It wasn’t long ago we were running, jumping and throwing our way around a Choa Chu Kang Stadium, it’s hard to believe that the Inter-house Swim Gala is just around the corner. On Wednesday 18 April, Years 7 - 9 learners will be taking part in an Inter-house Swim Gala. This will be held at the Nexus Swimming Pool. Learners have been further developing their swim skills throughout the academic year in their aquatic-based Health and Physical Education lessons. This will be an opportunity for all learners to put those skills into practice and 'have a go'. The focus of the event will be on participation in a fun and encouraging environment, and working together with other learners in their houses. Please note that classes will run as normally timetabled before and after the event (periods 1-3 and periods 7&8). Please feel free to come along and join us from 11:05am - 1:05pm.

This is a compulsory event and all learners are expected to participate. Only those learners with a signed note from a parent or guardian will be excused from taking part.

Please ensure your child/ward brings the following items to school on the Friday:

• House T-Shirt (available at Bibi and Baba). In exceptional circumstances when you are unable to purchase the correct colour/size, a plain t-shirt of the correct colour may be used (tutor teachers can remind you and your child/ward of their house colour).
• Suitable swimsuit
• Hat
• Sun Block
• Plenty of healthy snacks and a water bottle (Please note the there will be no access to the canteen during the event)
• Learners may also choose to show their house spirit by wearing wigs, or caps in their house colour

We also recommend that Year 7 - 9 learners do not bring their macbook to school on this day only.

Graeme Massey, Learning Area Leader: Health and Physical Education

Year 9 Parents and Guardians are cordially invited to our Year 9 Learning Exhibition: "An Exhibition of Green Technologies". The exhibition is a culmination of an interdisciplinary unit utilising skills in English, Digital Skills and Science classes in celebration of Earth Day 2018. The exhibition will feature models or prototypes of green technologies designed and built by our Year 9 Learners. They will be showcasing the uses and advantages of these green technologies in a Virtual Reality setting, and publishing a Green Technology magazine with article contributions from each learner.

Please come and support your learners on Monday, April 23rd, from 2 pm to 3 pm in the Science pod (B2). We look forward to seeing you there!

Years 7 and 8 will also be exhibiting their project work for Earth Day.

Year 7: ‘Endangered Species’ mini exhibition in the Science Pod on Tuesday, 24th April 2018. Year 7 learners will be in B2 pod between 12:00 and 1:00 pm to discuss their work on the effects that humankind has had on the environment and the consequent impact on animals. Learners will be exhibiting posters, videos, infographics, art sculptures made from waste plastic and new learning they have been working on in digital skills. Parents are most welcome to drop in.

Year 8: Learners will be exhibiting their Earth Day project work along with their art work on ‘Fragile Futures’ in the bus bay from 23rd to 27th April. At some point during this week, Year 8 learners will be inviting primary learners to work with them on investigations related to the human impact on the environment. More details will be in the next newsletter.

Years 7, 8, 9 Science, Digital Skills, Art and English teachers

A number of teachers have recently completed a course focusing on Bilingual and Multilingual Learners (BMLs). As part of our project work for the course we focused on different ways of teaching academic vocabulary, and helping BMLs to bridge the gap when studying English. So this term as are piloting a project called ‘Word Power’, through years 7, 8, 9 but it is aimed at all learners (not just BMLs) so that everyone can see how more academic vocabulary will benefit them in their studies now and in the future. We are basing our work on the Academic Word List which is a recognised list of the highest frequency academic words.

The learners will see the words in the weekly bulletin, on posters around the pods, will be able to study it online and in Registration, and in every specialist subject. This means they will be getting constant exposure in meaningful contexts to experiment and practise using the words - and if you can ask them about it at home and see if they can give you a sentence using one or two of the words, that would be great.

We will also be running a Word Power Club every Tuesday from 1.30-1.55pm in A3-51, for all year 7-9 learners to help them become more confident with that week’s vocabulary. So if your child is in year 7-9 and could benefit from the extra practice (especially if they don’t speak English as their first language), please encourage them to come along and play a few vocabulary games.

We will be focusing on 15 words per month (5 words per week with a final review week), and these are the words for April:

9th April: consistent, specific, interpretation, assume, context (and variations of those words, e,g, consistently, consistency)

16th April: structure, similar, legal, research, process

23rd April: economic, analysis, policy, significant, assessment

Word Power Team at Nexus (Ed Gibbons: ELS, Amelia Barrow: English, Sonja Bretschneider: ELS, Aletia Soards: Art)