Dear WIS Parents,

In the last week of this semester the students are being immersed in Chinese culture both inside WIS with presentations and inquiry-based activities and on exciting field trips in Hangzhou. We celebrated Chinese New Year at WIS on Thursday, with a wide range of activities and performances, from dumpling making to dragon dances – a truly festive season!

At WIS we are also continuing to grow our Middle School and we have two students joining after the holidays. We are also on-track of having a Middle School with four separate grades (6, 7, 8 and 9) for next academic year, with a predicted grade 10 the following year, which also is the final year of the IB Middle Years Programme. As part of this growth I am at the moment interviewing and hiring more experienced teachers to further strengthen the Middle and Primary School programmes.

Thank you…

Thank you to our WIS parents who attended the Foundation and Donors meeting on Wednesday – I was very moved by all positive feedback from you, describing your children’s impressions and experiences of our school.

MAP Diagnostic Testing

On Friday 25 January you will receive your child’s Semester 1 report card. In the folder you will also receive the results of the MAP testing, with thorough explanations in both English and Chinese on how to interpret the report, which was conducted in November last year. I would like to take some time explaining the rationale and process of the MAP testing here at WIS, and the value of this kind of diagnostic testing which will be conducted twice a year.

MAP is a computer-adaptive test. If your child answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier. This type of assessment challenges top performers without overwhelming students whose skills are below grade level. It uses a RIT scale to accurately measure what students know,regardless of their grade level. It also measures growth over time, allowing you to track your child’s progress throughout the school year and across multiple years. You can use your child’s RIT score to help them meet their goals.

The reason for MAP testing is for parents to get an understanding of the child’s progress of growth in English and Mathematics, which will be further apparent when we receive the results of the next MAP testing session in May, and for identifying areas for improvement toassist the teacher in planning for future learning activities. We believe that children learn better – and faster – when teachers have a clear picture of what each student knows and is ready to learn next. More than 9 million students in the US and in 140 countries worldwide use MAP diagnostic testing.

The MAP tests were conducted during two weeks, and at times we did experience some internet issue and other interruptions, however, we successfully managed to complete all sections with the student present. Please bear in mind, that some students did encounter quite a few difficulties when dealing with language heavy questions in the Mathematics test, and hence did not perform at a level that they normally do. Also, all the students are already now at the end of January at higher levels than indicated in the results. As this was the first time of whole-school MAP testing, we now have a clearer understanding of how to prepare the students and conduct the tests more efficiently. In the future, we will have the MAP tests in September, with reports sent out to parents immediately; and likewise in the May testing session.

Teachers’ Professional Development

During the teachers’ professional development day on 18 February, we will be trained in a new information sharing platform and curriculum depository called ManageBac – the leading planning, assessment and reporting platform for the IB Programmes. The trusted choice of IB students from over 2,500 leading IB world schools.  It is also the platform that we will use to share with parents; the students’ curriculum, assignments calendar, results, attendance, report cards etc. We will have the regional manager from Shanghai, coaching all WIS teachers and leaders.

Important WIS Dates

Please try and find time to come to the parents’ meeting in February. I will present IB and WIS updates, as well as engaging you in a mini-workshop on how we use an inquiry-based approach in our teaching here at WIS – Welcome!

Happy New Year!

Enjoy three weeks of quality time together, and we all look forward to seeing you again on the morning of Tuesday 19 February.

Anders Hjelm

WIS Principal 校长

wischina.org