Dear Parents,
Good morning!
This is a very exciting week at XLIS and one of my favourite times at our school. Literacy and Culture Week continues to be an amazing celebration of all things books, writing, and the sharing of our cultures. I love getting into classrooms as a guest reader, and I know many of our parents also love to be involved!
Here are some more details about what is happening:
Monday (yesterday) – Pajama Day
I love seeing all of the students dress up in their pajamas, remembering how they fell in love with stories, curled up beside their mom or dad, reading to them at bedtime. Here are some photos from the day!
Monday to Wednesday – Book Fair
I am very glad that our annual Book Fair, set up outside of our Library, is back again from Oct 26 to Oct 28, 2026.
Parents are welcome to visit the Book Fair from Monday to Wednesday, 15:00–15:40. In addition, you may visit after the Visual Arts Event today if you registered to attend.
Thank you so much for your support of the Book Fair! 📚
Thursday – Storyteller Jake Evans
We are excited to welcome Mr. Jake Evans! He is an imaginative storyteller, artist, and wildlife conservationist. His stories draw from a deep well of mythology, legends, and traditional folk tales passed down through generations. He also weaves in his own personal adventures — whether walking the length of the Pyrenees, surviving in the Falklands, or storytelling in Kenya. Every performance is filled with passion, authenticity, and adventure.
This link includes more details about him: https://www.jakeevansstoryteller.com/
- P5 + P6: 8:30 – 9:10
- ECEB to P2: 10:00 – 10:30
- P3 + P4: 13:10 – 13: 50
Friday – Book Character Dress Up
This is one of my favourite days, because I get to dress up like a character from one of my favourite books and share that with the students. Last year I was “Pigeon” from Mo Willems stories! I love to see all of the creative ways our students represent different characters from books they have read.
There are many other activities planned throughout the week that have been communicated through SeeSaw. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher.
Other Upcoming Events in November
November 3rd – Swimming Competition to mark the end of the swimming unit for PSPE that runs for the first nine weeks of the year. The PSPE teachers will be in touch soon with more details.
Wednesday, November 4th: Early Release PD – students will be dismissed at 2:30 pm, and teachers will have Professional Development that is aligned to our schoolwide goals.
Friday, November 6th: XLIS will host the IB Asia Pacific Workshops, there is no school for students on this day.
Colder Weather, Dress Code
Now that the weather is turning colder, please ensure your child is wearing weather-appropriate clothing. At XLIS we value the children’s playtime outside. Students will continue to play outside in cold weather, light rain or snow. If the air quality is good, we want them outside playing. If it is raining heavily or the AQI is above 170, our students will play indoors. Please take note of this and ensure your child is wearing the right clothing. I also recommend writing your child’s name into their school jackets/sweaters so they are not easily lost or mixed up with others in their class.
Review of Dr. Liu’s letter last week
I hope that you were able to receive Dr. Liu’s email last week. She highlighted two very important concerns about our students’ growth and development: AI use and bullying. At XLIS, we take our students’ safety very seriously and do our very best to support and educate them to make good choices both digitally and socially. We appreciate parents’ support and open communication, and encourage you to also talk with your children at home about ways AI may be useful (such as doing research or studying), what to watch out for, and how to be a caring member of the XLIS community.
If you would like to reach out at any time, please do not hesitate. I love connecting with our parent community!
Sincerely,
Marly Song
Email: marly.song@xalis.com
