ITEMS: Farewell to Mika Sensei & welcome back to Mr B; International Schools Assessment (ISA); Alunmi Event Slides; COVID Update; Clubs (Semester 2); PTA Update.
Principal’s Message
Dear HIS Community
We are in the middle of the Grade 12 practice exams at the moment as they get ready for their final Diploma Program (DP) exams in May. It is a very exciting time for them as they get ready for these final stages of their IB journey. Below, you will find the presentation slides from some of our HIS alumni who were kind enough to share their post-school stories with us last week. If you missed the video of the presentation, it is also embedded below. They are great role models for all of our students, especially our Grade 12s who are getting ready to follow in their footsteps.
As I am talking about exams, a serious topic, I thought that this TED Talk which focuses on some of the benefits of humour in our working lives could be useful. In school, despite the stress that often accompanies such things as these final DP exams, we often hear the students laughing and it may be something we should give some serious thought to as adults – but not too serious. Enjoy the weekend.
Kind regards
Damian Rentoule
Crane Video
Farewell to Mika Sensei & welcome back to Mr B.
January 31st will be Mika Kiriake’s last day at HIS as she moves to a university position to pursue a new direction in her teaching career. Mika has been at HIS for 16 years teaching Japanese and more recently, Health and Physical Education. I would like to thank Mika for her service over all these years and wish her well on this new adventure.
To take over from Mika, from 1st February, Wayne Bartelink (Mr B.) will be returning to HIS as Health and Physical Education teacher after three years at an IB school in Saudia Arabia. Wayne had taught for many years at HIS as both a PYP classroom teacher and a Health and Physical Education specialist. We are excited to welcome Wayne back onto the teaching team at HIS. Mika and Wayne, who worked together for many years, have been collaborating to ensure a smooth transition into Semester 2.
International Schools Assessment (ISA)
In February, students from Grades 3-10 will be undertaking the ISA tests which we do each year. Here is a brief introduction to the ISA testing as well as a privacy statement related to the testing.
Slides from recent Alumni Event (Japanese & English)
Also, just in case you missed the presentations, here is a link to the main session.
COVID Update
As you will, no doubt, be aware, the COVID cases across Japan and in Hiroshima have been very high. As per our HIS Health Guidelines, if we experience cases within the students or staff, we will assess the situation with guidance from the local health authorities and potentially close sections of the school affected for brief periods. We do not currently have plans to close the school and move to distance learning.
In the case of the closure of a section of the school in response to an infection, unfortunately, it may not be possible to provide much notice so we apologize for any disruptions and inconvenience in advance. Please find the Health Guidlines below for your reference.
Clubs (Semester 2)
Due to the current COVID situation, we will not be running our Semester 2 After-school Club Activities which would normally start in February and run for 10 weeks. We will continue to review the situation and if later in the semester the situation has significantly improved we will consider a modified, slightly shorter program.
PTA Message
Val-O-Gram (ヴァル・オー・グラム)
Valentine’s Day is approaching! Next Monday (1/24), we will hand out the application form for the popular Val-O-Gram to your children. Please note this year we will return it to the paper application form. The deadline is in 2 weeks, on Monday February 7th. Please refer to the application form for a detailed explanation of how Val-O-Gram works. The proceeds will be used for PTA funds, for the benefit of the students. Thank you for your cooperation.
バレンタインデーが近づいてきました。来週月曜日(1/24) に毎年好評のVal-O-Gram (ヴァル・オー・グラム) の申込書をお子様を通じてお配りします。昨年はオンライン・フォームで受け付けましたが、今年は紙の申込書に戻しますのでご了承ください。締め切りは２週間後の2月7日(月)です。Val-O-Gram の詳しいご説明は申込書に記載しますのでご参照くださいね。収益はPTA資金として生徒の皆さまのために使われます。皆さまのご協力、よろしくお願いいたします。
That’s all from us this week. Stay safe, everyone!
今週は以上です。皆さま、くれぐれもお気を付けくださいね。