Ta l a n o a Newsletter of International School Suva
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Volume 1 13 February, 2015
Principal’s Report
Welcome back to the new school year and a particular welcome to families new to International School Suva. I have enjoyed meeting some of you at the recent parent information evenings and welcome assembly and look forward to meeting others throughout the year. As well as welcoming our new students and their families, we also welcome a number of new staff to school. Whilst I will introduce them here, I am delighted to also be including details of all our teaching staff in this issue of Talanoa.
from Griffith University and a Graduate Diploma of Education and MEd from Monash University. She has over 10 years teaching experience working in both Australia and China as an English as a Second Language and Learning Support teacher. During January many of our students received their external examination results and I congratulate them all. More details are given in the report from Mrs Navunisaravi in this issue of Talanoa. In addition many of our year 12 students of 2014 have already started to receive offers from universities around the world. These include places to study in Fiji at the University of the South Pacific, in Australia at Macquarie University, Monash University, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, University of Canberra, University of South Australia, Australian National University, University of Melbourne, Griffith University and the Sydney University of Technology, in New Zealand at the University of Auckland, in Korea at Seoul University and in the United Kingdom at Newcastle University, University of Edinburgh and King’s College London. Congratulations to all these students.
In the Primary School we are joined by Joseph Hedditch, Lauren Stearman, Amanda Vateitei and Salaseini Vatumoto. Mr Hedditch has a BSc in Exercise Science/Human Movement, a Graduate Diploma in Education from Victoria University and over five years teaching Physical Education to middle and primary school students. In addition to his primary PE classes, Mr Hedditch will also teach year 6 and 7. Ms Stearman joins our year 1 team. She has a BEd from Victoria University and worked in Melbourne as a Year 1 and 2 teacher before moving to Fiji. Mrs Vateitei has a MEd from Regis University, a BMus from University of Wisconsin and 10 years experience teaching in early childhood, she joins ISS in ECH2. Mrs Vatumoto has over 18 years experience teaching at various local During the vacation work continued on our new building and we are kindergartens and joins the ECH team as a teacher assistant. hoping to start occupying the building in April. We are already planning a big ‘library-moving’ day when you will all be invited to In the Middle School we welcome Ms Renee Broughton into year 6, school. Seeing how the building is coming together to link the Mrs Shivana Gowin into year 7 and Mrs Rebekah Nabouta into the primary and secondary sections of the school is very exciting and I arts department. Ms Broughton has a BEd from the University of know will add to our sense of community. Wollongong and experience teaching in both upper primary and middle years as well as working as a youth leader for I will end with two pleas. On Thursday 26th February we have the secondary-school children. Mrs Gowin has a BA in History, Politics first of our annual blood drives from 9 am. We now have a core and Language from the USP and 15 years experience teaching group of staff and students who donate four times a term, we would English and the humanities at various local secondary and tertiary like to add parents to this group. We have one regular parent donor, institutions. She is currently covering for Tanya Vatubua who is on but there is space for more. If you stay away from the key lunch maternity leave. Ms Nabouta has a BMus from the University of time it is never too busy. Please do come along and donate. My Auckland and over twelve years teaching and performing of music. second plea involves your used, but still useable, training shoes. She has taught throughout the Pacific to students both in schools We are looking to collect good, used running or training shoes to and tertiary institutions. distribute to athletes in rural and island schools. If you have any Finally in the high school, Mr Nemani Dianimoto will be teaching suitable shoes please pass them to Salote Narayan, in the Mathematics and Economics and Ms Maria Dunbar is working with Marketing Office. We will then give them to Yasmin Drummond, wife our Learning Support team. Mr Dianimoto has a BSc in of the British High Commissioner, who is implementing this project. Mathematics and Physics and an MBA. He has over 17 years teaching experience and joined ISS from the Curriculum Anna Marsden Development Unit of the Ministry of Education. Ms Dunbar has a BA
Inside this Issue From the High School 2015 ISS Scholarship Recipients Counselors Corners Canteen Menu Primary update Library PFTA in Motion Shoe Project Staff Profiles Upcoming Events