Please do feel free to come in and
have a look around. You will find Joan, Salote or me on the second
floor and we would be happy to give you a tour.
This term we have welcomed three new members of faculty:
Brittany Buffington, Kate Passin and Matthew Dadley. Brittany
Buffington was employed in response to increasing student numbers
as a teacher in our new Year 1/2 multiage class. She started at the
beginning of term. Brittany graduated with a Bachelor of Science
majoring in Elementary Education from Salisbury University in
2012. For the past eight years, she has held teaching positions in
primary and middle schools in New Zealand and the USA. Kate
Passin started on 27th July 2015 in a part-time capacity as the
primary school counsellor. Kate graduated in 1988 with a Bache-
lor of Science majoring in Psychology with a minor in Education
from the James Madison University, USA. In addition she has a
Master of Education in School Counselling from the University of
Georgia awarded in 2004. Prior to relocating to Fiji with her family,
Ms Passin was the counsellor at Bethesda Elementary and
Westchester/Winnona Park Elementary Schools. Initially Kate will
be working at ISS one day a week. Matthew Dadley commenced
work on the 5th August in the English as a Second Language/
Learning Support department. Matthew graduated in 2004 with
a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Otago. He then
obtained a Graduate Diploma in Arts (English Literature) in 2012
from Victoria University in Wellington. In 2012 Matthew enrolled
in the first iteration of Teach First New Zealand and he obtained his
Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching in 2014 from the
University of Auckland after having taught for two years.
Finally a few notices.
International Youth Day is celebrated on 12th August and we will
be commemorating this day with our whole-school assembly on
Friday 14th August from 1.45 pm.
The second Coffee with the Principal will be held at 9.45 am on
Tuesday 11th August in the conference room, second floor of the
new building.
A Consultation with the School Council will be held on
Wednesday 26th August from 6 pm in the Amphitheatre.
You are invited to all of these events. Please do come along.
Inside this Issue
PTFA - Fun Day Article
Counselors Corner
ISS Soccer
High School News
Year 11 Camp Overview
Primary Update
\
Primary Athletics Carnival
ISS Netball
Upcoming Events
Dear Parents and Guardians, As this Talanoa is sent out we are on the eve of Fun Day 2015, with a very positive feeling all around the school that this might just be the best Fun Day ever! Our imminent success is a reflection of the massive support from our families and the ISS community in all of the areas that make Fun Day so special: preparing and cooking for our international food stalls; contributing to the theme baskets that make up the fantastic prizes for our raffle; supporting our teachers and students to run their year level stalls; and providing books, clothes, toys and other items throughout the weeks of our Fun Day Mufti Competition. The response to the Mufti Competition was outstanding - our book and white elephant stalls are now fully stocked with pre-loved items ready to find new homes with happy shoppers! And we are delighted to announce our winners - class 5S came storming home in the last week of the competition to be Primary champions, while class 1001 were consistent throughout, taking out the Secondary competition. Both of these classes will shortly be celebrating with a Super Fun Breakfast Party. The winners of our Fun Day poster competition, Leamalie Jenson, Eseta-Claire Navunisaravi and Khushi Patel, will tomorrow be able to proudly see their designs on the Fun Day programs and around the school. The program, from the police brass band opening Fun Day at 10.00am until the ISS Teachers' Band closes the day at 3.00pm, is full of highlights. The stage will be host to ISS student bands and dance acts will perform throughout the entire day, we have a Zumba session open to all at 11.00am and magic shows at 11.30am and 1.30pm, the raffle will be drawn at 2.15pm and our international food and activity stalls will be running from go to whoa. The PTFA thanks you for all of your support; looking forward to enjoying tomorrow with you, Myke Leahy
Bula everyone... term 3 seems to be the busiest of all the
terms, where some have to make serious decisions about
subject choices for Years 9 and 11, programs for tertiary
studies, there is final preparation for external examinations,
preparation for Year 10 and 11 work experience, as well as
facilitating transition processes at various levels. Bearing all of these in mind; research, honest discussions,
and clear thought and planning need to take place so that our students are better able to make wise decisions
that could ultimately affect their future career paths.
When students are making choices for subject combinations:
Do ensure that your choice of subjects is in line with a particular career
option in mind.
Therefore, we are asking that students go onto the career cruising
website: http://public.careercruising.com/en/ that provides assessment
tests that match up interests with career options. There are many features to
the program (Explore My Interests, Learn about Careers, Explore Education
Options, Choose My Courses, Build My Resume) and students could use this
to build up their career profiles.
Please email the counsellor directly for the username and password.
Both student and parents should discuss the results of career options
suggested and remember these are only guidelines.
Career planning is an ongoing process that can help manage student learning and development. It is
advisable to start talking to students about their interests, values, skills and preferences for future career
options, as this will get them thinking about future career goals and opportunities.
The Year 10 and Year 11 ACT students have the Work Experience Program towards the end of term 4 that
enables students to:
Witness first-hand what happens in a typical day on the job, getting a realistic idea of the positive and
negative components of a job which helps them make a more informed choice when it comes to career
planning.
Meet people in their different work placements’ and be able to ask them questions, such as what
they like best about their job, how they ended up in their line of work, and what qualifications are
required.
Learn about related careers in the same field, which could give you more ideas about what kind of
career they may want to go into.
At present, each Year 12 student is considering their future career path and applying for suitable tertiary
institutions/universities that would best match their needs. By now, most students have a fair idea of what
career path they plan to take. It is advisable for each student to have at least two possible career choices.
Once the student has chosen possible career choices, then the following steps are taken:
Identify at least three proposed destinations for study and potential universities where courses of
interest are offered.
Research relevant websites and identify entry requirements and application closing dates for the
course(s).
Research costs (tuition, accommodation etc.)
Identify whether they need to complete additional qualifications such as SATs or TOEFL. Many
Australian and New Zealand universities require students from non-English speaking backgrounds to
have done the IELTs test.
Identify whether a personal statement is needed (usual for application to US and UK uni’s) the content/
direction of this should be discussed with parents/guardians or other mentors after viewing relevant
websites.
Decide whether to pay for services from a University Admissions Centre that enables applications to be
sent directly to a variety of nominated universities automatically. These must be completed online and
examples are: Austraila (UAC), USA (Common Application), UK (UCAS).
Identify opportunities for scholarships. A good scholarship website is: www.fastweb.com
Prepare/update curriculum vitae.
Any student or parent should feel free to visit the counselor or approach any member of staff should
they wish to discuss issues relating to any of the above. We wish all students the very best as they prepare
themselves for examinations, subject choices, work experience and university options.
Fenella
School Counsellor
SOCCER
Champions of Suva
The Under 12 team took out the Suva Primary Schools’ Soccer Tournament last
Saturday beating Swami Shraddhanand Memorial School (SSM) 1-0 in the fi-
nal. The goal came from Tristan Whitefield in the 2nd half of the match.
The side played attractive soccer throughout the tournament and scored more
goals than any other team. The key ingredients for their success were discipline,
teamwork and determination. It was also an occasion for them to interact with
local children and to showcase the ISS spirit. Support and encouragement from
parents made it even more special.
The end of the tournament doesn’t mark the end for the team; some of our play-
ers have been selected in the Suva Under-14 team that will play at the Inter-
District Tournament. We will continue to have regular training sessions and
matches with other teams. It will also inspire more children in school to join
High School News
Term 3 always seems a very big term in the High School. There are major in-school 'mock'
examinations and internal assessment work, final year students are applying for university
courses and sitting finals for the AST tests, the year 10 students are making decisions about
work experience placements and progression into the next program, and overlaid with this,
there are major sporting events happening. This involves a great deal of decision-making and
prioritizing of certain activities that students find stressful, and of which I am sure, are the
subject of extremely stressful and intense conversations at home right now.
The 'mock examinations' start on Friday Week 6 for both the Year 10 and the Year 12 IB
Diploma students. Parents should have already received the timetable via email (don’t hesitate
to ask for another to be sent if you need it). These examinations are meant to provide an
experience as close as possible to finals so students are encouraged to read the requirements
and conditions for sitting external exams given to them by the IGCSE or IB Diploma
coordinator. The same rules will be set during this in-school exam session. Similarly, papers
are as close as possible to those normally expected in the external exams and are marked and
graded accordingly. Students are expected to come to school for the examinations they are
sitting and then return home once they have been completed, allowing additional preparation
time. Their performance will be reported through a special report where teachers will write
short comments indicating areas needing focus in the weeks leading up to the real
examinations. Close to the external examinations 'Predicted Grades' are provided by teachers
to the external examining body. The mock examinations are part of this process, but the
prediction is informed from a more complete picture. Teachers evaluate potential performance
in the finals using observed performance over the two year period and completion of internal
assessment tasks as well as the mock marks. This is no easy task and is taken very seriously
by teachers. Predicted grades can be used for early university applications by the Year 12
students.
Movement into Year 11 is looming for the Year 10 students. Many thanks go to those parents
who came to our meeting last Thursday and took the time to complete our questionnaire
afterwards. Parents indicated that they wanted information about subject choices and one of
the outcomes is the development of a preliminary survey of student interest in subjects that
may be offered next year. This will be given out on Monday and it is hoped that it will make
our decisions about subject combinations and timetabling easier. Students have also been
asked whether they would be interested in a couple of new subjects next year. It is, however,
an initial expression of interest, and students and parents should be aware that the final
decisions will not be made until Term 4 once the Mocks are completed and assessed.
Alongside subject selection goes careers advice. Students have completed the career cruising
website and many have been surprised at how close some of the options have been to their
future aspirations. At the end of the year, the year 10 and year 11 ACT students will go out on
work attachments. This is an important step in helping them to decide what they want to do
(or not do) post school. Student reflections from last year overwhelmingly suggested that this
helped in affirming decisions about university or subject choices.
Many of the Year 12 students are now well into the university application process and some
are seeking teacher assistance for advice about courses and career plans. Parental advice of
course plays a pivotal role in this process along with the need for students to get as much
information as possible. Students and parents are encouraged to search relevant sites and go to
campuses when on holiday in the country students plan to study in. Students interested in
attending local universities are encouraged to attend the open days as well as visits from
overseas universities held in local hotels. These are advertised in the newspaper and we try to
also advertise events in the pastoral times. The Career Lunch program initiated by the PTFA
is also a wonderful avenue for students to gain information. All High School students are
encouraged to attend and be student hosts for visiting speakers. Thanks go to Dr Elise Huffer
who was the most recent visiting expert giving her time to this project. Our next lunch is on
Monday 10th August with Mr Nick Hobgood.
The achievements in sports, particularly netball, are detailed in another article in this issue of
Talanoa. Certainly after spending many hours on the sidelines each Saturday, it has been a
real pleasure to see the progress and skill development demonstrated by all the students.
Whilst the Open Boys’ team head off to Lautoka next week to participate in the National
competition, we are all extraordinarily proud of all the students who played in the U-15 and
U-17 teams. Everyone is now looking forward to the competitions that are coming up in
basketball and badminton.
CAS/ DOE projects are winding up for the Year 12 students, but are being carried on by the
Year 11 group and these will be reported on in the next Talanoa. Some groups have such
commitment to completing their projects that they have allocated their free time on Tuesday
afternoons as well as the regular Thursday afternoon sessions to complete any outstanding
projects.
We have exciting guest speakers coming into school in Week 6; Imasango, a guest poet from
New Caledonia and Mr Nicolas Beriot, a climate change expert. On another note, we also
welcome a new member of staff to the High School team, Mr Matt Dadley who will teach
Year 9 and 10 Learning Support and provide ESL assistance. He has a strong background in
English and is a welcome addition to the team. It is also nice to welcome back Ms Amandine
Neirinck from maternity leave and I would like to thank Ms Sara Volkmar who has done a
fantastic job in covering Ms Neirinck's classes while she was away.
I hope everyone has a great Fun Day experience. Special thanks go to all the parents and
families who are helping out and congratulations to the Year 1001 students who ensured that
they were able to win one of the breakfast prizes for their significant level of donations
sourced during mufti days.
Megan Navunisaravi
Head of High School
mnavunisaravi@international.school.fj
Year 11 camp, 2015 During the last week of term 2 I was fortunate to have the
opportunity to join the year 11 students and their teachers as
they ventured forth on their annual camp. After a 2 hour bus
ride to Nabouva Village, north of Korovou, we started with a
Sevusevu ceremony before the bus dropped an assortment of
students, teachers, guards and guides, as well as a mountain of
backpacks, eskis and equipment at the village of Nayavu. The
weather was perfect as we set out, a welcome relief from the
rain of the past few days, and after leaving the village we
began walking inland, though lush, tropical country side, up and
down many unwelcome hills. As the hike progressed the group slowly spread out, with the
sprinters out front, and those that enjoyed a more moderate pace coming up the rear.
We arrived in dribs and drabs at our campsite, where most of us flopped down and rested, before
finding a nice shady spot to eat lunch. The campsite was in a valley on a flat piece of ground that
had obviously been used by cows quite recently, so finding a spot free of cow poo for the tents was
crucial. Nearby was a beautiful little creek, with the whole area surrounded by hills covered in
banana trees on one side and rainforest everywhere else. After setting up our tents we sat and
rested, or played cards, or mucked around in the chilly but refreshing creek water.
That first night the students had to cater for themselves, so it was interesting to see the range of
cuisines that had been organised. Celeste’s arrangements were probably the best, with a high tech
camping stove on which she cooked delicious smelling pasta with a meat and tomato sauce. The
rest of us made do with anything that could be cooked over an open fire, which included copious
amounts of marshmallows, consumed sitting around a campfire under a magnificent sky full of
stars.
After breakfast on day 2 we all set out on a 2 hour hike, through thick mud over a steep rise, then
walking through a river to a stunning series of rock pools and waterfalls, right in the middle of the
rainforest. We stayed there for 2 hours, eating our lunch, and just enjoying the coolness of the
water and the beauty of the surroundings. Some of us climbed 150 metres up the waterfalls, which
was a little hairy at times, but great fun. That night we ate a truly delicious lovo, with chicken,
palusami (made by Esita, with the world famous Rotuman coconuts) and cassava, which our
guides had prepared for us. Again this was finished up with marshmallows and chatting around the
campfire under the canopy of stars.
We were a tired, straggly, smelly bunch when we finally made it back to the village on the 3rd day
after hiking in the heat, all looking forward to hot showers, good home cooking and mattresses. As
always there were lots of memorable moments on camp, which for me include having great chats
with some of the students, especially Tessa next to the rock pool, Aurora while hiking, Talii by the
campfire, and Arjun by the lovo. Other interesting events were being forced to climb the water fall
by Mr JC and his inner child, trying to understand Mr Mario’s sense of humour, watching the
guides cook banana soup ( everything but bananas – instant noodles, biscuits, tins of tuna, garlic
chopped with a machete….)and listening to the guides’ singing, Honourable mentions should go
out to Bea, for celebrating her 17th birthday on camp, Alex for doing the whole hike with a broken
arm, and of course Pana and the guides from his village for looking after us so well.
Maria Dunbar
PRIMARY ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2015
ANZ STADIUM Thursday, September 3rd
9.00am - 1.45pm
Dear Parents and Caregivers, On Thursday, September 3rd, Year Reception - Year 5 students will take part in our House athletics carnival. Each student in year 1 - 5 will participate in all events which will consist of 100m sprint, shot put, discus, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Reception students will compete in 50m sprint, sack race, egg and spoon race and coconut throw. From the results of this carnival, a team of athletes will be chosen to work towards the primary inter-school zone competitions during the Term 3/4 holiday period. Parent Helpers Welcome As this is a new format this year with many events taking place we are hoping to get as many parents involved as possible; especially those who helped out at the swimming carnival as you all did an amazing job. We would very much appreciate your help on the day. Parent volunteers please note that we will allocate a task to you as place judges, event supervisors or marshalls as needed on the day of the carnival. If you would like to help out with these tasks, please call me on 8660522 or email jhedditch@international.school.fj. Timing and Transport The ISS competition will start at 9am and each child will participate in all of the events according to their age group and house colours. Students are expected to come to school as usual and will be transported by bus to the stadium. They will leave school at 8.15 am and will return by 2pm. Reception students will return to ISS at 12-12.30pm. All students, wearing their house T-shirts will need to bring their morning tea, lunch and a drink with them. Hats and sunscreen are also needed. What to Bring Each ISS student participating will need to bring the following items:
Morning tea
One or two bottles of water
Lunch
Appropriate running gear (flat soled shoes, shorts, house colour t-shirt)
School PE uniform shorts and house T-shirts
Sunscreen lotion
A hat
We are looking forward to a great day. We hope to see you there, either as spectators or helping with duties. Should you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards, Joe Hedditch PSPE Teacher
2015 ISS NETS season began with a huge interest from students and we were able to
register U15 and U17 Girls’ teams and two Open Boys’ Teams in the Suva Zone 1
Secondary Netball Competitions.
The students were very enthusiastic and eager for game time and such enthusiasm carried
our school teams through the season right to the finals of the Zone Competitions.
Our U15 grade comprising of players between the ages of 11-14, the youngest team in the
grade, made it to the quarter final stages just missing out by a point to Ballantine
Memorial School. The team was captained by Tamena Evers and featured some young yet
aspiring players like Laura, Eseta, Joy and Lahaiba from Year 6.
In the U17 grade, the players aged between 14-16 years played their hearts out in the semi
finals and then the playoffs for 3rd and 4th positions in the Zone, just losing out to Nasinu
Secondary School by one goal. The team was captained by one of the school’s talented
players,
Melini Navunisaravi.
Melini has been outstanding in her role as captain both on and off the courts and this
commitment got her selected into the Suva U19 team that will be participating in the
upcoming Fiji National Netball Championships at the end of this month in Suva.
Our Open Boys’ teams were again the teams to watch at the competitions as their skills in
both basketball and netball redefined their flair for their game. The teams were captained
by Inigo Lavina and Emily Drakeford.
The ISS NETS Open Boys Team A went on to defend their Open Boys Zone Title against
Basden Secondary School and qualified for the Fiji Secondary Schools’ National Netball
Championships in Lautoka on the 14th and 15th of this month.
The ISS NETS team to the National competition will be looked after by Mr. Fesaitu
Mario, Mr. Jonathan Uluiviti and Tanya Vatubua. The players consist of Inigo Lavina
(Captain), Ernest Gibson (V/Captain), Saimoni Navunisaravi, Mohammed Uzair Aktar,
Timoci Ravouvou, Jose Santos, Waisea Jikoiono, Zane Elias, Emily Drakeford, Kaash
Patel, Eroni Ravore, Minsoo Kim, Puana Puana and Shou Izumi.
For the parents and teachers who had been following the teams from Day 1 of
competitions, many were encouraged to see the growth and development of the players’
skills and their knowledge of the game.
The success of our ISS NETS this year is credited to players’ commitment and
enthusiasm towards training and discipline. As the teacher in charge it has truly been
exciting working with these young players and seeing the interest grow in the school.
On behalf of the ISS Nets and Management Team, I would like to rally support from the
ISS Community at the Fiji Secondary Schools National Championships next week, as we
wish the team the very best in Lautoka.
Thank you for making us proud!
Tanya Vatubua
Teacher-in-charge
Week 5 Monday, August 10
Year 1 Day Camp
Tuesday, August 11 ICAS Maths
ICAS Maths
Wednesday, August 12 Year 3 Camp
Year 8 Camp return Friday
5:00pm ISS PTFA Social Hour
Thursday, August 13 Year 3 Camp
Governance
Friday, August 14 Year 3 Camp
Whole School International Youth Day Assembly - Year 4
Inernational Youth Day Assembly
International Youth Day Assembly Y11
Week 6
Thursday, August 20 Music Recital - Gulnara and others (6pm - 9pm)
Friday, August 21 Primary Assembly (8.15 - 9.00)
Primary Press
Middle School Social
Y10 12 Mock Exams begin
YC Update
Week 7
Monday, August 24 8:00am
PTFA Bookclub
Wednesday, August 26 Year 9 Camp
2:40pm ISS PTFA Monthly Meeting
Thursday, August 27 Year 9 Camp
ISS Blood Drive
Friday, August 28 Primary Assembly - ECH2 (8.15 - 9.00)
Year 9 Camp
Week 8
Tuesday, September 1 Year 7 Poetry Slam
Wednesday, September 2 AST
PAT Test Y9-10
Thursday, September 3 AST
Council
Finance
Friday, September 4 Early Childhood Father's Day Breakfast (7.30 - 8.30)
Primary Assembly - Year 3 (8.15 - 9.00)
PAT Test Y9-10
Talanoa
Saturday, September 5
Family Sports Day
Upcoming Events (Week 5 - Week 8)
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