Tagged with "From the Principal"...

Dear Parent and Guardians,

Last week was an intense week for many of our students. We are still training routines in the school. You need to remember that it takes 6 weeks to establish a habit. Therefore, consistency and persistence are so important.

This week the photographer is in school taking student portraits.
There are a few things I want to bring to your attention:

Road safety is a worry for us. We stand at the gate greeting students every morning so we can respond if they are not crossing the road responsibly by the school. At times, we have seen students crossing the Skärholmsvägen. This is extremely dangerous and the speed limit there is 70km. Cars do not slow down for children crossing the road. We have also seen parents drop off their children on Skärholmsvägen. Children and teenagers do not have a reliable sense of speed or distance. Please can we work together at creating a safe road culture for our children. Please do not use Skärholmsvägen as a dropping off zone and talk to your children about not crossing Skärholmsvägen. We must act now before there is an accident. We as adults need to set an example. The issue of road safety will be taken up during mentor time and with your support our message will be stronger.

The second issue we all need to consider is our response to Covid-19. It is likely that infection rates will go up in the autumn, so we all need to be prepared. Our nurse has put out information on SchoolSoft. Please read it carefully. If your child has a cold or any symptoms such as a sore throat, stomach upset or a cough, please keep them home.

It has been so inspiring visiting classes in the morning and seeing how hard our students are working in lessons. We have noticed that our best lessons are those when everybody follows the Code of Conduct. It helps to create a calm learning environment.

Paragraph 3 of the Code of Conduct is:

I will be calm, safe, and respectful with my hands, feet, and body.

It is important that all students learn to behave in a considerate manner. It is not respectful to run and bump into others in the hallway or classroom. It is not considerate to swing your keys around so that people have to avoid being hit or to “play” fight. We all need to look at our behaviour to see how we can be polite and considerate to other people. Please help us and remind your child of this. Working together, we can help to make the school a calm, safe and respectful place to be.

In other matters, I would like to remind you that this week is a short week for the students. Friday is a staff training day and there will therefore be no school for the students.

Finally, please follow us on Instagram and the school website https://skarholmen.engelska.se/  to follow the interesting events and activities happening in school.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Benedikz
Principal

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Kära förälder och vårdnadshavare,

Förra veckan var en intensiv vecka för många av våra elever. Vi övar fortfarande med rutiner i skolan. Ni måste komma ihåg att det tar 6 veckor att skapa en vana. Därför är konsistens och uthållighet så viktig.

Den här veckan är fotografen i skolan och tar studentporträtt.

Det är några saker som jag vill att ni är uppmärksamma om:

Trafiksäkerhet är en oro för oss. Vi står vid grinden och hälsar på eleverna varje morgon, så att vi kan se till att de går över gatan på ett ansvarsfullt sätt enligt skolan. Ibland har vi sett elever korsa Skärholmsvägen. Detta är extremt farligt och hastighetsgränsen där är 70km/t. Bilar saktar inte ned för barn som korsar vägen. Vi har också sett föräldrar lämna sina barn på Skärholmsvägen. Barn och tonåringar har ingen tillförlitlig känsla av hastighet eller avstånd. Snälla kan vi arbeta tillsammans för att skapa en säker väg kultur för våra barn. Använd inte Skärholmsvägen som avlämningszon och prata med dina barn om att inte korsa Skärholmsvägen. Vi måste agera nu, innan det inträffar en olycka. Vi som vuxna måste föregå med gott exempel. Frågan om trafiksäkerhet kommer att tas upp under mentortiden och med ditt stöd kommer vårt budskap att bli starkare.

Den andra frågan som vi alla måste överväga är vårt svar på Covid-19. Det är troligt att infektionsgraden kommer att öka under hösten, så vi måste alla vara beredda. Vår sjuksköterska har lagt upp information på SchoolSoft. Läs den noga. Om ditt barn har en förkylning eller några symtom som ont i halsen, magbesvär eller hosta, vänligen håll dem hemma.

Det har varit så inspirerande att besöka klasser på morgonen och se hur hårt våra elever arbetar på lektioner. Vi har märkt att våra bästa lektioner är de när alla följer uppförandekoden. Det hjälper till att skapa en lugn inlärningsmiljö.

Punkt 3 i Code of Conduct är:

Jag kommer att vara lugn, säker och respektfull med mina händer, fötter och kropp.

Det är viktigt att alla elever lär sig att bete sig på ett hänsynsfullt sätt. Det är inte respektfullt att springa och stöta på andra i korridoren eller klassrummet. Det är inte omtänksamt att kasta runt med nycklar så att människor måste undvika att bli träffade eller "spela" slåss. Vi måste alla titta på vårt beteende för att se hur vi kan vara artiga och omtänksamma mot andra människor. Snälla hjälp oss, och påminn ditt barn om detta. Genom att arbeta tillsammans kan vi hjälpa till att göra skolan till en lugn, säker och respektfull plats.

I andra frågor vill jag påminna dig om att den här veckan är en kort vecka för eleverna. Fredagen är en personalutbildningsdag och det kommer därför inte finnas någon skola för eleverna.

Slutligen, följ oss på Instagram och skolans webbplats  https://skarholmen.engelska.se/ för att följa de intressanta händelserna och aktiviteterna som händer i skolan.

Med vänliga hälsningar,
Dr Benedikz
Rektor

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been a wonderful start to the school year. Not only are we having a beautiful and sunny end to the summer, but the atmosphere in school has been both positive and vibrant.

We need to make sure that our students settle in with good routines and routines take time to establish. Research tells us that it takes 6 weeks to establish good routines and habits, so consistency is very important. Routines are also incredibly important because we all need good routines in our daily lives to function effectively.

School is not only about learning different academic subjects. In Swedish school law, it is our responsibility to help students to become independent well-functioning citizens in a democratic society. When our students leave us they need to understand the society they live in and function well in any workplace or gymnasium. This is why behaviour and attitude are so important.

One of the policies we use to help students achieve these goals and model behaviour is our Code of Conduct.

The first code is:
“I will be polite, respectful, and show courtesy to staff and other students. Examples of this include how I speak, write, draw, use body language and follow instructions as well as how I follow through with in-class work or tasks and participate, interact and contribute in school.”

Why is this important? Every workplace has a code of conduct. It sets the tone for how we interact with other people. Being polite to everyone is a way to show that we respect each other. Learning to say “please” and “thank you” also helps people feel seen and appreciated. To put it simply, all our actions count; from how we write and speak to each other, and how we use body language.

It is equally important that our students understand how important it is how they act in class. Every student’s ability to learn is affected by their in class behaviour. No student can learn well if there is unrest or bad behaviour in the classroom. In this way, the classroom is a fantastic place for students to learn their responsibility in helping to contribute positively to the work environment – not only for themselves, but everyone around them.
You can help us achieve this by promoting a positive attitude in your children. Help them understand that school is a good preparation for life. Help make them aware that when they come to school they should have a positive mindset, thinking “I’m ready to work in class; I’m well-prepared and ready to follow instruction”. Take this week to make a difference. Help us by helping your child understand why our Code of Conduct is so important.

You should have heard from your child’s mentor. If not, please contact the school and let us know.

As always, on behalf of everyone at IESS, I wish you a very good week.

Dr Benedikz

Principal

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Kära föräldrar och vårdnadshavare,

Det har varit en underbar start på läsåret. Det är inte bara en vacker och solig avslutning på sommaren, även stämningen i skolan har varit både positiv och färgstark.

Vi måste se till att våra elever vänjer sig vid att ha bra rutiner och rutiner tar tid att etablera. Forskning visar att det tar 6 veckor för att skapa goda rutiner och vanor, så konsistens är mycket viktigt. Rutiner är också oerhört viktiga eftersom vi alla är i behov av bra rutiner för att underlätta vårt dagliga liv.

Skolan handlar inte endast om att lära sig olika akademiska ämnen. Enligt svensk skollag är det vårt ansvar att hjälpa eleverna att bli självständiga och välfungerande medborgare i ett demokratiskt samhälle. När våra elever lämnar skolan, de ska ha förståelse/känna samhället de lever i och fungera bra oavsett deras arbetsplatser eller gymnasiet. Det är därför beteende och attityd är så viktigt.

Ett av de verktygen vi använder för att hjälpa eleverna uppnå dessa mål och sträva efter modellbeteende är vår Code of Conduct.

Den första koden är:

”Jag kommer att vara hänsynsfull, respektfull och visa artighet mot personal och andra elever. Exempel på detta inkluderar hur jag talar, skriver, ritar, använder kroppsspråk och följer instruktioner samt hur jag följer med i klassens arbete eller uppgifter och deltar, interagerar och bidrar i skolan.”

Varför är detta viktigt? Varje arbetsplats har en code of conduct. Det sätter tonen för hur vi kommunicerar med andra människor. Att vara artig mot alla är ett sätt att visa respekten man har för varandra. Värdet av att lära sig att säga "snälla" och "tack" är att det hjälper andra människor att känna sig sedd och uppskattad. Med andra ord, alla våra handlingar är viktiga; hur vi skriver och sättet vi pratar med varandra och även hur vi använder kroppsspråk.

Det är lika viktigt att våra elever förstår vikten av hur de uppför sig i klassrummet. Varje elevs förmåga att lära är påverkad av deras beteende i klassrummet. Ingen elev kan lära sig ordentligt om det finns oroligheter eller dåligt beteende i klassrummet. På detta sätt är klassrummet en fantastisk plats för elever att lära sig om deras personlig ansvar i att bidra till en positiv arbetsmiljö - inte bara för sig själva utan också för alla omkring dem.

Ni kan hjälpa oss att uppnå detta genom att främja en positiv attityd hos er barn. Hjälp dem att förstå att skolan är en bra förberedelse för livet. Ni kan även hjälpa de att ha rätt inställning, och tänka ”Jag är redo att arbeta i klassen; Jag är väl förberedd och redo att följa instruktionerna ”. Ta den här veckan för att göra skillnad. Hjälp oss genom att hjälpa ditt barn att förstå varför vår Code of conduct är så viktig.

Du borde ha hört från ditt barns mentor vid det här läget. Om inte, vänligen kontakta skolan och meddela oss om detta.

Som alltid, på uppdrag av alla på IESS, önskar jag er en fortsatt trevlig vecka.

Dr Benedikz
Rektor

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

I am very happy to welcome you to the start of the new school year at IES Skärholmen. We are so excited to see our students again after the summer holidays. On behalf of the staff, I would like to especially welcome all our new 4th graders and any other students joining the school. You are now part of the IES family.

I hope that you have all had a restful summer vacation. These have been uncertain times for all of us, but the plan is to begin as normal with students in school, following the timetable

We have a number of new staff joining us from the start of this school year. Some are from Sweden, but many have come from abroad. It’s wonderful to see so many engaged, dynamic teachers joining the team and helping to really make a positive difference. We are an international staff reflecting the increasing cultural diversity of Sweden, united by a love of and belief in education

 You will find us positive, encouraging and committed to giving your children the very best. Our job is to help your children develop both academically and personally to the fullest of their ability.. 

As parents, you can actively support us in the work we do and help make a real difference to our students’ development by ensuring that your child comes to school: 

on time,

ready to work,

and with the right mindset. 

This can be difficult during the darker days of the year when everyone is stressed and struggling to cope with busy lives – and that includes our children! But having the right mindset from the start is such an important thing: the more positive and open we are to the challenges we face, the better we will do, and the more we will achieve. 

Please support and encourage your children to see school as something both challenging but also fun. IESS is not just a learning environment: it’s an important part of the local community.

Every year we look at areas to develop and improve. From this term, a weekly school update will be posted on SchoolSoft and sent as an email directly to you. Please check that your home address, telephone number and email address are correct in SchoolSoft. If you need help, please contact the School Office via phone or email. We have to be able to contact you if  the need arises.

We still have to be careful regarding large gatherings with the Covid 19 restrictions. This means that we are not planning to hold Parents Evening for the whole school as we can only meet in smaller groups. We will have to be creative on how best to communicate. You will be notified of further details later in the term

Once again, welcome to the new school year! I am sure it will be a successful, positive and enriching school year! 

Yours sincerely, 

Dr Benedikz

Year 4 is to resume school on August 19, 2020 and years 5-9 will resume on August 20, 2020.

There will be more information in the beginning of August regarding starting and ending times.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are now coming to the end of a very strange year. In many ways, we have been spoiled in Sweden by the freedom to travel and move around to such an extent that it has become a way of life. Many of us have families in one or several countries and find it difficult to be separated from them without the possibility of travelling to see them – even in times of need.

One thing we know looking at history is that we human beings are adaptable, and in difficult times we are creative and often ingenious. For those of you who have been affected by Covid 19, any other illness or loss, our thoughts are with you.

Here at school, we have had to adjust to the circumstances and tried to keep contagion down by having half days in school for our students. We have also had to make other adjustments to the way we work and study. Our students have conformed well to the changes, and we have seen focussed students, working hard these last months.

Now we have the summer to rest and enjoy lots of fresh air in the sunshine. Although travel is restricted, we still have the beautiful Swedish countryside with space for everyone. I expect the school to return to normal full days from the autumn term, although this largely depends on whether there is a change in the situation regarding Covid 19. Hopefully, we are past the worst of it. Nonetheless, we will still need to work to keep a high level of hygiene in the school and dining area with frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers.

For the schedule for the last week of term, please look at SchoolSoft. The grades for students will be posted online in SchoolSoft, except for our 9th grade students who will receive their School Leaving Certificate on the day of graduation. Unfortunately, this year we are unable to have the graduation as usual in Sätrahallen with parents and family. Because of Covid 19, our students this year are graduating in smaller groups; nonetheless, we have invited them in smaller groups to a formal 3 course lunch in the school diner. For further information, please see SchoolSoft.

We wish all our 9th graders the best of luck in the future and thank them for their time at IES Skärholmen.

To all our families in grade 4-8, we wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing everyone back in the autumn.

Best wishes,
Dr Margret Benedikz

Kära föräldrar och vårdnadshavare,

Nu närmar vi oss slutet på ett ovanligt år. Vi har på många sätt varit bortskämda i Sverige då vi har haft friheten att resa och flytta runt till en sådan utsträckning att det känns som en naturlig del av livet. Många av oss har familjer i andra länder och denna separation vi upplever nu har skapat svårigheter då det inte finns möjlighet att resa för att se dem, även när behoven funnits.

En sak som vi vet när vi tittar tillbaka på historien är att vi människor är anpassningsbara, och i svåra tider är vi även kreativa och ofta geniala. För er som har drabbats av Covid 19, andra sjukdomar eller förlust, så är våra tankar med er.

Här i skolan har vi varit tvungna att anpassa oss till omständigheterna och försökt begränsa smittspridningen genom att förkorta skoldagarna till halvdagar, för säkerheten av våra elever och personal. Vi har även varit tvungna att göra andra justeringar gällande sättet vi arbetar och studerar. Våra elever har anpassat sig väl till dessa förändringar, och arbetat hårt de senaste månaderna.

Nu har vi sommaren framför oss för att vila och njuta av det fina solskenet.
Även om resor är begränsade så har vi fortfarande den vackra svenska landsbygden med plats för alla att njuta utav. Jag förväntar mig att skolan kommer återgå till normala heldagar från och med höstterminen, beroende på om det sker nya förändringar gällande Covid 19. Förhoppningsvis är vi förbi det värsta. Vi kommer fortfarande behöva arbeta för att hålla god hygien i skolan även i matsalen genom att tvätta händerna noga och använda handsprit.

Vänligen titta på SchoolSoft för att hitta schemat för sista veckan av terminen. Betygen för elever kommer att publiceras online via SchoolSoft, med undantag för årskurs 9 elever som kommer att få sitt slutbetyg på examensdagen. I år kan vi dessvärre inte ha examen som vanligt i Sätrahallen med föräldrar och familj närvarande. I stället har vi bjudit in eleverna i mindre grupper för en trerätters lunch i skolmatsalen, mer information finns på SchoolSoft.

Vi önskar all lycka i framtiden till eleverna i årskurs 9 och tack för er tid här i IES Skärholmen.

Till alla familjer i årskurs 4–8 önskar vi en underbar sommar och vi ser fram emot att träffa er i höst.

Med vänliga hälsningar,
Dr Margret Benedikz

Dear students, parents and staff of Internationella Engelska Skolan Skärholmen,

Mr Samuel West has been Acting Principal to lead IES Skärholmen during the period of a finding a successor to Ms Ohlén. We are very pleased to announce that Dr Margret Benedikz has been appointed as Principal to lead the school from 1 August 2019.

As of the same date, Mr West will join IES Södertälje as Principal.

Dr Benedikz is no stranger to IES, as she was the Principal of the Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet (IEGS) in Södermalm between 2005 - 2013. Most recently she held the position of Director of Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Laroverket (SSHL) since April 2013.

Dr Benedikz holds a PhD in English Literature from Stockholm University.

Please join me in welcoming Dr Benedikz to her new role, as well as thanking Mr West for his valuable contribution to IES Skärholmen. We wish both of them every success.

Kind regards,

Cecilia Marlow

Acting CEO

Happy Holidays students and guardians of IES Skärholmen,

We celebrated Lucia as tradition on the 13th of December. The students were excellent, both as performers and as members of a participating yet respectful audience. We are so proud of how they have developed as we practice being an audience a lot at school. We end the 20th of December, one day before the municipality schools in Stockholm Stad. This is so that teachers who want to go home for the holiday can do that easier. Instead we start the 8th of January and if you need that day off you need to send an email to your mentor.

7th January
The 7th of January is an all staff day at school where we will update our security procedures. The students’ safety is our absolute priority. Teachers will be practicing fire drill, Lock Down procedure and train together with our CAD team in how to deal with tough situations. We will do this together with the security firm that we work with and our local police who also want to take part in the knowledge that we have in the building due to our teachers’ backgrounds from all around the world. A very good collaboration that we think will lead to a safer school, not only for us but for the community in general in the future.

Survey
We had an extra survey during december with a focus on satisfaction and safety. I am pleased to find everyone feels it is calmer in school! We will soon start with our larger, standard quality survey and we hope that you all answer it so that we get as clear a picture as possible on how you feel about our school.

We wish you all happy holidays and see you 2019!
Alexandra Ohlén, Principal IES Skärholmen

Dear students and guardians of IES Skärholmen

I hope you have been reading a lot with your children during the break! We have been preparing the school in different ways. 8C have new chairs that we are testing for the future to see if they work better than the one’s in the other classrooms. In year 4 and 5 the chairs now have silent balls to help the noise levels to go down when students take their chairs out. We have also refurnished the restaurant to make it more spacious and shorten the lunch queues. A lot happens in school when it is closed!

Food
We have had several meetings with the kitchen and we have a solution that I think will work with the guidelines. We have fixed the schedule so that there won’t be that many in at the same time. We let the students sit in their year group now instead of only with their class, we have bought more heating cabinets to make sure the food does not run out (they will arrive w 47) and the kitchen has promised to make food that is more separated so they better fit students with needs. In the exit of the restaurant we have placed a survey for the food so that the students can tell if they want the dish again or not. The result from this is discussed during Monday management meetings and feedback is given to the kitchen and the food council. We now hope that the students will be happier with the food! If you have followed the news, Livsmedelsverket has updated their directives regarding food in school. We are happy to say that we already follow these and that it proves that we are on the right path in creating a sugar free school!

Study day the 12th of November
Monday the 12th of November is a Study Day for the students so the school is closed. The teachers will then look at all the individual students in the year group to see if any of them needs a little push in the right direction. An important day with focus on the individual student.

Teacher Development Conversation the 14th of November
If you have not done this already, go in to SchoolSoft and book a time with one of your child's teachers. This is the result of parent-school collaboration where the parents want the opportunity to meet the subject teacher for a deeper understanding of the children's learning in that subject.

Big competition week 47-50
During week 46 we will launch a big competition for good behavior. More information is to come but I want to promise you that if your child is in the running for winning the competition, you will be told in advance so that you can be a part of how this will be communicated.

As always, you are most welcome to meet me or Mr. West between 7.30 and 8.20 if you have questions or ideas.
Alexandra Ohlén, Principal IES Skärholmen

Dear students and guardians of IES Skärholmen

Time flies when you are having fun and the routines are settling in school. We are grateful that many parents, especially in junior school, came to our parent meeting. We talked about our goal of the year to create more peace and calm in the school. Our survey from the evening showed that parents considered tha 86% of the lesson were peaceful and calm so far! We have also started asking students every week and we get similar results from them. This week, students report that 90% of their lessons are peaceful and calm. The surveys give us important feedback about which subject and year groups where we need to be most focused to get the right work environment.

School Photograph

We are looking into if we can have our school photograph in October. The reason for the delay is the new data law(GDPR) but we are in the process of arranging school photographs whilst maintaining compliance.

Study day on Friday 5th Oktober

On Thursday 4th October all staff in school are taking part in a conference. Ordinary teaching finishes at 15.00 on this day but mother tongue lessons continue as normal, as does Junior Club. The school is also closed on Friday 5th October. During the conference, we will be discussing how we can promote and establish good behaviour in our students, effective teaching routines and how some departments in school can be more service minded. All are area where we are looking to develop in response to feedback from parents and students.

Reading Week 44

Week 44 is a reading week for all students and teachers. Some students in grade 9 will be invited to ‘holiday school’ during this week to support any subjects where there is a risk of not reaching the goal. Those students and parents will receive information individually if they are to be involved. From the Spring term, students from Grade 8 will also be invited to holiday school.

School Yard

The students have been wonderful and have written letters to the council to help hurry along the plans for the expansion of the school yard. This will still take time and as such, we will be making an investment in the small area we have right now, even if it is only for a short term. More information to follow shortly.

PTA

During week 40, I will start calling all those who registered to be part of the PTA. Each member will be contacted three times every semester and the results of which will be published as part of my Monthly Letter. I hope that this proves to be a good start in moving towards a more active partnership where more parents are routinely involved. This will be evaluated over time.

As normal, you are most welcome to meet me or Mr. West between 7.30 and 8.20 if you have questions or ideas.

Alexandra Ohlén, Principal IES Skärholmen

It feels great to be back at school after such hot and nice summer. We have been busy preparing for the school year. We will spend this first week building the foundations for working with equality in school. The standard timetable begins on Monday 20th August.

Renovations and Improvements
We have built a small group room in the grade 4 corridor and blocked an area around the gym hall to make those who wish to shower after PE lessons feel secure in doing so. We have also booked more time in Sätrahallen so that Grade 7 can have PE lessons there instead. This freed more time in our own gym so the other students have more time to get changed and prepare for their lesson. We do not have more information about the proposed expansion to the school yard yet but you will be informed as soon as we do.

Longer open hours for free breakfast
The option of free breakfast will continue this year with longer open hours(now 7.30 - 8.15) to suit the new schedule. Parents are always welcome to both breakfast and lunch when visiting!.

Personal Computers for Grade 8 and 9
Last year we successfully tested personal computers for grade 9. Our insurance provider does not allow for them to be taken from school and now we will try the same thing for grade 8!

Programming is timetabled for half-classes
The curriculum has changed so that programming now constitutes a larger part of education in school. Due to this change, we have qualified mathematics teachers teaching lessons in programming. We hope that this will help to develop our students’ ability to think logically and inspire a greater interest in mathematics.

GDPR/SchoolSoft
Our compliance with GDPR means that some of the functionality of SchoolSoft has changed. Essentially, parents will only be able to access class list and other information about their own child. We had to make this change in order to comply with GDPR.

Results and the school's operational goals
100 % of our student qualified for gymnasiet last year! In order to improve other areas of the school we have aligned our school targets with the Student Council groups:

Theme of the goal                                                        Student influence group

Physical and mental health                                           Food Council

Higher expectations in verbal                                       Equal Rights Group
communication

Consistent teaching and learning                                Academic Ambassadors

Calm and Safe environment                                         Student Council

We look forward to a great year together! Principal Alexandra Ohlén