Year 1

Welcome to Term 2!!  Students and teachers had a grand start to the term with our wonderful Eid celebrations!

 Expressing joy, sharing and giving, these are evergreen qualities, yet Eid can look and feel different in different settings.  How we make time to grow understanding of significant cultural events and celebrations is an important way to acknowledge, understand and embed practices that promote and support diversity in our learning community.  Family traditions around these celebrations contribute to children’s sense of self, identity and belonging.  So, despite the disruptions to this year, the Year 1 teachers have wanted every child in their cohort to experience the magic of Eid, our most cherished traditional celebration.

The day started with students eagerly and excitedly exchanging their Eid presents which they had brought in for each other.  The joy witnessed on their faces when they opened their gifts was priceless!  After this, students participated in games such as egg and spoon races, jump ropes and hula hoops organised by teachers.  No celebration is complete without delicious food and we ended the festivity with a delicious feast.  Thank you to all our parents for supporting this great celebration with a plate of food, which children could share and enjoy with each other at lunch time.

As part of our STEM education and in line with our Science program, children have been engaged in exploring and experimenting with different objects that create light and sound.  For those of you who are unaware, STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics which is commonly used in education.   STEM education develops in an individual personal dispositions such as problem solving, collaboration, creativity and innovation, also known as 21^st century skills in education. 

In line with their learning, students were encouraged to plan and build their own light or sound object.  They then had the opportunity to showcase their work and present their findings to their peers in class.  We would like to take this opportunity to applaud all our budding Edisons and Galileos for their creativity and effort put into building their device.  Once again, we would also like to thank our parents for their participation and support in helping their child with their project.    

The Year 1 teachers would also like to share some parenting ideas to help your child become the best student that they can be.  Regardless of how the student has previously performed, this term and year offers a chance to set a new course. While it is tempting as a parent to make the attainment of good academic results the main priority, this is a narrow view that may be incompatible with long-term success. It is wiser to broaden your view and focus on helping your child or young person become the best student they can be. Here is how:

The rapidly changing world and workforce that your child will enter requires that they have a willingness to continually learn and adapt. The concept of a lifelong learner, previously lauded by educators with an eye to the future, has now become a reality. Learning and continual improvement should be embedded in each child’s psyche so that school life is just a starting point to a lifetime of learning, growth and development. Help your child see themselves as successful learners who achieve results through hard work and application, and that nothing is beyond them if they apply themselves.

Leadership is required in all walks of life including at school, at work, in families and in the wider community. Help your child see themselves as a leader by focusing on personal leadership capacities such as planning ahead, communicating clearly, being accountable for their behaviour, developing emotional awareness and fostering good relationships with siblings and peers. Personal leadership development provides a strong foundation for the development of leadership skills in more public forums in later life.

The school years are critical for the development of independence, which can easily be closed down by the roadblocks of impatience, overindulgence, fear and lack of time. Alternatively, independence is promoted when we show patience, provide opportunity, display confidence and teach students how

If there is one difference that modern schooling is making to the next generation it’s in the leadership they have shown in recent years to the maintenance of mental health and wellbeing practises. Parents can support their child’s long term wellbeing by embedding wellbeing habits including healthy eating, exercise, sleep, relaxation techniques, regular time in nature, gratitude and mindfulness.

If you want your child to be liked by others, it is essential to spend time and effort developing the skills and attitudes needed to succeed. Develop in them an awareness of how their behaviour impacts on others, instil manners and community-mindedness and develop a broad range of friendship skills that will assist them to relate well to others.

2019 showed us life is unpredictable, full of ups and downs, straight balls and curve balls. It is the unpredictability, the downs and the curve balls that develop children’s resilience. How parents and teachers react to the hardships, frustrations and difficulties kids face either hamper or foster resilience. Spoil, overprotect or pamper and growth opportunities are wasted. Support, encourage and teach kids to cope and you’ll be helping them develop a real sense of psychological hardiness and resilience that is essential for long term happiness and success.

Make this year a memorable one by helping your child grow and develop into the best student they can be.  Keep the focus broad and do all you can to ensure that your child sees themselves as a confident and continuous learner.

Thank you again to all our parents for your ongoing support.  Insha Allah, when we work in strong partnership between home and school, we will be looking at another successful year for our students.