The Tiger, 16th September, 2022
Head of School Message
Dear Stonehill Community,
I’d like to thank all the parents who attended the recent Primary School Parent Coffee Morning held in the PTA Lounge. Attending parent informational meetings at school is a great way to meet other parents, learn more about our IB curriculum, and other general information.
I encourage all our parents to take advantage of such opportunities to learn about your child’s education at Stonehill.
We will be introducing dress down days every Friday, starting on the 23rd of September. Students can wear their Stonehill merchandise such as Stonehill t-shirts and Stonehill hoodies in the Secondary school. More information will be forthcoming about dress expectations for each division. On the last Friday of every month, we will be introducing an Indian Dress Day. All students, faculty, and staff, are encouraged to wear Indian attire to celebrate our host country, India.
The Stonehill Founder's Day Run is back on the 25th of September! It is a fantastic way to say fit. Get ready to enjoy the experience with your family, friends and colleagues! All funds raised through registrations will be donated to the Morning Star Ashram. Register here if you haven’t already!
Lastly, it has been decided to lift the mandatory wearing of masks on campus. Although you can still wear a mask as a personal choice, it is optional. We certainly encourage the wearing of masks at large gatherings and in smaller indoor spaces. I want to thank our entire community for your continued support in this endeavour.
Best regards,
Dr. Brian Brumsickle
Head of School
Whole School News
Stonehill Founder's Day Run '22
The Stonehill Founder's Day Run is back!
Sunday, 25th September '22
Get ready to join in and enjoy the experience with your family, friends or colleagues!
All funds raised through registrations will be donated to the Morning Star Ashram.
Click on the link below for registration details and more information:
REGISTER HERE
PINKTOBER 2022
Dear Stonehill Community,
Stonehill International School will come together on the 10th of October, 2022 to support the global Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. We request the whole community to support this initiative at School.
As global citizens, it is always important for our children to be empathetic and understanding to various issues around us.
The Pinktober Campaign will kick start in School on the October 10th, 2022.
Time: 7:30 am onwards and likely to run until lunch break.
You can pre-order Pinkober T-shirts. Students can wear these to School on October 10th. Parents are welcome to order a T-shirt for themselves too!
Please click the link below to order your T-shirt now. Last date to order your t-shirt is September 28th.
https://forms.gle/
There will be a sale of all things pink in School, a bake sale, scrunchies, stickers, nail painting and more!
All parents are cordially invited to come and support this charity event. All proceeds generated will go towards cancer treatment assistance for those sections of our community who are most in need.
Founder's Day at Stonehill
On the 8th of September, we celebrated Founder's Day. It's been 14 years since we opened our doors to students. We are so proud that Stonehill has grown to become one of the most preferred international institutions in the region, in keeping with our Founder, Mr. Jitu Virwani's vision.
PTA Back-to-School Barbeque
The annual PTA Back-to-School Barbeque was held on the 3rd of September to welcome families back for the new school year. Parents, teachers and students got a chance to enjoy plenty of delicious food, music and entertainment. Thank you, PTA for an amazing day!
Primary School
It’s Week 6! Goodness me - where did that time go?
This week, our new children who started on day one at Stonehill, had their transition conference. These transition meetings with Homeroom teachers focus on the emotional and social elements of starting a new school. Ms. Neeti has met the new children in both their classrooms and in breakout groups to help with their move to our school. These sessions will continue, making sure your child feels nurtured during this tricky time.
Attendance
Please note:
Odd days of illness are a part of being at school, in fact, they should probably be expected as we were at home for so long. On extended sick days, we would like you to be in touch with the Homeroom Teacher. If the leave exceeds three days, a doctor’s certificate would assure us that your child is well enough to return to school.
If you plan on taking leave that is unrelated to health, please send an email to your Homeroom Teacher and myself. We will be as supportive as possible but may give your child tasks to complete or encourage greater inclusivity.
Parent Learning/Workshops
Earlier this semester, I shared a Google Form and asked for feedback in regard to what you would like us to present during our sessions on the last Friday of the month at 1.30 pm.
Our first session was on Child Protection and the Student Services Department.
These workshops were highly ranked by parents and we will follow through by providing them.
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Learning Mathematics in the PYP
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Building a growth mindset
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Social/emotional learning in the PYP
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Technology in the PYP
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Assessment in the PYP
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Mindfulness and its role in Learning
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Developing my understanding of the PYP
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Why conceptual learning
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How the Arts, PE and AL fit in
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Approaches to learning
Our September workshop will be on Mindfulness and its role in learning as we complete a three hour session during our Professional Learning Day on the 17th September.
Parents on Campus and Making Connections
One of our Primary goals this year is to have greater connections with parents.
Our first order of business is to collect and collate a list of skills and talents that you have that you are willing to share. We love it when a parent is able to contribute to student learning. These skills may be as simple as sharing your knowledge about your industry to traditional sewing techniques. Please feel free to complete this form. It will be shared with all homeroom teams. Thank you.
Have a lovely weekend,
Karen Crooke
Primary School Principal
Primary News
Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in Primary
It is time to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. This year, it was exciting that our PYP Chinese learners got to celebrate the festival in school. The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This year the festival was on Saturday, 10th September.
Why do Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over three thousand years. Back in the Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese emperors would go out and worship the harvest moon every autumn, hoping that it would bring them a bountiful harvest the following year. Nowadays, families get together and go out and see the big beautiful moon.
In order to have more authentic learning experiences, each grade celebrated differently.
The P4 learners learned about the story of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The P5 and P6 learners learned about the customs and traditions of the festival, the festival rhyme and made a beautiful lantern. The P7 learners made a video about the legend of the festival in Chinese. The P8 learners researched the festival and then presented it in the class.
Similar to Thanksgiving, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for people to reunite with their families to feast and enjoy mooncakes.
中秋节快乐 zhōng qiū jié kuài le Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
Edmund Ko
PYP Chinese Teacher
Learning Support (LS)
How can I connect with others?
What personality traits do I possess? LS P8 students learnt that everyone is similar in many ways and yet unique in other ways. We all have the same human nature and we all share humanity, but no two people are truly alike. Not even twins! No two people can ever have the same experiences of life or the same perspective, or the same way of looking at things.
As we have different ideas and behave in different ways, we are all unique. Our experiences, along with our human characteristics, shape our personalities. Even our parents, through our genes and relationship, and friends contribute to our personalities. These personality traits, some represented in the IB Learner Profile, make us who we are.
One of the main tasks of this unit was to identify the IB Learner Profile(s) that best described us. Using a template, we wrote a script and used PPT slides to support our communication. These skills will help us prepare for our PYPx.
After recording our draft presentation, we completed a reflection highlighting what we did well, and what we could do even better the next time. Using our reflection points, we recorded our final presentation.
This whole process helped us learn a little more about writing and presenting information, but what was more important was the process itself. We built confidence through practising our speech, we enhanced our reflective skills through analysing what we did, and we improved our resilience of finishing a task to our best ability.
Kassandra Rieck, LS Teacher and Reyansh, P8
PYP Counsellor
Helpful Hints for Promoting Resilience in Kids
Have you had your child get so frustrated learning something new that they would rather just give up? Have you found yourself “helping” them all the time with an age-appropriate task that they haven’t spent much time on trying to figure out on their own? Children will encounter challenges throughout their childhood and it’s not always a bad thing. Children who are resilient are curious, confident, motivated to work through challenges, and also grow up to be good problem solvers. Here are a few effective ways to build resilience in young children:
Help them manage big emotions
Challenges are bound to come with feelings of frustration, irritation, worry, anxiety, nervousness, and fear. Your child needs to know that it is completely normal to feel these big/strong emotions but it is important to also teach them how to regulate/manage these emotions with effective strategies that would help calm them down.
Read real stories
Choosing age-appropriate stories to read to/with your child about a diverse range of people (including women, those with different cultural backgrounds, and those who are specially abled) who have overcome different kinds of adversities would motivate your child too to fight through their own challenges.
Be real. Lead by modelling
A lot of kids look at their parents (fathers, more than mothers, usually) as superheroes. While being a parent is definitely as good as being a superhero, your kids need to know and see that you too have your own challenges, adversities, and not-so-favourite things that you have to face and work through. Keep it real!
Remind them of their strengths
Offer praise when your child works through something challenging. Remind them of their strengths that they could use to navigate the curveball that’s been thrown their way. Encourage them and let them know you believe in them.
Be approachable
In trying to help your child be more resilient, they shouldn’t feel that you are not there for them or that they have to figure EVERYTHING out on their own. They need to know that they need to tell you if they are being hurt (physically or emotionally too) or are in danger or are being bullied. Helping them identify the “big” problems that they should be telling you about immediately is vital.
Neeti Sarkar
PYP Counsellor
Secondary School
MAP Tests - Why we do them and what to look for as a parent
Next week, we are going to be running MAP tests for all of our M1-M5 students in the Secondary Hall. These are multiple choice tests designed by NWEA, formerly known as the Northwest Evaluation Association (an organisation in the US) and usually takes around one hour to complete. We require our students to take the MAP Mathematics and Reading tests twice a year.
MAP stands for Measure of Academic Progress and the intention of these tests is to measure academic ‘growth’. NWEA provides us with expected growth targets and we can measure whether or not our students are developing their literacy and numeracy skills at the expected rate. Fortunately, in most cases, students in IB schools outperform the expected growth levels, particularly in M4 and M5 as the academic standards become more challenging in preparation for the Diploma Programme.
Questions in the MAP tests are more closely aligned with the Common Core curriculum in the United States. There are some topics that IB schools don’t cover in as much detail, and this can slightly skew results. However, we are confident that there is enough of an overlap between IB expectations in maths and reading and the Common Core standards to ensure that our students’ scores are still relevant.
We also know that scores in MAP Tests correlate very well with (a) likely SAT results, and (b) DP results. This is why we take the scores seriously - it gives us (and the students and parents) an indication of likely performance in high-stakes assessments later on.
We don’t ask students to prepare for these tests (aside from downloading the lockdown browser in preparation) and we certainly don’t 'teach to the tests' in classrooms. As the tests are adaptive, all students receive different questions anyway - the more you get right, the more difficult the questions become. This is why we tell students that they should feel good if they are getting tough questions - it means things are going well and they will probably get a good score.
Stonehill MAP Mathematics and Reading scores from 2021
We will share the results over the coming weeks so that you can see your child’s performance. Here are some points to look for:
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Students get a raw score for each test (maximum in reading is about 260, maximum in Maths is about 300). This score won’t mean very much to you. It’s calculated using very complex algorithms.
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Students will also receive a ‘percentile’ for each test. This will tell you what percentage of students your child performed better than in that particular test. (it only includes students in the same grade level around the world)
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To see strong ‘growth’, you want to see your child’s ‘percentile’ improving from the previous test (if they have taken it before). If so, your child is growing academically faster than peers around the world.
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Scores do bounce up and down in individual tests, as tests are only based on 40-50 questions. We look for patterns over multiple years rather than individual test results.
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The average student in international schools achieves at the 60th percentile in reading and the 70th percentile in Maths, particularly at the higher grade levels. If your child is achieving at the 50th percentile, that means they are doing ok by US standards - it may not be good enough for a strong performance in the IB programs.
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The average scores in the international schools in this region of the world (India and all countries to the east) are even higher than the 60th and 70th percentiles.
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Students hoping to take Higher Level Maths in the DP should be achieving at the 95th percentile at least in the MAP Maths test by the time they get to M5.
I’ll send out more detailed instructions on how to read the reports appropriately once we have generated the data. We will also be working with our departments to analyse the scores in order to make adjustments or interventions to our approach to particular students over the coming months.
Please ask your child to take the tests seriously (they should aim to spend one hour per test) and to do their best. This will give us more accurate information on their literacy and numeracy skills so that we can support them appropriately.
Joe Lumsden
Deputy Head of School & Secondary School Principal
Secondary Focus
Individuals and Societies
Integrated Humanities in the MYP involves the study of history, geography and economics combined with elements of politics and business. The subject encourages students to develop an awareness of the way in which physical and human environments are interdependent and have evolved over time using a multidisciplinary approach.
The students discuss, research and present well supported arguments and ideas that demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Through their Inquiry based study, they develop a concern for the well-being of natural and human communities and are encouraged to act on these concerns as responsible, global citizens. The study of Integrated Humanities helps the MYP students make informed choices with their Diploma Programme.
The M5 students visited the Ecohub facility and the Tarahunise lake to acquire insight into sustainable measures undertaken by an NGO - Ecogram. At the Ecohub facility, the students were able to understand how the local panchayat has benefited from waste segregation and recycling.
At the Tarahunise lake, the students gained an understanding of how the man made lake was re-established and how it has impacted the biodiversity of the area, inviting various migratory birds, along with the benefits of storm water drains. The students also talked to the local fishermen who shared how the aquatic life in the three connecting lakes has boomed since the development of the lake. The aim of this NGO is to develop infrastructure before projects are approved leading to urbanisation.
Revathy Ravikumar - MYP Individuals and Societies, DP Business Management
Gunjal Chaturvedi, MYP I&S, DP Geography, TOK, CAS Coordinator
Narayani Saberi, MYP I&S, DP History, ToK
Saroni, MYP Individuals and Societies, Personal Project Coordinator
Saleth Premson, Secondary Teacher Librarian, MYP I&S
The M4C students were introduced to economics for the first time as part of their integrated course this year. One of the activities required them to establish links between the economy and sustainability, exploring the three main questions on how to produce, what to produce and whom to produce it for. They looked at the doughnut economy model which refers to how an economy caters to the demand and supply of resource/goods/materials, all the while not overshooting the Earth’s ecological ceiling. The students enacted the doughnut model in class, looking at different scenarios within which the size of the doughnut can regularly change.
The M4B students started the academic year with an investigation of the factors that led to the growth and spread of Empires in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They also investigated the genre of political cartoons, researching and investigating the aims, methods, structure, and support of a particular instance of a conflict involving the race for empire building in the 18th and 19th centuries and then creating a political cartoon to represent the issues.
Narayani Saberi, MYP I&S, DP History, ToK
Design
For the Design unit called Woodaholic Organiser, the M1 students are intensely honing their woodworking and empathy development skills. The students in this unit are required to perform an empathy interview in order to put themselves in the client's shoes, comprehend their concerns, and design a wooden organiser. The organiser ought to be able to help the client with their issues. The Design Thinking process will be used by the students, who will be required to exhibit critical, creative, and self-management skills.The students were asked to build a pencil holder and a book shelf for themselves in order to gain the necessary carpentry and safety skills.
Our M2 designers started this new academic session with a lot of enthusiasm. We enjoyed different activities during our 'Learning to Learn' week. Followed by “Decorate your Home or Organise your Home”. They developed designing skills using Inkscape. The students started designing various products using Inkscape.They designed coasters, keychains, photo frames and pen holders and many more. Along with this skill development our enthusiastic learners also started Inquiring and analysing the problem by connecting with their clients conducting surveys or interviews to help them in decorating their home and organising their home.
The students used the Design Thinking approach, in which they demonstrated their ability to generate independent ideas and communicate effectively. In order to gain the necessary graphic design and laser cutting skills, the students created a decorative, one-of-a-kind product for themselves.
Here’s a glimpse of a few designs from our learners.
The M3 students visited the MYP Design process at the start of the year by creating a prototype of a unique idea that solves a real-world problem. They collaborated and shared their ideas. The students are now working on their website designing skills for the 'Webby Web' unit. In this unit, they must identify their target audience and create a website using HTML and CSS computer languages. The website will enable them to connect with famous individuals and communicate their influence on the world. The students will go through the Design Thinking process, demonstrating research, creative, critical thinking, and communication skills. To acquire the required website coding skills, the students develop multiple webpages and debug errors.
Our M4 learners started their exciting journey by exploring different activities during the 'Learning to Learn' week. They will develop their automation skills in the first unit on the Importance of Innovation. Currently, they are developing coding skills using Arduino microcontrollers. The students developed various circuits including blink light, traffic signal, controlling led with buttons, servo motor and many more. The learners are also working on their ePortfolio. They are using the Design Cycle to show progress of their learning. Take a look at our future coders enthusiastically working on different circuits.
The D1 Design Technology students have completed a unit on Classic Design. The essential idea of the unit is about classic design being timeless and the products are recognised and remains fashionable.
The students researched and identified a classic design product and reflected as to why that particular design was timeless and fashionable. As part of their practical skills development, the students were introduced to a few power tools like jigsaw and circular saw. The students then applied their knowledge and skills to create key holders and coat hangers in the form of a classic design product.
Our D1 students are planning their two-year Diploma journey. The learners understood the importance of different number systems and the concept of Logic gates using simulators. Our coders are very excited to share that they have started planning the grand overnight Hackathon event. This event is by the students, for the students and of the students. We hope to create future entrepreneurs.
The Secondary Design Team
What's been happening in Secondary School?
Miles For Smiles
On Sunday, 4th September, Stonehill collaborated with Reach Lives to host “Miles for Smiles”, a charity run to raise funds for orphans...we were able to help raise funds to sponsor 20,000 meals for the orphans at Reach Lives. The opportunity was extremely fulfilling!
Trusha, D2
Indus School Leadership Camp
The Indus School of Leadership campus is set in a natural landscape away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We were divided into four teams and challenged to complete four tasks, The Discovery Course, Leadership Disposition Course, Pistol Shooting, and Converging Acid River.
Everybody had to complete these courses and we would be assessed on our communication skills. We were set physical challenges and we were taught how to overcome them. The purpose of these exercises was to cultivate collaborative skills through decision-making by involving everyone in a series of demanding tasks. Throughout these activities, we were also called upon to use our creativity.
The courses were also aligned with the Creativity and Activity aspect of the CAS element of the IB Programme. I walked away more confident with a sound knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses and what's more, I made new friends as well!
Aditya, D1
The camp helped us bond with our other peers. We worked together as a team through many of the activities, especially where we had to use critical thinking to come up with better solutions. For instance, the Converging Acid River Activity is one such activity that brought us brainstorming for solutions and unexpectedly brought out certain leaders within the group to lead the whole team through the pursuit......The overall experience was great and we learnt some valuable lessons that will be useful in the future for all of us.
Lakshmi, D2
Girl Up Breast Cancer Awareness Session With Ms Honor Dargan
On Monday, 5th of September, all secondary girls were invited to a breast cancer awareness session led by an ex-primary teacher at Stonehill, Ms Honor Dargan. She spoke about her experience with breast cancer as she is currently in treatment and on her fifth round of chemotherapy. Ms Honor discussed a number of things with us including chemo, finding the lump, how she’s coping and how younger girls should be aware and checking themselves for breast cancer.
There are a number of implications of chemotherapy which Ms Honor is experiencing - they include numbness, tingling sensations in limbs and nausea. She takes an average of 21 tablets per day which prevent her from having any allergic reactions to the chemicals being inserted into her body. Ms Honor says chemo is such a strange sensation as she can feel that there’s something unnatural going into her body, however, she’s aware that it’s for the greater good.
Breast cancer can occur in anyone, despite having no family history of it, and that’s why it’s so important to check yourself around every three months to feel for any lumps and therefore prevent it from spreading. Ms Honor said that she never once thought that this would happen to her and yet, here she is. It can happen to anyone, at any time and that’s why it’s so important to educate yourselves on this topic and be prepared. Ms Honor’s positivity and desire to share her story were extremely impactful and inspirational for all of us. We much appreciate her time and her openness on the topic.
Scarlett, M4
Boarding News
With a busy week of activities, in the evenings and on the weekends, our boarding provides ideal opportunities for students to build lifelong friendships. There are a multitude of sporting and lifestyle activities available every evening and the boarding students have full access to the school’s extensive sporting facilities. Academic support is also available every day and supervised study sessions are a part of our daily routine.
On the 9th of September, a group of students went to Hesaraghatta grasslands and lake. It is located 30 mins from the Stonehill campus. Hesaraghatta is home to many species of birds, insects and butterflies. The boarders were keen to do a clean-up drive and help the area’s ecosystem and wildlife. It was a great learning experience and leadership opportunity for our DP students. A big thank you to Shelley, Jay and Edmund for organising this initiative.
On the 10th of September, twenty-six M1-M4 students went bowling at Mantri mall. They had a fantastic time and showed off their bowling skills. It was a great way to work on their team building and sportsmanship skills! Thank you, Jay and Claire for organising and chaperoning the activity.
Two of our boarders, Samyak and Tanisha, attended the ABSA Boarder Leadership Virtual Conference on the 13th of September. It was a great day of learning, sharing and collaborating with boarding students from across the world. We wish them the best of luck in their leadership roles.
The Boarding Reps elections were held this week. So proud of our students’ interest in leadership positions. There were a lot of promises related to positive leadership, communication and building community. Congratulations to Chaitravi and Jaiveer our newly elected Boarding Reps for the 2022-23 academic year!
Have a nice weekend!
Glen Johnson
Head of Boarding
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