Weekly Bulletin
Learn more about our inclusive learning community and what's going on at NIS.
All School
All School Weekly Bulletin | October 15, 2021
Campus Access Updates
From October 18, we are happy to begin welcoming NIS parents back to campus according to the following guidelines:
- Parents can access the NIS Centre for gym, swimming pool, and café use according to the normal schedules and operating hours of these spaces.
- Community Activities for NIS parents and student can resume on campus as normal.
- Parents can access the NIS Performing Arts Centre (PAC) for scheduled assemblies and performances.
- Parents can access the main school building by invitation and/or for select activities (ie. 3-Way Conferences and PTA Autumn Festival).
- There is no change to pick up/drop off procedures.
To access campus, parents will need their NIS ID, sukangma, and mask. Daily completion of the student survey is also important to ensure a safe campus environment.
Please contact Kasson Bratton or Arek Owczarek with questions.
Many thanks!
School Fees Collection Date
Please be informed that Nanjing International School has issued invoices for Semester 2 of School Year 2021/2022 on Friday, October 15, 2021.
All parents have received an email with the PDF invoice attached and are responsible for payment of fees.
The total school fee must be paid by the due date November 26, 2021.
If you plan to leave NIS, please send your leave notice to admissions@nanjing-school.com.
When appropriate, please pass this information to your company's Finance or Human Resources department and arrange for the payment to be made by the due date.
You can also view your child(ren)'s school fee invoice in Veracross. The instructions are below:
1. Log into Veracross Parent Portal: http://portals.veracross.com/nis
2. Click “Billing/Invoices" to view the Billing Account.
3. Click "View" to view and "Print to PDF" to save the invoice as a pdf file.
Please contact me if you require further assistance.
Regards,
Arek Owczarek
Director of Operations and Finance
arekowczarek@nanjing-school.com
3-Way Conferences Coming Soon!
On Wednesday, October 27 students and parents will have the opportunity to meet with teachers about progress from Quarter One and goals for the rest of the semester. Sign-ups for these conferences will take place via Veracross October 19-25. Quarter One Reports will be available on Veracross from 8am on October 25.
Key Dates and Times
|
October 19 at 8am |
3-Way Conference sign-up opens |
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October 25 at 8am |
Q1 Reports available on Veracross |
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October 25 at 4:00pm |
3-Way Conference sign-up closes |
|
October 27 |
3-Way Conferences at NIS |
After registering, please remember to download your conference schedule. Once registration closes you will no longer be able to download this important document from Veracross.
Please note that translation will not be provided. Please feel free to bring along a translator, if needed.
Special note for Primary parents: PE, Design, and Performing Arts teachers will be available in their classrooms on the day. Please drop in – your child will show you what they have been learning this semester. For Primary Mandarin, parents will be contacted directly if your child’s teacher would like to meet.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
See you then!
Autumn MAP Assessments: October 18-29
Starting on October 18, students in Grades 3-10 will take the Autumn MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments for Reading and Maths. These online tests are administered by NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association).
“MAP assessments are adaptive, which means that every student gets a unique set of questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, the questions get harder; if the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. The purpose […] is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.”
–Jean Flemming, "12 Common Questions Parents Ask About MAP Growth"
MAP provides us with assessment data that help us track student growth and better ensure that learning is appropriate for the needs of each child.
If you would like to try a practice test at home, please click here.
The username and password are both: grow
There is no additional preparation needed. As always, students should get a good sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and come to school with a smile.
Reports will be sent home to parents in November. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or any member of the leadership team.
Many thanks,
Kasson Bratton
Director of Learning
From AdenEdge, Our Food Service Provider
Next Week's Set Menus (October 18-22)
Oxygen Pre-orders
The Flu and Flu Vaccination
We have come to the time of year where we expect cold and flu symptoms. Some of these are unavoidable but there are several things you can do at home to help prevent illness and keep everyone feeling healthy. Here are some tips to remember:
Your family should get your flu vaccines during the Fall to be covered for flu season. The flu vaccine is recommended.
Wash your hands often! This is still the best defense against illness. Encourage your children to wash, especially before meals, using soap and warm water.
Encourage your children to cough into their sleeve or a tissue and to wash their hands if they’ve sneezed or coughed into their hands.
Get plenty of rest. School age children should get 9-11 hours of sleep each night. Adults should try to get 8 hours.
Drink lots of fluids and eat a balanced diet – especially breakfast! We are seeing many children at the nurse’s office with stomachaches and headaches due to hunger.
Unfortunately, even with the best care, a virus can make us sick. Please keep in mind the guidelines below when deciding if your child should come to school. Any child with the following symptoms should stay home:
- A fever of 37.3°C/ 99°F (measured under the arm) or higher. We ask that your child does not return to school until he/she has been fever free for 48 hours (without fever reducer) and with a doctor's consent.
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- A frequent cough
- Any rash accompanied by a fever
- Ear pain and/or eye drainage
- Sore throat with a fever and/or rash
- Loss of taste or smell
Please call if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's illness. If you have a change in address or phone number, remember to update on Veracross. It is very important to be able to reach you in the event your child becomes ill at school.
Have a safe and healthy life!
Ellen Zhang
School Nurse
SMS Test Notice
The NIS Bulk SMS Test will be held on Tuesday, October 19 2021 at 10am. You will receive an SMS that contains the following: "NIS Code Test for ALL School - this is a test of our SMS system."
If you do not receive this SMS test on your mobile phone, please check Veracross on the right hand side and click on “Update Family Profile” to check your information.
It is important that in the unlikely event of an emergency we are able to contact you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact wendyhuang@nanjing-school.com.
Key Event Date Changes
Please see the changes to impacted event dates due to COVID related factors below:
- The Grade 4 Soccer Trip to Shanghai on September 22 -23 has been cancelled.
- The NIS Volleyball Invitational on September 25 has been cancelled.
- Grade 3-10 MAP Testing will now take place on October 18-29
- NIS Book Week will now take place November 22-25
- Semester One will now finish on January 14, 2022
- Semester Two will now begin on January 17, 2022
- The Secondary Production of “Wizard of Oz” will now take place February 24-25, 2022
- Grade 6-11 Discover China: TBD
Additional date changes will be communicated in October via an updated NIS calendar.
NIS Attendance Notification Procedures for Parents/Guardians
What do you do if your child is absent, late, or needs an early dismissal?
NIS Attendance Notification Procedures 中文 | 한국어
School Year 2021/2022 Front Office Schedule
With additional responsibilities and changed layout, please see the revised School Year 2021/2022 Front Office Work Schedule and Procedures.
Operating Hours
School Weeks:
The Centre Front Desk:
- Monday to Friday: 7:30am-6:30pm
- Saturday: 8am-4pm
Main Building Reception:
- Tuesday to Friday 2-4pm
Photocopying and Printing:
- Submitted work will be completed in 5 working days.
Mail & Packages:
1:30-2pm daily, delivery to the Mail Room
Holiday Weeks:
The Centre Front Desk:
- Monday to Friday: 8am-4pm
Information Updates in Veracross
Please ensure that your family's passport and contact information is up to date in Veracross. For guides on how to check and update this information in Veracross, please refer to the links below:
For more information on Veracross, please visit this page, or contact it-help@nanjing-school.com.
How to Use Sora for E-books and Audiobooks
Sora is a reading and listening app from Overdrive. It can be used on computers, tablets, and phones. Take a look at how to use this great resource and start reading!
Please note: Sora currently needs a VPN to login, search, and download a book.
NIS Library
Vidigami at NIS
All of our NIS school photos are available on our sharing system, Vidigami. Vidigami is a world-leading private social platform exclusively designed for schools.
For new parents and those who need a refresher on the system, please watch the videos below. If you do not see an invitation in inbox by the end of the month, please check your spam folder. If you have not received an email, please contact wickychen@nanjing-school.com.
About Vidigami and Getting Started
Using Vidigami Training
Primary School
Primary School Weekly Bulletin | October 15, 2021
From our Primary School Principal
Dear Parents,
Today was a special day for highlighting some of the talents of our Primary students at this morning’s Variety Show! Hat’s off to all our performers, our student support crew, student MCs, and of course to Ms. Heidi, Ms. Romero, and Ms. Qiao for a wonderful event.
Next Wednesday, Grade 5 students will be off on their Discover China trip. They will have three days to connect with one another and Burst the Bubble through their experiences with Nature Joy here in Nanjing. Teachers and staff with Nature Joy collaborate to design a schedule that incorporates adventure/ experiential activities that also fit well with their current Unit of Inquiry – Collaboration. The central idea that “collaboration can help groups of people achieve their full potential.”
Our upcoming 3-Way conferences will also be a time for students, parents, and teachers to discuss a community’s potential to support learning. We are excited to welcome our parents to campus for this important day. Parents will have access via the Veracross portal to sign up for the conferences starting Tuesday, October 19 next week. Parents will receive more details about what to expect on the day from homeroom teachers as we get closer to the day. Below are a few easy bullet points to support a successful conference:
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Read and discuss the Q1 Progress Report with your child.
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Let your child take center stage with the conference by acknowledging what they contribute.
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Ask clarifying questions about ways to support your child with their goals for the semester.
A lot can be accomplished in a 15-minute conversation and remember that the occasion is big for your child to have parents and teachers together. When children see how engaged and supportive adults are about their experience, they are more receptive and excited about achieving their goals.
I look forward to seeing you during next Wednesday’s PTA Parent Coffee in the Café. I will share news about the next upcoming Primary Parent Forum scheduled for November 3rd on campus.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Adam Dodge
TumbleBooks: E-books for E-kids!
TumbleBooks has over 250 animated, talking picture books, as well as read-along chapter books and nonfiction books. Most of the books are in English, but there are a few in Spanish and French.
Download the app or click here to access Tumblebooks.
Login: nanjing
Password: books
Contact nislibrary@nanjing-school.com with any questions.
Secondary School
Secondary School Weekly Bulletin | October 15, 2021
From our Secondary Principal
One of the most important features of both the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) are the ATL Skills. These are the Approaches to Learning and we will report on all of them for the Quarter One reports in Week 11. The ATL skills are are important as they support students to ‘Learn how to Learn’ and in many ways this is the biggest gift that we, as educators, can give to our students.
Teaching students how to research: where to look for information, how to trust the information and how to gather the information is central to our Inquiry based approach to learning. Thinking skills are explicitly taught through the use of thinking routines, brainstorming and tools such as mind maps. Social skills are practiced when students collaborate, play and problem solve together and communication skills are taught through writing, speaking, languages, presentations and more. Look out for the ATLs in the Quarter 1 reports and discuss your child’s progress with their skill in learning how to learn with them.
Next week our Student Support Team will share their roles and how they support students in our weekly offering of ‘Secondary Presents’ on Thursday at 9am.
Ruth Clarke
Secondary Principal
Activities
Activities Weekly Bulletin | October 15, 2021
Student Activities
Student Activities Cycle 2 begin Monday, October 18.
Students participating in Student Activities will wait in Green Gym until they are dismissed at 3:10pm (or 2:40pm on Tuesday) or collected by the Activity Leader.
At the end of the lesson, Grade 1-2 children will be accompanied by the Activity Leader to the front of the school where they will be collected by either a guardian or the bus ayi. Grade 3-5 students go home as per normal.
The Activity bus departs at 4:35pm from the front of the school. On Tuesday, it leaves at 4:05pm.
Please contact annayuen@nanjing-school.com if you have questions.
| Activity | Teacher | Room | Day | Grade Levels |
| Bead Art G1-2 | Wu, Delia | C108 | Monday | Grade 1 -2 |
| STEAM G2-3 | Braun, Jin | C128 | Monday | Grade 2 - 3 |
| Badminton G3-4 | Li, Cassie | Green Gym 1+2 | Monday | Grade 3 - 4 |
| Ping Pong G2-3 | Lei, Jing | Blue Gym 1 | Monday | Grade 2 - 3 |
| Junior Rock Band G3-5 | Jacobson, Gareth | M251 | Monday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Primary School Yoga G3-5 | Bandini, Alessandra | Green Gym Classroom | Monday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Ukulele G3-12 | Salter, Jane | C140 | Tuesday Lunch | Grade 3 -12 |
| Lunar New Year Performance G3-5 | Tai, Lynn | Hutong | Wednesday Lunch | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Clay G3-5 | Hu, Eleven | Design Centre | Wednesday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Precious Plastic G3-5 | terBorg, Sonya | Design Centre | Wednesday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Primary School Choir G3 - G5 | Dean, Heidi | M250 | Wednesday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Student-Led Arts and Crafts G1-2 | Klyuk, Iryna | Design Centre | Wednesday | Grade 1 - 2 |
| PS Choir G1-2 | Salter, Jane | C140 | Wednesday | Grade 1 - 2 |
| Mahjong and Board Games G3-5 | Walker, Suzanne | C121 | Wednesday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| Podcast G3-5 | Macmillan, Laurel | C113 | Wednesday | Grade 3 - 5 |
| S-L Exploring Animals' Lives, Habitats and Hobbies G4-5 | Winstanley, Richard | D204 | Wednesday | Grade 4 - 5 |
| Lunar New Year Performance G1-2 | Shan, Dora | Hutong | Thursday Lunch | Grade 1 - 2 |
| STEAM G4-5 | Braun, Jin | C128 | Thursday | Grade 4 - 5 |
| Rollerblade or Skateboard G1-5 | Moen, Cheryl | Running Track | Thursday | Grade 1 - 5 |
Sports Teams News
NIS Lions Play BSN Foxes in Friendly Volleyball Games
Our Lions Girls and Boys Volleyball teams hit the courts of the NIS Blue Gym for a friendly competition with their counterparts from the British School Nanjing, the Foxes. It was a great way to foster sportsmanship, relationship-building, and friendship within the city’s international school community – and have fun in the process! Check out the highlights below.
Community Activities
Your overwhelming interest in our community activities is wonderful! Thank you very much.
Registrations are still open until today at 4pm. There are still a few seats available for some activities, like English Textbook & Conversation, Hatha Yoga, Wednesday Work-out, Aqua Fitness, Chinese Brush Painting, Saturday Soccer NIFC, Pilates for Men, Yoga (Staff Only), Pilates (Staff Only), and some Adults Learn to Swim Classes.
Please keep your eye on your email: a confirmation letter with class schedule will be sent to you. Please come to cashier next week to collect your payment slips and pay for your lessons. CASH ONLY.
Cashier Opening Hours
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8-11:30am & 12:30-4pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 12:30-4pm
And a gentle reminder:
Autumn MAP Assessments will take place on the 3rd floor of The Centre from October 18 to 29 in room H302A & H302B). All community activities in these two rooms will be cancelled accordingly. For all those attending community activities in room H301, please turn off your phone. No music can be played at this time.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Please remember to come with your ID card, sukangma and mask. No car parking is available.
- Our Community Activity Catalogue can be viewed here on Veracross.
- Community Activity Sign Up Link.
Please Note:
- Only NIS community members on the activity lists can participate.
- All registrations are run through our Veracross portal.
- The class fee (if applicable) must be paid in full before starting classes. Cancellations will only be accepted during the first week of classes or in special cases (health issues, moving abroad, etc). There will be no refunds otherwise.
Adult Lap Swimming
Adult lap swimming is starting again for community members:
- Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:30-7:30am
- Wednesdays & Fridays 4:30-5:30pm
Performing Arts/Music News
There was an excited buzz in the air on Monday as 35 performers crammed into the Black Box for their very first production practice. The essential (though slightly boring) bits were covered first, including the importance of learning lines and keeping to rehearsal schedules. This year's casting is very impressive because we have some students playing up to four roles - we even have two performers playing the lead role of Dorothy! This means students need to watch their rehearsal schedules very closely.
Afterwards, the Music ensemble room was filled with singing as the ensemble, and later a soli, learned their first songs together. The students listened very carefully, followed directions, and showed a great deal of improvement. If this is how much progress they make after only one rehearsal, we know their final performances will be amazing!
Swimming News
Roaring Start to Year for Sea Lions at First Swim Meet!
It was an afternoon of personal excellence as we kicked off the first swim meet of the school year, “Make a Splash!” It was another opportunity from our incredible swimming programme for student athletes to improve their swimming skills and achieve success at their own level of ability, from novice to competitive swimmer. Take a look at some of the highlights!
The Wizard of Oz
This year's Secondary School Production is coming in February!
Please Update Your Student Travel Documentation on Veracross
The Activities Office is currently planning for 2021 Discover China Week for all students in Grades 5-12. In order to plan these trips, it is essential to have the students’ current travel information soonest possible. We have the documentation from previous years. If a new passport, visa or ID card has been issued since May 28, 2021, please send us photos and if needed, please update Veracross. Please note our emails are limited to 5 MB attachments; you may send them to us privately via WeChat.
Please click here for a step-by-step guide on updating your travel documentation.