The Weekly Bulletin of

Stonehill International School

Volume 8, Issue 173

17th April 2020

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FEATURED STORY

Lamiya Bharmal, A True Corona Warrior

We thank Lamiya Bharmal, Primary Librarian and Information Literacy Teacher, who volunteered to be a corona warrior, over the spring break. She is part of the Management Information Systems at the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) office and continues to balance her time between her work and volunteering.

CONTENTS

FEATURED STORY MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF PRIMARY MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SECONDARY SECONDARY LEARNING FOCUS

THE TIGER

Virtual Learning in progress!

Here’s what Lamiya had to say:

As news of the virus increased in numbers in Bangalore, I strongly felt the need to volunteer. I registered myself on the 30th of March. I then took a 10 minute online course on the 3rd of April.

There are different areas that you can choose to volunteer - Food - cooking/delivery/sourcing raw materials, Telemedicine, Psychiatry, Medical Infrastructure, Fieldwork, Media, IT support from home or support at the control room, Logistic Planning, Website Design, HR, Public Relations or any other work given!

I ended up volunteering as IT support at the control room at the Department of Information and Public Relations Head office. It is a truly fulfilling experience and it even connects to both the roles I play in school!

My role as a Librarian came to use as I helped sort ID cards into the identified 8 zones, for the 30 districts across Karnataka. There are 16,000 volunteers and getting ID cards printed and distributed to the right zones involves a lot of sorting! We were 30 volunteers and had to sort out 2,500 cards at one go! We are now in the process of verifying the status of the ID cards and following up with calls to avoid any misuse.

I am also able to use my skills as an Information Literacy Teacher. I am now observing how best to respond to the Government of Karnataka’s twitter handles set up for the coronavirus pandemic. (@Karnataka_DIPR, @Dipr_COVID19). These twitter handles have innumerable queries and concerns. We work as a team and discuss responses prior to posting them. We also analyse and work to bust fake news.

You can follow the Government Twitter posts on @EAST BBMP (as per your zone) and follow the Deputy Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Chief Engineer in the respective zones to get more information on what is happening in your area.

I would also like to mention that on the 12th of April Mr. Saleth Premson, Secondary Librarian, met a couple of migrant labourers near Yelahanka who were anxiously awaiting rations and food supplies for 22 people. He provided them with dry rations which lasted for two days. For regular supply and support, I guided him to call the helpline number 155214 and the above Government Twitter accounts. I then coordinated with him from the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) office and meals were sent to the migrants by the 14th evening! Each volunteer joins a Telegram ‘Bengaluru East Corona Warriors’ (as per zone) and ‘SAINIKA Bengaluru Urban Group’ and WhatsApp groups to coordinate. We easily put in 8 hours of non-stop work everyday. When I get back home at the end of the day, I am happy to make a small difference!

Lamiya Bharmal Primary Librarian & Information Literacy Teacher

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Stonehill Community,

Greetings! We have started the 5th week of our distance learning module and our teachers continue to work overtime to create learning experiences that are engaging and aligned with the IB curriculum’s learning objectives and outcomes. Of course, this will look very different in our primary and secondary schools, but we are committed to creating learning environments that are as authentic as possible under the current circumstances.

Brian Brumsickle

Recently, a feature on Stonehill’s Distance Learning practices was featured in the Times of India. You can read it here. It is an inspiring collaborative piece of writing that captures and celebrates the work that we are doing as an international school community. Kudos to all who are making our Distance Learning accessible, practical, and tangible. I am proud of our Stonehill community and the way we have endured and come together during this unsettling pandemic.

As you may be aware, the lockdown in India is extended until May 3rd. After this date, we will be in a better position to decide on a date to resume school, depending on the Central Government’s decision as well as safety indicators. Obviously, what is most important at this time, is keeping our community safe, as best as we can.

Lastly, it will be the last week of instruction for our D2 students who will be graduating this year. I want to thank our D2 students for your many contributions. Our D2 students have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, compassion and diligence in service, accomplishments in extracurricular activities such as the Arts, Athletics, and After School Activities. This year’s graduating class has indeed been amazing as it has been particularly challenging. They have worked very hard until the last day of instruction and we will continue to do our best to celebrate them in the coming weeks.

Have a nice weekend!

Stay well, stay safe!

Brian Brumsickle Head of School

FROM THE HEAD OF PRIMARY

An Asynchronous Learning model (Part one) Remote and distance learning at Stonehill has purposefully been designed to be asynchronous. As we are now spread over the world in various time zones, students need to access classroom material even if they are unable to join the Zoom sessions.

Karen Crooke

What is Asynchronous Learning? “Asynchronous learning is the idea that students learn the same material at different times and locations. The asynchronous learning environment provides students with teaching materials...involves the ability to maintain communication without having to meet at the same place at the same time…common conference space (e.g. blackboard, e-mail, chat room) available where everyone can post a message, read a message or respond to a message all within the same shared spaced.” (University of Michigan, 2020). Here’s a look at what Asynchronous Learning involves for the... P1 and P2 students A continuous learning pathway that still allows for freedom of choice and student decisions. Learning opportunities to select and choose from which allow them to dive further into particular aspects on an individual basis...individual learning journeys to develop within a 'designed' framework. Learning can take place at the optimum time for individuals within their home settings which means it is inclusive. And I think the feeling of staying connected is what matters the most at this time. Being connected gives us a sense of belonging and this is the key to learning, as we become independent, responsible and adventurous. The Music Department What I DO think works with asynchronous learning is music as therapy, music appreciation, intentional listening and thinking about what you hear, responses to listening activities and personal projects around sound science. The P6 students During asynchronous learning, students have their own timetables. Their timetable also depends on the availability of an adult at home to guide them through the process. The students choose the task they want to complete first based on their area of interest, difficulty or time of day. However, we are supporting them with interactions as well. (Synchronous) We share our learning, discuss our problems and find solutions together during our Zoom meetings. The Additional Languages Department It requires the teacher to "front load" some information, resources, and tasks. The students can then guide themselves. It is learning that happens when not everyone in the class is able to meet at the same time. This can mean that students collaborate in their own timeframe with others and the teacher doesn't have to be there. They choose what they want to focus on and when they want to focus on it.

These are excellent descriptors from our teaching teams; with additions from the literature: From the literature Stonehill’s response

Less is more

One activity per week (3 from class/1each from the single subject teachers)

Have clear learning intentions/objectives

Some written as “I can” statements Examples - show good work during zoom meetings Our play and UOI related activities build on thinking around a designated key concept

Instructions are precise/succinct Trying to be “kid friendly” Use both text & voice instructions The morning video ensures there is clarity The new planning document ensures greater clarity

The tasks are specific Connected to the objectives The new planning document ensures greater clarity

Be available to discuss and interact Zoom session daily. EAL/LS extra. Break-outs Teachers available 8am – 3pm

Student feedback makes this work Zoom sessions that encourage questions & feedback Seesaw written/audio feedback after tasks are posted Sending questions/comments for extension or corrections

Offer interactive elements Online resources are plentiful Using commonly found resources from home

Next Week

• The challenges for teachers and parents • Why is it the best model?

Karen Crooke Primary School Principal

FROM THE HEAD OF SECONDARY

Finishing off the School Year With approximately 9 weeks to go in the 2019-2020 academic year, we have been planning how we intend to complete the academic programme, regardless of whether we re-open school or not in May. Here are some of the decisions: We will continue with our Stonehill Secondary Weekly Plan spreadsheet to schedule synchronous online lessons every week for students. However, each class will be limited to one hour per week of Zoom or Google Hangouts. This is in response to feedback Joe Lumsden suggesting that the number of Zoom sessions was unmanageable on some days. The D1 students and teachers can schedule more than one if they agree, as these students take fewer courses than the MYP students. Teachers are preparing final assessments for the year in all courses. Parents and students should have seen a message from each subject teacher on ManageBac outlining the topics to be covered by the end of the year. Some teachers will be running exams using AssessPrep; others may be trying something more creative to assess student understanding of the year’s work. Everybody will be as flexible as possible due to the varied circumstances in which families find themselves these days. Our Student Council is also looking at ways to boost the morale of the secondary students over the coming weeks. They are looking at the feasibility of running a virtual talent show or assembly if they have enough material and participants. As always, in order to help us plan as effectively as possible, we need timely and accurate communication from families about developments in their lives. Please keep us in the loop and we will try to help your children get through this challenging time as best we can. Joe Lumsden Secondary School Principal

SECONDARY LEARNING FOCUS

Virtual Learning-Tested Like Never Before The M1 students investigated and measured the physical and chemical properties of matter. They have learnt about different elements and compounds. They carried out experiments on dissolving compounds in water and designed an investigation to compare the density of different solutions in the science lab. During the virtual learning lessons, they have explored the universe and space. Individual and group work has been created through google classroom,

zoom and hangouts. They worked on presentations of alternative planets to colonise. The students then had movie dates to discuss the video clips of the Apollo 13 mission and life on the International space station. The students have been great inquirers. They have been watching and posting photos of the moon and planets regardless of which continent they are currently in. One student even set up their telescope in Bangalore.

The M2 students have been investigating the periodic table, chemical reactions and the impact of mining for metals. This led to the production of in-depth research and writing about the social, economic and environmental impacts of mining. They have designed and carried out chemical reactions in their kitchens during the virtual learning period.

Shelley Milstein M1 and M2 Science Teacher

Online learning has been an adventurous journey, to say the least. Undeterred by teething problems, the M3 science students took on the challenge in the right spirit. The students are exposed to a mixture of face-to-face interactions (ZOOM), videos, research based activities (Nat Geo), revisions, simulations, and assessments via Assessprep. The idea is to inculcate a sense of responsibility and take ownership of their own learning.

M4 -Virtual Learning – A Beacon of Hope in These Times At the last leg of the academic year, the M4 Biology students have taken virtual learning in their stride and are doing their best to cope with the current scenario. While the situation in the teaching-learning environment at present is not an ideal one, it has opened doors to various other forms of disseminating knowledge. Synchronous and Asynchronous learning in the form of group projects and collaborating with peers to plan tasks have kept things interesting. Students in biology are exploring their environment through the unit “Ecology of Food”. Given the current scenario, it seemed ironical and apt at the same time. Students are reasoning human choices and impacts on the environment through class discussions. Assessments to gauge the understanding of students via Assessprep are also underway.

Priya George M2 and M3 Science Teacher & M4-D2 Biology Teacher

M4 – Physics

In their physics classes, the M4 students are learning about waves. In their most recent classes, they are exploring the phenomenon of the reflection of waves. Confined to their houses, teachers and students are trying to investigate this phenomenon using household items, creating videos and experimenting through simulations.

D1 – Physics

Physics classes for D1 students are also going on remotely. They are taking multiple tests using ‘Assessprep’ for the first time. The teacher is invigilating using the ‘Live Invigilation’ feature on Assessprep and Zoom video.

M5 - Physics The M5 students started revision before the lockdown. While revising Newton’s laws, the students created posters and songs or wrote a letter to Sir Isaac Newton stating why his laws are still important in the 21st century. This made life in lockdown a little more interesting.

Maitreyee Banerjee M4-D2 Physics Teacher

D1 Physics and Chemistry

“The online chemistry and physics classes on zoom and hangouts are something I really look forward to since it gives me a chance to talk to everybody and see them (if only virtually). I never thought that we would be writing tests and assignments online but that has happened too! We wrote tests in both subjects and the whole process was very efficient. Live invigilation was conducted by both Ms. Banerjee and Mr. Pradeep. When some of us faced issues with Assessprep, Ms Banerjee ensured that extra time was added to our tests so that we could all finish the test to the best of our ability. It is always great to have these video calls as it gives us an opportunity to clear our doubts and is much more engaging than simply completing a worksheet. Thank you, Ms. Banerjee and Mr. Pradeep for taking these online classes for us!” Diya D1 Student

Stonehill International School

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