“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning” – Brad Henry
Dear Green School,
The last week of the school year is upon us! The second to last week has been very special indeed, with the Grade 8 and 12 Quest and Green Stone presentations giving powerful evidence of the learning that can occur when students are encouraged to follow their interests and passions (with excellent and inspired teachers to guide the way, of course), and a series of performances that reminded all of us what a hotbed of creativity this place is, including our first ever Green School gamelan performance by Grade 4. (It sounded just like the real thing!). And if the opening scene of last night’s Mulan dress rehearsal was any indication, we are in for another treat tonight and Saturday. In this week’s newsletter you’ll find other examples of the creative learning taking place here, as well as some housekeeping items as the end of the term approaches (please do make sure to check that your passport is stamped with the proper exit permit if you’ll be traveling outside of Indonesia over the break). Everyone is invited to our first high school graduation on Wednesday, and in true Green School style the year will close out with a musical sharing assembly on Friday June 21 at 11:00 AM, with an early dismissal to follow. Look forward to seeing you all there! Thanks and terima kasih for an amazing year, everyone…
In this issue:
Green School News
1. High School Media Studies Project
2. Middle School Builds an Underwater Bio-Bridge!
3. Grade 2 Upcycle Arcade Open Next Monday-Wednesday during Lunch
4. Middle School Math Thematic: Be Like Mike!
5. GraduArt: Grade 12 Art Exhibition
6. 2013-2014 Payment Request
7. Green School Educator Course
8. Green Camp Update: Summer Programs
9. Last Chance to Claim Lost & Found Items!
10. Reminder from Legal Department: Check those Exit Permits before Traveling!
11. Guitar Update from Pak Paul
12. BSSA Sports Update
Upcoming Events
1. Wednesday, 19 June 4:30-10:00 PM: High School Graduation!
2. Friday, June 21, 11:00- 12:00: End of Year Musical Sharing Assembly
Media and Links
1. Green School in the Media
2. New Green School Video
Also in the Green School Community
1. Farewell from Ben Macrory
2. Our own weekly news
Green School News
High School Media Studies Project
In our high school media studies program, students recently completed a course on comics. They studied some classic texts to learn about the unique elements and tools that comic book artists use to tell stories. For their final project, students had the option of applying all their knowledge to create an original comic. Alex Van der Gulik wrote and illustrated a story about the tardigrade, an animal he had been learning about in science class. The comic creatively follows the tardigrade into Armageddon and we get to see what happens to this fascinating creature after the end of human life.
Middle School Builds an Underwater Bio-Bridge!
Middle School elective week is just around the corner – We’ll be sending students into the wilds of Bali to learn outdoor skills, into the wilds of the surf to hone surfing skills, into the wilds of the Gili Islands to install a bio-reef, and into the wilds of the Ibu Sarita’s creative energy to create a multitude of multi-media projects.
On Gili Air, we’ll be working with Manta Dive and Gili Eco Trust to build and install a bio reef. Built from re-barb, this structure will carry a low electrical charge to help jump-start the reef building process. Gili Eco Trust has already begun working on our bio reef due to the time constraints we’ll have when we get there. The reef will be an 8-meter long replica of Green School’s bridge. Once we arrive on the island, we’ll put the finishing touches on the structure, write “Green School” across the top of in in re-bar, place it in the water, and begin the process of attaching coral to it so that it turns into a vibrant reef that all can enjoy while snorkeling Gili Air. Keep your eye out for it in the waters just in front of Manta Dive the next time you visit the Gilis!
Grade 2 Upcycle Arcade Open Next Monday-Wednesday during Lunch
We are proud to announce the 2nd annual Grand Opening of Grade 2′s Up-cycle Arcade! Grade 2 has been hard at work this term learning all about the 3 R’s… We’ve learned about where the products we buy & use come from, explored where they go once we’ve “thrown them away”, and determined that all of us have the ability to turn “trash” into treasure!. As a culminating project, Grade 2 has created an entire “up-cycle arcade” full of incredibly creative and imaginative games which the kids designed and built entirely on their own….out of “trash”. Please come visit us (if you can) next week (Mon-Wed) during lunch-time recess (Grade 2B classroom) to play our games and help us raise funds for the Bali Starlings & the Begawan Foundation.. If you don’t have any money, no worries! The students have decided to offer free 3-turn passes to anyone who wants to play! If you would like more than 3 turns (per day) you will have to buy a fun pass! (Rp 10,000 gets you 10 turns and Rp 20,000 gets you an unlimited fun pass). Hope to see you there!
Thanks,
Grade 2 & Pak Matt
Middle School Math Thematic: Be Like Mike!
“Be Like Mike” in Grade 6 Math Thematics was a two tiered exploration. First, was the study of ratios and proportions and solving for an unknown. Second, was a study of circles and the irrational legend of π (pi). Students then took some measurements and used ratios to determine the circumference of a basketball that gives them the same grip or feel that Michael Jordan feels when he holds a basketball. Students constructed customized basketballs and then we were off to play ball with similarly scaled down hoops. We replicated what it was like to “be like Mike” except for one last factor that was out of our control. Could the students soar and slam like the great “Air” Jordan? Click on the link to find out! My best, Pak Lorenz
GraduArt: Grade 12 Art Exhibition
The Visual Arts faculty proudly presents the inaugural Grade 12 graduate art exhibition, GraduArt. It showcases four students who have developed a portfolio of work throughout the year. Particular emphasis has been on the development of a specific style in response to selected themes which convey personal interpretations of subject matter.
Artists represented are:
- Thi Lan Johnson
- Kathleen Hamilton
- Ira Warastri
- Ratri Arundhati
It is with great excitement that we bid farewell to these students who have worked consistently in the studio defining and refining their artistic pursuits. We wish them every success as they embrace the next phase of their artistic journey within the visual arts and in their post schooling opportunities ahead.
2013-2014 Payment Request
Dear Green School Families,
While we are closing the 2012/3 school year we are of course preparing for the upcoming 2013/14 school year which is rapidly approaching.
You will all have received your 2013/14 Invoice by now. We would like to remind everyone that the Full Year, First Semester or First Quarter payment is due in full before June 30th. Please ensure this reaches us before the payment due date. Please refer to the attached Fee Schedule as a reminder. http://goo.gl/IINt3
If you have any questions you may contact accounts@greenschool.org.
Thank you in advance for your assistance and support.
Green School Educator Course
The first ever Green School Educator Course was held last weekend, June 8th-10th, on campus in the HOS. Sixty-five people from around the world attended the event to learn more about Green School’s curriculum and pedagogy.
Green School teachers presented on topics across all grade levels, inspiring the course participants to bring some of Green School home with them. More courses will be offered later this year. Information about the upcoming courses will be posted at http://www.greenschool.org/greeneducator/
Green Camp Update: Summer Programs
Green School’s classrooms and play spaces may be clearing out next week, but at Green Camp, things are just starting to get busy!
The first ever Green Leaders Journey is only a month away. A group of exceptional young leaders aged 14-18 will be joining us from around the world to tackle the social and environmental challenges that our planet faces…and to have a lot of fun coming together as a team! We have some amazing service-learning opportunities lined up that will take Green Leaders around Bali to experience hands-on how talented local individuals and organizations are making a difference.
One Green School student has already joined the Journey, and we’d love to have more students from Green School involved! This is a great opportunity for our high school students who are looking to get involved in the local community or are trying to find ideas for next year’s entrepreneurship projects. Of course, it would also be great to have participants who speak a bit of Indonesian and can help facilitate the local encounters!
We are offering a significant discount for Green School students – $1000 instead of $3000 – as well as additional scholarships for Balinese participants and participants who demonstrate financial need.
Our program coordinators, Emily and Scotty, are available to answer any questions at greenleaders@greencampbali.com. Apply with the Green School promo-code GLJGS at http://www.greencampbali.com/programs/greenleaders/
If your family is staying in Bali for the summer or returning before school starts in August, check out our Holiday Camps for kids aged 5-12. Your kids will experience a whole other side of Green School! There is still room in our 3 and 5 day Junior Explorers (age 5-8) and Discovery Camps (age 9-12) in July and August, but dates are filling up.
Register at http://www.greencampbali.com/holiday-program-registration/
Last Chance to Claim Lost & Found Items!
All Lost and Found will be displayed on tables in HOS on Tuesday and Wednesday after school next week. All unclaimed items will be donated to the Smile Shop, a local agency helping to support children with cleft palates get corrective surgery.
Reminder from Legal Department: Check those Exit Permits before Traveling!
As the holiday period is fast approaching, we would like to remind you to ensure your visa status is appropriate for your travel plans. If you intend on leaving Indonesia over the break, please check your exit permit in your passport and verify that it is still valid.
If you do not see an exit permit in your passport, or if the date of expiry is prior to your departure date, please come in to see the Legal and Visa Department
Guitar Update from Pak Paul
Hi All,
Firstly would just like to say a big thanks to all guitar students for filling Grade 3A classroom with music every afternoon over the past year, everyone from,Pak Mark, Ibu Neni, Ibu Kiki, Pak Ben and the tour groups and all who dropped by have stopped to listen. I have been astounded at the level of progression of a lot of the students as they have developed a passion for the guitar.
One of those students was Lucas from grade 6 who recently left Bali to return home to Holland. Lucas developed a passion for blues music after seeing B.B. King on Youtube and came along the next week to ask “Pak Paul, have you ever heard a guy called B.B.King” he then proceeded to play “The Thrill is Gone” mimicking not just the guitar but the vocal too! (Another talent he’d been hiding from us.)
I nearly fell off my chair and instantly thought what he might be capable of if he updated his small nylon guitar for the real deal.Just before he left Bali his Mum contacted me about advice for a new guitar for him.So I had the pleasure of having a last jam with Lucas for 2 ½ hours in the guitar shop on his new “B.B.King” style electric guitar and amp.I had never heard him play so good!, his beaming smile said it all! He will be missed.
Guitar Tuition Info:
Guitar classes will be held Mon – Fri next term and due to demand there will be a beginners class on Mondays after school,with 2 private lessons per afternoon Tuesday – Friday. Venue to be determined.
Mondays
Beginners Group- 40 mins, 3:30 – 4:10
(10 week block) cost IDR 60,000 per lesson.
Tuesdays – Fridays
Private Classes – 45 mins, 3:30 – 4:15 & 4:15 – 5:00
(10 week block) cost IDR 150,000 per session.
Be sure book early to reserve your prefered day & time slot.
All fees can be paid in advance at H.O.S help desk.
Please feel free to contact me for any more information.
Cheers,
Paul
BSSA Sports Update
Big congratulations to all the Green School athletes who took part in the BSSA Athletics carnival on June 4th. We took over 40 students and gained several 1st-5th place finishes to score enough points to come 4th overall out of 10 schools. This is our best result yet!
This wraps things up for the current academic year- We’ll be back at the end of August with info on Football(Soccer) training and fixtures as the 2013/14 BSSA sports year kicks off!
It’s been a great year for sport at Green School and very big thanks goes to our coaches and parents for all the support!
See the yearbook for all the highlights!
Have a great summer break!
Cheers
Pak Colin
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, 19 June 4:30-10:00 PM: High School Graduation!
Please join us for an historic day at Green School on 19 June as our first Grade 12 class graduates! The festivities start at 4:30 and go into the night, with some surprise musical performances and dancing. It should be a really wonderful event so we hope to see as many of you here as possible.
Friday, June 21, 11:00- 12:00: End of Year Musical Sharing Assembly
Please join us for the last official event of the school year, featuring music and marimba from Geckos to Graduates! School gets out at 12:00 PM. Get ready for lots of hugs…
Media and Links
Green School in the Media
We had a team visit a few months ago from Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster. You can see the piece they did on Green School at around the 19 minute mark at this link: http://www.dw.de/program/global-3000/s-11487-9798
New Green School Video
Check out this beautiful new video about the school from our very own Mauricio Camacho. Definitely one to send out to friends and family!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhuSMT9pe3Y
Also in the Green School Community & Beyond
Farewell from Ben Macrory
Dear Green School,
It doesn’t feel like so long ago, but it’s already been five and a half years since I arrived in Bali in January 2008 to begin the greatest professional adventure of my life, helping to take Green School from the vision stage to a reality. At that point we had the original bridge built and a few classrooms just starting to emerge from the ground, plus a list of Bali-based families who had expressed an interest in the project. Somehow, we managed to open the school just nine months later with 92 students in Pre-K through Grade 8, many of whom are still here.
It’s pretty remarkable to look back on those early, often very tumultuous days and reflect on just how far we’ve come in a relatively short time. Nothing sums it up better than the impending graduation of our first Grade 12 class! We’re not perfect yet, but we’ve been able to realize so many parts of the original dream, and Green School now seems poised to expand and grow in many directions, both locally and globally. And for several reasons, this feels like the time for me to move on to the next adventure. With a lot of mixed feelings, I have decided to leave Green School at the end of August 2013.
I am grateful for so many aspects of this experience; a full list would be far too long. But for me it comes down mainly to the people I’ve gotten to spend time with: incredibly passionate and committed colleagues, both local and expat, a fascinating group of families from all over the world, and beautiful children who have brought me a lot of joy and given me so much love. Not to mention the 30,000 or so visitors from Moldova to Mongolia I’ve gotten to share the Green School story with! This truly is a community like no other, and I will never forget the way you all came together to support me during my illness last year and in the face of other personal challenges. Among the things that makes me happiest is that my daughter Maggie (now living in New York, as many of you know– the desire to be closer to her is the primary reason for my decision to leave) got to spend her first three school years here. She left for pretty much the diametric opposite of GS, a huge NYC public school built during the Cold War, but she loves it and literally runs to school in the morning. I like to think that she got an initial positive orientation to school here and a love of learning that she’ll carry for life.
Thanks to all of you, for everything! Special thanks to Cynthia and John for taking a chance on me all those years ago. I leave here with great memories and even better friendships. I’m excited to see where Green School goes next and I really look forward to staying in touch…
Love,
Ben
Our own weekly news
To submit your own news updates for inclusion, please send it to communications@greenschool.org by 12 noon each Wednesday.We cannot always guarantee inclusion and we may have to delay for a week at times.
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