Back to School

Dear Families,

Welcome to Grade 2 at ISPP!

My name is Courtney Smedes and I am your child’s class teacher this year. I wanted to introduce myself and to share a little information about our class.

This is my third year teaching Grade 2 at ISPP. I come from Australia and have a Bachelor Degree in Primary Education and Masters of Education, Cognitive Psychology. My husband, Jonathan, is also a teacher and works in the Secondary school. We have two children. Gabe is 6 years old and in Grade 1 and Leon is 4 years old next week and in Early Years 2.

Prior to ISPP I have worked at Vientiane International School, Laos. Medan International School, Indonesia, and in Melbourne, Australia.

The other class teachers in our Grade 2 team are Mr. Johnny and Ms. Karyn.

We are also supported by a wonderful group of teaching assistants – Ms. Dalish (who will be working in our classroom), Ms. Yin, and Ms. Chanty. They are an experienced group of assistants who are very approachable and happy to assist with translation if necessary.

Timetable

A weekly timetable will be sent home next Monday in students’ home folders and can be found on timetable tab at the top of this blog.

PE - Tuesday and Thursday. Students will need to come to school in the ISPP sports uniform and appropriate shoes. New students will be given one PE uniform and additional sets can be purchased in the Central Office.

Swimming - Wednesday. Students will need to bring a swimming bag with tight fitting swim wear, goggles, swim cap and towel.

Library - Tuesday. We will visit the library and students can borrow and return books during this time. This will be our main day for borrowing. Students will have the opportunity to return and borrow new books on other days during the week. If your child would like to return and borrow on other days please send the book to school in the morning and we will provide time during the day for this. Please ensure students are safely carrying books to and from school in an appropriate bag.

Children need to come prepared to school each day with a healthy snack, and water. Their ISPP hat remains at school and must be worn whenever they are outside.

Home Learning

We do not place a massive emphasis on homework. In the words of Albert Einstein ‘Play is the highest form of research.’ Any home learning activities will be kept as relevant, enjoyable, and achievable as possible. It will be consistent across the grade. All homework can be accessed through the class blog.

Students are encouraged to read daily. The focus is on fostering a love of literature. Fluency and library books will be available for your child to select - depending on their levels and interests. They can also read material from home.

Communication

As a team we usually communicate electronically with parents and students. All students will be given their own ISPP Gmail account and password that they can use for communication within the ISPP network. In order to make communication as easy as possible we need an e-mail account that you access regularly. Please let me know if it is different from the one you used when enrolling your child.

I am happy for you or your child to e-mail me with any questions as they arise. If you need to speak to me about something important it is always best to make an appointment for a meeting, just drop me an e-mail and we can arrange a suitable time. My e-mail address is: courtneysmedes@ispp.edu.kh

Blog

Information about the class is regularly posted on our blog and there is a parent information tab at the top of the page. I would kindly ask that you sign up to follow the blog so you get regular updates.

Ms Courtney’s Class Blog  (mscourtneyclass.blogspot.com)

SeeSaw - Digital Portfolio

We will be introducing digital portfolios on Seesaw this year. This will allow you to view up to date information about your child’s learning. You will receive more details on this in the next week.

I look forward to meeting you next week. On Monday students will go directly to their new homeroom when the bell sounds at 7:25am, our classroom is on the second floor of building D and is room D104. Please note student pick-up time is 2:30 pm from the fenced area between elementary and the central office. We appreciate your support in collecting students promptly.

I know the children are excited about getting back together with their friends and we are also keen to welcome the many new students who are joining ISPP this year.