T2W4 – 12 Jan 2024
Dear Senior School parents,
Happy New Year!
I do hope you and your families had a fantastic winter break. In this week’s assembly, I shared with our students the importance of using holidays to enjoy “in the moment” quality time with their friends and families, finding time to engage with their hobbies and the appropriate amount of schoolwork. We started the new year with a reflection of our term 1 SMART goals and by making resolutions for the second half of this academic year. Please do ask your child what their academic and wellbeing goals are for the months ahead.
Successful transitions can better prepare children to handle challenges they may encounter in High School. There is also evidence linking good transitions to academic success in later years.
We welcomed over 50 grade 5 and grade 6 parents to this week’s G6-G7 transition “Get ready for Senior School” coffee morning. It was fantastic to meet so many “new” Senior School families. We also welcomed the grade 5 students to the Senior School for their second transition event where they experienced a ‘snapshot’ of life in the day of a Senior School Student. I do hope you and your children are excited about the new opportunities that will soon be open to you.
Much appreciation and credit to our Future Global Leaders, who took active roles in both the student and parent events. These students include:
ATTYA Miriam Joseph, LIM Jed, LIU Le Xuan, NG Yee Hsin, TAKEDA Anna, TING Jun Hann Ronan, VADGAMA Durva Miteshkumar, WANG Yun Jing
Please do contact me or Mr Herring (david_herring@ssis.asia ) if you have any follow-up questions.
Following on from this week’s parent and student transition events: we invite all grade 5&6 parents to a more informal Coffee Morning on Thursday 25th January at 10 am in the Idea lounge. Please scan the QR code below to confirm your attendance and put forward any questions you have. We look forward to welcoming you to Senior School again.
Embracing our Differences- International Mindedness, Diversity and Inclusion
We opened this week’s assembly with staff and student presentations on this month’s theme of Embracing our Differences. We reviewed the principles of International Mindedness, Diversity and Inclusion. We have a diverse community of learners which we proactively cultivate with our heads (knowledge) hearts (empathy) and hands (action). Our students also shared their personal reflections on why this is important at SSIS.
A message from Ms. Xu, our Chess Team Coordinator:
In Term 1, the Chess ASP provided an enriching experience filled with both learning and enjoyment for chess enthusiasts. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Grade 11 senior chess players who, with passion and dedication, coached their younger counterparts from Grade 7 and Grade 8. Additionally, our players actively participated in the International Schools Online Chess League 2023 throughout October, November, and December.
The competition featured intense and hard-fought games, showcasing exceptional chess tactics and strategies. Despite scheduling conflicts with their winter concert performance, our players demonstrated unwavering commitment and sportsmanship by continuing to participate in the tournament. In the end, we proudly stand strong, achieving remarkable results and securing the 14th position among 43 international school teams and 300 participants from China, Hong Kong, and Philippine.
Congratulations to SSIS for this impressive accomplishment!
The Scholarship Policy and full details about the application process are available on the school website.
https://www.ssis.asia/admissions/ssis-scholarships/
The deadline for applications is Thursday, 22nd February. Should you have any queries or need guidance through the application process, please don’t hesitate to approach your teachers or myself. I eagerly await reviewing your applications and learning about your scholarship initiatives.
Parents and students are encouraged to speak to their teachers or academic coordinators if they have any questions about the application process.
On Thursday 25th February, 6:30 pm John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth will be offering an online information session outlining the in-person and online information sessions they offer. Please click on the link below to express your interest. (Open to families of students in G2-12)
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth specializes in recognizing and developing the academic talents of advanced elementary, middle, and high school students. Joining CTY means gaining access to challenging and engaging year-round online and on-campus courses. It means connecting with expert instructors and students from around the world who share your interests. It means learning to take risks, make mistakes, think creatively, and grow confidently.
Dates for your diary
- Thursday 25th February, 6:30 pm: John Hopkins CTY Online Information Session
- Friday 2nd February: CNY Celebration
- Monday 5th – Friday 16th February: CNY Holiday
- Monday 19th February: Return to School
- Thursday 22nd February: Scholarship Application Deadline
- Monday 18th – Friday 29th March: G10 & G12 Mock Examinations
Pastoral Wellbeing
Computers, smartphones and other digital devices are now a well-established part of our children’s daily life – in their education and study, their leisure time, and in keeping them connected.
We believe that overall, technology is a great benefit to students but there are potential risks of over-use or inappropriate use parents should be aware of.
Here are some tips to support wise use of technology at home:
- Set agreed and reasonable time-limits on how much they can be online, both on a school evening and during the weekend.
- A rule would be they do their daily commitments first, including homework and household chores before they get online time.
- Make sure your child has a rich and active set of ‘real world’ activities that include face-to-face social events, sports, outside/green time, or their hobbies.
- Ensure your child sticks to a healthy daily routine (go to bed at a reasonable time, get enough quality sleep, eat regular healthy meals and exercise).
- Experts recommend digital devices are switched off an hour before bedtime and for younger kids, devices should be removed from the bedroom at night.
- Children should get their morning commitments done, before being permitted to use a device (getting dressed, having breakfast, tidying the bedroom).
- Learn about the things your child does online – the websites, games or online chatrooms they go on, and show an active interest.
- You could play games or read online with your child which may be an enjoyable family activity that shows them you are interested in what they are doing online.
- Be a good digital role model yourself. Try not to take calls or go online and have ‘no device’ rule during meals.
Don’t be afraid to seek help if you are very concerned as internet or video-game addiction are real mental health conditions.
Reminders: Student Absence, Uniform and Regular communication
If your child is absent, please email your child’s form teacher as soon as possible with a reason. It is a Shanghai Education Committee requirement for all schools to record attendance and reasons for absence.
A reminder that students should arrive at school wearing shoes and ties should be worn. As the weather cools, students should wear their school blazers.
Please email me with any questions you may have, and we can arrange a follow-up phone call or meeting through the Senior School PA, Katharine Chen (katharine_chen@ssis.asia).
Yours sincerely,
SSIS Senior School
Mr Steven Gaynor (Senior School Principal)
Ms Shireen Naidoo (Senior School Assistant Principal)
