thursday 21st march, 2019 the international school of … · motto difference makers, future...

Thursday 21st March, 2019 THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PORT OF SPAIN VOLUME 26, ISSUE 26

ISPS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER CONFIDENCE EXCELLENCE INTEGRITY 1

ISPS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

MISSION ISPS is a vibrant learning community dedicated to developing passionate learners who strive for excellence and pursue their unique potential.

We encourage resilience, innovation and collaboration, preparing students to act with

confidence and integrity as caring global citizens.

VISION

Inspiring thinkers and doers to shape a better world.

MOTTO

Difference Makers, Future Shapers

ISPS Contact #: 633-4777

WHAT’S INSIDE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Elementary Notes 2

Living Our Mission 3

World Down Syndrome Day 4

International Day of Forests 5

World Poetry Day 6

Language Acquisition 7

Prison Debate/ NHS 8

Nurse’s Notes 9

Athletics 10

Community Notices 11-12

March Calendar 13

Cafeteria 14

Dates for your Diary March

27-31 CAISSA (Ecuador)

28 ES Student Led Conferences

29 End of Quarter 3 (MS/HS)

30 Shouter Baptist Day

(National Holiday)

April

5 Last Day of School

8-22 Easter Break

23 School Resumes

Dear Parents,

The Milo games have come and gone and

many of our ES students were able to

participate in the games. Congratulations to

all participants and those who won medals.

Thank you to Teleshia Joseph and the PE staff

for organizing events over the last several

weeks so that our students could participate.

The end of the ES 2nd term is today and the

ES reports are posted in Skyward. Look out

for the student led conferences being held

next week. ES parents should be booking

conference times with teachers and I

encourage all parents to attend as this is a

perfect opportunity for you to get

information about how your son/daughter is

doing in class. It is also a perfect opportunity

for setting goals for improvement to the end

of the year.

CAISSA Season 3 begins next week with our

boys basketball team heading to Ecuador.

They have been practicing every day, and we

hope that all of their hard work pays off

during the tournament.

Unfortunately, the girls basketball

tournament was cancelled as there were 3

schools that were unable to attend the

tournament. This is a disappointing turn of

events, and one that will be discussed by the

Directors of the 5 CAISSA schools. We are all

supportive of CAISSA as it has been a fantastic

avenue for sporting competition, yet we need

to better understand why some schools are

not fully participating and come up with

solutions to ensure that CAISSA is a vibrant

association into the future.

The end of the third quarter for MS and HS

is on Friday, March 29th which means that

there are likely to be summative assessments

before the end of term. This is a good

opportunity for parents to have discussions

with their children about striving for

excellence and perseverance. We are still

several weeks away from our Easter vacation

and it is a time when students may become

distracted and lose focus on academic goals.

Many thanks to Debbie Jacob for organizing

the Prison Debate team demonstration, held

in the Theatre on the 20th of March. MS and

HS students were able to witness an

organized debate on the topic of "Should

Trinidad and Tobago open its borders to

Venezuelan migrants?" Students were able to

gain an insight into the preparation needed

to research a topic and debate the merits or

pitfalls of the topic. Students were very

impressed with the calibre discussion and it

was a great opportunity for ISPS students to

see how motivated and articulate these men

were, given their circumstances. As a result of

the debate there has been student generated

interest in forming a Debate team. If there

are any parents who have experience with

being part of a team or coaching a team, we

would love to hear from you.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend.

J Barney Latham

Director

CHECK US OUT ONLINE!

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https://www.isps.edu.tt/parent-portal



Elementary Notes March 21 2019 Volume 17, Issue 10

Dear Parents,

While walking around the school this week, I have noticed all the exciting topics and concepts students are learning. For example, grades ones are writing about science experiences and grade twos writing letters about animals at school, field trips, one grade four class was engaged in a mock trial, one grade three enjoyed reading outside the class, and grade fives engaged in writing about authors. These learning experiences are all important to their ongoing academic and social development. I have observed good teaching and thinking as I walked through the classes. We expect that students will make mistakes in their learning, and that they go through a process to learn from those mistakes. So, mistakes can be deemed a good thing.

Congratulations to all the students who took part in the MILO Games at the National Stadium on Tuesday. Many parents were cheering the students as they sprinted to the finish line. Thank you to Ms. Joseph who worked with the students during breaks to prepare them for the event.

Term 2 reports are ready for viewing via Skyward today. If you need to speak wit the class teacher, please schedule a meeting with him/her. Additionally, student-led conferences will be held next Thursday, March 28th, starting at noon. We look forward to you visiting both the specialists and classroom teachers.

A conversation on screen time and early childhood was sparked by a question a teacher asked on the topic. We as a faculty, will continue to have these discussions on the use of technology in the early years. Here is a link for you: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/in%3Asent+sbutts%40isps.edu.tt?projector=1

Enjoy the weekend!

Suzette Julien

Elementary Principal

Dates to Remember:

March 21: Term 2 Reports on Skyward

March 28: Student-Led Conferences

April– 4 Design and Build ( Grades 2-5)

April 5– Last day of school ( Holiday Break)

April 23– School Resumes

April 29-May 2 ERB Testing

All classes are on their fifth unit, and the teachers will send you information. ES Faculty continue to participate in NGSS science webinars. The last session focused on How are Science and Engineering Similar? We want students to figure out what they are learning. That means that we have to encourage them to ask questions.

Grade 5 students continue to work on their individual projects with their mentors.

PYP words for March: Principled, Appreciation and Commitment

Angela Shahien, IB Coordinator

Primary Years Program (PYP)

Grade 4 Mock Trial

Grade 3, Enjoy their independent reading

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/in%3Asent+sbutts%40isps.edu.tt?projector=1

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/in%3Asent+sbutts%40isps.edu.tt?projector=1



The Global Issues Network is an organization existing in Latin America which focuses on students taking the initiative to resolve a chosen issue in the world. This project is worked on during our afterschool GIN club on a Wednesday.

One group, consisting of myself, Sophie Potter, as well as Ellice Ali, William Farah, and Rylie Ramroop, is working to reduce the harmful effects of plastic straws in Trinidad and Tobago.

As part of our project, we decided to do a cleanup of Anchorage Beach in Chaguaramas. The four of us, accompanied by the teacher overseeing the project, Ms. Tompsett, as well as Rylie’s dad, all visited the beach on Sunday 17th March at 7:00am. We managed to fill up four large garbage bags which we sorted into clean plastics,

dirty plastics, and excess waste. We washed out the dirty plastics in the sea, and then put both the clean plastics and the washed plastics in a separate bag to be recycled.

The club is attending the GIN conference in Peru, on April 22nd, to present and talk about the problem of plastic straws and how we are addressing this problem in our community.

Apart from the beach clean up we are lobbying companies to reduce or cease their use of plastic straws and are organizing campaigns to raise awareness of the danger of plastic straws to marine life. The GIN group will continue to work on more projects to help the environment, and hopefully we will get the more students involved with these projects one day.

Sophie Potter, Grade 7

Living Our Mission

Beach Clean-Up with GIN

… Caring

This was a good idea to do because we are not just cleaning our beaches we are also raising awareness by showing people what destruction we have done and that we are here to clean it. I’m happy that we did this, this is evi-

dence that we have severely damaged our environment and it needs to stop and we should start from now. I think every person should be aware of

what is happening at the moment.

Rylie Ramroop, Grade 7



Staff and students alike brought their wildest pair of socks to school today to support the “Rock Your Socks” event for World Down Syndrome Day. Today is a day about celebrating the differences and abilities of all students.

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

World Down Syndrome Day is held on the 21st day of the third month because the genetic disorder is the result of a third copy of chromosome 21.

ISPS Rocks Their Socks for World Down Syndrome Day



High School students along with Pre-K3 observed the International Day of Forests today by setting plants in pots, to be planted later in the rainy season.

The Pre-K3 students are currently completing their Tree Study Unit, while the High School Students are part of an outdoor program, led by Mr. Latham.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The theme for 2019 is Forests and Education. (FAO.org)

ISPS Observes International Day of Forests



On World Poetry Day, March 21, we at ISPS recognise words in motion and the creative nature of our students. We celebrate the power of poetry and the transformative effect it has on society, by connecting people across cultures, borders and through language barriers. Here is a small collection of poems from our Middle School students.

Submitted by Roxanne Veck

The Power of Poetry

Snow engulfs the world, Life is cold,

so is the heart; words hurt deeper,

deeper than the pain in a day A wound can be treated ,

words are embedded, embedded into your soul.

Aaron Chinapoo - Grade 8

Scarlet ibis

Time no longer exists in this universe.

But then the true danger begins to immerse.

Jagged rocks, sharp leaves and all your fears.

But once you move on, the true beauty appears.

Emma De Verteuil Grade 8

Aanya Naipaul, Grade 6

Isabelle Smyth, Grade 6



Middle School students in Ms. Galt’s class are making presentations for the Unit "De Compras". They had to design an outfit and describe it to their classmates.

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Newsletter Marzo 21 2019

speak-

listening

writing

reading

Here are 3 photos for High School, Spanish Capable A with Ms Daniela Ramos. Students have read the novela "El Viaje Perdido" and are creating storyboards to relate the events. They are learning to use the past tenses to narrate a story.

Kindergarten students in Ms. Abraham’s class are learning about animals and their movements. They made birds out of paper that they can fly.

Submitted by Rebecca Tompsett



The ISPS chapter of the National Honor Society and their advisor Mrs. Clarke attended the Habitat for Humanity Hunger Banquet on Sunday, March 17th, 2019.

As part of the proceeds from the Bingo fundraiser NHS had pledged to support this banquet. The students were guests as well as they served as ushers to welcome guests and lead them to their respective tables.

At the end of the event students presented parting gifts to each table. The NHS students were commended by Habitat for their enthusiasm, efforts and contributions to this worthy cause.

Attached is a photo taken of the students and Mrs. Clarke in Habitat's specially themed photo booth for this event.

Students and teachers packed the International School of Port of Spain (ISPS) theatre on Wednesday, August 20, to here Team Intellect, the all-star prison debate team argue "Should Trinidad and Tobago Allow Venezuelans in the Country?

The debate included a student guest star, Dominic Cockburn, who entertained the crowd with his hard-hitting questions.

The all-star prison debate team is made up of the top ten debaters from the inter-station prison debates, and the team represents four prisons: Carrera, Golden Grove Remand, Eastern

Correctional Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC) and Maximum Security Prison (MSP).

They face a UTT debate

team on April 4 for a rematch after beating the team by 350 points.

The debates began in our

librarian Debbie Jacob's English classes in Port of Spain Prison and they have grown to an all-prison event.

All-Star Prison Debate Team Visits ISPS

ISPS NHS Attends Habitat Hunger Banquet



Hello Everyone,

Many students have been complaining about nausea which may be accompanied

by vomiting and some have diarrhoea, headaches and sometimes fever as part of the circulating virus. Quite unusual but I have noticed some students complaining about joint pains as well.

The Saharan dust was very visible the last 2 weeks, hopefully it will be away now. This resulted in many students presenting with headaches and sinus problems, asthmatics also had difficulty coping with the dust.

You may have seen that the country had 2 suspected cases of meningitis. I do encourage you to ensure that your children are vaccinated. It takes 2 weeks for the vaccination to work.

This is the notification from the Ministry of Health Southwest Regional Health Authority:

Have a safe and fun filled weekend.



The 2019 Milo Game was held on Tuesday 19 March. ISPS had 55 students, comprising of Marchers and track and field athletes.

The ISPS march past team looked very uniformed and disciplined in their green, blue, black and white t-shirts and shorts with white socks and black pants.

The track events started with the U 7 category. Our youngest student-athlete was from Pre-K4 and by no means was Emily shy of the track, as she received 3rd place. Louis in Kindergarten also

came alive on the track and brought home a 3rd place medal.

ISPS was a force to reckon with, having students as finalists in 20 out of 22 events. As in any final, you have the best out of the best competing, so the level of competition was at its highest.

Individual Medals:

Boys U15 400m Joey Mahoney — 3rd place

Boys Open Walking William Farah — 1st place Boys Open Walking James Collier — 2nd place

Boys U11 400m Pedro Zamudio — 2nd place

Boys U11 400m Max Maumaire — 3rd place

Girls 200m Adriana Housty —3rd place

Girls 400m Adriana Housty — 2nd place

Relay:

Boys U9 4x100m -3rd

Boys U11 4x100-3rd

Girls U15 4x100-3rd

Thank you to all the students for their hard work and commitment, you all represented ISPS with class…

CAIM

ANS ATHLETIC

S



ISPS 2018 - 2019 Events Calendar

MARCH 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

Carnival Jump-up & Parade of Bands 10:30-11:30am

11:30am All School Dismissal

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Carnival Monday Carnival Tuesday Ash Wednesday Teacher P.D. Day Teacher P.D. Day SATs 7:30-2:00pm

NO SCHOOL NO SCHOOL SCHOOL HOLIDAY NO SCHOOL NO SCHOOL

Child Protection Workshop - All Staff 7:30am - 3:00pm Cafeteria

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Child Protection Workshop - Students 7:30am - 2:30pm Various locations

ES End of Term 2

Child Protection Workshop - Parents 6:00 - 8:00pm

Open Forum 7:00-9:00pm Cafeteria

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 MILO Games PTO Meeting ES Term 2 Reports

Lots of Socks for World Down Syndrome Day Debate Demonstration -

Prison Debate Team 12:30 - 2:30pm

International Day of Forests

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

CAISSA - Season 3 Ecuador




End of Q3 MS/HS Shouter Baptist Day

NATIONAL HOLIDAY

ES Student Led Conferences 11:30am - 3:00pm

Grad Committee Fundraiser-Car Boot Sale 7:00am-12:00noon North Field / Parking Lot

31 CAISSA - Season 3 Ecuador



ISPS Lunch Menu March 25—April 5

If you have a special diet or have any allergic reactions to certain foods, please advise our caterers at your earliest convenience so that they may prepare a menu that fits your needs.

thursday 21st march, 2019 the international school of … · motto difference makers, future...

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