Message from the Principals 8/22/2025

Today's Topics:

1: Important Reminders

2: House Points

3: Learning Highlights

1: Important Reminders

• Used Uniform donations can be dropped off at the Elementary office or to the supervisor on the 1F during pick up / Drop off.

• Club Registration is Open Please see the Club information post in the Parent Portal for more details.

  • Deadline is Sept 1.

• Monday, Sept 1 (Labor Day) NO SCHOOL

• Open School - Sept 23

  • Friends of Hope will also be holding their Used Uniform Sale!

• Oct 13-17 - Autumn Break NO SCHOOL

2: House Points

Basilisk: 233

Hydra: 204

Dragon: 172

Phoenix: 161

3: Learning Highlights

Here, Prep Class is collaborating with their Houses to create the correct patterns in Math class. They also worked on their motor skills - cutting and gluing the correct parts of the body - for their unit: Who Am I?

Last week, Grade 1 Maroon had a special visitor — the amazing twin brother of Mr. Romel, Mr. R! He shared how we learn and explained what KSU means (Knowledge, Skills, Understanding). Mr. R also introduced the Brainwave Unit and discussed how the learning process works in the IPC.

For their Entry Point, Mr. R brought a special “brain box” filled with pictures showing how the brain works. Students had fun guessing the brain’s functions based on each picture.

The fun didn’t stop there! Students faced exciting challenges such as building the tallest tower and playing memory games. They learned that the harder the challenge, the stronger the brain becomes. They completed their Entry Point by creating a 3D model of the brain!

Welcome to Grade 1B's Construction Zone! Their classroom was transformed into a building site for their Entry Point as children took on various roles to design and construct their dream buildings. Their First IPC Unit is “Buildings”. Working in groups, each pupil became an Engineer, Decorator, Planner, or Builder, using cards, glue, and tape to make their buildings. Through collaboration and resilience, they overcame challenges and showcased their problem-solving skills. It was a joy to witness their creativity and teamwork in action!

Grade 2 had lots of fun continuing their Chocolate Unit! They discussed how chocolate makes its journey from the cacao tree all the way to becoming the sweet treat we love today. They also explored a timeline of chocolate’s history and discovered some of the countries where cacao trees grow. The class was especially excited to learn that chocolate is also grown in Indonesia—Ms. Julia’s home country!

G3 learned to write captions for artworks and will be writing their own captions for some of their art. They also learned about the Rule of Thirds, and practiced taking landscape photos demonstrating their understanding. They also learned about cropping and editing techniques for their pictures.

Grade 6s are working to better understand what Geography is. They are using map skills to identify different types of settlements in Okinawa. Learners are researching and recording their findings with many student saying they never realized there’s a lot of information they did not know about Okinawa. This activity involves a lot of collaboration and our learners are using their PLGs when working with their peers.

Grade 7 learners paired up with classmates they don’t usually work with to explore curiosity-driven questions. They discovered their HCF (what they share) and LCM (how their differences connect), linking math concepts to real-life relationships (MEA). This activity connects to our PLG FOCUS: Adaptable because learners approached new social contexts with an open mind, considered different perspectives, and explored how diverse interests can create new possibilities. It also ties to our unit on Curiosity and the Big Idea: The desire to know more drives exploration and aspiration.

Grade 8s are preparing and making scripts for their podcasts. They are looking at different countries and the identity of those countries, such as the culture, politics, social aspects, and they will be comparing the information to their home country. A lot of our students are also learning about their cultures and their identity through researching about other countries. They are able to display international mindedness in being able to articulate the combination of different factors that influence identity in different countries.

High school learners were tasked with identifying the essential skills needed to secure employment. They were provided with a list of key terms to choose from and asked to explain why these particular skills should be considered the most important for future job opportunities.

In ELA, Students are currently studying Coraline by Neil Gaiman, focusing on how the author’s use of language creates meaning and impacts the reader. Learners worked in pairs on an activity that encouraged them to explore the contrasts between Coraline’s real world and the mysterious new world she enters, deepening their understanding of the novel’s themes and atmosphere.