From the Preschool/Elementary School Principal

 

*This week's images come from the Grade 3 classes' inquiry into Who We Are (as well as an engineering challenge), a Community Lunch session with Mr. Little and some Grade 5 children, the first visit from Mackenzie (our Therapet visitor), some start-of-the-year and start-of-the-day activities in Grade 4 and Grade 1 and a peek at our new Conversation Corner.

...And we're off!

By the time you read this, we will have completed our first full week of the 2025-2026 school year. The classrooms have been full of engaged, active children, eager to share their thinking and their learning. We are off to a wonderfully positive start to the year, from Preschool through Grade 5.

New Year, New...everything!

Being new to a place comes with all sorts of challenges and opportunities, some of which we embrace and look forward to, while others raise our anxiety levels and test our confidence. This is true of children, of course, but it is equally true of adults. Each year, we welcome new children and families to the ISA community. It is easy to forget, however, that each school year is “new” - even to the returning students and families: there are new grade levels, new classmates, new teachers, new responsibilities, new expectations, new spaces (more to come on the new Immersive Room & Conversation Corner in future Thistle articles)…the list goes on! The teachers and support staff at ISA have worked hard to ensure that the children have encountered these new experiences in a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment. And this, amidst all that is new, is the constant that the children, families and staff can rely upon: our kind and caring community, dedicated to learning.

Elementary School Open House

The evening of Thursday, September 4, offers us an opportunity to come together on campus: our Elementary School Open House (for parents & carers of children in the Elementary School, Kindergarten - Grade 5). I encourage you all to take this opportunity to meet your children’s teachers, view the classrooms and learning spaces and enjoy hearing more about our approach, our aims and our ambitions for the year ahead. Our specialist teachers will be on hand to share information about PE, Art, Languages, Music & Performing Arts, EAL, Learning Support and the Library. More detailed information will come your way soon about the Elementary School Open House. Please note that information about a Preschool Open House will be posted once plans for that are finalised.

Field Trips

The first field trip of the year involved our Grade 4 students, who travelled to Edinburgh to visit the National Museum of Scotland and meet the author Cressida Cowell (author of the extremely popular How to Train Your Dragon) at the International Book Festival on Friday, August 22. In just a few weeks, the Grade 5 students will head off on their residential trip to Nethybridge. Before we know it, each of the grade levels will be embarking upon field trips in and around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (and beyond). The value of these experiences cannot be overstated; not only do they provide real-life, multisensory contexts for what children are learning, field trips also allow for the forging and consolidation of social bonds and friendships, a developing sense of independence and the creation of lifelong memories. In order to help us make the most of such trips, I ask that you all double-check that you have completed the annual Field Trip Permission Form on PowerSchool. Signing and submitting this form will confirm your permission for all general day trips taken during the school year. You will not be asked to sign a new form for each individual field trip - unless the trip is an overnight/residential trip (e.g., the Grade 5 trip to Nethybridge) or unless the trip involves an activity that calls for extra care (e.g., the Grade 4 sailing day later in 2026).

PowerSchool

Please allow me to take this opportunity to encourage you all to routinely check your PowerSchool accounts. We ask that you ensure we have all the information we need to provide the best possible learning experience for your children. This means completing all forms in a timely fashion and providing updates should any details change.  Of particular importance are medical forms (MED2) and contact details (including the details of emergency contacts in case you, as parents and primary caregivers, cannot be reached). If you have moved to Aberdeen from abroad recently, please check that we have updated, UK-based phone details (if possible).

Back to School Social

Lastely, I hope that you will all be able to attend the Back to School Social tomorrow (Saturday, August 23) from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Please note the change in times!