Message from AQC 1 How to Improve Your English Skills? 2 ...ashwickehallschool.sabis.net/downloads/newsletter/january-2016.pdf · Boys Boarding Message from AQC 1 How to Improve Your

Message from AQC 1

How to Improve Your English Skills? 2

Sing Along with Mr. Lloyd-Carter 2

Is Your French Truly Formidable? 3

Academic Notices 3

Upcoming Periodics 3

Student Life – Trips and Events 4

First Weeks of Boarding at the Girl’s Dorm 5

Boarder of the Week 5 Boys Boarding 6 So, What Do You Think About SIS-UK? 6 Collecting Memories and Keeping in Touch 8

Newsletter Issue No.1 - January 2016

SABIS International School UK Issue No.1 – January 2016


As this is SIS-UK’s official Newsletter, I wish to take this opportunity to not only thank everyone who has made this Newsletter possible, but to also congratulate the students and staff for being the first to contribute to the Newsletter. The first thank you goes to all the students who have made SIS-UK their home for Term 2. The second thank you goes to Ms Timea Demeter who has worked diligently to design and prepare the newsletter. The third thank you is for all the staff and students who have contributed to the newsletter, and for those who now are enjoying reading the newsletter. For the final thank you, I especially want to thank the teachers at SIS-UK, who are not only brilliant, but through their dedicated commitment to extra clubs, trips and activities have made the experience for our students inside and outside the classroom truly memorable – as the Japanese proverb pronounces, “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher”

John Nicholson – School Director

Editorial Board: Katherine Hanna Rafeef Kilani Timea Demeter

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Message from AQC

As this is our first newsletter, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘Welcome to SIS-UK!’ It is with great pleasure that I wish all our new and returning students a wonderful experience and a very fruitful Term 2 at our school. All our students have an opportunity to develop as individuals while also learning to respect other cultures and practices. Personally, I have enjoyed meeting our students so far and a lot of them have spent some time getting to know me. The benefit of the boarding school is that we can all communicate fluently and be part of an incredible family. With that in mind, I hope that everyone will involve

themselves in the SLO department and really immerse themselves in activities and sports. There is plenty going on all around us and we hope that when the weather improves, you will all be outside running around and enjoying the British countryside. Remember to get yourselves to the library and get a book! When you have done your study, books are an excellent way to unwind and are kind on your eyes. We all spend too long fixed to our electronic devices, so why not read a work of fiction? Some historical facts? Maybe a biographical book? I really encourage you to unlock your mind and improve your reading. While here, everyone has been enjoying so many incredible trips which are leaving lasting memories. Our students are living an opportunity to develop excellent study skills and realise the satisfaction gained from taking an independent grasp of learning. I know that we still have a lot of weeks left in this wonderful term and so I wish everyone, staff and students, good fortune for the remaining weeks ahead. I am always available to meet with students and discuss any questions or concerns they have. Parents, please do not hesitate to contact me on my email or call. Kind regards Andy Hassan Grades 7-12 Academic Quality Coordinator [email protected] (+44) 1225 891 841

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How to improve your English skills?

Big welcome from Mrs Porter and Miss Strand! We have had out first AMS and recognise the need for revision and have discovered the joys of Quizlet to help with class reader vocab. There are lots of good grammar websites to practice on as you only need to learn what you get wrong. Also many of you have found your way to the library- please bring a book to AMS in case after you have finished your exam and checked it through if you still have some spare time to read. Books are a great way for you to improve your English skills,

along with grammar, vocab and the sheer enjoyment of a good book! We will be taking a note of how many books you read whilst you are here. Please hand in book reviews to Mrs Porter as there will be a prize at the end of the term for the most well-read student- though you will have a long way to go to catch up with Caelan! Talking of reading- PRE_READ everything: make a note of what is coming up in anthology and read it before the lesson and finish your class readers. This will help you get a deeper understanding of the characters and plot when you go over it in lesson and troublesome vocab can be cleared up. The first drafts for the writing are also being handed in with our eye on the periodic. This is a brand new writing scheme designed by SABIS® - please note the rubrics and comments made by your teachers. The ones I have seen so far have lost a lot of unnecessary marks. Let’s all aim high! Mrs Porter

Sing along with Mr. Lloyd-Carter

Our students have many opportunities to explore Music at our School. We have a classroom full of keyboards, guitars and a drum kit to provide students the chance to explore and engage with music practically. Our grade 9 students are currently learning to provide sound tracks to short film clips and will be recorded at the end of term (stay tuned to the Facebook page to see what they’ve created). ‘SABIS® singers’ runs Mondays 4:15-5:15pm and we learn to sing Pop songs ready to perform at our awards ceremony. Last term’s performances of ‘Irresistible’ by Fall out Boy and ‘Wild’ by Troye Sivan were amazing (visit our Facebook page to find links to the videos). ‘Music Studio’ runs Wednesdays 4-5pm which gives the students the opportunity to develop their creative side through using a program called ‘Sibelius’ and learn how a song is produced. We uploaded a couple of examples of students’ work last term on our YouTube account. Every week I run a Film Theme competition where I provide students with a small piece of Music and, by playing it on a Piano; they must work out which movie it is from. Do keep in touch with us, especially near the end of term, to see what our students this term create!

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Is your French truly formidable?

Ever wanted to test your knowledge of French against International standards? The DELF exam allows you to do just this. This session is ideal to practice all your language skills, even if you don't want to take the exam. Room 12 during SLO, 3:15 on Wednesdays Ask Mme Dathan for details

Academic Notices

A lot of students still do not complete the diaries to the best of their ability. This is a crucial part of being an independent learner and helps the student and house parent to know what homework there is to be done. Please make sure we fill these out fully and clearly. A lot of the students have a study period during the day when languages are going on. Please can all students remember how important it is to use this time wisely. Extra study for exams or time to do homework in the day will mean you can enjoy your free time in the evenings and don’t feel overwhelmed with too much work to do at night.

Upcoming periodics

Week 10 Week 11

Grade 7 Math / Science English Final Composition / 2nd Lang Composition

Grade 8 Social Studies / Math

English Final Composition / 2nd Lang Composition

Grade 9 Social Studies / Math

English Final Composition / 3rd Language

Grade 10 Math / Economics English Final Composition / 2nd Lang Composition

Grade 11 Math / History English Final Composition / 2nd Lang Composition

Grade 12 Math / English Lit New English Exam based on stories studied.

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Student life – trips and events

The Student Life Organisation has been off to a roaring start with over 30 clubs and activities up and running, to give our new boarders the best taste of boarding school life. We now have our prefects set up, so keep checking the SLO boards for notifications! The students have so far enjoyed Zorb Football, watching Star Wars at the cinema and Bowling in Bristol as part of their School Trips. We are looking forward to ending the month with two exciting trips to London, visiting the Madame Tussauds, The British Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and so some shopping at Westfield Shopping Mall. Watch this space to find out how their adventures went…

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First weeks of boarding at the Girl’s dorm The first week of the winter term has been exciting and challenging, as a new group of students arrived at Ashwicke Hall. After the initial bouts of nervousness, the girls quickly settled into their new home for the next two months, getting to know their roommates and other boarders; unpacking, decorating their rooms and throwing themselves enthusiastically into boarding life! After our arrivals weekend, students settled into classes and activities, returning to the house in the evenings chatting excitedly about their day, it’s great to hear the house full of fun and laughter again. On Saturday evening, after a day out shopping and sightseeing in Bath, everyone gathered in the common room for a pyjama party, to watch films, play games and relax. On Sunday afternoon, during a break from classes and study time, we baked chocolate brownies, which were unanimously agreed to be delicious, and prepared for the next week of school, with trips to the cinema and various afternoon activities planned. It has been a fantastic first week, and all students (and staff!) are looking forward to an exciting term! Miss Sims (Houseparent) & Miss Townsend (Assistant Houseparent)

Boarder of the week: Loulwa Sinno

Each week in the dorms the House Staff like to nominate one of our Boarders as Boarder of the Week. They can be nominated for a

variety of reasons, including being particularly helpful, kind, or in this case, enthusiastic! Loulwa burst into the Boarding House last week, her enthusiasm and kindness; both to girls in her dorm and others, resulted in her quickly becoming an integral part of the House and

really bringing students together. Loulwa has written a short article on her first week in Boarding at

SABIS -UK: When I first entered my new room I was so happy meeting new friends, especially Malak, who was extremely surprised about me dancing and singing! Then I met Rosalina, who had every single small detail packed with her, she was very prepared! The next day Malak and I were unpacking and drawing when Aishah arrived. Aishah had been to SABIS-UK before and knew everything, which was very helpful!

That night after assembly, returning to boarding, we saw Rama confused about which room she was in, we took her to our room and were telling her ‘unpack, unpack!’, but she was too busy exploring! On Saturday, the trip to Bath was amazing, walking around the crescent and a beautiful park, we visited the Abbey and then went shopping. We bought clothes, accessories for the room and snacks for our pyjama party. When we came back from Bath we all got dressed, brought songs and snacks, then we had a pillow fight before we did manicures and pedicures for each other. Three days later we went bowling, and although we tried scoring some strikes, it was very hard! This weekend I am looking forward to visiting London again and buying some posters for my room.

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Boys Boarding

The boys have taken really well to boarding, many of them for the first time. It is obvious that for most of them it is the first time they have had any real freedom from their parents. Although this throws a few negatives as well as positives. For example, having the responsibility to tidy up after themselves, it has been a challenge, most particularly in case of their clothes. Although after starting to get the hang of it, many have expressed satisfaction of learning these life skills. The boys are fully enjoying that they are able to spend all day with their friends. New bonds are made much quicker and they become much stronger in the boarding environment. The common room is a great space to develop friendships and it gives the boys the chance to socialize with the entire dorm. The majority of the students are very sporty and have become really accustomed to spending all their free time in the sports hall. This has been excellent for keeping them active and healthy. Overall, the boarding house is a wonderful environment for working and socializing and the bonds of friendship are made and strengthened over the term and calendar year.

So, what do you think about SIS-UK? “When I first found out that I was coming to SIS-UK, I was so excited and nervous all at once. Now I feel really happy because I have wonderful friends. I also get along very well with my roommates. The trips so far were all really interesting and fun and I am really excited about the Harry Potter studio trip that will be coming up. I am getting along so well with my teachers as they are all so nice. From time to time I do miss my parents and siblings back home, but I keep in touch with them so they don’t feel too far away. I Would definitely consider coming back here again. It’s only been three weeks here and already feel like I never want to leave.”

Malak, Grade 7.

“When I first found out that I was coming to SISUK, I was excited because a lot of my friends who have been here previously said that it was a really great experience. As for my experience, I’m not going to lie, I expected the food to be better, but everything else is sensational. I get along well with my roommates, very well actually. They are all so friendly. I also enjoyed the trips, they were really fun. In the future I look to the Madame Tussauds and Harry Potter studio trips. Regarding the teachers, they all care about delivering the material properly. Of course, I miss my parents and siblings back home. This is the longest I’ve gone without them. But we keep in touch. I am definitely considering coming back next term, and I’ll bring my friends with me next time.”

Laila Hamza, Grade 8

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“I didn’t believe it when I first found out that I was coming to SIS-UK because I’ve wanted to come since grade 7. Then I debated whether or not I should come. After that I found I might not come, and I was devastated. Then things worked out and I managed to come. Now I feel a little bit homesick but overall really happy. The school is not exactly as I imagined it, but I’m used to it now. The trips so far were all really good, except for the Natural History Museum. I’m not really sure what trips we’re going to in the future, but hope to visit the more famous places. My teachers are really nice I get along well with them. I miss so much my parents and siblings back home, but I call my mom nearly every day. I think I would consider coming back here again, maybe in the summer.”

Grade 9 Student

“When I first found out I was coming to SIS-UK I was excited. I feel really good about my decision to come here now, even though this school isn’t what I expected it to be. My roommates and I are getting along, so that’s good. Also my teachers and I are getting along. I really like all the trips we’ve don’t so far, and I’m really looking forward to paintball. It was only during the first week that I actually missed my parents, but I’m ok now. I’m not really sure if I want to come back here again though. I’ll decide at the end of term.”

Nasser Al Nuami, Grade 9.

“I was expecting everything to happen as it had; I got shocked though when I came on the first day and found a lot of flies in my room and that rattled me. The teachers here are amazing and explain really well! My roommates were very nice to me and now we are best friends always having fun together, as for my classmates I am getting to know them a lot better. The trips are really fun! Both the trips on Tuesday and Saturday amuse me as I get a chance to get close to my newfound friends. I thought about joining a lot of clubs including: Russian club, fitness club, and yoga! And I’m excited to try something new. The sports hall has been very well used by me as I go there a lot to play with my friends!”

Rosalina Grade 7

“Everything around here needs getting used to, including the fact that the rooms were way smaller than expected but that was fine as I got to share my room with my awesome roommates we always seem to get along and that is an amusing thing as we are great friends but we had just met! I have been improving greatly and so have my roommates from the help of my other roommate who was kind enough to help us! I seem to be enjoying classes here more than I was back home I don’t know if it is because of the different environment or the people or anything but I just seem to be having fun even in class. Home-sickness doesn’t bother me as much as I am so overwhelmed with everything and besides I have found a new family. I seem to be playing sports everyday now thanks to the variety of fun activities the school offers and I enjoy having fun participating in these activities with my friends! I love the trips on Saturday as I love shopping and that is what I enjoy most on Saturdays!”

Issa Al Balushi Grade 8

“I expected this and saw it coming but I was still awestruck by the beauty of this vast land. I have been getting along with my roommates and classmates very well and even though we haven’t been together for long I already feel like they’re my family. Our teachers are very nice and very cooperative and that makes me confident in improving my marks for this year as a change already seems to be on the horizon. I enjoy both trips equally as much and I love hanging out with my newfound friends during these trips where we strengthen our friendships and tighten our bonds. I honestly didn’t think it would be this easy to stay away from home and be so comfortable but it worked and it’s all thanks to my teachers, house parents, and friends.”

Hana Soliman Grade 8

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“I was honestly expecting the rooms to be larger but they are fine now as I have already gotten used to them and to sharing them with my great roommates and friends. When I first got here I was so excited and now I feel satisfied and I feel like it’s worth it to be so far from my family and I know that I will enjoy myself as much as I can!! My classmates have been very nice to me and I’ve made great friends of them and I also made friends of people who are neither my classmates nor my roommates do I know that I’m improving my social skills and I also noticed that in this short period of time I am already independent and that was one of the main reasons I came here. I have come to like some my classes more here and I have also been able to increase my average and that I am proud of. For the trips I seem to enjoy the trips on Tuesday more as we get to bond with more people as on Saturday everyone splits up and you can only see the people in your group. In general I like both trips and the whole experience has been great!”

Hassan Allam grade 9

Collecting memories and keeping in touch We are delighted to welcome everyone to the second term of the 2015-16 school year. The study abroad program is a unique experience for any student. Therefore, we wish to capture all the important moments and offer a collection of memories that they can share with friends and family. To ensure a good communication, we set up the following platforms, each with their specific functions:

Webschool: Offers official information about the grades of the students, the assigned homework, announcements and photos. On every Monday we send you an Announcement with the private links to the photo albums that we created in the previous week. It is important to remember, that SIS-UK requires a different password an username to log into this account, then the ones used for the home school. Please let us know if you haven’t received these credentials in your inbox at the beginning of this term.

Facebook: The place where you can view some of the pictures taken on trips, school events and SLO activities. You can find the page at: http://www.facebook.com/sisukbath

Twitter: communicates real time updates about events and activities that happen at our school. Available at: https://twitter.com/SIS_UK.

One issue of the newsletter will be published every month, so we welcome suggestions regarding the topics that you wish to see in it. Feel free to send us your ideas to: [email protected] We are so excited to have so many amazing students, and we look forward to a great term!

http://www.facebook.com/sisukbath

https://twitter.com/SIS_UK

mailto:[email protected]

Ashwicke Hall, Marshfield, Wiltshire, SN14 8AG, Bath, United Kingdom Tel: (+44) 1225 891 841 Fax: (+44) 1225 891 011 E-mail: [email protected] Website: sisuk.sabis.net

Message from AQC 1 How to Improve Your English Skills? 2 ...ashwickehallschool.sabis.net/downloads/newsletter/january-2016.pdf · Boys Boarding Message from AQC 1 How to Improve Your

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