Dear Parents,
We are well into the school year, and students are thriving. In my last letter, I focused on learning. I received about twenty-five replies from you. I really appreciated these replies; they gave me the opportunity to get to know my students better. It brings me great joy to meet some of you at the gate every morning as you drop your children off. In this newsletter, I will share with you the second thing I care deeply about – Social Emotional Learning.
Primary School Social Emotional Learning
If you look through our primary school curriculum which may be found on our website here, you will notice social-emotional learning mapped throughout the programme. It is taught within units of inquiry, and in the personal and social part of our PSPE curriculum.
Each class has at least two adults in the room at all times, a teacher and a teaching assistant. There are also a number of English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers who push into the classes to help students develop language skills. It is mainly the homeroom teacher who cares for the social and emotional needs of students in the primary school.
Secondary School Social Emotional Learning
The secondary school consists of middle and high school. The structure of the school changes considerably here as students have different teachers for subjects. Each year level is divided into homerooms with two homeroom teachers for each class. These teachers are a main point of contact for students, who may have any social problems that need to be resolved. They are also a point of contact for parents.
Each secondary school class has a ten-minute check-in with their homeroom teachers each morning. There are also a number of SEL lessons planned throughout the year during the two homeroom periods each week. Some of these include.
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I Have a Problem assembly (M1-3) on September 30th
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Friendships (M1-3) on November 25th
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Diversity and Respect activity (M4-5) on January 8th
Student Support Team
The student support team at XLIS consists of two counselors and two enhanced learning teachers. Our enhanced learning teachers support members of our community with special needs. These members of our community are a wonderful addition to our school. My youngest daughter receives this fantastic support at the school. Mr. Alex Rambaud oversees this team, and you may contact him anytime you would like more information or to inquire about support for your child (alex.rambaud@xalis.com). We also have two dedicated staff members in our health center who care for multiple students throughout the day. Rest assured, your child is in good hands at XLIS.
Ending
Please find our school newspaper here. This is written by our secondary school students. I hope you enjoy reading some news from our community.
As always, I love to hear from you. Please take the time to respond to this email and let me know any news about your child. It is my goal to get to know each and every one of my students. Wishing you a happy holiday, filled with rest and peace.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Lalor
Deputy Head
