Movement, Music, and Memories: Celebrating Performance at ISA
It’s that time of year when our Preschool and Elementary School learners are fully immersed in movement, music, and memorable moments. Last week, students performed for each other at the Lunchtime Concert and joined together to dance (and watch other grades dance) at the Ceilidh. This week, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 travelled to the Aberdeen Arts Centre to experience a professional theatre production, with Preschool and Grade 3 scheduled to visit the Lemon Tree and Dundee Rep next week.
Meanwhile, our students have also been stepping confidently onto the stage as performers. Yesterday, the Preschool children shone in their Winter Show, and today all Elementary School students performed together at the Winter Assembly. Many children have also been volunteering to share their talents during weekly assemblies. Grade 5 will return to the spotlight early in the new year for the Winter Band Concert on Friday, 30 January 2026.
Taking to the stage is far more than an end-of-term tradition. Research in child development and the arts shows that performance experiences strengthen communication skills, support emotional regulation, and help children build resilience. These benefits align closely with the IB Learner Profile/ISA Values: students practise being communicators as they articulate ideas for an audience, risk-takers as they face the natural nerves of performing, and balanced as they navigate preparation, teamwork and self-management.
Repeated opportunities to perform during childhood create lasting confidence. Some of our learners may discover a love for acting, music, or dance; others may simply find their voice, gaining the assurance to share their thinking, collaborate with peers and express themselves in varied and creative ways. These are foundational skills that extend well beyond the arts and into every area of inquiry and learning.
One particularly exciting development this term has been the growing number of students independently proposing their own assembly presentations. This rising sense of agency reflects what educational research tells us: when children feel trusted to contribute and lead, their motivation and sense of belonging increase. It has been wonderful to see learners take initiative, sometimes in languages other than English: recent presentations have featured Tagalog and Hindi. These moments highlight not only our multilingual community but also the IB’s commitment to international-mindedness.
As we look ahead, we are delighted that ISA students can expect many more opportunities to step forward, perform, present and share their learning. Whether under theatre lights or in front of their classmates, their confidence continues to grow - and so does their joy in expressing who they are.
Important Dates
Here is a list of some of the performances (and other events of note) to look forward to in the coming week:
Monday, December 8 - Grade 1 field trip to Duthie Park.
Thursday, December 11 - Preschool trip to The Lemon Tree.
Thursday, December 11 - Grade 3 trip to Dundee Rep and Discovery Point (leaving at 7:45am and returning at 4:15pm).
Friday, December 12 - Festive Jumper Day and the last day of school before the winter holidays. There will be an assembly on this day, but it will be earlier in the day than usual. The assembly will take place in the QET at 11:15am. If your child has a birthday between 12 December and 8 January, they will be recognised at this assembly. As usual, parents and families are welcome to attend.
Please note: While MS/HS students will receive end of semester report cards in December, the end of the second quarter in the ES doesn’t take place until Friday, January 16, 2026. Therefore, ES children’s second progress reports will be available through PowerSchool on Friday, January 23, 2026. Preschool children will have their formal reports at the end of the school year, which is in addition to the individual reports that are prepared and shared during the course of the year by each child’s key worker and Andrea Taylor. If you have any questions about this, please direct them to me.
From the PTO: Festive Movie Day
We would like to extend a warm invitation to our upcoming ISA Festive Movie Day, taking place this Sunday in the QET. This free event is one of the PTO's community-building highlights, and it would be wonderful to see many of you there, either with your families or simply to enjoy the festive atmosphere together.
There will be two films:
2:00-4:00pm - Arthur Christmas
4:30-6:30pm - Home Alone
The aim is to bring together students, families and staff for a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon. Children are welcome to bring pillows or blankets, and there will be gym mats for them and chairs for adults. Popcorn, snacks, drinks and festive accessories will also be available for purchase. Cosy jumpers or pyjamas are very much encouraged.
To help PTO prepare appropriately—especially for seating, snacks and ice cream—they are asking families to RSVP. They are hoping to reach at least 150 attendees at each showing, and an accurate headcount will make all the difference.
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