RPA Newsletter: August 2017

First Day of School

On July 31st, we welcomed existing staff and pupils with a smile - it was great to see each other again and hear about everyone’s holidays.

We welcomed our new staff;

Ms Kelsey P2, Mr Stefanus P4,Mr Kristo P3, Mr Maarten P5 , Mr Ian P6 and Mrs Shelley - Principal.

A big "shout out" and welcome all of our new students and their families;

Zahra, Isla, Christie, Akiko, Adam, Arlam, Rheana, Miya, Madeline,Jaeyi - P1

Chionee P2, Gracia P2, Sachin P2

Vivan P3, Shrikar and Shiriang P2 and P6,

Alessandro and Georgia P3 and P4

Justin P4, Devansh P4, Daksha P4

Kezia P5, and welcome back to Arohi P6.

P6: Building a Village

P6 has had a good start to the year, especially in IPC. We started this year with the unit ‘Building a Village (Settlements)’. The Entry Point happened on August 21st, 2017 in the GYM. The students worked in groups to set up a settlement after being ship wrecked. They also answered some questions while making the settlement and had six ‘challenges’ that made it fun and a test of resilience. This prepared them to research and explore the question; “ Why do people build settlements where they do?”

P5: Migration

Imagine having to walk for days and days and days until you found a safe place to build a shelter from scratch with nothing but a few materials that you can find around you... P-5 has been trying to imagine what this is like during their Entry Point for the IPC unit: "Migration". Carrying a backpack with a few personal belongings, the students walked up and down the stairs and arrived in an almost empty classroom. In groups, the students worked hard to build a shelter that would keep them warm and dry. They were provided with a few basic materials, but most of all, they were to use their IPC Personal Goals and Seven Habits for Leadership to work together to finish their shelter in time.

P4: Paintings, Pictures and Photographs

In IPC the grade 4 students are learning about Paintings, Pictures and Photographs. This is a very well balanced unit in which the students will learn about the history of film and photography and the scientific processes behind it. They will learn about creative design in multiple disciplines. They will research various classic and contemporary art styles and admire the art on display in the Galeri Nasional Jakarta.

During the Entry Point the students were visited by 'Monsieur Jacques'. The king had commissioned him to create a triptych, a work of art consisting out of three panels, side-by-side. Monsieur Jacques was a bit desperate because he didn't think he could do it alone. Luckily the students from P4 offered to help him out. The students were divided into three groups and worked tirelessly in order to complete three diverse but complementary pieces of art with the materials that were provided to them. Monsieur Jacques couldn't believe what he was seeing. The result surpassed even his wildest dreams. The king has promptly granted him a Medal of Honour, thanks to the students of P4.

P3: Brainwave/Shaping Up

In the Entry point of the Brainwave IPC unit, the students of P3 were introduced to journalism by Mr. Johnson. He taught the students the importance of asking questions to help us do research. Afterwards the students were hired by Mr. Johnson’s newspaper, The Royal Academy Times, as freelance journalists. They were tasked with investigating and collecting facts about how the other classes in RPA learn. Additionally, the students also had the opportunity to ask the teachers and office staff how they learn. At the end of the students’ investigative phase, Mr. Johnson informed them that they would be using their information to write their own articles about learning.

P2: All Dressed Up

In P2, our IPC Unit this term is All Dressed Up. We have been learning all about different clothing from around the world and how the weather and seasons effect our clothing choices. As part of our IPC Entry Point, the P2 learners hit the classroom runway to show off their favourite outfits. Many learners walked the catwalk in traditional clothing from their home countries. We were able to learn so much from one another.

P1: We Are What We Eat

“We are what we eat”, this is the IPC topic headline that Primary 1 class is learning. The big idea of this topic is that food plays a vital role in history and culture throughout the world because food is essential to life. By learning about the different types and amounts of food our bodies need, we can plan healthier diets and enjoy longer lives.

To start the topic, we did an entry point fieldtrip to Twin House Restaurant located in Cipete, South of Jakarta. The restaurant offers various food from rice to pasta, waffle to ice-cream, water to iced tea and vegetables. The place is also facilitated with quite big space of garden where kids can play. As an entry point activity students are provided with some different kinds of food which they can choose based on their prior knowledge about healthy food. Some students already had an awareness of healthy and unhealthy foods. This initial stage of inquiry was so students could have an opportunity to choose foods and later we extended and discussed their choices in class.

Other Events

Parent Information and Meet The Teacher Afternoon - Friday 11 August.

It was great to see the parents come in to visit the teachers and find our about routines and expectations. Parents are key partners in the school and communication is 2nd key vital - therefore we are delighted to say we have 100% of students with at least one parent connected on Class Dojo.

On the 16th of August we celebrated Indonesia's National Holiday. Staff and students attended a flag raising ceremony in our school gym. This was ably led by the National Staff and Ms Evelyn. The students were learning about the value and importance of heritage. To celebrate 72 years of Independence for Indonesia we had a games’ morning where the students and staff competed in fun games and activities in their houses. Merdeka!

Our Open House event on the 25th of August was an opportunity for new and existing parents to see the student at work learning and participating. This was a well attended event and we look forward to show casing more of our learning later in the year.