Dear HIS Families
I hope you all had a great week. We were fortunate that Tuesday’s typhoon continued on its way and didn’t end up swinging toward us here in Hiroshima. It was a short week, but you can see some images in this week’s video.
Following on from last week when I asked you all which of the IB Learner Profile attributes (■IB learner profile／IBの学習者像) would be most important to your family, I would like to focus on Inquirer today. I also asked if there was one that you would be willing to do without for your child and this is also a vital question to keep in mind when considering what type of education you want for your family.
All three IB programs develop Inquirers. In an IB context an inquirer:
- Develops their natural curiosity. 好奇心を育み、探究し研究するスキルを身に つけま す。
- Acquires the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. ひとりで学んだり、他の人々と共に学んだり します。
- Actively enjoys learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. 熱意 をもって学び、学ぶ喜びを生涯を通じても ち続けます。
There is a great TED talk on the first point. It’s called Do schools kill creativity? It has been viewed over 10,000,000 times, so is obviously a topic of high interest around the world. Sir Ken Robinson’s message aligns well with IB’s vision of a well-balanced inquirer showing the links between the different learner profile attributes and the responsibility of schools to cultivate student curiosity.
An inquirer in the IB sense enjoys the process of learning, which has been a missing ingredient in many school systems. We believe that we need to nurture student questions, support their inquiries, enable their voice to be heard. We want them to know that they are an important part of this process, that education is not just something that is done to them. We want them to develop a love of learning and this drives the design of our curriculum.
Is this one of the attributes that was high on your list? Enjoy your weekend.
Kind regards
Damian Rentoule
Principal
Sakura Book Trailer award winners:
Congratulations to all of our students who received awards in the Sakura Book Trailer Awards. CLick on the link to see some of the wonderful work:
- 最優秀賞（The highest award）Amane ＆Nanako (G9)
- 優秀賞（The 2nd award） Airi (G7)
- 準優秀賞（The 3rd award) Lisa & Elin (G8)
- 優秀賞（The 2nd award) Megumi (G11)
- 準優秀賞（The 3rd award) Sara & Shinra (G10)
Congratulations to Urara
Thank you for sharing your presentation with the secondary students this week at assembly. Urara made a presentation about World Hunger at the United Nations in New York over the summer and shared some of her thoughts with us this week. The Chugoku Newspaper also ran the story yesterday, so it has been an exciting week. Urara is following in her mother’s footsteps, as she also presented at the UN in this conference as a student; a great role-model. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you to the PTA for the bentos
Many of our students got to enjoy some delicious bentos this week thanks to the PTA. We look forward to some more as you organise the system. The students I spoke to all said that they were delicious, so the bento-tasting was a big success.
News from the PTA (23 September 2016) (日本語は以下にあります)
Japanese Lunch Box (Obento) Sign-up Deadline (30 September 2016)
Thank you to those students and parents who took part in the Lunch Tasting Session on Wednesday. A form will be sent home with students today (23 September) to sign up for Obento until the end of this term (10 lunches). The deadline for returning the form and transferring the payment to the PTA Obento bank account is Friday 30 September.
Please see the sign-up form for details.
Election of additional PTA member for the Board of Trustees.
According to the HIS Act of Endowment, a minimum of six (6) and a maximum of seven (7) persons from among the guardians of the children in HIS should serve on the HIS Board of Trustees.
Mr. Guy Hird, who has been serving as the BOT secretary, is seeking a new term following the end of his term in June this year. The PTA will vote on whether to approve his continuation or not during the next PTA meeting on Wednesday 28 September (see below). The ballot box will be open from 9:00 to 12:00 at the Peace Café.
Halloween Parade and Costume Contest
This year, HIS students are invited to join the Halloween Parade and Costume Contest in Hondori on Saturday October 29. Both primary and secondary students can participate but must buy tickets in advance. Further details can be found in the sign-up form, which has been sent home with students today (23 September). To register, please fill in the and return to the HIS Office, with exact money, by Friday September 30.
The PTA is also planning a Secondary Dance on the same evening at the Peace Cafe. More information will be sent closer to the date.
After School Cooking Club
Thank you to those parents who volunteered for the After School Cooking Club. We are still looking for more volunteers! Please contact the PTA (pta@hiroshima-is.ac.jp) or Mr. Bartelink (wbartelink@hiroshima-is.ac.jp) if you can volunteer for this activity. There are only 4 students in the Club, so it will be easy!
Next PTA Meeting
The next PTA Meeting will be held on Wednesday September 28 from 9:45 to 11:00 at the Peace Café (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peace-Cafe/969881243105444).
Agenda of the Meeting:
- Election for the Board of Trustees
- Report of Obento Tasting Session
- Preparations for Halloween
- Bonfire Night
- Any other business
PTAからのお知らせ （９月２３日）
デリバリー弁当
試食が、無事すみました。今学期（１０回分）の正式申し込み書は金曜日（９月２３日）に生徒が持って帰ります。申し込みと振込の締め切りは9月30日（金）です。
詳しくは申し込み書を見てください。
Board of Trustees (評議員)の投票
HISの寄附行為に従って、在学者の保護者のうちから互選により選任する者6名以上、7名以内が必要です。
そこで、BOTの秘書をしていたGuy Hirdさんの任期が６月に終わりました。Hirdさんは引き続き、希望をされています。次の９月２８日のPTAミーティングで彼の任期延長を賛成するかしないかについて投票をします。場所は上八丁堀のピースカフェ（ミーティングの詳しいことは以下をみてください）。投票箱と用紙を9時から12時まで設置しておきます。
ハロウィンパレードとコスチュームコンテスト
今年は、本通り振興会主催のイベントに参加します。 本通り、金座街をトリックオアトリートをしながらパレードします。パレードの前にコスチュームコンテストも行われます。小学生から大人まで参加できますが、チケットが必要です。詳しくは申し込み書を見てください。
ハロウィンの申し込み書も金曜日（９月２３日）に生徒が持って帰ります。こちらも締め切りは9月30日（金）です。セカンダリーは別にダンスパーティーがあります。
クッキングクラブのボランティア募集！
クッキングクラブのボランティアにサインアップしていただいた保護者、ありがとうございます。Mr.B.から直接連絡が行きます。
まだボランティアができる方を探しています。生徒は４人だけなので、楽しくクッキングができると思います。ボランティアできるかたはPTAにメール（pta@hiroshima-is.ac.jp）もしくはバートリンク先生に直接メールを送って下さい（wbartelink@hiroshima-is.ac.jp）.
次回のPTAミーティング（９月２８日、水曜日）
次のPTAミーティングは９月２８日（水）に９：４５から１１：００まで上八丁堀のピースカフェで行います。主な議題：
- BOTの投票
- デリバリー弁当の試食報告と正式申し込みについて
- ハロウィンの説明
- ボンファイア
- その他
宜しくお願いします。
Creature of the Revival from the Disaster of the Vietnam War