NEWSLETTER

APRIL & MAY, 2017

DPS STS JUNIOR SCHOOL

VOL: 1, ISSUE: 6

Primary:

British Council Book Reading Competition:

The British Council Book Reading Competition for grade- 3 & 4 was held on Thursday, 6th

April, 2017 in the

respective classrooms. The students were provided with books 3 months back from the British Council to

prepare for the competition. The little readers studied the books and took part in the competition fervently. The

enrolled students sat for the written exam during their first period and completed the competition successfully.

Promotion Meeting:

The promotion meeting for grade-3&4 was held on Tuesday, 23rd

of May, 2017, from 9:00 am to 9:30 am. The

Head of Junior School Ms. Sumona Karim, Head of Primary Section Ms. Juliet Gomes, all the HODs, class

coordinators, and the grade 3-4 subject teachers attended the meeting. The academic performance of students,

promotion to the next grade, conditional promotions and suggestions for the conditional promotions were the

issues discussed in the meeting. Decisions were taken to ensure a smooth pathway for the students to the next

academic year.

Final Term Report Card Day:

The Final Term Report Card Day (2016-2017) of the Primary Section was held in Junior School on

Wednesday, 24th

May, 2017. The report cards were distributed in the respective classrooms of Grade-1-4 from

12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. The parents collected the report card of their ward after a brief meeting with the class

teachers and the subject teachers regarding the academic year end progress of their child. At the end of the

meeting, the parents expressed various concerns and shared their suggestions with the teachers for the next

session. The parents were very satisfied and happy with the gradual development of their child throughout the

academic year.

Linkage Meeting:

A linkage meeting was held on Thursday, 25th of May, 2017 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am in Junior School. The

meeting was held to pass the information regarding students of one grade to the next grade and to the subject

teachers. All the HODs, class coordinators, class teachers and subject teachers were present in the meeting.

The teachers of each grade discussed the academic development, social development, special needs of the

students. The discussion focused on students with academic challenges, irregularity, health issues or

disciplinary issues etc. The teachers of the previous grade shared their experiences and suggestions with the

teachers of the next grade, so that the information helps them to address these issues efficiently.

Pre Primary:

Playgroup:

The PG students learned about shapes and enjoyed pasting circles of various colours in the middle of flowers.

~~Academics~~

They eagerly participated in colouring the pictures of summer accessories to paste them on their activity book.

They also learned new words with the letter X and enjoyed playing with xylophone.

The PG students drew different facial expressions of feelings on the blank face. They were encouraged to

express their emotions.

They also pasted eggs on rabbit‟s basket and leaves of tea on another occasion as a part of their craft activity.

Nursery:

The Nursery students were thrilled to colour different planets of the Solar System, the Boishakhi cards and the

masks with the face of a cat.

They counted and imprinted 8/9 dots on colourful papers. They also made and counted the eight different parts

of their bright rainbow train. Besides, they joined the dots to draw flowers and placed matchsticks on them. The

little ones even portrayed different characters from the famous Bengali poem „Bhoy Peona‟ by Sukumar Roy.

Students coloured pictures of X-ray fish in connection to learning words beginning with letter x.

They counted up to number 9 and made watermelon with red paper only to draw nine seeds on those.

Pre KG:

The students of Pre KG started writing two letter Bengali words. They participated in various types of activities

on basic subtraction as well as on vowels. They worked on a project related to land, water and air transport. The

students also put in a lot of effort to decorate their classrooms and the school premise by colouring the

Boishakhi craft items and the cards.

The Pre KG students were taught addition and subtraction through fun methods. They wrote short sentences in

English following dictation and also copied them from the board. In Bengali class, they learned to write two

and three letter words on their own. The young ones were also enlightened with a very important value of good

touch and bad touch, through a detailed explanation of a video named “Komal”.

Creative Writing of KG:

The students of KG Earth drew stunning pictures by themselves with the help of poster papers, paint and

brushes. Later, they took turns to illustrate their diagram from their own perspective. This helped them to

develop their verbal skills, innovativeness and social skills.

Staggered PTM:

Staggered Parents Teachers Meeting for the Final Term of this session has taken place between 2:00 pm and

2:30 pm from 23rd

to 27th

April, 2017 in the respective classrooms.

Science Experiment:

Science activities help young learners of all ages to understand important concepts and give them the

opportunity to discover new things. Students of KG did some experiments using simple materials, related to

„Air‟, „Water cycle‟ and „Day and Night‟.

Sun Safety Activity:

Students are learning about sun safety and the methods to protect themselves from the bad effects of the rays of

the sun in Environmental Science. They were asked to bring umbrellas, sunglasses, sun protection lotion and

powder to carry out an activity in the green field.

Final Term Report Card Day:

The session of 2016 -2017 has come to an end. The Final Term Report Card Day of the Pre Primary Section

was held successfully on the 24th

of May, 2017 from 9:00 am till 1:00 pm in respective classrooms. The

teachers discussed the overall progress and performance of the students with their parents. Most of the parents

were satisfied with the development of their children. All the students were promoted to the next grade.

Primary:

DPS STS Inter-School Table-Tennis Tournament (DITT):

The DPS STS Inter-School Table-Tennis Tournament (DITT) was held on Friday and Saturday, 7th

and

8th

April, 2017 in DPS STS Junior School Campus from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm. The students were divided into

three groups named Sub-Juniors, Juniors and Seniors. The students excitedly took part in the competition and

performed brilliantly in the tournament.

~~Co-curricular Activities~~

ASP Cooking Classes:

The students of grade-3 & 4 had After School Cooking Classes on the 10th

of April, 2017 after dispersal in the

Junior School cafeteria. The students learnt to prepare peanut butter and egg sandwich from the teachers, and

enjoyed having a delightful meal after they finished.

Friendly Cricket Match:

A friendly cricket match was held in Junior School Campus on Thursday, 13th

April, 2017 from 1:30 pm to

4:00 pm. The students of grade-3 & 4 were the players of the cricket teams. The young cricket-lovers played

skillfully and enjoyed thoroughly. Mr. Neaz Morshed Nahid was the guest judge of the match.

Pohela Boishakh Celebration:

A very colourful Bangla Noboborsho celebration was held in DPS STS Junior School Campus Auditorium on

Thursday 13th

April, 2017.The children welcomed "Boishakh" with the melodious Boishakhi Bangla song

"Esho he Boishakh". Everyone looked alluring in their white and red attires as if they could not wait any longer

to bid adieu to the last day of Choitro and to embrace Boishakh 1424, wholeheartedly.

English Poetry Recitation Competition:

The English Poetry Recitation Competition 2016-17 for Primary Section was held on Monday, 17th April,

2017, in the Auditorium of Junior School. Three students from each section were selected for the final round. A

total number of 33 students participated in the final round and recited beautiful classic poems. The competent

judges were Ms. Sumona Karim, Head of Junior School, Ms. Juliet Gomes, Head of Primary Section and Ms.

Dushani Rajaratnam, Head of Pre- Primary. The names of the winners are as followed:

Winners:

From Grade-1

1st Position-Raheel M Enam- 1D

2nd

Position-Afra Farishta-1B

3rd

Position- Alvina Islam-1D

From Grade-2

1st Position-Awhona Saha-2D

2nd

Position-Arneesha Affan Chaklader-2A

3rd

Position- Aneesha Mirza-2E

From Grade-3

1st Position-Alisha Islam-3E

2nd

Position-Farishta Firoz-3E

3rd

Position- Affan Mahbub-3B

From Grade-4

1st Position-Oindrila Pal-4E

2nd

Position-Alifa Fatiha -4B

3rd

Position- Avani Bhardwaj-4E, Nafias Ahmed-4B

ISD Inter School Swimming Tournament:

The ISD Inter School Swimming Tournament was held on Friday, 21st April, 2017, in the premises of the

International School Dhaka. The children of Primary section participated in the fun-filled event. Seah

Pramusita Hassan from grade-2D achieved the first position and Sithuli Ruwanya from grade-3E secured the

second position in the tournament.

ISD Inter School Football Tournament:

ISD Inter School Football Tournament was held on Sunday, 19th

May, 2017 in the International School Dhaka

campus. The boys of grade-4 from primary section took part in the competition. A day long football tournament

was organised for the students where they could flaunt their football skills and express their love for the game.

8 teams of the region participated in this tournament. DPS Team played 4 matches out of which 3 were won

and 1 resulted in a tie.

Socially Useful Productive Work:

Students of grade 1-4 have done Socially Useful Productive Work where they have taken part in a cleaning and

dusting programme on Wednesday, 19th

April, 2017, during the lunch break. They cleaned their classrooms by

wiping the tables and white boards, throwing out unnecessary papers into the dustbin. They have also decorated

their soft boards to make the classrooms look neat and tidy. They were very excited and helpful to each other

while they were performing their tasks. These kinds of activities help them to understand the importance of

cleanliness and create awareness among them. The teachers provided their full support to accomplish the tasks.

Annual Photo Session for Yearbook (Primary):

The annual photo session for the Primary teachers was held on Saturday, 13th of May, 2017, in the Junior

School Campus. All the teachers were neatly dressed up and excited to take the yearly group photo. The

Principal, Mr. Harsh Wal, Vice Principal, Ms. Madhu Wal, Head of Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim and

Head of Primary Section, Ms. Juliet Gomes were also present for the photo session. The photo session of the

Admin Staff of Junior Section for the yearbook 2016-17 was held on Tuesday, 23rd

May, 2017. The staff

maintained proper attire and was very enthusiastic. The Principal, Mr. Harsh Wal, Vice Principal, Ms. Madhu

Wal and Admin Manager, Mr. Stickle were also present in the photo session.

Movie Party

A Movie Party was arranged on Monday, 22nd

May 2017 for the students of Grade 1 and 2 in the Senior Section

Auditorium. The movie named “Zootopia” was shown from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. It is an animated comedy-

adventure movie directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. The students were overjoyed with excitement as

their teachers also accompanied them and made it a memorable event for them. After the movie, the students

enjoyed a mouth-watering meal in the Senior School cafeteria. The students and the teachers travelled to the

Senior Section from the Junior Section using the shuttle buses. The bus journey was also an adventure for the

students to bear in their minds.

DPS STS Annual Lunch:

The long awaited Annual Lunch for all the teachers and staff of DPS STS School took place on Tuesday, 23rd

May, 2017 in the Junior School Campus Cafeteria from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The teachers of Junior School and

Senior School all rejoiced together for the successful completion of another academic year. The teachers

feasted on the scrumptious food prepared in the school cafeteria and enjoyed each other‟s company. The

Honourable Principal, Mr. Harsh Wal and Vice Principal, Ms. Madhu Wal also joined the lunch to encourage

all the teachers and give them company.

Karate Belt Test-2017:

Karate Belt Test was held in the Junior School premises on Thursday, 25th

May, 2017, from 9:30 am to 12:20

pm. The honourable CEO of STS Group, Mr. Parvez Saiful Islam, Principal of DPS STS School, Mr. Harsh

Wal, Vice Principal, Ms. Madhu Wal, Head of Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim, and Head of Sports

Department, Aminul Islam motivated the students with their presence and enjoyed the students‟ skillful

demonstration. Belt Exam, Demonstration took place followed by the Yellow Belt presenting ceremony by our

esteemed guests. 39 participants from grade-1-4 took the test. To encourage these young learners, International

Karate Certificate & International Karate Membership Cards were also distributed among these students.

Pre Primary:

Orientation Programme:

An „Orientation Programme‟ was organised for the parents of Pre Primary section for the session 2017-18, on

Saturday, 1st April 2017, from 9:30 am till 12:00 pm at the Junior School campus. The core intention was to

acquaint the parents with our school‟s ethos, culture, activities and the academic programme. The Vice

Principal, Ms. Madhu Wal addressed the new parents with a warm welcome and shared her words of wisdom

on various relevant issues. Later the parents were taken on a tour around the school by The Head of Junior

School, Ms Sumona Karim and the Head of Pre Primary Section, Ms. Dushani Rajaratnam. The parents were

happy and appreciated the effort.

Swimming classes:

The Pre Primary swimming sessions commenced from the month of April. The students of the four grades

attended and enjoyed the swimming classes according to their respective schedules. The responsible class

teachers and assigned swimming coaches made sure that the sessions were enjoyable for the tiny students.

Annual Photo Session for Yearbook (Pre Primary):

The Annual Yearbook photo sessions for the students and the teachers of the Pre Primary section took place on

Tuesday, 4th

and Wednesday, 5th April, 2017. The teachers were all nicely dressed up for the event. The

Principal, Mr. Harsh Wal, Vice Principal, Ms. Madhu Wal and Head of Pre Primary Section, Ms. Dushani

Rajaratnam also joined the photo session.

Boishakhi Cultural Programme:

The Boishakhi Cultural Programme was organised in two separate segments at the Senior School campus

auditorium on Wednesday, 19th April, 2017. The invitation cards were sent to the parents and the guardians to

attend the event. Playgroup and Nursery grades presented their show in the first slot, whereas Pre KG and KG

performed in the second. The teachers, students and support staffs had put in a lot of effort to make this event a

success. The function was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

English and Bangla Handwriting Competition:

The English and Bangla Handwriting Competition of KG was held for 35 minutes on Thursday, 27th April,

2017 and Thursday, 4th

May, 2017, in their respective classrooms. The students took part in the competition

with a lot of interest and excitement. This practice will help them develop their fine motor skills.

Mother’s Day:

The students of Pre Primary celebrated the International Mother‟s Day on 14th

of May 2017. The students put

in a lot of effort to make their mothers feel special in different ways. They made magnificent cards and learnt a

special song for their mothers. They also coloured and drew pictures of mothers and children to decorate their

classrooms and the soft boards.

Farewell Programme of KG:

A Farewell Programme was arranged for the students of KG on Monday, 22nd

May, 2017, in the Junior School

auditorium as they have been promoted to the Primary Section from the Pre Primary. The students were

awarded with certificates on the stage and our respected Principal & Vice Principal shook hands to congratulate

them. The programme was entertaining and the students enjoyed a lot. The students of Pre KG joined as the

spectators.

Class Party:

The class party is a significant part of every student‟s childhood memory. On Tuesday, 23rd

May, 2017, the Pre

Primary students celebrated this event in the school premise during class hours. A magic display and a monkey

show was organised by the school to entertain the students. The students also enjoyed a movie with popcorn.

They brought food items to share with their friends. They concluded the party by singing and dancing with their

teachers and peers. The students were given a take home craft item. It was indeed an eventful day for them!

Achievements:

1. The following Pre Primary teachers have successfully completed the online Early Childhood Care and

Education Diploma from VES, Mumbai, in the month of April:

1. Ms. Farzana Rubaiyat( Class Teacher of Pre KG)

2. Ms. Rainer Rahima Alam( Class Teacher of Pre KG)

3. Ms Sharmin I. Hussain ( Class Teacher of Pre KG)

2. Zana Tazveer Chowdhury from KG- Neptune has been awarded with the runners-up trophy in Tennis from

Uttara Club Limited.

3. Music teacher, Babul Hossain from Primary Section has received the "Prime Minister Gold Medal 2014" on

Saturday, 22nd

March, 2017, for achieving the highest CGPA in his Bachelor‟s Degree in Music from “Jatiya

Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University”. He has also received another “Gold Medal J.K.K.N.I.U, First Convocation

2017” from the Honourable President of Bangladesh and Chancellor of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam

University, Trishal, Mymensingh. The award was presented to him on Wednesday, 19th

April, 2017.

4. Farzan Ali from grade-2B performed in Alliance Francaise on Sunday, 14th

April, 2017, for the occasion of

Bengali New Year.

5. Faiyaz Enayet Hossain of grade- 4C received a crest and a certificate for achieving the runners-up position in

the British Council Book Reading Competition, 2017.

6. DPS STS School has also received a crest from The British Council for continuous participation and support

in the British Council Book Reading Competition.

7. Dance teacher from Primary Section, Ms Tabassum Ahmed has received the „JOYEETA Special Award

2016‟ for her immense contribution in dance choreography on Wednesday, 26th

of April, 2017. The award was

presented by Land Minister, Mr. Samsur Rahman Sharif, Member of Parliament, Advocate Navana Akhter,

Additional Secretary, Ministry of LGRD and Engineer Dr. Golam Mostafa, Former Chairman, WASA.

8.We are very happy to inform that, Azher Hossain of Grade 1, section -A and

Arham Hossain of Nursery section-Pink had participated in the Junior Indoor Golf Tournament at Leadbetter

Academy held on Thursday, 27th

April, 2017, and won the runner-up trophy in the 6-8 years and 4-6 years

category respectively.

Workshops & Trainings:

English Language Proficiency Workshop- The Head of Pre Primary, Ms. Dushani Rajaratnam conducted

workshops for teachers on Proficiency in English Language every Thursday from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

Workshop for Emergency Evacuation Procedures:

A workshop was held on „Emergency Evacuation Procedures‟ in the main hall on Thursday, 6th

April 2017,

which was conducted by the Admin Manager Mr. Stickle. The actual drill for the Emergency Evacuation

Procedure took place on Sunday, 9th

April, 2017, when all the students and teachers had to evacuate their

classrooms and gather at the designated safe area.

Workshop on World Health Day:

7th

of April is celebrated as the World Health Day every year. This year‟s theme of World Health Day was

“Depression: Let‟s Talk”. To spread the awareness and importance of mental health, a workshop was arranged

for the Primary Teachers of DPS STS School on the Thursday, 6th

of April by the School Pastoral Counselor,

Sumaya Afrin Misti. During the 50 minute workshop a brief explanation on various spectrums of counseling

was discussed, i.e., what counseling is, what happens in a therapy, what to expect from a therapist, the time

period of individual sessions and a full-term therapy and so on. The teachers were very eager to discuss their

understanding of mental health, the methods of identifying mental health issues among the students as well as

building a positive support system in the school premises.

Professional Development Session:

An hour long in-house professional development session for all teachers of Pre Primary and Primary was held

at the Junior School campus on Monday, 20th

April, 2017 in the main hall. The facilitator was Ms Ferdoushi

Rahman, HOD of Science dept. The session was designed on “Active Learning in the Classroom”. During the

whole session the trainer tried to put light on the importance of student centred classroom. The significance of

engaging students in critical thinking was presented in the session in different ways. Teachers‟ demonstration

on graphic organizers (Venn Diagram & Flower Power Chart) covered all the core subjects in seven different

groups. All teachers actively took part in the different groups and seven groups presented their tasks

enthusiastically at the end of the function. Overall, it was an interactive and fruitful session.

Professional Development Training Session for the Administrative Staff: An hour long Professional Development Training Session for Junior Section Admin Staff titled „Office

Manners‟ was held in Junior School premises on Thursday, 11th

May, 2017. The facilitator of the workshop

was Ms. Madhu Wal, the honourable Vice Principal of DPS STS School, Dhaka. The workshop was mainly

divided into two segments- Basic Etiquette and Professionalism. The Workshop contained a vast range of sub-

topics such as common courtesies, protocol, dress-code, etiquette, politeness, and formal conversation etc. The

facilitator shared her personal experiences to make the session more comprehensible for the participants. The

workshop concluded with the discussion on soft skills for individuals. The participants were greatly benefited

from the wonderful workshop. The Head Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim, Head of Primary Section, Ms.

Juliet Gomes and Head of Pre Primary Section, Ms. Dushani Rajaratnam were also present in the session.

Yoga Seminar:

The Patanjali Yoga Ayurveda and Naturopathy Limited, Dhaka in association with the High Commission of

India, Bangladesh organised a seminar on Yoga at the DPS STS Junior School Campus, on Saturday, 20th

May,

2017. The seminar consisted of speeches, a power point presentation on the history and benefits of Yoga and

live demonstration by the Yoga expert Mr. Satyajit Biswajit and his team, and also a question-answer session at

the end. All the teachers of DPS STS School attended the seminar with immense zeal and enthusiasm. The

health conscious teachers were truly inspired from the Yoga session and took an oath to carry a healthy living

in their future as well. The session also helped the teachers to de-stress, improve concentration, practice

meditation and strengthen their willpower.

THE END