Student leadership across the school; Y8 science; Talent spotlight, Globedcuate sustainability festival & more! A message from the Headteacher In the words of John Donne, 'No man is an island'. The same words can undoubtedly be applied to our school. It has been a week in which our Parent Representatives have been established and the first meeting held. This partnership is vital to the success of our school, it forms a bridge between our parents and teachers, and I look forward to our next meetings on Tuesday. Our student prefects led the first Student Council, a group of young leaders who will form an invaluable link between the students and the school staff. These bonds are what enable us to function as we do, and my thanks go to each and every one of you for nurturing these positive and open relationships. I wish you all a safe weekend. Mr Thompson, Headteacher Photos of the week:
Mr Thompson met with two Year 6 students, Diego and Filippo, who proposed two different initiatives that would benefit their peers and the school community. Here is Diego with Mr Thompson who proposed an "IB Learner Profile Award" for students who best demonstrate the attributes of the Learner Profile. Filippo spoke to Mr Thompson about an eco initiative which would involve the school adopting an endangered animal via WWF. We'll keep you posted on the outcomes! Science with Mr Scaglione These photos show Y8 students studying independently after taking a Chemistry test. As part of their unit, students used their knowledge of particle theory to explain changes in state, gas pressure and diffusion. They have been introduced to the differences Globeducate Reading Community Developing passionate, engaged and motivated readers has brought together Globeducate's worldwide community of teachers and school librarians, under the leadership of Globeducate's Education Director Oanh Crouch. Continue reading to see what tips RIS teacher, Mr Knight, has to share ⇒ Dates for your Diary
Tuesday 20th October Virtual Parent Reps meeting, 09.30
Wednesday 21st October Virtual University Fair for Y12 & Y13. Find out more ⇒
26th October to 2nd November Half-term break
Monday 2nd November Parent/Teacher Conferences (online) Middle and HIgh School
Tuesday 3rd November School resumes for all students Year 6K inquire into identity
A message from the Middle & High Principal Dear RIS community,
This week we held our first student council meeting of the year. It was wonderfully led by our team of prefects and as you'd expect, covered a range of topics. The council will be writing to you all with news of the meeting, their priorities for the year and also offer a general message of introduction. This new group will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the schools leadership team and the students. I sincerely hope that by working more closely with our students and giving students a louder voice we will make rapid improvements as a school. I also hope that they will be able to offer some creative solutions to problems, issues and concerns. We are all expecting an awful lot from these young leaders. I am sure that they will rise to the occasion.
Mr Mongare, Principal Middle and High School MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL 19th to 23rd October Talent spotlight: Nicolò P. Y13
We are so proud of Nicolò P. in Year 13 who has been selected to train with the Lazio Serie A team! Nicolò has been at RIS since Nursery and it has been incredible to witness his transformation into a hardworking and principled young man who is able to balance his academics, and the demands of the IB, with playing Football at a professional level. His classmates, Vittorio M. and Riccardo P. interviewed him after his first match. Read it here ⇒ UBC virtual information session On Wednesday 14th October a group of Year 13 students participated in a Zoom conference with UBC Counsellor Mr Tom Whittaker. An enriching experience:
On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th of October, the school welcomed three representatives from the 'Swiss Leadership Camp' (SILC). The SILC is dedicated to teaching valuable life skills to students, many of which will be a help to them throughout their school and adult lives. The instructors led the Year 10 and 12 students through a number of fun and informative activities designed to help them think on their feet while also work on their time management, planning and cooperative skills. 'Goals, choices and optimisation' was the mantra of the day, and the students wrote short-term goals on wristbands in the morning. These wristbands helped keep motivation high and served as a constant reminder of what they wanted to achieve by the end of the day. Each student was also given a short survey where they outlined more long-term goals that they aimed to achieve within the next couple of years. CAS in the Library is all about Metadata and Knowledge Management!
Gianni W. and Fabio Y. from Year 13 are providing a noteworthy service to our school community by helping the Librarian to catalogue over 200 Chinese Books donated to RIS by the Chinese Embassy. Cataloguing is the process of creating metadata to represent the information contained in library items such as books, newspapers, CDs. Continue reading ⇒ Globeducate Festival of Sustainability - WWF Expert Panel
On Friday 16th October, RIS teachers and students had the opportunity to participate in a virtual 'Sustainability Festival' organised by Globeducate and WWF. During the session they listened to a panel of WWF experts, who explored key issues facing our planet, and the role we can play in our own lives, and through action as a school community, to shape a sustainable future. This was an amazing experience and the Eco Council will be sharing their key takeaways from these sessions next week.
The WWF Oasis and the RIS Eco Council On Monday 12th October, together with WWF representatives, I went to visit an area along the Tevere that is considered a precious WWF oasis in the centre of Rome. Last year around this time, this oasis was cleaned by WWF volunteers including some RIS students. I was shocked to discover that in a year's time, the area had been littered with trash, ranging from blue face masks, to baby strollers, to pots and pans. The oasis also experienced a fire during the summer, which left a lot of its vegetation destroyed. This made it clear that much work has to be done to redefine this area as a safe green urban space and to provide a safe haven for its flora and fauna. |