Dear Parents ,
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that 2026 is a year full of joy and success for you and your child. It’s hard to believe that we are now officially halfway through the school year. We have six weeks between our Christmas break and the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. In today’s email, I would like to highlight some of the key events that will be taking place during this period.
January/ February Calendar
Goodbye Leaving Students, Hello New XLIS Members
This time of year is always bittersweet as we often say goodbye to families who have been here for a few years, while also welcoming several new families to our community. I would like to take the time now to say goodbye to those who will be leaving us. Thank you for trusting us with your children and for contributing to our community during your time with us. We wish you all the best at your new schools, wherever they may be.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to our new XLIS community members who have joined us recently. I hope that your child(ren) will feel safe and happy while studying at XLIS. We place high value on the power of community and look forward to strengthening collaboration between parents and teachers to meet the needs of our students.
Assessments
In January, we complete our mid-year assessments across the whole primary school. For the next three weeks, our teachers and students will be busy checking in on students’ writing, reading, and mathematics progress. For writing and mathematics, there are assessments that are done all the way from our ECEA to P6 year levels (our Nursery students do not complete assessments). In addition, from P1 to P3, all students will be given a phonics assessment to see how their development of this essential foundation to reading is going. We anticipate that since implementing the UFLI program this year, we will see growth in this area. Finally, for students who are already reading (some students in P2 and P3, and all students from P4 – P6) will complete the Fountas and Pinnell benchmark reading assessment. This will allow our teachers to create skills-based reading groups to give our students targeted instruction to support their learning. After the assessment period is complete, at the end of the month, the teachers will share your child’s progress and learning goals for the second semester with you.
Semester One Report Cards
On January 23rd, you will be able to access your child’s Semester One Report Card on ManageBac. Please download this document and read it carefully. Remember, we do not give letter grades or percentages in the PYP. The 1, 2, 3 numbers you see beside the learning outcome indicate where your child is in their understanding and ability to demonstrate their learning. A ‘1’ stands for ‘emerging’, meaning he or she is just beginning to understand and may need support from the teacher. A ‘2’ stands for ‘developing’, meaning they have started to show their learning and understanding of the skill, but still may need support at times. A ‘3’ represents ‘demonstrating’, which indicates the child has shown they understand and can explain or show the skill independently.
Parent Teacher Conferences
After a reporting period, we give the teacher and parent the opportunity to discuss the student’s learning and progress. Next week, you will receive a schedule created by the homeroom teacher with a 15-minute time slot assigned to you. Please come to the school at that time and bring any questions you may have about your child’s learning. Our single-subject teachers (PSPE, Mandarin, and Visual Arts) are also available on this day. They will be at tables along the first-floor corridor for you to stop by to discuss your child’s learning. You may email them in advance to set up a time or just drop by. Unfortunately, our Performing Arts teachers will not be available as they will be supporting our Korean community with translation during their meetings with homeroom teachers. If you would like to meet Dr. Kim or Dr. Yeom, please send them an email to request a time.
Please note, there are no classes for students on this day, and there will not be any child supervision at the school. It is best if the children are left at home or with a caregiver.
That concludes my letter for this week.
I look forward to meeting many of you during the Parent-Teacher conference day!
Please reach out to me via email or WeChat. I love hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Marly Song
Email: marly.song@xalis.com
WeChat: principal_marly
