Dear Parents,
Good morning, I hope that this email finds you well!
On Friday of last week, you should have received your child’s first Progress Report card for this semester. This is an interim report, intended to give you an idea of how your child has started the year and how they have settled into the routines of their new class (and for many – new school, new city, and possibly new country!). The first couple of months of school can be challenging for children, and all of our staff here at XLIS do everything we can to try to make that transition as smooth as possible for our students.
Parent Teacher Interviews
This Wednesday, we will host our Parent Teacher interviews. This means that it is not a school day for your child. You should have received a 15-minute time slot where you will have the chance to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss his or her progress. I encourage you to reach out to some of your child’s other teachers as well to make a time to meet with them (PSPE, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Mandarin). Their emails can be found at the back of the student handbooks.
Please note that our teachers must stick to the 15-minute time schedule to ensure the next session can begin on time. Please be on time for your meeting and If it seems that you have more to talk about, and the time is too short, another meeting can be arranged at another time.
Literacy and Culture Week ~ One World, Many Stories (October 28 – November 1)
Next week is a special one for our school as we celebrate Literacy and Culture Week!
Monday – 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.
Tuesday – Storyteller
We are excited about the storyteller who is joining us from the USA, Ms. Karen Golden
Monday to Wednesday – Book Fair
Outside of our library, a book fair will be set up. This is a chance for our students to purchase books in English that they may not normally have access to
Friday – Book Character Dress Up
This is one of my favourite days, because I get to dress up like a character from my favourite books and share that with the students. Last year I was “Rainbow Fish”! 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. You should be receiving more information from your child’s teacher through Seesaw.
Every year I like to share this idea with parents, to incorporate Literacy and Culture week into your home routines as well.
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 play time 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.
In addition, we do have a dress code policy at XLIS. I have noticed some students coming recently with some coloured parts in their hair. Unfortunately, this goes against our dress code policy that states students should not colour their hair. In addition, students are required to wear an XLIS uniform to school each day. This includes black or navy blue pants.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
This week I will be travelling to Bangkok for the EARCOS Leadership Conference. It is a great opportunity for me to connect with other leaders in education from the East Asian region while learning about current, research-based practices that are being implemented around the world. I will, however, miss seeing all of the smiling faces of the students each morning.
As always, I love hearing from you! Please reach out at any time to let me know how your child is doing at school! Have a wonderful week ahead!
Sincerely,
Marly Song
Primary Principal
WeChat: principal_marly
Email: marly.song@xalis.com