For the last few weeks, ICS has played host to some amazing children at ICS Solaris, our summer school programme specialised in supporting students with special educational needs.

It’s sometimes hard for parents to keep their children engaged over the summer break, and research and experience shows that students with SEN regress more over the summer months and take longer to recoup information in the new academic year.

Children are given the chance to participate in fun activities that we hope will help them to retain and build upon social communication, creativity and play skills. Activities range from yoga, arts and crafts, mathematics, and ICT.

Each week follows a different theme, Exploration, Space Adventure, Under the sea, Dinosaur Roar, and Dressing Up, and includes a corresponding trip to places like the London Science Museum and the V&A.

The children so far have been really engaged and have loved the activities and classes alike.

Huge thanks to Renato Marques and Philippa Da Silva for their hard work and creativity!

On the evening of 20th July, students and staff at ICS attended the annual end of year School Prom, organised by the Student Council and Miss Alex.

The Prom took place at Club Ten, a stylish private club at the 5 star Grange Hotel, where a delectable selection of canapés and non-alcoholic drinks were served. There were speeches from students and teachers as we came together celebrate the many individual and group achievements that we have had this year. It was also an opportunity to say goodbye to those students who will be leaving ICS this summer to move on to pastures new.

The evening was a great success with a large attendance and proved to be a fitting way in which to end the academic year.

Erin Baker – Life Skills Lead Teacher

At the busy Terminal 5 of Heathrow airport on a Monday morning, a group of 20 people hustled through the crowd to board a plane to Madrid, Spain. After weeks of goal planning, independent travel training and social skills lessons, the Life Skills class and staff were off to a beautiful resort in Cadiz, Spain. Despite a turbulent flight, we landed on the warm and glowing soil of Andalucía and introduced ourselves to our Pen Pals from International School of Brussels; who were awaiting us with coconut juice in hand, smiles from ear to ear and drenched in sun.

After a moment to share we were off to the resort. Upon being greeted by the resort staff, the holiday had officially begun for the PYSE and SYSE students and staff. Students independently unpacked their belongings and settled into their rooms. Not a moment was wasted, as we decided to continue to enjoy the 30 degree weather and sunshine by the pool. Each student set personal goals for the week, some were met with ease and others’ took prompting, but in the end, goals were achieved, all while enjoying the beauty of Spain.

During the trip, we took part in activities such as: surfing, horseback riding, boat ride in the Atlantic, tour of an ancient castle and a walking tour of the historic city of Cadiz. Each evening, our group met and reviewed the days’ activities and the highlights of our adventure. When asked about the highlight of the trip, Eleni Milissis, a Secondary student, stated “I loved surfing. It was my first time and I was nervous. I’d love to try it again one day.” Mousa Afifi explained his hesitation of learning how to drive a speed boat, “I didn’t want to try because I was nervous, but once I did, I wanted to keep driving the boat. It was so much fun.” Reaching new heights and reaching new levels of independence is a core belief in the classroom and I could not be any more proud of my students for finding the strength inside of themselves and maximising their potential and finding their inner courage.

It was a trip that will always be regarded as a highlight in my career at ICS and I look forward to reaching new heights with the students on our next Travel and Learn trip.

Philip Hurd

As another successful academic year draws to a close at the International Community School, I am pleased to read in this newsletter about the many events that have taken place since our last edition of News that Matters.

The summer term is always an extremely busy one and the ‘2012 version’ has been no exception. Term began with our Diploma 1 students returning from a challenging, but fulfilling, visit to Ghana and in the weeks that followed we have had many trips, events as well as, internal and external exams, most notably for our older students with IB Diploma and IELTS. In spite of the changeable weather we have managed to enjoy a number of outdoor activities, including our Charity run in Hyde Park and just last week, an extremely enjoyable School Sports Day with students from the Primary and Secondary schools competing together in teams. The Secondary School Prom held at the Grange Hotel near St. Paul’s was also a huge success and a fitting way for our students to end the year, and in some cases say ‘goodbye to ICS’.

With the academic year drawing to a close we inevitably have to say some goodbyes to students, their families and teaching staff. I am pleased that this year these are relatively few in number but nonetheless we wish those students and their families, who will not be returning at the end of August all the very best for the future.

Furthermore, I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the whole school community to Sjors Duursema, Stephanie McMillan, Katya Toneva , Jack Kurty and Beryl Jones, who are all leaving the faculty this term. We wish them well in their future pursuits.

As part of our ongoing commitment to personal development and wider opportunities I must also announce that our Secondary School Principal, Brenda Murray, will be taking a sabbatical from ICS next academic year and will return to us in August 2013. We will miss Brenda on a professional and personal level, but of course, are fortunate that Rose Threlfall will be returning to ICS at the start of next term, to resume the role of Head of Secondary School . Rose will be supporting Alex Moreno-Hemming, who will take up the role of Acting Secondary Principal from August.

For those returning in August, School begins on Wednesday 29th August at 8.45am and please note that classes will run until 4.30pm from that day onwards. This will be followed by an extended programme of after school activities from Monday to Thursday. On Friday’s school will finish at 2.05pm at which point the school bus service will run. Teaching staff will be involved in planning activities as a requirement of the IB Programmes. Those students not able to go home at 2.05pm can stay for Homework Club until 4.30pm. A weekly timetable on page 2 shows the changes. Please also note that the October half term will now be a 2 week half term.

Finally, I wish you and your families a wonderful summer break and I am sure like me you are excited about the Olympic Games that are so nearly upon us. If you are leaving us then please keep in touch with the School wherever, you may be and rest assured that you will always be part of the ‘ICS family’.

Be sure to keep an eye on what we’re up to on the official ICS blog, and if you’re a Twitter user or LinkedIn member, say hi!

Here at ICS we have had some fantastic projects throughout the term and across the years. Here are just a few highlights students and teachers that we’d love to share with you!

Endangered Animals

Reyanna Al-Hijji

Did you know there are only 600,000 elephants left in the world today? There used to be 1.3million.

Okay now that I’ve got your attention, let’s examine how human activities have damaged and endangered animals over time. Endangered animals are animals that are in danger and have become fewer and fewer over time to the point where there is worry that they will not exist at all unless something is done about it. If they do not exist at all anymore, they will become what is called ‘extinct’. There are many reasons why animals have become endangered, such as hunting, poaching (illegally hunting or capturing), torturing or even burning and cutting down the habitats animals live in. There are many reasons why humans continue to use animals, causing them to become further endangered. Many hunt animals for their fur to sell or to use as a decoration for their houses. Some may kill these animals for food or simply for pleasure.

If this is something that you feel is important to address, you need to take action. You could donate to a charity, such as WWF that helps endangered animals by giving them shelter and taking care of them, volunteer at an organization that helps animals, or simply write a message or letter like I’m doing. You could also make a website or run a marathon to raise money – as long as you are helping animals you will be making a difference and will feel proud of yourself. If you would like to learn more about this cause, please visit my website for further information at http://endangeredanimals2012.weebly.com

Action Against Hunger: ACF International Network

Mr Jim Y3

Year 3 students spent a unit learning about how people’s needs are met, or not met, around the world. The most basic human needs of all are food and clean water. Students were tasked with collecting “Change for Change” to help children who are starving to death. Did you know over 16,000 children around the world die every day from hunger related causes? You helped our efforts by donating your spare change to help support this cause. Year 3 students also created art and put it on sale to support Action Against Hunger.

Meghan’s World

This is a children’s book about a girl who learned how to deal with Sensory Processing Disorder. It’s the real story of the author’s daughter and her journey of developing self awareness about her SPD. It is written for families with children with SPD, autism, PDD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Downs syndrome and other social and learning differences. However, it can also be used by teachers to read to their class to develop self awareness by identifying their own sensory differences. This book has a very positive message about the challenges that children may face and the therapies or strategies that are available to make their life more enjoyable. If you are interested in the book, you could find more information at: www.meghanstriumphoverspd.com

Risk-takers PYSE

PYSE students were amazing risk-takers this term. They tried different leisure activities indoor and outdoor, individually and in a group. They enjoyed kick-boxing, doing yoga together in the Special Yoga Centre, making pizza using different toppings in Pizza Express as well as joining in a lots of exciting activities in Bowles Outdoor Learning Centre. They went rock-climbing, canoeing and tried the zip-wire too. Some of our students also travelled to Spain, Andalucía where they took part in surfing, swimming and hiking activities. What an active term this has been!

Bowles

Amal Y5

At the beginning of May years 4, 5, 6 and PYSE went on a trip to Bowles. Bowles is an outdoor school in Kent, an hour away from London. At Bowles our school was divided in to 3 groups, the groups were group A, group B and group C. All the groups got to do the same activities but at different times. Some of the best activities were the ropes course, rock climbing and canoeing. In the ropes course, there was a zip wire where you climb a tree, let go and then fly across the trees! The second activity is rock climbing. Rock climbing is really fun because you get to climb real rocks. We wore helmets and harnesses for safety. At some rock climbing places the rocks that you climb are not real. Canoeing is really cool because we learnt canoeing skills. Mr Stuart splashed water on us. I wanted to splash him back but I didn’t want to tip over! Other activities were the Harrison rocks, where you got to crawl under and over tunnels and the Treasure hunt where you have to find clues to solve a puzzle. I think I learnt to be a risk-taker because I tried new things that I haven’t done before. At Bowles you get to do a lot of fun activities.

The Baseball Team

Daniel Y5

The baseball team have played twice this term. Both games were against Southbank Kensington. The first game wasn’t really good. We had lost by 9 points. Adren from Year 5 was the MVP of the first game (from ICS). The second game was much better. We lost by 4 points. The MVP was Daniel Y5. The baseball team were awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

The International Community School (ICS) is excited to welcome a number of new faces to the educational team for this coming academic year. We have two new teachers, a returning teacher and a new Primary Years Principal that we would like to introduce.

Starting this August, our new Primary Year’s Principal, Liz McLaughlin has already been working very closely with our Primary Year Programme (PYP) senior management team and brings a wealth of experience with her.As the primary school’s instructional leader, Liz will work closely with teachers and parents alike to ensure that decisions and learning engagements demonstrate ICS's philosophy about best learning practice. 

Kicking off her educational career as an ‘inclusion teacher’, Liz worked with a variety of children with special educational requirements before going on to teach at an urban school in Honolulu. Following her time in Hawaii, Liz went on to receive a Master of Education at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada prior to joining a bilingual school in Milan where her love of the IB Primary Years Programme and second language learning began. And if that wasn’t enough, Liz then went on to add a Master of Education in school leadership from Harvard University to her repertoire. Speaking of her appointment, Liz is clearly thrilled to join us in the new year, “I am very excited to join the ICS community as it is the ideal educational setting for all children. My passion in education stems from the belief that all students can learn and be successful in a classroom that fosters inquiry-based and second language learning. I truly believe that ICS is at the forefront of this kind of learning within the UK.”

And we are equally excited to have her join the team.  Our Head of Primary, Stuart Pollard said of the news, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Liz into our community this summer.  With diverse experience in international education and a keen passion for the International Baccalaureate and its associated values, we believe Liz will be a great asset to the school.”

We are also very pleased to welcome back Courtney Dickens Rogers, from Dallas, Texas. Having enjoyed teaching both in the United States and in the UK, Courtney worked at the International Community School for several years. After which, she and her husband moved to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, where they have been living in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. There, Courtney has been working with the nursery and reception classes and privately tutoring year 6 students. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Masters in Curriculum Development and Instruction. Outside the classroom, Courtney loves to travel, read and go to festivals. “I'm excited about being back in London and look forward to working and learning together.”

Cara DeRosa is from the United States and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Cara holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. For the past 8 years she has worked as a primary school teacher in an urban public school setting. “I enjoyed working with a diverse population of students with different language and learning needs. I am very excited to start my year with the International Community School and to meet your children”, says Cara on joining in the new year. Away from school she enjoys pilates, running, photography, and cheering on Boston sports teams.

And finally, but by no means least Julie Sarmah from the UK, qualified as a primary teacher in 1993 and has taught in various places in the UK, Macau and China. Her most recent teaching post was in Nottingham, where she taught from Reception through to Year 6, and primarily Year 5. Julie led her previous school in the area of Special Educational Needs and went on to pursue her passion in this subject, completing a Masters in special educational needs in 2001. Julie highlights that “It is important for me to get to know each child’s strengths and what they find challenging. I also co-ordinated Science and enjoy arranging Science Fairs. One of my passions outside school is listening to rock!”

We look forward to seeing everyone in August and wish everyone a great summer!

Following an “outstanding” Ofsted inspection of our welfare and care of students back in December, we are planning to open a full Central London residence. This would make us the only IB boarding school in London.

This is a really exciting development for those students studying at ICS.  It would not only help their acclimatisation to life in the UK, but also enhance their learning by providing pastoral care specially designed to support their studies.

Being based in a secluded area of Central London would also offer our IB students access to cultural life in one of the world’s great capital cities, regularly host to spectacular global sports, arts and cultural events.

Preparing for your diploma

We are also extremely pleased to announce two additions to our current educational offering – the enhancement and development of two key preparative stages of the diploma programme that will help students reach their full potential and prepare for their university careers, either in the UK or elsewhere in the world.

Up until now, we have offered the IB Diploma to students aged 16-18+ and so far, this has been an extremely popular option for our overseas students as it offers a more transferable qualification than A-Levels. 

This form of education offers students a more comfortable transition into living within the UK.  Since introducing the course two years ago, we have identified even more ways to help prepare our students for the Diploma – through developing not only their English language skills but also their academic skills.

As a result, we have decided to extend our Diploma preparation programme into two strands - an English language preparation strand and an academic preparation strand. 

For example, it may be the case that some students kick off their studies with the English language programme and then move on to the academic prep course too, whereas others who have stronger English language skills might choose to simply take the academic prep course prior to working their way through the Diploma.  In addition, the IELTs English Language qualification offers an appealing option for our older students. Once they have completed their qualification, they will be able to apply for a foundation course at a University, working with those of the same age.   

The International Community School is pleased to announce its recent accreditation by the National Autistic Society (NAS). The NAS Accreditation programme provides an autism-specific quality assurance programme for hundreds of organisations throughout the UK and across the world. By providing a unified standard of excellence and a systematic framework for continuous self-examination and development, the NAS aims to continuously improve the quality of service provision for people with autism and Asperger syndrome.

This is the latest of several accreditations that the International Community School currently holds. ICS is accredited to deliver the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme, and IB Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Programme. Additionally, we are accredited by the British Council which sets the standard for English Language teaching and learning.

ICS has long has a philosophy of educating the whole child and helping each student to meet their individual potential. We do not believe in a standardised “best” or in “fixing” children. As an international school of students and faculty from around the world, we know that our strength is in our diversity. Each student brings their unique perspective, interests, affinities, and strengths to the school. By focusing on this rather than deficit our students are able to develop and achieve.

Our view is that both socially-typical and socially-atypical students all gain from their interactions with each other. They learn to be more flexible thinkers and to have a greater understanding of communication and problem solving. We are very proud of our student population and all the efforts they make to engage with each other in peaceful and respectful ways. In our accreditation report the NAS gave special recognition to our students for how well they supported one another.

I would like to thank all of the ICS community for all your efforts that help ICS continue to be an international leader in inclusive education.

By Alan Andrew, Director of Student Support and Philip Hurd, Head of School

As part of one of the core components of the IB Diploma programme, students must complete 150 Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) hours. Earlier on this month, eight Diploma 1 students travelled to Ghana to complete the Service component of their CAS hours. ICS Travel and Learn has worked together with World Challenge, an organisation that provides educational expeditions in the developing world with the purpose of teaching life skills and developing minds outside the classroom. This was a unique opportunity to really help to facilitate our students’ personal growth and aid in the expansion of their view of the world and how other people live.

During their time in Ghana, the students worked with the Sabre Charitable Trust; this charitable organisation seeks to build a better future for school children in the area. Sabre works with the Ghanaian government to help deliver its promise of education for all, to all the schools in the KEEA district of Ghana. The project the ICS students were working on was located in Elmina in the KEEA district, approximately three hours west of the capital; Accra.

The Diploma students main task during their visit was to assist with the renovation and decoration of the staff common room - previously experiencing problems with a leaky roof.  In addition to this, our students were involved in preparing walls, painting and fixing broken concrete paths to name but a few tasks. Alongside the physical work, our students were also involved in a number of extracurricular activities with their Ghanaian counterparts - such as English conversation practice, reading and sporting activities. 

Whilst on this trip, the Diploma students kept a video diary of all their experiences in Ghana and the insights they have gained.

We hope this trip will be something that our students will always remember as a vital element of their time in the ICS Diploma programme.

By Joanna Cooper - IB Diploma Co-ordinator

This week was our Home Languages event and we were delighted to welcome over some students from our secondary school to help us celebrate!  Students from Spain, Saudi Arabia, Angola and Kazakhstan came in some of our classes and shared books in their language with our primary students. Parents also came in to school to share songs and stories.

‘Students made many connections between words for different foods in Greek and Arabic’ Andy Year 2 teacher

‘My brother read a story to us. It was very good to have my brother in my class’ Pablo Y1

‘I enjoyed teaching them words in Arabic. They were really good!’ Bashayer secondary student

‘I was like a giant to them!’ Ignacio – secondary student

Year five also interviewed parents and  secondary school students about their experiences of migrating to UK. This formed part of some authentic inquiry into their Unit about internal and international migration. 

 ‘Mario did really well. We learned that Angola is a country in Africa’ Obeye Y5

‘Interviewing the secondary school students helped very much’ Jessica Y5

Parents came into Nursery and Reception class to help their children make models of their houses in their home country. This linked in with their Unit on homes around the world.  The children loved having their parents in class with them and it was a great opportunity for parents to share in their children’s learning experiences. 

‘We were building all different houses. We even played a game!’ Sara N/R

Many students brought in food to help celebrate the event. Many thanks to everyone who shared some delicious cakes and snacks.

‘I liked the Arabic cakes’ Bjargey Y2

‘The children were delighted to bring in snacks form their home country’ Mandy Y3 teacher 

Many thanks to everyone who helped make this another memorable day for our students!

To see more photos of the celebrations, please visit ICS on Flickr.

Katherine Tyler, Language Co-ordinator