Secondary Newsletter on Friday, 9th Dec 2016
Week 19-End of Semester
Our students have worked long and hard right up till the end of the semester. There has been a great deal of growth and some amazing accomplishments. From our 30th Anniversary to IISSAC and BSSA finals, the Fine Arts and of course academics, our students have pushed themselves and excelled in so many ways. Congratulations on such a successful first semester.
Schedule of the Week
This last week our schedule is a bit different. Monday is a holiday for the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday and Friday will be a half day with an 12noon dismissal. There are also no ASA’s during this last week.
End of Semester Reports
Our semester reports will be sent home this coming Thursday, December 15th. These will be sent home electronically. All students will receive end of semester marks as well as comments based on their performance. These reports serve as a great tool to help our students to continue to grow in the second semester.
Reporting in the Second Semester
One of the things that makes BIS such a special place is the collaborative spirit between the school and the community. We recognize that we are only one component to the success of our students and that parental support is vital. To help develop that support and better communicate about student progress throughout the year we will be opening ManageBac’s gradebook feature to all parents and students at the start of the second semester. This will allow students and parents to see in real time where they are in relation to their learning in each class.
Teachers will be providing a numeric indicator of growth for each assessment as well as a brief description of the assignment. This numeric indicator allows us to present the clearest picture of growth via ManageBac as possible.
Teachers will be updating their gradebooks every two weeks and will be including both formative and summative work. This will highlight students progress throughout the term.
Below is the link to the presentation that was given this past week.
https://drive.google.com/open?
Community Engagement
This coming week two groups will be engaged in community service off campus. Our 9th grade class is continuing with their project that they starting during EOTC’s. Their objective is to raise awareness in the local community about the dangers of plastic bags and plastic bottles. Our goal is to work collaboratively with the local students and with each other to effectively discuss alternatives for plastic bags and plastic bottles. They hope to demonstrate perseverance towards their goal by returning to the same school where this project started . The main challenge involved, is that one day of Service as Action is not really enough.
Semester Holiday
Within this break it is important that our students have a chance to relax and regroup. Reconnecting with family is extremely important at this time of year. With that in mind there will be no designated homework over the break(*** Our DP Students are an exception to this rule***). Now, three weeks is a long time off and it might be useful for students to keep up with some type of academic work. Please encourage your students to speak to their teachers about books that they could read or activities that they could do in order to keep their minds sharp and the ideas that they have learned fresh. It is important to relax, but still stay engaged.
BSSA Finals
A big thank you to Mr. Sutherland, our coaches and student coaches for all of their help and leadership during the volleyball season. It is always fantastic to see so many students actively engaged. Also, a huge thank you to our PTFA for hosting the sausage sizzle this past Tuesday, what a great atmosphere to add to the finals.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of BIS and our students.
secondaryschoolprincipal@
Secondary School Principal
