The Tiger, 10th February 2023
Head of School Message
Greetings! Wishing everybody a happy Friday!
This week has been extremely busy and there’s been a lot of buzz and excitement on campus. Our Secondary and Primary schools enjoyed their sports days. It was wonderful to see the whole community together, cheering and participating with enthusiasm.
A special thank you to our PE department, Event Coordinator, and Faculty for planning, supporting, and encouraging our students.
As a reminder, please note that Aero India 2023, the air show at Yelahanka will be on full display next week between the 13th and 17th of February. There will undoubtedly be traffic disruptions. We will monitor the situation and inform you of any likely change in school schedules. I encourage everybody to be particularly careful with travel during the airshow. Hopefully, you can safely watch the exciting aircraft manoeuvres fly over next week.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brian Brumsickle
Head of School
Whole School News
MYP Sports Day
Our Middle School Sports Day was held yesterday. It was great to see the reintroduction of the house system. The students wore different coloured t-shirts to represent their houses and gained points. It was a thrilling day and Bachendri House won this year's cup! Congratulations to all the students!
PYP Sports Day
The Primary School Sports Day was held today. Students from P1 to P8 took part in various activities like obstacle and balloon races, Javelin throw and relays. It was wonderful to see some of the parents participate in the races. The dedication of the entire community made it a success!
Evan Wins First Place!
Evan,M3, represented Stonehill at the CIS 8th annual Interschool Golf Tournament and won first place in the B category (13-15 yrs). Over thirty three schools across Bangalore participated in this event. Congratulations Evan!
Congratulations Harrison!
Harrison, M3, scored 7 goals in 6 matches for his team in the Under 15 Youth Premiere League of the Karnataka State Football Association, helping his team, Alchemy, win 3rd place. Congratulations Harrison!
Congratulations Mr.Avinash!
Mr. Avinash Kumar, PYP Physical Education teacher, recently took part in the All India Masters Ranking Badminton Tournament 2023 and won the bronze! Congratulations!
Primary School
Measuring Learning
Assessment is an ongoing process in the PYP.
“Assessment for learning is learner-centred and forward-thinking. It begins with finding out what students know and can do before designing opportunities for students to test and revise their models.” (IB PYP, p 83)
“Assessment as learning promotes learning by helping students take responsibility while developing motivation and enthusiasm for their learning. By encouraging students to actively design, manage and measure their own learning they develop skills to use assessments to self-assess, to reflect on and to make adjustments in future learning.” (IB PYP, p 83)
“Assessment of learning is an integral part of learning. At appropriate points, it allows students to gauge their acquisition of knowledge, skills and conceptual understandings.”(IB PYP, p 83)
The IB identifies monitoring, documenting, measuring and reporting as the four phases of assessment. Teachers in the PYP at Stonehill constantly participate in these four phases. They utilise the information to plan lessons, differentiate lessons and build learning experiences that ensure all children’s needs are met.
In addition to this, we engage in collaborative discussions about our learners through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Each grade team meets monthly to discuss each and every child in the grade. The team records learning observations, including quantitative data (Reading and Word Study scores, WIDA outcomes) on a common document that all teachers who work in the grade have access to. This means we have a 360 degree view of every child. This data is constantly utilised to ensure your child is getting EXACTLY what they need in order to be a successful learner.
Student Led Conferences
Teachers and learners are starting to get ready to present their learning to you on the 14th of March. This is very much a hands-on event. You will sign up for a time, meet the teacher and then your child will take you on a journey of their learning. Expect to be in your child’s homeroom for at least an hour.
You will then need to visit single subjects where you will participate in the learning experiences your child is exposed to. Your child will identify the why of learning and contribute to your understanding of learning at Stonehill.
Lunch will be served at the cafeteria.
Student Led Conferences are a journey of learning. They put your child in the driver’s seat. They are your commentators for the day. The teachers will be assessing your child’s “performance” whilst they share their learning with you.
We encourage parents to ignore their phones during this day and really engage with their child. The teachers are very happy to share photos of your family in action after the conference day.
Have a lovely fortnight!
All the best,
Karen Crooke
Primary School Principal
PYP Coordinator
How We Learn Mathematics in the PYP
In the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Mathematics is viewed primarily as a vehicle to support inquiry, providing a global language through which we make sense of the world around us. It is intended that learners become competent users of the language of Mathematics, and can begin to use it as a way of thinking, as opposed to seeing it as a series of facts and equations to be memorised.
The power of mathematics for describing and analysing the world around us has become a highly effective tool for solving problems.
It is also recognized that learners can appreciate the intrinsic fascination of mathematics and explore the world through its unique perceptions. Stonehill provides learners with opportunities to see themselves as “mathematicians”, where they enjoy and are enthusiastic when exploring and learning about mathematics.
It is important that learners acquire Mathematical understanding by constructing their own meaning through ever increasing levels of abstraction, starting with exploring their own personal experiences, understandings and knowledge. Since mathematics is used in real-life situations, it is fundamental to the PYP philosophy that it needs to be taught in relevant, realistic contexts, rather than attempting to impart a fixed body of knowledge directly to students. How children learn mathematics can be described using the following stages:
What does it mean to be GREAT at Mathematics?
1. Mathematical thinking is not about speed
2. Mathematical thinking is about communicating and reasoning
3. Mathematical thinking is not about memorising methods
PYP Counsellor
Helpful Hints For Keeping Your Child Safe Online
We’ve been back in-person at school for more than a year now, yet, one of the repercussions of almost two years of virtual learning is that many of our kids are addicted to their electronic devices. The internet is both a boon and a bane, as we know, and there is absolutely no way to stop children from using the internet. What we can and must do, however, is to ensure their safety online.
Here are a few pointers that might be useful:
Communicate openly
Be curious when you spend time with your kids. In a non-threatening way, ask them who they communicate with and how. Encourage conversations about using appropriate language and etiquette online.
Be available
Your children need to know that you are there for them and they should never feel fearful or hesitant to talk to you if they experience bullying online. Most children don’t report cyberbullying for fear of not being believed by adults.
Stay updated
Keeping abreast with the current times, and knowing which social media platforms are trending, would also help you set systems in place to protect your child. Check the privacy settings on the device/app/website, ensure you install a good antivirus program, bookmark the sites that you know are safe for them, and use parental filters/controls to regulate the kind of content that your child has access to online.
Create an essential agreement
Your children would know what an essential agreement is because we have these in place at school. Whether it is about the time they get to spend online, apps/websites they are allowed to use, where electronic devices must be used, at what time devices need to be handed over before bedtime, etc, make sure your expectations are clear and consistent. As tempting as it may be to be the popular parent with a “no-rules” policy at home, it’s important to remember the age and maturity of your child when you place the complete onus on them to manage their online interactions. It is completely okay and in fact necessary to put boundaries in place, in a preventative manner rather than in a reactive way.
Spend time together online
Take time to understand what your child likes doing on the internet. Learn about their favourite game. Discover appropriate websites with them that they might like to access whether for school work or otherwise. Spend time together online to teach your child appropriate online behaviour. Model good online behaviour yourself. Also, take your child seriously if they report uncomfortable or inappropriate behaviour towards them online.
Stay alert
It’s key to have more than just a general idea of how much time your child spends online daily. Do they close tabs or turn off the computer when you walk into the room? Check your credit card bills for any unfamiliar transactions. Notice their mood when they are online. Notice if they withdraw from offline activities or refuse to discuss their online activities.
As a school community, we strive to be respectful, responsible, honest, and safe, and it is always easier when we have parents onboard too.
Neeti Sarkar
PYP Counsellor
Primary News
Learning Support
Eat to live, live to eat
How does food help who we are and how we live?
Food is not only important for our survival, but it is also closely linked to who we are. What we eat and how we eat often varies depending on where we live and the culture we belong to. Food plays an important role in helping us to preserve our traditions and has the power to bring us closer together. Trying new foods and sharing our own with others is not only satisfying but can also be a great way of learning about other people and cultures.
During our recent Learning Support (LS) lessons, the students researched recipes that were representative of their cultures.
They presented their recipes to their class, describing the ingredients and when they would prepare and/or eat this food. Recipe writing is a form of procedural writing, which helps the reader follow step-by-step instructions through a text. One of the students decided to present French Toast, which we made to determine how effective our procedural writing was.
The food we eat often says a great deal about who we are. Food is closely linked to our identity and culture, and to our collective and individual histories. Food can be a reminder of personal experiences; it connects us to our families and can transport us to other worlds simply through our taste buds.
With this in mind, the students watched a video on Ramadan and Eid to learn about the traditions and foods Muslims share during this religious festival. Using Cornell note-taking skills, the students considered the main ideas presented in the video as well as highlighted details supporting these ideas.
Secondary School
Living the Mission Statement
Schools often have bold and adventurous mission statements that look good on a website but don’t really reflect reality when you look at what happens on campus on a daily basis. Over the past week, the activities that we have been running on campus suggest that the Stonehill Mission Statement to provide ‘enhanced opportunities in technology innovation, sports and the arts’ is alive and well. Here’s how:
Stonehill hosted the school’s first ever Makeathon on the 3rd and 4th of February. Thirty six teams across schools in Bangalore registered for the competition and ultimately, a shortlist of seven teams for the final event on campus was determined. Teams from Legacy School, Silver Oaks International, Inventure Academy, Indus International School, 21K School, and Christ College joined teams from Stonehill in a challenge to develop innovative solutions to real-life problems. The event was a great success and Mr. Mohammed and the students involved in organising things received a great deal of positive feedback.
On the 4th of February, far away on the other side of Bangalore at The International School Bangalore (TISB), Stonehill students were involved in a Hackathon event. Our teams developed ways to send alert messages to truck owners if there are concerns about the driver’s health, or for women to send an alert SMS if they are in any danger. Despite the large number of participants, we were very pleased to see our students finish second in the competition.
In the world of sports, many of our students were involved in the BAASC Swimming Gala at Canadian International School on the 7th of February. They collectively won 65 medals; 38 gold, 12 silver, and 15 bronze! They were proudly clanking around with their individual medals at the end of the day! Stonehill finished second overall in the standings.
Our High School basketball teams were also in action this week with games against Bangalore International School (BIS) and Legacy. Our girls won a highly competitive match against BIS but came up short against Legacy. Our boys did exactly the opposite, struggling against a strong BIS team, but enjoying success against Legacy. The end-of-season tournaments will be coming up in mid-February.
Finally, in the arts world, our Drama Production students and teachers accelerated their preparations for the March performance of ‘The Insect Play’ by staying overnight at school on Friday, 3rd February. Not only was this a wonderful bonding experience, but it also allowed the performers to cram in an extra 8-10 hours of rehearsals as showtime nears. Next week, many of our music students will be performing in the Secondary Hall in our Secondary Music Expo on Tuesday, February 14th.
By the time I write another Tiger article, all of our M1-D1 students will have been on class trips. Our D1s go to the Andaman Islands next week (which has possibly been the most difficult trip Ms. Manpreet and Mr. Elvis have ever had to organise with so many unexpected obstacles being created!). After that, our MYP students will be travelling to various destinations around India. As these are highly stressful activities for teachers to run, please make sure you help our chaperones out by paying careful attention to all communication. We hope that all of your children will have a wonderful experience and enjoy all of the learning experiences that the trips include.
Joe Lumsden
Secondary School Principal
Secondary News
The Arts
The Arts Department has been very busy preparing our senior students for performances and exhibitions whilst introducing our M1-M3 classes to their new Arts rotation.
In Music, the M4 students have worked through focused units developing the 4-task portfolio and are engaged in rigorous written theory of music to develop the necessary vocabulary and rules to develop a deep understanding of the various elements of music at work. The M5 students are engaged with their final e-portfolio and are spending time rehearsing their performances as part of the task 3 outcome.
The M1-M3 students are engaged in planning and rehearsing their solo or group performances, exploring a variety of musical styles, genres, and instruments of choice. Those students who are not comfortable performing are encouraged to compose their own music using various software.
In Drama, the M4 students have been watching different styles of theatre and learning terminology to critically analyse performance. The students will now begin to engage in a variety of devising activities to generate ideas to write, rehearse and perform their own plays in small groups.
The M5 students are working on their ePortfolio which includes researching into how Art exposes 21st century issues. They will then develop their artistic intention and explore artistic ideas to create their own performances.
The D1 students are about preparing for their in-depth research projects on different theatre traditions and their conventions. Currently, they are collecting broad information on traditions such as British Pantomime, Shadow Puppets, Comedia del Arte and Topeg dance. This will lead into their final research project where they pick one style of theatre to explore.
The M1 Visual Arts students are exploring how one's identity leads to an understanding of human relationships and development.
Since time immemorial, we have been trying to find the answer to the question, Who am I? When we look in the mirror, our reflection defines us. Our faces form a very important part of our identity. This unit of work focused on exploring this part of our identity. Self-portraits can represent individuals in many different ways. They can be literal representations of a person or represent a person symbolically. In the mobile generation, the selfie has become the most accessible and popular mode of portraiture.
This unit involved students studying their emotions and understanding their sense of self. The focus of the unit was exploring an unhinged creative expression. The students were free to present themselves in any shape, form, and structure. The students were expected to pause and reflect on their creative process throughout the study. The product became a means and not an end. The students explored artists like Frida Kahlo and Picasso. They looked at critiquing their work using their understanding of the elements of art. The students took on the role of an artist, where they were the masters of their canvas. Collaborative conversations helped the students to use artistic freedom within the constraints of time.
The M4 Visual Arts students have been busy honing their skills and creating art in watercolour. As a part of the process, they experimented with various techniques such as underdrawing, and layering and worked on various subject matter such as natural objects and architecture. Since the focus was on honing technical skills, the students conducted secondary observation paintings on architecture by using photographs as reference material.
The 12-week Drama course is coming to an end and students from M1A and M2A are preparing a presentation for their classmates in section B and C. We hope to have some PYP students attend the show as well.
During the first few weeks of their drama class, we focused on team-building activities to help the students become confident and comfortable working with all their classmates. Then, we moved on to learning about body language, voice projection, and using emotions for acting.
The M1 students have been working with traditional Aesop fables with a fun twist, while the M2 students have been working with stories that range from nursery rhymes to very dramatic scripts.
Language Acquisition
There have been plenty of amazing things going on in the Language Acquisition department. Some things have been very visible on a day to day basis, serving as a means to share important cultural celebrations associated both with different members of our learning community and also what we teach in our classrooms. Others have not been as obvious to the greater community, but they have certainly been enjoyable for the students in the classroom.
We also had a special guest speaker who helped us to formally launch an upcoming major event by our students. It is impossible to show all the great things going on with student learning in our classes, but this will hopefully give you a general idea.
English Language and Literature
The M4 English Language and Literature students are learning to analyse advertisements by studying different techniques including camera angles. In order to practice using these, the students created photo essays based around a specific Global Issue, which they shared with the class. Here is an example relating to the Global Issue of Inclusivity:
“Left Out”
Analysis: This image uses a high over-the-shoulder angle to show how the subject (the boy in the wheelchair) feels while watching someone do something that he cannot do. In the photo the subject can be seen looking at a boy on the swing, he is staring directly at him, though his head is slightly sunk, sorrowful that he’s being excluded.
The image is in black and white because we wanted to give the reader a sense of sadness and be able to relate to the boy that is being left out. The high angle suggests to the audience that he is more vulnerable. The boy on the swing is at a distance, while the boy in the wheelchair is looking at him. The boy on the swing doesn’t acknowledge his presence as perhaps, he is seen to possess less importance than him.
“Outcast”
Analysis:The over-the-shoulder camera viewpoint is used in this photograph. It conveys a sense of grief and hardship. A few individuals are bullying the subject. If you notice the subject is in the shadows, this indicates that bullying occurs in the shadows, which means that many people are oblivious of it. The instructor and parents are unaware of this until the child decides to inform them.
Kailash Mani
MYP &DP English Language & Literature
Boarding News
On the 26th of January, India celebrated its 74th year as a democratic republic. In the morning our boarders attended the flag hoisting ceremony followed by team building activities like Archery, Human Ladder, Tank & Commando and Flight & Tight and more.
It was good to see collaboration, communication and problem solving skills put into practice.
As Jaiveer said, "the activities were fun, fast-paced, and energetic. It was an excellent way to build community spirit and, most importantly, to have fun!"
The Amity boys went Go-Karting and absolutely enjoyed it. It was a thrilling and unforgettable experience for everybody.
The first session of the boarding wellness programme was conducted for the M1 and M2 students by the D1 students, Tanisha, Sethulakshmi, and Priyasha on the 30th of January. The boarding wellness program will be conducted every Monday and aims to develop mindfulness and self-regulation skills in students through mind exercises, yoga, and meditation.
A few boarders competed in a 7-a-side intra house football competition. It was very competitive with a fantastic display of football skills. Congratulations to the ‘Lobsters’ led by Sunav Thapa who were the overall winners. A big thank you to Mr.Lobsang and our Boarding Reps, Jaiveer and Chaitravi, for organising the event and congratulations to all the students who participated.
A group of boarders volunteered to do a clean-up drive at the Hesaraghatta Lake and its surroundings, their second visit to the location. This was an excellent opportunity for new volunteers to learn, serve and act. The initiative also spread awareness to the local community about the benefits of conservation. Thanks to Ms. Shelley and Mr.Jay for planning and chaperoning the activity.
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