rbis highlights june 2011

2381 Hong Qiao Road (Zoo's East Gate), Shanghai, China 200335 (86 21)62689773, 62684081 www.rbischina.org

Volume 4, Issue 1, August/September

Principal’s MessageDear RBIS Community,

May was a month full of exciting events!

Hooray for Sports Day!RBIS Sports Day was a fantastic event! It was so wonderful to see the excitement of the chi ldren as they participated in t h e f u n s p o r t s activities. Even our youngest students were trying their hardest to run the relays and work together with their t e a m t o w i n challenges. This year was the first year that the school was organized into Houses and we all loved it! It fostered the spirit of community by mixing us all up and giving us a chance to work together with new people. It was great to see the students cheering on friends on different teams! The activities were lead by our dynamite specials and student services teachers, who made the d a y e x t r a e x c i t i n g a n d entertaining. It was wonderful to view all the children getting fit and loving it! Thank you to Mr. Toby for organizing this special event and the RBIS parent committee for all their help this year!

Festival of the Arts FOTAThe Festival of the Arts was a wonderful evening that brought us all together in celebration of the arts. We were all amazed by all of the talented stage performers and the hundreds of works of art on display. From digital videos to

ukuleles to cheese balls, FOTA had it a l l ! I f e e l e x t r e m e l y fortunate to be p a r t o f a community that has such a strong love of the arts. FOTA captured t h e b e a u t y o f

sharing our talents, imagination, c r e a t i v i t y , a n d p e r s o n a l expression. Thank you to Alex for organizing the event, the RBIS Arts committee (Stephanie, Michelle, Andy, Noel, Romel, Rowena, Robert)and all the teacher volunteers who came out to support the event. It was a night to be remembered!

PYP Parent NightThis month we hosted a PYP parent night that introduced RBIS families to core components of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP). Teachers presented information on Transdisciplinary themes, Concepts, Transdisciplinary skills, Action, and Attitudes through activities and audio- video. (Principal’s Message Continues on Next Page...)

Highlights

News and EventsNews and EventsJune 20Summer School Begins

July 15Summer School Ends

August 20Parent Orientation

August 23 Fall Term Begins


Early Childhood

What an amazing school year! As we come to an end of the school year its good to reflect and think about all that we have learned and experienced

and how we have grown. So in this newsletter I would like to share with you some of my reflections about the 2010-2011 school year.

Early YearsNot only are these students about a head taller but you can really see the friendships that h a v e g r o w n a n d t h e development of social and emotional skills. The early years is an important time for discovering that you are not the centre of the universe and that friendships can be rewarding. The teachers have worked very

hard this year to set up an e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t w a s conducive to really supporting these skills!

PreschoolThe preschool students have grown in confidence and independence over the school year. When I visit classrooms at the end of the school year students are excited to share what they have learned and show me their favourite games and work that they are doing. The teachers have also grown in (Early Childhood Continues on Next Page...)

Principal’s Message Continued...

We encourage you all to attend next year’s PYP nights to gain more in depth knowledge of our school curriculum.

I B P r i m a r y Y e a r s Program at RBISIn March our school was highly commended by IB r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f o r o u r successful implementation of the IB Primary Years Program for students in preschool through 6th grade. Because of all the progress we have made these past two years in establishing a strong IB Primary Years Program, we are confident that we will become an accredited IB school by the end of next year.

To ensure our accreditation, in 2008 we developed a three year action plan outlining objectives to be accomplished for each school year. For the 2011-2012 school year the following objectives have been identified:

♣ Implement rev ised Program of Inquiry♣ F u r t h e r d e v e l o p transdisciplinary learning

through the integration of library, technology, and science into planning and implementation of Units of Inquiry.♣ F u r t h e r d e v e l o p m e t h o d s f o r i n q u i r y teaching and learning♣ Further communicate the IB philosophy to the school community♣ Implement rev ised assessment and language policy

These objectives will directly connect to the school goals for the 2011-2012 school year. We are proud of a l l of our accomplishments we have acheived as a school, and we look forward to becoming an accredited IB school in 2012.

A Warm FarewellI t ’ s b e e n a w o n d e r f u l experience watching your children learn and grow with us this school year. Over the past months, we’ve seen students’ tears change to s m i l e s , f e a r s c h a n g e t o confidence, and questions change to knowledge. We’ve witnessed the sharing of

culture and laughter, the discovery of science and our environment, the beauty of song and charity, and the excitement of completing tasks that seemed impossible at the start of the year. It’s been a remarkable time and we all at Rainbow Bridge would like to say ‘thank you’ for sharing your children with us.

We would also like to thank y o u f o r y o u r s u p p o r t throughout the year. Your words of encouragement and involvement in school events have helped create a school community that is informed and growing strong. We appreciate all the time you spend working with your children at home fostering their love of learning.

As this year comes to an end, we can look ahead to the start of another exciting school year filled with new possibilities and opportunities for growth.

Have a wonderful summer! Rebecca ZipprichPrincipal, RBIS

http://www.rbischina.org



Elementary

As our year comes to a close, we reflect on the successes in the classroom and our school community. Looking back, I am inspired by the creativity, passion and love for learning our teachers and students share a n d c h a n n e l i n t o a c t i o n everyday. Action comes in small moments such as hearing two children say “have a nice day” as they part ways after their morning bus ride. Action comes in large projects such as the second grade fundraiser

that raised over 3,000 RMB for a n i m a l r e s c u e . F r o m Kindergarten to 5th/6th grade, RBIS students have been in constant forward motion and continue to make a difference!

Through action we make meaningful connections, and students have done this in RBIS, Shanghai and our global community. In its inaugural year, our Student Council ran elections, raised money for Japan, and organized a school dance. Reaching beyond their classroom, the 5th/6th graders designed, wrote and published their original MegaZine which circulated in print on campus and in the Hongqiao area and was posted online!

Several classes connected beyond RBIS using technology to not only share their learning but also gain knowledge. Kindergarteners emailed a boat

captain, a farmer and an artist as they learned about different jobs, and third graders did market research via an online survey. Connecting with other students was evident through each day during outdoor play, mixed grade level houses at Sports Day, whole school assemblies and in cross-grade buddy reading.

While on our journey towards accreditation as an IB PYP school, RBIS has continued to strengthen its mission to inspire life-long learners who are responsible global citizens who respect themselves, the earth and others. It has been a privilege being part of this unique community.

Anne CrylenElementary Coordinator

Early Childhood Continued...

exploring and documenting the students learning, their displays both in and out of the classroom are a pleasure to read and full of fascinating information about their inquiries.

Pre-k When I walk into the pre-k classrooms I feel like I have already stepped into a kindergarten classroom. The students are so mature and confident by the end of the school year, ready to go to “Big School”. Over the course of the year I was really able to see the student’s growth in all areas, from learning to read to really reflecting the traits of the learner profile through their actions and discussions. Our Pre-k teachers have done an amazing job in preparing the students for their next transition and I will be sad to see them go. I have known some of these students since they were in the Toddler class!

I hope you too have some wonderful reflections of the school year and I look forward to seeing you all again next year. Have a fantastic summer.

Linda MathewsEarly Childhood Coordinator

RBIS T-shirts are now on sale!

Just in time for the hot Shanghai summer.

Pick yours up at the Admissions office today!




Science

Pre-K students blasted off into space as they learned about our solar system. They became astronauts and took a fun filled imaginary trip to the moon where they jumped around, c o l l e c t e d r o c k samples, put down their countr ies ’ flag, and took lots of pictures! Ask your Pre-K student to sing: “The Earth T u r n s A r o u n d ” which discusses the r e l a t i o n s h i p between the sun, moon, and earth.

K i n d e r g a r t e n students learned all about life cycles. They observed the life cycle of real silk worms and tadpoles in the classroom and recorded how the animals grew and changed over time. Students also played games and did projects to compare the human life cycle to that of other animals and plants.

First graders learned how to use microscopes and examined prepared slides of animals, plants, and textiles sketching their observations. Then they brushed up on their knowledge of teeth! Students made a mouth puppet labeling the different kinds of teeth and discussed the different jobs teeth have, and investigated the importance of caring for our teeth!

S e c o n d g r a d e s c i e n t i s t dissected owl pellets and tried to identify what animals the owl ate from the bones they f o u n d . S t u d e n t s a l s o completed a unit on matter. They categorized solids by their v a r i o u s properties, made matter books, a n d e x p e r i m e n t e d w i t h p h a s e changes. They became chemist a n d c r e a t e d Oobleck –it acts l ike a l iquid when being

poured, but like a solid when a force is acting on it- so cool!

I n t h i r d g r a d e students continued their study on air. T h e y d e s i g n e d p a r a c h u t e s a n d conducted other e x c i t i n g a i r e x p e r i m e n t s . Students concluded this unit of inquiry b y w o r k i n g i n engineer teams to

design balloon air powered cars. After this project they worked independently using recyclable materials to create their own air powered vehicle. During the design process students l e a r n e d a b o u t f o r c e , g r a v i t y , f r i c t i o n , acceleration, speed, the importance of testing using the scientific method, and more!

Fourth and fifth/s i x t h g r a d e r s became chemist a n d c o n d u c t e d experiments to see what happens when you mix together mentos candy and c o k e , a n d i n a n o t h e r

experiment baking soda and vinegar. They concluded a whole lot of CO2 and a big mess! Fourth graders designed and constructed rubber band powered airplanes and then

m a d e t h e i r o w n f l y i n g gliders as they invest igated flight. Fifth/Sixth grade a l s o invest igated architecture a n d d i s -covered why m a n y

architects use tri-angles in their build-ings and constructed t h e i r o w n t o o t h p i c k marshmallow domes and other structures.

In the Green House Garden over the last two months, over 90 carrots have been harvested as well as kohlrabi, spinach, p e a s , m i n t , l e t t u c e , a n d radishes. In the Parking Lot Garden we currently have beautiful yellow blossoms some that are already growing into cucumbers and will be ready to harvest during summer school. We have also collected all of the worm castings from classroom worm farms and have new rich compost for the greenhouse garden. Students have done a

great job composting and gardening this year!

I have really enjoyed working with RBIS students; it has been a wonderful year in the world of science! I hope everyone keeps on observing, quest ioning, and experimenting over the summer!

Ms. Heather and Mr. Richard




Library

Book SwapRBIS students were invited to bring in their unwanted books to swap with their friends. Our goal was to get good books into the hands of students who could read them and love them. We swapped over 400 books!

RecommendationsStudents in kindergarten and elementary created lists of their favorite books. Those of you looking for some summer reads might investigate some of these titles.

KindergartenSeven Chinese Sisters by Kathy TuckerTacky the Penguin by Helen LesterRace Cars Up Close by Andra Abramson

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert MunschBread and Jam for Frances by Russell HobanLittle Hoot by Amy Rosenthal

First GradeRainbow Magic series by Daisy MeadowsMagic Tree House series by Mary Pope OsborneWolfsnail by Sara C. CampbellCalvin and Hobbes comics by Bill WattersonMagic School Bus by Joanna ColeHot Wheels readers published by Scholastic

Second GradeStar Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures graphic novelsRicky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot series by Dav PilkeyCam Jansen series by David AdlerThe Lego Book by David LipkowitzRamona the Pest by Beverly ClearyArthur series by Marc Brown

Third GradeThere’s a Boy in the Girl ’s Bathroom by Louis SacharLulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith ViorstHow to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida CowelFrannie K. Stein series by Jim BentonDiary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

Humphrey series by Betty Birney

Fourth GradeBabymouse graphic novel series by Jennifer HolmSpirited Away graphic novel series by Hayo MiyazakaThe Underland Chronicles series by Suzanne CollinsTales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy BlumeThe Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee StewartThe Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Fifth and Sixth GradeBone graphic novel series by Jeff SmithPercy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick RiordanDear Dumb Diary series by Jim BentonDragons series by Chris D’LaceyThe Hunger Games series by Suzanne CollinsProfessional Skateboarder by Tony HawkFabelhaven series by Brandon MullSwindle by Gordon KormanHarry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

B e s t w i s h e s f o r s u m m e r reading!

Ms. Adrienne & Mr. Christopher

Music

The early years h a d t h e i r s p r i n g p e r f o r m a n c e recently and, as always, all the p a r e n t s a n d teachers were so del ighted

with their performance. You can see how they have grown and how confident they are on stage. The children had fun singing and dancing to their songs and they all looked great with their costumes. The toddler class had an interactive concert which incorporated participation from their beloved parents. Everybody had fun singing and dancing. Children loved seeing their parents dance with them and singing their songs as well.

Prek and kindergarten students express themselves through different musical stories, they sing songs, and learn drama and express their emotions in the music class, they also explore themselves through different culture, south America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, They learned different music styles and instrumentation and how the music sound and moved through different culture. For elementary students during this unit of inquiry, students demonstrate their ability to read, write, create and perform a rhythmic or melodic composition. They understand the music concept, creative process and perform on their favorite instruments. They also learn a fews songs from different musical styles to perform in a reader’s theater through different character and drama. Every student has a wonderful performance in spring concert.

Ms. Michelle and Mr. Glenn




Physical Education

In P.E. we have been working on creativity and strength. Our keywords for this semester have been risk-taking and open-minded. The main focus has been on the fantastic day we had for Sports Day and practicing for that.

In Early Years Ms. Rowena has been winding down the term using all the elements the s t u d e n t s h a v e l e a r n t

throughout the year to combine into review and pract ice sessions. They have been practicing for Sports Day and learning how to run relay races, throw suing a strong arm and kick using all their body weight.

In Pre K and K we have been focusing on a similar theme. Sports Day was a huge success for them. They learnt to cooperate well with their House in different teams than they are used to, each student being given a House to represent and participate for. Sports Day medals and prizes were very well received and still now some students talk about it.

In Grades 1 through 6 we have done a mixture of team games and preparing for Sports Day. The scooters were used for s p a t i a l a w a r e n e s s a n d cooperation techniques and were a big hit. We practiced

kick-ball, have continued our yoga practice and also focused on top performance for Sports Day.

Sports Day provided each grade with a chance to compete in a House team outside their normal circle of friends in a variety of different activities, the weather was hot with blue skies and it was great to see so many parents supporting and even joining in some activities!

The results were as follows: The Sharks in 1st place, The Lions in 2nd, The Bears in 3rd and Eagles in 4th. We also handed out prizes best athlete in each grade level and medals and certificates for everyone who participated. A fantastic day!

Mr. Toby and Ms. Rowena

Computer and Technology

What an exciting year it has been in the computer lab! This term, Preschool students have started pre-reading activities on Starfall. Their ability to use the computer and navigate webpages has improved so much this year. I am very impressed by how far they have come!

Students in Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade have been using Art programs and playing Science games that foster creative problem solving. The younger students have enjoyed using Bomomo and This is Sand to continue developing their hand eye coordination. Bomomo is a

unique painting site that uses abstract brushes to create imaginative and beautiful artwork. The students have really enjoyed exploring all the different brush strokes and sharing their art with friends. This is Sand is a website that changes the pixels on the screen into digital sand. Students loved creating colorful “mountains” of digital sand to share in the online gallery.

Older students have also been experimenting with Science games from the Science Museum. Two of the favorites are Grain Strain and Launchball. Both games ask students to think creatively in order to solve tasks of increasing difficulty.

Overall, it has been an exciting year in Technology class! I have enjoyed working with all the students and look forward to more great technology projects next year.

Ms. Kate




Art

It has been a great year for the RBIS art studio and a s p e c t a c u l a r final month for RBIS students, teachers, and f a m i l i e s o u r

students’ creative expression. This year’s Festival of the Arts (FOTA) was the best one to date. We saw more students, parents, and friends turn out for this amazing event than ever before.

Highlights of the evening extravaganza include:A DIY shadow puppet theater put together by Mr. Romel and Ms. Rowena, a massive book swap organized by Ms. Adrienne and Mr. Christopher, A beautiful parent/teacher gallery with oil paintings, woodblock prints, and fabric design, and creative displays of student sculpture, paintings, video and animation.

They were also amazing performances by Ms. Stephanie’s 2nd grade class who performed What A Wonderful World through sign language. Also, Ms. Jennifer’s 3rd grade class gave us an exciting

rendition of the History of Dance. There were great musical performances by RBIS staff including Ms. Adrienne, Mr. Robert, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Romel, Ms. Heather O. and Ms. Michelle.

After school classes also participated. Mr. Romel’s guitar club impressed everyone with their tremendous abilities that they have learned over a short period of time. Kung Fu knocked everyone out this year with their demonstration under the direction of Master Kun. When the young martial artists left the stage, Master Kun showed us how its done Shaolin Temple style and gave us a jaw-dropping solo performance.

The night was a success on all levels and the Art department and committee would like to thank all the students who participated, all the teachers and parents who volunteered their time, and all the art committee members who put in extra work to make it a spectacular event. Can’t wait to do it again next year.

From us here at the RBIS art studio, we would like to wish everyone in the RBIS community a fun, safe, and creative summer. See you in the art classroom in August!

Mr. Alex and Mr. Romel



Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

The 4th Annual RBIS Festival of the Arts (FOTA)

Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

To HongqiaoAirport

Hongqiao Lu

Hongzhong Lu

Hongjing Lu

Hongmei Lu

Huanxi Lu

Jinhui Lu

(3 km)

The Bund (17 km)

Zoo’s east gateShanghai

Zoo

Yan’an Lu

Ham

i Lu

Metro Line 10

Office of Admission(86 21) 62689773, 62683121

[email protected]

Rainbow Bridge International School

2381 Hong Qiao RoadShanghai, China 200335

RBIS is located inside Shanghai Zoo through the East gate entrance.

The campus is just 5 mins. from Hongqiao Int’l airport and 10 mins. from the Gubei area. A Metro Line 10 station is located in front of the zoo’s main entrance.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

