Primary News - January 2021

Dear Parents,

With only one week to go until the mid-term break, January seems to have whizzed by and we still have so much to do. We have lots of exciting events planned in Primary, one of which will be getting involved in World Book Day in March. I’ve no doubt some pupils have already planned what they will be wearing and will be eagerly awaiting their parents’ creations! Coming up we also have Internet Safety Week, Science Week (which needs to be even more memorable than the egg drop last year!), and the Inter-school TT Rockstars Competition, which now involves even more Doha schools.

This week, children from Year 2 to Year 12 will complete a PASS (Pupils Attitudes to Self and School) assessment. This is a self-evaluation survey that only takes 20 minutes to complete. PASS allows us as a school to uncover any emotional or attitudinal issues that may hinder achievement at school while also ensuring positive student wellbeing is at the forefront of what we do. Questions will be around the children’s attitudes and feelings about school, their preparedness and self-confidence towards their learning as well as their motivation when engaging with the curriculum. No preparation or study is needed.

Parents may be aware that last week we had virtual visitors to our school from CIS (Council of International Schools) as part of our ongoing accreditation. The team were very complimentary about the practices in primary as well as how wonderful our students are. The team virtually visited most classes to see learning in action and also met with a group of pupils from primary. As a primary team, we already know how fantastic our students are but it’s always nice to hear it from visitors too.

It has come to my attention that some parents may not be aware of the topics that we cover in Primary so I have attached our curriculum overview for the spring and summer terms. This is also available in the year group Curriculum Documents that are on the school website. Please note that our curriculum is regularly reviewed and it is likely to change slightly as from autumn 2021 to ensure it is reflective of our school vision and mission.

My thanks to parents who attended the Early Years workshop last week. From the feedback, I’m aware that this was very useful and informative. More workshops for parents will be offered this term so please keep an eye on the events calendar.

With only one week to go, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very happy and safe mid-term break when we get there.

Kind regards

Andrea Smith

Head of Primary

Our student body representatives from Primary spoke clearly and confidently during our Virtual CIS visit this week. They were invited to talk about a variety of things in their meeting including how they felt about coming to school, what if anything they would change about their school and what makes an interesting lesson at Oryx International School.

The accreditor was very pleased with the way in which they answered the questions and their polite behaviour, and she thanked them for their participation. I agree with the accreditor the children did an excellent job representing our school.

Oryx International school offers individual and group counselling to our students and their families. The effects of the Convis-19 pandemic have been life-changing for all of us especially children and young people who may be distraught losing loved one, being physically distant from friends and family, adjusting to virtual learning and having their daily routines disrupted.

As the School Counsellor, my primary mission is to promote and enhance student social, personal emotional, academic development and wellness through individual and small group counselling sessions. Topics include managing stress and anxiety, friendship skills, managing emotions, self-esteem, coping skills conflict resolutions and more.

Any student can request to meet with me or they can be referred by parents. I will also help to support student’s needs as and when they occur throughout the school day.

I am at the school gate from 7-7:30 am and 1:30-1:50 pm daily.

I am available by telephone during working hours: 40360072/ 66011301, Email, Zoom and Classdojo: Oluwabunmi.tobun@oryxschool.qa. You are always welcome to email/Dojo me at any time and I will endeavour to get back to you within 24 hours.

Please feel free to reach out to me, I welcome the opportunity to provide any support.in any way I can. I look forward to hearing or seeing you. Mrs Tobun

“Life is 10% What happens to you and 90% how you react to it” -Charles R. Swindoll.