THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AZERBAIJAN Mid-term Roundup

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Page 2 of 9 Director TISA Times Mid-term Roundup…continued Baku gallery! We were proud to be able to collaborate with Azerbaijan National Artist Arif Hüseynov at his Miniatures Gallery and hope very much that this will lead to further links between the TISA Art Department and the local art scene. So far this term the Primary School has held a number of very useful workshops for parents, and I know that a lot of parents have been very positive about what they have seen of students’ progress at Open Houses as well. We have also had the opportunity for community collaboration with students, parents and teachers working together to improve the ELC, inside and out, at the Working Bee a couple of weekends ago. There has been an enormous amount of activity inside the classroom in Primary, and a lot of superb work is on display. In addition, P6 to P8 students were very focused on the ISA tests earlier this month: the results of these tests will give us very helpful data against which to benchmark our students’ progress. In the Secondary School in the past couple of weeks there has been a wider range than ever of trips abroad, with students travelling to France, Russia, Spain, the UK and Cambodia. These have given our students a wonderful opportunity to experience different cultures as well as to develop language skills in situ. In addition earlier in the term there was an M1 trip to Alti Agach, a Biology trip and M1-M3 trips to Gala, Jumeriah Beach and Gobustan and elsewhere. We also had a very successful Career Fair. The Secondary School teams are currently reviewing a number of significant areas of school life, from assessment and reporting to dress code, and I am sure that this will lead to significant future improvements. We have witnessed some outstanding sporting entertainment and success recently. The Colombian Women’s Football Team visited TISA during the opening week of the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup, and we were also fortunate to have had the enthralling National Danish Performance Team at TISA for a whole day. TISA athletes performed very well indeed in the SRAA Cross-country Championship held last weekend in the Baku Botanical Gardens: congratulations to all! Soon after the break we have a number of events to which to look forward. On the sporting side, we will be concentrating on soccer and volleyball. From Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 November at TISA we have a P7-IB2 TISA Football & Volleyball Tournament against Baku schools. This is preparation for the SRAA International Football & Volleyball Tournament to be held at TISA two weeks later, from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 November. We hope that many parents will be present to cheer on our teams! In addition, please reserve space in your diaries for the P6-P8 production of Peter Pan on the evenings of Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 November. Last but not least, you will be interested to know that steady progress is being made on the TISA 5 sports complex construction. At present work is taking place on the foundations, with 78 tons of reinforced steel installed and 800m 3 of concrete poured so far! I hope you will enjoy finding out more about what has been happening in all parts of the school over the past few weeks in the pages of this issue of the TISA Times. John Gillespie Director If you are interested in renting a table please contact us where we will confirm your place via email. Dixon_nicola@tisa.az Mulleneux_elizabeth@tisa.az Table rent is AZN 20 and should be paid as soon as possible in an envelope, with your name clearly marked, to TISA 3 Reception. The last day for payment is Friday November 16 th . HURRY, AS THIS IS A VERY POPULAR EVENT AND SPACE IS LIMITED!
Page 3 of 9 Secondary Trips TISA Times Secondary Trips, Trips, Trips… The Secondary School has been very busy these last few weeks… Trips abroad - Our trips to Russia, France, England and Spain were all wonderful learning experiences for the students involved. (More about these trips to come in future editions). Biology Trip - On September 19, the IB2 Biology class went on an ecology field trip to Absheron National Park, the furthest point on the hook at the end of the Absheron peninsula. Seven students practiced different ecological sampling techniques, including quadrat sampling; line transects, and plant collection/identification during the day-long trip to the wind-swept park. The students braved gritty winds, hot sun, and the occasional water snake in the course of collecting data. It was a great day of field work, and the students did an excellent job. Great work everyone! (submitted by Ms. Childs) M1, M2 and M3 Get Out and About TISA Secondary has been seeing Azerbaijan! On September 18 th , M1, M2 and M3 started the year off with their Pastoral Care Day Trips. These trips are designed to build a sense of community and caring among the students and their teachers, and to experience the beauty of Azerbaijani culture. M1 and M2 spent the day at Qala Cultural Reserve. Qala is built upon the remains of a 5000-year-old settlement. Students baked traditional bread, worked with a blacksmith, wove rugs, and explored the caves beneath the castle. They ended the day with group tableaux performances of all they had learned. On that same day, M3s traveled to Jumeriah Beach Resort. They were kindly hosted by Jamilla Hasanova, homeroom mom for M3A, and the rest of Jumeriah’s friendly staff and activities directors. Students and teachers learned yoga on the beach, participated in team building activities, and swam and swam and swam! It was a wonderful experience for all, and the students built strong ties and memories. On October 11, Mr. Gray Brown in Humanities took all of the M1s to Gobustan National Park. They explored the petroglyph park and the newly built museum. They were accompanied by several enthusiastic parents: Mandy MacRae, Sarah Johnson, Reba Gilchrist, Segolene Gras, Shendelle Pietersz and Meera Dahl. The kids loved having them along, and everyone learned a great deal. While out and about, our students represented TISA with thoughtfulness, curiosity and respect. We are very proud of them! (contributed by Ms. Thompson, Pastoral Coordinator for M1-M3) **A big thank you to the teachers who organized the trips in addition to doing their regular teaching duties! As some of you are aware, we are refining the trips procedures in hopes of streamlining the process for everyone. Who to contact in the Secondary School? Here’s a helpful list of which secretary is responsible for different tasks: Shabnam Aliyeva – school trips, substitute teachers, parent communications, graduation Aliyeva_Shabnam@tisa.az Leyla Huseynova - attendance, detentions, mail, after-school activities Huseynova_Leyla@tisa.az Kamala Aliyeva – admissions support, transcript/transfer certificates, certificates of attendance, event set-up Aliyeva_Kamala@tisa.az Ms. Shaundele Leatherberry Secondary Principal Gobustan National Park Jumeriah Beach Resort Yoga on the beach Gala Cultural Reserve
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Page 5 and 6: TISA Times P5J & Danish Team Page 5
Page 7 and 8: TISA Times Career Fair Page 7 of 9
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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AZERBAIJAN Mid-term Roundup

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