HOMEWORK Finding “the Goldilocks solution” for assigning a time-based guideline for homework to a homogeneously based class of 20 students can be difficult. In fact, the entire concept of homework as a useful teaching tool, especially for younger aged students, is open to a great deal of debate by parents and teachers alike. There is a great deal of research on this topic, and in response to a request from one of our parents, I decided to look through my educational article resources to find a few well considered opinions on homework to share in the newsletter.

Making Sense of Homework

In this article in School Leader, New Jersey superintendent Ross Kasun describes how his views on homework evolved as he dealt with teachers and parents and read the research. “For the most part, as a practice, it is completely outdated and largely misused as a means of impacting student learning and achievement,” says Kasun. “…yet homework is assigned at almost every level, it is rarely questioned, and some people think our students should get more of it.” When he was a teacher, he remembers not knowing much about the rationale for homework, rarely discussed it with colleagues, and gave his students “many ineffective assignments.” As a principal, Kasun didn’t devote many brain cells to thinking about homework, taking action only when parents complained. Yet he assumed, along with most others, that “if homework was assigned, learning must be occurring.” When Kasun became a superintendent, he had to pay more attention. For starters, there were problems when teachers weren’t given clear guidance. “Some teachers gave a lot of homework,” he says, “some gave none, some graded homework and those grades counted heavily towards the students’ final grades, while others did not grade homework or gave little or no weight to homework grades… Some teachers were giving some effective assignments that encouraged thinking and others were assigning busywork that promoted very little learning.” He was especially concerned with how many teachers assigned word search puzzles, mindless copying of spelling words, and intellectually empty projects. Parents seemed to be evenly split between those who thought their children were getting too much homework and those who believed they weren’t getting enough. With some homework assignments, parent help (and purchases) were vital, which would seem to widen achievement gaps based on the level of home resources different students had.

Head’s corner…..

Issue 6 - SY 2017-18 15 September 2017

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What brought the issue to a boil in Kasun’s first summer as superintendent was a slew of parent calls about children who had straight As on their report cards but were assigned to Basic Skills because they’d done poorly on New Jersey state tests. There were also students with the opposite problem: excellent scores on state tests but Cs and Ds on their report cards. The common factor? Homework was counted as a major portion of students’ grades. Some low-performing students were able to get high grades by always doing their homework, and some high-performing students didn’t do homework and were dinged on their report cards. Kasun convened a group of colleagues and they quickly concluded that “homework performance is not an accurate portrayal of final proficiency or mastery. It’s the path to learning, so it’s a formative assessment. We grade students against standards, not the routes by which they achieve them. Homework is practice and not a determination of mastery and grades are saved for declarations of mastery… When students fail to complete homework, we tend to approach the problem more like a discipline problem than a learning issue.” This led the group to question how much homework should count in students’ grades. The committee also looked into the disproportionate impact of giving zeroes to students for not doing homework or failing to turn in assignments. “Traditional practices of giving zeroes and not accepting late assignments allow students to escape accountability for learning,” says Kasun. “Learning is not about compliance, and we do not teach responsibility with a stick and carrot… We are faced with the irony that a policy that may be grounded in the belief of holding students accountable (giving zeroes) actually allows some students to escape accountability for learning.” Here are the changes the district decided to implement:

• Homework can be counted as only 5 percent of a student’s final grade. “Once the threat of grades is taken away from homework,” says Kasun, “homework becomes a safe place to try out new skills without penalty, just as athletes and musicians try out their skills in practice or in rehearsals.” • No zeroes. The lowest grade is 50. “It is not about control,” he says; “it is about learning. We need to assign work that is relevant and connected to the classroom, so that students see a reason to complete it, and not solely because they fear getting a bad grade. The homework assigned should be so meaningful that students need to complete it.” • Time limits on homework – The guideline was 10 minutes per grade level per night – in other words, third graders get 30 minutes, seniors get 120 minutes. Consistency across the district was important, says Kasun. In addition, “The quality of the task is as important as the amount of time required.” As the new policies were implemented, there was some push-back. Kasun addresses the major objections: - Students won’t do homework if it isn’t a big part of their grade. In fact, he says, grades aren’t the

factor that determines who does homework and who doesn’t; it’s the usefulness of homework. - Homework teaches responsibility and time management. “This is also an incorrect idea,” says

Kasun, “as homework does not reinforce time management if adults have to coerce children into doing it; if children are coerced, they are not in charge of making decisions about the use of time.”

- Giving students 50 for doing nothing is wrong. Kasun went back to the unfairness of giving zeroes on a 100-point scale (it’s virtually impossible to recover from a zero), and pointed out that teachers’ evaluations on the Danielson rubric were on a 4-point scale with 1 being the lowest possible score. Kasun concludes with the key principles addressed in the district’s professional development: - The purpose of homework is to foster learning. - Flipped learning is an efficient way to make homework more meaningful. - Teachers need to assign homework that students can complete on their own.

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- Collaboration and personalized learning are paramount. Tools like Google Docs and blogs can foster teamwork in the classroom and beyond. “Best learning practices should not end at the end of the school day,” he says. “The same intuitive software that we use in our classrooms can be assigned at home to create personalized learning that meets each student where he or she is… Students use these tools as part of their daily life, so it is often how they learn best.”

“Busy Work or Home Learning? One District’s Journey to Remake Homework for the 21st Century” by Ross Kasun in School Leader, May/June 2015 (Vol. 45, #6), http://www.njsba.org/news/school-leader/05062015/busy-work-or-home-learning.php; Kasun can be reached at rkasun@freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us. Coincidently, last weekend one of my professional colleagues sent me a Facebook link to a short YouTube video outlining some relevant points regarding the amount and use of homework. The video, linked below, opens some very good points for consideration when setting school homework policies. In my opinion, homework should follow the UBD concept (Understanding by Design) that basically suggests we should work backwards from a desired learning outcome and assign homework only as part of a well thought out process used to reach the desired learning. Based on that concept, homework would not be set according to a pre-determined time referenced process, but rather it would be requested as a well-planned teaching activity designed with purpose rather than just assigning homework to fill a predetermined amount of required time per grade level. This little video starts with some generally accepted time length guidelines, but then seems to question the concept of a set amount of ever increasing time per grade level. It seems to me to suggest that standardized time-based homework policies miss the concept of being sure work assigned outside of class is thoughtfully designed to reach a well-considered outcome and not just assigned as a policy based time filler. Food for thought. https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=J4wEI0tPEYM&h=ATOds11T56idFNl9c1z0zsrm3ltLUcL5kMWiA2BJtydSKe5MvO8kIC8UF8bmFqXx3dnWE21vWTR2njo9ExQzmrxCJeP7YLBsLGnPIr2WKoNq_r3oN25zPnsS0CuHiD9uLy5Hxn2GbQRAILTWMg Phil Joslin Head of School pjoslin@osc.lk

Secondary School Principal

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FROM THE SECONDARY COUNSELLOR….. Upcoming University Visits to OSC! Any questions? Just ask Ms Fleming or contact Ms Natalie in the Student Centre.

University of Calgary, Concordia University (Canada), University of Tampa, Florida &

Millersville University

Tuesday, 19th September

12.30 – 13.10hrs

SMPR

University of Houston-Victoria Tuesday, 26th September

08.30hrs SMPR

UK University Fair

Lancaster University

Leicester University

Loughborough University

Queen Mary University of London

University of Bristol

University of Leeds

University of Nottingham

University of Sheffield

Friday, 29th of September

12.30 – 13.10hrs

Auditorium

Secondary students are busy in classes this week and many will be submitting their first summative tasks as teachers prepare for the end of the first reporting period. Students will receive an interim report on the 4th October which is designed to help parents get a feel for progress to date. As this report is issued relatively early on in the year teachers may not have assessed students in all criteria and so must extrapolate from what they have received as well and what they see in terms of in class achievement and engagement. This interim report is “grades only”, comments only forming part of the end of semester reports received in December and June. In order for parents and students to unpack current progress, this interim report is closely followed by our Secondary 3-Way conferences in which parents and students are invited to come into school together to discuss strengths and strategies for improvement. Please note that these conferences will take place on the 18 th and 20th October, just after the break so if possible, hold one of these days available. Sign up for 3 Way conferences takes place on line and details of this will be sent to you before the end of September.

Best wishes, Claire McQuillan secondaryprincipal@OSC.lk Upcoming events: September 22nd Founder’s Day 25th DP2 Extended essay final due date

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Primary School Principal

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Attendance and Absences As you begin to plan out your school holidays, I would like to remind you of the importance of regular school attendance. In our Primary School Guide, it clearly states that “students are required to be present for at least 85% of the instructional time. Students who are absent from school, excused or unexcused, for more than 15% of the instructional time may jeopardize their promotion”. As a school, we understand there are instances when missing school may be unavoidable, and we are flexible in these situations. However, we are also aware that “extended holidays” can sometimes be avoided when planned in advance. When your child misses school, it is very difficult for the teacher to assign “homework” to catch up, as the PYP program moves away from the traditional textbook / worksheet model. Classroom conservations, mini-lessons, group work and feedback are integral to student learning in the classroom. When your child is away, this cannot be replicated. Should your child be absent, late to school, or needs to be dismissed early, parents are asked to notify the school. Please contact the Primary School Office after 7:00 am at +94 11 4419207. Parents may also email Mrs. Anne Karunaratne at primaryoffice@osc.lk After School Activities – Block 2: Change of Start Date I would like to inform you that there will be a change to the start date for Block 2 of our after school activities. On the calendar, it indicates the start date as October 23rd. Unfortunately, this date clashes with our season 1 SAISA sports, which finishes on Sunday, October 29th. Therefore, Block 2 of After School Activities will start the following week on October 30th. Please make a note of this on your calendar. UN Day Performances: Parents - we need you! This year’s UN Day assembly is on October 4th. The purpose of our UN Day assembly is to build community by sharing personal culture expressed through the Arts. The organization and planning of this event is not the sole responsibility of the class support parents. Acts do NOT have to be a whole class performance. It is encouraged to have parent participation, along with mixing students across grade levels. Performances can be solos, small group dances, singing, a display of martial arts etc. As a result, the whole student body will not be involved in the assembly... and that is perfectly fine. Performances should originate from a “passion” to share a cultural piece…not from the feeling of pressure or obligation. Here are some examples that may help generate ideas:

An Indian parent puts together a cultural Indian dance with a group of kids from different grade levels

A North American parent teaches students the square dance

A Japanese parent demonstrates a karate “dance” with their child – both perform

A group of Sri Lankan parents teach Sri Lankan children a cultural dance with music and drumming – both parents and students participate

We encourage ALL parents to participate and get involved. If you have an Act that you would like to share, please contact Mrs. Gunilla gbengtsson@osc.lk by Monday, September 25th to register your performance.

Have a lovely weekend. Regards, Jason Grandbois Primary School Principal jgrandbois@osc.lk

UN Day 2017 – Wednesday, October 4

UN Day is quickly approaching! Wednesday, October 4 will be OSC’s celebration of internationalism and diversity through our annual UN Day festivities. In preparation for the annual UN Day Flag Parade, we would like to know which nations need to be represented. The school has compiled a list based on enrollment information and the official passports listed with the school. The following nations will definitely be represented during the Flag Parade:

If your nation is NOT listed above, please contact Andy Rossberg (arossberg@osc.lk) by September 21 with details of the nation that needs to be added. As it is UN Day, only nations that are formally recognized in the United Nations will be eligible for participation in the Flag Parade. (This means that places like Hong Kong, Taiwan will be represented under China and places like Guam, Puerto Rico will be represented under the United States.) We want to ensure that everyone in the OSC community has a chance to be represented on UN Day, so please email by September 21 if you are not on the list above. Submissions after September 21 will not be taken into account as it will be too late to arrange for the flags. Thank you and hope to see you on UN Day! Andy Rossberg arossberg@osc.lk

Australia

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

China

Czech Republic

Denmark

France

Germany

Honduras

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Malaysia

Maldives

Mauritius

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Qatar

Russia

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

USA

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THE COMUN 2018 TEAM

Top Row ( L - R) : Arundhati, Shivani, Niti, Mayank, Bhavye, Vishesh, Taneishq Standing ( L - R ) : Maha, Anindo, Anuda, Pankhuri, Anargi, Milo, Virath, Divyanshu, Tavin, Anna, Youzhi, Rajiv, Phillip Seated ( L-R) : Gaeun, Pabasha, Naamya, Nicolina, Sanajana, Nisal, Saarthak Not in picture— Rika Goonetilleke, Chayan De Silva. This COMUN 2018 OSC delegation will take on leadership roles during UN Day celebrations on October 4th 2017. They will lead classroom sessions and the UN Day assembly in the auditorium. Leading this team is Nisal Amarawansha as the Secretary general of the 24th session of OSC sponsored Colombo Model United nations (COMUN )to be held from March 9th to March 11th 2018. For more information, do log onto www.comun.org.

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From the Doctor

Common Cold or Flu – like Illness There are three types of influenza virus - A, B and C. Influenza A and B cause most of the cases of influenza and this is called seasonal flu. There are many different viruses that cause a flu-like illness and there is no seasonal outbreak for this. We have had many students in School with this flu-like illness. Symptoms These illnesses typically cause sneezing, rhinitis, sore throat, headache, fever, aches and pains in muscles and joints, a dry cough and various other symptoms. Typically, symptoms are at their worst after 1-2 days. Then they gradually ease over several days. An irritating cough may persist for a week or so after other symptoms have gone. Most people recover completely within two to seven days. Complications

Bronchitis leading to Pneumonia especially seen in asthmatic children.

Febrile convulsions due to high fever

Caution Other serious illnesses can have similar symptoms when they first develop - for example, meningitis, Dengue, or pneumonia. If you have a more serious illness, other symptoms usually develop in addition to those mentioned above.

Rash

High fever

Stiff neck - particularly if you cannot bend your neck forward.

Severe headache

Dislike of bright lights

Drowsiness and/or confusion.

vomiting

Chest pains.

Coughing up blood or blood-stained sputum.

It is important to present to your Doctor, and will need follow-up if any of the above is present.

Treatment

Your immune system will usually clear viruses that cause flu and flu-like illnesses. Treatment aims to ease symptoms until the infection subsides, and to prevent complications.

Stay at home as much as possible to rest and prevent passing on the infection.

Paracetamol can lower the temperature, and also ease aches and pains.

Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Decongestant drops, throat lozenges and saline nasal drops may be helpful to ease nose and throat symptoms.

Doctors may prescribe antibiotics if a secondary bacterial infection is diagnosed.

Prevention Much better than cure!! Flu is passed from person to person by droplets created when someone with the infection sneezes or coughs. You can also catch it by touching a surface where the virus has been deposited. Flu can spread quickly in these ways. The older children know to cover their cough and sneezes, but the Primary students still tend to forget. Some also have the habit of sucking fingers, and will contaminate items/surfaces in the class rooms. It is therefore best to keep the smaller children at home even if the symptoms are mild.

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Gecko Sports News Coaches have selected their teams to travel to the SAISA tournaments which take place from October 25-29 in the following venues: Swimming – The American International School of Muscat, Oman Boys Volleyball – The American School Bombay, India Girls Volleyball – Lincoln School Kathmandu Nepal Congratulations to those selected. Student athletes should continue to work hard in the classroom and be a role model for others around school on a daily basis. A reminder to girls’ & boys’ volleyball players that your visa applications need to be with Ms. Desline by Thursday 21st September, unless you plan to organize your own. Friday 8 September saw the senior volleyball teams take on strong opposition from two Sri Lankan Schools. Both teams improved on their previous weeks performances with more confident hitting and blocking, but were well beaten. On Saturday morning OSC played host to swimmers from the Killer Whales Aquatics Club from Colombo. The Killer Whales were ruthless in the pool and pushed the Geckos to some new Personal Best times as well as a few race wins. Thank you to OSC parents and players for providing snacks & refreshments for our visitors. The volleyball teams will be in action again this Friday and we have the Raptors from The American International School of Chennai joining us in the pool on Saturday. Upcoming Fixtures Friday 15th Senior Boys’ & Girls’ volleyball opponents TBC 3.15pm in the gym Saturday 16th Swimming Meet verses AIS Chennai 9.00 – 4.00pm in the Pool Swimming Pool Sorry to inform you that the pool will be closed all day on Saturday (16th) as we have a swim meet organized. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Gooo Geckos

Steve Turner Athletics Director & Head of Physical & Health Education

16 September COMUN 2018 Interviews

19 September PYP Parent Workshop “Early Years in PYP” PMPR

21 September Board Meeting 5.00 pm

22 September Founders Day Assembly 8.00 am Gym

*27 September Primary Gymnastics Assembly 7.40 am Gym

3 October Primary 3-Way Conference (All Day)

4 October UN Day Assembly (12.15 pm dismissal) 7.45 am

5-15 October Vacation

18 October Secondary 3-Way Conference 5.00 - 7.00 pm

18 October Finance Meeting 5.00 pm

19 October SCN Coffee with Content

20 October Secondary 3-Way Conference 7.30 am to 3.30

*Additions/changes to the calendar

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SCN NEWS

OSC WELCOME BACK PICNIC Is BACK!

Save the date November 11th

12-3pm

UN DAY

CALLING ALL PARENTS!!!!

UN DAY IS COMING UP ON BREAK UP DAY – WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER.

This is an awesome day for the kids, where they get to showcase their countries. The entire morning is filled with fun: From the morning assembly (parents allowed) including a march by kids per country (dress up is a must), all the way through to sampling tasty treats (Kids only) provided by parents by country.

We have a few designated Country Reps, who you can contact to offer your assistance. This is a fun time and is designed for kids to sample bite sized foods from different countries around the world.

If your country is not listed below, you can join up with another country that is similar. You are also able to do something individually or as a small group (provided your country is not already participating). If you would like to participate and don’t have a country rep, please get in touch with SCN: Sally – sally.gatonby@gmail.com – 0765526633 Hana – wiberghana@gmail.com – 0768826211 Louise - lwplatt@yahoo.co.uk – 0773071588

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School Community Network

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Below is a list of Countries participating and Reps details:

COUNTRY REP CONTACT Tel

Japan Kayo

maysepoct@outlook.com makavitagekayo@gmail.com 0718703239

Latino America

LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

Sri Lanka Veronica veronicaomprasadham@gmail.com 0777681345

Korea

Soohyoung suekim0412@naver.com 0771428800

Aeshil 0773779566

Maldives LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

USA Jennifer Chandler jennifer.m.chandler6@gmail.com 0767201666

Australia / New Zealand Michelle Licul (Oz) michelle.licul@gmail.com 0771939218

India LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

Chez Republic / Austria / Germany Hana Wiberg wiberghana@gmail.com 0768826211

ASEAN Countries Noraini Aireen hijrahbeauty@gmail.com

+60133793678 (WhatsApp) 0771177817

Switzerland LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

France Michelle michelle.wigishoff@hotmail.fr 0765577987

Scandinavia LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

UK LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY REP

China Mei Xei 717241919@qq.com 0773984888

Indonesia Mona timmonawright@yahoo.com 0779550040

Page 14 OSC NEW SLETTER

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CATEGORY PRICE MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Breakfast 200 (without protein). 300 (with protein)

Egg – Boiled

Coconut Rotti

Roast pan

Red rice

Chicken curry

Fish curry

Lunu miris

Pol sambol

Dhal

Egg – Bull’s

eye

Parata

Roast pan

Red rice

Chicken

Fish curry

Lunu miris

Pol sambol

Potato Curry

Egg – Omelet

Dossai

Roast pan

Red rice

Chicken curry

Fish curry

Lunu miris

Pol sambol

Dhal

Egg –

Scrambled

String hoppers

Roast pan

Red rice

Chicken curry

Fish curry

Lunu miris

Pol sambol

Potato curry

Egg – poached

Godamba Rotti

Roast pan

Red rice

Chicken curry

Fish curry

Lunu miris

Pol sambol

Dhal

Lunch – Western

Junior 250. Others 350 (only 1 meat item)

Sweet corn and celery rice. Roast Chicken. Steamed fish and Pak choy with soya ginger sauce. Baked mash potato. Buttered steamed vegetables. Penne Pasta. Tomato basil sauce.

Tomato flavored Mexican rice. Chicken Hot Pot. Mexican style Fish. Creamy potato augratin. Honey and butter roasted carrots. Vegetable Lasagna. Tomato sauce.

Classic pilaf rice. Lemon Chicken. Fish Stew. Roasted Potato wedges with garlic. Char grilled vegetables with olive oil. Buttered spaghetti. White sauce.

Spicy Mongolian Vegetable rice. Roast Chicken. Fish curry. Oven roasted potato. Stir fried vegetables. Penne Pasta. Minced Chicken with Pasta sauce.

Briyani basmati rice. Masala Chicken. Baked fish lemon sauce. Tempered potato. Mixed vegetable curry. Buttered Spaghetti. Pasta Carbonara.

Lunch – Asian 250 (only one meat item)

Steamed red rice. Fish mustard stew. Green beans tempered. Dhal curry. Pol sambol. Gotukola mallum. Chutney pickle. Papadam.

Steamed red rice. Fish Tikka masala. Cabbage tempered. Potato curry. Pol sambol. Mukunuwana mallum. Chutney pickle. Papadam.

Steamed red rice. Spicy Sri Lankan Chicken baduma. Leeks tempered. Dhal & Spinach curry. Pol sambol. Polos mallum. Chutney pickle. Papadam.

Jaffna Fish curry. Brinjal curry. Potato Pol sambol. Kos mallum. Chutney pickle. Papadam.

Steamed red rice. Butter masala chicken. Mixed vegetable curry. Dhal curry. Pol sambol. Mallum. Chutney pickle. Papadam.

Menus…...contd/...

Page 15 OSC NEW SLETTER

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CATEGORY PRICE DAILY ITEMS

Drinks 100 King Coconut

Watermelon

150 Chocolate drink

Snacks 100 Cookies

Chicken Puff

Apple Tart

Fish Bun

150 Croissant (Cheese/Chocolate/Custard/Chicken)

200 Pizza

Meat Puff

Chicken Pizza Croissant

Sausage Croissant

Sandwich/Salad corner

350 upwards Make your own sandwich/salad

Brown bread, white bread, tortilla wrap

Grated Cheese/sliced Cheese, Tomatoes, Onion, Bell pepper, Apple, Cucumber, Ham, Chicken, Egg, Tuna.

The Overseas School of Colombo Pelawatte, P.O. Box 9 Battaramulla, Sri Lanka Tel: (94-11) 2784920-2 Fax: (94-11) 2784999 Email: admin@osc.lk Web: www.osc.lk

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Need a part time helper? Indrani works with us on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She is looking for work on Tuesday and Thursday. Indrani is very trustworthy, reliable and hardworking. She lives in Pelawatte. Hours would be between 8am - 3pm (while her kids are at school) We pay her Rs.1500 per day. You can call her directly on:0776672069. Or if you have any questions call me. Matt : 0775587768.