PRIS Newsletter

Spring Break

Time for a break and a nice long holiday

Do we rest and relax or travel and play?

Time to sleep in and enjoy a break from the routine

Of getting up early and doing the school scene

Breaks are important they provide our minds & bodies much needed rest

So we can come back to school and meet the challenge of doing our best

Whether you choose to stay put or to do lots of travel

Please find some time for your children to rest and unravel

April, May and then June will soon be here

A sure sign that the end of school and all bustle is definitely near

So enjoy these precious days however you decide

Best wishes for a great Spring Break and we’ll see you on the other side

Report Cards for Trimester 2 will be issued next Tuesday, March 17th followed by parent conferences on Thursday, March 19. Classes Pre-K through four, are very much looking forward to welcoming you to our student led conference format. The format for conferences varies a bit from class to class, yet believe me, your children are truly excited to share their portfolio of learning with you and demonstrate how they have grown as a learner through the school year. This will also be a wonderful opportunity for you to gain insights about your child as a learner and member of their classroom community. If you have yet to confirm an appointment time, please touch base with your child’s teacher. Our middle school team will be hosting parent conferences in the more traditional teacher-parent meeting format.

Talking about next week, our KG- to gr.4 students will attend Global Village Day at AIS on Wednesday, while our MS students hope to finally get out on the bike trip. The KG-Gr. 4 group will depart PRIS at 9:00AM and return by 2:00PM. They will be having lunch at AIS, so PRIS students just need to bring water and a morning snack for the trip. Our MS crew has all the details of what they need for their trip.

Please note that due to Parent Conferences children there will be no classes on Thursday, March 20. Then it is on to a well-deserved Spring Break for all beginning Friday, March 21st after our “Try”athlon and trimester celebration on Friday morning. Dismissal on Friday March 20th will be at 12:00 noon.

I would like to extend our best wishes for a safe and enjoyable vacation. We wish to thank you for your work and support of our efforts through the school year. We feel that we have all had a wonderful year together to this point and we look forward to our continued success working together for the best interest of our children. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school when classes resume on Monday, April 6th.

On a final note, as you are all aware the 17th is a big day for the Irish and my Irish heritage prompts me to wish all of you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day as well. Please join me in “wearing the green” on Tuesday, March 17th if you would like!!

Best Wishes and enjoy your weekend.

Seamus

“Bravo! Bravo! Brilliant Performance

Wow! Talk about being proud of our students. The production of Annie Jr. was absolutely brilliant. The incredible smiles on the faces of our young performers and the memories they will carry forward for a lifetime, makes it all so worthwhile. The students were the stars of the show plus the suave older guy! We know that events like these do just happen as the behind the scenes work is always a tremendous undertaking. To our Parents, Teachers, Teacher Assistants and students, thank you all for your amazing work and support of the production.

We are also truly grateful to our Music teacher and Annie director, Megan Highfill. We extend a sincere “Thank You” Megan from our entire PRIS Community for your tireless dedication and the sharing of your talents to enrich the lives of our students. Well Done Everyone!!

In accordance with Ministerial Decree 31, 2014 on Education we have changed our name to Pasir Ridge Intercultural School (PRIS).

One of the conditions within the legislation of obtaining a renewed school (SPK) license was that all schools using the word “international” in their name had to trade under a new name that did not include “international”. As a school we wished to keep our PRIS acronym, so we decided to use the word intercultural. We believe intercultural speaks to who we are as a school and recognizes the wonderful diversity within our school community.

You have had the opportunity to review three 2015-16 calendar options and vote for your preferred option. We wish to thank everyone who exercised their vote and inform you that we plan to use the data when we make a recommendation to the School Board at the meeting next week. The overwhelming choice of our parent group was Option B.

Thank you to all who attended Annie, Jr. last night! We still have space for tonight, so just email mhighfill@prisborneo.org if you or someone you know would like to attend.

Students in Grades K-4 have started their piano unit. They are welcome to bring piano materials from home. If students are interested in installing the iPad app. we are using in class, please email me for more information.

Calling all parent photographers! At every school event, there are no less than ten different people taking pictures, meaning there are great moments captured every second! If you snapped a great shot from a school event, we can use it in the yearbook. Yes, we have loads of photos already, but that doesn't mean that we have yours! Feel free to email me the picture directly, or if you have many, drop in to school with your SD card or a flash drive.

Thank you!

Ms. Amberley

Dealing with Disappointment:

Getting Gritty with your Child/ren.

When does encouragement cause resistance? How do we allow our children to embrace "not yet”? Positive psychology doesn't have all the answers but it is a good start. Start with this video from Champion Newsletter.

Over 20 PRIS parents were in attendance on March 4th from 6:30-8:00 discussing the questions above. Parents practiced reframing praise and gave “failure” a try by learning to juggle, giving the lemon twists a try, practiced cup staking and plate spinning. It was a successful night with a number of take-aways. If you are interested in the reading material distributed last week, please contact tsadek@prisborneo.org.

Want to know more? Check it out...

· Can stress help students?

· Disappointment is good...

· 5 Characteristics of Grit

Next workshop:

Wednesday, April 15th 6:30-8:00

Let’s Be Friends:

Developing positive social and emotional skills for healthy relationships.

Tifani Sadek

The PRIS Difference...Your Child Is Worth It!

March 20th, Friday

PRIS Wellness TRYathlon

The key is “TRY”!

Transfer of learning is a great way for teachers to determine true understanding of concepts, knowledge and skill. When children are asked to use skills and knowledge in different and unique situations, teachers refer to this as “Transfer of Learning”. PRIS students in grade K-8 will be asked to demonstrate learning in fitness, leadership, sportsmanship, communication and critical thinking when they participate in PRIS’s Wellness TRYathlon.

In the event of rain, the PRIS Wellness TRYathlon will be postponed and considered for rescheduling. Students should be prepared to attend classes as normal.

A Look Ahead: April, 6 - May, 13

What Are the Benefits of Swimming for Kids?

Swimming offers many benefits to students of all ages. According to KidsHealth.org, drowning is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 24. By learning to swim, your child will not only become a stronger swimmer, but also gain valuable experience in the water. This experience greatly reduces the risk of an emergency. swimming is an excellent cardiovascular workout that promotes heart and lung health, improves strength and flexibility, increases stamina and even improves balance and posture.

Encouraging your child to swim can also improve his/her mental and emotional health. The natural buoyancy of the water is more relaxing than other types of exercise, In addition, research has deter timed that people tend to exercise for longer periods of time while swimming. Swimming can also improve overall mood, and help combat depression.

Want to know more? Check this out...

· http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming

· http://kidshealth.org/

Tifani Sadek

The PRIS Difference...Your Child Is Worth It!

A night for fathers & daughters to remember.

Join us for dinner, dancing, and door-prizes on Saturday, April 18th, 2015 at 6:00pm in the Chevron PRCC Auditorium.

The theme of this year’s ball is Fire and Ice. The event will be formal dress in red or white.

Tickets will be sale from March 16th to April 7th. Tickets can be purchased from Ellen Graham at 500, 000 IDR per couple and 100, 000 IDR per additional daughter.

March 12, 13 - "Annie" - A Musical Production

March 17 - Report card Trimester 2

March 18 - Mid School Bicycle Trip to Solok Api

March 19 - Student Led Conferences

March 20 - Triathlon

March 21 - Spring Break

March 23 - April 3 - School closed for Spring Break

April 18 - Father Daughter Ball

Pasir Ridge International School seeks to foster the development of the whole child, one who is academically engaged, socially responsible, culturally sensitive, and personally mindful. (Adopted December 2014)

Email: office@prisborneo.org
Website: www.pasirridgeinternationalschool.com
Location: PO Box 276 Balikpapan, Indonesia 76102
Phone: (+62) 542 7563424