The Tiger, October 13th, 2023
Head of School Message
From the 23rd to the 29th of September, Stonehill hosted the synchronised Accreditation and Evaluation visit from the Council of International Schools (CIS), the New England Association of Schools and College (NEASC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB). This visit was the culmination of a two-year self-study during which we have looked at every aspect of school life.
Although we do not receive the official reports from the organisations until November or December, we did receive initial feedback from all three groups at the end of the week. All three were very positive and highlighted many aspects of school life that they were very impressed with. According to the initial feedback:
- The school has a very clear direction and everybody in the community understands the guiding statements.
- The governance and leadership structure is solid and ensures sustainability in leadership during transitions.
- The strategic and financial planning of the school are very strong and support school development in key areas.
- The curriculum is broad-based and appropriate for the school community.
- Teachers encourage students to set goals and reflect on progress, and there is good evidence of differentiation to meet the needs of all students.
- The Student Support Services department is well staffed and able to support students throughout the school.
- Child protection policies and procedures are clear to everybody.
- Professional development is clearly having a positive impact on the faculty and admin staff at the school.
- The virtual and physical environments at school are high-quality.
- The staff is clearly dedicated to providing an excellent experience for the students.
- There are plenty of opportunities for student leadership and student voice.
- Students in the boarding programme are very happy and looked after very well.
Alongside all of these commendations, there were also some areas that the visiting team suggested the school looks into in future years. These included providing more books in different languages in the library, ensuring there is a smoother transition between the different academic programmes, setting aside more time for interdisciplinary work and ToK integration, and trying to create more personalised opportunities for students to follow different pathways to success. These are all good suggestions and will be integrated into our school action plans in the near future.
Overall, the thirteen members of the visiting team spoke very highly of our school and thoroughly enjoyed their visit. We also enjoyed working with the team members and considered the visit to be a fitting culmination to a very intensive two-year process of self-analysis.
Joe Lumsden
Head of School
PTA News
Whole School News
Congratulations to our PYP Basketball Teams!
Our PYP basketball teams played a BAASC basketball tournament at Trio World Academy. Stonehill won against Oasis and Trio in both the boys’ and girls’ matches.
Alumni Spotlight
Sachi Morajkar, Class of 2022, visited us this week. She is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Business at Les Roches Marbella, Spain. We are so proud of our alumni!
Save the Date!
We are thrilled to invite you all to an exciting celebration! Stonehill has grown and evolved over the last 15 years, and we have created so many timeless memories.
Join us in celebrating 15 years of our school's incredible journey, growth, and the achievements of our wonderful community. There will be plenty of surprises to make the evening unforgettable. Please mark your calendars and come prepared to create many more memories together!
Saturday, 2nd December, 2023
6 pm onwards at
Stonehill International School
Primary School
Firstly, thank you to the eighty-three parents/guardians who answered the ‘Primary Workshops for Parents’ questionnaire. I will work with the Primary team to provide workshops and seminars to help you support your child’s education, so you’re clear about what we do in school, and why. The responses were 50/50 with regards to whether to hold parent sessions online or on campus. We will have some online seminars and some workshops here in school to reflect this.
Secondly, do you find life hectic? I do. After talking with my family, I reflected on how much I enjoy chatting with my wife and daughter. I thought about how important communication is, for my family, and specifically, for my daughter’s development. In that light, I thought I’d share this helpful article from UNICEF which gives suggestions on how we can improve communication with a child. Whilst the title is, ‘ How to communicate effectively with your young child’ the advice could be applied for any child in Primary. You can find the article here.
I am going to try and improve my ‘active listening’. Is there anything that appeals to you?
My best wishes,
Peter Spratling
Primary School Principal
PYP Coordinator
P8 - Start of the PYP Exhibition Journey
Learning in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) provides many formal and informal opportunities for students to demonstrate how they have developed and applied their knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and Learner Profile attributes through the inquiries they undertake.
The PYP exhibition is a notable example of these opportunities where P8 learners showcase their understanding of an issue they have chosen to explore. They undertake their investigation both individually and with their peers, together with the guidance of a mentor. Through the exhibition, the P8 students demonstrate their ability to take responsibility for their learning - and their capacity to take action - as they are actively engaged in planning, presenting and assessing learning.
The PYP exhibition is based on a local or global issue or opportunity, from which P8 learners develop central ideas. These issues or opportunities are open to perspectives across the transdisciplinary themes and are complex enough to be addressed through a range of subject knowledge and skills. At the beginning of the exhibition process, the students and teachers extensively discuss local or global issues and opportunities that have meaning to them and connect to the school or local contexts. These discussions spark ideas, interests and directions for student inquiries. A global issue or opportunity:
- is accessible across subjects
- is accessible across transdisciplinary themes
- has local significance that students can connect to
- is of sufficient scope and significance to warrant a detailed investigation by all students
- is responsive to students’ experiences and abilities with the PYP
- supports students of differing abilities, passions, talents, interests and strengths
Last week, our P8 students began their PYP Exhibition journey by identifying globally or locally significant issues or opportunities that are important to them. To engage the P8 learners in meaningful conversations, the PYP teachers provoked them with an inquiry into the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
With our commitment to promoting a thinking culture at Stonehill, we used the ‘Hexagonal Thinking” strategy which motivates individuals to apply their creative and critical thinking skills. This routine encouraged the learners and teachers to make unexpected connections and explore multiple perspectives, which can lead to innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of complex issues.
PYP Counsellor
Helpful Hints for Parents to Create a Safe Environment for Children
Right from the moment they come into this world, one of a child's fundamental needs is to bask in a cocoon of safety and security. As parents, it is your paramount duty to provide an environment that exudes safety, stability, and assurance.
Here's how you can achieve this while maintaining your unique parenting style:
Embrace Consistent Routines
Children thrive on predictability. By establishing daily routines, you offer them a comforting sense of order in their lives. While special occasions like birthdays and sleepovers may occasionally disrupt the routine, ensure you return to the familiar structure your child relies on. Predictability fosters a sense of security.
Quality Time is Key
Being present for your child and expressing your genuine desire to spend time with them can be a game-changer when you notice signs of restlessness or anxiety. Naturally, they spend a considerable amount of time at school, and you want them to embrace it. Consequently, invest quality time with them so they can confidently let go when it's time to head to school or embark on a field trip, for example.
Speak Their Love Language
Each child has their own unique love language – the specific way they feel most cherished. Whether it's through shared activities they enjoy, validating their emotions and offering praise, showering them with cuddles and hugs, the occasional surprise treats, or lending a helping hand when needed, make sure to communicate love in the manner most meaningful to your child.
Maintain Firm Boundaries
Children are experts at testing limits. They will explore how far they can push your boundaries in pursuit of their desires. Will a tantrum wear you down? Will you yield to their requests? This is when consistency in your expectations becomes important. It not only sets clear boundaries but also conveys your caring commitment to their well-being.
Fun Times Together
Embrace the spirit of play and laughter! Engage in lighthearted moments and share genuine laughter. Partake in enjoyable activities without a rigid agenda. Relish your child's company, allowing them the joy of being in yours, and let your inner child shine through.
Neeti Sarkar
PYP Counsellor
Primary News
P7 - Being Diverse
The P7 learners started their inquiry journey with the transdisciplinary theme, “Who We are”, focussing on what it means to be diverse humans through the central idea, Being diverse humans depends on how we experience and perform different roles and responsibilities. The learners unpacked the big ideas, diversity, roles, and responsibilities through these lines of inquiry:
- Humans conduct themselves in diverse ways
- Roles and responsibilities influence our actions, values, and relationships
- Communities and societies have norms
The students formulated questions that required them to demonstrate their critical thinking skills and interviewed a few members of the Stonehill community. Their questions were thought-provoking and appropriately connected to the objective. The following questions were directed to the parents and Stonehill staff who supported their inquiry.
- How did you get this job? How did they accept you for this job?
- What does diversity mean to you? How do you conduct yourselves in different places?
- Do roles remain the same or change? (like once a daughter always a daughter). Did you have any dream job when you were a kid?
- How do people interact in diverse groups?
Some well crafted questions were also asked while learners interviewed Mr. Peter, our Primary School Principal.
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How can Stonehill benefit from your role?
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Do you still have a role as a student, I mean do you learn from other teachers?
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What is your most complicated responsibility?
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What is your biggest challenge and how do you overcome that?
These interviews were followed by reflective discussions among the students. This exploration not only enriched learners’ understanding of the diversity in human behaviour but also fostered a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness within our community. They further explored ‘Norms' in society and began by delving into the diverse areas where norms play an important role.
The culminating learning experience was to reflect deeper into themselves, their thoughts, and perspectives about various topics through the ‘This is Me’ document which led them to think deeply and also revealed a lot about themselves to their peers. The student reflections showed their deep and diverse understanding of the central idea and lines of inquiry. Here are a few snippets of what they understood from this unit.
- I enjoyed interviewing the school community to gain a better understanding of their roles
- I enjoyed deepening my knowledge of diverse humans
- Diversity means different people working together to obtain similar goals
- I enjoyed learning about people’s values and understanding what experiences made them who they are
Young Innovators Harmonise Tech and Education in Performing Arts Class
Innovative students revolutionised music learning with Design Thinking. In a remarkable display of creativity and problem-solving, our young performers have harnessed the power of Design Thinking in their music class. These budding innovators embarked on a transformative journey.
The challenge was to identify the various musical instruments in class. They defined the problem precisely. Then came the moment of inspiration - QR codes for flashcards! Ingeniously, they prototyped their idea, placing QR codes on instruments, seamlessly blending technology and melody.
Secondary School
Developing Global Citizenship and Intercultural Understanding
Over the past few weeks, the Secondary School hosted a series of events designed to help our students forge connections with their cultural roots, aiming to foster cultural awareness and offer our community a richer understanding of the diverse cultures.
9th October was Hangul Day, which officially marks the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Our Korean students shared a video and helped our community learn some useful words and phrases in Korean.
Athletics
In the past few weeks, the students participated in Inter House basketball and football tournaments, and the ISACI and BAASC matches have also been underway. Our middle school basketball team just returned from a tournament in Hyderabad as runners-up. Although challenging, the athletes returned with enhanced team spirit and some great strategies for future competitions.
MAP Testing
The MAP Growth assessment is a computer adaptive test that provides teachers with precise and actionable insights. The immediate feedback we get from MAP Growth will guide us to understand where our students are, what they are ready to learn, and at what pace they need to meet learning goals. These tests are conducted for Reading and Mathematics, and they were completed last week, thanks to the efforts of Ms. Sara and Ms. Saba. We have received the MAP test scores. Please send a mail to saba.husain@stonehill.in or rachel.antony@stonehill.in if you would like to receive a copy of the MAP test results.
Parent Sessions
It’s been more than two months since school started and hopefully parents have a stronger understanding of teaching and learning in the Secondary, as well as specific programme requirements. Thank you to those of you who joined us for our recent online session for M5 parents on Assessed Curriculum and Reporting. However, the Senior Leadership Team is sure there are areas in which parents might want to further explore. We would be happy to conduct similar sessions (online or in person) for other grade levels as well, based on parents' specific areas of interest. Please fill out this form, which will help us to schedule and plan these sessions effectively.
Collaboration with Parents
We are grateful to the PTA and the entire parent body for their active involvement in our school initiatives and for making Stonehill a vibrant and happy community. Our staff and students have greatly appreciated their efforts! From arranging PTA appreciation breakfasts (feasts, in fact!), merchandise sales and planning awareness campaigns like Pinktober, they have been an integral partner in the Stonehill’s success. PTA, we thank you sincerely for your support and valuable suggestions!
Sharing and Celebrating Academic Success
To ensure holistic development, we have many events planned over the next two months, both on and off campus. One event we would like to highlight is our D2 Student Led Conference, where students will showcase their academic journey in the Diploma Programme. Join us to hear about their experiences in learning different subjects that include writing Extended Essays, engaging with Theory of Knowledge and all the other components that form the DP at Stonehill. Additionally, we are also planning the M2 Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) celebrations.
Manpreet Kaur
Secondary School Principal
Secondary News
Student Support Services
What is I-DEA?
I-DEA or Inclusion via Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism, sometimes also known as DEIJ or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice are terms used to describe a comprehensive approach to establishing welcoming, respectful, and equitable communities.
What do all of these letters mean?
Inclusion:
Inclusion means every child feels valued, respected, and welcomed, embracing differences, and fostering belonging and engagement in school life.
Diversity:
Diversity celebrates varied backgrounds, cultures, and abilities, enriching our learning environment and cultivating empathy and open-mindedness in students.
Equity:
Equity ensures fairness, providing tailored support for each child's needs, fostering equal opportunities for all students to succeed academically and personally.
Anti-Racism:
Anti-racism opposes discrimination, promoting racial understanding and acceptance. Our school actively challenges biases, creating a safe space for all students to learn and thrive.
What have we been doing on campus to support this?
Stonehill is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where every individual is valued and respected regardless of their race, background, religion, gender identity, or cultural beliefs. This is at the heart of what we do as we commit to cultivating a sense of belonging within our school culture that ensures everyone can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
With I-DEA, we strive to spread awareness by educating and empowering our community to ensure an inclusive environment for all. We have currently been doing this through initiatives led by our Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), celebrating and honouring our host culture and the diversity within our community, staff training to understand I-DEA as well as other student and teacher-led initiatives.
Want to know more? Our I-DEA committee would like to offer workshops on this topic for parents. Please use the QR code below to register your interest and availability.
Amada Dayal
Head of Whole School Support Services
English Language and Literature
Over the last few months, the English Language and Literature students have been engaged in a variety of learning experiences, developing both their creative and critical thinking skills. The English teachers hope you spend a few minutes reading and viewing the photos below; we are proud of our students’ work and we hope you will be, too!
M2 Interdisciplinary Learning
In the Middle Years Programme (MYP), interdisciplinary learning supports students to understand bodies of knowledge from two or more disciplines or subject groups, in order to integrate them and create new understanding.
The M2 students started their Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) journey two weeks ago. The interdisciplinary understanding will be displayed using a synthesis of English and Mathematics to produce an artefact that showcases essential knowledge from both these subjects, combining self expression and numbers and representations.
M3’s Moving Original Speeches
As part of their current unit “What’s in a Word”, the students have been studying speeches and persuasive techniques. They first viewed multiple examples of famous speeches from around the world, analysing the speakers’ use of techniques and their intended effects. Then, they chose their own topics based on their interests and wrote and presented original persuasive speeches, on topics ranging from kindness to animal rights. The students not only had the opportunity to engage in research based on topics of interest but also gained valuable skills in public speaking and presentations.
M5’s Hilarious Satire
In M5 English class, we have started the year by entering the world of satire. What is it? Where do we encounter examples? Why is it important? We looked at a variety of political cartoons, caricatures, and Saturday Night Live (SNL) video clips. We then read and used Binyavanga Wainaina's, "How to write about Africa'' as a model, to better our understanding of satire's power in societal critique.
Following this, the students selected their own topics for critique, showcasing their creativity and applying their newfound knowledge to challenge stereotypes and biases. Currently, the class is diving into Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," a classic example of satire, further refining their analytical skills. Our start to the year has been full of thought-provoking conversations, equipping students with valuable skills to critically engage with issues in the world around them.
Neev Literature Festival Trip
On the 7th of October, a group of students attended the annual Neev Literature Festival, where they engaged in workshops such as “Breaking Bias” when creating fictional characters and “Layers of Reading”, in which experts shared helpful techniques for approaching textual analysis. The English Department is pleased so many students showed interest in signing up!
Boarding News
In the last two months, the students have all contributed to creating a highly enjoyable and rewarding boarding environment for learning, personal development, and fun. We organised a dance workshop for our boarders last week, featuring bollywood, hip-hop, and contemporary dance styles. The students grooved to their favourite tunes, learned new moves, and fostered a sense of unity through dance.
Many thanks to Ms. Shelley and Samyak, D2, for organising the lake clean-up at Hesaraghatta on Saturday. It's heartening to see our students actively engaging in such meaningful activities that leave a lasting impact on the community. Well done, everyone!
And, of course, we didn't forget about our creative minds. On Saturday, a nail art session was organised, allowing our girls to express themselves artistically and bond over shared interests. The vibrant and imaginative nail designs were a testament to the creativity that thrives within our boarding family. A big thank you to Glenda for organising the activity.
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