Last Friday each student made a personal goal to achieve while training for the IronKids event at the end of the month. I was so proud of their efforts and it seems each student was able to reach their goal. We will continue to make personal goals each time we hit the track. It is nice to see some natural runners out there and even the kids that are struggling have made some great strives! If there are any parents out there who would like to model “pacing”, please let me know. Unfortunately in my condition I am unable to show them. Peter (Abigail’s dad) took some amazing photos last week. Take a look at his link. http://www.emmett-photography.com/International-School-Manila/Grade4-TriKids/11165843_o5adw#782706347_ckNqB
Joanna
So much is happening this month! This week we were visited by CNN’s 2009 Hero of the Year, Efren Penaflorida, who spoke to the Grade 4 students on Tuesday, Feb 2nd, to inspire them to “unleash the hero inside” and make a difference in the world around them. On Thursday Feb 4th we saw the Children’s Musical Theatre performance of “Dig It!” which was a huge success. Not only were we entertained by some really cool songs, but we even learned a bit about ancient civilizations! We had two students from our class Roi and Katie! Well done to the both of you and Ms. Linell for all your hard work!
On Friday, Feb 5th the kids threw me a surprise birthday party. It was kept a very big secret and I was shocked by the great organizational skills the “Birthday Committee” displayed. Thanks for a special day! This Saturday, Feb 6th is Family Fun Day here at ISM, and I know the students are excited about it, I hope you can manage to come!
The pace does not slow down next week either! Next Monday and Tuesday, Feb 8th and 9th, the Grade 4 students will be producing their mid-year writing samples. On Wednesday afternoon the students will have their MS Transition Assembly, and Grade 4 Parents have a Middle School Transition Parent Meeting from 5-6pm in the Little Theater. Parents, I hope you can attend that meeting!
We are continuing to practice our running around the high school track. Today we set personal goals, which every student was able to achieve. With help from Ryan’s brother we were able to “pace” ourselves around the track. If there are any parents who would like to come in and run with us please just let me know!
Thanks to Peter (Abigail’s dad) who has been reading Matilda to the kids regularly! We are also looking forward to Marnie (Noa’s mom) coming later in the month to read to the class.
Have a great weekend!
Joanna
Before the holidays we made no bake Snowball cookies. The kids worked together in their table groups, using a recipe and the ingredients they brought from home. The activity was a great success and we have some hidden talent for cooking in this class. If you have any no bake recipes please send them along. We would love to try them! The kids love to cook and it is good for group work and problem solving.
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Welcome to Thi Dieu Anh and her family. This is our third new addition to our class this year, and we have all been getting to know one another! I believe the phone tree is complete please email me if there is any change in your contact information.
We have had a great time with our new unit on child rights. The students have been very responsive to the sensitive issues surrounding child rights. When you have a chance ask your child about what they have been doing in this unit. There have been many great discussions in class and it would be nice if they make connections outside the classroom.
Sports day is fast approaching I am happy to say Adrian’s mom has volunteered to help the kids learn a quick routine to go with their sports day cheer and name. We will need a few more parents to help with the dance steps so if you have a talent for dancing and the time please let me know.
Finally, today we went out to the high school track to run, walk, or jog the 1.5 km that many of the kids will be doing for the Iron Kids event on Feb. 28th. I was very impressed with the dedication and determination. Don’t get me wrong it was not easy but afterward we talked about the benefit of physical exercise. Please talk to your child about the experience they had today. Also, the kids are getting to the age where they will need to be using deodorant on a daily basis.
Take care,
Joanna
I hope everyone had a fantastic break it was a well deserved one! I have heard lots of exciting stories from the kids. We had a wonderful adventure in Myanmar and spent the New Years here in Manila watching the incredible fire works! I would like to thank everyone for their generous gifts especially all the sweet treats. My waist line is getting bigger but unfortunately it is not all baby! Also thank you for the gift certificates to SM, Neil and I will be shopping for all those baby things very shortly. It was nice to see a number of parents out for our class party. The kids had a great time!
We have two new students to join our class, Ryan and Grace both started this week. Welcome to them and their families. I will send the new phone tree later this week via email.
I am excited about starting the second semester. It is now time to get the kids ready for middle school. This will include higher expectations, more work, a focus on independence, and explaining the process to both students and parents. This will be an exciting semester but very busy!
I am also very excited about our new unit of inquiry on Human Rights. This unit is intense but so rich in information; I can see the kids really getting involved. The unit will be starting in a few weeks.
Of course no update would be complete without my appeal for parents to come and read to our class. If you have already made an appearance you are more than welcome to come back! There are many spots available just email me and we can set up a time!
Take care and all the best for the New Year!
Joanna 
We will be having our class party Tuesday December 15th in the afternoon. Thanks to the parents who have been organizing this. It will also be Ji Woo’s last day. She will be moving to Belgium with her family. On Wednesday I will distribute the reports. Class will be dismissed at 12:00 PM on Wednesday so we can all get a jump start on our break. I wish everyone a safe and happy break where ever you may be. All the best in the New Year!
For the past few weeks we have been collecting books, used and new, to donate to Papaya Academy. They were hit very hard during the floods and we wanted to help restore their library. On Thursday some Papaya kids where here at ISM participating in ICARE, through the high school. We were able to bring the books directly to them and tell them how sorry we were that their school was so badly hit. We also did a great job collecting gently used toys for the workers of our school. I believe there will be enough presents to go around. The kids seemed to really understand the meaning of helping out. Thanks to the parents who have support these two activities.
What a week! The kids worked extremely hard at completing their assignments for our last assessment in our Systems unit. Most of the comics turned out well and the kids should be proud of their efforts. Next week we will look at the grading rubric to assess for content, process, and presentation. We will also share our comics with our Reading Buddies on Tuesday. I am really looking forward to our next unit on human rights. This is a very real and at times intense subject. We will be discussing child rights, political right, religious rights and gender rights. Please facilitate conversations at home about this because I am sure the students will have plenty of questions.
The students took their first MAPS test this week. I have not seen results and will not for awhile, however I was very impressed with the students focus and interest in the test. Next week we will be taking the Language part on Tuesday and the Math part on Friday. Please remind your child NOT to stress out about the test and to try their best. This assessment will be used by the school and teachers to assess how we are doing and what areas we need to focus on.
The annual PTA Book Fair is next week and we are very excited. Our class will have time to visit the fair on Monday, November 16th. The students have decided they wanted to bring their own bags in order not to use the ones given out at the fair. I love this idea and am very proud of the class for coming up with it on their own. I have not limited the amount of money the kids bring however they will be fully responsible for it. I have also mentioned to them that I will be buying a book for Papaya Academy, and donating it to their library. If the students are interested in this they can speak with me on Monday. There are many other activities going along with the book fair so if you get a chance try to stop by and take a look.
One other thing I would like to mention is our own informal Book Club that has been happening in the class. The students have been bringing in books to the class and making mini book recommendations. When the other students hear about a book and are interested they have a chance to take it home. There are three main rules included in this book club. 1) You must ask your parents if you can bring the book to school and borrow it out, 2) You must put your name in the book, 3) If you borrow a book you must be responsible and bring it back when you are finished with it. So far the kids have been really excited and involved. As a teacher I enjoy seeing students enthusiastic about reading!