Week 5- 2020 "News Letter" Dear Parents and Guardians
Annual General Meeting 11th March 7.00 p.m in the Training Room I urge all parents to attend this most important annual event. To obtain a quorum at least 53 parents must be present. The AGM is an opportunity to hear from current board members about 2019 and to participate in the election of new board members and the new PTFA Chair for 2020. Meetings usually last no more than one and a half hours and light refreshments will be provided. The School will also run a creche for younger children on the night. The Board would like to hear from anyone interested in becoming either a board member or the Chair of PTFA (who also sits on the Board). Please call Tony Baron personally on either 30186 or 7321385 to receive further details.
A provisional agenda is printed below and I will circulate more information two days prior to the event.
Woodford School Board of Management Annual General Meeting 7pm, Wednesday 11th March, 2020 Provisional Agenda
1. Confirmation of the Minutes of the 2019 Annual General Meeting 2019 Minutes will be emailed to parents prior to the meeting 2. Board’s Annual Report (Chair of the Board Peter Matherson represented by Sebastian Ilala)Written report will be Emailed to parents prior to the meeting 3. Treasurer and Business Manager’s report (Ed McCowan)
4. Head of School’s report (Tony Baron, Head of School)
5. Questions from the floor
6. Election of members of the next Woodford School Board (Ed McCowan, Returning Officer) nominations for parent representatives received prior to the 3rd March will be emailed to parents nominations can also be accepted from the floor at the AGM there are four vacancies for board members and one for the PTFA chair 7. Election of the Chairperson of the Board (Ed McCowan Returning Officer)
8. Appointment of Auditor the current Board suggests that the auditors, Morris and Sojnocki, be re-appointed 9. Motions to amend the Constitution (if any received by the 3rd March)
Mufti Day Friday 28 February Mufti Days are organised by the Student Council as a fundraiser. They are on the Friday of week 5 of each term. The Student Council comes up with a theme for the Mufti day and students come dressed in that theme on Mufti day. Students who come dressed in Mufti have to pay $5.00 which goes to the Student Council and will be used for projects in the school or the community. The theme for Primary School: “Colours of the Rainbow” The theme for Secondary school: “Tropical Island”
Woodford’s Instagram account We're so happy to announce that Woodford now has an Instagram account! Follow us at @wis.edu.sb to see all the latest activities, event photos and maybe some inside scoop from our student council. https://www.instagram.com/wis.edu.sb/
Secondary Department 1. STEM is now in its second week. Students have been allocated into groups and each team has a staff mentor. They should choose a topic for their project by next week. 2. ECA's are running, if your child/ren have signed up for ECA, please encourage your child/ren and check that he/she is participating as expected. 3. Ensure that your child wears their shoes and school uniform when coming to school. If they have a genuine excuse for not wearing proper shoes or uniform, please write a note or contact the homeroom teacher or Middle & High School coordinators. 4. A big thank you to WEST (Woodford Education Support Team). They have done a tremendous job in helping our High school students in proper planning their time for study and also on behavioural control. A reminder to parents and students that we have a support team and a school counsellor so feel free to maximise the support we offer. 5. General punctuality to school. School starts at 8:20 am so be at school beforehand. 6. All PE classes for High school are in the morning so students can come to school wearing their PE uniform and change into their school uniform after their PE sesion.. 7. The school requires students to make use of the lockers and store their school belongings inside, instead of carrying their bags around. PLEASE use your locker. 8. Students who have missed unit tests, quizzes, assignments or practicals due to illness (or any excused absence) should make arrangements with the teachers concerned to do the assessments (or alternative assessment) as some are assessed internally. Upcoming Events Week 5 Friday 28 February: MUFTI Day. Theme for Primary School: “Colours of the Rainbow” Theme for Secondary School: “Tropical Island”Friday 28 February: Year 2 Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 12 Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall. Week 6 Friday 6 March: Year 5 Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 6B Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall Week 7 Monday 9- 13 Friday: Book Week Wednesday 11 March: AGM at 7 pm in the Training Room Friday 13 March: Book Week Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 8 Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall Enjoy the rest of the week!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Board Members The Board is looking for new board member nominations for the AGM on 11th March. For more information please contact me on [email protected]
Fees A quick reminder that all Term 1 fees are now due. Please pay promptly to avoid burdening the school with any of the additional costs associated with late payments. A big thank you to the many parents that have paid up fully and in good time.
Munch and Sip break in Primary School What is Munch and Sip? It is a set break to eat fruit or salad vegetables and drink water. Students refuel with fruit or vegetables during this 10 minute break, which is between recess and lunch.
Why have Munch and Sip? It encourages fruit and vegetable munching and drinking water. It assists in physical and mental performance and concentration. Munch and Sip gives students the opportunity to eat a piece of fruit that might otherwise be left in their lunchbox or thrown in the bin at school.
What can parents do? For the munch and sip break parents will need to provide their children with: an extra piece of fruit or vegetables and a bottle of water. The tuckshop also has fruit available for munch and sip.
Mufti Day Friday 28 February Mufti Days are organised by the Student Council as a fundraiser. They are on the Friday of week 5 of each term. The Student Council comes up with a theme for the Mufti day and students come dressed in that theme on Mufti day. Students who come dressed in Mufti have to pay $5.00 which goes to the Student Council and will be used for projects in the school or the community. The theme for Primary School: The theme for Secondary school: “Tropical Island”
Term 1 Event News Woodford's Got Talent will be on Saturday 21st of March. Sign-up forms are available in the office as well as with the committee members: Ms Wendy (Yr 6) and Mr Ben (WEST). Auditions are in Week 5 and 6 in the music room during lunch time. For more information, attached please see the poster.
Book Week is in Week 7. The theme for this year’s Book Week is: “Curious Creatures, Wild Minds”. More details about the Book Week will be provided later.
Woodford’s Instagram account We're so happy to announce that Woodford now has an Instagram account! Follow us at @wis.edu.sb to see all the latest activities, event photos and maybe some inside scoop from our student council. https://www.instagram.com/wis.edu.sb/
Secondary Department Thank you to the parents/guardians who have acquired PE uniforms for their child/ren. Secondary school is tightening up on wearing the proper uniform during PE sessions. If a student has lost his/her PE uniform or still needs to buy it, please try and do so before next week. Students who are not wearing their PE uniforms without any good reasons and notification from a parent/guardian, will not participate in PE activities.
Middle School 1. STEM has been successfully initiated on Wednesday this week (week 4). 2. All students are now actively using their lockers. Please contact Joycelyn at [email protected] if you have any issues regarding student lockers. 3. All students should now have full access to their ebooks for Math, English, Science and SOSE. It has been shared on google drive. If your child/ren still doesn't have access, please email the Middle School Coordinator, [email protected] for any queries regarding Middle School.
High School 1. The High school students (Year 9 and 10) had an inspiring educational and motivational talk on Wednesday 19th February from Dr Derek Mane (Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister, PhD International Development). He talked to the students about his educational pathway, career options and the successes and challenges faced through his journey. Thank you, Dr Derek Mane! 2. There was a New Zealand Aid Scholarship talk from Berris Olitisa (NZ Development Programme Coordinator) for Year 11 and 12 students on Wednesday 19th February. The talk was very timely and informative for students who would be applying for NZ Aid Scholarships. Thank you Berris Olitisa. 3. Some unit tests for High school subjects have already been done, others are just around the corner. Students are urged to study diligently to perform well in these assessments as some of them will be internally assessed and used for semester one grades. Upcoming Events Week 4 Friday 21 February: Year 4 Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 9 Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall Friday 21 February: Year 4 Garage Sale at 3:00 pm in the hall. Week 5 Friday 28 February: MUFTI Day. Theme for Primary School: “Colours of the Rainbow” Theme for Secondary School: “Tropical Island”Friday 28 February: Year 2 Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 12 Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
Week 3 Term 1- 2020 Dear Parents and Guardians,
IB Grant I am pleased to inform you all that Woodford has been awarded an IB Grant for 2020 from the prestigious International Baccalaureate Organisation. This award is in recognition of the excellent work the school does in offering the IB Primary Years Programme especially in the face of financial and other constraints. It follows as a result of the evaluation visit by the International Baccalaureate that many of you will remember from May last year. We will utilize the grant to offset amounts for IB Professional Development, i.e., workshop registrations for IB-run events and IB online courses.
Fees A quick reminder that all Term 1 fees are now due. Please pay promptly to avoid burdening the school with any of the additional costs associated with late payments. A big thankyou to the many parents that have paid up fully and in good time.
Board Members The Board are looking for new board member nominations for the AGM on 11th March. For more information please contact me on [email protected]
Caring Hearts Assembly On Friday 14 February the Primary School will have a Caring Hearts Assembly in which WISE, Year 3 and Year 5 students will show their appreciation for the teachers, ancillary staff and administration staff. Year 4 has chosen to care for people in Australia who are affected by the bushfires and floods. They will do this by having a garage sale on Friday 21 February at 3:00 pm Middle School STEM Programme In week 4 of next term all Middle school students will participate in the STEM exhibition. During this exhibition students will showcase their inventions and explain how they were made and how they work. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is important because it pervades every part of our lives. Science is everywhere in the world around us. Technology is continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives. Engineering is the basic design of roads and bridges, but also tackles the challenges of changing global weather and environmentally-friendly changes to our home. Mathematics is in every occupation, every activity we do in our lives. By exposing students to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field. Middle school students will start working on their STEM project next week. Secondary Department Middle School (Years 6-8) 1. All students should have all their lockers sorted out this week. Please encourage your child/ren to use their lockers. 2. P.E Uniforms - Please acquire P.E uniform for your child/ren if you haven't already. We need all students to use P.E uniforms during their P.E lessons. Students should wear their house colour P.E shirt and navy blue P.E shorts. 3. Shoes - All students are required to wear shoes during schooltime. Should your child/ren have a genuine excuse for not wearing shoes for a day or two, send a note to the main office, the respective homeroom teacher or email the Middle school coordinator: [email protected] 4. Middle School STEM programme - Middle school students will begin their STEM projects next week (week 4). STEM Exhibition Day is set for FRIDAY WEEK 4 TERM 2 (15th MAY 2020) 5.Student Diaries - Students should be using their diaries to jot down important dates (eg. Test dates, assignment due dates, homework, etc) Do check at home that they are keeping up their work. 6. Homework schedule: Middle School Homework schedule was sent out last week. Each of the 4 core subjects; English, Math, Science, and SOSE have an allocated day each week for giving homework. Check that students do them. 7. e-books: Students should already have access to e-books on English, Math, Science and SOSE shared on the drive through their school email. Please ensure that your child downloads them for usage at home. High School (Years 9 -12) 1. All senior students are expected to wear their proper P.E uniform during P.E. Students should wear their house colour t-shirt and navy blue sports shorts. Students without proper P.E. uniforms will not participate in P.E activities. 2. Year 9 -12 Term overviews and timetables have been sent home yesterday. 3. As part of our Careers Guidance Program (CPG), we are looking for a possible guest speaker for our High School students next week, Wednesday from 8.30 -9.10 a.m. We would be very appreciative if you would be able to share your career with our students. If you can assist us by participating in this activity as a guest speaker or know of someone who could, please contact Alex on 30186 or 8407707 or email [email protected] We would encourage parents to do their part in helping the students as we will also do our part to help them improve. Upcoming Events Week 3 Friday 14 February: Primary Caring Hearts Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 7 Assembly in the hall at 2:20 pm Week 4 Wednesday 19 February: Middle School STEM programme starts (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Friday 21 February: Year 4 Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Year 9 Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall Friday 21 February: Year 4 Garage Sale at 3:00 pm in the hall.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
Week 2 Term1 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians, A quick reminder that all Term 1 fees are now due. Please pay promptly to avoid burdening the school with any of the additional costs associated with late payments. Back to School NIght Thank you to the parents who attended our Back to School Night yesterday! If you were unable to attend yesterday but have questions, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. We look forward to working with you as partners in your children’s education this year. Secondary Department A. The Middle School Staff are very pleased and thank those who attended our 'Back To School night' yesterday. We look forward to meeting more parents over the year. We are excited and looking forward to working with you to provide the best education for your kids. Here are some updates about the Middle School: 1. Homework schedule for Year 6-8 for the 4 core subjects is out and will be put into effect starting as of next week (week 3). Check with your child/ren each day for assigned homework from scheduled subjects. 2. Classdojo will be on trial for a few weeks (week 1-4). Once the trial period is over we will send an information letter specifying this medium (class dojo) and its usage. Any queries, concerns and issues concerning the middle school, Contact the Middle School Coordinator Mr. Augustine Kafukese on [email protected] B. Scholarship Opportunity for Secondary Students - The Australian Government's Pacific Secondary Scholarship is now open for ages 15 - 18 years old students. The Program complies with Australia’s Child Safe Framework, as well as the Education Queensland Student Protection Policy and New South Wales Department of Education Child Protection Policy. At all times, the safety and physical and mental well being of students are prioritized. Scholarships are offered to students from the following seven Pacific countries: Fiji Kiribati Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Applications will close on 1st March 2020. For more information, please follow the link below; https://www.pacificsecondaryscholarships.com.au/ b. Scholarship opportunities for Year 11/12 students a. 2021 Australian Aid Scholarship Award for Pacific countries Application dates: Opening date: 1 February 2020 Closing date: 30 April 2020 The application process Online applications. All online applications must be lodged through OASISat: https://oasis.dfat.gov.au. For more information, please see the attachment below. b. New Zealand Aid Scholarship for Pacific Countries Opening date: Opening now! Closing date: Close at 12pm (NZ time) Friday 28 February 2020. For more information, please follow the link below: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/new-zealand-government-scholarships/new-zealand-scholarships-for-international-tertiary-students/ c. Scholarship opportunities Solomon Island Government: (Year 10, 11, 12)Solomon Islands Government Scholarship will close on 20th September 2020 (Only Solomon Islands students are eligible) The school is willing to help parents and students to fill C. Term overviews and Yearly planners will be sent to parents by the end of week 2. D. Please be reminded that the students need to wear proper PE uniforms for High school students during PE times. E. Thank you to the students (parents and guardians) for cooperating with the High school new timetable changes. We hope the new timetable and subjects choices now available for the Sciences and Humanities strand will meet the minimum requirements for further studies at University. It's on trial run now and will take full effect by week 3. Upcoming Events Week 2 Tuesday 4 February: Extra Curricular Activities (ECA’s) start Wednesday 5 February: Back to School Night from 6- 8 pm Friday 7 February: Woodford Educational Support Team (WEST) Primary Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Secondary Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall. Week 3 Friday 14 February: Primary Caring Hearts Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Secondary Assembly in the hall at 2:20 pm Enjoy the rest of the week!
Term 1 - Week 1 2020 Dear Parents and Guardians, 亲爱的家长和监护人, 冠狀病毒( 武汉肺炎 )警告 (Corona Virus Caution)
Although we have heard of no case of this virus occurring in the Solomon Islands, I do ask all parents (particularly those who have travelled in China and surrounding countries) to exercise extreme caution. If your child shows flu symptoms, high temperatures and or diarrhoea please consult a doctor before allowing them to attend school. We will follow the advice issued by the Solomons Health Authority (see enclosed) but would also ask any who might have travelled to Hubei Province over the school holiday to please inform the school immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after their return date. (Self-isolation means staying at home and not accepting visitors for 14 days). If I receive any further information regarding the virus from the Solomon Islands health authorities I will pass it on to all parents. 虽然所罗门群岛还未传出武汉肺炎疫情,但在此请求,特别是从中国或邻近国家旅游回来的家长们,因应武汉肺炎等预防措施须谨慎看待。若您的小孩出现流行感冒、高烧或者腹泻等症状,来校前请遵循医生建议.我们将会遵照索罗门卫生当局的建议(请见附档),同时并呼吁任何在学校假期间曾经到访湖北省的家庭请立刻通知学校,并且自回到索罗门的十四天内进行自我隔离(自我隔离表示这十四天内不离开家中,同时不接待任何访客.若是收到所罗门群岛卫生当局有关任何武汉肺炎疫情等资讯,将会第一时间通知各位家长。
Late Fees Term 1 fees are now due please pay promptly. If you have not yet received an invoice then please contact Bronya ([email protected] Woodford is fully funded by fees. Late payment of fees increases school costs and can create the necessity for the School to borrow from the bank to cover essential costs (wages, utilities). It also takes up staff time that could be used for educational purposes. Please show your support by paying by the due date. 学费迟交 第一学期(term 1)的学费已到期,请尽速缴纳。若您尚未收到付款通知单,请尽速和 Bronya 联系([email protected]). Woodford 的营运需要学费支援,迟交学费将会增加学校成本,且可能使学校必须向银行贷款以负担需要的开销(如教职员薪资丶硬体设施等等)。并可能占用教职员本来可以用在教学上的时间。准时缴费就是对学校的支持。 Extra Curricular Activities (ECA’s) ECA’ s start on Tuesday next week. An electronic sign up form was emailed to parents yesterday. This form can be filled in till Monday 3 February. If you have not received this email please contact the school or you can sign up at the office. The ECA’s run from 3:10 pm- 4:00 pm. Students who sign up for a sports ECA are required to change into suitable sports clothes and wear sports shoes. Students who sign up for Taekwondo need to wear their Taekwondo uniform.
Water bottles There are NO bottles of water for sale in the tuckshop. Students are required to bring a water bottle to school. We have water fountains from which students can refill their bottles.
Back to School Night Wednesday 5 February On Wednesday 5 February we invite all parents/guardians to come to our Back to School Night which will be from 6-8 pm. Back to School Night is a night where the students show their parents their classroom and explain to them what happens in their class. Students can also show the single subject rooms and areas such as the PE area, music room, library and computer lab. This is also the night where you can take the opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and ask questions about the time table, overview or unit letter, uniforms, homework, Units of Inquiry, etc. Secondary Department It was a fantastic start to the new year. This week saw new students settling in well and returning students helping them to find their feet. a. Term 1 Overviews - Middle School & High School term 1 overviews and assessment schedules will be sent home to parents and guardians on Monday, week 2. b. Middle school staff will begin a trial phase on class dojo as a communication platform for teachers, students and parents starting week 3. Middle school parents will expect an invitation to sign up for class dojo as a parent. c. Back to school night (week 2) - All parents are encouraged to attend and meet the staff and the Middle School & High School coordinators. d. Mr Augustine Kafukese is our newly appointed Middle school coordinator. His office is in B - block. Parents can pop in with any concerns about their children in Middle school. The Middle coordinator is excited and enthusiastic in working with parents to improve and achieve the best education for the students. We also have a newly appointed High school coordinator, Mr Bryce Masaea, who will look after Year 9-12. e. Uniforms - All secondary students are supposed to wear closed shoes within school premises at all times. In week 2, we expect all students to be wearing proper sports clothes when they have PE classes, (house t-shirt, blue shorts and any comfortable sports shoes, students MUST bring a water bottle and a small towel). Students are strongly encouraged to wear proper uniforms and be punctual to school and classes. f. Secondary teachers & students would like to warmly welcome our two new teachers this year, Ms Sandra Riqeo & Mrs Cotlyn Bella to Woodford. Ms Sandra will be teaching Business Studies for Year 9 - 12 and Ms Cotlyn will be teaching Geography and History for Year 9 - 12. We would also like to extend our warm greetings to the new students and families this year. A very warm welcome to Woodford! g. As part of our Careers Guidance Program (CPG) this year again, we are looking for possible guest speakers for our High School students and are asking you for your kind assistance. We would be very appreciative if you would be able to share your career with our students. A presentation would include; the preparation your career required what your job entails on a daily basis any insights or inspiration you could provide to motivate and encourage students as they continue their secondary school studies and plan for their university options. Our purpose is to help students to set goals and start to dream and plan for their future with an understanding of what might be involved in the careers they are considering. The Careers period is scheduled from 8.30 until 9.10 am. every Wednesday and Thursday. We ask guest speakers to prepare a presentation that will last approximately 20 – 30 minutes to share information about his/her occupation and hold a question and answer session. If you can assist us by participating in this activity as a guest speaker or know of someone who could, please contact Alex on 30186 or 8407707 or email [email protected] We would encourage parents to do their part in helping the students as we will also do our part to help them improve.
Upcoming Events Week 1 Friday 31 January: Primary Welcome Back Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Secondary Welcome Back Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall Week 2 Tuesday 4 February: Extra Curricular Activities (ECA’s) start Wednesday 5 February: Back to School Night from 6- 8 pm Friday 7 February: Woodford Educational Support Team (WEST) Primary Assembly at 8:30 am in the hall/ Secondary Assembly at 2:20 pm in the hall.