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No.2 - 26 July 2013 - International Grammar School

No.2 - 26 July 2013 - International Grammar School

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<strong>International</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong>’sweekly e-newsletterTerm 3, No. 2 • <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong>Pulling together as a team. Enjoying thethe Athletics Carnival earlier this week ...From the Acting Head of Primary <strong>School</strong>PRIMARY SCHOOL, A SAFE AND HAPPY PLACE– the IGS perspective on bullyingThe overwhelmingmajority of our studentsin Primary feel safecoming to school.In 2012, Year 4,5 and 6 studentsundertook a wellbeingquestionnaire. Ninety-two per cent agreedwith the statement, ‘I feel safe at myschool’. This does not mean that isolatedincidents of bullying do not occur. In thisshort article I will share with you the IGSPrimary <strong>School</strong>’s perspective of how weview bullying and what measures we taketo minimise it.It is interesting to note that the problemof bullying in Australian schools was onlyfirst examined in the 1990s. Since thenthere has been a growing awareness of thedynamics leading to bullying and ways thatschools can help alleviate this problem.A widely agreed upon definition states thatbullying is an act of repeated aggressivebehaviour in order to intentionally hurtanother person, physically or mentally.Bullying is characterised by an individualor group behaving in a certain way to gainpower over another. This definition can befound in the IGS Student Diary.Bullying can be expressed in manydifferent ways from obvious direct physicalaggression to more subtle and indirectuse of exclusion, ignoring or the spreadingof rumours. Research tells us thatinterventions that work on many levelsare the most successful. In the Primary<strong>School</strong>, our approach to student wellbeingis multidimensional. We aim to raiseawareness, empower, teach strategiesand skills and work closely with parents.Our anti-bullying programs andinterventions are intimately entwined withour whole school approach to studentwellbeing.“Student safety and wellbeing are enhancedwhen students feel connected to theirschool”. (NSSF)In the Primary <strong>School</strong>, student wellbeingis a deep part of the entire fabric of theculture of our school. It is hard not tothink of IGS when reading the followingquote found in The National Safe <strong>School</strong>sFramework, which is a part of a federalgovernment initiative to support schools tobuild safe school communities.Continued ...Today the world comes to us! Happy <strong>International</strong> Day at IGS!Full report in Infocus next week.See snapshot of last night’s HSC Art Drama and Design Exhibition! p.5COMING EVENTSTERM 3WEEK 3Monday 29 <strong>July</strong>Chinese and German Exchange studentsHSC Trial exams - Eng. Stand. & Advanced;Music 1 & 2Tuesday 30 <strong>July</strong>HSC Trials - Eng. Stand & Advanced; D&TWednesday 31 <strong>July</strong>HSC Trials - Visual Arts; French Ext.,Languages (speaking)Social Justice Evening - Antips etc, 6pmChinese Exchange students departThursday 1 AugustPreschool Info Morning, 9.30amAustralian Maths CompetitionHSC Trials- German Ext; Spanish Ext;Languages (speaking)Stage 6 Subject Selection evening, 6pmFriday 2 AugustHSC Trials - Chemistry; Ancient HistoryAustralian Music DayWEEK 4Monday 5 AugustLycée Condorcet students at IGS all weekFutsal State ChampionshipsHSC Trial Exams - MathematicsYear 11 Development DayYear 7 Geography ExcursionTuesday 6 AugustHSC Trials - Physics, Spanish, ModernHistoryWednesday 7 AugustHSC Trials - Economics, PDHPE, JapaneseThursday 8 AugustHSC Trials - Biology, English Ext 1, JapaneseExt 1,Year 9/10 Design Hype ExcursionFriday 9 AugustHSC Trials - Maths Ext 1, GeographyYears 7 and 8 Language Immersion DayEditor: Rosemary Pryor4-8 Kelly Street, Ultimo NSW 2007Locked Bag 1022, BroadwayNSW 2007Ph: 9219 6700 Fax: 9211 2474e: rosemaryp@igssyd.nsw.edu.auTerm 3, No. 2 - <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong>


... from Page 1“Student safety and wellbeing areenhanced when students feel connected totheir school, have positive and respectfulrelationships with their peers and teachers,feel confident about their social andemotional skills and satisfied with theirlearning experiences at school.”[NSSF]From the moment they arrive inKindergarten, students learn that they havea right to be safe and to be respected. Theyalso learn that they have a responsibility tokeep others safe and to respect others. Thisis all taught explicitly.In the early years of Primary <strong>School</strong>,students learn about their personal spacebubble and MOHOFO, which is an easyto remember catch phrase which standsfor mouth off, hands off and feet off. Thestudents also start to undertake the socialskills program called ‘Stop Think Do’, aprogram which helps guide students tomake good decisions. Social skills training isembedded into units of work that studentsundertake. These types of programscontinue through Primary <strong>School</strong>increasing in complexity as the studentsget older.bullying and in time this program willextend to the lower years. We are alsoalways seeking to promote kindness andempathy through our ‘helping hand’certificates and House point system.Our Kindergarten/Year 6 and Year 4/Year 9 ‘buddy’ programs create anotherlayer of connection that students benefitfrom by encouraging greater resilienceand security.The students themselves are really thebest defence against bullying and the bestadvocates to promoting a bullying-freeenvironment. We encourage students totake ownership of their actions and toreflect upon the consequences of theirchoices. Overall, we have happy and verywell behaved students. Working with ourstudents on a daily basis is a real pleasure.We are always working to improve thingsand our student wellbeing procedurescontinue to evolve and change as we areconfronted with new challenges.To research this area further I recommendthese two websites:Ken Rigby.net http://www.kenrigby.net/HomeAustralian Anti-Bullying OrganisationAngels Goal http://angelsgoal.org.au/whatis-bullying-2/Jason ReitmansActing Head of PrimaryStudents learn specific bullyingreduction techniques such as angermanagement, conflict resolution,relaxation techniques, being assertiveand being positive. All of these skillsare taught explicitly during the primaryschool years. A digital citizenshipprogram has been started with Year6 students where they are taughtstrategies on how to deal with cyberPictured: It is essential for our young students to feel safe at school– in learning and at play.IN THE MEDIADocumentary engages IGS studentsSome of our school’s budding young environmental scientists (6 Green,2012) helped Dick Smith film the documentary Ten Bucks a Litre late lastyear.The following excerpts are from theproducers’ notes:We feel it at the petrol pump andin our household bills. It affectsour businesses, the cost of virtuallyeverything we buy and directlyalters the course of our everydaylives.As one of the world’s highest per capita energy users and biggest exporters of fossil fuels, Australiais bound to be deeply affected by the changes coming down the energy pipeline. How will we cope?Where will it all end? What are Australia’s options? These are the questions that self‐professed fossilfuel addict Dick Smith sets out to explore in this documentary ...Ten Bucks a Litre airs on ABC TV1 at 8.30pm next Thursday 1 August.Pictured right: Some of Year 6Green (2012) with Dick SmithTerm 3, No. 2 - <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 2


SNAPSHOTGetting ready for<strong>International</strong> Day , As part of early<strong>International</strong> Day celebrations, JenniferPark came into the class to teach 5 BlueKorean calligraphy ....For more snapshots, seescenes from the HSC Artand Design exhibition onpage 5!Languagecourse leadsto rich culturalexperienceIn April, Freja Andersson(Year 8) visited Shanghaito do an intensive Chineselanguage course. Duringher stay she volunteered at“Home Sweet Home”, anorganisation that providesa place of community,training and employment for homeless and disabled people. Using her musical skills shealso participated in a group called the Migrant <strong>School</strong> Band – a musical ensemble thatbrings together disabled people and teaches them musical skills.SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWSFamine challenge could help bring much-needed feast to MalawiBrought to you by the Year 11 service leaders this term, IGS high schoolstudents will be participating in the 40 Hour Famine, run by WorldVision. The challenge will take place from 16–18 August and studentswho elect to take part in the famine will give up something that isimportant to them in order to raise awareness and fight global hunger.This year an estimated 300,000 young people will take part in the 40Hour Famine, which has been going since 1975. Malawi, in SouthernAfrica, is the focus of this year’s famine, where around 1.9 millionpeople are impacted by drought, failing crops and dramatically risingfood prices.Students register to participate by signing up online, either at homeor during one of the sign-up sessions held at lunch time. Participationmeans students seek sponsorship to support their choice to go withoutsomething – food, technology, furniture, speaking – for 40 hours overthe weekend of 16–18 August.Harry Baker, Year 11 Service Leaders and Ms BlackerTerm 3, No. 2 - <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong>3


LANGUAGES LINESFrench Exchange – in SydneyIGS is seeking studentsin Year 10 and Year11 (this year), studyingFrench, to spend oneweek on exchange atthe Lycée Condorcet- French <strong>School</strong> of Sydney in Maroubra. This will take placetowards the end of the year, during the week commencing 9December <strong>2013</strong>.Classes at the French <strong>School</strong> are run in French and followthe French curriculum. As part of the linguistic and culturalimmersion program, students are buddied with a French studentwith whom they go to all classes. At night the IGS studentsreturn to their own house as this is a daytime exchange only.A reciprocal arrangement is offered to the students from theFrench <strong>School</strong> who will be coming to IGS this year from 5–9August.Interested studentsshould see IGSFrench teacher, MsJuliette Bates.MUSIC NOTESTERM 3 CONCERT SCHEDULEFri 2 AugustSun 4 AugustAustralian Music Dayat MLC for selected senior studentsNSW Band Festival at UNSW, RandwickTraining Band reports at 9:15amBay Street Band reports at 2:15pmKelly Street Band reports at 4:00pmSun 11 Aug–Wed 14 Aug HICES music camp and festivalFri 16 AugThurs 22 AugMusica Viva Incursion - Great Gamelan9:00 K-Y210:15 Years 5 and 612:00 Years 7 and 82:00 Years 3 and 4Ensemble Concert 6:00pmSarasate Strings, Paganini Players, PrimaryChoirs, Senior Vocals, IGS Voices, Boys Choir,Mo Jo Xylos, RecorderThurs 29 Aug HSC Performance Concert 6:00pm ,W401Sun 25 Aug NSW Band Festival at UNSW, RandwickSymphonic Winds report at 2:45pmIGS students onexchange at theLycée last yearALUMNI CORNERMATHS SPOTJessica Watson Miller(Class of ‘08) has been busyproducing a circus show,Orpheus, that runs fromAugust 15-17 under The BigTop on the Front Lawns ofthe University of Sydney.Orpheus is a contemporarycircus show retelling theAncient Greek tragic myth,‘Orpheus in the Underworld’.Tickets are available forpurchase at: www.orpheus.brownpapertickets.com or atthe door.The answer to last week’squiz was:270 pages.Look out for a much harderquiz question next week!HISTORY HOTSPOTWill return next week!Meanwhile, the full answer to end-Term2’s quiz: “The lone survivor of the Battleof Little Bighorn was a horse namedComanche – True or False” - was TRUE!Term 3, No. 2 - <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong>4


SNAPSHOT PART II - the HSC arts exhibitionThe annual HSC Design,Visual Art and Dramaexhibition was held lastnight on Level 3, KMB.More on the ADDaMHSC exhibition in thenext Jigsaw!Term 3, No. 2 - <strong>26</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong>

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