I was given a very interesting and thought-provoking article last week which appeared in the Sunday Times entitled, ‘SA is home to some of the most stressed-out kids in the world, a good reason to include stress-management techniques in the school curriculum’, written by Andrea Nagel.
While reading through the article I thought of my student’s I teach in Year 1 and 2; the change in expression on their faces, body language and overall behaviour when they become stressed or anxious when given work or asked to respond to questions relating to a given topic during my lesson, as well as the simple awareness that their peers are looking at them and waiting for an answer.
The Year 4’s have been writing Cambridge Progression Tests this week and next week the Year 5 and 6’s write their Cambridge Progression Tests. No matter how much support, care and guidance you as parents and we as teachers give our children, there will always be a level of anxiety and stress. So the question is; how do we help our children in order to better cope with stress and associated anxiety?
Very encouragingly our curriculum does include subjects which cater towards the knowledge, skills and understanding of everyday stresses and anxiety; PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) and Citizenships. During these lessons teachers are able to follow topics, and very often extend the given material, which provides students with the building blocks and necessary confidence in order to deal with life’s challenges and stressful demands.
That is why I feel that nurturing the holistic child and realising the importance of Emotional Intelligence is key to our youth’s future growth and success.
A reminder to all parents in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 of the Fun Sports Day this Saturday, 10th November.
Best wishes
Samantha Kiley
Academic Head Junior School
Weekly Planner
Online Uniform Shop Christmas Closure
Hatrick will be closed from Friday, 21 December 2018 until 14 January 2019. However, they will be running with skeleton staff from Monday 7 January 2019.
We will be able to assist you at the uniform shop, for sizing; thereafter you would order the uniform online through Hatrick's website (www.ies.hatrick.co.za).
All orders placed after 14 December 2018 could be delivered to your home via courier at an additional cost. If you request delivery on or after 7 January 2019 delivery to the school will be available again.
Parents are encouraged to place their orders ASAP before 12 December to ensure that there are no delays.
To infinity and beyond
We have discussed the planets, the sun, moon and the stars in Reception. fter listening to the story “Our Stars" by Anne Rockwell the students learned the following facts about stars:
A star is a massive, bright sphere of very hot gas which is held together by its own gravity
The nearest star to earth is the sun
The light from stars takes millions of years to reach the earth
Very hot stars look white or blue
Cooler stars look red or orange
People have used the North star for centuries to guide them. Other stars move but the North star stays fixed in the sky.
During our creative activity time the students had the opportunity to make their own solar system and stars. All the students found stars fascinating and they enjoyed expressing their own creativity.
Scientists use telescopes and satellites to study the stars. But even though they’re far away, stars are part of our world, too! JUST LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND SEE the twinkling stars appear in the wide sky every night.
Martie van Dyk
Reception Year Teacher
Building Boats in Design and Technology
Design Technology teaches students a number of skills. They have to plan their project, select the correct materials, use different techniques to join materials and then evaluate their design and end product.
Year 1 students made boats from recycled material for Design and Technology this week. In history they have been learning about the history of transport. The students were very creative and we had sail boats, liners, rafts, pirate ships and many others.
Ann Cordner
Year 1
Year 6's enjoy Intaka Island Outing
Written by: Charlie Thatcher and Buhlebenkosi Masuku
both Year 6 students
On the 17th October the Year 6 students went on an outing to Intaka Island for an educational learning experience about wetlands.
They split into groups and accomplished different activities including: A boat ride, an island walk, learning about wetlands, learning about environment.
On the boat ride, the students got the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery of the island. During the outing, the island walk included bird watching and learning about beautiful flowers and birds in the surrounding area. Some of the plants spotted were edible so the students were able to taste them. They learnt a lot about things they didn’t already know about the environment.
All of the students had a chance to do each activity with a break and time for eating in between. They learnt many life skills they can use in the future, and many of the students would love to go back to Intaka Island to learn even more about our environment.
Recycling Plastic Bottles
Christian Lombard (13 years old) is halfway through his goal of 12 *Ecobricks*. Hoping to make more, he will see how it goes before his trip to Dubai for a Euro soccer competition where he will represent his club, ESS.
Christian has been collecting cooldrink bottles and plastic from a local ice business, after which he acquired a bucket of beach sand and started production. We encourage everyone out there to help eliminate the plastic issue from our shores and start creating *Ecobricks*.
Wednesday, 31st of October 2018, saw the start to a very exhilarating morning for our Year 5 students. Excitement and enthusiasm filled the air as we clambered onto the bus and set off to the High Africa camp grounds. The 2-hour bus drive to Worcester, on the banks of the Brede River, was consumed by singing, laughing and pure delight.
On arrival, the students grouped up and rushed to their cabins. The thrill of camp had finally begun. We all shared some of our first brave moments, conquered many fears and learnt how to work as a team.
Reading an article from Indy Child Magazine (Feb 28, 2017) I came across a few benefits that camp has on children:
Camp nurtures social skills.
Camp models healthy living.
Camp enhances self-confidence.
Camp helps kids unplug and build friendships.
Camp reintroduces kids to nature.
Camp fosters teamwork.
Camp encourages personal growth.
Fun was had by all, new friendships were established and some were strengthened. Through it all, the Year 5 students learnt the need for hard work and especially the importance of ‘team work.’
Mrs. N. Mahomed
Year 5
End-of-Year Exams
End-of-year examinations are less than a month away and nerves are mounting slowly. Perhaps the best way to counter exam stress is to be prepared. To this end, I have ten guidelines students can follow that will go a long way to helping them feel prepared and confident for each exam.
Print a copy of their exam timetable and put it in a prominent and safe place.
Compile and stick to a study timetable.
Give themselves sufficient study time for each subject.
Identify topics they find most challenging and, if necessary, ask for assistance from the subject teacher.
Utilize effective study methods rather than simply reading the textbook.
Avoid pulling “all-nighters”.
Limit their social calendar (holidays are just around the corner).
Avoid fad diets so as to maximize energy and concentration.
Pack the necessary equipment for each exam, including a spare pen.
Arrive punctually for each exam.
I wish students all the best for their exams and I hope that they have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Sheila Marais
History
Sport Bulletin
Western Cape Colours for Sithara Naidoo
A big congratulations to Sithara Naidoo, in Year 6 for achieving Western Cape Colours for Hip-Hop Solo Battles during the recent WC Fitness & Hi-Hop Championships held in May and June this year.
u10 Cricket News
This week was another great sporting week for the school.
The u10 Cricket Team played their first match for the term against Blouberg Ridge and despite strong and cold winds, managed to be victorious. All the players displayed excellent sportsmanship and encouraged their own teammates, as well as, the other team throughout the match.
Well done to *Dale Barker* who was awarded *Man of the Match*. Next week, Monday, the u10 Team will face Curry Century City at the Parklands Sport Complex. We hope to see our supporters there.
News from IES & SEK Schools from around the World
ANNUAL PUMPKIN PATCH FIELD TRIP IS A TRADITION AT BOCA PREP
The students from PreK to PYP5 went on a pumpkin patch field trip this past Monday. Before the field trip, each class discussed what a pumpkin patch is and why they are associated with autumn. The students discovered how the pumpkin tradition came from Europe over to America and how it has evolved into what it is today with pumpkins having a leading role each fall.
During the field trip, the students listened to a fall story, took a class picture, and participated in a fall activity. Each student also purchased a pumpkin.
After the field trip, the whole lower school had a good time decorating their pumpkins back at school and letting their creativity shine.
The annual trip is a lovely tradition and it was a wonderful day for all.
Boca Prep International School
USA
SOCIAL MEDIA DEBATE
A debate on Social Media was hosted by SEK Paraguay against The American School of Asunción (ASA). Both our novice and experts teams delivered brilliant speeches using research and evidence to support their arguments. Throughout the battles every student showed superb engagement through their tone and body language. Results were pretty close but ASA won both categories. We congratulate our students for their tremendous effort and the commitment to this wonderful and important learning experience. Thanks also to our guest judges who came to help make a debate a true success.
Sergio Vielman
Teacher
Colegio Internacional SEK Paraguay
ASUNCIÓN - PARAGUAY
