learning with esca: finding the right bookesca.kg/files/voices/esca voices 18 eng 15-16.pdf ·...
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LEARNING WITH ESCA: FINDING THE RIGHT BOOK As parents and teachers, we are constantly encouraging our students to read. Studies have shown that improving literacy improves test scores across all subject areas. While encouraging students to read is important, we also need to consider a big question: What should students be reading? The answer to this is twofold. The book must be interesting, and it should follow the Five Finger Rule.
First and foremost, the book should interest the student. Students are more likely to engage in important comprehension strategies -‐ such as making connections, asking questions, and making predictions -‐ if the subject matter interests them. Before looking at the level of a book, I ask my students, “What do you like?” Whether it is dinosaurs, princesses, or movie stars, this gives us a good place to start.
Having an appropriately leveled book is also important, and it is a little bit more difficult for us to find. What exactly is the right level? How will students know it when they see it? For my students, I encourage them to use a simple test called the Five Finger Rule. In this test, students open the book to any page and read the entire page. As they read, they put up a finger for every word they come to that they don’t know. As a general rule, 0 fingers means the book is not challenging the student. 1-‐3 fingers means that students have found an appropriately leveled book. Four fingers means the book will be a challenge for the students, but if they are very interested in the subject, I encourage students to still read these books. If a student gets to five fingers, it is a good indication that students will not be able to comprehend the amount necessary to engage with the text.
Ryan Dunn, Primary 6 Form Teacher
SCIENCE FAIR: THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY It’s time to start working on ESCA’s Science Fair! Time has been scheduled and work will be spread out, so students can complete the work at a reasonable pace. In a change from years past, this project is mandatory for Secondary 1,2, and 3 students. All other students are encouraged to participate on a voluntary basis.
ESCA Newsletter for ESCA Parents and Friends | www.esca.kg
No: 18 / 2015-‐16 15 January 2016
The primary objective of this project is to have students approach a problem scientifically. This includes:
1. Asking questions and forming hypotheses
2. Creating experiments to test those hypotheses
3. Organizing data and drawing conclusions
4. Writing about and presenting scientific research
The project must be experimental in nature as opposed to demonstration oriented. Students must do a test, survey, or experiment to determine the answer to their question instead of just looking up a phenomena on YouTube. We encourage students to pick topics that they are genuinely interested in, since they will be working on these projects for the next month.
All work must be done by the students; however, assistance may be provided by teachers, parents, etc. It is very difficult to work alone without the exchange of ideas, so we encourage you to brainstorm with your child on different ideas and possible topics your child may want to pursue.
Students will be coming home with their first task of choosing a topic and have been given resources to help them with this task.
Science Fair will take place on Thursday, 18 February from 15:30 to 17:00.
We encourage all parents to attend! If you have a science background or would be interested in volunteering as a judge, we will be looking for volunteers for the day of the fair.
Brian Totman, Head of Science Department
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES (ECAS) With the start of the new term we have added a few new ECAs, such as Improv, English Fun Club and Choir for the primary school students. We also have Chess, Debate Club and Discussion Club for the older students this term. Our IGCSE 1 and 2 students, as well as Secondary 3, are encouraged to sign up for the Debate Club as it is offered by a professional and well experienced Debate Coach (Ms Altynai Dzhumasheva), and it will be beneficial for their college applications in the future.
Moreover, we are excited to let you know that ESCA now has their own Basketball team, which will be competing on Thursdays against QSI and OIS.
This term, parents have been very supportive, and two parents in particular stepped in and offered to lead an ECA.
Ms Elvira has kindly proposed to do a Cooking Club for Primary 3 to Primary 6 students, and Mr Karim has volunteered to do a Scouts ECA every other Saturday. Both
are professionals in their fields, and we are deeply grateful for their support and commitment!
A general reminder that the students have till next Friday to make up their mind as the deadline ends on Friday 22 January, at 16:30, and after that, there will be a fee of 500 soms per change.
Bahora Saitova, ECA Coordinator
PAMC COFFEE MORNING ON MONDAY Welcome back to school from the Parents Association! If you are new to ESCA a very warm welcome to our fantastic school, I hope your children settle into school well.
PAMC will be working on meeting with key people in our school at the beginning of this term: the school management board and the class representatives. If you have any questions or issues please talk to your class representative or email [email protected]
We will also be hosting our popular coffee morning again this Monday -‐ coffee, muffins and school book bags will be for sale -‐ pop in a grab a coffee on the way to work!
Liz Dugdell, Chair of the Parents Association Management Committee
STAR ACHIEVERS: AWARDED ON 15 JANUARY 2016
PRIMARY 1 TRISTAN MATA
For being an enthusiastic learner! For always being so delightful!
PRIMARY 2 ILYAS For being a hard working, independent learner!
PRIMARY 3 WHOLE CLASS For returning to school & working so positively and cheerfully
PRIMARY 4 AYAN For a caring attitude and her creativity
PRIMARY 5 FRITHJOF For being honest and open-‐minded
PRIMARY 6 CASPER For coming up with great ideas and asking good questions
SECONDARY 1,2 GUNNAR For his consistent diligence and effort; for being a well-‐rounded student
SECONDARY 3
Postponed till next week
IGCSE 1, 2 SEO JUN For above and beyond contribution in music & scholarship at ESCA
ICT CASPER SEO JUN
For his great work and attitude For his constant willingness to improve
DVDS FROM “ESCA, THE MUSICAL” DVDs from “ESCA, The Musical” are available for purchase at the school office and cost 400 KGS. Please note that the cost covers the DVDs, videographers’ work and montage.
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you have things you want to discuss or suggestions for the school, please contact the Class Representatives or the Head of Education, Ms Erin McRaith at [email protected]. You can also meet during the office hours on Monday-‐Friday from 15:30-‐16:30 or you can set up an appointment.
MENU
ESCA will offer Menu B from 18 to 22 January. Please follow https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fpCF1fsHKEF5x95aplEEHcdQIRZkArv33F3GJlcwRGM/edit?usp=sharing to see the menu.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday 11 January: First Day of Second Term
Friday 29 January: Winter Sports Day (please see the attached files for more information)
CLASS REPRESENTATIVES
CLASS REPRESENTATIVE(S) CONTACT INFO
SPOKEN LANGUAGES (If you need assistance with translation please email [email protected])
IGCSE 2 AINURA MAMBETOVA [email protected] Russian, Kyrgyz
IGCSE 1 KANYKEI BRIMKULOVA [email protected] Russian, Kyrgyz, English
SECONDARY 3 JANNIE AASTED SKOV-‐HANSEN
[email protected] Danish, English
SECONDARY 2 NURGUL OSKONBAEVA [email protected] Russian, Kyrgyz, English
SECONDARY 1 Representative still needed [email protected]
PRIMARY 6 Representative still needed
PRIMARY 5 LIZ DUGDELL [email protected] English
PRIMARY 4 VICTORIA WHALL [email protected] English, Russian, French
PRIMARY 3 ANTONIN FRANK [email protected] Czech, Russian, English, basic
Mongolian
PRIMARY 2 EVIE SURYANI
[email protected] English
PRIMARY 1
RINA DESJARDINS
NASIMA KARIM
[email protected]:[email protected]
English, Indonesian, French
English, Urdu, Wakhi, Kiswahili
PRESCHOOL 3 Eike Martin
[email protected] English, German
PRESCHOOL 2 IZABELA BONTE [email protected] English, French, Polish
PRESCHOOL 1 EMMA GOATMAN [email protected] English
PRESCHOOL Happy New Year from Preschool, we all hope you had a wonderful time during the holidays! This week in Preschool we have been talking about Gingerbread! We have learned fun poems, riddles, stories, and even eaten a few Gingerbread Men! YUMMY!
After the break Preschool 1 is doing great; the children are so happy at school and following the routines that we have had a wonderful week, full of joy. We have approached different learning areas all connected through Gingerbread Men. For example we have counted them, sang songs about buying gingerbread cookies, we sorted them by sizes, we decorated them with coloured papers and confetti, we prepared and decorated cookies with clay-‐dough, and we looked for hidden ones in the big playground.
Preschool 2 have been singing all about “The Gingerbread Man Running Away!” They really have enjoyed learning new poems about eating gingerbread and the ABC Gingerbread Poem. We also worked on the letter /Gg/ and had so much fun making cute Gingerbread Men, and G giraffes. We also played Gingerbread Bingo and the children practiced telling the Gingerbread Story themselves.
In Preschool 3 we have been learning about the letter /Gg/ and The Gingerbread Men. We have completed many fun activities this week. We have played Gingerbread Bingo, decorated gingerbread cookies, made several different types of Gingerbread Men out of different textures, we made our own Gingerbread Man book, and we even graphed how we ate our cookies. Did you eat the head first or his foot?! This week we also learned 2 new poems, “Five Yummy Gingerbread Men”, and “ABC Gingerbread”. We also worked on positional words such as: up, down, beside, and etc. Preschool 3 will start brushing their teeth again next week if your child does not have a toothbrush at school please provide them with one. Lastly for Preschool 3 please remember to return your child’s folder every day if you take it home.
Lastly, we would like to encourage you to remember to bring your child a change of clothes, towel, water bottle,
and if they take a nap their napping materials. Check your child’s cubby daily to make sure there are no soiled clothes that need to be cleaned and replaced, accidents do happen!
Preschool Team