REGENTS NEWSLETTER SECONDARY This Week in the Secondary Newsletter
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EDITION 1 TERM 2 2013/2014 REGENTS NEWSLETTER SECONDARY THIS WEEK IN THE secondary NEWSLETTER Leadership and Service. These IDEALS are interwoven WELCOME MESSAGE in the ethos of the school, providing students with access to an outstanding holistic education. Furthermore, this The beginning of Term 2 in the Secondary School has Round Square ethos ties in with Nord Anglia Education’s CALENDAR DATES confirmed what many teachers and senior leaders agree educational values, attitudes and attributes, especially in 01.02.14 upon about Regents: that it is the busiest school in which terms of developing ‘Concern for Society’ in every student, GLOBAL CLASSROOM they have ever worked. This is a very positive reflection as well as enabling students to be risk-takers, allowing EXPEDITION TO TANZANIA of the myriad of opportunities which are provided for students to be open-minded, creative and enterprising, DEParts students and staff, many of which you can read about in confident, collaborative, inquiring and above all, learning MOCK EXAMInatION WEEK 01.02.14 - 02.02.14 the first newsletter of the term. to persevere in all aspects of their educational experience REGENTS SENIOR GAMES In 3 short weeks of Term 2, we have seen the very important at the Regents International School, Pattaya. Mock Examinations Week take place for Year 11s and Year 10.02.14 It is not just the students who have been busy discovering LANGUages WEEK BEGINS 13s. Both staff and students agree that this is a significant their potential since the beginning of term. Teachers in step to ensuring students know where they are at in terms the Secondary School have 12.01.14 of their academic studies, and continued to collaborate IB INFORMatION EVENING FOR YEAR 9, 10 & 11 that they know exactly what together, starting on the first Parents to do in order to reach their day of term in the staff INSET maximum potential – to be the sessions, in order to identify 13.02.14 best they can be. This process of and create a common vision ValentINES DISCO REGENTS BALL - A NEW STOry ensuring progression is possible of outstanding teaching and 14.02.14 because of a strong partnership learning. All teachers have InternatIONAL Day between students, teachers enthusiastically committed and parents. One particularly themselves to ‘Learn from 14.02.14 exciting development in the role Others’ through a peer SCHOOL CLOSES FOR HALF TERM played by parents in educational observation schedule, which provision at the school is the will run over the course of Term 15.02.14 introduction, for the first 2. In addition, all Secondary Staff BAAN MEALID TRIP LEAVES time ever in Regents’ history, FOR CHAING MAI are working in Focus Groups of Parent Invigilators for the during the term, ‘Learning 16.02.14 IGCSE and IB examinations. SARAH TRAVIS-MULFORD, ASSIstant with Others’ about key issues HEAD OF SECOndary FLIGHT OF THE GIBBONS SKI TRIP LEAVES FOR MUJU, This is a partnership which is for development across the KOREA set to grow over time and as a Secondary School, such as 24.02.14 school, we are very thankful the student daily planner, the SCHOOL OPENS for their time, energy and motivation to assist students in timings of the day, the structure of assessment within the their examination experiences. school, to name but a few of the Focus Group themes. 24.02.14 The findings of the Focus Group discussions will be used YEAR 9 OUTDOOR At the same time as the Mock Examinations were taking EDUcatION WEEK 1 place, all other Secondary School students and staff to inform the Secondary School Development Plan for embarked upon an action-packed week of Round Square future academic years. 26.02.14 YEAR 11 & YEAR 13 Parents activities, ranging from ‘Diving with Sharks’, to ‘Learning All of these activities, combined with a freshly painted EVENING to cook in order to survive university!’ As a Round Square Secondary School and many new students joining the SURFING IN BALI, INDONESIA School, Round Square Week provides the opportunity for school, makes working in the busiest of schools an absolute students and staff to explore the Round Square IDEALS – privilege and a pleasure. Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, MOCK EXAMInatIONS WEEK 2014 FOR ICGSE AND IB DIPLOMA STUDENTS BY CAROLINE DRAPER, EXAMINATIONS OFFICER Mock Examinations Week for IGCSE and IB Diploma many ways that the losing of marks happens: through not students ran from January 9th to January 20th, giving showing how an answer was worked out, through not all students the experience of the intensity of the final developing supporting evidence to give strength to a good examinations with up to three lengthy examinations per idea or through providing excellent information which day. did not actually answer the examination question. For our Year 11 and Year 13 students, this mock examination For the first time at the Regents, our invigilation team has experience provided the opportunity to test their revolved around our parent-invigilators, Mrs Cao Thi Binh understanding of the entire IGCSE and IB Diploma courses, which took revision for our student candidates back to the beginning THE STUDENTS WERE EXCELLENT! of Year 10 and Year 12. Whilst having subject school invigilators in a British school and I am honored to to really analyse mistakes and focus study on the course knowledge tested under strict IGCSE and IB be part of the Regents support system. The students were areas that were exposed as a weakness. We also encourage Diploma examination conditions, students were excellent and I would urge them to keep trying. I’m sure students to take pride in the areas in which marks were also familiarised with the exam process and paperwork, , Mrs JinHee Ahn and Mrs Subarna Banerjee, who, after that you will reach the heights.” Mrs Banerjee high to make sure these strengths are maintained through regular revision. Everyone, of course, has their own which will give them one less thing to think about in the receiving training in Term 1, smoothly performed their “I love children and I love school. I was happy to join with revision techniques; although all should know by now that real examinations. It is now time management and good invigilator role for the IGCSE and IB Diploma examination the school team to help the level of education here. It was the only music proven to aid the brain in studying is music preparation which are at the forefronts of our Y11 and Y13 rooms. It is with thanks to these accomplished, reliable, so joyful to work together with the team of teachers.” Mrs without lyrics… we recommend active revision, working examination candidates’ minds. skilled parent-invigilators that our students experienced Cao Thi Binh a real examination scenario, seeing how the invigilators through past papers with notes and textbooks, trying to For the teachers of our examination classes, these mock “It was a very big motivation and a challenge to learn about monitored and checked procedures both with the construct the perfect answers to real exam questions. examinations highlight gaps or weaknesses in subject- the examinations in the secondary school. How enjoyable!” examination materials and with the students’ conduct, and IGCSE and IB Diploma students need to practice time knowledge at individual and at class level which future Mrs Jinhee Ahn. also seeing how the invigilators supported the students to and time again using their knowledge to solve the types revision lessons will now focus on. The examination make the whole examination experience calm and stress- Our invigilators’ advice to IGCSE and IB Diploma of complex problems that are in the examination papers, results also provide the basis for addressing examination free for them. candidates encourages them all to take the challenge to to get used to applying subject understanding in new ways techniques specific to each individual subject which can improve on the mock performance. The remaining three whilst becoming increasingly familiar with the question help students to avoid losing unnecessary marks in the “It was my first experience of joining in the official team of months before the real examinations gives ample time styles and layout of the papers. “THEY HELPED INSPIRE THE STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT THEIR LONG TERM PLANS” REGENTS’ CAREERS FaIR BY CAROLYN NEYLON, BIOLOGY TEACHER AND HEAD OF YEAR 11 Regents held its first Careers Fair recently with the aim of encouraged the students to think seriously about the skills helping our Year 11 and 12 students to think more about they are developing and their personal qualities as well as their futures and the kind of careers that are open to them. what they will need to consider in terms of education after they leave school. We were delighted to have the support of many parents and local business people, who gave up their time to It was an extremely enjoyable and informative morning for come in and talk to our students about their careers paths. all, with many of the guests commenting on the positive Together with some Regents staff with careers in other attitude of the students. Mr. Harrow, speaking to students fields before they moved into education, they helped about how they can use their language skills to enhance inspire the students to think about their long term plans. job prospects, commented on how impressed he was with the insightfulness of the students’ questions. With twenty five guest speakers in attendance, students were able to find out about careers in areas as diverse The students certainly gained a lot from the experience as TV and media, hotel management, IT programming, and we are already looking forward to next years’ event! engineering, medicine and working for the UN.