NEWSLETTER

JULY & AUGUST, 2017

DPS STS JUNIOR SCHOOL

VOL: 2, ISSUE: 1

Primary :

Book Deposit Day: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” The New Academic Year is here! The Academic Session of 2017-18 commenced with 'Book Deposit Day' for grades 1 & 2, on Tuesday

11th July and continued till Wednesday 12th July, 2017. Parents came to school to deposit the books and notebooks and met the new class teachers. The event went smoothly and was conducted meticulously with the collaboration of teachers and parents.

Summer Book Reading Competition: Every year, the DPS STS School Dhaka conducts a Book Reading

Competition with a view to encourage students to read books and to spread the joy of reading. The competition was held in the Junior School Campus, on Wednesday, 26th July, 2017. All the students from grades 1 to 4 participated in the competition. The competition took place in the respective classrooms for 40 minutes. It

involved many activities including reading books and taking part in an assessment. Ms. Nahid Tabassum, Head of English Department, was responsible for the overall supervision. The competition aimed at developing the

reading habit and language proficiency in English through reading story books.

The winners of the Summer Book Reading Competition are:

Grade-1

Name Position Section

Stella Sanwar 1st Robin

Md. Mustayeen Ul Bari 2nd Flamingo

Daanya Abdus Sobhan 3rd Eagle

Grade-2

Name Position Section

Faiha Islam 1st Birch

Umama Mahzabin 2nd Oak

Raham Zia 3rd Oak

~~Academics~~

Grade-3

Name Position Section

Awhona Saha 1st Gulf

Imad Fawaz 2nd Canyon

Rawayfi Tasawwar 3rd Dune

Grade-4

Name Position Section

Deandra Jamilia Castro Zulfiqar 1st Newton

Nubah Warda Ahsan 2nd Darwin

Rumaiza Amreen 3rd Einstein

Computer Science Fun Week: The Computer Science Fun Week was held from 30th July to 3rd August, 2017, in the Junior School Campus. It was a wonderful experience for the students of grades 1 to 4. They utterly

enjoyed playing games in their lab and watching short documentary video c lips on Internet Safety and Robotic Activities. The students also enjoyed watching animated short movies and magic shows under the guidance of

C.Sc. teachers. The students eagerly helped the teachers to decorate the soft boards outside the Computer Labs.

Social Science Display: The Social Science department arranged a display of the projects done by grade 1 & 2 students on Thursday, 17th August, 2017. The project theme was „Family and Polite words‟.The projects were displayed on the 2nd floor of the Junior School Campus. It was a colourful and an eye catching exhibition. The

teachers helped the enthusiastic students to bring out the best of their imagination through their work.

Inter House Invention & Inventors Poster Project Display: The Department of Science arranged an Inter

House Invention & Inventors Poster Project Display on the 13th, 16th, 17th, 21st and 22nd of August 2017, in the

Junior School Campus. The students of grades 1-4 visited the Science Lab to get to know about the inventions

and inventors. They also watched videos of famous inventions which have had a great impact on the human

civilization.

Parent Teacher Meeting: The 1st Term Parent Teacher Meeting for the Primary section was held on Thursday, 24th August, 2017, in the respective classrooms at the Junior School Campus. The meeting was

organised to give the parents an opportunity to discuss the progress of their wards in the new academic session of 2017-18. The teachers provided detailed and constructive feedback to all the parents.

Pre Primary :

Life Skill Activities: The life skill activity of Playgroup was blowing bubbles with a straw. It was held on Tuesday, 18th

of July in the Outdoor Play Area. Children had fun blowing bubbles. At first, the teachers demonstrated how to blow

bubbles with the help of a straw and then they blew bubbles under the supervision of the homeroom teachers. The children of Pre-KG had a Bubble Printing Activity on

Wednesday, 19th of July, 2017. It was an entertaining way for children to learn about colours and bubble textures.

The students of Nursery got to know about the seasons of the year and related information during circle time on Wednesday, 26th July, 2017. While some students carried umbrellas, others wore rain coats and

walked in the Outdoor Play Area followed by their class teachers. The students of Playgroup learned how to make aeroplanes using

paper on Tuesday 8th of August, 2017. They were given a piece of paper to complete the task under the supervision of the teachers. Then they were taken to the indoor play area to fly the aeroplanes. The activities were fun and engaging for the

children and also helped them to enhance their fine motor skills.

Sorting Beads Activity: The students of Nursery sorted beads according to their colour and shape in the month of July. This activity helped them to

improve their hand and eye coordination. Also, they were able to recognize and identify different

colours and shapes confidently.

Playing Hopscotch: The students of Pre KG enjoyed playing

Hopscotch as an activity for number recall and recognition on Thursday, 20th of July, 2017, in their respective classrooms. Hopscotch is a classic game that kids of all ages can play. The game

encouraged the students to count while practicing both coordination and balance.

Rhyme with Role Play – Five Little Ducks: The students of Pre-KG learned the rhyme, “Five Little Ducks” from the internet with the help of the teachers

on Sunday, 30th of July, 2017. They also performed a role play based on the rhyme. The students wore

headgears of ducklings and looked adorable.

Magic Letters: In order to recognize Bengali letters, a magic letter activity was held for the students of KG. The teachers gave the students a blank piece of

paper and asked them to colour it. As the letters appeared like magic on the white paper, the activity was named „Magic Letters’. The students were

fascinated by this creative work.

Letter Formation: The students of KG practiced letter formation using

flour. This activity is helpful in developing children‟s fine motor skills. All the children participated in the activity very attentively.

Speaking Activity: On Thursday, 17th of August, 2017, the students of Nursery had a speaking activity on the

topic „Myself.‟ The students spoke about themselves and drew their own pictures. It was an enjoyable experience for them.

Identifying Bengali Letters: The KG students had an activity on identifying

Bengali letters. They had to randomly select flash cards which were turned upside down and identify the letter. The activity was quite challenging for the students.

Comparison-Number Activity: The KG students were taught to compare and understand the place value of numbers. This activity was done with the aid of

„The Crocodile Story‟ where the crocodile always eats the bigger number.

Making a Mouse: The students of KG made a mouse with the help of their teachers on Tuesday, 8th August, 2017. They labeled the different parts of the mouse and coloured them. During the

activity, they learnt the names of different parts of a mouse and their functions.

Before Going to Bed: ‘Tom goes to bed‟ activity was held on Sunday 13th August, 2017, where children of KG were taught to get ready for bed. They were given picture cutouts with the sentences and asked to

arrange the sentences according to the sequence of the pictures.

~~Co-curricular Activities~~

Primary : Eid-Ul-Fitr Celebration: On Tuesday,

25th of July, the students of grades 1 to 4 celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr through a

cultural programme at the Junior School Campus Auditorium from 8:50 am- 9:20 am. The programme

commenced with Surah Fatiha and translation. The essence of Eid was

beautifully portrayed through dance, music and recitation of poetry by the talented students of the Primary

Section. The celebration ended with the National Anthem. The Head of

Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim and Head of Primary Section, Ms. Juliet Gloria Gomes were present for the

celebration to encourage the students and to share the joy and merriment.

After School Activity Programme (ASP): The ASP Programme of the Primary Section is running in full swing. The students of grades 1- 4 are having Art and Craft, Sports, Music, Dance, Aerobics, Karate, Literacy,

Drama, Mathematics, Science, C. Sc, French, Hindi, DIY( Do It Yourself) and Cooking club activities on a daily basis.

Swimming Classes: Swimming Classes for grades 1 and 2 have started from Sunday, 30 th July, 2017. All the

students of grades 1 & 2 are having regular swimming classes in the swimming pool of the Junior Campus.

Art and Craft Origami Workshop: On Wednesday, 26th July, an Art and Craft Origami Workshop was held

at the Junior School Auditorium from 8:00 am -8:30 am. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Bharat from an Indian organization „Indian Paper Art‟. The students learned how to use colour papers to make trees, different

types of leaves, birds and other decorative items. The students enjoyed the session thoroughly. All the students of grades 1 to 4, teachers, the In charge of Events & Students Orientation Ms. Shalini Agarwalla, Head of Primary Section Ms. Juliet Gomes and Head of Junior School Ms. Sumona Karim were present at the event.

Movie Party: The students of grades 3 and 4 were absolutely thrilled to watch the delightful animation movie

„Finding Dory’ on Thursday, 27th July, 2017, in the Senior School Auditorium. The students were supervised and accompanied by our attentive teachers throughout the movie. The event was an escape from tedium to a fresh start of a new academic year. The students were provided healthy and scrumptious lunch from the Senior

School Cafeteria after the movie. It was indeed a memorable day for them.

Dance Workshop: A dance workshop called “Dancing Feet” took place on Saturday 26 th and Sunday 27th August, 2017, in the Junior School Campus Auditorium. An International Dance Director and Choreographer, Mr. Ivan Shahriar Sohag conducted the workshop. The students of grade 3 and 4 matched their footsteps with

the renowned choreographer and danced gleefully to the beat of the music.

Solo Western Music and Dance Competition: One of the most fun-filled events of the month was the Solo

Western Music and Dance Competition 2017-18, held on Sunday 27th and Monday 28th August, 2017, in the Junior School Campus. All the students from grades 1 to 4 passionately participated in the competition. They flaunted their skills and talent with sheer joy and enthusiasm.

Orientation Programme: An Orientation Programme was arranged for the parents of Primary section on

Saturday, 19th August, 2017 from 11:30am-12:30pm in the Junior School Auditorium. Parents of grade- 1 and new parents of grades 2 to 4 were present at the programme. Ms. Madhu Wal, Vice Principal of DPS STS School inaugurated the programme with a welcome speech and brief introductory presentation for the new

parents. The Head of Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim introduced the Heads of the Primary Section. This was followed by an insightful presentation by Ms. Juliet Gloria Gomes, the Head of Primary Section. A

motivational video was shown to the parents by the Head of Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim to explain why parental involvement is so important for their children. After the programme, parents were taken on a tour around the school followed by refreshments in the cafeteria.

Pre-Primary : Eid-Ul-Fitr Celebration: The students of Pre Primary celebrated Eid- Ul- Fitr in their respective classrooms

on Monday, 17th July, 2017. They wore colourful Eid attires, shared food with their peers, related stories and embraced each other wishing “Eid Mubarak”. They also sang the popular Eid song “Ramjaner Oi Rojar Sheshe

Elo Khushir Eid” and danced to the music. The students also made Eid Cards with the help of their teachers and took them home.

Origami Workshop: An Origami workshop, „Lets get folding‟, was organized for the students of Pre Primary

on Thursday, 20th July, 2017. It was indeed an excellent and creative workshop conducted by Mr. Bharat who came all the way from India to entertain and enlighten the teachers and students with some amazing craft work.

The children learned to make paper dolls, water lily, lotus, kites, Christmas tree, pigeon, etc.

After School Programme (ASP): The After School Programme commenced on Sunday, 23rd of July, 2017.

This academic year, new programmes such as Speech and Drama, Art and Craft and Hindi were introduced in the Pre Primary Section.

Swimming Classes: The students of Pre Primary Section started their regular swimming classes from Sunday, 30th July 2017.

Cooking Activity: The children of Nursery were asked to bring ingredients to make lemonade on Thursday, 27th of July, 2017. The Students actively participated in squeezing and mixing sugar with water. It was a fun filled activity where the students involved themselves actively.

The students of Playgroup were asked to bring bread and jam to make sandwiches on Thursday, 3rd of August, 2017. They made smiley faces on slices of bread with jam with the help of the teachers.

On Thursday, 3rd of August, 2017, the teachers of KG organized a cooking activity. The students made porridge in their respective classrooms and shared with their friends. This activity was designed to promote healthy food habit in students.

The students of Pre KG made „Banana Milkshake „on Thursday, 10th August, 2017. This was a fun and engaging activity to promote healthy eating habit in students.

Craftwork: On Wednesday, 2nd of August, Pre KG students performed an exciting text-book activity where they created paper collages by tearing colourful papers

and pasting them on a shape of a fish. This activity helped them to improve their fine motor skills and their ability to follow instructions.

The students also eagerly participated in making paper boats with paper on Thursday 3rd of August, 2017, under the guidance of their teachers. They portrayed their creative skills and made colourful paper boats.

~~Achievements~~

Orientation Programme : The Orientation Programme of 2017-18 session was arranged for the parents of Pre

Primary on Saturday, 19th August, 2017, with a view to acquaint the parents with our School‟s ethos, culture, activities and the academic

programme. The programme began with a warm welcome address and presentation by our Vice

Principal, Ms Madhu Wal. She enlightened the audience with her words of wisdom- giving guidelines on effective parenting, introduction

about the School, DPS Society, STS Group and the School systems. After the conclusion of the Vice

Principal‟s presentation, Ms Sumona Karim, Head of Junior School introduced the Heads of the Pre Primary section and presented a video on parenting.

The parents were guided to the respective classrooms to be briefed about the curriculum and

the rules and regulations of the Pre Primary section by the teachers.

School Tour: The students of Nursery learned about the theme „My School‟ on Tuesday, 8 th August, 2017. The children were delighted to take a tour around the Junior School Campus.

In April 2017, Amayr Hossain, presently a student of grade 5, received the „Rising Star‟(Star Performer) award from PS 69, an Educational Institution in

New York where he attended school for six months. He was awarded with a medal for his achievement by the Principal of the school in presence of all. Amayr‟s parents have expressed their gratitude to the teachers of

DPS STS School Dhaka for supporting and guiding Amayr.

Zareef Wayez Ghani from Grade-3, Section-Delta, participated in „Aloha International Mathematics

Competition‟ on Sunday 16th of July at the Park Royal Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and achieved 1st Runner Up position among 400+ participants. Participants from 35 countries all together took part in the competition to solve 70 sums in 5 minutes. We are really proud that Zareef participated

in the competition to represent Bangladesh and scored such an outstanding result!

Pre Primary Teacher, Ms. Fauzia Zabin has completed her Diploma in Early Childhood Care and

Education from Vidyanidhi Education Society in Mumbai.

Art teacher of Primary Section, Bubly Barna went to Kashmir, India last week to attend an art camp

organised by the Fine Arts Department of Jahangirnagar University. She went to the camp to paint

landscapes. They visited Gulmerg, Srinagar and Pehelgam. They are looking forward to having an

exhibition in Bangladesh soon.

~~Workshops and Trainings~~

Orientation Training Programme for Pre Primary and Primary Teachers : On Sunday 9th July 2017, the first day of the new academic year of 2017-18, an introductory training session was conducted by the Heads of

Junior School welcoming all the teachers to the new academic session. The sessions were conducted by Ms. Dushani Rajaratnam and Ms. Juliet

Gomes to welcome the respective Pre Primary and the Primary teachers. The basic codes of conduct and the rules and policies of DPS STS School were discussed during the session. Informative presentations were

prepared by the facilitators to engage the teachers and keep them updated. The teachers were charged up and ready to face another eventful and

challenging academic year.

IT Session for New Teachers: An engaging and creative IT session was held on Monday, 10th July, in Computer Lab-2 of Junior School. The

session was conducted by IT Head, Mr. Mostafizur Rahman Mridha. All the new teachers of Junior School attended the session. Operating system, use of different educational software, the use of ERP system and some

other important issues were discussed in the session. All the participants got the opportunity to work practically. The trainer demonstrated how

large amount of data can be processed and saved. Session with Class Coordinators: The Coordinators of grades 1 to 4 held separate meetings with their Class

Teachers in the Junior School Campus on Monday, 10th July, 2017. They discussed various issues such as classroom ground rules, preparing the soft boards, and various do's and don'ts. It was a fruitful meeting as the

Class Teachers were able to have one on one open discussion with their respective Coordinators.

Meeting with the Dean of Academics: An informative session was held on Monday 10th July, 2017, in the

main hall of Junior School. This session was conducted by Ms. Shaila Sheikh, the Dean of Academics. All the new teachers of Primary section attended the session. It was an encouraging session to support and promote the

highest quality education. The facilitator provided guidance to the new teachers to assure a positive working environment, to collaborate, to maintain a rapport with colleagues, and enco uraged them to work as a part of a team for the DPS STS School. Later, the Dean of Academics, Ms. Shaila Sheikh also arranged another session

with the Head of Departments reminding them of all the essential issues related to academics.

Session with the Head of Departments: The newly joined subject teachers of the Primary Section had an interactive session with the respective Head of Departments on Monday, 10 th July, 2017 in the Junior School Campus. The HODs provided all kinds of information, aid and support to the new team members and educated

them with the necessary code of conduct.

Professional Development Training Session by the Head of Junior

School: The Head of Junior School, Ms. Sumona Karim conducted a training session with all the teachers of the Junior School on Thursday,

13th July, 2017, in the Junior School Library. She welcomed all the teachers wholeheartedly and evoked team spirit among us all. The

facilitator focused on the basic codes of conduct, professional behavior, office manners, office attire, mutual cooperation and respect in her presentation.

Library Rules & Regulations: The Librarian of the Junior School, Md. Wahiduzzaman conducted a session with all the teachers of Junior School

on Thursday, 13th July, 2017. The rules, regulations and policies of the library for both teachers and students were highlighted in the session.

After School Programme Workshop with ASP In-Charges: The ASP In-Charges of grades-1 to 4 Ms. Archana Kumar, Ms. K. Sumaiya, Ms. Shammin Sultana and Ms. Monisha Acharjee conducted a session with

the concerned teachers on Thursday, 13th July, 2017. The new teachers attended the session and came to know about different ASP clubs of Junior School. Many new interesting ASP clubs have been introduced by the ASP In-Charges from this session to attract the students and keep them motivated to come to school. A colorful

presentation was prepared by the In-Charges to introduce the teachers to the rules and regulations of the clubs.

Co-curricular Workshop: The Incharge of Events & Students Orientation, Ms. Shalini Agarwalla had a session with the Music, Art and Dance Department teachers on Thursday, 13 th July, 2017. She guided the M.A.D (Music, Art & Dance) teachers to plan eventful activities for the current session. The capable teachers

of the M.A.D department are now ready to embrace another year with a lot of zeal and fervour.

Teachers’ Training Sessions with the Head of Pre Primary: The Head of Pre-Primary conducted training sessions daily from Sunday,

9th July to Thursday 13th July, 2017, on various academic related topics. All the Pre Primary Teachers participated in the sessions.

English Language Training Workshop: A training session on

English Language was conducted by our very own English Trainer, Ms. Mehjabeen Rashid on Thursday, 27th July, 2017. The facilitator prepared an interactive session with the teachers of the

Pre Primary Section and Primary Section on ways to avoid the common errors and confusions that often arise while

communicating in English. In the later part, the teachers were provided with a worksheet to brush up their language skills.

Teachers’ Training Workshop on ‘Writing Official Emails and

applications’: A training workshop for all the teachers of Pre Primary

and Primary section was conducted by Ms. Mehjabeen Rashid on Thursday, 10th August, 2017, in the Junior School Main Hall. The trainer provided numerous guidelines on writing formal applications

and emails, and she also included a hands-on activity session for the teachers. The workshop was fruitful and enlightening for the teachers.

Teachers’ Training Workshop on Classroom Management Skills :

Ms. Mehjabeen Rashid conducted an important session on the topic, „Classroom Management Skills‟ on Monday, 21st August, 2017, in the

Main Hall of the Junior School Campus. The newly joined teachers in the Pre Primary and Primary Section participated in this training workshop .The teachers were introduced to different methods and strategies to

maintain a disciplined and interactive classroom. The trainer helped the teachers to ensure a proper learning environment for the students.

THE END