The Tiger, 22 April, 2022
Head of School Message
It is difficult to believe that we have just over six weeks left of school. The next few weeks will be very busy.
On the 8th of April, we had an all-school emergency evacuation due to threats made to various schools in Bangalore. Although the evacuation procedures were largely successful, we continue to review and enhance our evacuation procedures to ensure the safety of our community. I want to thank our parents and the community for your support and response to our evacuation procedures. Our follow-up and investigation with local authorities continue as we seek clarity on the incident.
Next week, Monday through Friday Stonehill will be hosting the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation teams. They will be doing our pre-accreditation preparatory visit. Our full accreditation visit will take place in October 2023. The accreditation process is valuable in that it challenges us to meet and maintain high standards.
CIS/NEASC accreditation shows that Stonehill International School has achieved high standards of professional performance in international education and has a commitment to continuous improvement and that the school:
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is devoted to its mission and vision for students
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has thought deeply about the services it offers to students, family and the community
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focuses on the quality of teaching, student learning, as well as student safeguarding and well-being
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is committed to the development of the students’ global citizenship
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is open to regular evaluation by its own school community and peer evaluators
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constantly seeks improvement in all areas of the school plans strategically for the future
The quality and rigour of CIS/NEASC/IB international accreditations are recognised by ministries and departments of education around the world, making Stonehill a highly established school. We are proud to be accredited by CIS and NEASC and authorised by the IB. We are also proud to belong to the Australian Boarding School Association.
Finally, I would like to welcome our new families to Stonehill. Our very supportive PTA is organising coffee mornings for new parents. The sessions are being organized grade wise for our Primary school. More information will be forthcoming through the Primary school office. These sessions are a lovely way to meet other new parents and to learn more about our school community.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Brian Brumsickle
Head of School
Whole School News
Upcoming Sports Events for Middle School
When the BAASC athletic directors (ADs) met in early February, we decided it would be too difficult to hold any events for the high school students, especially during the intense exam season. So, we decided that we would have middle school events like track and field, swimming, and football. Unfortunately, as we moved through Spring, many schools also found it difficult for their middle schools to participate. Therefore, a couple of the events have had to make adjustments based on the number of participants.
This Saturday, the 23rd of April, the first event, track and field, will be hosted at Neev Academy and we will be sending our athletes from school at 6:45 am. The time of arrival at Neev is 7:45 am for all the athletes. The participating schools are Stonehill International School (SIS), Canadian International School (CIS), and the host school, Neev Academy. Due to COVID protocols voted and established by the BAASC ADs, there will be no spectators at these Spring events. For those who wish to pick up their child following the meet, Neev Academy has marked out a section in their parking lot for Stonehill International School. The meet should be over by 1:00 pm and children can be picked up at the main gate.
Due to a lack of schools participating, the swim meet is now a dual school event between CIS and host school, SIS. The event was initially scheduled for Saturday, but due to the fact that the event will be completed in a shorter period of time, It has been moved to Monday, April 25th between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm.
The following Saturday, April 30th, CIS will be hosting the boys' and girls' football tournaments. The participating schools are SIS, Legacy, Bangalore International School, Trio World Academy, Neev Academy and the host school, CIS. The start time is at 7:45 am and they will finish by 3:00 pm.
While it has been a difficult spring sports season to plan out, it is important that BAASC does everything possible to present opportunities for our students and set the course for the next year. We have already planned for a full year of sporting opportunities for primary and secondary. Look out for more information!
John Bertken
Whole School Sports and Activities Coordinator
Alumni Visit
It's always wonderful when we hear back from our Alumni. In the last two weeks, Bhavya Vyas, Aleyna Lumsden and Sebastian Hartfuss visited our campus. We are happy that they are thriving global citizens and it's reassuring to know that Stonehill has provided them with the groundwork for success. We wish them every success in their future endeavours!
Bhavya Vyas, Class of 2020, is studying law at Kings College London in the UK. She is already well established in the British legal framework. Bhavya is one of only two students accepted by Georgetown University in the US to study a joint law degree.
Aleyna Lumsden, Class of 2020, is studying Biomedical Sciences at the University of Warwick in the UK. She is planning to either complete a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences or transition into Medicine once she graduates from university in June 2023.
Bhavya Vyas (L) and Aleyna Lumsden (R)
Sebastian Hartfuss, Class of 2021, is studying Industrial Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.
Sebastian Hartfuss (Middle)
BLVD Club Membership
Dear Stonehill family,
We welcome you to our invite-only private club, designed and curated to bring you absolute, internationally acclaimed luxury in combination with the privilege of a niche, eclectic community of inspired individuals. The club premises, spanning 1,00,000 sq.ft, is conveniently located at the Embassy Boulevard, at a proximity of 5 km from Stonehill International School and 14.6 km from Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru.
Our special o ffer, you could avail this membership at an exclusive tariff of just INR 30,000 plus taxes per annum. As parents of children enrolled at Stonehill International School, your family is eligible for a BLVD Club Membership, which entitles you to an endless list of benefits and privileges. We have a lot in store for you - from curated F&B events, workshops, kids engagement-specific activities, exclusive membership discounts and much more.
Step into a world of luxury! EXPLORE, EXCHANGE, EXPERIENCE!
Come Belong!
Primary School
Learning
After the break, I had the pleasure to wander into each classroom and listen to the stories of holidays held at home, in India and abroad. What I gathered from these observations is how much our children learned during this time. Some children used digital tools to share their holiday learning with classmates. Others were so articulate that we all relived the situation. We agreed on the trials and tribulations of struggling with the new and different, and we lived the awe and joy of wonder.
Experiences don’t always live in exotic places, they can live in your apartment or your backyard. They are as simple as a sprinkler in a tree and as complex as making biryani for the first time.
Together, we make these experiences for our children. We are educating them, us at school, and you at home. It is an exciting time as these experiences will set our children up for future success.
This quarter
…is just seven and a half weeks long. It may feel like a race to the finish line. Let’s try NOT to do that. Let’s pace ourselves with thoughtful interactions, caring attitudes and wanting the best out of everyone.
I will be meeting the PTA this week to discuss ways in which we can open the campus slowly over the quarter. I would like to see grade-level interactions for parents, times where you can get to know each other and just enjoy being on campus. We may even include campus tours for the parents who have joined us since the pandemic began as I know some are yet to even visit.
Please keep an eye out for invitations. Let’s work together to rebuild our community and create a sense of belonging.
Some dates to consider…
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The Community of International Schools (CIS) mid-term visit is next week on the 23rd of April. CIS is one of our accrediting agencies. {The International Baccalaureate (IB) and the New England Association of Colleges and Schools(NEASC) are the other two.}
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PYPX - The Exhibition is the culminating inquiry in the PYP. It occurs over the week starting on the 2nd of May. P8 parents will be invited to attend sessions over the week.
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MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) Assessments will be held for P4 through to P8 during the week starting on the 9th of May. This collated and disaggregated data will be compared with the school-based data to further develop our understanding of your child’s learning. We complete assessments in Mathematics, English and Reading. There are no time limits set for the assessment. It is an intuitive process; once a child has a number of errors in succession, the test concludes. For more information: https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/
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Children meet their new grade-level teachers on the 2nd of June.
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Progress Reports will be released on the 3rd of June.
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The P8 Transition Ceremony is on the 6th of June
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School finishes for children on the 7th of June.
PHEW!
All the best for a wonderful fortnight and a well-paced fourth quarter.
Karen Crooke
Primary School Principal
PYP Coordinator
Beliefs and Values in the IBPYP Mathematics
“All students deserve an opportunity to understand the power and beauty of mathematics.”
(Principles and standards for school mathematics, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - NCTM 2000)
In the 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 is such that it has become a highly effective tool for solving problems.
It is recognised that learners can appreciate the intrinsic fascination of mathematics and explore the world through its unique perceptions. In the same way that learners describe themselves as “authors” or “artists”, our school’s programme also provides learners with the opportunity to see themselves as “mathematicians”, where they enjoy and are enthusiastic when exploring and learning about mathematics.
If you are interested in knowing more about how we learn and apply mathematics in the PYP at Stonehill, please join me for a 30 mins parent zoom session on Friday, the 29th April at 1pm. Please check the Toddle announcement for the zoom link.
Zita Joyce
PYP Coordinator
PYP Counsellor
Helpful Hints for Fostering a Better Relationship With Your Child
Quite often, I have parents tell me that their child doesn’t like talking to them, especially about school. There are others who say as their kids have grown older and require more space, there has consequently been some distance between them. Then, of course, there are those whose children are terrified of sharing an honest relationship with their parents simply because their parents are “scary” or “too strict”. So how do parents strike a balance then?
Show them love in ways they understand it best
Some children value your words of affirmation, while others might feel more loved by their parents when they are given quality time. Still, others prefer human touch and so hugs are their thing. It is important to show love to your child, not in the way you know to give it, but in a way, they know best to receive it. Learn to speak your child’s love language.
Play with your child
As busy as your life is, it is important to make time to play with your child as play is an essential aspect of a child’s development. It is through play that they acquire a host of skills. It does not matter what you play. What matters is enjoying each other’s company, during play, and not always and only interacting with them about their learning/studies.
Create unique parent-child rituals
If you have more than one child, make sure to spend time with each of them individually. Quality one-on-one time is essential for your child to feel accepted and loved. Read a book before bedtime together, go for a walk in the park everyday, get ice cream together on the weekend, or even bake together. It is important to build this special parent-child ritual into their everyday/weekly routine. This is their time to bond with you.
Put away your phone!
If only I got a penny for every time a child told me that their parents are too busy on their phones! Set aside just 15 minutes a day, at least, to talk to your child without any distractions. Turn off the TV, stop scrolling social media, in fact, put away your phone and give your child your undivided attention. It is important for your child to see and know that you are prioritising them in order for you to cultivate a stronger relationship with them.
Eat together
Having a meal together as a family leads to great conversations and interesting discoveries about your child. Avoid having this meal in front of the television. Change things up sometimes. Take dinner outdoors, under the stars!
Should you need additional support, please feel free to write to me at neeti.sarkar@stonehill.in
Neeti Sarkar
PYP Counsellor
Primary News
PYP PE
The students have started working on their physical fitness routines such as running, working with a team, coordination, communication and helping each other during fun activities and playing different types of games.
The P3, P4 and P5 students participated in the Cross Country fun run event. The students had a lot of fun at the event.
The P1 students are focusing on different types of zig zag running, passing through different obstacles, balancing walk and fun running.
The P3 students are focusing on different games, creatively using PE equipment to draw animals and birds, understanding the roles and responsibilities of captaincy, discussing game strategy and having a lot of fun during PE sessions.
The P4 students are focusing on learning different types of games, yoga postures, zig zag running, relay running and different types of ball controlling.
The P5 students are focusing on learning different skills using small and big softballs and basketballs, understanding the roles and responsibilities of captaincy, discussing game strategy and having a lot of fun during PE sessions.
It’s been a busy time for the P6-P8 students in PE. The learners had the opportunity to participate in team games and athletics. The Cross Country fun run was successful and the students had a lot of fun. We had many enthusiastic and serious runners. Many teachers also participated in the event. The P6-P8 learners have opportunities to participate in individual pursuits and adventure challenges. They are participating in gymnastic skills, parkour and obstacle courses.
PYP PE Team
Secondary School
Gender Equality and DP Options - A Glimmer of Hope or ‘Same Old Story’
I probably write about this subject too often, but I do feel that it is quite important. My theory is that one of the most important things we can do at school to promote gender equality is to encourage our girls to study the so-called ‘Hard Sciences’ of Physics and Chemistry, Higher Level Maths, and Economics.
Ideally, many of our girls would then take one of these subjects at university and start to challenge perceptions in the male-dominated careers that they lead to.
In a similar way, our boys should not shy away from taking the courses that are usually filled with female students such as Art, Theatre, Psychology and Biology.
So now that our M5 students have chosen their options for DP next year, how are we getting on with this challenge?
Here’s the data so far:
But perhaps there is a glimmer of hope if we move away from the traditional ‘hard’ subjects and look at some of our other options.
What to do? Ideally, the world would stop privileging these hard sciences as the most common indications of intelligence and competence, but I don’t see much movement in that direction. The alternative is for our girls to embrace the challenge of these subjects and to start enrolling in such courses more frequently. A team of engineers and a boardroom of businesspeople should be made up of both genders in equal numbers.
Ten of our eleven Maths and Science teachers are female, we have a Girls in Stem advocacy group, our Girl Up Stonehill group has been very powerful for the past few years in the school community, and our female students do very well in all IB subjects. I’m not sure what else we can do!
Before I retire, I would just like to see one year where there are more girls than boys in Economics, Physics and HL Maths, and more boys than girls in Visual Arts, Theatre, Biology and Psychology.
Maybe next time…
Joe Lumsden
Secondary School Principal
Secondary Focus
DP Business Management
The D1 Business Management classes have been focusing on topics such as corporate culture, human resources, acquisitions & mergers, globalisation, etc.
The students researched these topics and applied them to the the real world. They presented and discussed their findings in class. Here's an example of a case study done by Trusha and Amal.
To What Extent Has Google’s Corporate Culture Contributed to Their Success?
One of the main characteristics present in Google’s corporate culture is the openness amongst their employees. The purpose of this characteristic is to motivate employees to interact with each other and further develop their knowledge on various aspects of the company. This correlates to Google’s organisational culture and structure as it encourages workers to communicate and share ideas.
This is in accordance with Pink’s theory of motivation based on three innate factors: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. These intrinsic driving motivators focus on self-sufficiency, self-improvement, and self-esteem, as a result of initial motivation, such as financial rewards. Google provides autonomy to its employees in terms of tasks, time, technique and team. Google provides employees with sufficient space, time and resources to creatively execute operations, allows flexible schedules to complete tasks without enforcing strict deadlines and allows project completion in a manner they deem fit without using traditional command and control techniques such as micromanagement and encourages its employees to work together to complete projects, promoting collaboration.
Mastery allows employees to improve their skills or knowledge in an area of their own personal interest. This is a critical aspect in motivation, as providing tasks above or below the worker’s capabilities, will result in boredom and demotivation. Google encourages its employees to share their ideas and findings, especially in the area of innovation.
Giving employees an opportunity to work in a field of their interest, allowing them to voice their opinions. According to Pink, purpose maximisation is as important as profit maximisation and argues that employee involvement in CSR is more motivating than individual rewards and bonuses. This is present through their contributions via Google.org, which provided over $100 million in investments and grants for charities in 2017.
A key characteristic of Google’s organisational structure is flatness which minimises vertical hierarchical lines of communication. This flatness enables employees and workers to communicate with the upper management without having to go through middle management. This improves employee morale, motivation and satisfaction which benefits the long term success of the company.
Another characteristic of Google’s corporate structure it’s product-based nature with products being developed with the help of product-based groups bypassing traditional management features. Google’s usage of Pink’s motivation theory and their organisational structure has resulted in a motivated and enthusiastic workforce, directly contributing to the success of the company.
Sathish M.G
MYP Individuals and Societies & DP Business Management
Boarding News
After the much awaited spring break, it was good to see the boarders refreshed and recharged to power through the last weeks of school before the summer break. It was really nice to hear their travel tales!
The D2s in particular were looking forward to being back to resume their studies before their final exams.
One of the students also mentioned that the boarding environment is more conducive to learning with the added benefit of teachers being accessible to get their doubts cleared.
The ASAs have been happening in full swing with a lot of participation from the boarding community. Badminton and Basketball practice sessions have also been regular since school reopened in February.
The boarders are also participating in a friendly football game that is happening this week between Canadian International School and Stonehill International School.
After a gap of two years, the annual boarding dinner is being held this Friday, the 22nd of April and we’re all looking forward to it!
Glen Johnson
Head of Boarding
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