The Tiger, 11th November, 2022
Head of School Message
I wish our community a warm welcome after a much-needed Diwali holiday. Our students, faculty, and staff seem refreshed and glad to be back at School. The next few weeks will be critical learning and instructional weeks for our students and faculty, prior to our winter break.
We encourage our families to engage your children in their learning at home. Asking questions about their learning and how it might have changed their thinking can be effective ways to engage them at home and stay connected with what is being taught at school.
For the next few weeks, The Bangalore Activities and Athletics School Conference (BAASC) sports season continues with both Basketball and Football. All the very best to our participants!
Our After School Activities continue to offer superb opportunities for our students on Tuesdays and Thursdays to explore, participate, and engage in fun activities. If you have any questions about After School Activities, please contact Elvis Clinton, our ASA Coordinator at elvis.clinton@stonehill.in.
Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns regarding school, I encourage you to contact parent.support@stonehill.in. We aspire to support our parent community as best we can.
With Best regards,
Dr. Brian Brumsickle
Head of School
Whole School News
Congratulations Ranvir!
Ranvir, grade 10, was awarded the Dr Siva Kumari MYP Innovators Grant of 10,000 USD for his service project, The Honey Hill Project.
Honey Hill’s vision is to help small scale honey farmers in rural Bengaluru develop their products, expand their markets, and create successful and sustainable business models. As a part of this project, Honey Hill will combine business growth along with ecologically sustainable farming that helps preserve the bees and protect the environment.
Congratulations Julius!
Congratulations to Julius, M2, for winning The Hyundai National Inter School Golf Trophy (under 13 category), held at Prestige Golfshire in Bangalore on the 3rd of November 2022. Affiliated with the International Golf Federation, the tournament was conceptualised to nurture and encourage young golfers across India and provide them with a platform to exhibit their budding golfing talent.
Congratulations Geethika!
Geethika, M5, competed in the Bangalore Equestrian competition, held at ASC Centre and College, Bangalore. She finished first and second on the podium, bringing home the Gold and Silver medals in the 'Junior Dressage' event. She passed all her regional qualifiers and is through to the Junior Nationals Equestrian Championship 2022 which will be held in December.
Primary School
Creating Community
One of the key elements of the PYP is the building of a learning community. In order to do this, we will view each student holistically.
I constantly mention learning in five modalities - creatively, cognitively, physically, emotionally and socially. The acquisition of these modalities ensures our students are balanced.
Rude, Mean and Bully
From the 14th through to the 18th of November, we will be focussing on our students' social and emotional development. Each day will have a specific goal that all homeroom teachers will focus on during their daily circle time. There will be an additional connection through a whole Primary experience. Single subject teachers will connect through vocabulary and action in all their lessons.
Why are we doing this?
Many of our children are struggling with the concept of “we, us and ours” - possibly a result of being home for 20 months.
Secondly, it's easy to brandish that word “bullying” around when in fact it is someone being rude or mean.
We will be making commitments to each other during the week, supporting the concept of “we, us and ours”. We will be learning the appropriate vocabulary in order to articulate feelings and actions appropriately, whilst learning about community.
Kelso - Solving small problems
Kelso is a frog who has nine ways to solve a small problem. He helps children identify the difference between small and big problems and then gives them these strategies to use.
Kelso is one of the programmes that we use on a daily basis in order to teach children self-management skills; you may wish to use Kelso at home. Kelso will certainly be a focus during our week on social and emotional development.
PS - Big problems need the help of an adult and there are adults on duty at all times to help with them.
With best wishes,
Karen Crooke
Primary School Principal
Primary News
Stonehill International School v/s TRIO World Academy U11 BAASC Football Tournament
Stonehill sent two teams to TRIO World Academy to participate in the Bangalore Activities and Athletics School Conference (BAASC) U11 Boys Football Tournament on the 9th of November. Both teams fought hard, showing excellent teamwork, grit, and enthusiasm. As a result, the boys won some matches but unfortunately, time ran out, so no winner was declared. A noteworthy mention was that one of our teams made it to the semi-finals with potential and spirit to go all the way!
Learning Spanish is Fun!
P3 - How the World Works
PYP Coordinator
Personal and Social Education in the Primary Years Programme
Personal and social education (PSE) is an integral part of our learners’ everyday life at school and at home. It is an essential part of the curriculum and as our learners engage with it across subjects, they come to a deeper understanding of its relevance and applicability to their everyday lives.
In the PYP, personal and social education is concerned with the individual’s well-being which is naturally linked to all aspects of a learner’s experience at school and beyond. It encompasses emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual and social health and development. It contributes to an understanding of the self to develop and maintain relationships with others, and participate in an active, healthy lifestyle.
In the PYP, the development of overall well-being is defined through three common strands: identity, interactions and active living. These strands are concept-driven and have been designed to interact with each other, working together to support the overall development of learners.
What do we want learners to know and understand?
Identity
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An understanding of our own beliefs, values, attitudes, experiences and feelings and how they shape us.
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The impact of cultural influences.
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The recognition of strengths, limitations and challenges as well as the ability to cope successfully with situations of change and adversity.
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How the learner’s concept of self and feelings of self-worth affect his or her approach to learning and how he or she interacts with others.
Interactions
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An understanding of how an individual interacts with other people, other living things and the wider world.
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Behaviours, rights and responsibilities of individuals in their relationships with others, communities, society and the world around them.
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The awareness and understanding of similarities and differences.
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An appreciation of the environment and an understanding of, and commitment to, humankind’s responsibility as custodians of the Earth for future generations.
Active living
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An understanding of the factors that contribute to developing and maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
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The importance of regular physical activity.
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Understanding and developing the body’s potential for movement and expression
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The importance of nutrition and understanding the causes and possible prevention of ill health.
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The promotion of safety.
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Rights and the responsibilities we have to ourselves and to others to promote well-being.
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Making informed choices and evaluating consequences, and taking action for healthy living now and in the future.
(Personal, social and physical education scope and sequence, International Baccalaureate, 2018)
Zita Joyce
PYP Coordinator
PYP Counsellor
Helpful Hints for Parents to Prevent Bullying
In the run up to Anti-Bullying Week which we are set to observe from 14th-18th of November, my Personal and Social Education (PSE) classroom lessons this week were centred around understanding the difference between rude, mean, and bullying, what all constitutes as bullying, how to be upstanders and not bystanders, and how to report bullying at school. Certainly, this is only half the job done. For our learners to be fully equipped to prevent and report bullying, and not be bullies themselves, we need the support of the parent community too.
So what can parents do to prevent bullying?
Understand what bullying really is
Often, children tend to use the word “bullying” quite loosely. Some adults do too. It would be worth your while to understand for yourself the difference between being rude, mean, and bullying. This in turn would help you have deeper and more meaningful conversations with your child if they ever come and tell you they are getting bullied. Bullying is always deliberate, sustained, and involves a power-imbalance.
Identify the signs
There are times your child may be afraid to speak up and let you know they are getting bullied. Initiate conversations with them about school, their classmates, play time, people they don’t get along with, etc. Do you notice your child is reluctant to go to school? Do they look for excuses to stay home/not play/not eat? Are there physical symptoms of what could be something bothering them emotionally? Do you notice marked behaviour change, use of inappropriate language, unexplained bruises, etc? The response to these questions may not necessarily be conclusive of bullying taking place, nonetheless they provide some insight into what could be going on.
Talk to them about bullying!
Ask open ended questions. Use picture books or social stories that talk about bullying. Don’t wait for your child to encounter bullying in order to start the conversation.
Teach them how to speak up
Let your kids know that it’s okay to say ‘No’ or ‘Stop’ when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. They need to know that their voice matters. Use role-playing to help them understand what it looks like to speak up if exposed to bullying.
Encourage them to be upstanders and not bystanders
Our kids need to know that they could and should speak up even if they are not the victim but someone else is. It’s okay to say ‘No’ or ‘Stop’ on behalf of someone who is unable to stand up for themselves. Emphasise the need to report the matter to a trusted adult immediately.
Looking for additional support and resources to have these conversations? Feel free to write to me at neeti.sarkar@stonehill.in
Neeti Sarkar
PYP Counsellor
Secondary School
At the end of September 2022, over 900 people in our community responded to our CIS/NEASC Accreditation Community Survey. This included close to 300 parents, who represented children in all grades levels across the school (more or less equally). I would like to use this column today to summarise the feedback that we received from our parent community.
In general, responses to all statements were very positive. Levels of agreement with each statement typically hovered around 90% of all participants with some statements receiving over 95% agreement. The most positive responses (all over 95% agree or strongly agree) we received were for the following statements:
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My child is effectively learning how to interact with people of different backgrounds and cultures.
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The Head of School and the leadership team have the intercultural skills needed within the school’s cultural context.
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The School effectively teaches my child about the impact people can have on the environment
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The School has a supportive environment for students’ well-being.
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I have confidence in the School’s ability to keep my child safe at home.
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I understand the School’s expectations for my child’s behaviour.
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I have confidence in the School’s ability to keep my child safe on school trips.
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The classrooms and other teaching spaces at my child’s School are suitable for learning.
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The School’s premises are both clean and well maintained.
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The School provides a secure environment for all members of the School community.
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I have confidence in the School’s emergency procedures for critical incidents such as fire, earthquake or intruders.
It was very reassuring to see this high level of agreement for statements that clearly connect to our guiding statements and current priorities (i.e global citizenship, environmental awareness and well-being).
The lowest levels of agreement (still usually around 80-85% agreement) were for the following statements:
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As appropriate, the School’s plans are effectively communicated to parents.
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The School curriculum provides my child with opportunities to learn about their own background and culture.
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School activities offered outside of classes match my child’s interests.
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Local places and culture(s) and effectively used to enhance my child’s learning.
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The School has engaged with me on how to best support my child’s language learning.
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The School continuously provides my child with feedback on how to improve.
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I know what to do if my child experiences harmful or bullying behaviours at School.
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I am satisfied with the quality of food served at the School.
Thankfully, most of this feedback is aligned with the responses made by the students in their survey. While there are no crisis issues here (the level of agreement is still generally strong), this parental feedback does provide us with a good indication of which areas we need to focus on in the coming years.
These surveys were the starting point for our year-long self-study in preparation for our accreditation visit in September 2023. Several of our teachers are chairing various committees in the self-study and will be responsible for writing the School’s self-analysis. The survey data has been shared with these teachers and it is their job to incorporate analysis of the data into their plans for the particular area of school life that they are focusing on. Ultimately, therefore, feedback from all stakeholder groups should find its way into action plans for the coming academic years.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. Please make sure you continue to provide us with feedback when we request it. It’s always reassuring to see the level of support that our work has in the parent community, and it’s always useful to get an indication of where to focus next.
Joe Lumsden
Deputy Head of School and Secondary School Principal
Secondary News
Language Acquisition
Wow! Language Acquisition has had an amazing time over the past couple of months. While there were many amazing things happening, perhaps the most outstanding was the Language Acquisition Art and Culture Exhibition that took place on September 27th, 2022.
It is impossible to talk about all the high quality learning taking place in our Language Acquisition classes, so for now we will focus a bit more on some of the Spanish classes.
In Ms. Sonia´s M1 and M2 classes, the students focused on the importance of family, both through the creation of videos and authentic comic strips which explored how positive management of family conflict can be a great opportunity to learn and grow together while strengthening family ties.
Ms. Sonia´s D1 students explored the connection between their home languages and Spanish. They created a guide with a set of recommendations for Hispanic visitors to Bangalore.
Mr. Rafael´s M1 and M2 students added to the cultural exhibition as part of a project in which they investigated national birds from different Hispanic countries. This was also a valuable opportunity for students to make connections between their Science and Spanish classes. All of the students did a fantastic job, and their work remained on display for an entire month as part of the ongoing Language Acquisition art and culture exhibition which coincided with Spanish Heritage Month.
Here's a presentation on the national bird of El Salvador and Nicaragua, “El Torogoz” or “Guardabarrancos” by Aditya.
Whatever the language or whatever the year group, our Language Acquisition students continue to demonstrate that learning language is not only useful, but also incredibly fun.
Making Math Matter through SKILLS!
The M1 and M2 students are exploring the concepts of measurement- length, perimeter, area , volume, capacity and time. They are learning to make estimations and find out the actual measurements and the difference between the two. In addition, they learnt about common errors that occur and why it happens during measurement. They also learnt the use of a simple sundial that is created to work with the coordinate points for Bangalore and how to use this as a tool with the shadow formed by sunlight to estimate the time of the day. The students enjoyed measurement through developing experiential learning skills.
A thinking routine ‘Domino Discover’ was used to test the prior knowledge about the new topic to be introduced in D1 AI SL class. Each individual from each group shared responses equitably and efficiently, making this an effective way to gather student responses when questions on straight lines, midpoint, gradient were asked during the lesson.
Just like the game of dominoes, every representative from a group contributed actively and as sharing of ideas goes very fast, they had to listen attentively and carefully.
The M3 students explored how to model linear relationships using algebra, tables of values, and graphs. They cultivated creative thinking skills by making guesses, asking ‘what if questions’ and critical thinking skills by drawing reasonable conclusions and generalisations. Here is an example of choosing the right cell phone plan.
Flip teaching: The M5 Maths Enrichment students role played being a teacher and the concept of ‘Probability’ was assigned to each of them. Each of them did a good job. It was important for them to look at their needs; ‘did this excite them and how?’ ‘Is there anything they are worried about?’. They had to come up with suggestions to make the entire learning cycle more meaningful.
The D1 AASL students worked in small groups to identify areas for improvement based on a recent assessment. Based on their discussions, they prioritised Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. Each group shared the ATL skill that they thought was most important and justified the same. Overall, it was an interesting and reflective session.
Competitions and Department News
Problem solving skills beyond the classroom
Nineteen students have registered for the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) by the Mathematical Association of America(MAA). The competitions are scheduled to be held ONLINE. November 10th for 10A/12A and November 16th for 10B/12B. AMC 8 is on 23rd January, 2023.
Three teams consisting of three students each will also be participating in the Senior and Advanced levels of the INFINITY 2023 competition hosted by Aditya Birla World Academy in association with BITS Pilani. The zonal rounds will be held online and will take place on November 12th. If qualified, the final rounds will be held in person on the 14th and 15th of January, 2023.
The Mathematics team participated in a TI workshop conducted by Texas Instruments on the 22nd of August on various aspects of the Graphic Display Calculator.
Boarding News
It was special to see our boarders showcase their talent and skills at the Talent Show on the 20th of October. We had some students performing for the first time which was an amazing achievement. Congratulations to the winners, Chimme and Phurpha for their song and Amity boys for their excellent choreographed dance routine. Well done to all the participants!
The boarders are happy to be back after the Diwali break and there has been a positive buzz and energy around boarding over these past few days with the upcoming BAASC football and basketball tournament, season 2 ASAs and the Phuket football tournament at the end of the month.
Last weekend, our boarders painted kindness rocks. It was a great way to keep them creatively engaged. They turned the rocks into works of art with abstract designs, flowers and wrote inspirational messages to show acts of kindness. The students will use the rocks as decorative pieces, paperweights and a few will be placed around campus for others to find. Those who find the rock can move it to a new location and pass along the kindness.
Wishing you all a relaxed and enjoyable weekend ahead,
Glen Johnson
Head of Boarding
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