Secondary Principal’s Email Week 4

Dear Parents, 

I hope this email finds you in great spirits! It’s hard to believe that we are already two weeks into the school year, and we’re thrilled to see how well the students have settled in. Thank you for attending our ‘Meet the Teacher Night’—your involvement is invaluable! Our Dragon cave challenge is in full swing. Our M3A and M3B have now had a taste of autonomy and self-management in the dormitories for the past two weeks. I am sure that they are coming back to you more mature, caring and understanding the intricacies of dormitory life. Next week, we will welcome M3C and M3D. I am excited to be part of this challenge as a mentor.

We encourage you to maintain open lines of communication with the homeroom teachers and me. Together, we can create the most supportive environment for your child’s success. For our M1-M5 students, please take a moment to ask your children about their reading logs at home. Reviewing and signing these logs helps us reinforce the importance of reading, and we’re excited to continue promoting this essential habit. For M1-M3 parents, please ask your children to show you their diaries for homework and reading logs.

As for our MAP tests, we’re currently monitoring the progress closely, and we appreciate your support during this period. M2-M4 students are participating this week, while M1 will take their tests next week. We will share more information once the assessments are complete.

Looking ahead, we have some exciting learning experiences planned for the future. Early communication is key, and we’re here to ensure that we’re all well-prepared for what’s to come.

M4-M5 work experience– At XLIS, we aim to support our students to be confident and open-minded citizens. One of the many ways we fulfill our mission is by requiring our M4 and M5 students to engage in a week long work experience in the second semester. This year, we are into the fourth year of offering such opportunities. However, every year, we strive to be better. We are going to start asking students regarding their interests in the days to follow.

Some of the key features that a work experience gives our students are:

• Helping students discover their true passions,

• Challenging themselves by working on their knowledge, motivation and organization. .

• Exploring real work settings through collaboration and build connections

• Reflecting on own competencies and their own values.

• Enhancing problem-solving skills to support and inform future decisions on university majors

Some of our student work experiences over the years have ranged from shadowing lawyers, assisting Early years teachers, making 3D models in an 3D printing company to landing internships and volunteering with ‘Doctors Without Borders’.  None of this is possible without support from our community. Every year, we reach out to parents and well wishers of our school and this year is no different. I would request M4-M5 parents to complete this survey https://liangjiatan.mikecrm.com/HSlXfmy by September 30th along with your children for us to understand your child’s interests.

To make this a success, I am reaching out to all Secondary parents for support. If you or someone you know can provide work experience opportunities—whether through internships, job shadowing, or volunteering—please let us know. Your connections can play a significant role in helping our students gain insights into different industries, enhance their competencies, and cultivate professional relationships. We believe that community involvement is crucial in shaping confident XLIS students who will give back to the community.

If you have any potential opportunities available for our students to explore, please complete this survey https://liangjiatan.mikecrm.com/hA7iPSN by September 30th, so that I can start reaching out to you.

Week Without Walls (WWW)-From November 24-28, our secondary students will embark on their Week Without Walls (WWW) experience, traveling to various regions within the country (M1-M3) and outside of the country for M4-DP1. This journey is deeply rooted in the principles of service learning and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering students the invaluable opportunity to engage meaningfully with local communities through active partnerships.

Throughout this week, students will participate in hands-on service projects designed to address pressing local needs. These activities will not only allow them to contribute positively to the communities they visit but also foster a deeper understanding of social issues and the vital role of community engagement. By actively participating in these service projects, students will develop a sense of responsibility and commitment to try and make a difference.

Following their experiences, students will engage in timed reflections, enabling them to process what they have learned and connect it back to their own lives and communities. These reflections are essential for cultivating empathy and gratitude. This reflective practice helps students internalize their experiences and recognize the impact of their actions.

Additionally, this journey will provide students with the opportunity to cultivate a wide range of Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. These skills are crucial for their personal and academic growth, equipping them with the tools necessary to navigate future challenges and opportunities.

Please fill out your child’s personal, travel and health information using the link below.

Parent workshop– On September 11, our Secondary language teachers will lead a parent workshop. The key aims would be to explain the differences between language and literature and language acquisition and better support language from home. It would also take parents through excerpts of our language policy that we believe are essential for all secondary parents to know. Downloading and going through the language policy from our website https://xalis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/V.-Language-Policy.pdf would allow you to be better prepared for the workshop. My colleagues at PR would be sending out the sign-ups for this.

Our United Nations International Day of Peace – “Act Now for a Peaceful World” is coming up on September 20th. More information will come through on this from my colleagues in the PR and Mr. Zach Dwyer.

I look forward to seeing you then.

Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our school community.

Regards,

Shameek