News from our Elementary Principal, Ben Voborsky
Hello GAA Community,
As we head into the final stretch of the 2016-2017 school year, we are reflecting on the current school year and planning for the next year. This is something we have done as a pedagogical leadership team since my arrival; collaborating on what went well and how we can exceed outstanding in the next school year. We have spent time completing our preliminary report for the Council of International School and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. We have also enhanced our School Evaluation Form and our School Development Plan. We have a firm roadmap in place for 2017-2018. This work will ensure a smooth transition.
I would like to thank Sally Potts, Sofia Lyons, and Louise Dunn for all their continued hard work and dedication to GAA. Sally will be enjoying retirement in Canada next year. Sofia will be heading to Chile with her family as Paddy Lyons assumes a Deputy Head of School role. After many years in the region, Louise will be taking on a principal-ship at an independent school in Tennessee. This is the nature of international schools and why we build strong sustainable programs.
I would like to announce three members of our pedagogical leadership team for the 2017-2018 school year who will be continuing the vision of our K-5 program.
As we head into the final stretch of the 2016-2017 school year, we are reflecting on the current school year and planning for the next year. This is something we have done as a pedagogical leadership team since my arrival; collaborating on what went well and how we can exceed outstanding in the next school year. We have spent time completing our preliminary report for the Council of International School and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. We have also enhanced our School Evaluation Form and our School Development Plan. We have a firm roadmap in place for 2017-2018. This work will ensure a smooth transition.
I would like to thank Sally Potts, Sofia Lyons, and Louise Dunn for all their continued hard work and dedication to GAA. Sally will be enjoying retirement in Canada next year. Sofia will be heading to Chile with her family as Paddy Lyons assumes a Deputy Head of School role. After many years in the region, Louise will be taking on a principal-ship at an independent school in Tennessee. This is the nature of international schools and why we build strong sustainable programs.
I would like to announce three members of our pedagogical leadership team for the 2017-2018 school year who will be continuing the vision of our K-5 program.
Heather Smith will be joining us as KG Vice Principal. Heather is currently the President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. She has a Bachelor of Child Study degree in Elementary and Special Education and a Master of Education in Literacy from Mount Saint Vincent University. Heather brings a wealth of teaching and administrative knowledge to GAA with over 20 years of classroom teaching experience, seven years teaching in a collaborative teaching model in which she and another teacher led a classroom of 50 KG students.
Heather served as an elementary principal for 9 years in New Brunswick, which is a fully inclusive education Province. Nominated by her elementary school faculty in 2011, Heather received national recognition, being the only New Brunswick educator named by the Learning Partnership as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals. In her Province, she is most known for providing comprehensive services for students with high needs, whether they are at-risk for physical, emotional or situational reasons.
Heather served as an elementary principal for 9 years in New Brunswick, which is a fully inclusive education Province. Nominated by her elementary school faculty in 2011, Heather received national recognition, being the only New Brunswick educator named by the Learning Partnership as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals. In her Province, she is most known for providing comprehensive services for students with high needs, whether they are at-risk for physical, emotional or situational reasons.
David Coats currently teaches Grade 5 at GAA will be moving into the role of Elementary Vice Principal. Prior to joining GAA he held a principal position on Vancouver Island. He began his journey here last year and is joined by his wife, Jennifer, who teaches in Elementary. David holds a Bachelor of Art (English/Drama) from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education (Primary/Junior) from the University of Toronto as well as Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from City University Bellevue WA.
Mike Hopaluk, the current PYP Coordinator at GEMS American Academy, will be moving into the role of Elementary Vice Principal. Next year will be Mike’s fourth year at GAA. Previous to joining the GAA community, Mike taught in South Korea for 12 years- the last six of those years being in MYP and PYP schools in the cities of Suwon and Busan respectively. Mike holds a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education, a Masters in Education with a focus on ICT in Education and is currently finishing his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Advanced Educational Leadership.
We are set up for a fantastic rest of the school year and a strong 2017-2018. Our students will continue to have the best experience possible at GAA.
Enjoy your weekend,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
We are set up for a fantastic rest of the school year and a strong 2017-2018. Our students will continue to have the best experience possible at GAA.
Enjoy your weekend,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
News from our Elementary Vice Principal, Louise Dunn
Dear GAA families,
This beautiful city we call home is warming up as we head towards the summer months. Here at GAA, we value the time children have to play with their friends and want to keep our students playing outside for as long as possible. So to help in this endeavor, we ask that you send your student to school with a hat which is clearly marked with their name and a refillable water bottle so that they can often rehydrate during the day. We will monitor the temperatures carefully during the day so as to determine which areas are suitable for outside play.
Enjoy the sun, boost your vitamin D but play safe.
Regards,
Louise Dunn
This beautiful city we call home is warming up as we head towards the summer months. Here at GAA, we value the time children have to play with their friends and want to keep our students playing outside for as long as possible. So to help in this endeavor, we ask that you send your student to school with a hat which is clearly marked with their name and a refillable water bottle so that they can often rehydrate during the day. We will monitor the temperatures carefully during the day so as to determine which areas are suitable for outside play.
Enjoy the sun, boost your vitamin D but play safe.
Regards,
Louise Dunn
The Grade Five team is closing in on the halfway mark of the Primary Year’s Program Exhibition. This is the time when our students get to show off the research and thinking skills, as well as the social and time management skills that they have learned throughout the program. We are very excited about showcasing all of this hard work the first week of May. Right now, though, the students are ready for a well-deserved break, and some down time with family. The Fifth Graders really are pushing themselves right now to research an important topic, and we know that some will continue to work over the break. To give you an idea of how the students see things, here are the thoughts of Federica and June who offer their perspective.
“Exhibition in the past four weeks has been hard and exhausting. Not all group members have been participating during research time, like the people that want to play during the day. Some of us have been spending every free minute on our exhibition work, but ended up getting upset at the people who didn’t. People take really long breaks off researching and don’t really deserve to get popcorn and movie time. I hope exhibition will be better next year!”
“Exhibition for the past few weeks has been a blast! Everyone working, having fun, finishing their work in time, etc. We had so much fun learning about our topic, and we learned a lot about teamwork. We are sure we ALL deserve popcorn and movie time, because of all the hard work we have done. We are also confident about the real exhibition where we actually get to present our hard work. We EVEN made new friends that we didn’t really know. Exhibition is the best thing that has ever happened during school! I don’t know how we could have accomplished school without PYPX Exhibition!!!”
They intentionally crafted two sides to the same issue, and I think we can all agree that there are times that things go smoothly for all the groups, and there are times that conflicts arise, and we support them in finding compromises that allows the work to continue, and have everyone’s voice heard. As a teacher new to the program, I have really admired their risk-taking in walking into a different class for most of the week for eight weeks, and for the caring and positive attitudes as we work through the assigned tasks. I hope that everyone will get a chance to come in and see this fabulous achievement on May 2nd and 3rd.
“Exhibition in the past four weeks has been hard and exhausting. Not all group members have been participating during research time, like the people that want to play during the day. Some of us have been spending every free minute on our exhibition work, but ended up getting upset at the people who didn’t. People take really long breaks off researching and don’t really deserve to get popcorn and movie time. I hope exhibition will be better next year!”
“Exhibition for the past few weeks has been a blast! Everyone working, having fun, finishing their work in time, etc. We had so much fun learning about our topic, and we learned a lot about teamwork. We are sure we ALL deserve popcorn and movie time, because of all the hard work we have done. We are also confident about the real exhibition where we actually get to present our hard work. We EVEN made new friends that we didn’t really know. Exhibition is the best thing that has ever happened during school! I don’t know how we could have accomplished school without PYPX Exhibition!!!”
They intentionally crafted two sides to the same issue, and I think we can all agree that there are times that things go smoothly for all the groups, and there are times that conflicts arise, and we support them in finding compromises that allows the work to continue, and have everyone’s voice heard. As a teacher new to the program, I have really admired their risk-taking in walking into a different class for most of the week for eight weeks, and for the caring and positive attitudes as we work through the assigned tasks. I hope that everyone will get a chance to come in and see this fabulous achievement on May 2nd and 3rd.
KG Corner
KG Library and makerspace
KG1 students are inquiring into light around us. They will be learning about light sources through exploration with flashlights and natural light. How can light create shadows? This week KG1 students played with flashlights to explore how shadows can change.
Can you build a free-standing tower using only sticks and tape? Can you build the same kind of tower using pipe cleaners or straws? KG2 students have been exploring how materials have different properties. They have been working cooperatively to complete building challenges using a given set of materials – like sticks or pipe cleaners. Our KG2 students are being creative thinkers to problem-solve, and build their understanding of materials.
Can you build a free-standing tower using only sticks and tape? Can you build the same kind of tower using pipe cleaners or straws? KG2 students have been exploring how materials have different properties. They have been working cooperatively to complete building challenges using a given set of materials – like sticks or pipe cleaners. Our KG2 students are being creative thinkers to problem-solve, and build their understanding of materials.
KG1 have been focusing on flowing simple directions. This week made pizzas. First made the dough then followed four steps to make and bake our pizzas. We learned that yeast is a living thing and that it eats yeast. When it eats yeast, it makes gas bubbles which make our pizza dough light. In our second lesson, we learned about going to the dentist by reading a book and through demonstrations. We learned the steps to brushing our teeth and about the magnifying glasses that dentists use to see inside our mouths.
KG2 students are learning about the properties of materials. In the kitchen we are looking at ingredients and how they change when they are cooked. Before the holiday we observed pasta. This week we made pizza and described the pizza dough and cheese before and after cooking. The children enjoyed making the dough and following the steps to make their individual pizzas.
KG2 students are learning about the properties of materials. In the kitchen we are looking at ingredients and how they change when they are cooked. Before the holiday we observed pasta. This week we made pizza and described the pizza dough and cheese before and after cooking. The children enjoyed making the dough and following the steps to make their individual pizzas.