Kfs primary newsletter 210514

Faith, Knowledge and Work

KFS Primary School Newsletter: Volume 1, Edition 8 21 May, 2014 1

KFS Primary Newsletter

Inspire. Motivate. Achieve

King Faisal School The goal of King Faisal School is to develop young people through a rigorous national and international program of study. KFS students are encouraged to attain academic excellence based on a foundation of faith, knowledge and work in order to help create a sustainable, peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. KFS fosters respect for Arab Islamic heritage while embracing an international perspective which is vital to meet the demands of the modern world. KFS inspires students to succeed as world citizens and to be the best that they can be.

It’s almost time to start thinking summer vacation as the last day of the 2013 academic year for students will be Thursday, 29 May 2014.

The 2013 academic year has been a busy year in the Primary School. I thank students, staff and parents for your efforts and cooperation. As you will see from the planned events for the 2014 academic year on the next page, it will also be another busy and exciting year ahead of us.

Importantly, 2014 will be about seeking excellence in everything we do. To be successful and to maximise student achievement, specific changes will be introduced. However, we will only be successful if the school and home work in partnership and work towards the same goal: ensuring your son works to, or beyond, his potential and ability. Some of these important changes include: • ensuring the importance of attendance is reinforced with future student progression requiring consistent attendance; • implementing 1-7 grade scale (similar to MYP and DP) based on student performance, effort and attendance in which

students must average a grade of 4 to progress to the next grade. Students failing to satisfy a minimum average grade of 4 will be placed on probation during the school year; • establishing a Learning Centre to support students who require additional assistance in English, mathematics and Arabic; • providing regular feedback to parents about their son’s learning through regular ‘Portfolio Days’ which will be open to fathers and mothers; • providing a more comprehensive student progress report that reflects all PYP elements; • changing the timetable to 60 minute lessons, instead of 40 minutes; • introducing Arabic as a second language for those students who are not native speakers; and • introducing student leadership opportunities for students in Grades 1-5;

I take this opportunity to wish all our students, their families and our staff a safe and enjoyable vacation. I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday, 31 August, at 7.00am. We have an exciting and busy academic year ahead of us, so please don’t miss one moment of it. To help offset vacation brain drain, vacation activities have been prepared and suggested for each grade. These documents can be found on the Primary School website (Documents -> General)

The Primary School Newsletter is published each fortnight. A Parents’ Bulletin will be sent some prior to publication to remind parents that the latest edition is available online. The full colour edition can be found on the Primary School (English) website: http://www.kfs.sch.sa/pyp-eng/tabid/815/Default.aspx Skyward, or at http://issuu.com/kfs-primaryschool/docs/kfs_primary_newsletter_210514

As always, I appreciate your support.

Dr Ken Darvall (Principal)

http://www.kfs.sch.sa/pyp-eng/tabid/815/Default.aspx




http://issuu.com/kfs-primaryschool/docs/kfs_primary_newsletter_180214






FEBRUARY 2015!

19 Young Authors’ Fair

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!MARCH 2015!

1-5 Summative assessment 1 National Safety Week 5 Portfolio Day International Day Unit 5 (6 Weeks: 8 Mar- 16 April) 19 Quranic recitation competition 22 - 26 Mid semester vacation 29 Classes commence 29 Spelling bee competition!

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2014-2015 Primary School Year Calendar

!10 Principals commence 17 New staff (+ coordinators & secretaries) commence 20 Returning staff commence Schools’ planning week 31 School starts / UNIT1 UNIT 1 (4 weeks: 31 Aug-25 Sep)

AUGUST 2014 !S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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7-11 P/T Info sessions 18 Parent Orientation session 21-24 Summative assessment 23 National day (holiday) 25 National day celebration 25 Leadership Assembly 29 Hajj Holiday begins !

SEPTEMBER 2014!S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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!APRIL 2015!

2 Tables competitions 12-15 Summative assessment 16 Portfolio Day Unit 6 (6 Weeks:19 April-21 May) 20-30 Art exhibition

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11 Oct. Hajj Holiday Ends 12 Classes resume 12 Father & son evening 16 Hajj celebration UNIT 2 (7 weeks: 12 Oct-27 Nov)

OCTOBER 2014!S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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MAY 2015!7 Swimming carnival 21 PYP Exhibition 24 Summative assessment 27 Assembly of excellence 28 Three-way interviews 28 G5 Graduation 31 Students commence summer vacation 31 Professional development

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1-30 Literacy month 10-13 P-4 Julia Johnson workshops 23-26 Summative assessment 22 Open Day (10.00am-4.00pm) 27 Portfolio Day UNIT 3 (6 Weeks: 30 Nov- 8 Jan)

NOVEMBER 2014!S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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JUNE 2015!

1 - 4 Professional development

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3-4 Book character parade 18 Arabic International Day (UN) 31 Semester 1 reports completed

DECEMBER 2014!S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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!2014 Notes Unit 1: 4 weeks Unit 2: 7 weeks Unit 3: 6 weeks Unit 4: 6 weeks Unit 5: 5 weeks Unit 6: 5 weeks 2015 Notes 23 August: New academic year begins

4-8 Summative assessment 7 Science Fair 8 Three-way interviews 8 S2 leadership elections 9 Student vacation commences 11-15 Professional Development 18-22 Semester 1 vacation (staff) 25 Semester 2 commences 25 Leadership assembly 29 Sports day (includes bike event) Unit 4 (6 weeks: 25 Jan-5 March)

January 2015!S! S! M! T! W! Th! F!

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There are no happier people on this planet than those who decide that they want something, define what they want, get hold of the feeling of it even before it is manifestation and then joyously watch the unfolding as, piece by piece by piece, it begins

to unfold. That’s the feeling in the paint. Abraham



A Café (a pottery café) is a venue for painting your own Pottery and Ceramic.

It is a place where the kids can get their creative juices flowing and create a plate, a bowl, or maybe one of the nicest novelty shapes like Dolphins and

Angels. Grade One ‘A’ students, went to that spectacular

place on Thursday, April 24, 2014 to ‘Express Themselves’. They were much more than engaged

in painting several shapes and decorating them. The café was really equipped to drive your imagination to special places outside the café itself. The students were confident enough to absorb the rules governing painting and techniques to make

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artwork a masterpiece from the first try. They were provided with a unique creative-fun-entertainment experience through painting their own pottery, combined with quality food and beverage that Empowered their minds, Boosted their energy, Unleashed their creativity, and Increased their productivity. Have a look at Grade One ‘A’ students painting and having fun. Thanks and Best Regards from Hanadi Fouda/ Grade One ‘A’ Homeroom teacher !





Dear KFS family…

It’s never Goodbye!

We grade 2 teachers are happy and proud of what you

students have achieved this year. We are proud of your

success…

Together we have practised well, being good thinkers,

risk takers, principled, inquirers and yet more…

Thank you for teaching us how to be teachers. You told

us over and over again that what matters most is that we

connect with you and we did, and that made all the

difference. You told us that you deserve second chances to



prove yourself, and we gave you second chances. Many of

you showed us that you could become wonderful students.

We loved that you understood that we were inquiring

and exploring together, that we were journeying into the

wonder of it all. You all made us so proud and our

hearts so full.

Finally, always remember that we are always there to

listen and advice…

Goodbyes are not forever, goodbyes are not the end…they

simply mean we will miss you until we meet again…

It’s never Goodbye!

Grade 2 Team



When I was growing up, I didn't enjoy school very much. I liked English class, and shop. (Those were thedays when we had shop . . .) But when it came to math and science, I didn't do that well. The truth is, Ibarely made it through high school.

Today, our educational system looks much different than it did when I was a student. Especially in recentyears, we’ve been undergoing a major transition in education.

Kids today grow up immersed in a world of digital technology. Information is now freely available toeveryone. It's powerful. Digital technology can get information, store information, do calculations andconnect people in new ways.

Digital technology can do so many amazing things for the learning process, but it can't be human.

The Human Touch in EducationWhen you really think back about your best teachers, they were the ones who connected with you. Theymight have been classroom teachers, after-school coaches, parents or principals. They patted you onthe back, knew your name and made jokes with you. They were human beings offering encouragementand building confidence, saying things like, "I know you can do this. Come on."

And this is one way in which the world hasn't changed: teaching is still the most important job.

To me, there is nothing more exciting, fulfilling and wonderful than watching a kid finally grasp a concept,then take the information and use it in the real world.

Teachers make this happen. Teachers motivate. Teachers synthesize information to help studentsunderstand. Teachers listen, coach and mentor. Teachers matter.

On behalf of the rest of the staff at The George Lucas Educational Foundation, thank you, teachers!

Source: www.edutopia.org/blog/why-teaching-matters-george-lucas

Links

EDUCATION TRENDS

Why Teachers Matter

MAY 5, 2014



KFS$PRIMARY$SCHOOL 2014$SWIMMING$CHAMPIONSHIPS 8$MAY$2014

PRIMARY$SCHOOL$SWIMMING$RECORDS

AGE EVENT RECORD HOLDER TIME11 Freestyle Sulaiman Al Hegelan 17.9410 Freestyle Mohammed Alhajin 18.359 Freestyle Faisal Fahad Al Saud 20.978 Freestyle Abdulaziz Aldulkheil 19.297 Freestyle Salman Aldukheil 29.25

10 & 11 Breaststroke Muhammad Al Hejih 22.978 & 9 Breaststroke Saud Alzulfah 30.78

10 & 11 Backstroke Muhammad Al Hejih 24.637, 8 & 9 Backstroke Faisal Fahad Al Saud 32.2610 & 11 Butterfly Sulaiman Al Hegelan 20.659 & 10 Kickboard Sultan Al Rawdan 28.07

8 Kickboard Faisal Ali 1.10.157 Kickboard Mohammed Alrabiah 33.06

Open Champion of Champions Sulaiman Al Hegelan 18.75





The IB Learner Profile is the

attributes and descriptors that

define the type of student that IB

hopes to develop through its

programs.

The Learner Profile

CaringRisk-Takers Communicators

Reflective

Inquirers

BalancedPrincipled

Knowledgeable

Open- Minded

Thinkers

KFS Primary School



KFS Primary School Diplomatic Quarter

PO Box 94558Riyadh 11614

P: (+966) 11 4820802 Ext 1101E: [email protected]

www.kfs.sch.sa @KFS_Primary

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.kfs.sch.sa

http://www.kfs.sch.sa