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Thank you to all the parents who joined us for our Celebration of Learning morning. Your presence and support mean so much to us, and it reinforces the importance of a strong home school partnership in nurturing each child’s growth. I truly hope you enjoyed the morning and found it insightful to experience what school life is like for your children. Seeing parents engage in their learning journey helps build a vibrant community, and we're grateful for your involvement in this shared commitment to their education. 🙏
Student Voices 🎙️
Pause the reading and tune in. This week, we’re passing the mic to Scarlett for the latest insights from the Head of Primary. Sit back, relax, and enjoy all the updates from this past week, shared in style.
Weekly Spotlight 🔦
This week I am delighted to share the incredible work of our dedicated Year 1 team, whose expertise and passion play a pivotal role in our students' successful transition from Early Years into Primary education. Mrs Monet, Mrs Iwona, Ms Sarah, Mrs Sophie, Ms Linaa, Ms Lee Chin, Mr Alif, Mrs Florence, Ms Teresa, Mrs Fia and Ms Dinah possess an immense wealth of knowledge spanning both Early Years and Primary practices and pedagogy, which is essential for creating a positive and engaging learning journey for every child.
Our Year 1 team thoughtfully considers the whole child when designing bespoke curriculum pathways, enabling students to continue building upon the Early Learning Goals while also meeting the demands of a challenging Year 1 international curriculum. This careful balance ensures that each child progresses at a pace that suits them, bridging Early Years foundations with new learning experiences that foster growth and curiosity.
A key focus is placed on literacy and reading as a whole, with an emphasis on phonics to develop essential reading skills. Our Year 1 team nurtures a love for reading, building comprehension and fostering confidence as students begin to explore books independently. In Maths, our approach prioritises building a solid foundation of core knowledge, ensuring students truly master concepts rather than simply demonstrate a surface level understanding. This deeper mastery supports their ability to confidently apply their skills in varied and increasingly complex situations.
Equally important is the nurturing pastoral care the Year 1 team provides, fostering a safe and supportive environment where every student feels valued, understood, and encouraged.
And most importantly of all, school is fun. Our Year 1 students love coming to school every day, eager to learn and explore with friends. We’re grateful for the Year 1 team’s dedication to creating a seamless, joyful, and enriching experience, setting a solid foundation that students will build upon throughout their educational journey. 👏 👏
Learning Journey Continues... 🧭
We are also incredibly proud of the journey our students make as they transition from Primary into Secondary, and we are dedicated to ensuring this is a positive and enriching experience for every student. Our team works thoughtfully to support each student's academic, social, and personal development during this transition, helping them build on their Primary foundations with confidence. Primary parents were recently invited to attend a special workshop:
Thank you for joining us recently for the seminar on learning and life at ISB Secondary. We hope it provided valuable insights into our curriculum, enrichment opportunities, and our commitment to student wellbeing and future success. We have shared a copy of the presentation, Secondary Life and Learning, for your reference. We also hope you enjoyed the tour of our Secondary School led by our students, offering a firsthand look at the high quality education we provide.
At ISB, our vision is rooted in ensuring that Everyone Excels. In Secondary, we collaborate closely with Primary teachers to build upon the knowledge, skills, understanding, and values that students acquire in their earlier years. Central to our curriculum is the I(S)B Learner Profile, which guides our efforts to support both academic success and the development of essential skills and dispositions for lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.
We look forward to hosting more parent seminars in the future. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas, or if you’d like to meet with teachers, tour the campus, or visit our school.
Dr Peter R Jones
Head of Secondary
We would also like to highlight the wonderful work of Mrs. Hawkins, our Assistant Head for Middle Years, who has created a special Middle Years booklet to give parents a comprehensive insight into the journey from Primary to Secondary. This booklet covers a range of essential topics, including an overview of the Year 6 to Year 7 programme, guidance on how we support students academically and emotionally during this period, and detailed information on key milestones like orientation activities, bridging lessons, and parent-student events. It also outlines the skill building and enrichment opportunities available in Secondary, designed to help students develop resilience, independence, and a strong sense of belonging. This booklet is an invaluable resource for families as they prepare to support their child’s journey to Secondary. For Year 5 and Year 6 families, we'll be providing more information at the beginning of Term 2.
Holistic Wellbeing 🫶
At ISB, we remain committed to the holistic wellbeing of all our students, ensuring their growth and development across academic, social, and emotional spheres. Our Counselling Team has recently shared valuable insights on fostering empathetic communication, emphasising the importance of active listening techniques like non-verbal cues (e.g., nodding, maintaining eye contact) and verbal responses (e.g., "mmm," "tell me more"). They also highlighted strategies such as reflecting and paraphrasing, which help students feel understood and valued. For those interested, further reading and resources are available within this booklet to deepen engagement with these practices.
It's been a busy week 🤩
This week Year 6 have challenged their parents to a Times Tables battle, Year 5 have created the entire solar system, Year 4 have been using fables to examine dialogue, Year 3 have been multiplying and dividing, Year 2 have been painting a starry night, Year 1 have been designing their own troll, Reception have been subitising, Kindy have welcomed some feathered friends and Pre Kindy have been exploring light. A special congratulations also to our BJSL Squad members to competed in the athletics tournament this week. 👏 👏
Congratulations to everyone who’s taken part in this week’s Barvember challenges. It’s been fantastic to see so many families engaging in these fun Maths problems together.
As we close out another week, remember that all resources and challenges remain available to the entire ISB community on the Primary Newsfeed, so feel free to revisit or catch up at your own pace:
Thank you for making Barvember such a success. Here’s to even more Maths fun next week.
If you have any questions about any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to message in Seesaw.
Mr Michael Everett | Head of Primary
(and Scarlett in Yr6)
👥 If you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning, please feel free to book a meeting with me at your convenience, either in person or online. A scheduling link can be found in the Useful Links section pinned to the top of your Seesaw account.
🗓️ Throughout November - Barvember Maths challenges
🗓️ Sunday 24th November - ISB Family Walkathon
🗓 Friday 29th November - Yr5 Temburong Celebration Event
🗓️ Friday 6th December - Last day of term
🗓️ Tuesday 7th January - Term 2 begins