ISPP Pulse February - March 2015

02 ISPP PULSE ispp.edu.kh

ispp.edu.kh ISPP PULSE 03

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FEATURES

09Shimmering Silver,The Value of AccreditationGet Involved, School Governance

Pathway PlanningCooperative LearningPersistence & SuccessSore Throats

12 One Step Closer #PYPXUse Your ImaginationHeroes & HeroinesStaying ConnectedOnwards & UpwardsIntegrating Technology, Teaching & LearningPlay Time

ISPP PULSEThe ISPP PULSE is produced by the Admissions and Communications Department in line with ISPP’s Guiding Statements:

Vision StatementLearning together, growing together, each making a difference.

Mission StatementISPP empowers students, in a caring international environment, to achieve their full potential by pursuing personal and academic excellence, and to grow as responsible global citizens who celebrate diversity.

International Mindedness Students develop their curiosity about the world, extend their understanding and appreciation of both shared values and cultural differences, and strive to effect positive change.

Telephone +855 23 213 103Email [email protected]

Advertising Ms. Sok Leng HengEmail [email protected]

Editor Ms. Belinda JonesDesign Ms. Belinda [email protected]

Cover photograph: Ms. Belinda Jones

© International School of Phnom Penh

FOCUS09 PERSONAL &

SOCIAL EDUCATION

12 ACADEMICS

20 ACTIVITIES

28 LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

34 COMMUNITY

20 April’s CalendarMay’s CalendarOliver!

Shimmering Silver,The Value of AccreditationGet Involved, School Governance

Pathway PlanningCooperative LearningPersistence & SuccessSore Throats

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Address: No 59, St. 240, Chaktomuk, Phnom Penh

28Despite being the first time this trip was offered during Week Without Walls, it was a big success!

BIKING IN CHINA

28 Week Without WallsRiver LifeAwesome Experiences

34 Old HollywoodField of DreamsCentre StageNew CommunitySmall AdditionsMemoriesISPP’s 25 Year FestivalAnniversary Aquathon 2015

The Elementary Art ShowAction-packed Day of AthleticsTotal FootballChampionsSummer School


When not teaching and coaching, our teachers have been immersed in the comprehensive joint CIS/WASC/IB accreditation process the school is currently undertaking. Most of our PD days this year have been devoted to this important task. Teachers have worked together on several committees to examine every aspect of ISPP and respond to recommendations made by the last visit from an accreditation team in 2013. This time around, we are producing a 10-year report that will examine our IB curriculum in all three programs, PYP, MYP and DP, and other areas of the school grouped under the following categories: Guiding Statements, Governance and Leadership, Faculty and Staff, Access to Teaching and Learning, School Culture and Partnerships and Operating Systems.

Every school does not bother with accreditation for some very practical reasons: it is expensive, it takes a lot of time and effort, and, if mishandled, it can detract from teaching and learning in the school. ISPP embraces accreditation because we know the value of the process to teachers, parents and

the value of accreditation


ultimately to students. For parents, the process provides a measure of quality control because objective educators from outside ISPP will be rating our ability to not only deliver our curriculum at a very high standard, but also to provide an excellent learning environment that promotes personal and academic excellence. Teachers want to work in accredited schools with a commitment to external standards and you need the best teachers available to meet or exceed these standards (ISPP is very fortunate in this area).

The faculty, administration, board and student and parent representatives have made a great collaborative effort on this comprehensive self-study report. Our committee teams used Google Drive, a system that allows users to store documents, share files and edit documents with collaborators, to organize evidence for accreditation. The visiting team will then be able to quickly verify statements made in the self-study report. Five years ago we did the same thing on Moodle and we thought that was very innovative at the time! The collaboration through Google Drive has allowed us the freedom to work on the project when it was convenient to our busy schedules and share our thoughts with other team members. It also provided a facility for us to document our thinking processes as we turned over every stone at this school. The other major area of pride for me is that our program inside and outside the classroom did not suffer from our attention to this comprehensive study, which is a testament to the work ethic and dedication of our teachers.

I want to thank Holly Gardner and Kim Engasser for acting as Co-Chairs of the Self-Study Steering Committee, to our Leadership Team and to our Self-Study Committee Chairs: Peter McCombe, David Preece, Christophe Etienne, Mike Brown, Ashley Wanless and Claire Webster. This was truly a team effort. The agencies will send representatives to visit ISPP in the last week of September to verify what we said about ourselves in the report.

While ISPP has been developing physically, in terms of its new learning environment, the self-study report will demonstrate that the school has kept a careful eye on all aspects of the development of teaching and learning and the systems that support child development at our school. I am looking forward to getting some objective feedback from our accrediting agencies on where we, as a school, can improve student learning at ISPP.

The Value of Accreditation ExplainedISPP is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB). Concerned parents naturally seek a quality education for their children. Expatriate families in particular are faced with the additional difficulty of living in a strange environment, which offers few guidelines on how best to select the most appropriate school for their children’s needs. Thus the fact that a school is accredited provides parents with a number of assurances.

Parents know that the school:• Has undergone a rigorous self-assessment• Has been evaluated by a team of experienced professionals• Meets high academic and professional standards• Is subject to regular visits and monitoring by an external

agency

Characteristics of an Accredited School• An accredited school is devoted to its mission. It cares

enough about what it does to seek validation by a recognized

accreditation authority.• An accredited school knows itself. It has thought deeply

about the services it offers to students, family and community.

• An accredited school accepts objective assessment.• It is prepared to open its doors periodically to outside

experienced evaluators.• An accredited school is constantly seeking to improve its

performance in curricular and other areas.• An accredited school is student-oriented. Its philosophy

of education encompasses the development of the whole individual.

• An accredited school plans for the future. As part of the ongoing nature of the evaluation process, accredited schools are continually planning future developments.

• An accredited school participates fully in the responsibilities of the academic profession. Administrators and teachers participate in the self-renewing activity of evaluation and accreditation.

• The school accepts objective assessment. It is prepared to open its doors to regular evaluation by the school community and by outside experienced evaluators.

• The school keeps its promises. It promises only what it can deliver.

ISPP is the only not-for-profit IB World School in Cambodia accredited and authorized by CIS/WASC/IB.

by Barry SutherlandDirector


What does the ISPP Board do? Besides ensuring that we have the systems in place to provide an excellent learning environment with the highest quality teachers available worldwide, the Board is responsible for the fiduciary oversight of the school. The Board is also responsible for hiring the Director. The Director and Administration Team are responsible for the day-to-day running of the school and report to the full Board once a month on issues and progress.

But how does the Board really work? How are decisions made? Most of the heavy lifting for Board decision-making is started by the Committees, which provide access to, and input into, policy, objectives, and monitoring of the school’s performance for parents and staff.

There are three standing committees (Policy; Finance and Facilities; and Governance), one existing ad-hoc committee (New Facilities), and one new ad-hoc committee in formation (Catering). Committees usually:• meet monthly• discuss issues related to its area• make recommendations to the Board

Each Board Trustee serves on one or more Committee. Every month, issues are raised and discussed. Sometimes a specific question is raised by the Board to explore, and sometimes the Committees explore their pre-determined mandate.

Any parent can join a committee, and any parent can come to a meeting. Everyone is free to contribute, and to join in the discussion. Committee members often explore issues beyond the meeting, gathering information from a number of local and external sources.

What happens in a Committee meeting? Parents talk - with each other, the school administration, faculty, and the Board. A fellow committee member recently noted that it is through this dialogue and discussion that decisions move forward.

After discussion, recommendations from the Committee are reported to the Board at the monthly Board meeting. Though the Board is ultimately responsible for decisions, committee participation is critical for the school because:• it offers an opportunity for parents to be heard, in order to

inform decision-making at the school• it provides more opinions and facets for consideration by the

committee• it allows parents the opportunity to learn about the matters

under consideration by the Board • it is a central element of parent-governance• it helps parents decide if they would like to stand for election

to the Board

What subjects are covered by the Committee?Many issues cross between Committees, but each Committee generally handles issues within its area. Specifically:

The Policy Committee:• Regularly reviews current school Policies • Acts as a forum to hear proposed changes in Policy coming

from the administration, teachers, or parents

The Finance and Facilities Committee:• Monitors and reviews the Administration’s budget reporting

and procedures

The Governance Committee:• Organizes the evaluation of the performance of the Board • Identifies and recruits nominees for election and appointment

to the Board of Trustees• Organizes the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in April

I encourage everyone in our community to get involved in the school’s governance. Whether you come to the AGM once a year, pop into the Board meetings once a month, join a Committee, or run for the Board. The more people we have involved in our school, the more opinions that people bring to Committees, the better our school will be. Please join us at one or more of these meetings to share your ideas and support your child’s education.

Regular Meeting Times (can vary based on school holidays)• Policy Committee meets on the second Thursday of the

month, 12:00pm• Finance and Facilities Committee meets on the third

Thursday of the month, 4:30pm• Governance Committee meets on the second Tuesday of the

month, 12:00pm

The Annual General Meeting this year is Thursday April 30 at 5:30pm and will be held in the Central Administration Building Auditorium.

I believe that ISPP is a special place. Not only because it nurtures and educates my children everyday, but because it is international, not-for-profit, and proudly parent-governed. This last aspect is unusual amongst international schools, and it is one of ISPP’s core strengths. In this article, I would like to share information about the governance mechanisms in place at the school in the hope that is will encourage more parents to get involved.

GET INVOLVEDSCHOOL GOVERNANCE

by Katie Longhurst, Board Trustee

PERSONAL & SOCIAL EDUCATION DDD



by Karen Skelly, Counsellor

So often students are undecided about what they should do, or which pathway they should take when it comes time to start to think about university or future pathway planning.

Higher education across the world is changing and in some countries students are in the unique position where they have the freedom to choose their course of study once arriving at university and this can be beneficial with some students enrolling to study in a ‘general’ degree and specializing later on. Across the globe it is getting harder and harder to go directly into medicine, law or other specialized pathways as a first degree and this is because universities want students to explore first and specialize later.

When students present to me as undecided, my advice is to embrace it and turn it into an advantage. Studying general degrees such as Bachelor of Arts, Sciences, Business or Liberal Arts degrees allows students exposure to a wide range of subjects and options they may not have been familiar with. From this exploration they can then move to a firmer choice. Students exploring options in this way can eventually help them land closer to their eventual pathway.

This general option is not for everyone and some students can and should pick a

university or career path based on a ‘major’ or area they ‘know’ they want to pursue. If a student cannot picture themself doing anything other than being an architect then they are encouraged to narrow the university choices down to institutions offering strong architecture programs. What this comes down to is how serious and sustained their interests are; this however is not a good option for many students who just can’t decide what they want to do.

Attending university - regardless of the course - provides opportunities to develop transferable skills that can be applied to future careers and daily interactions with others. Universities look for students who are well-rounded and balanced graduates; exactly the same requirements that employers want. So regardless of where students go and what they study they will still have a terrific set of skills.

It is common for young people to change their mind once entering university but if they choose broadly and wisely in the first place then it doesn’t need to happen – but is not the end of the world (though can be costly) if it does.

I look forward to working with all students and parents in university and future pathway planning.

“Attending university - regardless of the course - provides opportunities to develop transferable skills that can be applied to future careers and daily interactions with others.”

PATHWAYPLANNING


by Teresa WatermanIB Grade 2/3 Teacher

Walk into a room where cooperative learning is taking place and you will notice the buzz of noise. Students may even be busily moving around the classroom. Don’t worry, they are all on task! In fact, cooperative learning ensures more students are on task more of the time. Working together and learning together builds valuable social and emotional skills. And THAT creates a fertile environment for academic success.

The first few weeks of the school year is the time when school routines and procedures are put in place. It is crucial during this time that a feeling of emotional safety is established for each student. Children who are frightened and worried cannot learn. Cooperative learning games create connections outside friendship groups. Children find commonalities and build trust by depending on each other to reach a goal.

Teaching the rules of engagement entails modelling the required polite speech. This may be awkward at first, but over time becomes automatic. These ‘musts’ include greetings and goodbyes, thank yous and compliments. Team configuration is always changing. This differentiation allows students the opportunity to work in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. Students may be grouped randomly or deliberately based on interests, ability or learning style, depending on the learning goals involved.

Once the structure of a particular game is taught it can be used with academic content. For example, here are the directions for peer editing a writing assignment: ”Rotate around to the music until it stops. High five the closest person and greet them. Exchange papers and read what your friend has written. Give them two compliments and a suggestion. Thank them before leaving.”

Cooperative learning is NOT group work; structures have built-in accountability that ensures no hogs and no logs. A jigsaw activity divides the work of a large task among team members who complete individual jobs and report back to the group. Think-Pair-Share is an alternative to calling on a single student who already “knows the answers.” Instead of having that one student engaged, all students are on task thinking and communicating. The teacher simply rotates and listens to the conversations to access understanding.

The social and emotional skills in our school’s written curriculum are embedded in the day-to-day operations of a class utilizing cooperative learning. Positive classroom management focuses on creating an atmosphere in which conflicts are rare. Less time is spent on enforcing the consequences of negative behaviour and more time is spent on learning. The investment is well worth the outcome.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING



by Sochetha Meng and Lou VanoGrade 9

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”- Winston Churchill

This quote is based on our Home Group sessions from the beginning of the year up until now. Persistence and success are two very important topics that we all as humans have experienced. Students sometimes experience this as that one time when we finished our summative an hour before it was due and got a 7 or 8. That feels like success. However, success and persistence are much more complicated.

Some of the things that we did in Home Group time included creating freeze frames about blockers to success and persistence. We created situations to demonstrate blockers such as procrastination, not paying attention, feeling worried and feeling down, we then asked for ideas about how to overcome these blockers.

We also looked at persistence through a variety of perspectives including sports people, a psychologist, a radio host and DJ, and a writer. Though they all had different angles, we found common themes amongst each of these experts in their field. We then thought about how this might apply to our own lives.

In another lesson, we competed to create spaghetti towers. We had to work together to find a way to create

the tallest tower with a limited amount of resources. Though many of the groups failed to create a free-standing tower, we learned valuable lessons about success in group work.

Our counselor, Ms. Skelly, talks about how as a student it is important to learn not to give up - to persist at a task, a hobby, or a skill. This helps us to not give up easily. It means that you are trying hard to do your best, for example, not giving up when school work is hard; not giving up when you can't shoot a basket. It's a skill that when taught early on can transfer through so many different situations.

“The message is that learning the skills of persistence and recognizing successes can actually help you with long term resilience and we want all kids to have the ability to bounce back if things don't go right for them”

To summarise the work we did on this topic, we created public service announcements on success and persistence.

Persistence & Success



SORE THROATSby Alison DurrantSchool Nurse

A sore throat is almost always due to an infection caused by bacteria or a virus. Irritants such as cigarette smoke can also cause a sore throat. Most sore throats are harmless but if your child has a lot of pain and drooling and seems very ill, there might be a deep pocket of pus called an abscess, but this is rare.

Two types of sore throats that can become serious are strep throat and mononucleosis. These must be diagnosed accurately because occasionally they can cause complications. Throat pain from mononucleosis most often affects adolescents, whereas strep is most common in school children. Strep throat is rare in children under three.

Approximately 25% of sore throats are strep throat. These are caused by streptococcal bacteria. Only a doctor can tell for certain if a sore throat is caused by these bacteria but if there are typical cold symptoms, such as a cough or a runny nose, it’s unlikely to be strep throat. If the mouth is extremely red, the tonsils are swollen and streaked with pus, there’s a chance it could be. Strep throat may also cause headaches, fever, or swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck. In rare cases there may be a fine, sandpaper-like rash all over the body. Strep throat accompanied by this rash is called scarlet fever.

Your doctor can usually diagnose strep in the clinic by using a throat swab. If your child has strep or scarlet fever, the doctor will treat with antibiotics, which are usually prescribed in pill or liquid form for ten days. It’s crucial that your child takes all the medicine even if the symptoms get better. Most sore throats are caused by viruses so antibiotics are unnecessary and will not work.

Most regular sore throats go away by themselves in two to four days, and can be treated at home. Warm salt water gargles may help to ease throat pain as well as warm or cold drinks. Acetaminophen can help relieve the pain. Never give aspirin to children or teenagers as it could cause Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition.

Source: Wellbeing,C. 2014 Sore throat(children).Health day

news for healthy living.[Online][March 2015] Available from:

http://consumer.healthday.com/

ONE STEP CLOSER #PYPXby Kim EngasserElementary Assistant Principal/IB PYP Coordinator

At a recent PYP Exhibition information evening for Grade 5 students and parents, the question of ‘What is the PYP Exhibition?’ was discussed and shared. At the end of the evening, everyone had a clear picture of the PYP Exhibition as a significant event in the life of each Grade 5 student. As a culminating experience, it is an opportunity for students to synthesise the essential elements of the PYP (concepts, skills and knowledge, attitudes and action), demonstrate the attributes of the IB learner profile and share their learning with the whole school community.

This year, our Grade 5 PYP Exhibition will be conducted under the transdisciplinary theme How We Express Ourselves. This decision was made as a perfect pivotal point for our students, since they had just finished inquiring into the different issues they are passionate about from their most recent Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry. Giving students a personal starting point, as in all inquiry, is the most powerful way for students to build on their knowledge and experiences for the Exhibition.

Over the last several weeks, Grade 5 students have been hard at work unpacking the theme How We Express Ourselves, exploring and discovering the complexities of concepts and formulating conceptual statements. They will investigate concrete examples of different art forms to construct their understanding before working towards a collaborative writing of one central idea. They will also keep a journal and reflect regularly on the PYP Exhibition blog to capture their learning experience. Each group will work with a mentor who will guide them through the inquiry process to research into different art forms, collect and analyse data, draw conclusions, and present findings through their chosen art form. Students will be encouraged to use their art form to take appropriate action and share this with the school community on April 9 at 5:30pm and April 10 from 8:00 to 11:00am.

Even though the PYP Exhibition is just another unit of inquiry, it is a significant milestone in the Grade 5 students’ educational experience. When it is over, they will have a feeling of satisfaction and the necessary confidence to take the leap into the Middle Years Programme.


ACADEMICSDDD

by Sara Bateman, IB Kindergarten Teacher

Did you know that the kindergarteners at ISPP have battled dragons, trained ninjas, built cameras, and visited magical lands? They did all those things and more during our last unit of inquiry called Imagine That! under the transdisciplinary theme How We Express Ourselves.

Imagination is a powerful tool of the mind and giving the children opportunities to utilize this tool can bring about wonderful results. Whether they use their imagination to transform an area of the classroom into a castle and their peers into knights and dragons, or they use it to make stories, puppet shows, and art, imagination stimulates children’s creativity. Using our imaginations is fun, and also an essential element of development. It is a tool to help children learn to

use your imaginationthink for themselves, create their own ideas, and see the world from different perspectives. By using their imagination, students enhance their thinking skills, language skills, and social-emotional skills. When students play imaginatively together, they learn how to cooperate, take turns and creatively problem solve. Students also build their language skills through role-play, where they may often replicate phrases they have heard in movies or mimic their parents and teachers.

In this unit, students were given ample opportunities to use their imaginations. Teachers strategically set up the learning environments to encourage students to think creatively. They filled the classroom library with books that included elements of imagination, they set up an area of the classroom for imaginative play and stocked it with a variety of both store-bought and homemade props, and there

was surplus materials for students to create their own props, too. Students were given the tools to help extend their imaginations, such as puppet theaters, costumes, and an area of the classroom that students could transform into any magical place they wanted. After that, it was up to them to explore their imaginations!

You can help foster your child’s imagination by turning a room in your house into a magical land, outer-space, or a vet’s office. Provide your children with objects as simple as cloth, recycled materials, or big boxes and see how their imagination transforms those basic items. Go on an adventure within your own home using just your imagination!


by Chelsea Mouritz, IB Grade 6 Language & Literature Teacher

Are heroes and heroines necessary? This is a debatable question that Grade 6 have been focusing on in Language and Literature for Unit 3, Heroes and Heroines. Students have been learning about ‘The Hero’s Journey,’ a literary structure on how to develop a story using a hero or a heroine. Each Grade 6 class have looked at a variety of stories and films, including The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Despicable Me and Big Hero 6 as some film examples to apply this structure to. Students have been breaking down elements of a story or film to understand the planning behind the production. The formative task was to use ‘Storyboard That’ an online storyboarding program to visually present the 12 stages of a hero’s journey, using a film of their choice. Dararith from 6.2 was enthusiastic about this and said, “Storyboard That was awesome because we got to use our imagination”. Students responded well to this creative online program.

Grade 6s are currently working on a story of their own for their summative task. They began with some brainstorming questions and wrote descriptions using ‘The Hero’s Journey’ structure to help develop their characters, plot and setting. Each student created a storyboard to visually present their planning before starting to compose their final story. Midas from 6.1 said, “I liked the flexibility of using a storyboard to generate ideas. It helped me be more creative and show my interests.” Students were required to make 1 storyboard box per stage for their own story; minimum of 8, maximum of 12 stages. The program allowed students to choose characters, backgrounds, insert text and personalize hair, eyes, clothing to

heroes & heroines

enhance the effectiveness of their storyboard. Lucia from 6.2 used detail, dialogue and the innovative features to bring her written descriptions of Lola’s journey to life in her storyboard. Emiliano‘s medieval characters are clearly shown in his storyboard as he planned out his Hero’s journey. The focus for the end of this unit is to collate the planning and stories together in the form of an iBook for future classes to read.


ACADEMICSDDD

by Rachelle PiaIB Grade 1 Teacher

No doubt, things such as video calling, text messaging, blogging, and using social media sites such as Facebook, come to mind. In this day and age, our children are familiar with using many of these tools as a way to communicate and stay connected with each other anywhere and anytime. But can these tools also hinder our ability to connect and communicate with others?

Our Grade 1 students are currently inquiring into different communication tools and systems and how these help us connect with others both locally and globally. We are also exploring the role technology plays in all of this.

We should consider that the word ‘technology’ encompasses anything that was invented to make life easier. Yet, through our own experiences, we know that modern technology can oftentimes fail us. After inquiring into many of the modern communication systems that have evolved with the help of technology, many of our students found these systems could actually be more tedious depending on the number of steps needed to send a simple message.

What it all comes down to is the importance of using the communication system that works best for you. As one student said, “I like sending mail because it is easy and it makes others happy.” Another student said, “The best way to communicate is to use the phone because you don’t need the Internet and I can talk to someone right away.” Yet other students preferred using apps such as WeChat and Whatsapp because “all you need to do is press a button to send a message quickly.”

Our Grade 1 students have also come to understand that many types of modern communication tools and systems might be less safe, depending on how accessible they are to the public. One student stated that he preferred using email and Skype because “only my friends and family can contact me.” Mr. Matt, our IT Coach, has also had many discussions about using such communication tools safely, and the importance of keeping our usernames and passwords, our email addresses and our blogs private.

As communication tools and systems continue to evolve due to advances in technology, it is important to talk to your children about the various issues that are sure to come up. Questions the students have been thinking about throughout our unit, which you could also address at home include: Is it reliable? Is it easy? Is it cheap? Is it quick’ and most importantly, Is it safe?’

STAYING CONNECTED


by Anthony ColesSecondary Principal

Our Grade 12 students are in the final phase of their formal education. Leaving school is exciting for most people and for some it is quite daunting. It is natural to think about the fears of venturing into the unknown but we are confident that our students are well prepared. They are open-mined, problems-solvers, flexible, adaptable and willing to have a go at almost anything. They have become writers, mathematicians, painters, analysts, scientists, actors and economists. We hold the belief that young people should exit school at the end of Grade 12 with a far greater thirst for knowledge than when they entered school as a five year old and it is the responsibility of schools to ensure this happens. School is more than a set of examinations at the end. Our students have the foundations to springboard into this world where we know they will make a difference. Some have already found their passion and have a sense of direction, whilst for others, they have an idea of what knowledge and skills they want to know more about. Their flexibility and skills will see them change careers and jobs with far more frequency than my generation.

Soon they will be transitioning into life beyond ISPP, spreading around the globe to live independently and further their education at university. They will finish school on Tuesday 21 April, which will be marked with a special farewell assembly in the Sports Complex where all Secondary students, Grade 12 parents and faculty will gather to say goodbye to the Class of 2015.

They will then be on study leave to prepare for

their May IB Diploma exams before celebrating their Graduation on Saturday May 30, which will be held in the new Black Box Theatre. Most of the class has been at ISPP between 2-15 years. For those who have been here at least ten years, we will acknowledge them as ISPP ‘Legends’ during the Graduation ceremony. There are five students to receive this acknowledgement.

Our graduating class is the largest ever with 45 students, made up of 16 nationalities. During their life at ISPP, they have accepted every challenge placed before them; from the breadth of subjects they have studied; to thinking through Theory of Knowledge, to engaging with Creativity Action and Service, to participating and excelling in the arts and sports. They have been outstanding ambassadors for our School, through both action and word, modeling appropriate behaviours for our younger students and being leaders of school spirit through their positive relationships and their displays of enthusiasm for the broader life of the school. When their results are made available on July 6, we wish them every success and hope their personal goals will be mirrored by the grades they deserve. We know that many doors will be open for them as they move off to their next stage of learning.

We wish our Class of 2015 well in this next step in their lives. They will shed a few tears when saying goodbye to their peers and we hope to stay in touch with our soon to be alumni, through the growing ISPP Alumni Association and their drop-in visits the next time they venture back to Cambodia; they will always be welcome.

We are proud of all of our students and especially the Class of 2015.

ONWARDS & UPWARDS


ACADEMICSDDD

Students gained the confidence to use technology as an exciting learning tool in our Grade 2/3 classroom and gained expertise to use the appropriate technology for different purposes. The class Twitter account connected us with relevant people and organizations to support authentic inquiry. The excitement generated when a tweet was commented on or retweeted was highly motivating. Follow us on Twitter at @msanitasclass and become part of the dialogue!

Students have ownership of the class blog and used it to reflect on their learning, share ideas, ask questions and communicate with parents, and other

schools. We received great feedback from parents (and grandparents) who felt connected to student learning through the blog.

With great anticipation, Minecraft was piloted with our class at the end of last semester. Mr. Matt, our ICT Coach, worked with us to create an archeological dig for dinosaur bones. This semester students got creative on a project about the Independence Monument. They researched its history, function and how it had changed. They reflected on its architectural style and location in the city. Students worked collaboratively to make diagrams and plans before they constructed their own Independence

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY TEACHING & LEARNING

by Anita Mathur, IB Grade 2/3 Teacher

Monument from Minecraft – the first time in the world, as far as we know, that this has been made in this medium. Students were motivated, engaged and very enthusiastic as they solved problems together and made real world connections. From their conversations, it was clear that their conceptual understanding was meaningful and motivated them to collaborate and achieve a common goal.

Skype was also used to make authentic connections and further learning about the past. The class interviewed people overseas about their experiences of World War II, which deepened their understanding of how primary evidence can help us learn

about the past.iPads are embedded in our

classroom routines and are used daily as dictionaries, atlases, and encyclopedias. They are used this year to film learning experiences. Ms. Ann Greve, ISPP’s first Principal made a long awaited return visit to ISPP and was interviewed by the class as they inquired into physical changes at the school, over time. Students confidently recorded this in multiple ways including on a whiteboard, a timeline with photographs, and video to record this memorable event.


PLAY TIME


Children develop in a holistic manner. Research has shown that physical activity in young children can enhance concentration, motivation, learning and well-being. Physical play includes activities that use physical movements to allow children to use their energy, and it gives children the chance to develop gross and fine motor skills, learn new things and socialize.

Physical play helps a child to develop connections between the nerve cells and the brain. As these connections develop, a child’s fine and gross motor skills, socialization, personal awareness, language, creativity and problem solving are improved. Most children naturally develop the ability to run and walk. However, they require practice and guidance to develop hopping, galloping, sliding, catching, jumping, throwing, kicking and bouncing skills. Children incorporate these skills into sports, games and dance.

Motor skills refer to the movements that the body is capable of making. There are two types of motor skills: large or gross motor and small or fine motor. The gross motor skills refers to the large movements the body can make. The fine motor skills refers to the more intricate movements of the hands, which include cutting, pouring, putting jigsaws together, manipulating play dough, doing up buttons. Art and crafts projects foster creativity and promote language development, but they also help to strengthen fine motor skills.

Activities that require fine motor skills such as writing, and playing with small objects, challenge Early Years children. Choosing physical activities for play is more developmentally appropriate than requiring them to sit down and engage in quiet activities. Incorporating games that sharpen and strengthen their fine motor skills into physical activities will help them learn to control smaller physical movements. For example, going on a nature walk through the woods is an informal way to be active and improve fine motor skills. During the walk, pause and ask the children to collect sticks, stones or leaves. Throwing the stones into a river challenges their coordination, while utilizing different muscles in their bodies.

At ISPP, children have a myriad directed activities and periods of free and independent play that afford them opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills.

by Henny McBurneyIB PYP Early Years 1 Teacher

PLAY TIME

ACADEMICSDDD


WEEK 1

MRISA Senior Football @ HIS


7:30am - 4:00pm Elementary Student-Led Conferences



WEEK 2

1:00pm - 5:00pm Grades 6 - 8 Student-Led Conferences

8:00am - 3:15pm Grades 9 - 11 Student-Led Conferences

6:00pm Grade 5 PYP Exhibition Evening

8:00am - 11:00am Grade 5 PYP Exhibition Morning

WEEK 1

Final Day for Grade 12 Students

Earth Day

6:00pm Grade 9 Personal Project Information Evening

7:45am Elementary Assembly (Elementary Basketball Court)ISPP’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations

ISPP’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations

ISPP’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations

WEEK 2

6:00pm Grade 5 Transition to Grade 6 Information Evening (Secondary Campus)

5:30pm ISPP Board Meeting (Central Office Auditorium)

5:30pm ISPP Annual General Meeting (AGM) (Secondary Campus Sports Complex)

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Khmer New Year (School & Offices Closed) 13 - 17 No After School Programme

Artwork by Lee San Liong

ACTIVITIES DDD


WEEK 2

Student Council’s Middle School Formal

SAT

Swim Meet (ISPP)

WEEK 1

First Day of IB DP Exam Schedule(4 - 21)

8:00am Parent/Admin Coffee Morning(Secondary Campus)

ISSAPP Junior Volleyball

ISHCMC Invitational Swim Meet

WEEK 2King Sihamoni’s BirthdaySchool & Offices Closed

No After School Programme

WEEK 1

Grades 9 - 11 Exams

Grades 9 - 11 Exams

Grade 11 Exams

Last Day of IB Diploma Exam Schedule

Grades 9 - 10 Exams

MRISA Junior Volleyball @ VIS


Grades 9 - 10 Exams


MRISA Junior Volleyball @ VISMRISA Annual Planing Meeting @ VIS

WEEK 2

MRISA Annual Planing Meeting @ VIS

5:30pm ISPP Board Meeting (Central Office Auditorium)

After School Programme Ends

4:00pm Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony

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Artwork by Hee Youn Chung

ACTIVITIES DDD


ACTIVITIES DDD

by Leigh PritchardIB PYP Music Teacher

We all know that everybody loves a good show. But not everybody knows what goes into making a show a good one. Over the last last months, 36 of the Grade 4 and 5 students learned just what it takes to put on a show. They learnt everything from singing solos and chorus work to stagecraft and the importance of an audience.

The first learning that occurred was when students were asked to audition. For many of them this was their first

experience at an audition. After being given lines to practice and part of a song to sing, students showed the production team what they were capable of. We were very impressed! After taking into consideration which roles students wanted and what we thought was a good fit, they were assigned roles and rehearsals got underway.

As they refined their accents, delivery of lines and dance steps, students soon began to see their potential. Each rehearsal showed them a new or different way of developing their character. While the cast was rehearsing, the backstage crew started making the oversized props. Many lunchtimes were given over to the pursuit of papier mâché. Everything from birds in cages to T-bone steak was created for the production by the backstage crew.

During the final production week, students finally got to see how the stagecraft, props and technical parts would all fit together to create an amazing show. With the help of an audience during the dress rehearsal, students were able to hone their craft even more, so that when their parents and friends came to watch, they were completely in character.

According to the sell out audiences that came to each performance, the children out did themselves. Their dances were full of energy, their singing brought a tear to the eye of some and lines were delivered clearly and deliberately. With the entrance to the production being an area to showcase the students artworks, it was clear that each performance was a celebration of The Arts in the Elementary School.


by Dana Carney, IB PYP Art Teacher

As eager audiences entered the Secondary Sports Complex to view the production of Oliver!, they were greeted by hundreds of artworks created by Early Years 2 through Grade 5 students. The Elementary Art Show displayed one art piece from each student at ISPP and invited audiences to respond to their ideas and processes. The show was an opportunity for the public to consider the range of inquiries our students have explored using the visual arts as their tool. The response cards that were filled

out by viewers gave students meaningful feedback by posing questions and comments like: “I wonder how you learned to make something look so realistic?”, “When I see this artwork, I feel proud because of the way you clearly expressed your ideas and memories”, or “This artwork reminds me of an imaginary place that only exists in your mind.” These kinds of responses allow students to consider the relationship between artist and audience when creating future artworks. Thank you to all of the audience members who took the time to view, respond and enjoy the art pieces on display!

ACTIVITIES DDD

The Elementary Art Show


by Ben Wiggins, IB PYP Physical Education

On Tuesday February 24, all of the Grade 3, 4 and 5 students noisily climbed aboard a fleet of buses and headed off to NISC for an action-packed day of athletics. Throughout the day, our students were busy competing against students from six other Phnom Penh schools in a range of throwing, running and jumping events. The final events were the eagerly awaited 4 x 100m relays, where much to our students’ delight, our runners won three out of the four races! After all the excitement, the buses were much quieter on the way home.

ACTIVITIES DDD

action-packed day of athletics


by Neil Davidson,Coach

Given their victory in the Phnom Penh Inner City Tournament, a stingy defence and a mind-blowing ‘goals for’ column, the boys’ mood was unashamedly upbeat going into the MRISA Junior Football Championship at ISE Thailand.

A seemingly tough draw on paper saw us matched against reigning champions ISHCMC, hosts ISE and local rivals NISC. However, goals from Dan, Sam, Emiliano and Nico put paid to the early butterflies, as ISPP set the tone with a 4-0 win in their opener against ISHCMC. ISE were dispatched in similar fashion, albeit with an anxious five-minute spell after the hosts had cancelled out captain Sam’s early strike. But ISPP’s patient build-up play allowed Josh and then Nico to punish the ISE defence. Louis’ deft glancing header had earlier been bafflingly ruled out. Still, 3-1 ISPP. In our final group game Emiliano, playing as a stand-in striker, bagged a hat-trick, Sam a brace, and Will concluded the rout. Marin held the reins confidently in defence. ISPP 6-0 NISC.

Despite some early pressure from SSIS, our semi-final opponents, the Saigon side were unable to break through our defence, thanks largely to a talismanic performance from Sid and some smart stops from goalkeeper Kevin. A break from Nico down the right and a pinpoint cross to Josh storming in at the far post ended the deadlock. Our opponents flagged as the game progressed and ISPP’s slick passing soon saw them assert total control. Will sealed it late on. 2-0 ISPP.

NISC had improved as the tournament progressed, and so the late afternoon crowd was treated to a Phnom Penh showdown in the final. A stout defensive display from our crosstown rivals came to an abrupt end when Josh, fed by an inch-perfect pass from Dan on the right, shimmied and smashed home into the top corner. NISC were chasing shadows thereafter as ISPP once again dominated possession. Nico’s neat finish ended the contest midway through the second half. ISPP 2-0 NISC, and the Championship - ISPP’s first in Junior Boys Football since 2008.

Make no mistake - this was a breathtaking performance: 17 scored, 1 conceded, never falling behind, no cards. The opposing coaches were unanimous in stating that the best footballing side by far had triumphed. ISPP’s football was truly scintillating at times. It is sobering to think that these ten talented footballers have played their last game together - perhaps this explains the relatively muted celebrations which greeted the final whistle? ISPP Junior Boys Footballers of 2014-15: take a bow! We may never see their likes again.

ACTIVITIES DDD

total football


The ISPP Athletics Department was very proud to host its first MRISA Basketball Tournament at the new campus. In early February, 160 visiting athletes were able to experience the wonderful new facilities and the two days of competition were characterized by fair play and excellent basketball skills. A summary of our team’s performances throughout the season and the tournament are below.

The Senior Boys Basketball team had a great finish to their season, winning both the ISSAPP and MRISA Championships. In the ISSAPP final, they beat local rival HOPE. They had a 2-2 record against HOPE this season but came up with their best effort when it counted. At MRISA, they won their pool and faced a young but tenacious VIS team in the semi-final where they came out on top 35-20. The ISPP boys then faced perennial champions SSIS in the final. SSIS took an early lead but the Falcons clawed their way back and took a one-point lead with 14 seconds left on the clock. Hugh Smith then hit a key 3-point shot with 10 seconds to go to seal the win and their first MRISA Championship. The team was led throughout the season by seniors Hugh, Dean and Tommy They will be missed next year but

the underclassmen will work hard to repeat their success in 2015-16.

The MRISA Senior Girls Basketball team had another great season. Led by Coach Suzie Hammel, they again won the Inner-city tournament and won all their games except one during the entire season. This year’s team went into the MRISA tournament with high hopes for a repeat championship, as they returned most of their players from last year’s team. They cruised through the first day with a stout defensive effort, led by the quick and aggressive Haruki (MRISA All-star). The second day of the tournament did not go as expected, as the girls shooting turned cold in their semi-final game, and they lost to a lucky NISC team. The girls rebounded in the 3rd place game and beat ISHCMC convincingly. The entire team should be proud of their efforts this year. We will greatly miss the contributions from consistent MRISA members Ha Eun and Haruki, as they graduate this year and move on to bigger and better things. We wish them the best of luck!

Greg Stanton (Athletics Director)Mike Murphy (Senior Boys Coach)Andy Pontius (Senior Girls Assistant Coach)

REGISTER AT THE ASP OFFICE (191 NORODOM BLVD) OR VIA [email protected] PAYMENT TO BE MADE AT ISPP FINANCE OFFICE (158 NORODOM BLVD)

BOTH CAMPS RUN FROM JUNE 8 – 26 & ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLICSNACK & DRINK INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

REGISTRATION ENDS MAY 22

OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS 3 - 11 YEARS FROM 8AM - 12PM MONDAY - FRIDAY ISPP NEW CAMPUS ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SPORTS & CREATIVITY

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (ENDS MAY 8)$170 PER WEEK $400 FOR 3 WEEKS

AAFTER MAY 8$180 FOR 1 WEEK$325 FOR 2 WEEKS$450 FOR 3 WEEKS

OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS 10 - 15 YEARS FROM 8AM - 12PM MONDAY - FRIDAY ISPP SPORTS COMPLEX & POOL ACTIVITIES ARE SPORTS ORIENTATED

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (ENDS MAY 8) $120 PER WEEK $300 FOR 3 WEEKS

AAFTER MAY 8$130 PER WEEK$330 FOR 3 WEEKS

SUMMER CAMPSUMMER SPORTS ACADEMY

SUMMER

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PHNOM PENH

CHAMPIONS


REGISTER AT THE ASP OFFICE (191 NORODOM BLVD) OR VIA [email protected] PAYMENT TO BE MADE AT ISPP FINANCE OFFICE (158 NORODOM BLVD)

BOTH CAMPS RUN FROM JUNE 8 – 26 & ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLICSNACK & DRINK INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

REGISTRATION ENDS MAY 22

OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS 3 - 11 YEARS FROM 8AM - 12PM MONDAY - FRIDAY ISPP NEW CAMPUS ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SPORTS & CREATIVITY

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (ENDS MAY 8)$170 PER WEEK $400 FOR 3 WEEKS

AAFTER MAY 8$180 FOR 1 WEEK$325 FOR 2 WEEKS$450 FOR 3 WEEKS

OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS 10 - 15 YEARS FROM 8AM - 12PM MONDAY - FRIDAY ISPP SPORTS COMPLEX & POOL ACTIVITIES ARE SPORTS ORIENTATED

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (ENDS MAY 8) $120 PER WEEK $300 FOR 3 WEEKS

AAFTER MAY 8$130 PER WEEK$330 FOR 3 WEEKS

SUMMER CAMPSUMMER SPORTS ACADEMY

SUMMER

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PHNOM PENH


WEEKWITHOUT

WALLS

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM DDD


Arts in Motion was a fun and exciting activity that allowed students from ISPP to interact with local students in Phnom Penh. In this activity, students were encouraged to collaborate with one another to paint walls in unique, creative and artistic ways. Working with the students and staff at a nearby NGO, the students were able to create artwork on the walls that enhanced the overall aesthetic environment of the school and also enabled the students from ISPP to get a different perspective on a local school. “My favourite part of the trip was playing with the children and being involved with them throughout the week,” said Andi Rexhepi. This trip was a rewarding experience. In the end, we were able to show our work with the children and the NGO staff and enjoy the change from day one to the final product.

We all went to Bali to learn how to surf, do yoga and immerse ourselves in nature. We all found the trip to be an exciting new experience that we will hold with us forever. We all got to feel what it was like to get up on a surfboard and ride a wave and we all got to try different types of yoga (including laughing yoga), and even mud wrestling. Along with surfing and yoga, on this trip we also got to spend our last day at the famous Green School in Bali, which is a school that is completely open, made from bamboo and uses only environmentally friendly materials for everything. We all left feeling extremely inspired thinking of what we could do for ISPP. Overall it was something we will always remember and I think we all want to start surfing regularly now!

For Bear Necessities, we worked at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre with Free The Bears and Wildlife Alliance. We visited the bear cub quarantine, saw how the young bears are trained and prepared enrichment balls for them. We played a ‘habit destruction’ game to show what is happening to bears in the wild. We also went on a guided tour of the sanctuary, worked on our posters about animals living in PTWRC and presented the posters to the group. We also went to see the pythons and leopards; we finished off the day by hiding food in the bear cages. Our work with Wildlife Alliance, included making hammocks, branching birdcages, branching the new squirrel’s cage and cleaning elephant poop. On the last day we got to go on a walk in the forest with Lucky, the elephant. Everybody had an enjoyable week at Phnom Tamao.

Despite being the first time the trip was ever offered, Biking in China was a big success. Nearly 12 hours of travelling paid off when the 14 of us experienced the spectacular views, steep down hills, smiling faces and great weather of Xishuangbanna prefecture in China’s Yunnan province. Over five (leg) days, everyone cycled well over 150km, and a few “100%ers” cycled more than 250km. While being physically challenged, we were also encouraged to engage ourselves with the culture of the region. Each day brought new knowledge, from the processing of Pu’er tea (famous to the region) to the challenges of being village mayor. We talked to a young Buddhist monk about life and tattoos, played marbles with village kids and roasted s’mores under the stars. We left Xishuangbanna with many, many gigabytes of good memories, kilograms of Chinese candy and new friendships.

The Elephant Valley Project trip began with a long drive into the Moldulkiri hills, where we enjoyed pleasant temperatures, 16C at night. Our first full day involved learning about and observing the elephant’s histories and daily routines while on a pleasant hike through the jungle. That afternoon was spent doing sweaty labour - rehabilitating a banana farm and cutting down banana trees to feed the elephants. Don’t worry, every cut tree grows into three new ones. Day two included another walk with the elephants and a hike to a river where we collected tree seeds that will help our hosts start a tree nursery. On day three we enjoyed a Moldulkiri tour with stops at the Bousra waterfall, a swim in the river, and a beautiful hilltop lookout. The highlight, and scariest part, of this day was the ropes course and the 300m zipline above the waterfall!

ARTS IN MOTIONNISHTHA BARWAL & EILEEN BUDOJO

BALI SURF & WELLNESSHANNAH SHAW

BEAR NECESSITIESTOMMAS HOUTERMAN

BIKING IN CHINANEEL RAHUL KARVE

ELEPHANT VALLEY PROJECTJAMES HOUSEGO



During our trip to Kampot for EPiC Arts, we began with a visit to the Pepper Farm and Starling Farm. The next day the workshops at EPiC Arts started. We were first introduced to Becky, who guided us through the whole process of creating our performance. She then introduced us to the disabled professional dancers from the EPiC Arts community that worked with us. We started every workshop with a game which got our energy levels up. During the workshops, we worked on our performance and by the end of the last workshop, we put the performance all together and performed to some students at EPiC. We were all extremely pleased with the end result despite the limited amount of time we had. On our last day, we went rock climbing at Climbodia which was a good way to end our fun WWW trip.

We started our trip with an Amazing Race through Chiang Mai. This was followed by a visit to the Elephant Nature Park, where we had a unique experience cleaning out elephant stalls and giving the elephants a bath in the river. The following day, we went rafting on the river which was exhilarating and a little scary. That night, we enjoyed a homestay in the small highland town of Mae Kampong. The next day, we ziplined high above the ground in the trees at the Flight of the Gibbon. We spent our last two days at the Crazy Horse Mountain, where we climbed high up the rocky mountainside, absailed down cliffs, ziplined over a deep chasm and explored caves. Chiang Mai provided us with many new and interesting experiences. We overcame fears and met personal challenges and were inspired by the amazing people we met.

Images and Spokes was an opportunity for us to improve our cycling skills, challenge our creativity, and collaborate with local school students to create beautiful photographs. The trip consisted of bike rides through a variety of different terrains including Tonle Bati, Silk Island, and Oudong mountain. We were fond of the change in scenery since it was quite the contrast to the city life we are used to. After more adventures and endeavours, we spent some time reviewing and editing the photos we had taken using Adobe Lightroom, keeping in mind key photography guidelines we had learned prior to the week. We also shared our knowledge on photography with the local students through fun photo marathons and engaging presentations. We are very thankful for our trip chaperones, Ms. Garewal, Mr. Etienne, and Ms. Leiper, and Off Road Cambodia, for making this such a memorable WWW.

For our trip, we went to the Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club in Kep. It was a really fun and relaxing trip. We had a great time! It was a very exhilarating field of dreams with lots of friends, activities, and amazing food! We spent our days learning how to sail and kayak. In addition, we had time for swimming, playing volleyball and pool, and watching movies such as Big Hero 6 and The Book of Life. We faced many challenges, such as the Rabbit Island trek. We took many risks to overcome our challenges and learned important life lessons. We got to know each other better with collaboration games and made many new friends! We would like to thank Mr. Brown, Mr. Van Olst, Mrs. Rachel, Mrs. Mercy, all the students, and everyone involved in this trip for creating a memorable week.

What experience does MasterChef offer? It’s a truly unique activity which allows students to refine their cooking skills through preparing authentic Khmer cuisine. At the heart of this activity, is a goal to allow students to develop both their individual and collaborative abilities. As each day presented us with a new set of meals to cook, our individual and collaborative skills were tested. Each creation gave us a refreshing reminder about how vibrant Cambodian cuisine could be with our meals ranging from spring rolls to beef lok lak and then an exciting taste of frog and crickets. The experience that MasterChef has provided makes all of us extremely appreciative of Khmer cuisine as we were able to learn all about cooking in an atmosphere that was both educational and pleasant. We’d like to thank our supervisors and the staff at Frizz.

EPIC ARTSTASHA WIRADJAJA

FLYING HIGH IN CHIANG MAIANTON KARVE & ABI HOW

IMAGES & SPOKESSOPHOAN KWOK & MAITA NAVARRO

KEP SAILING & ADVENTUREJONG-CHAN LI & MALIKA HOEKX

MASTERCHEFJUNIOR HEMAKIATIKUL, NEARY HOK, SEKSA SEA & WON JOON KIM



Rainbow Eco Lodge was a really relaxing and nice-looking lodge by a beautiful lake in Koh Kong. On this trip, we learnt how to survive in the jungle. We went trekking and there was a lot of bamboo. We could feel the moss under our feet. We also learnt how to kayak and went swimming and had lots of fun jumping off the jetty and by the waterfall. We also did some community projects that included reducing waste, cleaning up, designing a recycling centre for a local school, and helping to put up signs to increase awareness of not polluting. We also designed the recycling bins the school will use. It was hard to go four nights without WiFi because we are always on it, but we survived. The food was very yummy. We also participated in a talent show on the last evening with some great prizes!

Twelve hours, two buses, and one ferry ride later, we arrived in Koh Chang to begin our diving trip. Fun divers jumped into the water as the Open Water divers took their final exam. The open water divers continued their training in the bay while the fun divers sunk down to the coral reefs. After a lot of diving with fishes and repeatedly jumping off the boat, we continued to Koh Kood. Those who missed a dive earlier had the opportunity to catch up so as not to miss out on their certification. Meanwhile the rest of us headed inland to see a waterfall. On our final two dives on the way back to Koh Chang, we were lucky enough to see a sea turtle. We’d like to say thanks to Ms. Wolfe and Mr. Webster for making the trip so fun!

After 12 long hours of travelling, we finally arrived to Hakuba for our ski trip. On the first day of skiing, we were separated into different groups based on our skiing or snowboarding skills. In those groups, we practiced different skills that would improve our abilities. On the second and third day, most of us were able to ski or snowboard down the bigger slopes, which was really exciting for us. On the last day of skiing, our ski instructor was kind enough to set up a racing track for us to race each other. Unfortunately, the snowy weather was too much for us to handle, so we had to leave early to our lodge, where we played a variety of games, organised by the teachers together. Sadly, those four days went by too quickly. The 2015 Japan trip was a memorable trip, full of laughter and joy.

With twenty-nine students spending a week working with Elementary students at four different schools in Takhmao, this year’s trip was a great success. Service Through Teaching and Learning, a 100% service programme focuses on working for others through beautifying the schools and teaching 381 local students. ISPP students worked on creating materials and accompanying them with interactive activities for local children. Activities included Pictionary, identifying objects and even dressing up. During this trip, they improved their communication, leadership and organization skills. Everyone had plenty of fun. On ‘Beautification’ day, ISPP went down to one of the schools to help sand and varnish 30 desks. Despite the dusty environment, students worked hard with the task at hand. During the week, ISPP students showed their perseverance and their spirit in helping our local community. The students should be proud of their commitment and hard work.

RAINBOW ECO LODGERAINBOW ECO LODGE STUDENTS

SCUBA DIVINGHOLLY PENFOLD, ADEETI KHATRI & YEELEN VAN DER LAAN

SERVICE THROUGH TEACHING & LEARNINGCHORVIVANN CHAY & ALEX ROS

SKIING IN JAPANGREG STANTON

GROUP 4 SCIENCE PROJECTSIMON UNDERHILL


During WWW, the Grade 11 students travelled to Kep to complete their Group 4 Science Project which is part of their Diploma programme. The students were put into groups with a student from each of the science areas - Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science and Physics - working together to run experiments and tests on a range of landscapes around Kep, including the national park and the beach. The focus was not so much on data collection but on collaboration with other students, particularly those from a different discipline. The days were long, with extensive field work supported by follow up analysis and experimentation in the our “mobile lab” (the hotel conference room) but Mr. Thompson’s legendary quiz night and the fresh seafood at the Psar Gdaam helped them through! On their return to Phnom Penh, the students presented their findings in an exhibition in the gallery for parents, faculty and other students.


by Melinda McCombe, IB PYP Grade 4/5 Teacher

The barge trip was an opportunity for our Grade 5 students to explore life on the Chao Phraya River, as well as an opportunity to learn outside the classroom and spend time getting to know their peers and teachers in a different setting.

They explored, investigated and inquired into the river life through a range of activities provided by the wonderful Traidhos team Stan, Kirsty and May. These activities ranged from the study of the water hyacinth, bird-watching, stargazing, exploring the old city of Ayutthaya, as well as a community investigation at the village of Ko Kret and creating bricks the old fashioned way - by hand.

In amongst this learning, students were able to develop their skills with regards to life on board a barge. These skills ranged from cleaning, navigation, cooking, game design and utilising their knowledge of words in creative ways.

The barge staff also provided opportunities for students to develop their team building skills that aligned beautifully with the attributes of our IB learner profile. Many students opened their mind to new and exciting opportunities to inquire, and revealed their caring nature for the environment, and each other.

One of the teachers’ favourite activities was watching students work out how to succeed at the activity ‘Stepping Stones.’ It required careful planning, discussion, and a sense of community spirit and caring. As always, because of a time limit, students rushed to complete the task, but ended up realising that they could not succeed, as they had not taken the time to plan. The reflective discussion was a wonderful moment of learning as students understood how success could have been achieved. This activity would not have been such a powerful learning experience, had they been successful! The pictures tell the story!

RIVER LIFE



On January 27, some of the Grade 4 and 5 students who did not go to the barge trip were off to a village called Angk Ta Saom. We had to go by bus and were all so excited! When we arrived there was a very friendly lady who greeted us. After a few minutes, Mr. Ben showed us the rooms we would stay in. It seemed so exotic and we thought it looked so cozy. Finally we got to go on our first biking trip. It was so much fun, because we were not riding on a street full of fumes from cars, but actually in the middle of rice fields with cows. We stopped at a very nice place in between the rice fields and ate lunch that we had brought ourselves. It was very exciting to bike through the amazing life in the countryside of Cambodia instead of biking with cars and lots of fumes like in Phnom Penh.

When we finished the bike trip we went back to the homestay and went to play some games with local students from the school right next door. It was so amazing how good their English was. We had lots of fun with them. They showed us a few games and it was very cool, and we also got to teach them a few games. While playing outside with the students the sun went down, it was so beautiful. It was an awesome experience!

Finally it was dinner! It was a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, vegetables and omelette. After we had dinner we went for a walk looking for stars, it was fun because it was like an adventure in the wild. We used the iPads to work out the names of stars and planets. After showers and brushed teeth it was bedtime at 8:30pm. But our rooms were not quite ready for this so we threw a party with our awesome roommates and did not exactly fall asleep.

At 6:00am everyone in our room was awake because of a rooster that kept on making sounds. I loved the morning because there was a nice chilly air blowing on my face. We went out to the rice fields right next door and it was so nice because the sun looked like a beautiful huge red ball in the middle of rice fields. After this it was breakfast time and then we headed off for more cycling to a local pagoda.

by Lisa Cazzola & Iben PoulsenGrade 4

AWESOME EXPERIENCES



by the Student Council

Last month 140 High School students rolled up in their best dresses and slickest suits to the Raffles Le Royal Hotel for a night of glitz and glam at the ISPP Student Council High School Formal with the theme of Old Hollywood. The event was a huge success. The music, loud. The food, delicious. The laughter and camera flashes, abundant.

The turnout went above and beyond our expectations, with tickets selling out for the first time ever on the morning of the event. This was also the graduating class of 2015’s last formal. So many bittersweet and sentimental moments were shared, but they lived it up as they marked their last dance with Taio Cruz’s ‘Dynamite’, the iconic song that was the anthem for all school dances circa 2010. The much anticipated Superlative Awards were also given away that night, with some memorable wins going to Syahmi Fadilah (12) for Best Dressed, Harry McCombe (11) taking home the Sassiest Award, and the Most Likely To Be Evil President Award duly presented to Yaron Ludwig (10). Some other memorable moments from the night included a surprise dance performance by a group of Grade 11 girls. There was also a fantastic impromptu and highly fitting swing dance performance and a heartfelt speech bidding adieu to our Grade 12s.

All in all, a fantastic formal. Massive shout-out to all the volunteers on the Formal Planning Committee who made this spectacular night possible, and to the DJs for dropping the sickest beats. Special thanks to our chaperones; Mr. Etienne, Mr. Brown, Ms. Gawler, Ms. Hodge, Mrs. Latve and Mr. Wright.

OLD HOLLYWOOD

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by Holly Gardner, Organiser

The mission statement for International Day reads, “ISPP’s International Day is, at its core, a community spirit building event. Parents, students, teachers and staff all come together on this day to share and learn about each other’s cultures. In addition to this, the proceeds from this event go to support the ISPP Community and Service Bank.” This was the focus this year when ISPP held it’s first International Day on the new Secondary Campus. This year’s theme “Field of Dreams” was well suited to the event being held on our new football pitch and the day began with 42 countries marching down the centre for the Parade of Nations.

After the parade, the thirty four country booths opened; this was the largest number of country booths ever in the history of the event. Included in this number were first time participants Kosovo, Dominica, the Czech Republic and Zimbabwe. There was a myriad of food, games and knowledge to be had from the booths that circled

FIELD OF DREAMS


by Tabitha Payne and Muni Norodom

In March, four awesome bands went head to head for ISPP’s annual and highly anticipated Battle of the Bands and included Tetris Effect, Prism, OMD and Messed but Obsessed. This year, our audience rocked out to Vance Joy, 5 Seconds of Summer, Queen, Bruno Mars and more! While the competition was fierce - Messed but Obsessed’s “Photograph” was killer, OMD melted every girl’s heart with “She Looks So Perfect”, Tetris Effect sang right to our

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the field. Kids and adults alike made their way around the field to learn about each country and get their passports stamped.

And if you didn’t get enough to eat at the country booths there were participating restaurants that cooked up everything from Indian food, to tacos, to Khmer food and Panini not to mention the ice cream and other treats on offer for those with a sweet tooth.

What about the kids? Beyond getting their passports filled out, there was a Children’s Area with a variety of activities, games, crafts and a bouncy castle offering kids of all ages plenty of fun things to do.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also non-stop entertainment on the main stage that included a French Fashion Show, traditional Kazik music, a clown show, Tae Kwon Do Demonstration, a piano solo, a performance by the ISPP orchestra plus modern, Spanish, Japanese, Bangladeshi, Thai and Swing dancing not to mention plenty of Khmer dancing. On top of all this, the crowd was treated to a sneak preview of the Elementary musical Oliver and a final special performance of the Haka!

All in all it was a great day with something for everyone. As one student summed up, “At International Day, I was able to fully soak in the meaning of living in an international community. It wasn’t as if everyone had their own culture, and they only interacted with others of the same cultures, but rather, that everyone had this ‘global’ culture that encompassed many different cultures.”

CENTRESTAGE

souls with “How to Save a Life” and Prism revved vintage vibes with Nina Simone’s “Feelin’ Good” - one band reigned supreme. In a final showdown, two groups did encores to choose the final winner: Prism and Tetris Effect. Prism with Sophia Kao, Lily Phe, Alex Bunn and Ratima Voogel finished a close second. So in a 3-2 split decision, a huge congratulations to Carlos Karve, Neel Karve, Jakamo Sharpe, Takuya Kochi, and Peter Lee in Grade 10 of Tetris Effect for being this year’s Battle of the Bands Champions! Special thank you to our judges who had a tough job: Mr. Andersson, Ms. Garewal, Mr. Sharples, Lucia Nguyen and Mr. James Sutherland.

This year we also say goodbye to ISPP’s longest running band, Pants, whose band members Muni Norodom, Haruki Fujita, Hugh Smith and Tabitha Payne are now graduating and chose to perform, but not compete, one last time. Tabitha and Muni also served at the MCs for the event. A wholly exciting, and most definitely “face-melting” event, this year’s Battle of the Bands showcased some of the best singing in the event’s history. Many thanks to Mr. Housego for running the event and Mr. Vuthy for keeping the music sounding great. Also thank you to the Grade 9 and Grade 6 volunteers who worked at the gate and to Sarah Woods-Killam, Saskia Hoekx, Eugene Jon and Vani van Nielen who organized the refreshment stand. They’d like to thank all the parents who donated baked goods for the stand! Money from the entrance went to the ISPP’s Community and Service Bank and money from refreshments was organized to raise money for this year’s Tabitha House Build. It was a great event!! Until next year…. rock on!


NEW COMMUNITYHello ISPP community. I’m from Melbourne, Australia originally. I’m looking forward to joining the ISPP community in August. I have been living in Vietnam for the past four years, part of the time in Ho Chi Minh City and most currently in Hanoi. For those four years I have been teaching at the Kindergarten grade level. Prior to living and working in Vietnam I taught in Melbourne, Australia, where I taught a multi age class group of Grade 1 and 2 students. I have visited Cambodia many times since moving to Vietnam, including running the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon a few years ago. I love to travel and experience different cultures. Other than running, I enjoy playing tennis, hiking/trekking, photography and yoga. My partner, Chris, will accompany me to Cambodia and is a MS/HS teacher and photographer. He is from Vancouver, Canada.

ANDREW STEWARTPYP KINDERGARTEN

CATHERINE LAINGMYP LANGUAGE & LITERATURE - ENGLISH/MYP INDIVIDUALS & SOCIETIES

Greetings and Kia Ora koutou from Beijing. I am a New Zealander, with Scottish and Cook Islands heritage. In August, I will be joining the MYP English Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies teaching team. International teaching is essentially my dream job. It combines a love for reading, learning, kids and study, with a love for travel, people and experiencing different cultures. This combination has led to a great number of adventures. Some of my favorites include: bungee jumping with Grade 8 students in Shidu, overseeing a dance-party for Grade 9 students in the grasslands of Mongolia, traveling to Kenya for an MYP Global Poetry Exchange, and coordinating a 48hour ‘Shakespeareathon’ with students from 24 different countries. I have been lucky enough to teach in three great international schools in Bangladesh and China (I am currently at Western Academy of Beijing), and I can’t wait to continue my adventures (and my seemingly endless quest for the perfect noodle soup) in Cambodia.

CAROL CAYFORDDP/MYP LANGUAGE & LITERATURE - ENGLISH

Greetings from the desert! I am coming from Qatar, where I teach English literature at the American School of Doha. I’ve been teaching English in a variety of Canadian and international contexts since 1982, when, at age 21, I went overseas with CUSO (similar to the Peace Corps) to teach for two years at a girls’ school in rural Sierra Leone. Since then, I have worked in remote, aboriginal schools in Northern Saskatchewan, a fancy private school near Toronto, a local comprehensive school in the London (UK) suburbs, and in international schools in Colombia, Uzbekistan, Taiwan and Qatar. I feel privileged to have had opportunities to live, work and travel in interesting places; they have kept me young(ish) and fostered personal & professional growth. I am looking forward to contributing to the vibrant international community at ISPP and to sharing my passion for literature, especially for poetry. I also love animals, hiking, theatre, travel, and eating what someone else cooks!

CARINA COREYPYP GRADE 1

I am married and have a beautiful daughter named, Elizabeth, who was born and raised overseas. She recently graduated from university and is working back home in the United States. My husband, Bill, just retired as an educator, will be joining me. We have been living overseas for 26 years and have had the opportunity to teach in six international schools. My family and I have lived and worked in the United States, Philippines, Taiwan, Bulgaria and China. Over the years, I have taught in the Early Years, Grade One, Grade Two and Visual Arts in Elementary School. I am presently teaching Kindergarten at the Western Academy of Beijing. After many years of amazing overseas experiences, I continue to feel inspired by the thought of yet another wonderful experience as I join the ISPP community.

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DAISY WEIMYP LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - MANDARIN

Da jia hao! I am from China. I am very excited to be joining the ISPP team as a language acquisition teacher. I have taught Mandarin as a second language at Zhuhai International School for four years. I really enjoy teaching international students and working in a multi-cultural environment, so ISPP is the ideal place for me to pursue my teaching career. I am grateful to have this opportunity to contribute to teach the Chinese language and cultural studies in Cambodia and also to learn about other cultures there, too. In my free time, I like yoga, rock climbing, camping, travelling and reading. It will be my first time in Cambodia and I am looking forward to making the move to experience such an amazing country. I will move to Phnom Penh with my partner, Jeremy, we can’t wait to meet you all this summer.

ELIZABETH FORDELEMENTARY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL/PYP COORDINATOR

I will be joining ISPP with my daughters Iona and Dora (currently grades 9 and 6). We are delighted to be joining the ISPP community and making Phnom Penh our home. We are currently living in Uzbekistan where I am the Elementary Assistant Principal/PYP Coordinator at Tashkent International School. I have been teaching in Elementary Schools for over 25 years and have taught all grade levels from Preschool to Grade 5. Prior to Uzbekistan, I have taught in the Netherlands, Malaysia, Spain and England. Although I am originally from the UK, I have taught overseas for most of my career, and like many international school students, my children have never lived in their country of origin. We have many happy memories from our five years in Tashkent, and will miss the wonders of Uzbekistan, but are thrilled at the possibilities waiting for us in Cambodia. We love travelling and exploring new places and are excited about meeting you all.

ELAINE REIMANNPYP EARLY YEARS 2

Having lived in Phnom Penh from 2000 to 2003 my husband Frank and I are looking forward to returning to Cambodia. I am excited to become part of the ISPP Early Years team. For the past nine years I have taught and coordinated the Early Years Centre at the Vientiane International School in Laos. Our two sons, Joshua and Kaleb have graduated with IB diplomas and are now studying in Europe. As an Adult Third Culture Kid, born to Jamaican parents in the United Kingdom, I have lived on four continents in six countries. I have experienced the cultures and languages of the UK, Germany, France, the United States (California and Philadelphia), the Cameroons, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. I am a curious and reflective life long learner and educator. I enjoy challenging experiences to support my growth in understanding and application of learning. I enjoy sport (running and circuit training), reading, and dancing.

DEIDRE SMITHPYP LEARNING SUPPORT

Tena koutou katoa (greetings to you all). Born in Bermuda but a Kiwi at heart (raised in New Zealand from the age of 3). I am a very proud mother of two beautiful daughters, Shaye 24 and Torre´ 21. Now that the girls are older and making their own way in life, I am excited about the opportunity to further enrich my life and teaching vocation through joining the ISPP team and living in Phnom Penh. In my 14 years of teaching I have worked with many students (aged 5 to 16 years) who have had diverse learning and/or behavioural needs, as a classroom teacher, classroom release teacher, RTLB (Resource Teacher in Learning and Behaviour) and an Outreach Teacher (working with students with special needs in the mainstream). When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, visiting new places and regular exercise (Pilates, water aerobics and walking).

DAVID PALLAS GIBANEL BEGO MESADP/MYP LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - SPANISH DP THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE & MYP EAL

Hello ISPP! Although we are both from Spain, we met in London. We have worked at schools in wonderful places like Barcelona, New York City, London, India and Tanzania. But we don’t think we have ever been as excited about going to a new place as we are now about moving to Phnom Penh and working at ISPP. We both love food and cooking, so we can’t wait to enjoy all the delicacies of Cambodian cuisine. We also feel passionate about nature and wildlife and, of course, about getting to know new people and learning about different cultures. We are very happy that we will be joining the ISPP community and we can’t wait to meet you all in August!

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HELEN BARTLETTPYP EARLY YEARS 1

Hello, I am from New Zealand and will be teaching Early Years 1 at the International School Phnom Penh. For the last 14 years I have enjoyed teaching abroad in Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and England. My most recent position was in Jakarta, Indonesia where I also taught 3 year olds. I am passionate about creating quality early childhood programs that develop a life long love of learning. Young children learn and grow when given the opportunity to explore and form questions through their play. Play based learning supports individual learning in a developmentally appropriate and engaging way. Incorporating IT into our daily classroom learning experiences to record the children’s learning and thinking is a valuable tool to share between home and school. Outside of school, I enjoy playing netball and watching most sports, especially rugby. I have recently started running and look forward to participating in short fun runs in Asia.

JONATHAN SMEDES COURTNEY SMEDESSECONDARY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL/MYP INDIVIDUALS & SOCIETIES PYP GRADE 2

Hello, we are delighted to be joining the ISPP community next year. We have heard wonderful things about Phnom Penh and Cambodia, and are looking forward to exploring a new city and country. We are originally from Melbourne, Australia, but in recent years have called South East Asia home. We are currently in our fifth year working at Vientiane International School, Lao PDR, where Courtney is currently an SEN teacher and Jonathan is MYP Coordinator. Prior to that we spent three years at an International school in Medan, Indonesia. We will be coming to ISPP with our two sons, Gabe, four, who loves playing soccer and swimming, and Leon, two, who has recently discovered how to be cheeky! Outside of the classroom, Courtney enjoys swimming, yoga and playing with the kids. Jonathan enjoys sports, especially football (both AFL and soccer) and photography. We are looking forward to the next chapter of our lives and are excited to meet the ISPP community.

JOHN HOLBERYAQUATICS DIRECTOR

Greetings. I am coming to ISPP in July as the Aquatics Director, a role I am thoroughly looking forward to. My wife, Anne Newman, and two daughters, India, 11 and Summer Rose, 10, will accompany me. We have been in Nanjing, China for the past 6 years. Currently I am the Aquatics Director at Nanjing International School. Initially, I was on the building project management team - designing the pool and fit-out of its building before creating and implementing the current school swimming programmes. Anne also works at NIS teaching grade 2. Prior to this we were at Dresden International School, Germany for three years. The past nine years has challenged what used to be normal for us in Australia but we love the opportunities to live and work abroad while experiencing different cultures as part of our daily life. We are all very excited about coming to Cambodia and becoming part of the ISPP community.

JAMES SCHOFIELDPYP GRADE 5

Hello. I am incredibly excited to be joining the ISPP team next year. I can’t wait to meet everyone and start the new school year. I have heard the community is incredibly warm and welcoming. I am originally from Cambridge in England. I worked for four years in Primary Schools in Manchester and London before moving to Busan in South Korea. I have been in Korea for four years, time I have enjoyed greatly. I am a big sports fan, in particular football (soccer) and cricket. In my spare time I enjoy running and love snowboarding in winter, however I have heard the snowboarding isn’t great in Cambodia! I love to travel and can’t wait to explore Cambodia and the rest of South East Asia. I also love music and love playing the guitar, ukulele and singing, although not all at the same time!

EMILIE QIPYP FOREIGN LANGAGE - MANDARIN

Hello ISPP Community, I am so excited to join the ISPP team as a Mandarin teacher for the coming school year. For the time being, I teach Chinese Mandarin at an international school in Phnom Penh. Previously I taught mandarin in Jiangsu Province in China for two years. I come from mainland China. Now I live in Phnom Penh with my family. So far, we’ve been living here for more than 5 years. We all love Cambodia and will live here long term. I love travelling, dancing and reading. I am also co-founder of “Phnom Penh Chinese Speakers” group, which is a social association focused on Chinese Mandarin language, and in which participate members from a variety of nationalities. I am also a member of Phnom Penh Accueil, a French association. I love kids, and really enjoy teaching. Looking forward to meeting my new colleagues and my new “kids”. See you all in August!

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JUN GUODP/MYP LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - MANDARIN

Ni hao, hi my name is Jun. I was born and raised in Beijing, Mandarin is my mother tongue language. When I was a young boy, I was passionate about Chinese language literature and culture. After my secondary education, I was admitted to Beijing Normal University, and majored in Chinese Language and Literature. From there I went on to study a Master’s Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at University Hong Kong. That program is the only course to provide IB Certificate in Teaching and Learning recognized by the IB in the Asian area! After graduation, I went back to my hometown to teach IBDP Chinese. I have now been involved in IB teaching and learning for over four years. I spend most of my leisure time playing sport, traveling, reading, writing, watching movies, and catching up with friends and family. It is my pleasure to be a part of ISPP.

NATALIA DEL PILAR ORJUELA LEONMYP MATHEMATICS/SCIENCE

Hi everyone. I am from Bogotá, Colombia where I have been teaching MYP Science in an international school. Being a science and math teacher is something that I love; helping students explore their curiosity, guiding them through their learning process and along the way finding their strengths is what makes me keep on working every day. Apart from teaching, one of the things that I enjoy the most is travelling and getting to know different cultures. I have lived most of my life in Colombia and in the United States, I have also had the chance to visit some countries in America and Europe. However, it is not the same visiting a country as a tourist to being an actual resident. This is why I want to live in another country and experience the culture it has to offer. I am excited to work at ISPP and experience the culture of Cambodia.

MELINDA MACKENZIE PYP KINDERGARTEN

My name is Melinda MacKenzie and I am thrilled to be joining the ISPP Community in August! I am from a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada and am currently teaching PYP Physical Education at Munich International School in Germany where I have been for the past four years; I also collaborate on the PYP Curriculum Team, am a member of the Intercultural Awareness Committee, a girls’ football coach as well as the Tanzania Project Coordinator. Prior to working at MIS, I was a Year 1 classroom teacher in China and I taught EAL in South Korea for three years. I have lived abroad since completing my undergraduate degree at Acadia University and travel has become a passion along with my desire to lend a helping hand to those in need. I am excited for my Phnom Penh adventure, to explore Cambodia and to get back into the classroom! See you in August!

KATIE BARBUTODP ECONOMICS/MYP INDIVIDUALS & SOCIETIES

I am very excited to be joining the ISPP community. I am an American, originally from California. For the past 12 years I have been teaching in New York City. After graduating from Teachers College, Columbia I have worked with both middle and high school students teaching history and economics. This summer I had the opportunity to volunteer in Myanmar with Teachers Across Borders. There I realized it was finally time to make my dream of living abroad come true. While I love New York (even the winter sometimes) I am excited to be embarking on a new adventure at my first international school. I look forward to moving to Cambodia and getting to know Phnom Penh. In my spare time I love to read, cook and explore new places.

KARYN TEMPLETON SIMON TEMPLETONDPYP GRADE 2 PYP GRADE 4

Kiaora (greetings from NZ). We are thrilled about becoming part of the ISPP team. We have both been educators in New Zealand for many years; working in a variety of teaching and leadership roles within our home country. Teaching is a rewarding occupation that we feel privileged to be part of. We love teaching literacy and bringing innovation and fun into the classroom. Simon is a passionate rugby supporter and loves all sports. He enjoys pottering in the garden and likes to think he can fix things. Karyn loves the theatre, music, and paints and teaches art whenever the opportunity arises. She also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and is excited about learning to cook some local dishes. We have two daughters who will be in Grades 5 and 6. In our spare time, our family enjoys travelling, spending time with friends and family, and exploring our beautiful country. Now it’s time to explore yours!

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ONUR GÜNDOĞDU DP PHYSICS/MYP MATHEMATICS

A big hello to the ISPP community! I am Turkish and I live in Istanbul, in the middle of East and West. Every day I look at Asia from Europe or across the Bosphorus from one continent to another on a ferry, past the beautiful silhouette of Istanbul. However, since December, I have been pre-occupied with dreams about the treasures of Cambodia and southeast Asia. I have been teaching for 12 years at two different international schools, where I have worked with wonderful teachers and taught students from all over the world. I look forward to this new chapter in my life with a new group of wonderful people both from ISPP and Phnom Penh. I have a passion for meeting new people, seeing new places and having different experiences. I love sharing different perspectives and knowledge. I really can’t wait to throw away my thick coats and enjoy the weather in Phnom Penh with my motorbike!

SITA VERMAMYP DRAMA

I came to Phnom Penh from Sweden two years ago with my family; my husband works in the development field. I have three children at ISPP: Pawan in EY2, Mia in Grade 1 and Nayan in Grade 4. We all enjoy living in Cambodia tremendously and hope to stay here for quite some time. As you can see I am not new to the ISPP community and some of you might already know me because I have done some teaching in Secondary Drama Department this year. I have a degree as an actress as well as a drama teacher. I have worked within the field of drama both as a teacher and professional actress since 1998, mostly in Sweden, Denmark, USA and India. I am really looking forward to joining the ISPP arts team and to teaching drama at the new campus and in the new theatre next year!

PHILOMENE FRANSSENDP/MYP LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - FRENCH

Bonjour and Namaskar. Yes that’s right, I am French, from a small town not too far from Paris, but after spending the last nine years in India, I’m not sure what to answer when curious minds jump on me in a busy market and ask me: “Where are you from ?” India is my home and I feel truly Indian at heart. It has been the most incredible journey and now it’s time for a new chapter! I am absolutely thrilled to embark on this new adventure at ISPP in Cambodia and I am really looking forward to discovering the country, culture, people and the language. During my free time, my hobbies are yoga and photography, I love clicking portraits especially. I am also a language lover and I have tried my hand at learning just a few in the past decade. I am excited to have an opportunity to learn Khmer. I’m looking forward to meeting you all.

NATALYA KHONMYP MUSIC

Salom there, I am from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Ethnically I am Korean and my mother tongue is Russian. I studied piano and made a long learning journey along that path. After graduating the Music Conservatory in Tashkent I performed piano professionally and wrote articles about cultural events in Tashkent for the state newspapers. One day I was offered a job teaching music and I decided to try it. Why not? It turned out quite well and here I am, a music teacher that helps develop the skills and understanding of music for the younger generation. I have been working in education for 15 years and six of them at Tashkent International School. I will continue my international teaching journey at ISPP that I look forward to joining you! Thank you and Доброго дня!

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SMALL ADDITIONSCongratulations to the parents on their newest addition to the family and to the ISPP Community

Daniel JungHu Min, son of Monica Hwang was born on February 12.

Mey Ling Lim, daughter of Ms. Nheop was born on March 8.

Hunter Paul James Albert, son of Suzie Hammel was born on February 12.


What have you been up to since graduating? I've been learning to cook and do laundry like a pro, while studying International Management at the University of Warwick. It's a four year course which is a bit odd here in the UK, but I'll be spending my third year abroad either in a partner institution or in an industry placement internship.

What is your favourite memory from ISPP? There are quite a few favourites, but I have a soft spot for PPMUN 2013. I also followed this year's PPMUN and I was so impressed! The press team was phenomenal and the organisers even made it an international event! I'm so proud of you all.

What do you miss most about Phnom Penh? Tuk tuks. Trying to describe them to British people is always fun.

What did you find most difficult to adapt to after leaving ISPP and how did you overcome it? The style of teaching. My lecturers are great, but they cover content super quickly. It was tough at first but I learned to adjust. My tactic is to park myself at one of the university's silent 24-hour learning facilities and read my textbooks until I do understand.

How did studying at ISPP shape your world view? ISPP provided a supportive, non-judgmental

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We caught up with Jonathan Khaw (class of 2014) who shared his latest news along with some of his favourite ISPP memories. Jonathan Khaw (pictured above right) with Isadora Janssen (Class of 2013) at Cambridge University’s

Model United Nations conference.

Find out what more of our ISPP alumni are up to by visiting the ISPP Alumni blog www.isppalumni.tumblr.com. Thida Leiper, Alumni & Community Relations

environment that allowed me to push myself. I gained a lot of confidence there, be it from my involvement in extracurricular activities or hopelessly dramatic Wednesday Assembly announcements. From all of this exposure, I gained quite a special world view at ISPP: you shouldn't feel self conscious about putting yourself out there. Everyone else is probably too absorbed with their own thoughts to judge you. It was by far the most liberating realisation I've ever had.

If you could describe ISPP in three words, what would they be?Colourful, supportive and accepting.

What are your plans for the future?As a TCK, I really don't have a home country so I'm seriously considering working here in the UK after I graduate. My university is great at bringing big-name prospective employers in to scope out the students, so I'll try and do some firm handshakin' and impressin'.

If you could give the Grade 12 class advice at their graduation, what would it be? University is awesome. The grass IS greener. The IB can be terrible sometimes, but it's worth it in the end if you get your priorities straight and keep looking ahead. If you are struggling through it like I was, acknowledge that and seek help. Everyone, keep fighting!

MEMORIES


ISPP’S 25 YEARS FESTIVALJumble sale bouncy castleface painting aquathonbook sale SWIMMINGentertainment games CRAFTfood & drinks BIRTHDAY CAKE

FREE ENTRY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 201511AM - 3PMISPP SECONDARY CAMPUS Aquathon at 11AM

For more info email [email protected] or 077 990 857

25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE 1989 - 2014


ISPP’S 25 YEARS FESTIVALJumble sale bouncy castleface painting aquathonbook sale SWIMMINGentertainment games CRAFTfood & drinks BIRTHDAY CAKE

FREE ENTRY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 201511AM - 3PMISPP SECONDARY CAMPUS Aquathon at 11AM

For more info email [email protected] or 077 990 857

25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE 1989 - 2014


ISPP Pulse February - March 2015

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