Welcome Back to School
Dear Wellspring Parents and Students,
First of all, Wellspring would like to wish everyone a pleasant week and Eid Adha Mubarak! The full week of vacation from September 10-18 enables Wellspring families, students teachers and staff to celebrate, participate in family activities and rejuvenate after an action packed week of back to school. It certainly has been a pleasure welcoming so many wonderful new Wellspring families and reuniting with our returning families. From the looks of happy faces, it appears our new comers and returning students enjoyed their first week of school.
Some of our Grade 11/12 students have traveled to Nepal to help fulfil their CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) component for Grade 12 graduation.“CAS is an integral part of the diploma course; it requires that students complete a minimum of 150 hours of creativity, action and service over the 2-year courses. Students need to keep a journal of their work and to meet set learning outcomes. It is an opportunity for students to become active members of the wider community and to try different activities.”
This is the second CAS trip that Wellspring offered to our students. The first CAS adventure was to South Africa in 2015 where our IB students helped rejuvenate Mama Lumka’s Ikhayalethemba Village Sanctuary for children. Those who attended the first trip said “It was an opportunity and learning experience of a life time”. Wellspring values community involvement and expects all of our students through the PYP, MYP and DP to participate in different “Service as Action” opportunities that are embedded within each IB Programme.<>
If you are interested in following our current grade 11/12 student travelers in Nepal, please check out Wellspring’s App or Wellspring Learning Community’s Facebook page. For general information about the GVI travel and event sponsor, please check GVI Nepal Pokara for past pictures and general information regarding the organization and their presence in Nepal.
Important Dates for Parent Orientation Meetings
·September 22-KG1/KG2 Parent Orientation-Mathaf -Library-5-6:30pm
·September 23-Grades 1/ 2 Parent Orientation-Mathaf -Library-5-6:30pm
·September 28-MYP Grades 6-10 Parent Orientation-CCC-Black Box Area-2:30-4pm
·September 29-Grades 3-4 Parent Orientation-Mathaf-library-5-6:30pm
·September 30-Grade 5 Orientation-CCC-Black Box Area-5-6:30pm
Parents are kindly asked to participate in your child’s scheduled meetings. It is the first opportunity of the school year to meet your child’s teachers, IB coordinators and subject leaders. As you will notice, meeting times in the PYP have been extended into the evening hours for working parents. Please take full advantage of these meetings.Teachers are graciously staying past their regular working hours to accommodate the needs of parents. Wellspring expects fully attendance!
Important Dates for Students
·September 19-KG1, KG2, 1-12 Classes resume-7:25am
·September 19-Nursery Classes 8-10am-parents attendance is optional
·September 20-Full Day for all students including Nursery
·September 21-regular Wednesday Early Dismissals begin at-Mathaf 1:30pm-City Centre Campus-2:30pm
·September 22- DP Students return from Nepal
Extra Sessions, SAT Prep and Academic Support
·September 21-SAT Prep-Grade 12-Each Wednesday (2:45-4:45pm) and Friday (3:45-5:45pm) until October 27-CCC-mandatory for all Grade 12 students
·September 24-Math HL and Physics SL and HL-8-12:30pm-every Saturday
·September 26-1st draft of Extended Essay – Grade 12 DP students
·October 1-Official SAT Exams for those who have registered individually
·November 9-SAT Prep-Grade 11- Each Wednesday (2:45-4:45pm) and Friday (3:45-5:45pm)-CCC-16 weeks-mandatory for all Grade 11 students
Upcoming Events and Overseas Trips
·October 8-Hiking in Kfarhay Wellspring’s new “Feel Good” Program-aims to establish active healthy lifestyles for students, teachers and parents-details to be announced
·November 9-13-MYP Drama -workshop and trip to Sri Lanka-The International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) and the Overseas School of Colombo
·November 3-6-Wellspring Wolves Soccer Teams travel to Cyprus-to play King Richard School
Grade 6-Yes! For Schools-The Art of Living Foundation
·September 19-23rd-7:40am-9:40am-and Wednesdays from 12pm-2pm. Each grade 6 student will participate in this wellness program (of 30 hours in total) which leads into a Service as Action program. Please find attached a description of the Yes! program.
Service as Action in the MYP-Projects for 2016-2017
Students in Grades 7-10 will participate in various service activities embedded into the MYP curriculum. Please see the attached “Service as Action Projects”program for details.
Soccer Try Outs and After School Sessions for Grades 5-12 will begin on Thursday, September 22nd
Sign up information and permission slips will be given out to CCC students on Monday, September 19th-
Uniforms-Grades 1-12
·Remaining “back ordered” uniforms should be arriving by the end of September.
·For students (new and returning) whose orders have not been filled-just a reminder that students are still required to keep within our dress code of colors and styles even when wearing their own shirts, pants and shorts. No logos or designer labels larger than 10X10 cm.
·Wellspring Dress Code can be found on page 7 in the 2016-2017 Student Handbook emailed (see attachment) and sent home in hardcopy form last week.
·All students must comply with the Wellspring Dress Code beginning Monday, September 19th
Homework Club for Grades 6-10
· Sign up for Homework Club begins immediately and the first session begins on Monday, September 26th. Additional information including the cost is found in the attached flyer (above) to this email. Please call the CCC at 01-282-582 or 01-283-683 and ask for Ms Joanna to sign up.
Upcoming Days Off
· October 3-Islamic New Year (tentative)
· October 11- Ashoura (tentative)
Managebac User Names and Password Accounts for New Families-Wednesday, September 21
Managebac is Wellspring’s main computer program used throughout the entire school PYP, MYP and DP to send progress reports, report daily homework assignments per grade level, monthly calendar of class assessments, student projects and learning expectations. Managebac is an electronic version of student agendas. Parents, students and teachers communicate using this program. All new Wellspring families will receive a user name and password (by Wednesday 21st) and returning families may begin to use their same credentials from last year. The system is in the process of updating and finalizing class lists. If you have problems, please contact our IT Department at Mathaf or CCC.
WPAC (Wellspring Parent Advisory Committee) and the USE of What’s APP
Parents are kindly asked to contact their representative with any comments or individual concerns they may be having. Although there may be casual What’s APP groups set up by parents, Wellspring honors confidentiality and requests that any and all comments regarding an individual teacher or individual student be directed immediately to my officeKittyb@wellspring.edu.lb or to a WPAC representative rather than using social media.
WPAC REPRESENTATIVES 2016-17
|
Name |
Title |
Grade Representing |
Email Address |
Phone Number |
|
LINA EL KADI |
Treasurer |
Gr 3, Gr 7 |
03-922288 |
|
|
RANA KHALIL |
VICE PRESIDENT |
Gr 4, Gr 6 |
03-746733 |
|
|
MOHAMMAD KHALED |
PRESIDENT |
Gr 4, Gr 6 |
03-916885 |
|
|
ROLA ORABI |
MEMBER |
Gr 3, Gr 6 |
03-660427 |
|
|
DANIA ZAATARI |
SECRETARY |
Gr 4 |
03-681674 |
|
|
NIZAR RAMMAL |
FINANCE REP |
Nursery, Gr 3 |
03-908307 |
|
|
GUILLAUME WARMERY |
INTERNATIONAL MEMBER |
Gr 1, Gr 6 |
76-768451 |
|
|
CHRISTINE TANIOS |
FINANCE MEMBER |
KG1, 1 3 |
03-780363 |
|
|
RIWA ADADA |
MEMBER |
Gr 2, Gr 5 |
03-948928 |
|
|
CAMILLE DABDAB |
MEMBER |
Gr 3 |
03-384583 |
|
|
KARIN SANNER |
INTERNATIONAL MEMBER |
Gr 5 |
71-809719 |
|
|
RANA ABBOUT |
MEMBER |
KG 2 |
03-842202 |
|
|
RANA MARJI |
MEMBER |
Gr 6, Gr 9 |
03-183583 |
Wellspring looks forward to another successful and interesting year of new classroom experiences, inquiries and learning. Please make sure to keep updated with all new events, new after school activities and special field trips by looking at the school’s social media, school website and student handouts. If you have additional comments or questions,
Please contact your PYP Principal-Julene Want at julenew@wellspring.edu.lb or MYP/DP Principal at kittyb@wellspring.edu.lb.
See you on Monday, September 19th.
Kathleen Battah
MYP / DP Principal
Head of School