MONTHLY NEWSLETTER International School Eindhoven April 2016 IN THIS ISSUE (click on table of contents) Whole School News: ISE Primary News:       ISE Calendar ISE Activity Calendar Book Feria Year Book/Jaarboek Donations Seminar for Parents  Reading Dads/Vaders Lezen  From The Head of         International Primary From the Head of Primary Dutch Department Primary PC Group 1 Group 2 Group 4 Groep 7 Group 7—DFL Groep 8         Voor Gym Mother Tongue Kookwedstrijd Bezoek aan het museum Literacy Tips Alpe d’HuZes Visiting Author Library Corner ISE Secondary News:  From Head of Secondary  Library news—essay  Library News –Writer       coming tea party Maths competition winners! Meet ‘N Play at ISE Mrs Prest’s Careers Corner Alumni reporting back Short Story: Rising Lotus (9) Whole School News (click here) CALENDAR ISE Primary News (click here) APRIL MAY 5 6 2-20 10 8 9 12-14 18 19 20 21 22 Parents Committee afternoon tea Group 8 and DP2 photos Secondary MP1 Egypt Day Secondary ISMTF Maths Competition Secondary Prom Christopher Lloyd author visit Secondary Reports Issued Secondary Sports – Football vs IS The Hague (girls & boys) 10:30 – primary parent information session – Maths (Fox Conference Room) 11:30 – primary bake sale Secondary MP3 Rugby Tournament 17:00 – 20:00 – Secondary parent-teacher meetings Primary Kings Day Games Last day DP2 09:15 Assembly followed by DP2 Breakfast ISE Secondary News (click here) DP2 Final Exams Secondary MP3 Excursion to Vught Secondary Personal Project Fair 11 08:45 – Primary Parents Information Session, Upper School Reading 12-13 Secondary Book Fair 13 17:00 – Secondary Basketball Game ‘Old’ Wolves (ex students) vs ‘New’ Wolves 16 HOLIDAY 20 Secondary e-assessments 20-21 Secondary Sports – NECIS Softball Dusseldorf 25 10:30 – Primary Parents Information Session, Lower School Reading 11:30 – Primary Bake Sale Secondary Sponsored Walk 27 Secondary Graduation Evening 31 Secondary ONLY Study Afternoon (students finish at 13:15) 25-6 May HOLIDAYS Going on outside ISE (click here) Editors: Martine Revis & Rory Williamson (parent volunteers), Technical Assistant: Michelle Mondejar Revis, Liaison Officer: Jo Tubbs ISE Activity Calendar Monday Tuesday Morning Wednesday Thursday Friday Pilates Boot Camp (Spring) Pilates Fit & Dance Yoga starts at 14:15 Mother Tongue (French & Chinese) Choir Football After School Athletics Art Club Basketball Yoga Chess Club Chess Club Hip Hop Basketball (Girls & MIxed) Mother Tongue (Spanish, Ko- Mother Tongue Gymnastics rean, Polish, (French) Russian, Italian, Hindi) Basketball (Boys) Ballet Girl Scouts Art Club Football (Girls) Mother Tongue (French) Basketball (Girls) Irish Dance Football (Boys JV) Basketball (Boys) Football (Boys) Softball (Mixed) CONTACTS: Yoga – Reena Bhanot, [email protected]. Pilates – Lucy Gray, [email protected] Boot Camp – Ivo Recourt, [email protected]. Fit & Dance – Kai Tholen, [email protected] Color Code: Parent Classes Primary Secondary All Ages ISE… more than a school Or contact Jo Tubbs in the school office Feria del libro at ISE FERIA DEL LIBRO On the 20th of April there will be a “Feria del libro en español” organized at the ISE in coordination with “El rincón del libro”, a small bookstore from Amsterdam specialized in Spanish books: children, young adults, adults and professional in the teaching of Spanish language. The books will be exposed in the hallway of the library in the Owl building from 12:00 to 17:00. This is the opportunity for Spanish speaking people in the region to have access to books without having to move from home. Write this date in your calendars and support the idea! Who knows, maybe we could grow in the future! There are posters hanging in the school and in the Hub. If you have contacts outside school who will be interested in Spanish books, please let them know about this unique opportunity. The bookstore will bring a pin machine so paying with a card is not a problem! Los esperamos, Ma.Esther Escóbar Bäumer Spanish A teacher at the ISE [email protected] ISE… more than a school School Year Book/Jaarboek The year book committee are busy collecting photographs together to produce another lasting record of the vibrant life at the International School Eindhoven for the year 2015/2016. This year we will be charging for the year books. Students in their final year at the ISE (group 8 and DP2) will receive a complimentary year book. Please keep an eye on Your E mails for details of how to order a copy of the year book. Onze jaarboek werkgroep is heel druk bezig om alle foto’s voor het jaarboek te verzamelen. Hiermee wordt een mooi inkijkje gegeven van alles dat in het schooljaar 2015-2016 heeft plaatsgevonden op school. Dit jaar zal een vergoeding gevraagd worden voor het jaarboek. De leerlingen in hun laatste jaar op de ISE van groep 8 en MP2 zullen een boek krijgen van school. Donations Read to Grow - Book Collection Read to Grow is a Dutch charity which provides books in English and French to people in other countries who would not otherwise have access to them. They collect and distribute donated books to create school and community libraries throughout the world. ISE has supported Read to Grow for many years and this year we are going to participate in their World Book Day Action. In the week before World Book Day (18th – 22nd April) we will be collecting any English, French, Portuguese or Italian books that you no longer need that can be donated to Read to Grow. (Italian and Portuguese books will be distributed by a partner organisation of Read to Grow.) Your child can bring your book donations to the Library during their library time. Read to Grow will have a display at school during this week too, in the corridor outside the library, so you can read more about their work around the world. We look forward to receiving your book donations from the 18th to 22nd of April. You can find out more about Read to Grow at www.readtogrow.eu ISE… more than a school Seminar For All ISE Parents Notes on the previous ‘seminar for parents’ which took place in the ISE cafeteria on March 22, 2016 And those emergency blankets. They can keep you warm and keep you cool. Now I know which side is for which; silver side touching the body keeps a body warm. Gold side on the body keeps the body cool. It was on FIRST AID FOR CHILDREN By experienced trainer in First Aid: Another tip, if a whole tooth comes out put it in milk not in water. And the tips went on and Cora Molenbrook on. I am a parent I know quite a few things regarding first aid for children. Nevertheless I still learnt something. I always learn something from these seminars this is why I love attending when I can. I am no nurse so I renounce all responsibility for the medical tips mentioned above. However, now I am thinking I might like to become qualified in first aid. And this with Cora is possible too! We can contact our seminar coordinator Maike if interested: maikeFor example did you know that if you ring 112 [email protected] they will always ask first your name and number so that if they have any problem locating Looking forward to the the victim they can call you. They will ask the next seminar! victim’s age because they want to bring the right equipment. Just saying it’s my daughter Martine Revis is not enough! Your daughter could be ISE parent 25...well mine could be! PAST SEMINARS THIS SCHOOL YEAR : Topic Embrace opportunities and own your career! Presenter Anne Yianni , Expat Spouses Initiative Eindhoven Yoga as a lifestyle choice Reena Bhanot (professional Yoga teacher & parent of the school) Matthew Deal (Movement Educator) Susanne Suhr (former parent of the school) Maike Winkelmann (Biologist, nutritionist & health consultant, parent of the school) Daniela Jugo (MSc in Marketing and Business Administration – parent of the school) Cora Molenbroek (professional first aid trainer) Dynamic Body Alignment through Imagery (Franklin Method Pelvic Work) How to wear scarves (Mini Workshop) Activate your metabolism for better health and shape Blogging as a personal branding tool and business First Aid measures with a focus on childhood injuries NO SEMINAR PLANNED FOR THIS MONTH SO FAR Check emails from the school, the school screen, or ISE Facebook for subject and date of next seminar. www.facebook.com/iseindhovencampus ISE… more than a school Primary International Dear Parents, A note from... As the third and final term of the school year is Joan Roach, fast approaching, planning for various end of Head of Primary year activities have already started. We will International end this term on Friday 22nd April with our King’s Day celebrations which will involve primary students [email protected] participating in a variety of games and activities. We will need parents to help on this day and hope that we will be well supported with parent volunteers. On Wednesday 20th April the International Department will be hosting another parents’ information session on Mathematics. This year we have made changes to our Mathematics curriculum to fall in line with the revised National Curriculum in England for Mathematics. We are now using Abacus as our main maths resource. The information session will introduce parents to this new resource as well as our calculation policy. The Fun Fair Every year we usually have a Fun Fair in April/May organised by the parents’ committee for families to come together to enjoy good food, drink and games with an opportunity to buy a wide variety of items. This year, however, the Fun Fair as we traditionally know it will be replaced by a bigger celebration in July. Please save the date Saturday 16th July and watch this space. Visiting Author On Tuesday 12th – Thursday 14th April, a visiting author will give performances to all students in Primary and some of the secondary classes. Christopher Lloyd writes nonfiction books on timelines. His performance involves a giant time line and a coat of many objects. The parents’ committee have agreed to use some of the funds raised from last year’s Fun Fair to sponsor this event. A Growing School On Monday 9th May due to an increase in the number of pupils a third dual language foundation class will be opened. Mrs. Danielle Johannsen (previously Miss Webb) will be returning to the ISE to teach this new class. Mrs. Johannsen is an experienced teacher who taught at the ISE 3 years ago in group 2. We are looking forward to her return to open this new class. Wet Mornings When it is raining in the morning at the start of the school day, we ask that students in groups 1 and 2 use the main entrance to the hedgehog building rather than the classroom doors at the back of the building. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you an enjoyable and restful two week holiday in April/May. I hope that students return energized to participate in the learning and extra activities that have been planned for the final term. Thank you, Joan Roach Primary Dutch Department Beste Ouders, Een briefje van… Daphne Dansen, Hoofd Nederlandse Afdeling We gaan de laatste paar maanden van het schooljaar in. De maand april sluiten we af met de Koningsspelen. De kinderen van de primary zullen die dag bezig zijn met [email protected] verschillende sporten spelactiviteiten. We kunnen voor die dag nog veel hulp gebruiken van ouders. Als u het leuk vind om die dag te helpen, kunt u zich opgeven door een mailtje te sturen naar [email protected]. Na deze dag mag iedereen gaan genieten van een welverdiende vakantie. The Funfair Ieder jaar wordt in mei/ april door de parent’s committee de Funfair georganiseerd. Tijdens deze dag zijn er spelletjes en kunnen we genieten van verschillende internationale gerechten. Dit jaar wordt de traditionele Funfair vervangen door een bijzondere viering in juli. U krijgt hier binnenkort meer informatie over, maar we vragen u alvast 16 juli in uw agenda te reserveren. Bezoek van een schrijver Tussen 12 en 14 april zal Christopher Lloyd, een schrijver van non-fictie boeken onze school bezoeken. Hij zal uitleg geven aan de kinderen van de primary en een aantal groepen van de secondary school. Dit bezoek wordt mogelijk gemaakt door de parents’ committee. Zij hebben toegezegd een deel van de vorig jaar opgehaalde gelden hieraan te besteden. Dank hiervoor! Een nieuwe groep Meteen na de meivakantie start er een nieuwe foundation group. Juf Danielle Johanssen zal in deze groep gaan werken. Juf Danielle heeft tot 3 jaar geleden lesgegeven op de internationale afdeling. Zij komt nu terug om in deze groep te gaan werken. Ouderbijeenkomsten Op 13 en 25 mei zullen er weer voorlichtingsbijeenkomsten plaatsvinden voor ouders. Op vrijdag 13 mei om 8.45 uur zal er uitleg gegeven worden over onze pilot voor tweetalig onderwijs. Er zal gesproken worden over de stand van zaken van de pilot tot nu toe en hoe we in de toekomst verder gaan. Deze bijeenkomst zal plaatsvinden in de grote zaal in het Fox gebouw. Op 25 mei zal er een voorlichtingsbijeenkomst zijn over de methode onafhankelijke toetsen. Welke toetsen nemen wij af, wat doen we met de gegevens, hoe moeten de toetsresultaten gelezen worden etc. Ook deze bijeenkomst zal gehouden worden in de grote zaal van het Fox gebouw en begint om 8.45 uur. Mocht u een of beide bijeenkomsten bij willen wonen, kunt u zich opgeven door een mail te sturen naar: [email protected] . Dank u, Daphne Dansen Primary Parents’ Committee Group 1 March in 1PF... We had lots of fun activities: Fathers reading, St. Patrick, making Easter nests, as well as playing, painting and having fun learning! Group 2 2EM visited a farm and made posters using the 5 W’s — what, where, when, who, why — to tell everyone about their trip! Group 4 4YT has been studying Ancient Egypt. They used a fact sheet and information they found out in class to write a news article about the discovery of something wonderful... 4AG’s Charcoal Landscapes During our work in Art, we learned about different media and we focused on charcoal. We learned about how to use charcoal and explored different techniques in our sketchbooks. We continued our study by looking at different landscapes and then we created our own. Groep 7 VIktor: Defne: SeungMin: Onze klas heeft een paar weken Klasseklas gehad. De eerste keer gingen we bespreken wat er goed ging in de klas en wat beter kon. We hebben over heel veel dingen gepraat en af en toe spelletjes gedaan. Zodat ze onze namen herinnerde kregen we naamkaartjes. Maar die gaf je niet zomaar. Als ik bijvoorbeeld Hugo's kaartje had, bedacht ik een compliment en gaf hem een naamkaartje. De laatste keer was het in de gymzaal. Daar kregen we een certificaat. Ik vond Klasseklas super leuk. Hallo ik ben Defne en ik zit in groep 7SE en nu ga ik een verslag schrijven over Klasseklas. Klasseklas is een activiteit waarbij we gezamenlijk opdrachten uitvoeren. Daarbij leren we elkaar (beter) te kennen. De eerste paar lessen waren in de klas en de laatste paar lessen in de gouden gymzaal. Ondertussen hadden we geheime opdrachten. Dat zijn opdrachten waarbij je een doel hebt en die moet je bereiken maar dit moet in het geheim. Ik ben 2 keer gekozen voor een geheime opdracht. We hebben veel gedaan bij klasseklas. De juffen die met ons klasenklas doen heten juf Caroline en juf Yvette. Klasseklas is zo'n uurtje dat die juffen proberen onze sfeer in de klas proberen te verbeteren. Het eerst om de namen te weten deden we zo'n spel dat een kind een naamsticker van zijn buurman of vrouw krijgt en dan het op haar of hem moet plakken en dan een compliment moet geven naar hem of haar. Dat was best leuk. De tweede keer gingen wij een van die spelletjes spelen waar je in de sloot gaat terwijl de juf aan de sloot zegt ben je af. Maar natuurlijk ga je niet echt in eens loot. Het was ook leuk. Tijdens de Klasseklas heb ik veel geleerd. Niet alleen ik maar (volgens mij) bijna iedereen uit de klas. Ik vond Klasseklas heel leuk. Group 7 DFL Groep 7 heft gewerkt met het thema ‘planet 9’ van Nieuwsbegrip en het thema ‘weerbericht’ van de method Taal op Maat. De leeringen hebben hun woordenschat uitgebreid en spreekvaardigheid geoefend door het maken en presenteren van posters over de onderwerpen. Group 7 has worked with the themes ‘Planet’ and ‘Weather’. The students have practiced their Dutch speaking skills and increased their Dutch vocabulary while making posters to present on these two themes. Groep 8 Kamp Vught Groep 8 heeft het de laatste weken gehad tijdens Tijdzaken over de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Wij hebben veel geleerd vooral tijdens ons uitstapje naar Kamp Vught. Kamp Vught was tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog het enige SS-concentratiekamp buiten Duitsland. De SS had meer ruimte nodig omdat de kampen in Westerbork en Amersfoort vol zaten. Daarom werd in 1942 begonnen met de bouw van Kamp Vught. Toen wij daar aankwamen hadden we meteen een gevoel dat vroeger het hier een hel was. Toen wij met de rondleiding bezig waren kregen we een idee van hoe het hier moest zijn. Het was heftig voor die mensen, ze werden slecht behandeld en kregen weinig eten daarmee zijn er ook onnodig mensen dood gemaakt. Wij hebben geleerd over het crematorium, over de kantine en de slaapkamers. Wat wij hebben gezien was maar een klein deel van het officiële Kamp Vught. In totaal zijn er 750 mensen gestorven. Het Kamp Vught bestond voor de gevangenen bijna 2 jaar. Op 6 en 7 juni 1943 moesten alle joodse kinderen weg uit het kamp. Er werd tegen hen gezegd dat ze naar een speciaal kinderkamp zouden gaan. In werkelijkheid werden al deze kinderen naar Sobibor gebracht. Op het terrein van Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught herinnert het kindergedenkteken aan deze transporten. Een van de kinderen was Roosje Mozes waar wij een film over hebben gezien. Toen we daar waren waar ook delen van de film werden opgenomen realiseerden we dat het in de oorlogstijd heel erg was. Jan en Ian, groep 8AB Reading Dads/Vaders Lezen Voor Ook dit jaar hebben weer veel groepen mogen genieten van vaders en opa’s die in de groepen kwamen voorlezen. Het was erg leuk om alle geïnteresseerde gezichtjes te zien van de kinderen. Heel erg dank aan alle vaders en opa’s voor het voorlezen, het waren super verhalen! Justin Coulson, a parenting expert, stated that, “Reading to children expands their vocabulary. We help them to feel safe and this can have a profound effect on their capacity for learning.” Thank you to those fathers who took time out to read a story in their child’s class during father’s reading week. It was good to see fathers surrounded by a group of children listening attentively to stories chosen by them. Gym Beste ouders, Dear Parents, Als het weer het toelaat zullen we na de meivakantie met de groepen 3 t/m 8 tijdens de gymles regelmatig gebruik maken van de buitenaccommodatie. Zou u ervoor willen zorgen dat uw zoon/dochter op de dagen dat hij/zij gymles heft ook buitenschoenen meeneemt. As the weather gets warmer after the May holidays gym lessons for students in group 3 through 8 will take place outside. Please can you make sure that your child has suitable outdoor shoes, separate from their indoor gym shoes, when they have their gym lesson. Bij voorbaat dank. Thank you! Mother Tongue Spanish Mother Tongue Lessons At the beginning of the school year, we started our MT lessons in the primary. I am in charge of the Spanish lessons and although we were a small group we were very enthusiastic and still are. We started reviewing the alphabet, continued with words, and slowly I got the students practicing verbs and sentences. Our last lesson was to write a story with pictographs. This is a very interesting process to place drawing the pictographs above language which eliminates the stress of writing the words properly and without even realizing, they became fluent. The class was divided in pairs and each pair needed to create a story, make a plan and finally write the story. The pictures show the kids in a very intense creative phase. If you are interested in your child attending mother tongue Spanish lessons, please contact Mrs. Roach at [email protected]. French Mother Tongue Lessons Hello ! This month the theme spring has been introduces to the students and we have looked at some tulips in their first stage in the French class, Before the Easter weekend, all the groups wrote a second letter to the CM2 class of my friend and colleague, Mrs DeBretagne who works in a school at primary level in Deville, next to Rouen and Normandie. The youngest students dictated their letters to me and I was their secretary… the older students learnt how to write their letters with me. If you would like to see our letters, come and admire them, they are displayed in the windows of our French class in the Hedgehog building on the second floor. Madame Marie Bonjour ! Voilà le printemps et les quelques tulipes dans la classe de français au premier étage du bâtiment “Hérisson”l’annoncent à mes élèves. Avant le week end de Pâques tous les groupes ont écrit une deuxième lettre à la classe de CM2 de mon amie et collègue madame Debretagne qui travaille dans une école primaire à Deville –les –Rouen à coté de Rouen en Normandie. Les plus jeunes dictent et je suis leur secrétaire ….les plus grands cherchent avec moi comment écrire. Si vous aimez voir nos lettres ,venez les admirer :elles sont exposées sur les paravents de notre classe de français. Madame MARIE Professeure de français Kookwedstrijd Op 6 maart jl heeft de jaarlijkse kookwedstrijd van restaurant de Karpendonkse Hoeve plaatsgevonden. Thomas Owen, Barthe Los, Naut Haverkorn van Rijsenwijk en Cyd van den Berg van onze school hebben hier aan meegedaan. Cyd van den Berg is in de leeftijdscategorie 6 tot 9 jaar winnaar geworden met zijn gerecht. Bezoek aan het museum De afgelopen weken hebben verschillende groepen een bezoekje gebracht aan het van Abbemuseum. De kinderen kregen uitleg over een aantal kunstwerken die er tentoongesteld waren. Hieronder een leuke impressie van de verschillende groepen. Literacy Tips Welcome to the ISE Literacy Tips! Each month we will feature tips and games on how to share and develop literacy skills with your child. Lower School Tip of the month: Create a writing toolbox Fill a box with drawing and writing materials. Find opportunities for your child to write, such as the shopping list, thank you notes, or birthday cards. Upper School Tip of the month: Crack open the dictionary Let your child see you use a dictionary. Say, "Hmm, I'm not sure what that word means... I think I'll look it up." Source: Readingrockets.org. Alpe d’HuZes Alpe d’HuZes Donderdag 2 juni 2016 ga ik me, samen met mijn vriend, inzetten voor een ontzettend mooi doel. Wij gaan proberen deze dag twee keer de Alpe d’Huez op te wandelen. De redenen, dat wij deelnemen aan de Alpe d’HuZes is het goede doel wat er aan gekoppeld zit, de kankerbestrijding, en wij hebben van dichtbij meegemaakt wat deze ziekte betekent en waarom meer onderzoek noodzakelijk is. Neem gerust een kijkje op onze persoonlijke pagina: http://deelnemers.opgevenisgeenoptie.nl/aniqueenarjan juf Anique Visiting Author—Christopher Lloyd We are delighted to announce, that thanks to the generous support of the Parents’ Committee, Christopher Lloyd, author of the best-selling ‘What on Earth?’ series, will be visiting the ISE from th th Tuesday 12 – Thursday 14 April. Christopher Lloyd is a historian, educationalist and author best known for his sweeping narratives on big history (the history of the world). He uses illustrative timelines called Wallbooks, to present a visual version of world history. He will be talking to all primary classes and taking them on a journey which stops off at key moments in the history of planet, life and people. You can see him talking about his books here: https://vimeo.com/35194704 His Wallbooks and Stickerbooks will be available for sale while he is here. If you would like to purchase one for your child, please send an envelope with your child’s/children’s name clearly written on it, the title of the book that you would like to buy (please tell us clearly if it a Wallbook or Stickerbook and which subject you choose) and seal the correct money inside the envelope. Please send it on the day that your child will be going to his talk (see below). The books are currently on display in the Library if you would like to see them. Classes will be attending Christopher’s talks on the following days: Tuesday 12th April: Foundation 1 and 2, 1/2 A, 1/2 B, Group 1 International, Group 3 International, 3WV, Group 4 International, Group 6 International Wednesday 13th April: 8AB Thursday 14th April: Group 2 International, 4KO, Group 5 International, 5TB, 6HR, Group 7 International, 7SE For more information about Christopher Lloyd visit www.whatonearthbooks.com Library Corner Primary Library News New Database Pebble Go: Dinosaurs Pebble Go is a database that the school provides for easy access to a range of ebooks for the younger student. It is also excellent for children learning English. We have just included a new database: Dinosaurs, an ever popular topic. There are 137 books to be explored. Each book can be either read or listened to with text being highlighted as you read. Highlighted words are linked to a dictionary and the pages and articles can be printed. There are also linked games, a question of the day, world map to show where the dinosaurs came from, and activities. HOW DO YOU GET ACCESS TO THE DATA BASE? Go to www.iseprimarylibrary.com Click the Resources button On the Resources page scroll down to Pebble Go Click the underlined title Pebble Go Enter the user name: ise and password library Click the dinosaur tab and explore. There are 137 books cleverly tucked away behind the three main headings. These E books can be accessed on any device 24/7 with internet access. letter from the head of ise secondary... Dear Parents March madness is an annual event at the secondary school as the students and teachers are under pressure to meet all the various IB deadlines. For DP2 students the stress is at its highest with an array of expectations from the mock exams to final deadlines for all their internal assessments that count towards their final diploma grades. All this leads to the final exams which loom ahead in a mere few weeks. For our DP2 students the realism of their final days of school life is becoming very tangible with their last day of school swiftly approaching on 22 April. March saw many different student activities taking place. Activities Week took place at the start of the month with the regular timetable being replaced by a collection of activities to expose the students to new skills and experiences. I was extremely lucky to be able to spend a week skiing in Austria with a group of 75 teenagers. On my return to school I was very pleased to hear all the positive accounts of students who had experienced the sights of London. Students who remained at school were also positive about their activities. As well as hearing about the experiences the students had during this week, it always pleases me to hear the feedback about how our students conducted themselves throughout the week. Although, I am used to hearing the positive feedback about how great our students are from the various places we visit, it still makes me beam with pride. It goes without saying we have the best students in the world, but it is also thanks to our teachers who believe in the importance of setting and maintaining expectations for our students. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers who helped with the success of Activities Week and especially to Mr. Wuisman who coordinated and organised all the activaties which took place at school and to the teachers who accompanied students on the London and ski trip. In March, our student’s represented the ISE at Maths competitions in Zoetermeer and Vienna. Congratulations to our senior Maths Competition students who came home with 3rd prize. This month also saw the ISE host its first international sports tournament. On 11 & 12 March schools from all over Europe took part in the ESSL tournament at the ISE. The event was wonderful to be part of with secondary students, parents and primary students out on mass to support the ISE wolves. A huge thank you to Mr. Wuisman for organising this whole event. As well as lots of student activities, we have continued to try to be “More than a School” by offering events to our parent community. As well as offering a number of sport activities at school for parents, we continue to hold regular parent seminars coordinated by the Parents Committee. This month we also ran a sex education workshop for MP4 parents to help them to discuss this subject with their children. There will be a follow up workshop on “Dangerous Love” in the near future. I would welcome your feedback if you have any ideas that you feel the school could consider offering to support parents. Marcella Watts ISE… more than a school EXTENDED ESSAY DAY IN THE LIBRARY On Wednesday 3rd March the library held an Extended Essay day for the DP1 students. During activities week, while the majority of our students were either at ski camp, in London or taking part in some of the fun workshops at school, the DP1 students spent their day in the library embarking on the Extended Essay process. The extended essay is a core component of the IB diploma course and comprises original and independent academic research in an area of interest which the student is studying as part of their diploma subject package. The extended essay project comprises approximately 40 hours of work culminating in a 4,000 word essay. An extended essay supervisor is assigned to each student to oversee the process and give advice and feedback. The students spent the day in the library meeting with their supervisors, refining their research essay questions and embarking on the initial academic research and writing skills. The students had the opportunity to follow workshops which focused on strengthening various skills and techniques to be able to find relevant information from reliable sources, and how to refine their searches to provide appropriate results. Many of the students worked with Questia School, one of our subscription databases, where they were able to follow video tutorials and quizzes focused on areas of academic writing such as planning, evaluating and integrating sources. They also looked at academic honesty and avoiding plagiarism by using correct citing and referencing styles. There is currently a section in the library which is dedicated to the extended essay and has all the information that the students may need during the next few weeks. Resources include examples of previous essays, books and official documentation regarding academic honesty, citing and referencing. LIBRARIAN ISE… more than a school NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY—VISITING AUTHOR We are delighted to announce that Christopher Lloyd, author of the best selling book “What on Earth Happened: The Complete Story of the Planet” will be visiting us here at the ISE Wednesday 13th April. Christopher Lloyd is a historian, educationalist and author, best known for his sweeping narratives on big history. He will be talking to MP1 to DP1 students and taking them on a crosscurricular journey stopping off at key moments in the history of planet, life and people. Using a series of everyday objects, picked from a coat of many pockets by the audience, the story of 13.7 billion years is threaded together into a single sweeping narrative with a giant edition of the the What on Earth? Wallbook as a stunning backdrop. For more information visit www.whatonearthbooks.com Tea party for parents on 5 April 2016 Tea party with a mad hatters theme! The Secondary Parents Committee organized a Tea Party for secondary parents and Group 7 parents 29 parents came. Speeches were given by Ms Watts and Sjef. Sjef talked about the upcoming Sponsored walk on 25 May. If you are a parent interested in participating contact Sjef [email protected] ISE… more than a school Interested in volunteering at the school ? Please contact [email protected] stating what area: event organizing, welcoming, spirit wear, writing articles, seminars, sponsorships. ISE team takes 3rd place in the International Schools Senior Mathematics Competition DP1 students Jaewon Lim, Eddie Na and Rong Huang hold up their trophy after winning 3rd place in the International Schools Senior Mathematics Competition, which took place in Vienna in March. They came ahead of 76 other teams, after battling all day with challenging problems. For the mathematicians amongst you try finding the cube root of 64 33X94-244+3X363. You have 2 minutes, and no, you can't use your calculator We wish all the very best to the following student leaving this month: Deepak Bettaravan of MP3 ISE… more than a school Mrs Prest Career Corner ISE Secondary Dear Parents and Students, DP2 News The best of luck to our DP2 students who are currently completing their school studies, and preparing for the final IB Diploma examinations. At the same time many students have been working through the application/ decision-making/ acceptance process for higher education programmes in a range of countries, and I wish everyone success in this transition phase. If anyone still requires career support, guidance, a sounding board for their plans at this stage or documents, please contact me via e-mail ([email protected]) as soon as possible to make an appointment. Note that the final deadline for stmany universities in the Netherlands is 1 May, so this is coming around rapidly. DP1 News As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, this is a good time for DP1 students to be researching and thinking about their applications for higher education programmes starting in September 2017. Watch out for open days, taster programmes, summer courses and similar, and please check deadlines for applications. Some early applications need to be made shortly after the return to school in autumn 2016, so students need to plan ahead to meet any admissions requirements. A reminder, too, about registering for any selection tests required in advance of applications, e.g. the US SATs and ACTs; the UK’s Bio Medical Admissions Test (BMAT), UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), aptitude tests, Thinking Skills Assessments, language tests, Physics tests, and Mathematics tests; and a number of similar tests in the Netherlands. The UCAS site provides a comprehensive list of UK-related tests on the link https://www.ucas.com/ucas/ undergraduate/getting-started/entryrequirements/admissions-tests As a school we are registered with the Admissions Testing Service to supervise a number of tests. See http:// www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-testtakers/ for information, costs and dates. Please speak to myself or Mr Bailly if there are further questions about tests in the ISE. Tests may also be taken at a variety of locations in the Netherlands or further afield. MP5 news This is also a good time for MP5 students to be thinking about their strengths, skills and ISE… more than a school interests, and possible career/ study directions for the future. As in my advice to the DP1 students, this is a good time to be reading prospectuses, visiting universities, speaking to family, friends, current university students or people in different occupations, following relevant summer programmes or internships/ work experience programmes and developing an understanding of possible options to be considered. This is a great opportunity to research, plan ahead calmly and to enjoy the journey. Library resources To support these career and higher education study decisions, we have been building up our careers resources in the school library (The Times Good University Guide, University Degree Offers (Brian Heap), CV writing guides and similar) and a wide range of prospectuses in the Careers Corner in the library DP study area. Students are encouraged to make use of these resources. If anyone finds themselves with spare, up-todate prospectuses, please also feel free to add them to our collection. Summer courses and Internships To return to an earlier theme, this is a good time for students to be thinking about how they are going to spend their summer vacation. A defined holiday, whether this be a ‘vacation’ or ‘staycation’ can be valuable as a means to refresh and recharge the batteries. However this still leaves time to develop longer-term learning, skills and experience relevant for future careers or university programmes. Suggestions might include summer courses (learning something new or revising previous knowledge or skills) face to face or on-line, internships, summer jobs, volunteer programmes and similar. DP2 students may be interested in the free on-line Future Learn programme ‘Preparing for University’, see https:// www.futurelearn.com/courses/preparingfor-uni . For specific suggestions or support in this process, please e-mail me or call into the Careers Office. I wish everyone a productive month ahead. For any students requiring counselling, information or guidance, please contact me via e-mail on [email protected] or tel: 0031 (0)40 251 9437 ext 3141. With best wishes to all, Mrs Prest Ingrid Woodhead, ISSE years: 2001-2007 ISE Secondary Nine years since graduating from the ISSE, I’m writing from my home in Edinburgh, the city I was born in and lived until I was nine years old. My flatmate here, who’s been one of my best friends for the past twelve years, is someone I met when we were in the same year at the ISSE. I’ve grown-up and moved on, but I’m still mindful of and grateful for, the formative years I spent there. This is, admittedly, easier to say when not stressing about IB exams! During those two intense years of IB I was immersed in study and it seemed natural to focus on University as the next step. The closer the end came though, the more my time was filled with daydreams about travelling. In my view, this is one of the wonderful things about international schools; there is a heightened awareness of the world at large, the intrigue of difference and diversity. I cancelled my UCAS application quite abruptly and started looking in to gap year travel ideas. Trying to decide between planting trees in the Galapagos or volunteering on a South African game reserve is one of the nicer dilemmas to have in life. There was also a glorious ten minutes or so when I didn’t realise you had to pay to volunteer! When school came to an end, before I could go off in to the sunset I first had to get a job and save some money. Twelve months of work experience later I took my two-month trip to South Africa (it’s entirely possible listening to that Toto song, ‘Africa’ a fair few times played a part in this). It’s hard to sum up just how incredible this trip was; of being out in a game drive vehicle on a reserve every day; of going to sleep at night with the sound of lions roaring in the distance. There was a time that our vehicle broke down during a night drive and lions circled us and a time our volunteer house almost burnt down when a bush fire broke out. It turned out we were the fire fighters, no joke. But here I am, I now know that when told to go and grab anything of value to me in case the house burns down, in that moment there’s really no thing that matters (Okay, I admit, I did grab my passport). I’d originally applied to do Psychology and English Literature but time abroad, reading and also writing about my experiences, put me back in touch with the joy of creative writing that had been with me since primary school. So again I turned to deciding where to go and study. At the time, creative writing wasn’t offered at undergraduate level in Scotland so I picked a university in England, more of an unknown entity to me. Sometimes you can’t have what you want and it’s simply about what is possible. Returning to the U.K still seemed most natural, especially after having an adventure further afield. Having had a great group of friends at the ISSE and then getting the chance to be independent and work different jobs and travel meant I was riding a pretty high wave. This crashed at the University of Plymouth; aptly a coastal town. The course was great, all my lecturers were published writers, one of whose works I’d known about and enjoyed. But, I felt quite out of place. The overwhelming majority of the student body were domicile students and on my particular course there were quite a few groups of people that all knew each other from high school already. I hadn’t really factored that in when I’d made my decision, I didn’t anticipate being in for another round of culture shock upon moving back to the U.K. and it was all the more poignant because of being somewhere in the middle of the less populated south-west of England, surrounded by people from: the south-west of England. …. ISE… more than a school CONTINUED Ingrid Woodhead, ISSE years: 2001-2007 ISE Secondary It wasn’t the easiest time but at the end of my third year I wrote a screenplay for my final dissertation, an autobiographical piece about the life and struggles of Hergé, creator of Tintin. I was intrigued by his creation of a character that was an ideal version of him, a young and intensely moral boy scout who never seemed to change. The sense of striving towards some kind of ideal, of the difficulty and the sense of alienation, really captured me. What I’d always loved the most about literature was the insight in to what it is to be human, what it is to suffer and enjoy, and the intricate web of our inner lives. I was reminded of my desire to study psychology, something I kept alive, somewhere in the background, by reading on the side. A little more looking though and I came across counselling and psychotherapy, which felt more in line with my desire to work with people and not just study them. This was the first time I felt a deeper sense of purpose, rather than considering what was sensible or seemed right, or going with a whim or flight of fantasy. It came together beautifully because the course that fitted me most was at The University of Edinburgh. I’d always had a sense of nostalgia for Edinburgh, for my memories of growing up there and had harboured a quiet desire to live there as an adult. Edinburgh is a wonderful place, the University and city are quite international but it also benefits from being a small city encompassed by hills. I completed an MSc in Counselling Studies and then went on to do the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling, which included 200 hours of practice in a counselling agency. After seven years in total of higher education, I am now qualified as a counsellor and I absolutely love what I do. Hearing about the experiences of others, being with them in their struggles and creating a space for them to be heard, to work it through, feels like a real privilege. That being said, reality is hard. The year I started University, 2008, was the economic crash, the ramifications of which I have felt acutely. Welfare cuts and the general lack of jobs are felt particularly keenly in the charitable and public sectors. Despite having qualified there are few paid counselling jobs going at the moment, which is true despite demand for affordable counselling being higher than ever. I volunteer as a counsellor at a charity that offers donation based counselling and earn my living doing mental health support work, where resources and staff are also being squeezed. Not all sectors have been affected to the same degree and counselling has always been the kind of career where experience really matters and it can take time to build this up and progress, but the financial reality has also contributed. There is still space to hope and to dream though, and whilst I’ve picked a particularly challenging area, I would not change anything. There were things that I decided to do on the spur of the moment but also ideas that were more of a slow burn, coalescing in the background all taking me in different and unexpected directions. Along the way I have had a sense, even at difficult points, that it was all part of what it is to learn and grow and that it’s okay. This learning started at the ISSE, a particularly wonderful microcosm of the world at large, from which it has felt safe to spring in to the unknown. This seems particularly important to hang on to given the current uncertainty in the global climate. ISE… more than a school Example of an MP5 Personal Project: ‘RISING LOTUS’ (a short story about an exchange student) by Olivia Roach your lives seem pretty “Ssh,” Daisy whispered, for being so ignorant. I Chapter Nine “But good.” soothing her friend with calm should’ve known that everyTwo weeks passed and Jessie managed to attend more classes, and spent more time with Daisy, Emma and her gang of friends. Over time, they became closer and closer as a group. Jessie still texted Li every moment she had, missing home more and more. She longed to walk around and see umbrellas shading everyone from the sun instead of the people who were trying to soak as much of it up as they could. She wanted to have a phone call from her parents where they pestered her about her health and schoolwork instead of worrying about how much the phone bill would cost when calling abroad. She missed her friend’s quite demeanor and the hardness of her university bed, and the feel of chopsticks in her hand. They were all things she never thought she would miss, and yet she did. One night Jessie joined the girls for a ‘slumber party’. When Daisy had asked her about it and Jessie confirmed that she had never experienced one before, they had set up some pillows, blankets and cushions on the carpet of the living room, stacked up on DVDs and nail polish and then settled in for the night. After the second movie, with freshly painted nails and snuggled in the blankets, the girls began to talk. No one was tired. “You two have such an easy and comfortable life here,” Jessie sighed, content and warm in her blanket. “You really think that?” Daisy said, her voice coloured with disbelief. “Well, what am I supposed to think? I haven’t seen anything but the best things so far. Are there any bad things?” “Plenty,” Emma explained. “Unemployment is everywhere. Money is tight in most cases and the prices are steadily rising. Tax is getting harder and harder for multiple people to pay. And as always when it comes to Britain, crime is a serious issue.” “Okay,” Jessie said, swallowing her previous words. “Nothing is always as it seems,” Daisy said, as if she was reprimanding her for thinking such a thing. Maybe she was. “You have to look much deeper than that.” There was a quiet pause for a moment as Jessie shifted under her blanket, feeling out of her depth. Emma was the first one to speak. “My father is dying,” she said softly, her voice the only thing filling the room. “Oh Emma,” Daisy sighed. “You don’t have to speak about it if you don’t want to.” “Sometimes speaking is what helps.” No one said anything as she continued with her story. “It started a few months ago. He started to get sick, very often and very badly. My mother rarely worries when we get ill, so she ignored it the first few times he had to stay home from work. But then it gradually got to the point where you can’t ignore it anymore, and we sent him to the doctors. “When he came back, he looked like he’d aged ten years. There were worry lines in his forehead and he wouldn’t stop twisting his fingers together. He didn’t look at me or mother, just went straight to bed. It wasn’t until the next morning when we finally got the news out of him. He’d been diagnosed with cancer in the oesophagus. “Treatment started almost immediately, but no matter what the doctors did, it always seemed to be progressing. Still is, and we know the number of days he has left to live are fragile and numbered. It’s tearing my mother apart to have me down here while she really needs someone up there with her, but she won’t let me stop studying to help her out. She says that if she puts so much money into these studies I better make use of them, because at least I have a future ahead of me.” Emma sniffled, the tears flowing down her cheeks. It was too dark for Jessie to see anything, but she scooted towards her friend and wrapped her arm over her shoulder. Emma buried her face into her shoulder and cried. “My mum is falling apart,” she continued, her voice muffled by Jessie’s pajamas. “But she keeps holding it together because dad is still here. I have no clue what she’s going to do when he passes. I don’t want this to happen.” words. Emma remained hidden in Jessie’s shirt for a few minutes before she emerged, wiping at her eyes with her hands. Jessie felt like taking back her words about how easy they had it. She should’ve looked deeper. “We’re having money problems back home,” Daisy said. “Mum has been looking for a job but you know how hard it is these days, she can’t find one anywhere. Dad has been working overtime and is still getting paid the same rates because well, the company can’t really afford to give him extra money with the cuts they have to make. I guess we should be grateful he even has a job. “On top of that, I’m not really making much through tutoring and rely on my parents for university. And you both know how expensive university can be. I even considered dropping out at one point, but then I realised how much I love being here and learning, and I feel selfish for not cutting this out and saving some money.” “Daisy, you shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to learn,” Jessie said, trying to assure her friend. “But then thing is, I could’ve been learning something else. Something that would earn me a bit more money than getting a degree in education. I could’ve studied engineering, mathematics, law… anything like that. When you get a job like that, you make so much money. I would’ve been able to support my family completely. Teachers make just enough to get by themselves. How on earth am I going to support my family now?” “You’ll find a way,” Emma said, squeezing her friends arm. It touched Jessie to see how much they cared for each other, and how willing they were to open up and share with her when she had just belittled their own life obstacles. She knew what she had to do then. She had to share her own story. Jessie closed her eyes as she spoke. “I’m going to be leaving you in two days, and this has been one of my favourite summers I have ever had. Forget that – it has been my favourite summer ever. And you two have not only been my hosts, but become best friends to me. Which is why I would like to share my story too, if you will let me?” “Friends are always there to listen to each other,” Emma promised. “First, I want to say sorry one has their own hardships. No one’s life is carefree, and I was dumb enough to say my thoughts out loud. I apologise. I really hope things work out for you, Daisy, and I am sure you will find a way to support your family and stay in education soon. As for you Emma, I know I can’t really take this pain away. But in the end, it’s always going to be okay.” Jessie squeezed her friend’s hand. Then she began her own story. “As you already know, I have always wanted to be an artist. Painting is my passion, but when my parents told me to do exactly what you’re thinking of doing, Daisy, and take engineering so that we could be more financially secure, I did it. Which is why I can tell you in good faith that you shouldn’t change your major simply because of outside forces. Do what makes you happy, and be happy. Everything will fall into place afterward. I wish I had taken the major I wanted from the beginning, and now I think it might be too late to change, and waste all those years of study. It would be too much time lost to me, and I don’t think I could do that to myself. Or my parents. “I love my parents, I really do, but they always put so much pressure on me. They keep telling me I need to be the absolute best, the top of the class every time, otherwise their money is going to waste. And I know plenty of other students have the same things told to them again and again, which makes school a competition every day. And then there will be the competition when we need to find jobs in the future, and I doubt I could take the pressure then either. I am so fed up with having to handle all these responsibilities and needs that everyone keeps pushing my way. What happened to being happy?” There was silence. “Happiness is what you find amongst all the pressure. If you can find, or even create it, amongst all the things driving you crazy every day, then you have true happiness.” Daisy said. She was always coming out with the wisest things. Emma sighed. “I hope we all find that happiness soon. We deserve it. See next month for final chapter. Notices for International Community Outside ise BADMINTON AT THE ‘t HAZZO Calling all expat badminton players (men and women) The International Badminton Group are always keen to greet new members. We play every Friday from 8 to 10 pm at ’t Hazzo, Trolliuslaan 7, Waalre The standard is intermediate, games are competitive but we are not in a league. Our aim is to enjoy our sport – and afterwards there is the opportunity for some refreshments and a chat. Interested? Contact Sandra Nolan – [email protected] [email protected] hollandexpatcenter.com http://www.iwce.nl/ Next Issue may 2016