MAPS and more

Posted on 21/05/2018 by alex.ba

This week will see Grade 5 students taking their remaining MAPS tests and their report summaries will be posted on Managebac by the end of the week. Here’s a great guide from Mr Niko to help you interpret the results if you are not already familiar with this. As always, feel free to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any questions.

Please remember that this test is a snapshot, and should be viewed as part of a much bigger picture involving feedback, observation and assessment from your child, yourself, and your child’s teacher. Regular assessments are conducted throughout the year in Reading, Writing, Maths and UOI and many of these are available for viewing on Managebac. We should remember that progress is not linear, and can come in fits and starts. Testing is also not a perfect system and your child’s development should not be judged by these scores alone. If you would like to discuss your child’s development further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Don’t forget to book your appointment for the Student Led Conferences on May 29th. Sign up sheets are in the Primary Office. In addition we look forward to sharing the final Reports with you at the end of the term.

It has been wonderful to hear students talking about how to continue their action beyond the exhibition. The PYP nurtures children to become life long learners and we can see this in how conversations are continuing about current affairs, environmental concerns and the actions we can take to help such as reducing our use of plastics, respecting and tolerating the differences in our peers, or trying to avoid wasting food in the school canteen.

Just in case you haven’t seen enough, here are some previously unseen photos:

Throughout the week we have also been impressed by the dedication and commitment the Grade 5 learners have shown to preparing for their MAPS tests. Many students have been furthering their practice at home and independently identifying areas that they need to spend some time developing such as using long division, solving word problems or making sure they know their adjectives from their adverbs! As always, thank you for all the support you offer at home.

Have a great week.

 

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Lots and lots…

Posted on 15/05/2018 by alex.ba

As promised here are more photos than you could shake a stick at, enjoy!

As if that’s not enough, Mr Eric has kindly edited the News Reports into seperate movies and you can watch them all on this playlist here. Finally, Mr Niko’s filmed a beautiful performance of the song for your viewing pleasure too.

In the coming week we will be engaging in some reflection tasks, celebrating the power of our inquiries and trying to think about how we can continue our action over the coming months and on into MYP. So many of your children have made a positive impact on their local or global community over the course of the exhibition, please help them to ensure it doesn’t stop – the planet needs our help!

We will also be preparing for the MAP tests which begin on May 17th. Please check the schedule issued by SEA for more details. For students who want to get an early start on practice they can be spending time on Khan Academy, using Khan Academy Mappers and the Grammar activities as they have learnt to do in class. And in preparation for the Language and Reading tests they should be reading as much as possible at home over the coming days.

Best wishes and have a wonderful week.

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Huge thank you!

Posted on 10/05/2018 by alex.ba

Wow, what a night! Great to see so many family members there and so many generations able to offer their perspective on the Grade 5 inquiries. We all saw a passion for deep learning with students able to talk about their inquiries from different points of view. From activities designed to invite visitors to reflect on their own actions, to supporting their views with mathematical data the children brought into play all of their skills learned during the PYP. They shared powerful presentations, interactive games, moving Visual Art pieces and celebrations of their actions. Their enthusiasm was evident throughout even at the end of such a challenging day. Well done Grade 5!

Rest assured we will be sharing photos galore very soon as well as a beautifully edited video of the singing performance by Mr Niko. In the meantime I hope you can view the news reports by following this link. Please bear with me while I manage to upload it successfully to youtube!

Thanks again for all your support and participation. And also for the fried rice and Pad Thai!

 

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Here at last!

Posted on 07/05/2018 by alex.ba

Well the day is fast approaching and Grade 5 is an absolute hive of activity. A few nerves are starting to kick in and we’re really getting to see the power of the IB learner profile and how the qualities of empathy, tolerance and cooperation can keep groups moving in the same direction even when deadlines on the horizon. The children are getting really excited to share their inquiries with the school community and of course with the parents, we can’t wait to see you all there on Thursday evening.

Please see all communications from SEA for exact timings and arrangements. We look forward to sharing our learning journeys with you!

Quick reminder that G5 MAP testing starts in the week commencing 21 May. More details to follow.

 

 

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One day week

Posted on 30/04/2018 by alex.ba

Don’t forget the holiday on Tuesday! It’s strange to have a one day week, but we still managed to pack loads in! The children are hard at it, and rooms are striding forward towards being engaging, informative and exciting spaces on May 10th. As always, thanks for all the support and ideas being offered from home.

A reminder that our central idea is the challenges facing the world involve all of us and we are observing a deep understanding of this throughout the grade. Groups have engaged in powerful inquiries and have taken (and are continuing to take) meaningful action that will benefit their local and global communities.

Our continued focus in Maths is investigating  how Range, Mode, Median, and Mean can be used to analyze statistical data. In addition the students are employing their full range of Mathematical skills and knowledge into their inquiries. As they eagerly prepare informative slides, posters and reports they are also applying a wide range of Language Arts skills such as paying particular attention to editing and proof reading their writing.

Last Friday and Saturday Mr Alex was lucky enough to be able to go to Chiang Mai to attend the Cultures of Thinking professional development workshop hosted by Ron Ritchhart, a senior research associate with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and has come back full of ideas and enthusiasm to share with the Grade 5 students and teaching team.

It’s not long to go now till May the 10th so please offer your child support and understanding if they and their group start to feel the pressure. It is of great importance for us all to remember that the Exhibition is a unit of inquiry. May 10th and 11th will be a wonderful celebration of all that they has been created and we look forward to seeing a dazzling display of ICT, Visual Arts, Presentation and even musical skills. However, we must also acknowledge the journey all Grade 5 students have been on, from the start of their entry into the PYP, as well as the depth and quality of their thinking.

A quick final request: Class 5C is collecting plastic water bottles of any size for a collaborative project. If you have some at home please send them in or drop them off with Mr Alex. Thanks!

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Say cheese!

Posted on 23/04/2018 by alex.ba

A quick reminder that there will be lots of photo sessions this week. Grade 5 are booked in on Friday, so (note to self) remember to brush hair and wear your best shirt with the least ketchup stains on!

Last week ended with a great event – the PYP swim gala. It was a lovely afternoon, packed with house spirit and a fun, easy-going competitiveness. Wonderful to see so many students push themselves to take part and to see so many parents come along and cheer them on.

During Maths sessions our ongoing focus is inquiring into how Range, Mode, Median, and Mean can be used to analyze statistical data. Of course, students are also identifying connections between their exhibition inquiry and their Maths skills and using their data handling skills to help them interpret the data from graphs.

As we move closer to exhibition day there is a natural shift towards the experiences we want to present to the wider KIS community. Groups are busily working out how to make their inquiry as interactive and fun as possible and they can’t wait to welcome all the curious visitors! Here’s the trailer to whet your appetite!

Have a wonderful week!

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2 packed days!

Posted on 02/04/2018 by alex.ba

Well there’s only 2 school days this week but we’re going to be fitting a lot in! There’s loads of exciting activities going on in Thai and TAL classes as part of the Songkran festivities and busy minds thinking away in our homerooms.

Before the break we are focussing on the action we might take as part of our inquiry. Many children will have a good idea by now of how to make a difference on a local or global scale and they may well be ready to start taking action during the holidays. Please help support them in any way you can and make sure they take lots of photos! Posting to Seesaw is a great way for them to share what they are doing with their fellow groups members.

During these 2 days we will continue with our exploration of how Range, Mode, Median, and Mean can be used to analyze statistical data and we will continue after the Songkran break. As always, check the weekly schedule for more details including a key vocabulary list.

Last week we had a great time at the Grade 2 Earth Day. It was a lovely example of how to make sure we share our learning in a creative, dynamic and active way and some real food for thought for how we might share at our Exhibition on May 10th.

Have a wonderful and restful holiday and see you on April 18th!

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Feeling creative

Posted on 26/03/2018 by alex.ba

Wow, what a week last week! There was such a postive and creative atmosphere around the school and G5 loved taking part in everything. From creating collaborative lollipop stick art, experimenting with the Art techniques of Lichtenstein and Sanchez Cortan, learning to Cha Cha Slide, supporting the amazingly talented KIS buskers and being treated to the KISPA cultural showcase it really was a wonderful week. A huge thank you to all the parents who helped organise the events on Thursday – it was a fantastic day and a real example of how to embrace cultural diversity and have fun!

Inquiries are taking shape across the grade. Last week each student made a decision about how to link their inquiry to the Visual Arts or Music. A big thank you to all the mentors and specialist teachers across the primary school who are offering valuable support and guidance.

Many students and groups have been able to demonstrate their deepening understandings of their issue by identifying conceptual links such as creating a “gallery of loneliness” to explore the concept of abandonment within an inquiry into Soi Dogs, or selecting music to express the different points of view that need to be considered. This week we will be offering specific guidance on how groups can take meaningful and worthwhile action. Some amazing things have happened already, including a beach clean up and an investigation into the quantities of food wasted every day in the KIS canteen. Talk to your child about what they have planned and ask them how they will ensure their action is meaningful on a personal, local and global scale. Another huge thank you to all the support parents give to students trying to effect positive change. Together we will make the world a better place!

This week we will switch our attention from fractions to Ratios and Probabilities. We will begin this inquiry by exploring how Range, Mode, Median, and Mean can be used to analyze statistical data. As always, check the weekly schedule for more details including a key vocabulary list.

Language Arts continues to be embedded in the inquiry process as part of our exhibition. Students have been calling upon all of their research skills as well as paying particular attention to issues of academic honesty including fact checking, image usage rights and using Easy Bib to cite their sources. During this week we will look at the types of writing that could be explored within our inquiries and using our personalised writing targets to help us share our inquiries with a wider audience.

A quick reminder that next week will be a short week as we break up for the Songkran holidays. And finally a quick congratulations to the Tournament of the Minds competitors who showed commitment, curiosity and thinking skills throughout their preparation and were brave risk takers yesterday. Well done teams!

Have a great week!

 

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Time for action!

Posted on 19/03/2018 by alex.ba

Plenty of amazing learning experiences went on last week and the Grade 5 students saw first hand a range of powerful ways to think about taking action in their exhibition inquiries.

On Monday we took part in an MYP activity hosted by Iq and Yash and their aim “to create awareness about deforestation in relation with global warming and encourage KIS students to have plants in their home.” Grade 5 showed curiosity and enthusiasm while enjoying the organised scavenger hunt and learning some valuable knowledge about this pertinent issue.

On Friday some of our exhibition inquiry groups travelled into town and visited the UN building. A wonderful opportunity to meet with experts and also an opportunity for the experts to be wowed by the knowledge and open mindedness of the KIS students! The UN Sustainable Development Goals have been a wonderful resource for all of our students and an inspiring global initiative to be a part of.

This week we will be using a systemic thinking model to help us decide exactly how to take meaningful action connected to our inquiries. It is an important step to make sure that what we do has an effect on a global and local scale as well as being meaningful for ourselves.

In Maths we have been engaging in some summative assessment activities to ensure that we have a well rounded understanding of our learning objectives: how fractions, decimal fractions and percentages are ways of representing whole-part relationships and how fractional and decimal computation the ideas developed for whole number computation can be applied. During Maths sessions this week we will be discussing how we can create links between Maths and our inquiries before moving onto a new strand of Mathematics next week.

As always, you can see a full breakdown of the learning objectives on the weekly schedule and get a great insight into what learning engagements are going on by taking a look at your child’s Seesaw.

And of course there will be plenty of creativity on show this week as we celebrate the Arts during ARTIGRAS week! We kicked it all off with an assembly today and there will be exciting activities going on every day.

Have a great arty week.

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Full speed ahead!

Posted on 12/03/2018 by alex.ba

The inquiries are marching on and some amazing things are happening. Thank you to all the support you are giving to your children. Over the weekend there was a trip to Pattaya for 2 groups – please talk to your children about how you can support them in this way.

Don’t forget that this is a unit of inquiry and therefore cannot be planned in advance and mapped out exactly. Different groups move at different speeds and approach things differently. Although the G5 teaching team shares guidelines, aims, objectives and assessment criteria we are also flexible to the needs of each group and each individual student. Please feel free to communicate with us if you want to know more about what is going on but the first person to ask should be your child, the inquirer!

This week we will be drawing our exploration of fractions to a close. In this unit we have inquired into how fractions, decimal fractions and percentages are ways of representing whole-part relationships as well as how for fractional and decimal computation the ideas developed for whole number computation can be applied. At the end of the week students will undertake some summative assessments to help them assess their progress. If you’d like to support your child at home then there are some excellent resources on both Khan academy and IXL. Please check out the weekly schedule for a more detailed breakdown of the conceptual understandings including success criteria and a key vocabulary list.

An advanced reminder that next week will be ARTIGRAS, a chance to celebrate the wonder of the Arts. There are a host of wonderful whole school activities planned and we are looking forward to an exciting and creative week, including a great event organised by KISPA.

 

Have a great week!

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