From the Preschool/Elementary School Principal

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It is amazing to think that we have already reached the end of the first quarter of the 2022-2023 school year. In some ways, it seems like only yesterday that the children were entering the building for their first day of school, meeting their teachers and their classmates and full of anticipation for all that the year would have in store for them. And yet, judging by the progress and growth that the children have made (academically, linguistically, socially, emotionally and physically), it seems right that we have reached this milestone in the calendar. 

Many of you have already had opportunities to meet with teachers about your child’s progress. In the coming weeks, you will have further opportunities to find out more about progress, learning habits and next steps for your child. These will take the form of our Quarter 1 progress reports (which will be published on PowerSchool on the afternoon of Friday, October 28) and the Parent Teacher Conferences on November 9, 10 and 11. More information will be coming about the conferences and how parents/carers can sign up for time slots. Please note that some conferences might be arranged between you and your child’s classroom teacher on an alternate day around that time.

I have recently begun the process of talking with teachers about their personal professional goals for the year. This is an important process and is a key element in our own efforts to be “lifelong learners”. When we discuss our goals, we try to identify goals that are specific and achievable. We start by having a vision of where we’d like to be in our practice, consider where we currently are and then identify next steps for making progress towards our goals. Crucially, we consider how we will assess or measure our progress - and how we might demonstrate and communicate what we’ve learned along the way. 

At ISA, your children are asked to set goals for themselves in a range of areas, both inside the classroom during lessons and outside the classroom (whether that’s related to recess time or clubs/activities). It is important for them to practise this skill at home, too, so I would encourage you to talk with your children about the goals they have for themselves - and how they might work towards achieving them. Share your own experiences with setting (and working towards) goals, too.When we return from the holiday break, we will hear an example of goal setting from a 5th Grade writer at our Monday assembly! 

Over the October holiday, I hope each of our students has exciting adventures, which can lead to stories they can share with their classmates upon their return. Parents are encouraged to send their children back to school on the 24th with one or two ‘October’ tales! 

Enjoy the break!

Morio Kajiwara