Newsflash: August 12, 2022

Principal’s Corner

by Mr. Andrew Powell, EY-12 Principal

We have had a whirlwind of a start to the new school year. A certain highlight was being able to welcome students back to campus. Our new families were especially pleased to be able to undergo their orientation in person with our students spending quality time with their teachers and classmates.  New parents had the opportunity to meet each other in a relaxed atmosphere and listen to a formal presentation about the school, the nature of our programs and our ethos. Our new teachers, a quality group of educators that they are, have settled into Cebu well and have been incredibly impressed by our students. We are also thrilled to have welcomed our first group of students to our Student Residence.

As we begin the new school year we look forward to new possibilities. The following framework are important elements that will help position us for a positive year ahead, despite the inevitable challenges that we will face.

Social processes are inherent within schooling and as a small community it is crucial that we make time to intentionally connect with others. During Faculty Orientation our teachers have had an opportunity to engage in professional and fun activities that have helped to establish and develop personal and professional relationships. An emphasis on this approach has been carried over into the way in which they work with students and our first week has focused on students connecting with their peers in order to develop healthy relationships and appropriate support structures. We trust that this will support engaged learning and well-being as we move through the year.

As progressive educators we are committed to working together at all levels of the school. Collaboration builds collegiality, it encourages the sharing of expertise and promotes ownership. We believe in the importance of teaching our students how to work together so that they may embrace each other’s strengths, demonstrate agency, and build capacity. Working together should be fun and engaging, something that we prize at the beginning of a new school year. Working together also incorporates working together with our parent community.

Classroom and school routines in general serve to increase student familiarity, confidence and comfort levels as learners know and understand what is expected of them in different situations. Set routines are also helpful in regulating children and teens as they become more independent. They are also particularly important during times of uncertainty. Should we need to move to and from Remote Learning you will note the attention given to consistency and routine. We have also been working with our older students who are preparing for their final years of study in order to help them benefit from a weekly routine that balances their study commitments with the necessary downtime and self-care required to be well and be successful.

…and focusing on things you can control
Structure and routine provide a sense of predictability. However, things don’t always go as planned and so it is important that we are able to stay positive and focus on things that we can control. I am constantly amazed by our Early Years teachers who seem to have infinite patience and are experts at developing focus and a sense of calmness. When we face situations when we’re unsure of what tomorrow will bring or how it will look, it is important to focus on what we can control. Mindfulness experts encourage us to move away from “what-ifs” and instead ground ourselves in the present moment. Focus on what you can control and what you can get done while staying positive in the process.

We’ve been through a lot over the past eighteen months and the need to remain flexible has become inherent in everything we do. As a school we have very much appreciated the flexibility and support of our whole community over the past week and appreciate the positivity that this brings.

Kindness matters! Acts of kindness may make others happy but they also serve to make us feel good. Acts of kindness can boost feelings of confidence, happiness and optimism. I’m proud that we are a kind community. Kindness also extends to being kind to ourselves and I think that this is something that we don’t always place enough attention on. The reality is that self-kindness is an essential component of good mental health.

I trust that you will consider these elements and how they apply to your life, your family and engagement with the school. Our faculty are looking forward to an engaging year ahead.

I wish you all a safe and restful weekend.

Finance News

PTA News

Early Years

by Ms. Aimee Valenzona, EY Teacher

Welcome to the school year 2022 – 2023!

In the Early Years, we started with our structured classroom routine and explored different areas in the classroom. As our young explorers continue to discover the world around them, they are starting to learn more about themselves and others.

As early as three years old, we encourage the Early Years to express themselves and share their emotions, ideas, opinions, and experiences as part of our Social Emotional Learning. On our first day in school, we asked the students to share how they felt about their first day. We gathered a variety of responses and established open communication between students and teachers.

Classroom routines and the learning environment are also essential to support students’ learning process. The EYs went on a campus tour in different areas of the school including our media center, field, playground, single-subject classrooms, and so on. This allowed our students to be familiar with the CIS community and easily make connections.

The Early Years shared their ideas and co-constructed our classroom essential agreements and agreed to follow these agreements and routines by creating their hand prints through painting or drawing and posting them in the classroom. We read the story, “I like myself” written by Karen Beaumont and the students noticed and described the similarities and differences in their physical appearance. As we continue to explore and start our first unit on Who We Are, students will learn about their unique characteristics and respect each other’s similarities and differences.

We will continue to dig even deeper as we continue to discover more about ourselves and others in the coming weeks. It has been a wonderful and smooth start of the school year. Thank you to all the students, teachers, and parents for your continued support and enthusiasm.

IB Diploma Programme

by Ms. Emily Cornet, Assistant Principal – DP

As we start the new year for the Diploma Programme, we see the results of those who just graduated, and welcome in our newest batch.

May 2022 Results
Our recently graduated students got their IB Results in early July, continuing the trend of strong performance despite two years of challenging circumstances.  Our students performed above world averages across multiple subjects, including two subjects (Spanish B SL and Chemistry SL) earning more than a full point above their world average!  Our graduates are now moving on to their next step, including many universities around the world.

New Grade 11s come together for DP Orientation
In early August, all of our Year 1 DP students gathered together in the Media Center in order to get to know the Diploma Programme, but even more importantly to get to know each other! The afternoon session allowed students to learn key information to help their first week be successful.  They were able to interact with their classmates and teachers in a face-to-face mode, learning more about their new cohort.

Grade 10 MYP Personal Project

by Mr. Jonathan Denton, Assistant Principal – MYP

Congratulations to our Grade 10 students who received their IB moderated grades for the Personal Project last week!

2021/2 marked CIS’s very first cohort of Grade 10s to be externally moderated by the IB. The purpose of moderation is to ensure that all internal assessment marks are of an equivalent standard. This means a student would get the same mark for the quality of their work at any of the 1500 plus MYP schools around the world.

All our evaluations were accepted which is a remarkably good achievement, especially in our first year. What is even more remarkable is that 70% of our Grade 10s received a SIX or SEVEN compared to the worldwide average of 9%.

Source: The IB Middle Years Programme Statistical Bulletin

This says a great deal about us as a school and shows how the educational experience students are receiving at CIS compares favourably with other MYP schools throughout the world.

A big thank you to all those teachers who helped mentor our students through the process. Grade 10 students, your IB MYP Course Results Certificates are in the mail and will be here shortly.

Donation Drive

by Mr. Ace Pierra, CAS Coordinator

CIS Recognized by DepEd Schools

As part of CIS conitinued efforts to collaborate and to share our learning experiences to various communities in the island of Cebu, schools from the Deparment of Education recognized CIS’s efforts through their annual stakeholder summit and Brigada Skwela Adopt a School Programs. This recognition also signifies CIS’s commitment in achieving one of its core beliefs that learning includes contributing to the world through service learning. CIS will value this commitment and collaboration with the  DepEd Schools and will continue to strive to become a positive change not only in our own community of learners but also to other communities with whom we shared the same responsibility of achieving the UN Sustainable Development goals. 

Cebu International School Hand-over Boats and Aid to Typhoon Odette Victims

Beyond our core beliefs as an IB Continuum School, we at Cebu International School will continue to collaborate with various communities in the region regardless of the limited opportunities and possibilities caused by this pandemic. Our service learning trips continue to give our community members and recipients valuable experiential learning.

Last July, a group of CIS volunteers had a trip to Coahagan Island in Olango to hand over close to thirty self-paddled boats to 28 families who lost their boats from Typhoon Odette. The boats will be used as a source of sustainable livelihood for the fishermen and their families, giving them hope to rebuild their lives and gradually move forward after the devastation of the typhoon. The boats will also be used as transportation to the neighboring island of Pangan-an island for some high school students 

In the same month, the same group of volunteers also turned over sixteen boats to the fishermen of the Talisay coastal community who were also victims of Typhoon Odette. 

The recipients of these boats also signed an agreement to become protectors of marine life, particularly endangered species, and become advocates for responsible fishing. They committed to picking up floating plastic rubbish and to dispose of it properly. They also agreed to become ambassadors of goodwill in their own fishing community. Some CIS students also joined the trip and handed over ten school bags to ten Grade 4 and Grade 5 students. This collaboration will definitely result in more projects on the island for our CAS and Service Learning Programs. 

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

Question of the week: I am interested in applying to Ateneo de Manila University and I heard they have resumed the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET). Do I need to take the exam even if I am pursuing the IB Diploma?

Students applying with an IB Diploma may apply with this qualification instead of taking the Ateneo entrance test.  If you are a senior and would like to apply, set an appointment with the college counselor.  Ateneo applications opened last August 1 and will close on September 30.  

College Events (Virtual and Face to Face)

DATE

August 19
Friday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Link to join

EVENT

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Hong Kong)
Learn about HKUST from a visiting rep and a freshman student who is also a CIS Alumnus from the Class of 2021: Dana is a Chemical Engineering student at HKUST who was was automatically awarded a full tuition scholarship because of her IB Diploma score.

August 29
Monday
9:00AM
Link to register

Temple University – Japan Campus
Learn about the application process, scholarships, financial aid and engage in a Q&A session.

September 13
Tuesday
9:15 – 10:00am
Venue: Canteen Annex

Savannah College of Art & Design (USA, France)
In-person info session with the college rep from SCAD.  Learn about their programs, the application process, scholarships, portfolio preparation and more.

SAT Update for 2022-2023

Test dates labeled Digital means that students will bring a device to the test center and take the exam using their device.  The College Board may provide devices for test-takers who do not have access to a device.  All test-takers for Digital SATs are still required to report physically to the test center to take the test.

To register for the SAT, you may click on this link.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.

SAT Test Date Deadline for Registration, Changes and Regular Cancellation
August 27, 2022 July 29, 2022
October 1, 2022 September 2, 2022
December 3, 2022 November 3, 2022
March 11, 2023 (Digital) February 24, 2023
May 6, 2023 (Digital) April 21, 2023
June 3, 2023 (Digital) May 19, 2023
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