Dear Parents and Friends of MIS
We have had another busy week at MIS. There has been a dip in temperatures in Shenzhen but not in the enthusiasm of the students and staff. At this time of year, during the longest term, a lot of the curriculum is covered in lessons. Students may feel tired but that has not dampened their willingness to get involved, at every opportunity. This even involved a 6am departure for a cross-country running event, last Friday. It is once again my pleasure to report on all that has been happening at MIS in the last week. The MISsive grows weekly due to the sheer volume of activities that now happen around school. I am already compiling a list of events that I will be reporting on next week. As you can see, this week, there is always the opportunity for parents to contribute towards the MIS community or actively encourage their children to take part in the wealth of enriching opportunities the school provides.
As ever, I have provided just a small snapshot of events and activities at MIS this past week.
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Isaac in Year 9 - For sustained hard work and effort in class and always going above and beyond when it comes to homework tasks. His work ethic is commendable.
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In some species of reptile whether an egg hatches as a male or female depends on the temperature of the eggs and not their DNA. In many turtle species eggs from nests in cooler temperatures hatch as males and eggs from nests in warmer temperatures hatch as females.
Ms Murray
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Anti-Bullying Week
This week students and staff at MIS have been celebrating Anti-Bullying Week, along with hundreds of schools around the world. The theme for this year is ‘Choose Respect’ and students have been busy thinking about how they can ensure our school community prioritises values such as Respect, Kindness and Empathy. We began the week with Odd Socks Day on Monday where students and teachers came to school wearing their most brightly coloured socks to celebrate their individuality. Many of our boarders also spent Monday evening at a film night where we watched an adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous book Matilda which is themed around overcoming bullying. Juniors students on the Outreach and Service team sold popcorn and other snacks allowing us to raise money for friendship projects within school and everyone also wrote their own anti-bullying pledge. Events have continued both within and outside the classroom during the week and our newly appointed student Peer Mentors have collected lots of ideas for students about projects to run in the future.
Ms Murray
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RMB653 was raised from the Odd Socks Day and Outreach sales at Monday’s film night. All funds raised from Anti-Bullying Week will go towards friendship-building projects within MIS.
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Cross-country Running
Students from Years 8, 9 and 12 took part in an inter-school cross country event on Friday 9th November. Despite a last-minute change of venue and the uncomfortably hot and humid conditions, students, as always, gave it their all and represented the school with pride. Again, as with most sports that we are competing in this year, most of our students had never taken part in a cross-country event before. This was therefore an opportunity for them to build their knowledge and experience for future years. Despite the lack of experience, our students performed exceptionally well, with most achieving personal best times.
Mr Nowak
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Chinese Language Lessons
Lisa Zhao of Year 10 has written an article about her impression of Shenzhen. More than thirty years ago, Shenzhen was just a small fishing village called Bao’an County. In 1979 it was renamed Shenzhen City. Each year people across China are attracted by the economic success of Shenzhen coming to the city in search of opportunities. As a result, the city has become increasingly crowded. The municipal government has recently made city-wide environmental policy in an effort to combat problems caused by overpopulation. In this article you will learn more about Lisa’s perception to the city.
Mr Frankie Cheung
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对深圳的印象 赵一格 十年级
深圳是中国的超一线城市，一座新兴的现代化城市，与香港一水之隔，是中国建立的第一个经济特区，发展成了有一定影响力的国际化大都市，创造了举世瞩目的深圳速度，享有’时尚之城’的美誉。深圳人也和这座城市一样，怀揣着梦想与目标。
深圳是超一线城市，所以生活在这里的人们生活节奏快，生活压力大。公交、地铁上的每个人都行色匆匆，腾讯总部科技园彻夜不熄灯，晚上九点的华为总部依然灯火璀璨，这大概就是深圳能从破旧的边陲小镇到如今的国际化大都市的原因。深圳是一座年轻的城市，吸引了许多年轻人来这里工作。这里最不缺的就是人，优秀的人才到处都是，这样的压力更能激励人奋斗，立下留在这所城市的目标。
深圳的天气十分古怪，一时晴一时雨。中午的时候还烈日高照，下午的时候就下起了毛毛细雨，深圳人出门的时候总会带上一把雨伞以预防说来就来的雨。深圳的雨总是能让人开心，不像其他城市的雨沉闷，他总是能带给人们一种清爽的感觉，仿佛能把压力一下子冲刷走的感觉，让人有淋雨的冲动。
深圳市内高大的建筑给人简单的美感，不同的形状又让简单中不缺少活泼与生动。太阳刚升起时躲在建筑后面偷偷地升起，一种神秘感围绕着整座城市。待到夜幕降临的时候，整座城市也不会暗下来，稀稀落落的灯光次第出现，彩色的霓虹灯把街道包围起来，人们在霓虹灯下逛街，散步。车流形成了漂亮的光轨。午夜时分也会有人行走在街道上，车水马龙，灯红酒绿，纸醉金迷，让人迷恋。
我们在这座城市生活，在这座城市烙下印记。
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Jacky Tang, also in Year 10 wrote his in English.
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By Jacky Tang Beautiful Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in China and was made in 1979. I lived in Shenzhen for almost 14 years. In China, many enterprises are almost all in Shenzhen, because Shenzhen is a quite rich city in China. Its location is on the north of Hong Kong, and Shenzhen is a really interesting city. There are some religions, language, and the history that I really want to share with you.
First, I want to talk about the religions in Shenzhen. The two main religions present in Shenzhen are Buddhism and Taoism, but I think more of the citizens believe in Buddhism. According to a 2010 survey held by the University of Southern California, approximately 37% of Shenzhen's residents were practitioners of Chinese folk religions, 26% were Buddhists, 18% Taoists, 2% Christians and 2% Muslims; 15% were unaffiliated to any religion.
Next, I want to talk about the language in Shenzhen. In Shenzhen, most citizens speak Mandarin and Cantonese. Shenzhen has lots of non-local citizens that only speak Mandarin, which means people speak Mandarin more than the Cantonese speaker. However, the use of multiple languages has been on the rise in recent years as descendants of immigrants have begun to integrate into local culture through friends, television and other media.
Then, I want to talk about the history of Shenzhen. From the Han Dynasty (third century B.C.) onwards. The area around Shenzhen was a center of the salt monopoly, thus meriting special imperial protection. The earliest archaeological remains so far unearthed in the Shenzhen area are shards from a site at Xiantouling on Dapeng Bay, dating back to 5000 BC.
Shenzhen is a colorful city because we have such an interesting religion, language and history. I want to know more about Shenzhen. I hope you like it.
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Geography Mural
Many thanks to Ms McLaughlin and Ms Wen Si for the new mural they have created outside the Geography classroom.
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Ms McLaughlin and Ms Wen Si have also been helping the Year 5 students to create their mural paintings.
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Busker’s Corner
Last week in Busker’s corner, Michael from Year 8 entertained students with a solo performance of ‘Gang hao yu jian ni’ on his acoustic guitar. A staff group, Des & the O’Connors, then played a variation of the Irish folk song, Whiskey in the Jar.
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Boarders’ Outing
On Saturday 10th November, 43 of our Boarding students, aged 7 to 17 went on a trip to The Alps, near Window of the World. This is an ice rink and snow park. Our students escaped the heat of Shenzhen and thoroughly enjoyed a day of playing with the snow, sliding down between ice castles and ice skating. It was wonderful to see students of different ages playing together and helping each other on the ice rink. Staff and students had lots of fun and after a very active day it is safe to say we all enjoyed a very good night’s sleep!
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China Cup
Last weekend the Merchiston Weekend Warriors went to watch the 12th China Cup. Held in Daya Bay, the China Cup is an international sailing regatta that invites world-class sailors from around the world to race between the waters of Hong Kong and Shenzhen over five days. 32 students went to watch some of the world’s best, as well as enjoy the beach and waters of the beautiful Dapeng peninsula.
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New Recording Studio
MIS’s recording studio is a state-of-the-art facility with some world-class equipment from across the globe. Students will produce original music, write and record the school radio show and create sound design for school films!
Mr Reeves
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Clan Short Film Competition
Each Clan will have 5 weeks to write, create, shoot, edit and present a Short Film based on the theme of ‘Friendship’.
Each film should last no less than 3 minutes and no longer than 5 minutes. This Clan event - the making of the short films - is specifically aimed at Year 9s, Year 10s and Year 12s though involvement from any year group members is actively encouraged.
Clans are rewarded for storytelling, creativity, originality, engagement and technical quality.
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Deadline for script and storyboard is Friday 23rd November.
Deadline for shooting the film is Friday 30th November.
Deadline for editing the film is Friday 7th December.
All 3 Clan films will be presented on Friday 14th December.
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LUCKY JAR APPEAL
The Outreach & Service team at MIS is putting out a renewed appeal for contributions for the Winter Fair Lucky Jar Appeal. Each form class is now starting to fill their jars, and we would like to encourage parents to join in. Any and all contributions such as sweets, stationery and gifts will go a long way towards completing a jar, which will then either be given out raffle-style at the fair or donated to a charitable organisation this Christmas season.
If you would like to help out, please send your contributions in with your child to be added to their form’s Lucky Jar. Thank you in advance for your support with this.
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Remembrance Day at MIS
At 11.00 am last Friday the students and staff of MIS fell silent for 2 minutes to remember World Armistice Day. It was on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, that the guns fell silent in World War 1. This date and time is now used around the world to remember all those who have died in war. A red poppy flower is used in Britain as a symbol of this, to remember the poppies that grew over the battlefields after World War 1.
The whole MIS community gathered around the Colinton Atrium to pay their respects. The silence that descended across the whole school was a testament to the understanding and dignity of the MIS students.
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At this time I think of the following lines by famous World War 1 poet, Wilfred Owen:
“My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.”
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Congratulations to Lomond who were winners of last week's Word of the Week competition. This week's word is 'Symbol'.
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Before I left Ireland in August to begin teaching in China I was given a present of a book of Irish quotes on teaching. I have been reading this book lately and I hope you do not mind if I share one more with you. It seems so appropriate to what MIS represents.
”What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge,
and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.”
~ George Bernard Shaw.
Many thanks
Philip McParland
(Teacher of Geography)
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Dates for Your Diaries
| Friday 16 November – 15.30 |
MIS Outreach Bake Sale |
| Friday 16 November – 15.45 |
Juniors Teatime Showcase |
| Friday 16 November – 16.20 |
Parent Presentation IPC/National Curriculum |
| Wednesday 21 November – 09.00 |
Parent Forum – Lines of Communication |
| Thursday 22 November -- 14.00 |
MISPA Meeting |
| Friday 23 November 16.00 |
Parent Presentation EAL |
| Friday 30 November – 15.30 |
MIS Outreach Bake Sale |
| Friday 30 November – 16.00 |
Parent Presentation Phonics |
| Saturday 1 December – 17.00 |
MIS Christmas Winter Market |
| Wednesday 5 December – 09.00 |
Parent Forum - Peer on Peer Abuse |
| Monday 10 December – 16.00 |
Festival of Carols |
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