Congratulations to 5E’s Evan E. and Samuel H., as well as to all the other candidates, for their successful campaigns in running for positions in the Lower School Student Council!

We all look forward to Grade 6 under their leadership!

Dear Grade 5 Parents,

As we prepare for the end of the year, there are many reasons to celebrate your child’s successes in Grade 5!

The last week of school will be full of exciting activities, including:

Tuesday, June 14th – transition day where the students spend some time in the Grade 6 classrooms
Wednesday, June 15th – Grade 5 BEACH DAY – all day!
Thursday, June 16th - final Gr. 5/6 assembly, yearbook signing + portfolios go home, followed by a traditional Grade Level Party on the 8th floor

For the BEACH DAY, June 15th, we ask that you please participate by joining us at the beach if possible and or sending some party supplies/food/drink to school with your child. For planning this party we will be using a google spreadsheet which can be accessed through this link:

End of Year Beach Party Spreadsheet

In the picture I have added some ‘example’ entries to help get you started. Please state what you can send/bring and the quantity. Also please RSVP if you or any family members are going to meet us at the beach. On the day, the students will walk from school to Deep Water Bay Beach. At the beach we will meet families and friends and set up a BBQ/food/drink area. The students will be swimming and playing games on the beach for the main portion of the day. Please advise your me directly if you have any concerns about your child swimming. Deep Water Bay Beach is a lifeguarded beach. Also, some teachers will also swim with the students and are very strong/experienced swimmers. Permission forms for this activity have been sent home earlier this week.

For the final day of school, June 16th, please send a small snack/drink to school with your child to contribute to the Grade Level Party. This party will wrap up the day and you can expect your child to come home with a CDNIS yearbook and their progress report + portfolio. This is not an early dismissal day and buses will leave at 2:45 as usual.

Please don’t hesitate to email me with questions about the Google Spreadsheet or any other matters concerning the last week’s activities.

Thanks and kind regards,

Ms. C.

Take a second look at the clips we watched in the LLAC today.

Please  write a comment explaining your experience with your MacBook so far this year.

Over the summer:
-How will you use online networking to communicate with others?
-What kind of image do you plan to portray to the world?
-How do you plan to avoid negative online experiences and protect youself?

Title: Amnesty International – 50 Years
Director: Carlos Lascano
Music: Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe
PSA Source Credit: http://vimeo.com/24146622

Check out the making of this PSA at:  http://www.carloslascano.com/carloslascano/amnesty_making.html

—

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose stated mission is “to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.”

Source Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty_International

Did you know that there is an Amnesty International Group for Upper School students at CDNIS?

Amnesty International

—

How has this PSA related to our past unit on Sharing the Planet and our central idea that actions can support or deny access to children’s rights and equal opportunities?

This PSA is rife with symbolism. Explain the images and ideas you see represented.

How might Amnesty International change access to equal opportunities?

How can Amnesty International help you to take responsibility for your own rights and the rights of others?

Okay! You’ve tried yet another study strategy! Have a go at the quizzes below!

Quiz #1

Quiz #2

Please comment on how successful this strategy was for you!

Image Source: http://solacesystems.com/blog/company/news-release/evolving-the-digital-nervous-system/

“The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think:  Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”

~ William Saroyan

Image Source: http://www.pslib.cz/anna.lhotova/prazdniny/saroyan.html

What do you think Saroyan means by this? How would this advice help a writer?

What advice would YOU give to an aspiring writer?  What approaches work for you?

Leave your school uniform in the closet and participate in our monthly Dress Down Day. For just $20, you can wear sports-themed clothes to school on Friday, May 27th. Money raised will go to Alive and Kicking.

Get your own autographed copy of this year’s Kids4Kids winning title, The Story of the Rainforest!

Congratulations to our newly-published author/illustrator team Caitlin Cormie and Isabel Brogsitter-Finck of 6C! Their book, The Story of the Rainforest, was published by Kids4Kids and launched on Sunday, May 8; a limited number of autographed copies are now available for purchase in the library for $100 each.  Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Bring Me a Book Hong Kong and The Changing Young Lives Foundation, two local children’s charities.

Also available are sets of all five Kids4Kids Writing for a Cause Competition winning entries from different schools around Hong Kong (including our CDNIS winner). These are selling for $500/set.

This afternoon’s study strategy assignment #2:  Movie Madness!

1. Research as much as you can about the Immune System.
Use the following websites:

Brainpop! – Immune System
Brainpop!- Boogers
Brainpop! – Vaccines
Brainpop! – AIDS

Bitesize – Immunity
Kidshealth – The Immune System
The Immune System
Kidskonnect.com – The Immune System – scroll down to ‘Immune System’

2. Create an iMovie to educate others about the Immune System (and also to help you study!).

The movie must be:

- less than 2 minutes long
- creative and exciting
- educational and informative
- the hard work and effort of exactly 2 people

As we want to investigate whether or not this is a viable study strategy, you will have only 2 periods to complete this task.

GO!

As a student, from Lower School through to university, you will study! It is important to set routines and study habits now so that you will be a successful student.  There are many way s to study and it’s essential that you choose the style that works for you and your learning style.

Below are some ways that you can help you to study effectively:

- Take responsibility for you!
Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time and your resources.

- Find the best time and place to study.
Morning, afternoon, or evening?
Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.

- Look for better solutions to problems.
For example, if you don’t understand something after re-reading it, try something else.  Ask your teacher, a classmate, or someone else who is knowledgeable.

- Look to continually challenge yourself!
There’s no point in studying something you already know! Seek out related concepts and new information that interests you!

- Keep a positive approach!
You can do it!

—

Consider the many different ways that you can study:

- Make a checklist (this helps you to keep track of what to study).
- Summarize your notes, making sure you have the most relevant information.
- Create flash cards.
- Work with a partner.

Can you think of other ways to study?

Image Source: http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jha/lowres/jhan377l.jpg

The Cheung Chau camp is approaching!

Below is some additional information for camp, attached for your reference.

Camp Packing List ‘11

Camp Permission CDNIS

Parent Letter

* PLEASE NOTE –

3 items that are not included in the packing list but must brought to camp:

-1 bathing suit
-1 extra towel for swimming purposes
-1 WHITE t-shirt for tie-dye art

Check it out:
www.dcmf.ca

The Student Led Learning Reviews were a huge success! After a year of exploring concepts, challenging and deepening understandings, refining skills, maturing and working hard, the 5E Extra-Terrestrials demonstrated their learning journey in Grade 5.  All parents had the opportunity  to see the ownership their son or daughter has in his or her learning, as well as had the chance to interact, question and listen.

Please go through and keep your child’s portfolio until Monday, May 9th. Your son or daughter must complete the final reflection on the learning goals that were set earlier in the year before returning the portfolio to school.

The human body is comprised of systems that are continually changing.

What body systems do you see represented?

Animation: Dimitri Stankowicz
Music: Innocence by Björk

Dear Parents,

Welcome back! The final stretch towards summer break is upon us…

Our Student Led Learning Review is on Friday. This is one of the highlights of the assessment and reporting schedule during the school year. It provides your child with a voice in his/her learning and we need to respect and listen to that voice.

A few reminders:

-Students are to wear their school uniforms.
-Please turn off your mobile devices during the SLLR. Each time slot has a maximum of 3 families in the room.
-Please remember to take your child’s portfolio with you when you leave.
-Be positive! This is a celebration of your child’s learning journey this school year. Let’s focus on the successes.

*Reminder: Thursday’s Dress Down Day is DENIM!

On April 3rd, internationally acclaimed Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei was detained at the Beijing airport while en route to Hong Kong, and his papers and computers were seized from his studio compound.  Ai Weiwei has spoken out against human rights offenses taking place in China.

BBC News Story on Ai Wei Wei’s Detainment

Last week, over 2000 Hong Kong residents held a rally in support of his release.

BCC footage: “Weiwei Supporters Take to the Streets of Hong Kong”

“An individual can make an effort and make an impact.”

Pale Blue Dot – Animation from Ehdubya on Vimeo.

“I’ve been enrolled in illustration at Sheridan College for the the last 4 years and this is my final thesis project. I have always thought of Carl Sagan’s writings as “scientific poetry” since they lack the cold touch that science is often cursed for having. I think Sagan’s words resonate more than ever, and will continue with each generation until the human species “wakes up”. The first time I heard this excerpt from his book “Pale Blue Dot” it literally changed my life, and I hope it does for you too. Enjoy.” ~ Adam Winnik

Written and Narrated: Carl Sagan
Music: Hans Zimmer “You’re So Cool”
Art and Animation: Adam Winnik

During the Week of the Arts, my class had two forty minute visits from Jacqui Roberts, the founder and director of Red Shoe Dance Company. Red Shoe is a dance organization that do after school ECAs at CDNIS. When my class went to the  studio, we warmed up and learned three short sections of a dance routine. When I saw Jacqui do them, I thought it would be easy. It was actually very hard. We were filmed on Friday, during our second practise ever!

Another teacher from Red Shoe, named Ben, is a professional breakdancer. I saw him dance at the in the ECA showcase. He did a dance move which only a professional can do. He was spinning on the front and back of his body. To become a good dancer you need to practice a lot and be very fit and strong.

~ Sam H.

Red Shoe Dance Company

Greetings Parents, Students and Caregivers,

We are planning to hold the 2011 CDNIS Grade 5/6 Sports Day on Tuesday April 12.  The staff and grade 5 and 6 students will be participating in a variety of athletic activities at the Stanley Ho Sports Complex in Sandy Bay.  We will be leaving the school at 8:00 a.m  and returning for dismissal at 2:30 p.m.

In preparation for the day, students will need to bring the following items:

• A healthy bagged, lunch snacks and healthy beverages.  No McDonald’s, etc… *Please  note that there will be no school lunch provided on this day.
• A reusable/refillable bottle of water, which can be refilled at the sports ground. Please label the water bottle with the student’s name. Juice or gator/powerade type drinks are also fine. As part of our “Green” initiative, it is important students bring their own bottle.
• A hat and sun block.
• Students should have a healthy breakfast that day. It would be a good idea to bring a deck of cards to play with or a novel to read during lunch break.
• A small bag to carry the above in.
• Dress in your CDNIS PE uniform complete with sports shoes. Bring extra appropriate clothing if the weather is cold or rainy.

Parents are welcome to come out and cheer you on.  Students will begin competing at approximately 8:45 at the sports-ground.

Sincerely,

Mr. Steiner
Lower School Grade 4-6 Physical Education Teacher

To learn more about SLLRs, please watch the following informative, teacher-produced podcast (2010) about the role of the SLLR in your child’s learning journey.

Dear 5E students,

Principled volunteers needed on April 29th!

On April 29th, students in Prep-Grade 6 will be participating in Student Led Learning Reviews.  In order for each student to enjoy the experience and have the full attention of their parent(s), we will organize caregivers to watch over younger siblings who require minding in the Alan Dick Forum .

Parents will be invited to drop younger children in the Forum where they will play with some toys provided and be read to by student volunteers until their parent(s) return from the SLLR.

This is a great opportunity for you to be responsible leaders and live the CDNIS mission statement by volunteering your time.  You can also bring books/homework/laptops along because there may be times when you are not supervising small children.

We require 2-3 students in each of the following sessions:

7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

(pizza lunch provided at 12:00-1:00)

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please let Ms. Carmen know by Tuesday, April 26 if you are interested and which time(s) you can assist.

A reminder of our camp that will be held in May on Cheung Chau Island and our  parent info night is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the library.

See you there!

Image source: http://sunventuretours.com/Camping%20Tent.gif

Dear 5E Parents,

As parents of one child at CDNIS, you now have the opportunity to schedule your child’s Student Led Learning Review appointment.  Please  click on the link below and follow the instruction carefully to sign up for your time slot with the online system VolunteerSpot, a new web service we are using to help us organize this event. This is the ONLY way to sign up and no teacher confirmation will be sent following registration.

5E SLLR Sign Up

*Please note: This link is for 5E students only and cannot be shared with parents of children in other classes.

If you haven’t already had the chance, you may wish to preview the user tutorial beforehand (http://vimeo.com/21068421).

Should you have any difficulties, please contact Executive Secretary, Jean Lo at 2525-7088.

See you on Friday, April 29th!

Ms. Carmen

We will hold a special Dress Down Day on Thursday 7 April with all funds raised going to help those affected by the 11 March earthquake in Japan. Students are asked to please donate a minimum $20 on this day and to wear either their P.E. kit (as we are on our Dig Day field trip) or red and white attire. We are also working to launch an origami crane-making campaign in the coming weeks with CISPA and a group of Japanese parents. It’s our hope that each student in the school will create at least one crane, which we would then string together and send to Japan along with funds raised. Details about the crane making will be released shortly.

Crane Photo Credit:  http://logosbooks.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/origami-crane.jpg

When: Thursday April 7th, any time between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Where: LLAC lobby

Who: Anyone over the age of 16 (staff, students, parents, relatives – please bring your HKID)

It takes approximately 30 minutes to give the gift of life! There will be home-baked cookies and brownies to help replenish energy after donating!

Upper school students will need to have a parental permission form filled out before they are able to donate. Drop by Nurse Karla’s office to pick up a form.

Please email Nurse Karla Hancock to sign-up for a half-hour time slot if you would like to participate in this most worthwhile cause!

Blood Donation Facts

- Only five percent of eligible donors, donate blood, but the number of transfusions increases by nine percent every year.

- Blood donors can donate as frequently as every 56 days.

- Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people. One unit is divided into three parts: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

-On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass two units, a heart transplant two units, and a liver transplant 10 units!

- Blood cannot be manufactured.

- Statistics show that 25 percent or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime.

Image credit: http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/chili/2010/10/30/churchville-chili-hosts-community-blood-drive/

This week we had lots of different activities, this is what we did:

-My buried artifact project (sculpture)
-Alan Dick Memorial Walk
-Finishing off our mosaics
-Last swimming class
-Mathematics: Coordinates
-Auditions for the Evening of the Arts and Student Showcase
-Last T-Ball class
-French presentation/play
-Library literary genres lesson

This week we had our last swimming class. I have to say, even though I don’t like swimming class, I want to have more! This week it was the usual: warm up, freestyle and more, but then our swimming teacher said we are going to learn the butterfly. I thought ,’How boring!’ We first had to move our waist up and down in what our swimming teacher calls the dolphin stroke. It was hard at first  but then turned out quite easy. However, the difficult part came after. We had to add our hands, which was why is it hard (at least for me), because you have to keep remembering lots of steps. At the end, we had games. This week the first part of our game time was to find a partner and have him or her get into the water. The other person has to ‘save them’. The other part of our game time is to basically step into the water with your hands horizontally from you, then when you step down you have to keep your head out of the water, which is actually pretty hard if you’re short and in the deep end.

Remember the last update? One of the subjects was the My Buried Artifact Project. We are onto the step where we make our sculpture. We had to share a half a brick of clay between two people. The three steps were really hard for me. One was when you are trying to shape out your shape, because if we get a piece of clay that is not connected to your sculpture in the first place and you stick it on it will be ok, but once it has dried, it will fall off. Next is the smoothing the clay, I figured that a little bit off water would smooth the clay, but I tried it on the little lump and it did not look very smooth. Oh well. Third was making the designs, it is actually quite easy because there were tools that we could use. One thing that was easy was the hollowing out of the clay (because mine was a pot – a lotus cup). You just use a tool to take out some clay, when that becomes difficult, then you use your fingers. I think that once it dries then it will look good.

On Tuesday, we had the Alan Dick Memorial Walk. Me and ET 19 were always walking, then running, walking, then running and so on. Every single time I run, I feel really tired. I was quite glad that it wasn’t as hot as last year’s Alan Dick Memorial Walk, but then sometimes I felt like it was the hottest day ever. I did around 16 laps. I couldn’t do a lot because I was in choir and we had to perform. When choir sang it was our lunch time. We sang two songs: Amazing Grace and Chocolate. I wasn’t really paying attention where to go to get lunch and so, me, ET 17 and ET 24 went to drop off our things and ask people. We figured out that we had to get our lunch in us, so we went and stood in line. I was like, ‘Wow!’ There were so many people! We finished, went  to the stage and saw ET 14 playing the drums in an upper school band! We were all excited!

This Earth Hour 2011: 8.30pm, Saturday 26 March, celebrate your action for the planet with the people of world, and add more to your Earth Hour.

From its inception as a single-city initiative — Sydney, Australia – in 2007, Earth Hour has grown into a global symbol of hope and movement for change. Earth Hour 2010 created history as the world’s largest ever voluntary action with people, businesses and governments in 128 countries across every continent coming together to celebrate an unambiguous commitment to the one thing that unites us all — the planet.

Sign up to earthhour.org, switch off your lights for Earth Hour 2011, and share the positive actions you will sustain for earth beyond the hour.

Thanks for the reminder, Chance!

Wondering what Ms. C is up to this morning? Checking out Generation G – Global, Generous, Grateful & Green in the experiential classroom of the Arctic and Antarctic!

Check out Geoff Green’s bio and an interview with George Stroumboulopoulos on The Hour:

Geoff Green on The Hour (CBC)

Website:  http://www.geoffgreen.ca/

A truly inspirational speaker!

Remember our Definition Poetry Competition? Well, guess who I bumped into at the EARCOS conference in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia yesterday? Sarah Holbrook and Michael Salinger!

We’ve been mentioned in Michael Salinger‘s blog!

http://www.michaelsalinger.com/

Another powerful PSA example…

Water ink _ BDDP Unlimited and Solidarités International – UK from BDDP Unlimited on Vimeo.

To mark World Water Day, on March 22nd Solidarités International and its agency BDDP Unlimited rolled out a campaign to build awareness of the scourge of undrinkable water.

Today, it is estimated that 3.6 million people, including 1.5 million children under the age of 5, die every year of diseases borne by unhealthy water, making it the world’s leading cause of death.

Yet the public isn’t aware of it and political leaders do not demonstrate the drive it takes to end the terrible deaths. The campaign calls on journalists to spread awareness of this scourge and appeal to readers to sign a petition that will be personally handed to the French president during the 6th World Water Forum in March 2012.

To evoke the silent and invisible threat of unhealthy water, BDDP Unlimited opted for a minimalist approach that is both visually appealing and surprising, using water and ink exclusively. The spot shows the power of ink to reveal the invisible.

The spot, created by BDDP Unlimited, produced by Hush and directed by Clément Beauvais, a young director, illustrator, musician and photographer. His multiple talents and mastery of various techniques enabled him to both create the drawings and direct the spot.

The campaign will be seen from mid-March on TV, in cinemas, on the Internet and in print. A dedicated web site, www.votregouttedeau.org, will gather signatures for the petition.

Friday, March 25th is DDD! The theme is the environment and we would like students to come dressed in GREEN.

All donations go to the World Wildlife Fund.

Don’t you just love what some people do with their spare time?

The Cyclotrope from tim Wheatley on Vimeo.

Dear Prep-Grade 6 Parents,

You will have already received an email from the School outlining the purpose and aims for Student Led Learning Reviews (SLLR) on 29 April.  Please be reminded this is an important learning experience for your child and that student and parent attendance is mandatory on this day.

The first appointment may begin at 7:30 a.m. and the last will begin at 4:15 p.m. Each SLLR appointment has been allotted 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 students with their parents will be in the room at one time.  Time has been built into the schedule to allow for transit time.

Your child’s homeroom teacher will send you a set of instructions along with a link to an online scheduling system (www.volunteerspot.com) for making an appointment.  Please view the following tutorial outlining how to make your appointment once you receive the link for your child’s teacher: http://vimeo.com/21068421

Should you have any problems with the system please contact the Lower School Executive Secretary, Jean Lo. Priority for choosing an appointment will be given to parents with multiple children in the school.

The timeline is as follows:

28 – 30 March
Parents with multiple children in the school make appointments.

31 March – 1 April
All other parents choose an appointment time.

6 – 7 April
All appointments are finalized (no confirmation from teacher is required) and schedule is posted outside of the classroom door.

29 April
Student Led Learning Reviews

Kind Regards,

Dylan Hughes

A reminder of our camp that will be held in May on Cheung Chau Island. A parent info night is scheduled for April 6. More details to follow.

Getting ready for Grade 5 Camp!

• Title: The Amazing Race
• Date: May 11-13, 2011
• Location: Cheng Chau Island
• Camp Organization: Dragonfly – Outdoor & Experiential Learning Coordinators
• Sample Activities: Hiking, Rock Climbing, Beach Games, Cave Exploration, Biking, Boating and Camp Skills

Purpose and Connection to the Unit of Inquiry: This trip will focus on physical challenges and working cooperatively in groups. The structure of the program requires the children to know each other well, work collaboratively and trust each other. The trip emphasizes our bonds, celebrates our successes and strengthens the sense of community we share as a grade level. Connections to our Unit of Inquiry at that time, Who We Are: An investigation into the human body and how it changes over our lifetime, will be evident as we begin to think about how the body works and how we respond to physical challenges in our daily lives.

Congratulations on all of your fabulous entries into Sarah Brennan’s Rabbit Poem Competition to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit! There was an amazing response, with entries from 140 kids from a total of 18 schools in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Taiwan, London and even one from India!

There was every kind of poem: acrostics, haikus, free verse, rhyming verse and some great limericks. Some poems were even a combination of two or more of these!

And so many different types of rabbit! There were the usual cute, cuddly and fluffy bunnies of course; but there were also wild, wicked and insane rabbits; alien bunnies; Super Bunnies; Bolivian bunnies; Easter bunnies; man-eating bunnies; spy rabbits; jive bunnies…

Needless to say it was very hard choosing the best! Sarah was looking primarily for good poetic style overall, excellent vocabulary and visual imagery. And of course your poem could be no longer than 16 lines.

So here, without more ado, are the winners of Competition Number 8!

EIGHT TO ELEVEN YEARS OLD CATEGORY
There were no less than 129 entries into this section of the competition! There were so many great entries, so it was very hard to pick the winning ten.

FIRST PLACE: Jason Spaeth, TASIS England School, UK, Grade 4, 10 years old
This poem stood out for many reasons. The alliteration was clever, the vocabulary excellent, the imagery funny and very appealing. An original rhyme reminiscent of Dr. Seuss at his best!

RODNEY RABBIT RIDES RHINOS

Rodney Rabbit rides rhinos every single day,
Riding rhinos make him radical in every single way.
While he rides, he raps out rhymes,
His rhythms ring throughout the times.
Rodney’s rhythms make the rhino want to race to Rome,
With Rodney riddling riddles all the way back home.

SECOND PLACE: Yan Wa L., Canadian International School Hong Kong, Grade 5, 10 years old
Yan Yan’s free verse was just wonderful – I could almost see her rabbit peeping from behind the rock. I loved the visual imagery, especially the “red crystal eyes” and the strong hind legs “pumping”. Congratulations again Yan Yan on another terrific effort.

RABBIT FREE VERSE

A pair of
Fluffy ears
Pokes out behind a rock
Red crystal eyes
Peep
And then disappear.
Then a whole head pops out
Rises higher
And higher
Short, chubby arms feel the rock
The nose sniffs the air
Strong hind legs pump
A rabbit is here!

THIRD PLACE: Chance E., Canadian International School, Hong Kong, Grade 5, 10 years old
This poem was funny and cleverly rhymed, and it made me laugh! A great entry again from Chance – well done!

HELP ME! THERE’S A RABBIT!

There’s a rabbit at my door!
There’s a rabbit in my floor!
They’re cute, cuddly and evil.
That one’s devising a big plan,
To blow up Amsterdam!
That one’s mixing soap together,
To alternate the weather!
That one’s practicing his aim,
By shooting bullets at my brain!
That one’s striking deals with the devil,
To raise the world’s sea level!
There’s a rabbit at my door!
There’s a rabbit in my floor!
They’re cute, cuddly and evil.

Congratulations!

Tomorrow, students will need to wear their P.E. kit and sports shoes to school. A hotdog lunch plus a piece of fruit and a cookie will be provided by the school. Students should bring:

- a reusable water bottle
- a hat
- a pink shirt and/or accessories (as a tribute to Mr. Dick – have fun with it!)
- a healthy snack
- sunscreen
- sunglasses (optional)
- a small shoulder bag or small backpack to carry it all in

However, the Hong Kong Observatory has tomorrow’s forecast as 16-23 degrees.

“Cloudy with rain patches. Fog at first. Becoming cool.
Light winds force 2, becoming north force 4 to 5.”

And so, I also suggest the students bring:

- their CDNIS hoodie (with their name and class written on the label – please!)
- a small fold-up umbrella (as we’re walking to the sports ground from the school)
- a lightweight rain slicker/jacket

Looking forward to a great day!

This year CDNIS will hold its first ever Diaper Drive to support the needs of refugee families in Hong Kong.

What is a refugee?

“According to article 1A(2) of the Geneva Convention, a refugee is a person who ‘owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside his country of nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.’” (Wikipedia)

Vision First, a charity that promotes the welfare of asylum-seekers, has approached our school as they are in desperate need of diapers for the families that they assist. The mission of Vision First is to empower refugee families through education and counseling, and provide them with medical care and shelter in order to protect their most basic human rights and ensure they are prepared for resettlement

Any brand of diaper will do, although they are specifically looking for sizes 1-12 months and 12-18 months. They are trying to support about 29 families and they are worried about meeting their monthly demands. Therefore, we are going to run a Diaper Drive at CDNIS during the week of April 4-8.  There will be a receptacle on the 9th floor for anyone who has extra diapers to bring in and donate.

This will be a joint venture through the Upper and Lower school students and we are hoping to be able to collect enough to support these needy families for the next few weeks.  Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Be a communicator and a risk-taker with integrity!

‎”…Contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
It is not enough these days to simply question authority;
You have to speak with it too.”

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Millions of children grow up without shoes and at risk of infection and disease. One Day Without Shoes is the day we take off our shoes to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life.

http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/splash

Thank you to Rachel Leung for bringing this to light!

Weekly Update:

- Chance Fortune and The Outlaws - Grade 7/8 performance in the LLAC
– Hong Kong History Museum Field Trip
- Started Mosaics
- Sarah Brennan Poetry Competition
– Mathematics: Angles
– Prepared My Buried Artifact Project

This week we were really going into our new Unit Of Inquiry (UOI) Where We Are In Place and Time about how we uncover and interpret history.

We went to the Hong Kong History Museum to observe how the exhibitions were set up. Then we were asked to pick two exhibitions and sketch them on a worksheet (provided by the teacher) and write down why the exhibition was effective (attractive) to the audience.  I chose an exhibition on prehistoric people and an exhibition on Hong Kong in World War 2. I found out that the exhibitions that were big (they usually had cool sound effects, man sized dummies, and smaller exhibitions attached on the side) were the most attractive (except the exhibition on prehistoric people and a fake interior of a volcano). Some of the exhibitions were in video/movie form, which I thought were very informative.

Besides pouring over history books and going to museums, we also did a little bit of art. As we saw a lot of artifacts in the Hong Kong Museum, we decided to create our own artifact using clay. We were allowed to do any kind of artifact, but we had to find out information of our artifact. Of course, that artifact had to be suitable to be made out of clay too. Note that we are not using sculptor’s clay so if we tear off any bits of clay off our artifact while we make it and try to put it back it will fall off when it’s dry. Ms. C told us that our finished artifact will be broken up and buried in a beach. Then we are going to dig someone else’s artifact up and try to place the little bits and pieces back together. (a.k.a. ‘Dig Day’)
My artifact is a Hydria, a vase that has three handles used by Greeks to carry water or to put dead people’s ashes in. I’m looking forward to making my Hydria!

In mathematics we started on our first bit of geometry: ANGLES.
We learnt about complementary angles, supplementary angles (180 degrees/straight angle), vertically opposite angles and how to calculate angles without using a protractor.

What are Complementary Angles?
Complementary Angles are 2 angles which add up to 90 degrees (right angle).

What are Supplementary Angles?
Supplementary Angles are 2 angles which add up to 180 degrees (straight angle).

What are Vertically Opposite Angles?
Vertically Opposite Angles are angles that are the same  size when put face-to-face with each other. (Normally this happens when you have 4 angles that add up to 360 degrees and the top and bottom angles are the same.)

3 = 30 degrees
1 = 150 degrees
2 = 150 degrees

How to calculate angles without using a protractor:
Look at the above rules for angles. If you know an angle from a complementary or supplementary angles, you can easily calculate the other angle by subtracting it from 90 or 180 degrees. If your angle is a vertically opposing one, you can automatically know that the other angle is the same as the one provided. It’s easy if you are familiar with the rules.

That’s all for this week!

Dear Prep-Grade 6 Parents:

Our student-centered reporting cycle continues with the Student Led Learning Review (SLLR) on Friday 29 April. Normal school and class schedules will be suspended. Students from Prep-Grade 6 classes will only attend school on this day specifically to complete the SLLR. Students should be in school uniform for their appointment.

The purpose of the SLLR is to fully engage the student in their own learning. It is the intention of the SLLR that the student is to:

-Take responsibility for sharing their learning and progress across the transdisciplinary programme
-Share information about personal, social and academic development
-Discuss where they are as a learner at this time and identify their strengths and needs
-Share where they are in their journey towards developing the skills of a lifelong learner
-Share how they demonstrate the attributes of the Learner Profile and Attitudes
-Develop effective communication skills

To learn more about SLLRs, please watch the following informative, teacher-produced podcast (2010) about the role of the SLLR in your child’s learning journey.

Please note all students and their parent(s) must take part in the SLLR on Friday 29 April. We kindly ask you to arrange your busy schedules accordingly to be present and support your child’s learning by playing a key role on this day.

Dylan Hughes

• Grade 5 China Trip, Guizhou Province
  
  Dear parents and students,

  On April 1st, twenty-two Grade 5 students will travel to Guizhou in collaboration with the Zigen Fund. On this trip students will pair up with a buddy from the local community as they engage in a variety of cultural activities. Each year we donate stationery to our hosts’ school. So far our Grade 5 students have been successful in their collection of slightly used stationery around the school, but feel they can do even better. They are requesting donations of stationery, such as pencils, sharpeners, pens, notebooks, etc. that can be reused by our Guizhou friends. Collection boxes are located on the 9th floor and can also be left on the 8th floor next to the 5A classroom.
  
  Kind regards,

  Mr. MacPherson and Ms. Cahusac

for parents of children in Grade 5 – 8

The internet and associated electronics has changed the way people operate in their daily lives, from the work place to the home and everywhere in between. Parents often struggle to make sense of their children’s relationship to cyberspace and are therefore posed with challenges in their parenting of their net generation sons and daughters. In this presentation, Dr Justin Grayer (Clinical Psychologist) and Ms Anuradha Mathur (Clinical Therapist) will discuss issues such as the advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace, including the over use of electronics, and will provide advice on how parents can speak to their children about developing a balance in their life.

Dr Justin Grayer, Clinical Psychologist, works with adolescents and adults on a range of issues including abuse and dependence (addiction), which has also begun to include cyber use. He will apply his knowledge of the addictions field during the presentation. Ms Anuradha Mathur, Clinical Therapist, works with children and adults providing guidance and counselling services. Among other issues, a large part of her work includes understanding and developing parent-child relationships as well as designing and implementing age appropriate behavior management programs for various situations. She will apply these skills in the context of safe cyber use during her presentation.

Date: 4th April, 2011
Venue: LLAC Lobby
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
RSVP: Priya Bharwani – priya.bharwani@cispa.hk
Cost: $50/person

Image: http://juliakiss.edublogs.org/files/2008/08/netgen4.jpg

It’s the Year of the Rabbit! So what better way to start off the celebrations than to write a poem about that beastie with floppy ears and fluffy tail and cute and cuddly features!

It could be a mischievous bunny, like Rhonda Rabbit; it could be a gentle one that wouldn’t harm a flea; it could be an evil human-eating bunny from the Planet Zurg! Let your imagination loose and have fun! And you can use any form of poetry you like, be it rhyming verse, a haiku, a limerick, senryu, sonnet, villanelle, free verse…think back to all of the forms we explored at the beginning of the school year! The choice is yours! Your only limitation is that your poem may not exceed 16 lines.

Send your entries to sarah@auspicioustimes.com

Be sure to include:

-your name
-your age
-your class (5E)
-the name of your school (CDNIS)

The deadline is Friday, March 11th, 2011. The ten best entries will be published on Sarah Brennan’s blog and the winner of first prize will receive a free copy of one of her signed books of their choice!  All winners will be notified by email.

Best of luck!

Dear Parents,

Your child will have the opportunity to participate in Festival of the Arts (FOA) activities very soon. Information on the FOA, please click to fond out more information. I would especially like to highlight 3 opportunities for students:

1. Community Art – Our Kaleidoscope of Colour & Culture

Individual students may participate in Grades 1-6. See important submission criteria at the link below. Artwork is due in the LLAC between Friday 4 March and Friday 18 March. Students may only submit one piece of work for the exhibit.

2. Student Showcase Performances

Open to all students who audition and know their piece/act. Auditions will take place from 2:45 pm to 4:00 pm on Tuesday 15 March and Wednesday 23 March in the Alan Dick Forum. Audition/application forms are due in the 9/F main office by Monday 14 March.

3. Evening of the Arts Performances

All students may audition though this is a highly selective event.
Auditions – will take place at the same time and in the same location as Student Showcase auditions (15 and 23 March after school in the Forum). Application/audition forms are also due on Monday 14 March.

I can’t wait to see our students in action!!

Dean Croy
Vice Principal, Lower School
deancroy@cdnis.edu.hk

He’s eleven!

- Literature circles continue…
- Summative recounts
– Grade 5 and 6 assembly
– Storyteller: Lynne Kirk
- Mathematics: ratio and proportion
– Pajama and Pancake Day for Spring Into Reading

We had a grade 5 and 6 assembly on Thursday. We started off with our 2 national anthems, the Canadian one and the Chinese one. A girl from grade 5, named Rene Chan sung a song called I Believe and she was amazing! They started giving out the recognition certificates for French, Chinese, P.E, Mathematics, Literacy, Visual and Performing Arts.

We went to see a storyteller named Lynne Kirk and she told us amazing story about a prince, a servant and a princess. It’s about a prince who was cursed by an old lady (to win the love of Ferishtitall). The prince went on a journey with his servant the go see this princess, Ferishtitall. To win the love of the beautiful princess, he was told to keep her awake the whole night but unfortunately, he failed. The servant wanted to help so the next day, he went to try. He told 3 riddles to the princess and the next thing you know, it was morning! The princess refused to marry the prince because she wanted a husband that she could talk to and could entertain her. So in the end, the servant married the princess.

On Friday, it was Pajama Day so everyone got to wear their pajamas and bring a stuffed animal or pillow to school. I had a feeling that everyone in 5E was drowsy in their warm and cozy PJs in class, especially math class! It was also Pancake Day so during lunch, everyone got pancakes and sausages! Yum! After five minutes, everyone was lining up for their seconds but some people didn’t get any seconds because they all ran out! So, they started lining up for sausages instead!

Dear Parents,

One of our favourite days during Spring into Reading each year is Pancake & Pajama Day, which is coming this Friday, 25 February!

Students are invited to come to school in their pajamas in support of Heifer International Hong Kong (www.heiferhk.org).  Heifer is one of the three charities students can choose to read for during Read-A-Thon.  The charity provides impoverished families in China with two simple gifts: farm animals to improve income and training on animal husbandry.  These gifts help families regain their dignity and focus on educating their children.  If your child would like to dress down in their pajamas, please send HK$20 in a marked envelope to their teacher on Friday.

As a special treat, pancakes and sausages will be available to Prep to Grade 6 students at lunchtime on Friday.  Students who are already enrolled in the monthly hot lunch meal plan can choose to eat pancakes if they wish.  Students who are not enrolled or did not pre-order the pancakes can bring HK$30 to school on Friday and make the purchase at lunchtime.  If a student forgets to bring cash, they can still get a pancake and the money can be sent in the next day.  Students in A.M. and P.M. Pre Reception and Reception classes will be offered pancakes and sausages at snack time compliments of the World of Words Literacy Committee.  Please contact Tammi Williams at tammi.williams@cispa.hk with any questions.

Thank you for your support of Spring into Reading!

Warm regards,

Tanja Kerbs, Tammi Williams and Myrna Holm

A Brush with a Shark

We were camping at a beach near Mallacoota. It was a beautiful day — the sky was blue and the water sparkling. We wanted to go body surfing, but the locals warned us that there could be sharks around.

In we went, and the waves were big, but something funny was going on.  There were little fishes everywhere.  They were flying through the water, skimming through our legs.

Soon I discovered what was frightening the fish.  As I turned to catch the next wave, I heard the shout…SHARK!  It was on top of the wave, surfing towards me.  Before I had time to turn around it brushed past me, heading for the flying fishes.

I practically walked on the water as I raced towards the beach.  As I stood on the shore, I could see my heart bumping in my chest.

My brush with a shark had been just a little too close for comfort.

Source:  Literary Recounts (Scholastic)

Image: http://www.langlois-uk.com/Shark%20surfer.jpg

* Write a recount of a dangerous incident you’ve experienced!