Sunday, 14 September 2014 Issue 73
GENERAL
GENERAL
KG
NURSERY
JUNIOR
SECONDARY
SCHOOL CLINIC
GENERAL
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
DATE
EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2014
Tuesday, 16 September, 2014
Wednesday, 17 September, 2015
Thursday, 18 September. 2014
Monday, 22 September, 2014
Tuesday, 23 September, 2014
Wednesday, 24 September, 2014
Thursday, 25 September, 2014
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Grade 3 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Dance Studio
Grade 4 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Dance Studio
Grade 5 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Dance Studio
Grade 1 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Sports Hall
Grade 2 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Sports Hall
KG1 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Lecture Theatre
KG2 Curriculum Information Session at 7:50 am Lecture Theatre
After School Activities (ASA’s) sign-up
Red Day - Nursery
House Day - Grades 1 to 8
OCTOBER 2014
Thursday, 2 October, 2014
Full Day PD – No school for students
Sunday, 5 – Monday, 6 October 2014
Eid Al Adha* and Arafat Day* holidays
Tuesday, 7 October, 2014
After School Activities (ASA’s) starts
Wednesday, 8 October, 2014
World Habitat Day - Green Day
Thursday, 9 October, 2014
Nursery Information Morning at 9:00 am, Lecture Theatre
Thursday, 16 October, 2014
Yellow Day - Nursery
Sunday, 19 - Thursday, 23 October, 2014
Book Fair
Sunday, 19 - Monday, 20 October, 2014
Grade 3 Field Trip
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Hijri New Year* holiday
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Book Character Dress-up day
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents,
In reading ‘Flashes of Thought’, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, I was struck by his words on positive energy and positive thinking.
‘’Positive energy offers you a beautiful perspective on life and arms you with the
ambition, drive and motivation you need to succeed’’.
Since the start of term, I have met with parents, students and staff and my
message has been one based upon clarity, consistency and collaboration: clarity
of message in wanting the best for our children; consistency in the provision of high quality teaching and
learning; collaboration between teachers, students and parents ensuring that partnership provides the
bedrock for our community at Raffles International School.
Over the next term and beyond, I shall ensure that the focus of my endeavour is clearly centred on the
educational welfare of your child. I am fortunate to have such a dedicated team of staff who are
committed to provide the very best education for our students. In the spirit of clarity, my goals are clear
and are fourfold:
Student:
Success:
Motivation:
Values:
To ensure that the focus of all our endeavours are clearly centred on the educational
welfare of the student.
To build upon the strengths and successes of students and staff.
To lead and support a motivated and professional staff in delivering the highest pastoral
and academic standards and in doing so, inspire our students.
To ensure that in all that we do, our core values are paramount: Care, Commitment,
Communication, Integrity and Respect.
In building and retaining links with you and the wider community we shall certainly raise the aspirations
and ambitions of our children to achieve excellence whether it is in academic achievement, sporting
prowess and/ or the performing arts.
My staff are determined to strive for excellence and in partnership with you, will provide the very best
education for all our children. As I started with words from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, so I shall end with one more inspiring quote which neatly summarises my message to all
students, parents and staff to succeed, ‘’ Does running water stop when it reaches a rock? Of course not.
It turns either left or right, and continues its way. Likewise, a positive person is confident that no
challenge will stand in the way of achieving his or her goal’’.
Michael William Clack, Principal
IT @ RIS
A very warm welcome to all our students from the ICT
team. We welcome our new Grade 8 students and also our 2
new ICT teachers, Ms. Hema and Ms. Mary to RIS. We will
continue to empower our students with various IT skills
through programming, designing and logical thinking. Our
annual TechnoRISe exhibition is one major event that we all
look forward to. After the overwhelming response that we
received last year we hope to host a bigger exhibition than our
inaugural one last year.
It is wonderful to see our returning students eager to learn and apply IT skills.
Seema Vinod, IT Coordinator
Library News
Welcome to Raffles International School Media Resource Centre.
My main goal is to encourage each and every student to participate
and enjoy the resources in the library. We have tried to enhance
our Library facility by adding on more than 1100 books for this year.
“HAPPY READING”
Susane Joseph, Librarian
PARIS: Second-hand Uniform Shop
The second-hand Uniform shop is open again every
Wednesday, from 07:45 to 08:15 am in the Flag Atrium.
All WASHED donations in good condition are welcome.
PARIS
(Parents Association of Raffles International School)
RIS Uniform Shop - now closed
Please note that the uniform shop at RIS campus is now closed. If you wish to purchase uniform for your
child(ren), please visit the uniform shop at the following address:
Sumeru Trading LLC
J3 Mall
Al Wasl Road, Opposite Choithrams Supermarket
Al Manara, Dubai - UAE,
Welcome from the PE Department below are the members of our team….
Lisa Butcher, Head of Games, Physical Education and After School Activities
I am from Bath, in the United Kingdom where I studied to become a teacher and personal trainer. Since
leaving full time education, I have had an extensive and varied career which has included lecturing,
personal training, teaching, sales and marketing and administrative roles. I have gained a broad range of
skills and experience which I apply in my current position. In order to broaden my skills, knowledge and
experience I am halfway through completing a Master’s in Education. I have seen RIS evolve over the
years as I have been teaching here for the last 6 years. During this time I have seen many changes, and
improvements, all leading in the direction towards our aim to be an outstanding school.
My team and I are responsible for the smooth day to day running of the Games ad Physical Education
Department. We continue to focus on cross curricular links, organize and coach team sports and
participate in interschool competitions. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle is very important and is
constantly encouraged through healthy eating weeks, competition, lunchtime activities, homework and
regular communication with parents regarding healthy habits beyond the school environment.
The school has grown significantly and we have spent a long time implementing the curriculum. We have
spent time designing yearly, long-term and weekly plans for the department to follow and adapt. All
plans include lessons that are engaging, inclusive and supportive to learning. As a department we stay up
-to-date with the latest educational research concerning both P.E. and ASA’s.
We look forward to a great sporting year.
Emma Turnbull, PE Teacher and Events Coordinator
I have loved sports from a very young age and have performed at regional and national level in
gymnastics, athletics and volleyball in the U.K. I completed my training to be a Physical Education teacher
in Scotland and am now starting my third year here at Raffles. I am pleased to have been able to
incorporate my enjoyment of sport into my career.
Last year we organised many sporting activities and ensured that they were suitable for all children,
regardless of ability to take part in. I am sure this year’s planned activities will be as exciting and
challenging as they were last year, if not more. Within the school, along with teaching, I have the
responsibility of organising and planning the events programme.
Aeham Wardeh, PE Teacher
I am teaching Grades 2 and 3 this academic year. I am looking forward to a very successful year.
I have been working in the Physical Education field for nine years. I was an International volleyball player
on the Syrian International Volleyball Team for seven years. I am a member of FIVB (Federation of
International Volleyball), and I have coached swimming, volleyball and badminton. I enjoy all sports but
my favorite sports are basketball, football and volleyball.
I am looking forward to providing students with a complete P.E. curriculum where students will learn
about staying healthy, physical activity, sports and much more.
Thomas Nolan, P.E. Teacher
I am originally from Dublin, Ireland but have spent the last few years living abroad. I graduated from
Bangor University, Wales with a degree in Sport, Health and P.E. and a Postgraduate Certificate in
Education. Since leaving university, I have worked and lived in a number of different countries. Wherever
I go I have always been involved in sports such as football, rugby and swimming, whether it has been
teaching, coaching or performing.
Previous to starting here at RIS, I took up a teaching role in The Sheffield Private School. I was a P.E.
teacher and assistant pastoral leader where I dealt with any behavioral issues. I have always been
competitive at sport myself and it is something I teach to all my students. Extra-curricular activities are an
integral part of school life and I push all my students to take part in some sort of sports, competitive or
social. In my previous school I took the Year 5 and 6 boys cricket team to the final and victory. I also took
the boys U14 and U16 boy’s football teams to the Sharjah league final winning both age groups and also
completed the year winning the cup finals at both age groups. I hope to continue with those successes
and develop overall competitive sports here at RIS.
Outside of work I play several different sports such as Gaelic football, hurling, swimming and generally
keeping fit. I have been lucky enough to play semi professional football during my time in Wales and also
represented the Middle East on the hurling team that returned to Ireland as part of an international
hurling tournament and returned as world champions. I am always seeking new challenges and trying
new sports, and currently working towards attempting the Dubai marathon in 2015.
Lynn Horwell, P.E. Teacher
I was born in Ireland and moved to the UK to attend university. I have been teaching in England for the
past 13 years. From an early age I have enjoyed an active lifestyle and in particular playing hockey. I have
just moved to Dubai with my family and we are looking forward to engaging in many activities with our
children. I am looking forward to being fully involved in the exciting activities on offer at Raffles.
Gary Williams, Dean of Students and PE Teacher
My name is Gary Williams and I am the new Dean of Students here at Raffles International School. I am
also very excited to be teaching Physical Education here at the school. I will be teaching 3F and 3G this
year, I am extremely grateful that I have been given the privilege of teaching your wonderful children for
2 PE lessons per week.
I studied for four years, full-time at The College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, South Devon, UK one
of the best teaching training centre’s in the UK. I have a degree in Physical Education. Having qualified, I
decided to pursue my career in London. I secured my NQT year and gained qualified teacher status in
2000 working at Albany School in Enfield. I then taught in a variety of secondary and primary schools in
Tottenham (Seven Sisters, Wood Green), Notting Hill, Camden, Willesden, Wembley, Sudbury Town
(Brent).
I have held a variety of teaching roles ranging from PE Assessment Coordinator, KS4/GCSE Director of
Sport, Head of PE, Assistant Head of PE, Healthy Schools Coordinator and Whole School PE Coordinator
to name a few roles of responsibility that I have enjoyed over the years during my career.
I am very excited and honoured to be working with such a fantastic group of dedicated organised
professionals and I very much look forward to working with the PE department this academic year. I
know that the department has a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I hope to broaden my
repertoire learning from them.
RIS PE Department
Left to Right: Aeham Wardeh, Thomas Nolan, Lynn Horwell, Lisa Butcher, Emma Turnbull
and Gary Williams.
GENERAL
NURSERY
KG
JUNIOR
SECONDARY
NURSERY NEWS
Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family,
I once heard someone say, “…. Children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the
kind of care they get.” I begin this academic year with the same nurturing spirit
that every child deserves. My name is Garima Kapoor, and I am Nursery Coordinator for Raffles International School. Having spent the first part of my working life in
hospitality, I found my calling towards working in an environment with children. I completed my Montessori training in London where my family was based
at the time and began teaching at a nursery in the middle of serene woodland. A few years on, life
brought me to Dubai and I have been a part of the Raffles Nursery family, prior to the opening in 2009,
and have watched it grow into the loving and caring atmosphere that it exhibits today. Casa B was my
class to begin with and after having two sets of butterflies flutter out towards the next phase of their
academic life, I began a new phase of my career as Coordinator for the Montessori Nursery.
On the personal front, I am Mum to two little girls, Khwaab - 10 years and Khwaaish - 7 years. My
husband, Bobby, is a Chef (though he rarely cooks at home and never complains about my cooking). Our
Dalmatian, Dollar completes the family at home. In school, however, my family is much larger; I am
blessed with 188 children and a committed, loving team of teachers and teaching assistants.
I would like to assure you of my dedication to the wellbeing of ‘our’ precious possessions. My door is
always open; please feel free to walk in.
Garima Kapoor, Nursery Coordinator
Please read on for a brief introduction from our Nursery teachers
Casa A
I am glad to welcome you and your child to my class this year. Nursery
years are the most challenging years for both the parents and the child. I
will try to make the transition as smooth as possible. I feel that this is the
perfect age to impact a child’s life in a positive way, helping them to
believe in themselves and become independent. Please do not hesitate to
contact me on my email tasnima@rafflesis.com. I will be more than happy
to reply to your enquiries. I am looking forward to an exciting and fun
filled year ahead.
Tasnim Abdulali, Nursery Casa A teacher
Casa B
I hope you have enjoyed a good summer break. I look forward to welcoming all the new and returning
children back to Casa B to what I hope will be an exciting and fun filled year. The initial days and weeks
might be a little challenging for our young ones as they leave their familiar home environments and settle
into our Nursery routine.
I believe that each child is unique and each child learns in a different
way; to provide an environment that is stimulating, fun and secure so
that each child blossoms and thrives. I look forward to a wonderful
year.
Jyotsna Jadeja, Nursery Casa B teacher
Casa C
I welcome all the parents to the new academic year. The school is
buzzing with the sounds of children once again, meeting, greeting and
making new friends. I would like to seek your support in instilling
punctuality in our students. Please make sure students are in school by
07:45 am and are picked up from school at 02:00 pm. I would also like to
seek your cooperation in exercising patience and consideration when
dropping off or picking up children as it is for the safety of your child and
his/her classmates, please wait for us to open the door. My aim is to
create an environment which eases your child’s first step into education
and to form an excellent relationship among children, families and
teachers.
Gitanjali Pathak, Nursery Casa C teacher
Casa D
I am the teacher for Nursery Casa D. I was born in Nairobi,
Kenya. I have been teaching for the last 13 years of my life
and I love it very much. I have lived in Dubai for the last 7
years. I like to meet new people and learn about their
language and culture. I am looking forward to meeting as
well as knowing each student of my class and their parents. I
hope to make this academic year, an educational one as well
as fun-filled for the children and I.
Sarah Mathenge, Nursery Casa D teacher
Casa E
My name is Susanna Allegra and I am the Teacher of Casa E.
I am originally from Italy but I lived in London for ten years
before moving to Dubai in 2007.
In 2008, I started working in a British nursery while doing my
Montessori teaching Diploma. In 2011, I joined RIS Nursery. I
am a strong believer of the Montessori philosophy and
method. The specialist environment of a Montessori
classroom is the perfect place for a child’s holistic growth
and independent learning. As the teacher becomes the observer, the child takes an active role in his/her
own learning.
Susanna Allegra, Nursery Casa E teacher
Casa F
My name is Joanne Okera and I will be your child’s Nursery teacher this
year. I am looking forward to an exciting and productive year with your
child. This is my fourth year as a teacher at Raffles International
School. My passion as a teacher is to help children discover the joy of
learning, and for each child to develop a strong belief in his or her
own ability. It is also of primary importance to me that children in my
class appreciate and respect theirs and other children’s culture. This
enables them to enjoy a comfortable social life especially because they are residing in the UAE, a
cosmopolitan country. Together we can make this year the best year possible for your child.
Joanne Okera, Nursery Casa F teacher
Casa G
My name is Rubab Gheewala, class teacher for Casa G (academic year 20142015) and I am very happy to welcome you and your child to my classroom this
year. I graduated from Pakistan and later did my Montessori teacher training
Diploma. I have been living in Dubai for 6 years now. I began my journey with
Raffles International School 2 years ago and I have 5 years of teaching
experience. I am looking forward to meeting and knowing all the students of my
class and their parents. I hope to make the days spent here enjoyable and
interesting so that the children may look forward to coming to school.
Rubab Gheewala, Nursery Casa G teacher
Casa H
As we start this year, let me take this time to introduce myself. I am
mother of a 3 year old boy and I love working with children. Having to
wake up and come to work with Casa H makes my mornings very
exciting. As the year prolongs, I want to encourage parents to please
send your child to school on time at 07:45 am. It is important for your
child to attend morning circle. Please make sure you dress your child
according to the weather since it has been changing. Casa H is a great
class and thank you parents for the warm welcome.
Joanne Sebastian, Nursery Casa H teacher
Safeera Salahuddin, Nursery Assistant Teacher
My name is Safeera Salahuddin and I am the Assistant Teacher in the
Raffles Nursery. A true homebody at heart, half of my day is spent
playing the role of a wife, and mum to two adorable children; and the
other half is where I realize my passion - coming in to work as a teacher.
A Montessori Certified and Trained teacher, this field has simply
brought to fore the inherent love I have for working with children of this
age group- the Nursery children. What is not to love about a job where
you get to go back home knowing you have imparted education- be it
on a colouring sheet, or by reinforcing a sense of security- to a 3 year old? Looking forward to meeting
and acquainting myself with all the parents during the course of the coming year.
Safeera Salahuddin, Assistant teacher
GENERAL
NURSERY
KG
JUNIOR
SECONDARY
KG NEWS
Dear Parents,
I hope you found Orientation Day to be a helpful experience. The idea of this
session was to give you information regarding your child’s new class and to meet
the teacher. I am looking forward to getting to know and meet all the new families
that have joined us this year. If you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to
email me at susiem@rafflesis.com
At this time of year the children are getting to know their new environments and the rules within a
Montessori classroom. They will be exposed to the concrete material in the Practical Life and
Sensorial areas of the curriculum. Both these areas subconsciously teach the children to develop
their concentration and respect for the materials, work place and others. They will also get to know the
order of the classroom and what is to be expected during the three hour Montessori work cycle. The
concrete material in these areas are indirect preparation for mathematics and language. As the children
work through the material, the teacher will be getting to know each child’s starting point and what type
of learner they are.
Please read on to see what KG1 and KG2 have been doing in class during the first week of the term.
Susie Mcshane, KG Coordinator
KG1 News
We would like to wish you and the children a warm welcome into KG 1.
The first day of school and in the year ahead is about establishing routines in the Montessori preschool
classroom and we all know that preschoolers love routines. Preschoolers thrive on understanding how
their day will unfold and predicting what will happen throughout the day. The first week of school can
often be a little daunting for some young Montessori students because they are not yet able to predict
how the day will unfold, it is our responsibility to make the transition as simple and stress-free as
possible.
We aim to make routine in the Montessori classroom as predictable as possible. It is important to bring
the children to school and pick them up on time to establish a firm foundation in routine.
We will assist the children in building a real sense of community, and show them that this is their
Montessori classroom. It is vital that a swift good morning and goodbye is completed at the door to
ensure a smooth transition quickly.
Each Montessori class structures their day
slightly differently in timings. Morning greeting,
circle time, Montessori Work cycle, snack, play
time and lunch is the main essence of a
defined Montessori atmosphere.
A basic outline of what to expect from your
Montessori classroom in the morning
is
peaceful music playing while the children are
arriving. The children enter the class, shake the
hand of the teacher and in an indoor voice greet
each other at the door. They are directed to
find their personal cubby, put their things away,
find a spot to sit on the mat for circle time and
the day begins.
Please remember that the Communicator and School Diary are tools to keep you up to date with the
school schedule for your child. If there are pressing matters please e-mail your child’s class teacher.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
KG 1 Team
KG2 News
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our students of KG2 and their parents.
Our 2014-2015 school year is already buzzing with excitement and activity. The children have all settled
in well and are getting into the routine. We started the year with revisiting the Practical Life exercise and
Grace and Courtesy, an essential element of the Montessori curriculum
As we embark on this journey we would like to inform and familiarize parents with our classroom
routines. We truly believe a strong home-and-school connection is important and essential for a child’s
development. Throughout the year we will communicate with parents – using the Communicator, School
Diary, report cards and parent/teacher conferences. Regular communication about the child, between
the parent and the teacher, is intended to create a happier and successful school year.
In KG2, the child is introduced to concrete material that embodies related concepts, and is intended to
provide a hands-on experience. When the child grasps a concept in its abstract form, it allows him
adequate time to develop and understand the subject conceptually and holistically.
You will also experience a variety of special activities and celebrations during the school year. We
encourage you to attend these functions when possible and to support them. Your support of activities at
school will make your child feel important and sends the message that you value school.
Attendance:
Students must maintain regular and prompt
attendance to ensure academic and social
success. If students arrive late, they miss
out on learning activities that begin at
8:00 am. Consistent morning routines are
imperative to building a child's sense of
balance and confidence.
Snack time:
We want to inculcate healthy eating habits
in our children and encourage you to
adhere to the same. There are 2 snack
breaks, the first one being the fruit break
and second is lunch. Students are
encouraged to use reusable water bottles in
the classroom. Please make sure to label all water bottles, and other items that come to school.
Some DOs and DON'Ts

We request the children to swipe the ID cards in the morning. Students attend school from 07:45
am to 02:00 pm.

RIS is a nut-free and chocolate-free environment. Please be aware of this when packing your
child's lunch.

Please do not send birthday party invitations to school unless the entire class has been invited.
Although it may seem convenient to help your child distribute invitations this way, it can result in
hurt feelings for those not invited.

No Hat no play.

Finally, kindly check your child's diary every day.
So lets work together to make a memorable year.
KG2 Team
GENERAL
NURSERY
KG
JUNIOR
SECONDARY
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Message from the Head of the Junior School
Welcome back to the new academic year 2014 - 2015! I hope you had a good
summer and are slowly but surely getting back to the routines of school life.
The school is once again buzzing with the sounds of children, meetings and
greetings and finding dear friends. Two full school weeks have passed smoothly
and I congratulate the staff and students for this wonderful start. To our new
members of the school community, I extend a special welcome and trust you
will have a long association with RIS.
We are committed to provide a happy and respectful learning environment, thereby laying the
foundation for a positive and enthusiastic attitude to learning for all our students. Staff members are
always happy to discuss individual concerns with you. Please do not hesitate to take an appointment
with members of management or staff to enable them to give you their undivided attention.
I would also like to seek your cooperation in exercising patience and consideration when dropping off or
picking up children. Traffic congestion is an on-going challenge and is heavily dependent on drivers
observing the traffic rules put in place and a quick exit from school both at pick up and drop off times.
Please be reminded the front gate is not to be used during for drop off and pick up times. Please instruct
your drivers and nannies of the same. Your cooperation is sought and appreciated.
Dates for curriculum Information sessions for KG and JS have been communicated and are also given
below. I encourage parents to attend these sessions to learn and be informed about school expectations
and curriculum details.
I wish all members of the RIS community a wonderful year ahead and look forward to meeting you all
during the course of the year.
Zeba Khan, Head of Junior School
Grade 1 News
Thank you to the teachers, parents and students for their help in making the first week of Grade One a
success. We are glad to be back and ready to start on our many learning adventures.
So far we have been busy touring the school and getting to know each other in our vibrant classrooms.
School rules and routines are being reinforced through stories, song and activities.
We are reminding each other and our teachers to swipe our ID’s in the morning as it is very important for
our safety.
We are hands on and busy in Grade 1, showing our teachers how good we are at ordering numbers,
reading and chanting our sight words and sounding out words to write simple sentences.
In the next few weeks we will have special booklets to practice these sight words, and we will be bringing
books from the library to read to our families at home.
Remember parents, to spend a little time every day reading with your child, to help them become fluent,
expressive and confident readers. Check your child’s understanding of the texts by stopping every so
often while reading aloud to ask and discuss questions. e.g. What happened in the story so far?
Encourage them to predict what will happen next.
While we have not introduced homework yet, do encourage your children to revise sounds, words and
numbers through the medium of the educational websites we have attached in the communicators.
Learning is fun, not hard. That’s how we want our children to feel at school and at home.
Grade 1 Team
Grade 2 News
Grade 2 students and teachers have been very busy during the first week of school. We have started
settling into our new classrooms and learning to find our way around the school. We have also been
meeting all our specialist teachers who will be teaching and helping us throughout the year. We have
been trying hard to remember our daily routines and walking in nice quiet lines when walking to and
from the play area and specialist classes.
We have also had fun meeting our friends from last year and making lots of new friends from all over the
world. It has been great fun finding which continent each student comes from and soon we will start
locating out countries on the world map.
The diagnostic assessments will be completed in a week’s time and now we are ready to start the Grade
2 curriculum. We are looking forward to learning lots of new interesting things this year and most
importantly, having loads of fun while doing so.
Grade 2 Team
Welcome from Grade 3
We have had a great start in Grade 3. In the first week we focused on getting to know our students and
establishing our goals with different activities both
academically and otherwise. The forthcoming
year has a number of interactive events and
activities to offer and all of them are focused on
developing the ‘whole child’.
We have seen much enthusiasm from the
students with regard to establishing classroom
routines and developing new relationships with
teachers and fellow classmates. They are whole
-heartedly embracing the brand new academic
year and we hope to see this enthusiasm continue
throughout the year.
In the coming weeks in Mathematics and English we will be enhancing fundamental concepts which will
give us a good base as we move forward through the year. We will be learning more about the human
skeleton in science and the environment in Social Studies.
We are all looking forward to the coming year and we are excited to see what it will bring.
Grade 3 Team
Grade 4 News
Grades 4 have had a very exciting and introductory week settling back into school
and getting to know their new teacher and peers. We have had a wide variety of
activities including: All about me Journals, Portraits, Get to know each other
questionnaire etc… This has allowed team work to happen and the students feel
comfortable in their new environment. This coming week the students are starting
their new topics to include Stories by significant writers in English, Plants in
Science, Number in Mathematics and Natural Disasters in Social Studies. The
Rachael Rees
students are very excited about their new topics and the Theme for the next six
weeks is Environment. We have many hands on learning experiences planned for the students and we
are sure they will really enjoy learning in this way.
Charlene Botha
Ikram Bostan
Zubaida Abraham
Conall Chivers
Mary Manning
Grade 4 Team
Welcome from Grade 5
A big hello and welcome to all new and returning students
from all the Grade 5 teachers. We hope you all had a fantastic
summer and are as excited as we are about getting back to
work.
This year in Grade 5we have five sections which includes two
new teachers Mr. Canavan in 5B and Ms. Muir in 5E. So far
the children have been enjoying getting to know each other
and catching up with friends.
In English the children have begun writing and learning the
features of an autobiography and biography. They have been busy selecting and retrieving information
from texts and relaying them to the class. The children have made a
flying start in their Mathematics. They have been introduced to some
games which help with their mental arithmetic, cooperation,
collaboration and listening skills in class.
In Science, the children have been learning the Scientific Inquiry method
whereby they follow the necessary steps to carry out a fair investigation.
Social Studies begins with mapping and improving on our mapping skills
in Grade 5.
Shabana Bashir, Grade 5 Coordinator
GENERAL
NURSERY
KG
JUNIOR
SECONDARY
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Message from Deputy Head – Secondary School
What a great start to the 2014-2015 academic year for the Secondary
School. It has been incredible to finally meet all of the students and
share with them our high expectations for the year ahead. Three key
words were shared with all students at the Grade 6, 7 and 8 welcome
assemblies last week. Respect, excellence and happiness. It is my aim
as Deputy Head of Secondary to ensure students demonstrate the
highest levels of respect for one another at all times, and in all aspects
of their lives. Furthermore, I expect that every student aims for
excellence in all that they do – whether it is in the classroom, on the
sports field or whilst at home. Finally, it is top priority to ensure
students are happy at all times during their time at Raffles International School. If we work
collaboratively, whilst demonstrating consistency and clarity, we will achieve these goals.
Last week I was delighted to meet many parents of Secondary students during the Curriculum
Information Sessions. These sessions provided an overview of the Secondary curriculum at RIS
and hopefully answered many important questions raised by parents. I have also had the pleasure
of meeting with the PARIS team and appreciate their advice, input and continued support.
Thank you all for making me feel so welcome at RIS and I sincerely look forward to working with you
all this year.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Plant, Deputy Head – Secondary School