We were happy to see the safe return of our travellers from the Netherlands. They had a very successful trip and all came back safely, albeit a bit sleepy from the jetlag. One request I had this week was for all parents to please contact your child’s classroom teacher directly if you have any questions regarding the classroom. This will help keep communication constructive and positive. We really need to make sure we communicate directly with the person who is most closely connected to an issue, rather than talk about it with others. This is what we teach students when problem-solving. Please help us model this in our school community. Thank you.
Kind regards
Damian Rentoule
2. Crane Video
Autumn Holiday Care
HIS Autumn Holiday Careは、スクールバスの調整のため、バス通学を希望される方は、9月29日を申し込みの最終日とさせていただきます。参加を希望される方は、早めに申込書をご提出下さい。
Thank you for your interested in the Autumn Holiday Care. If your child/children are riding the school bus, please complete the application form by September 29th for us to arrange the school bus schedule. Thank you.
3. PTA News (日本語は以下に）
Hello, everyone!
1) PYP’s Halloween Event plan is coming along well.
Please mark October 27th on your calendar.
The party will be held during school hours and the committee has been beginning preparations. We would love to have as many parents help both before, at home, and day of during the party from 12:30 until after school for quick clean-up. Please email us at pta@hiroshima-is.ac.jp for more information and to help with the classroom festivities.
2) The PTA news section of The Crane will be starting a new section, introducing HIS families, both new families and families who have been part of our community for a longer time. We will try to introduce two families a week. One of the best ways to make HIS stronger is for the various families to feel welcome and so we can know each other better, we are asking families to partake in this new section. New families have already received this information, and we will be sending this interview sheet to all of the HIS families soon. This is not mandatory, and by all means feel free to disregard any questions that you’d prefer not to answer.
3) Wow! Thank you to the many volunteers that we have had for room parents. There are still a few vacancies (and of course, the more the merrier, many hands make light the load, and various idioms), please feel free to add your name, if at all interested.
4) There is some confusion over the After School Club Dates Calendar – the bonfire is NOT on November 2. The bonfire is on Friday November 10.
5) Several parents have contacted the PTA with concerns. We are doing our best to help get you answers, to direct you to the people with answers, and offer support in anyway possible, and will continue to be available try to assist. Please feel free to contact us at pta@hiroshima-is.ac.jp
6) Workshop information from Jenny Yamamoto :
How to strengthen your child’s Kanji level – informal discussion for HIS parents and guardians
September 24, 10 – 12 at the Peace Cafe, Kami-Hachobori
Jenny Yamamoto, mother of Leela (G10) is inviting all parents interested in helping their children to practice kanji to a gathering at the Peace Cafe this Sunday (September 24). One idea is to organize regular kanji review sessions outside of school hours. Everyone is welcome!
7）Exciting event information from Yumiko Barker：
Sumo wrestling event in Hiroshima on October 28th.
Great opportunity for the HIS community to get together, and for the children to experience a Japanese traditional sport!
8:00 AM Doors open/Morning TAIKO
~10:30AM Public sparring
11:00 AM Children Sumo
11:30 AM bout preformed by Jyonidan, Sandanme and Makunoshita
12:00 PM Shokiri
Sumo Jinku
Yagura daiko uchiwake
1:00 PM Juryo wrestlers Ring entry ceremony and bouts
1:30 PM Yokozuna Ring entry ceremony
1:50 PM Bouts preformed by Makuuchi
3:00 PM Closing
We are pleased to announce that a bento service will be starting on October 23. The PTA was kindly organizing a Friday bento, which was popular last year and many parents have expressed interest in a bento service. In order to keep the service manageable, we have tried to make a very simple system:
Orders will be placed per semester. For Semester 1 this year we are starting Oct 23/Feb 1, a total of 54 days. Semester 2 will commence on Feb 2, 2018.
You sign up for the whole semester and bentos are delivered every school day.
Orders need to be made online by October 6 and you will be invoiced for the semester.
There are no refunds if your child is away from school and no cancellations are possible during the semester. This will help us with the organization. Thanks for your cooperation.
Small, medium and large bento are available. The company will vary contents of the bentos day to day.
Jessy Bosmans: Student Teacher from the Netherlands
This year, we are very fortunate to have several student teachers arriving from Holland to undertake their teaching practice in the PYP! This semester we have one student arriving whilst we are also expecting three more student teachers to arrive in semester two.
Jessy will be arriving next week and joining us until the winter holidays. She will be working alongside Ms B in the Reading classes across KG-1, Grade 2-3 and Grade 4-5 as well as supporting across the curriculum in Grade 6. She is a fourth-year student teacher looking forward to meeting the school community at HIS!
Please make her feel welcome when you see her around the school!
6. PYP Reading Carousel (Wednesday 4th October)
This year, a reading week will be organised within a new approach where the activities will be scattered across the year to enable us to integrate an authentic focus on ‘living our school mission.’ In conjunction with our PYP assemblies where students are exploring the concept of action, students are showing growing engagement with discovering how taking action connects with the UN sustainability goals.To commence this project, PYP students will be experiencing a reading carousel for World Animal Day on Wednesday 4th October. We would like to invite parents interested in reading to groups for four sessions during periods 4 and 5 on this day.How does the reading carousel work?
Each group will have 6-8 students and will be with their classmates
Reading adults will be provided with a location in the school
Each session will be 20 minutes including relocation time
An adult will be rotating with each group
Each group will visit four readers
Session 1: 11.10 – 11.28 Session 2: 11.30 – 11.48 Session 3: 11.50 – 12.08 Session 4: 12.10 – 12.30 What do I need to do?
Please select a book you would like to read aloud to the students connected to animals. The chosen book can be in any language of choice. A discussion after the read to emphasise an aspect of World Animal Day would also be great.
Please arrive at school by 11.00am at your post to prepare for students. Accompanying adults for groups will collect the students from the playground and come directly to you.
After your last session (after 12.30pm) please assemble at the genkan.
Please e-mail Ms B by Friday 22nd September if you are interested in joining us! Thank you in advance. G4/5 students will also be presenting at an assembly in the afternoon on this day.
7. PYP Parent Coffee Morning (Friday 6th October)
Friday 6th October(@ HIS: Conference Room)
9.00 – 10.15 PYP Parents Meeting with Mr. Rentoule: ‘Supporting learning at home’
10.15 – 10.30 Coffee Break
10.30 – 12.00 PYP Self-Study Parent Representatives Meeting with Ms. B
We look forward to your attendance at our meeting.
Both Japanese and English will be used in discussions so please come join us!
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. B or Mr. Rentoule via e-mail.
G2/3 class is due to start their eight-week block of swimming lessons every Tuesday from 26th September. We will be swimming at the Dolphin Swimming School, Koyo alongside two qualified swimming instructors and their bus will transport us to the pool and the school.
Please do not forget to send your child in with their swimming bag each Tuesday! It may be worthwhile sending your child with their bags on Monday to store for the following day.
G4/5 class and KG/1 class will follow respectively throughout the year.
9. G4/5 Camp at Hamada
G4/5 students will be going to their residential camp at Hamada from 27th – 29th September this year. Mr B, Mrs Valdez, Yumi sensei, Ms B and Jessy will be accompanying the students on their trip. We look forward to sharing our experiences with the school community soon after we return.
