Nov 2024

General Information for all

• WORLD KINDNESS DAY is today, November 13th.  

There is a solid body of research about practicing prosocial behavior (intended to benefit or make another person happier) and positive effects for the one who is performing these acts of prosocial behaviour, such as greater health and well-being.

In our IB team we make links to  Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) where it is stipulated that carrying out prosocial behaviour can meet individuals’ core psychological needs - connectedness (meaningful relationships), autonomy (sense of choice), and competence (self-efficacy).)

Want to know more?  

General Info

Science of Kindness video

99+ Acts of Kindness Lists, Ideas, Examples

5 Ways Kindness is good for wellbeing 

Be sure to also check out the Library for special titles in connection to World Kindness Day.

• 21-23 Nov: KUNSKAP OCH FRAMTID FAIR (knowledge and future fair). All students can go in their spare time. Sign up through the website and get a ticket, it's free! 

• 21 NOV CALL OUT FOR CAS CLUB FIKA SALES (SERVICE)  21 Nov Year 1 students have Development talks and Year 3 have subject talks and if you have a CAS Club that sells baked goods, now is a nice time to set up so teachers, students, and parents can partake when they visit us.  You have to be able to set up and clean up on your own.  Or, see below about Open House as another option. Seek out the CAS Coordinator for more information if needed.

• 23 Nov:  OPEN HOUSE.  Are you an IB Ambassador or in a CAS club that wants to participate (CAS CLUB for SERVICE)?   Sign up and get instructions/details here 

• WINTER ASSEMBLY?  It's not looking possible this school year due to space constraints for last day of term activities.

• CLASS VISITS.  I will start getting out into classes for a short visit as I usually do each school year. If you see me, I'm just there to stay connected to what's happening in students' lessons. Carry on as normal :-)

• We had an inaugural IB ECONOMICS CONFERENCE that I've written more about on Linkedin. If you don't have an account, you should be able to close the window asking for you to login as it is available publicly. 

• PHOTOS AND HAPPENINGS  at the end of the newsletter, you'll see some photos. 

  • Set 1: IB22 Physics Students working at Chalmers

  • Set 2: IB22 HL Economics Students

  • Set 3: IB23 Visual Arts Students

Year 1 Specific Info

• 21 November 0800-1200  Student development talks with mentor teacher and parents.  The mentors are in charge of the sign up for this and it's done through Vklass or Google Classroom. The students will have received instructions from the mentor.

• 26 Nov: During mentor time the School Nurse will visit you.

• Dec 9, 1630-1800 Parent Meeting: IB Diploma Program Subject Information.

• Dec 10, During mentor time Student information about IB Diploma Program Subjects

• Parent What's App Group  This has been suggested by one of the Year 1 parents who is willing to get it started. Please text Roberto at 070 4151826  if you would like to be part of the group.

• NEW IB Student Ambassadors 

We welcome George Larsson, Rikshitha Anath and Shivangini Shankar as new IB Ambassadors from the class of 2027! Congratulations on being selected as International Baccalaureate Ambassadors for our IB Program. We are thrilled to welcome you to this exciting role. Your dedication, leadership, and commitment to the values of the IB program make you the perfect representatives for our Hvitfeldtska school community.  As an IB Ambassador, you will have the opportunity to inspire and support your peers, share the values of international-mindedness, and play an essential role in shaping the future of our academic community. We trust you will lead by example which will include fostering a spirit of inquiry, respect, and collaboration.

• STUDY HALL starts in the Spring Term. We will offer a non-mandatory, drop in study hall starting in the Spring. Students will see it on their schedule and only on certain weeks. It happens when mentor time is not happening. This is meant to be a support to students to give them a dedicated time and space to complete their work in the presence of a teacher. 

• Reminder to check IB Program Calendar for last day of term, first day of Spring term, etc.

Year 2 Specific Info

• STUDY HALL starts in the Spring Term. We will offer a non-mandatory*, drop in study hall starting in the Spring. Students will see it on their schedule.  and only on certain weeks. It happens when mentor time is not happening. This is meant to be a support to students to give them a dedicated time and space to complete their work in the presence of a teacher. 

*While the study hall is intended to be non-mandatory, it could be possible that specific students will be identified and requested to go by their teacher, DPC, or principal, and in these cases, the attendance would actually be mandatory.  

• From Week 48 CAS INTERVIEWS START. Your mentor will give you more instructions.

• 13 January: Extended Essay Introduction and Year 3 shows off their EE.  from 0930-1050 and it will be on the schedule.

Year 3 Specific Info

• STUDY HALL has until up to the break been mandatory for Year 3 students. Sometimes it's only been for a certain subject and sometimes it has been literally all students.  19 Nov is mandatory for all. This is a proactive and preventative support to provide to students before their internal assessments become due. The goal is to increase work submission by the due date.   Soon I will post an evaluation of mandatory study hall so we can plan how we will handle it in the Spring. 

• 21 Nov:  SUBJECT TALKS in our South Aula from 1245-1630. Each subject teacher will be handling how the sign up works. Generally speaking, it works like this:

  • The subject teacher initiates that he or she wants to have a talk with you and your parents (if you are under 18).  The teacher will inform you of the time you are booked.

  • You or your parent may initiate that you want to talk to a subject teacher, then you contact that teacher directly. Then the teacher will communicate with you how to proceed. 

When you come to the subject talks, all Year 3 teachers will be in the South Aula, so even if you are not signed up to talk to all of the teachers, you can still have a quick "Hello" or question to another teacher if they happen to not already be talking to someone else.  

Note subject talks are short, quick, to the point, and focused on advice for the students' improvement and not like a "development talk" with a teacher mentor like you may be used to from a previous school year.  Thus we aren't sharing personal or sensitive information during these times. If you have something to discuss that is more like that in nature, contact your child's mentor or a member of the student health team.

Additionally, we are hoping our CAS Clubs will provide Fika.

• From Week 50 it's the Viva Voce happening!  Your EE supervisor and you will arrange this.

• 13 January: Extended Essay Introduction to Year 2 and YOU will show off your EE to them!  from 0930-1050 and it will be on the schedule. The DP Coordinator will give more information for setting this up.