The ISD Parent Update is emailed to the ISD Community once a month. The Parent Update contains a collection of stories from the various classes and departments within the school. Enjoy the read!
INDEX - JUNE ISSUE
We have created an Index for you to have an overview of the content and to make it easier to go to a specific article. Please be aware that theIndex only works if youopen the Parent Update in your browser or on the computer.
ISD Primary
7 July: Student led conferences
12 July: Reports go out
13 July: Events for children arranged by Social Committee
15 July: Last day of school ISD Primary - school finishes at 2.45pm
ISD Secondary
30 June: Breijder - Safe gaming workshops
2 July: All classes Phileas Fogg drama workshops. MYP 1 'Little Victorians’ show
12 July: Outwardbound day at the Delftse Hout (9:00 - 16:30)
13 July: Outwardbound day at the Delftse Hout (9:00 - 16:30)
14 July: Reports go out and last school day (mentor activity, clearing lockers, handing in books)
14 July 3-5 pm: Farewell reception for mr Jaap Mos from 3-5 pm
IB MYP authorization successful
We are very proud that the IB has approved ISD Secondary for authorization to offer the Middle Years Programme. This is great news and the outcome of two years of hard work by our dedicated staff, supported by the whole ISD community, whom we would like to thank for their ongoing support.
The lessons we learned from the IB MYP authorization process are beneficial for the Primary school as well because ISD Primary will be visited by the IB in September 2022 for an evaluation visit. We are looking forward to the ongoing development of the school and the further alignment of the PYP and MYP.
PYP Exhibition
At the start of next school year, most of our PYP 7 children will transition to the Secondary school. Before they leave ISD Primary, they will be showcasing their learning in the PYP 7 Exhibition. This is an event where students are given the opportunity to share their understanding of a real-life issue or topic that they feel passionate about. It is a great way to help children reflect on all their learning while developing their presentation and assessment skills. We are looking forward to the presentations that celebrate learning in our school. We hope to see most of our PYP 7 parents at the exhibition this coming Thursday.
Covid restrictions relaxed
The Netherlands is making good progress with their vaccination strategy. In the press conference from the Dutch government, it was announced that a lot of the National Corona restrictions will be lifted or relaxed from 26 June. This has a slight impact on the Primary school. This week we have shared the new Protocol for ISD Primary. For ISD Secondary, in the day -to- day operation there is no change. We would like to reiterate that it is still required to wear face masks outside of the classroom.
In both Primary and Secondary we have planned for some fun activities for the final week of the school year. We are looking forward to these and hopefully a more ‘normal’ school year starting after the summer holidays.
Contribution by Ms Alanna Johnson
As part of our inquiry, we participated in some FUN experiments to gain a deeper understanding of how weather works. We started with the children sharing their knowledge of weather by having them create their very own weather dial as well as get creative and make weather pictures.
We listened to stories (fiction and non-fiction), songs and videos to explore further until we came across something fun! The children participated in the following:
Rain Cloud in a Jar
Clouds in a Jar
Tornado in a Jar
This was one of our favourites as you can just keep shaking and it just keeps going.
We have enjoyed learning and sharing our understanding in different ways throughout this Unit and we are still going strong! Our next piece of inquiry will be making the ‘Water Cycle’.
Follow the link to have a go yourself!
Every day, I have the privilege to be outside when the children play. When the weather is like the past few weeks and the sun is shining, the sand pit is open, that is when children will tap into their creative minds and make the most beautiful things collaboratively.
Others enjoy running and jumping or playing games and another is mesmerised by nature.
Even teachers (Ms Sandip) are jumping rope! We are all having a good time. SUMMER IS COMING!
The traffic exam is an important exam for children 10 to 12 years old. This exam is very important because in the Netherlands it is crucial to know how to ride a bike and be able to go through traffic safely. In the practical exam students go one by one through a chosen route. Examiners (parents or teachers) look at what the student does in different traffic situations and add and subtract points based on what they do well and what they do wrong. Although many people in our class were nervous or worried everybody did well, and we all passed!
Many people relaxed throughout the route.
In the theoretical exam the teacher showed us the question and options and we wrote down our answer on the paper. Although some people had another test going on and only saw some of the questions, they had an opportunity to finish it. The theoretical exam was for many people less stressful than the practical exam because nobody would be watching us and we could always change our answer by erasing it! When we got the exam results nobody was upset by their results and in the end we all got chocolate as a reward.
My personal experience of the exams was fine, with a bit of worry but otherwise smooth. Although quite a few people were worried we all had fun and passed the test. I think that the teachers should do this test with next year’s PYP7 because it is an important experience and it is important to pass.
Contribution by Ms Kayleigh Schuurmans
The teachers at the ISD Primary have been working hard to create school reports for the children they teach, and towards the end of the school year you will be able to access these reports.
We see report writing as an integral part of the teaching and learning eco-system in our school. This eco-system is made up of many parts which all function together to give us, and you, the opportunity to see how your child is progressing and developing across all areas of their school life.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the process of planning, assessing, monitoring, evaluating and sharing the learning that takes place in our school.
We usually kick off our school year with a “meet the teacher” evening. This gives you a chance to come and learn more about what the expectations are for that year as well as to find out more about the school, class and teacher.
With each new unit, you will receive a “unit newsletter” that details what your child will be inquiring into during the unit. This includes information about the Maths and Language goals as well as the lines of inquiry and central idea from the unit.
Throughout the unit, teachers share photos, work and learning experiences from in class via Seesaw so that you are aware of the learning that is taking place in class, able to talk about it with your child and share in their successes all year.
In the Autumn and the Spring terms we host a parent-teacher conference. You are invited to attend a short meeting with your child’s teachers to discuss their progress in all aspects of their learning and how they are settling in/enjoying life in the class. The teachers will share information about your child’s development and any goals they are setting for the next weeks.
Two times per year, in February and July, you will also receive a written report about your child’s progress for each half year. In these reports, teachers will use their knowledge of your child’s achievement and progress, and any assessments carried out, to share with you how your child is achieving against the learning goals for that school year. Teacher’s also write short comments about the learning, attainment and achievements of your child as well as a general comment about your child’s social skills and demonstration or development of the learner profile attributes and the approaches to learning
At the end of the school year, the children host a student-led conference. This is an opportunity for you to come into your child’s class and find out how the learning takes place through practical activities planned by the children and teacher. You also can see your child’s work or look through their portfolio together with your child.
The children in PYP7 plan and prepare an exhibition of their learning based on an independent inquiry they have carried out over the period of a few weeks in school. Parents of PYP7 children are invited to come along to this prestigious event and celebrate the achievements of our PYP7 children as they demonstrate the skills they have mastered over the course of their time at the ISD!
In addition to these opportunities to find out about your child’s learning, you are also able to contact your child’s class teacher to ask questions or arrange additional meetings, if necessary. The teachers will always share any concerns they have with you as soon as they arise and will endeavour to always keep you up to date on your child’s learning.
We hope you enjoy reading your child’s report when it is published in July, and that you enjoy the many opportunities to share in your child’s successes and memorable moments at the ISD.
PYP 6 had a great time visiting the “Science Centre at TU Delft" to have a hands-on workshop related to our unit of inquiry “How the World Works”.
Our central idea is: “The location of Earth can provide sustainability for life development in the solar system”. This is linked to our first inquiry line: “Earth’s main characteristics”. They gave us a guided tour about rocks, minerals and how technology can help to put together dinosaurs like the “Skull 21”.
Special thanks to Piotr, Claudia and Stefano for joining us on this adventure!
Last week the MYP 1 students started an interdisciplinary project about acid rain, on which we spent the whole of Monday 21st and Thursday 24th of June. The goal was to introduce students to this weather phenomenon and to give them some lab experience.
We started on Monday with an introduction from Humanities about what acid rain is and where it comes from. This was followed by a Science lesson about acids in general, with students conducting some simple experiments to learn how to measure acidity with the pH scale. After that, we had the most anticipated part of the project: the walk around Delft to collect samples of water from Dutch waterways. While the rain was heavy at times, the students were having fun throwing jars into various canals and ponds and seeing how clear the water looked. Once we had all 6 jars full after 1.5 hours of walking in the rain, we headed back to school.
On Thursday, these samples were tested for acidity using litmus paper and the pH colour scale. With the help of all colleagues involved in this project the students made excellent progress. This was followed by another Humanities lesson talking about how bad acid rain used to be in the Netherlands, and what has been done about it between 1980 and 2010. This gave context to the students for how clean their experiment results were. All that's left to do now is for the students to make big science posters describing what they've learned from both Humanities and Science, as well as showing and discussing their test results.
We are all very eager to see what the students will come up with. So far, it's promising to be excellent.
Contribution by Mr. Fobelets, Mr. Madahar, Mrs. Raptopoulou & Mrs. Reijnhoudt
On Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th our MYP2 students have been working hard on a Interdisciplinary unit for Arts & English.
We kicked off with a wonderful presentation by ISD parent, Ms Natali Simmonds, about her life as a writer and specifically her exploits as a writer of Manga. After her inspiring presentation, she stayed in class to give extra support to the students for the duration of the project. We would like to thank Ms Natali Simmonds for her contribution to this project.
Students were then given the task of writing and creating their own Manga story in the style of Kodomomuke. This style is aimed at young children (age 4-8) and mostly features animals and easy to follow storylines. In groups of three or four, students worked hard and it has been an incredible journey to see our students develop these beautiful stories, incl. lying giraffes, baby pandas, time-travel, science dolphins and so much more.
The students also worked hard on creating an exhibition in which they will be showing their final products. We will be informing all of you about the actual exhibition in the near future.
All in all, it is impressive and inspiring to see what our students can do.
Contribution by Ms Valerie Avery
MYP 1 finished their Unit on Music Videos this week. The students started the Unit by researching the history of film, experimenting with video angles and still shots and practiced with stop-motion. For their Final project, a music video, the students made a storyboard plan. Though we saw not all the professionals keep to their storyboards, the results are nonetheless great! In groups of two, the students enthusiastically finished their project and handed in everything from animation to lyric videos, videos that act out the lyrics or a comic version of what you think they sang about. Check out the fun video by Noah and Viola (aka Arizona and You) from MYP1a.
This unit was put together with help from a film student in college. Due to the corona restrictions, she unfortunately couldn't join us. But we look forward to having her with us in person next year.
On Monday 28 June, the MYP 1 students had an exciting visit from TU Delft PhD researcher Marco Reijne. Over the last 5 years, Marco was part of the TU Delft Design Team that has been involved in the development and design of a revolutionary new track bike for the Olympic Games. Multiple disciplines from TU Delft were involved in the design process of the new track bike. Aerodynamicists, for example, helped devise new methods of further reducing drag, and experts in lightweight materials contributed to creating a bike offering the ideal rigidity for the least weight. At TU Delft, extensive research has been conducted into the bike’s stability and steering – expertise that also has been incorporated into the new track bike design.
The MYP 1 students were asked to think about aspects as aerodynamics, the weight of the bike, the geometry, the handling and stiffness. What is the impact of each design aspect on the speed of the bike and how do you divide your budget when designing a new bike?
Marco shared more about the new design and the choices they made and that the new bike is 30% lighter and 30% more stiff than the previous bike! This revolutionary new bike, in combination with the talented group of Dutch Olympian cyclists (some of them already world champions) must definitely bring home some Olympic medals this summer!
We would like to thank Marco for his engaging presentation and let’s follow the Dutch speed track racing team on their Olympic journey!
Last week it was the first ever harvesting time for our ISD Garden Club! It was great fun and the students took home a lot of potatoes, onions and some beetroots. Time for a yummy home grown dinner!
Information & contact
For more information about our school, the enrolment and contact options, please visit our website: www.internationalschooldelft.com
IB MYP authorization successful 
e traffic exam
Contribution by Ms Kayleigh Schuurmans
Last week the MYP 1 students started an interdisciplinary project about acid rain, on which we spent the whole of Monday 21st and Thursday 24th of June. The goal was to introduce students to this weather phenomenon and to give them some lab experience.
On Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th our MYP2 students have been working hard on a Interdisciplinary unit for Arts & English.
On Monday 28 June, the MYP 1 students had an exciting visit from TU Delft PhD researcher Marco Reijne. Over the last 5 years, Marco was part of the TU Delft Design Team that has been involved in the development and design of a revolutionary new track bike for the Olympic Games. Multiple disciplines from TU Delft were involved in the design process of the new track bike. Aerodynamicists, for example, helped devise new methods of further reducing drag, and experts in lightweight materials contributed to creating a bike offering the ideal rigidity for the least weight. At TU Delft, extensive research has been conducted into the bike’s stability and steering – expertise that also has been incorporated into the new track bike design.
