A message from the Headteacher Dear Parents, Students and Staff,
It has been great to be back in school this week after the Spring break, and what a week it has been! The school has been a beehive of activity as our students have not only been taking part in their regular lessons, but have also been preparing for special events such as the upcoming Sports Days in the Elementary School. This was also the final week in school for our Year 13 students, and as you can imagine it has been a very emotional one! We wish them all the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating the Class of 2021 at a graduation ceremony that we hope to be able to hold on 22nd May. I wish you all a restful and safe weekend.
Mr Thompson Summer Camp 2021 Exit procedures - polite reminder
Dear Parents and Carers, We would like to ask for your support and collaboration during exit time by not blocking the flow of exit traffic and keeping the road free - particularly outside level 1 - to allow other vehicles to easily pass through and exit the school premises. Thank you! Elementary Earth Day dress up on 22 April Middle/High Earth Day non-uniform day on 21 April
The Elementary School will celebrate Earth Day on Thursday 22nd April with a free dress day while the Middle/High school will have a non-uniform day on Wednesday 21st April. Students can come to school dressed in blue and green. The respective Eco Councils will be collecting contributions. We hope you will support us in celebrating Earth Day! Year 3S explorers
Year 3 have been learning about how exploration can lead to discoveries and new understandings. We have been investigating the methods and reasons for exploration, the consequences of exploration, and how exploration has changed over time. The students in 3S were tasked with creating a timeline for space and Antarctic exploration based solely on images and the events themselves. Ms Svensson This week in Transition
Our Unit of Inquiry in Transition is about how all living things go through a process of change. We are inquiring into the interaction between the natural world and human societies. We are looking at patterns of growth and factors that influence life cycles. As part of the activities, we have observed different kinds of seeds. We have gathered dried sunflowers and took the seeds out to replant them. Year 2C want to stay in school!
On our return to school we have been discussing how happy we feel to be back together again and how much we missed coming to school to learn with our classmates and teachers. Students said that what they liked about being home was not having to wear face-masks; having cuddly toys and snacks during story times and dressing up on Fridays. We have been reflecting on why it was important for us to stay in our homes to work, even if we prefer to be in school! We are thinking hard about how to make sure we can keep on coming to school for our learning. MHS WEEK 2 TIMETABLE - 19 TO 23 APRIL 2021 A message from the Principal Dear RIS Community,
As we begin our final term of the academic year, we also recognise the start of the Holy month of Ramadan. As with last year, Ramadan will be different this year for the people observing it, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to restrict what people can and cannot do. However, this special month does provide us all with a chance to reflect on the past and of course the future. Similarities can be found with Ramadan and many other religions. The practice of fasting is very old and its roots can be found in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism to name but four other religions. If you are observing Ramadan, we wish you a blessed Holy month. It was wonderful to welcome back all our students this week. There was a bright 'buzz' about the place which made RIS feel very much like a school again. During these It is vital that we all play our part during these next few weeks. Students are being reminded about social distancing rules and I encourage you all to please remind each other and to follow these rules. Again, we all have our part to play. Please don't assume it doesn't affect you. There is still a great deal to do this year and with only 11 weeks of the school left, much to achieve. I would like to thank you all for working so well with us so far this year and encourage you to please contact us if there is something that we can help you with. We are always very happy to hear from you. Have a wonderful weekend.
Mr Mongare Message from the IB Coordinator
Today is the last day of school for our Y13 students! This cohort has faced two difficult years but we all acknowledge their perseverance and efforts to move forward in their learning. I hope that they have a nice closure to their 'school life' today. We are also looking forward to organising a graduation ceremony on May 22nd, so make sure you save the date!
On 14th April, Ms Cope, our wonderful Arts teacher, gave her students a second opportunity to exhibit their art pieces after the first date had to be cancelled due to the lockdown. It was lovely to see how students took pride in their work guiding visitors through the exhibition!
For Year 12, Term 3 will be quite demanding in preparation for the final exams set for June 7 to 11, as well as keeping on top of their Extended Essay, CAS journals and looking into prospective universities. Ms El Sheikh IB Visual Arts Exhibition
Despite the delay of the Art vernissage due to the recent lockdown, Year 13 Visual Arts students took it on board to go ahead with the event making it an interesting, safe and successful experience for their guests. Students were present to explain additional in-depth information to add-on to their artist statements and artwork labels. Well done to you all! Ms Cope
Click on the image below to watch a short virtual tour of the vernissage (thank you to Shuang for the footage)! A selection of works created by Pietro, Agnese, Shuang, Audre, Fabio, Sofia Middle/High Eco Council Earth Day
Join the Middle and High School Eco Council for a range of Earth Day celebrations next Wednesday 21st April including a special (virtual) assembly and non-uniform day! Eco Council members will be collecting a small contribution from participants. Thank you for your support!
Share your pictures with the hashtag #RISearthday (green or blue colours). Take part and shape your world. Curriculum and Assessment update
Dear All,
I hope that you had a restful break and a Holy Easter, if you celebrate it. Ramadan Mubarak to all those in our community observing this time of fasting.
Term 3 is the culmination of our academic year and is therefore often a time for reflection, both on ourselves as people and on our academic progress. Traditionally, Term 3 is seen as 'exam term'. Not only would IBDP and IGCSE exams normally run during May and June, but it is also a time during which all other year groups face 'End of Year exams'.
Firstly, congratulations to our Year 13s, by the time this newsletter is published, they will have officially completed their school career - Hooray! Hopefully, you will all be able to find some time to relax and enjoy yourselves (in a COVID safe way) between now and results day. You have completed a rigorous programme in particularly difficult conditions, and have remained focused and motivated throughout, you deserve a rest!
Year 11 have a few more weeks to go before they will take their end of year exams at the beginning of May. Please remember that these exams are a final opportunity for you to complete work to the very best of your ability, to help your teachers present a top quality portfolio of your work to the exam board - you're nearly there! Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 - your exams are serve a slightly different purpose. They are part of the reflection on your academic progress this year. The results that you get in these end of year exams do not define you as a person, nor as a student. They show you where you are currently at on your academic journey in each of your subjects. Yes, you should strive to do well. Yes, results at IGCSE and IBDP are important as good results will allow you to have more opportunities in life. Yes, it is important to work hard in all the years before your IGCSE or IB exams and not leave it until the last year. However, please use your end of year results in the way that they are meant - look at them to see where you have improved and congratulate yourself. Look at them to see what areas, topics or skills you need to focus on next year to help you improve more. Look at them to help you set goals for each of your subjects for next year. Remember, a bad grade now, does not mean a bad grade forever - and nor does a good grade now mean a good grade forever! We need to keep a growth mindset by constantly challenging ourselves to do better, and these end of year exams will help you to identify in which areas in particular you should be challenging yourself.
All the best for the coming term, Miss Bell IAL update
Italian as an Additional Language (IAL) students have learned how to recount a past event. They have studied the "passato prossimo" and they have started to look at the "imperfetto". They put their learning into practice by writing about myths and legends from their countries. Bravi! Ms Maglio
This week in Year 11 Biology
In Biology, our Year 11s have been working on their final project and they made a documentary to explain how Human activity is affecting our beautiful planet. Click the images below to play the documentary made by the students Margherita, Ottavia, Guya, Isabella and Marcello reflected on the project saying, 'We think this project really connects us to the real world and it is a beautiful way to learn.' Mr Baldoni Video 1 by Margherita, Ottavia, Guya, Isabella and Marcello Video 2 by Penelope, Dalal, Giulia C., Luca and Guglielmo Video 3 by Anastasia, Leonora, Laura, Allya, Wen, Alessio, and Samuel Y8 French with Ms Servettaz
Year 8 students can now speak knowledgeably and confidently in the past tense. They can also describe their daily activities and express their feelings. They have made great strides in their learning and their recent test results show just how much effort they have put in. Congratulations to these wonderful francophones! Ms Servettaz |