Message from the Principals 10/14/2022
Good morning, Hope Community We have some very important topics today! 1: International Curriculum Conference
2: Self-Review Process - Hope's Mission & Vision
3: Hope House System (Info for new families) & House Points
4: Important Reminders
5: Photos from the week
1: International Curriculum Conference
On Wednesday and Thursday next week, Hope International Academy teachers and students will be presenting / attending the virtual International Curriculum Conference, which has been organized by the International Curriculum Association. This conference is designed for schools using the IEYC, the IPC and the IMYC and has a range of workshops from teachers, leaders and educational researchers designed to help further practice with the International Curriculum.
Hope is delighted to have multiple workshop leaders for this conference:
Mr Jay-R - Reflective Practices in the IMYC
Mr Jay-R will be sharing his experience with helping students to improve their skills of reflection from the start of a unit (The Entry Point) all the way to the end of a unit (The Exit Point). He will be sharing how he supports students to truly understand their Big Idea topics, and how these connect to their subject learning, personal learning and the world around them. He will also provide teachers tools, resources, and ideas to support deeper reflection within their classes. You can view his introduction video here.
Mr Colin - Mentoring
Mr. Colin will be sharing his experience in his role as a mentor for international schools throughout the world. His workshop is designed for those who may wish to become a mentor themselves and will explore the importance of empathy when working with schools to better understand their needs, as no school’s context is exactly the same.
Cultures of Dignity Learner Panel
This panel will feature three of our Middle School students (Deah, Masahiro and Alicia), who will be helping to shape a new set of Health and Wellbeing tasks for the Big Idea of Respect. They will be able to provide their insights as students at Hope and how this has informed their thinking around Respect.
IMYC Steering Committee Panel
Mr. Colin will be a member of the discussion panel featuring members of the IMYC Curriculum Steering Committee. This panel is designed to answer some of the common questions that teachers, leaders and members of the school community have about the best ways to successfully implement the IMYC, as well as exploring how to continue to improve the curriculum in the future.
Outside of delivering the workshops, Hope teachers will also be attending many of the other sessions to gain new insights and ideas that could be used to further improve the learning happening at school.
2: Self-Review Process - Hope's Mission & Vision
As part of our accreditation process, we conduct a thorough self-review of the school. This allows us to analyze our current policies, procedures, and implementation to find areas for improvement and growth. Part of this process includes reviewing our Mission and Vision to ensure it aligns with our trajectory and core values. We have collaborated on the review of our Mission and Vision as one of the main foundations our school is built upon. We would now like our community's feedback on our changes.
I humbly ask that parents and community members complete the form below to give us your thoughts on the changes. NOTE: The update is still a draft.
Definitions:
Vision - the kind of students we are striving to help develop.
Mission - our practices and methods to help achieve the vision.
3: Hope House System (Info for new families) & House Points
Last year we began a House System. There are 4 houses in the school: Dragon, Hydra, Basilisk, and Phoenix. Each house is comprised of students from every grade. They complete activities and challenges throughout the week to earn points for their house. Points can also be rewarded to students who demonstrate any of the Personal Learning Goals, display exceptional behavior, or achievements.
Current House Points:
Hydra - 450
Basilisk - 508
Dragon - 540
Phoenix - 590
Please join us in encouraging the students to do their best and collaborate with their house! We will update the house totals each week for you to stay informed.
4: Important Reminders
InterDivision is CLOSED from Oct 24-28
Hope Halloween - Oct 31
Open School - Nov 1-4 (IN-PERSON)
Please see last week's blog for details
Parent Workshop on Nov 3
Details will be shared next week!
MAP Testing - Nov 21 & 22
PTC - Nov 23
InterDivision is CLOSED from Nov 24-28