We hope that now all families and students are back into the school routines. Hereafter the news for this second school week in 2018.

Primary News. PYP classes are currently doing “Reading Buddies” sessions together every second Friday, where older classes read to younger classes or do a Literacy activity together. Year 1a and Year 4a have also extended this to “Maths Buddies”!

PYP Parent Teacher Conference. PYP teachers would like to invite you to attend a Parent—Teacher Conference for this school year on January 30th (from 3pm – 6pm) and January 31st (from 3pm – 5pm). Conferences are a way to discuss students’ learning, report on progress, and set learning goals with your child’s teacher. PYP classes will finish at 2.30pm on these two days. Information letters have been sent home, please return the reply slip to your child’s teacher to book a time. For any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

New Teacher in Secondary School. We are pleased to announce that Ms. Jelena Dokic has joined Hanova as a Teacher of MYP Language and Literature and IB Diploma English A Literature. Ms. Dokic joins us from an IB World School in Botswana, and has several years’ experience in teaching MYP English Language and Literature and she is an IB Examiner of IB Diploma English A Language and Literature Paper 2 Written Essay.

Ms. Dokic will be taking English classes in Years 8 and 9, Years 10 and 11, as well as some classes of Year 12 IB DP English A Literature as of next Monday.

IB Diploma News. The second report for the Year 13 IB Diploma students will be issued to parents via Managebac on Monday, 22nd January. This report is very important because it reflects the students’ performance in most of their Internal Assessment (IA) components, in all their Diploma subjects and core components such as their Extended Essays and TOK Essays. The grades given at this point of an IB Diploma are important indicators of what the students may achieve in their final Diploma awards.

We will have an “Open House” Parent Teacher Conference for Year 13 parents on Wednesday, 24th January. If any Year 13 parent would like to meet with DP teachers, please arrange suitable times with the teacher concerned directly through their son or daughter.

MYP Drama. We are also very happy to announce that, this semester, we will be offering MYP Drama classes in Years 10 and 11. The students have already been busy undertaking research into basic Theatre Arts before they start studying and performing plays.

The Year 10 students have been developing a presentation on the playwright, William Shakespeare that includes information on Elizabethan society, Elizabethan theatres, play structure and Shakespeare’s use of English in his plays.

The Year 11 students have been preparing a similar presentation on Aristotle’s “The Poetics” where they will be giving us an overview of literary and dramatic concepts behind characterization (Ethos) and plot (Muthos) – concepts that virtually all ‘Western’ plays have been based upon for over two thousand years.

The presentations will be performed for the whole Secondary School during the assembly on Friday, 26th January. Parents are welcome to come along and enjoy the presentations.

Development of MYP English Classes. As part of our commitment to improve the overall English in our students, we have taken several steps to improve students’ learning in English.

Starting on Monday 22nd January, students in Years 8 and 9 will be divided into three different groups with Ms. Dokic, Mr. Gallerno and Mr. Wood teaching different groups.

Students in Years 8 and 9 will now learn more advanced English Language skills and Literature will be studied through which the students will further improve their English.

In order that the students more efficiently learn English so that they can more fully understand their classes in other MYP subjects, from now on, all English formative assessments will be recorded on Managebac as well as summative assessments such as tests and exams.

Students have also been made aware that, from now on, they have to be achieving at least a level 4 in English Acquisition if they are to be able to access the curriculum next year.

Air Quality Policy. During this week we had to cancel the academic activities on Wednesday, because of an exceptionally high pollution level. We apologize for the inconvenience, however we were asked to follow the guidelines of the Xi’an Government Authorities. In addition, our school has developed its own Air Quality Policy, with stringent requirements related to inclement weather and pollution level, to ensure the health of our students. For information please contact our Marketing and Liaison officer Ms. Yang ( zena.yang@his-xian.com ).

ECA Block Two. A reminder that in Primary, ECAs for Block one will finish on Wednesday January 24^th and begin again on Wednesday February 28^th. In Secondary, the new activities for ECAs Block two will start on January 31^st.

Secondary Swimming Resumes. The Secondary swimming programme has been suspended during the last two weeks, but will resume as planned on Monday January 23rd.

Secondary Basketball. A reminder to all students, that Secondary Basketball practice is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are always looking for new recruits to grow the competitive team and prepare for tournaments. Please speak to the PE Teachers if you are interested.

 ACAMIS 2018. In 2017, as a new member of ACAMIS (the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools), Hanova officially participated to the ACAMIS Beijing Championships, showing enthusiasm, commitment and energy in all their efforts to win.

A reminder to all Secondary students and to Year 6 students, that if anyone is interested to compete in Athletics at the ACAMIS Beijing Championships in May 2018, then they should sign up for the ACAMIS training in the next ECA Block Two. This is compulsory if you wish to attend this year’s competition in Beijing.

Thanks again for your continuing support.

Yours,

Francesco Masetti-Placci

 
 

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