From the Preschool/Elementary School Principal

 

*This week's images were taken from last Friday's student-led World Book Day assembly (including truly remarkable guest performances from Ms. Dalziel & Ms. Hodder), some after school rock climbing, and displays of student work (including, clockwise from the top left hand corner, Kindergarteners' study of Impressionism through the work of Monet, a wall of black-out poetry by Grade 4 & Grade 5 students, the World Book Day glasses display and Grade 2 artwork).

Parent Teacher Conferences

After talking with a few parents, children and the teachers here at ISA, it seems fair to say that the Parent Teacher Conferences were a much-appreciated opportunity to discuss children’s progress and plans for the next steps in their learning. I encourage you all to take some time to chat with your children about the discussions that you had, emphasising the importance of trying one’s best and striving to bring the ISA values to life. Our conferences are part of a vibrant, multi-layered communication process that should continue with regular feedback between and amongst parents, students and teachers; we place an enormous premium on the value of communication, so please do get in touch with your children’s teachers or with me if you have any further questions or observations to share.

Earlier this year, I compared our school journey to a baseball season (specifically, the 31 October article that first mentioned Parent Teacher Conferences, around the time the World Series was beginning). I mentioned how Parent Teacher Conferences are our "scheduled pauses," much like the strategic breaks between games where managers, players, and coaches huddle to refine their approach. 

As we conclude our final conference cycle and look toward the end of Quarter 3 (on Friday, 20 March), we find ourselves in the "Mid-Series" phase. We have analyzed the statistics in the box scores (i.e., student growth and achievement), adjusted our batting orders (i.e., planned lessons/learning opportunities accordingly), and identified the areas where we need a bit more "hustle." (Apologies for the continued baseball references, but the start of the new season is just around the corner, so I just can’t help myself!)

From Strategy to Agency
In our earlier reflection, we noted that no player succeeds alone; students flourish when families and teachers collaborate. Now, the focus shifts to student agency: in baseball terms, the moment the player steps into the batter’s box and takes ownership of their swing.

In the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), we call this the transition from reflection to action. The conversations we had this week were the strategic foundation for your child to move from being a spectator in their education to being the "starting pitcher." To keep this momentum, we look to the Approaches to Learning (ATL). These are the "skills of the game": how we communicate, how we manage our time, and how we think critically. Although this is, in reality, an iterative cycle throughout the course of a child’s learning journey, a more general shift from reflection to action is emphasised in the final quarter of the school year. We will be looking for students to apply these through independent action, such as:

• Participation: a student contributing more confidently to group discussions after reflecting on their communication goals;
• Agency: a child identifying a problem in the playground and suggesting a creative solution to a teacher;
• Self-management: a student choosing to organize their own workspace to improve their focus.

World Word of the Week

Word: Sisu
Language: Finnish
Meaning: A unique blend of grit, resilience, and tenacity. It can be used to mean the "second wind" of mental toughness that allows someone to push through a challenge even when it feels difficult.

We are encouraging our students to find their sisu as they tackle their final Quarter 3 objectives and move into the spring!

Continuing the Conversation: At the dinner table or on the car ride home

"In our parent teacher conference meeting, we talked with your teacher about [skill/concept/value]. What is one small 'win' you had with that [skill/concept/value] this week?"

"If you were the coach of your own learning, what 'play' would you call to help you with your next big project?"

"Which of your achievements are you most proud of showing your teacher this week?"

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Health Notices

There has been a noticeable uptick in the number of children who are being sent into school while clearly unwell - and potentially contagious. We would like to remind families that they should keep their children home if they are unwell (or to collect them promptly if they become symptomatic while at school). Please note that children should still remain at home if they’ve been given Calpol (or equivalent) to suppress a high temperature. After all, this type of medication is used to temporarily relieve a child’s discomfort and any underlying symptoms will return once its effects have worn off just a few hours into the school day. On our end, we will encourage more frequent and thorough hand washing, and we will make a concerted effort to increase air flow in the building by opening our windows a crack. We understand that children often want to return to school before they are fully healthy, and that a child's illness can cause logistical complexity for busy families. That being said, I want to thank you all in advance for your renewed efforts to help keep all of our children and staff as healthy as possible.