Newsletter no. 1 Mon. 13 Aug. 2018

GRADE 5DH NEWSLETTER NO. 1
MON. 13 AUG. 2018

Dear Parents,

As you know, I’m your child’s new fifth grade class teacher. I enjoyed meeting many of you today in the classroom at the ‘Meet the Teacher’ visit. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable and busy day with the class tomorrow as well as an enjoyable and productive year with your children. By the way, tomorrow, Tuesday, will be day 2 on our new 8-day rotating schedule. Over the coming weeks the process of getting to know each student and the class as a whole will continue, as well as getting to know our way around our wonderful new Ampang Hilir campus. I’m still getting lost! This new campus is huge! 

The purpose of this newsletter is to introduce myself to you, inform you briefly of my teaching and family background and also inform you of some specific class organizational issues for this school year. On the 5DH Class Blog, please look for links to the 5DH Class List and the 5DH daily schedule. Please note the class schedule may change as the school year proceeds.

PERSONAL & TEACHING BACKGROUND
I am an Australian, originally from the city of Warrnambool, in the state of Victoria. The 2018-2019 school year will be my 14th school year at ISKL. I have a Diploma of Teaching (Primary) certificate and a Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree, both from Deakin University in Victoria. I also have a Master of Education (Educational Administration) postgraduate degree from The University of Adelaide, in South Australia. In 2015, I also completed a Principal’s Training Center Certificate in the USA in International School Leadership.

Prior to starting at ISKL in July 2005, I owned and managed a restaurant business in my home city, Warrnambool, for 18 months. Prior to that change of career direction, I worked in primary schools in Victoria, Australia and international schools for over 30 years. I was a fourth and fifth grade classroom teacher for 11 years at Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) from 1992 – 2003, at the Pondok Indah Elementary School (PIE) campus. During my time at PIE, I also had stints as the fourth and fifth grade Grade Level Coordinator/Team Leader.

Prior to JIS, I taught in the state education system in Victoria for 13 years. I was the Principal of Ellerslie Primary School from 1987 – mid-1992. I’ve had a wide range of teaching experiences from large city schools/international schools, to small rural schools. I’ve taught at all levels of the primary/elementary school, from prep. to grade 6. I’ve also had some experience teaching humanities and PE to middle school and high school students from grades 6-10.

My wife - Julie James - is the ISKL Global Action Program (GAP) Director in the HS for grades 9-11 and she also teaches two tenth grade English classes. Julie moved to ISKL from JIS just over 10 years ago where she was the High School Activities Director. Julie spent 22 years at JIS. I have two children from a previous marriage. My 23-year-old daughter, Isabella, lives in Budapest, Hungary, where she attends university. I also have a 28-year-old son, Luke, who lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. I also previously lived and worked in Malaysia for three years at The Royal Australian Air Force School, Penang, from 1984 – 1986. My personal interests are reading, traveling and keeping fit. I also enjoy watching most sports, particularly football – Aussie rules of course, cricket, tennis, golf and rugby.

PTA ROOM PARENT VOLUNTEER
If you are interested in being the 5DH Room Parent this year, please let me know via email. If we have two parents interested, then perhaps we could have a ‘Room Parent Team’.

PTA REPS
Our PTA Vice President (VP) for the ES this year is Rebecca (Bec) Hilton. rhilton@iskl.edu.my Her email is under Rebecca but she goes by Bec. John Beattie is our G5 Grade Level Coordinator - GLC.
jbeattie@iskl.edu.my
I’m looking forward to working with both Bec and John this year.

CELL PHONES
If your child has their own cell phone, the school policy is that ES students should not have their cell phones at school. If you need to contact your child at school you can call the fifth grade team assistant, Ms Shima, in the G5 team room and she will relay your message to me. In an emergency you can call me direct or send me a text message. My cell phone number is 017 232 7950.

HOME LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
Click on the ISKL Home Learning Guidelines which were created in the 2016-2017 school year. From today, all G5 students are expected to read daily for 30 min, including weekends, for 30 min. Research states that reading is the single most valuable skill that crosses boundaries and benefits the child in their academic, social and emotional world. At ISKL, we would like to foster this love of reading so it becomes a part of your child’s daily life enjoyment. Reading from books as well as various electronic sources is allowed. Students are required to record their daily home reading in a reading log, which will be provided. From next week, the students will also receive a weekly math review sheet at the start of each school week which is expected to be completed and turned in each Friday morning. To keep themselves organized, the students will record daily reminders in their home learning planner. When ready, weekly home learning instructions will be posted on the 5DH class blog.

CLASSROOM CUSHIONS
At various times during the school day, the students will sit on the carpet in the classroom for reading, class meetings, group work etc. and also the fifth grade common area for grade level assemblies. In order for the students to be comfortable, I would like each student to bring a small cushion from home. It would be great if the students had a cushion of their own by the end of next week. It will be each student’s responsibility to take care of their own cushion. The students will be able to take their cushions home at the end of the school year.

STUDENT SUPPLIES & CLASSROOM MATERIALS
The students have been issued with a basic set of supplies and materials paid for from their tuition fees. All you will need to do is ensure your child has a set of thin felt markers. For example, a set of 12 ‘Sharpie’ fine point permanent markers is a good idea and so is a pencil case to put them in. Of course each student will also need a backpack, a hat and a refillable water bottle. All of your child’s clothing and materials should be clearly and permanently labeled with their name and class, especially their school and PE uniform items. Your child’s hat and water bottle should always stay at school in your child’s cubby, as these items are required each day, especially during PE lessons and recess times.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS & GRADE LEVEL WEBSITE
You can expect a class newsletter from me each week of the school year. Each Sunday afternoon/evening or Monday morning at the latest, I’ll send an email to your Panther Apps email account containing a link to the 5DH Class Blog. Please read my class newsletters each week because they will contain lots of useful information, including a list of what’s happening for the week and reminders of upcoming events etc. 

EMAIL COMMUNICATION VIA PANTHER APPS
As well as communicating with me through your child’s home learning planner, my preferred mode of communication is via email. I will attempt to reply to your question or concern within 24 hours. I plan to use parents’ Panther Apps email addresses. Parents - please check your Panther Apps email at least on a daily basis, as it is one of our most important means of communication. Of course, phone calls and text messages are also ok, either before or after school.

STUDENT TARDIES
Please make sure your child is aware of the following information: For whatever reason, students who are late must sign in at the ES Office where their attendance will be recorded.  Students should not go straight to their classroom until they have received an admit slip from the office. If a student shows up late to class without an admit slip, our Team Assistant will have to bring the student to the office to receive the admit slip. If a student is late (after 7:55 am), they will not be admitted to class without an admit slip.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE ES BUS OFFICE
When emailing the ES Bus Office, please cc me so I’m aware of any changes to your child’s transport arrangements.

COMMUNICATING YOUR CHILD’S ABSENCES
When emailing me about your child’s illness/absences, please cc our school nurse - Bethanie Christensen - bchristensen@iskl.edu.my

STUDENT SAFETY & PARENT IDs
Whenever you are on campus, please be aware you should be wearing your parent ID card and lanyard. Teachers and staff have also been instructed to wear their IDs at all times. Parents have been issued with yellow lanyards, teachers and staff with dark blue, vendors/service providers will be issued with red lanyards and visitors with white lanyards. If you see a visitor on campus without their ID lanyard, please report them to the security guard house at the front of the school. In addition, teachers have been instructed by the Admin. Team to put in place safety procedures for students using the bathrooms. Starting from day 1, students will be allowed to go to the bathroom in pairs. Students will sign out and back into class on one of the classroom whiteboards, so I will know their whereabouts at all times.

TECH. ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP)
Steve Katz, our Information Literacy (Info. Lit.) Teacher, took the students for a lesson on the school’s ‘Acceptable Use Policy’ (AUP) on technology use this morning at our grade level assembly in the common area. No student can use any of the school’s tech. devices before the AUP is read and signed by both students and parents, so please complete and have your child return the form as soon as possible.   

GETTING TO KNOW THE STUDENTS SHEET
Today your child will take home a ‘Grade 5 Student Background Questionnaire’ sheet. Thanks in advance for completing and returning the sheet over the next few days. The information you provide will help me fast track getting to know your child. If you prefer, you can also send me your responses via email rather than responding on the attached sheet.

SETTLING IN
The settling in process will continue over the next few weeks, as the students get to know me and adjust to my teaching style, and I get to know the students, both as individuals and as a group. It’s also a huge task for the students (and also teachers) to get to know their way around the new campus. Today, I spoke to the students about change and how important it is to accept and adjust to change as it occurs constantly throughout our lives. I also spoke to the students about our school’s ethos: the Melawati Way: taking care of yourself, others and this place, our behavior expectations in the classroom, in specialist teacher classes, in the studio, in the canteen, on the playground, in the corridors and stairways and in the bathrooms. Eventually, I expect all 5DH students to adjust well to our new school, to me, their classmates and their new class and school routine. However, it will take some students longer than others, particularly if they are new to the school. If you have any concerns about your child’s adjustment, or any questions that haven’t been covered in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email. In the meantime, if I have not met you already, I look forward to meeting you sometime over the next few weeks, especially at Open House on either 28 or 29 Aug. from 6:30 - 8:30pm. I hope by working together with your child we can have a very productive, successful and happy year. Just like you, I have your child’s best interests at heart.

Best regards,

David

AUG. SEPT. & OCT. CLASS, GRADE LEVEL & SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
Mon. 13 Aug. - day 1 of our rotating 8-day schedule and first day of the 2018-2019 school year. Abbreviated school day in the ES from 10:00am - 1:30pm.

Tues. 14 Aug. - day 2: 1. Red Hats Leadership Training and team building activities for all G5 students will begin today from 1:00-2:00pm in the G5 common area and continue each school day until Fri. 24 Aug. All G5 students will receive their new and improved red hats on the final session on Fri. 24 Aug.
2. Later this week, the students will also complete a number of baseline assessments on their reading (new students only), writing and math concepts.

Wed. 15 Aug. - day 3:

Thurs. 16 Aug. - day 4:

Fri. 11 Aug. - day 5:

Mon. 14 Aug. - day 6:

Tues. 15 Aug. - day 7:

Wed. 16 Aug. - day 8:

Thurs. 17 Aug. - day 1:

Fri. 18 Aug. - day 2:

Wed. 22 Aug: Hari Raya Haji holiday - no school

Sat. 25 Aug: Faculty Inservice Day

Tues. 28 & Wed. 29 Aug: - ES Open Houses, 6:30-8:30.

Fri. 31 Aug: Merdeka Day holiday - no school

Fri. 7 Sept: Melati Wijsen’s presentation to G5 students - Mon. 6 Sept. 1:00-1:45 in the G5 common area

Mon. 10 Sept: King’s Birthday holiday - no school

Tues. 11 Sept: Awal Muharram holiday - no school

Mon. 17 Sept: Malaysia Day holiday - no school

Thurs. 4 & Fri. 5 Oct: ES Parent Conferences

Thurs. 11 Oct: First 6 presenters will present at our Social Change Maker’s Conference - SCMC. Final 6 presenters will present on Thurs. 4 April 2019

Mon. 22 Oct: Faculty Inservice Day - no school for students

Tues. 23, Wed. 24 & Thurs. 25 Oct: G5 Melaka overnight trip - details TBA

Until next week,

Best regards,         

David