Secondary Parent Newsletter

Dear Secondary Parents,

It has been great to have a full week of learning in the Secondary School. Thank you to the PTA for organising a great afternoon and evening last Friday. It was wonderful to see parents and teachers enjoying live music, food, drink and each other’s company. There was a very positive vibe which reflected an enthusiastic start to this school year. I look forward to meeting more parents throughout this school year and beyond. This week, we welcomed Mr. Blake Ingram who will teach MYP Language and Literature for English, replacing Mrs. MacDonald who is now on maternity leave. Mr. Ingram has settled in smoothly and is quickly getting to know the students.

We conducted our first Secondary Assembly on Tuesday and this was a really positive start on our journey to students fully organising and conducting assemblies in 2018/19. We had student hosts, two musical performances, one from Grade 6/7 and another from Grade 10 Music classes. The students who are leading the CAS project of supporting those impacted by the Lombok earthquakes also gave an update on their progress. They highlighted to the younger students how they can have a positive impact on those who are less fortunate and how that can shape their own values and perceptions.

Attendance and Punctuality

There has been a visible improvement in attendance and punctuality over the past four days. I will continue to follow up with students and parents of students who are late to school or who have unexplained absences. We want your children here and in class to maximise their learning opportunities.

Assessment

Students will have assessments for all of their subjects in coming weeks. I encourage you to check in with them and ask to view their tasks after they have been graded and returned. Please remember that you can view your child’s performance in each summative task on ManageBac. If you are having difficulty accessing your ManageBac account please email Mr. Erickson at nerickson@baliis.net.

EOTC 2018 – Update

Updated staffing lists and venues:

• Gr 6 to Sangeh Village: Mr Watson, Mrs Erickson, Ibu Dewi, Mr Ferris
• Gr 7 to Wangari Village: Ibu Putu, Ibu Ayu Kris, Mr Knudson
• Gr 8 to Pemuteran: Ms Taylor, Ms Green, Mr Sutherland
• Gr 9 to Mt Batur: Mr Andrews, Ms Alborn, Mr Collins, Ms Staroverova
• Gr 10 to West Bali: Mr Wilson, Ms McLay, Dr Shepherd
• Gr 11/12 to Les Village: Mr Brown, Ms Quinn, Mr Wood, Mr Gokalp, Ms Gerbic

Please note that we have had to change the venue for the Grade 8 camp as there was a clash with a religious celebration at the original location. The activities on the camp will still mirror the original plans. Mr. Sutherland will update all parents with details by email. Each camp will have a parent information session with camp leaders, Mr Sutherland and the camp providers to ensure parents are fully informed. In addition to this, there is a general Parent Information Session on Monday, September 17.

Upcoming Events

Note: Grade-specific EOTC Trip Parent Presentation dates and times will be confirmed by Mr Sutherland.

Kind regards,

Ross Ferris

Secondary Principal

Bali Island School

secondaryprincipal@baliis.net