TIS Student Wins Writing Contest

TIS student Eduardo de Matos Sequeira won first place in the "Mr. Midnight Double Dare Story Writing Contest". The competition required contestants to write the beginning of a scary story for the next book in the "Mr. Midnight" children's horror series by author James Lee. Not only did Eduardo's submission win, but the name of the main character in Mr. Lee's next book will be none other than......Eduardo!

Experience Week Expands Student Horizons

Secondary students will be travelling to some exciting locations for a week in March as part of "Experience Week" at TIS. The program provides students with the opportunity to travel either locally or abroad to participate in activity-based trips, community service-based trips or leadership-based trips. In addition to enhancing learning opportunities, educational travel can expand students' horizons, develop independence and provide valuable experiences outside of the classroom. For more information about Experience Week , please click here to view the brochure. Students in Grades 9-12 are asked to hand in their preliminary choices to their homeroom teachers by Friday, December 19th. All trips will be finalized following the Christmas break.

Venetian Invites TIS Choirs To Perform

The TIS choirs helped to kick off the Christmas season at the Venetian on Saturday, November 22. The choirs will also be performing on December 20 & 21 from 3:30-4:00 p.m. in St. Mark's Square.

TIS Student Wins Poster Contest

Grade 7 student Marika Veith captured first place in the Lions Club of Macau Peace Poster Design Contest. Each year, Lions Clubs around the world sponsor the event which encourages young people to artistically express their visions of peace. The year's theme is "Peace Begins With Me". Mariks'a poster will now be submitted to a regional competition where entries from both Macau and Hong Kong will be judged. The winning entry will then compete in a final contest with works from 180 countries.

TIS Signs Agreement With Canadian University

TIS and the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on November 3. The agreement establishes a formal understanding of cooperation and friendship between the two schools. Areas of cooperation will include student recruitment, field placements of University of Lethbridge students at TIS and student summer programming which will see TIS students visit the University of Lethbridge to further their studies in English.

TIS Students Shine At Macau Speech Contest

Perseverance paid off for Grade 12 student Gary Cai. After competing in his fourth Macao-wide English Speech Contest, he took home first place in the Senior High category with his speech on "Global Challenges in Macau Education". Grade 2 student Luis Chipenda Martins was also a winner, picking up third place in the Lower Primary category. Andy Zhang, In Tong Chan and Jenny Chan also gave solid performances at the finals and represented TIS with pride.
The Macao-wide English Speech Contest is held annually at the Macao Polytechnic Institute and consists of a prepared speech followed by a question and answer session.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Visits TIS

Musicians from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's brass quintet took some time out of their busy touring schedule to visit TIS and perform for students recently. The musicians performed a variety of classical pieces as well as some old-time favourites during the half-hour concert in the MPR. After the concert, they conducted instrumental workshops with TIS band members.

TIS In The News

The International School of Macao is highlighted in the latest issue of "Exchange", published by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. The article focuses on the recent development of the education sector in Macau and the many benefits TIS provides current and prospective students. Click here to view the article.

CTS Photo Students Showcase Their Work

A special exhibit showcasing the work of CTS photo students will be held in the Secondary Library at TIS this week. The show, entitled "Urban Ingredients: Exhibiting Cultural Composition," will be on display from 8:30-4 p.m. on October 15, 16 and 17. A special opening will be held on Wednesday, October 15 from 5-8 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Community Day Postponed

Due to the rainy forecast, Community Day on Saturday, October 4th has been postponed until the following Saturday, October 11th.

New Library System More User-Friendly

A new library circulation system implemented over the summer months has made TIS' primary and secondary libraries much more user-friendly. The change-over involved weeks of bar-coding thousands of books and other resources, but the hard work has paid off in a big way.
Not only is the new software program compatible with the school's Mac computers (unlike the previous system), it's also web-based, so teachers don't have to be in the library to actually use the system. They can access information from their classrooms, at home or anywhere. That option will also be available to TIS students in the very near future. One of the most important benefits, however, is the system's search capability which makes the retrieval of information a snap for even the youngest students. A topic search using the new system will reveal every available resource in the TIS libraries. The program also provides links to approved websites where students can find additional information about their topic. Thanks to the new system, school librarian Ms Doucette has seen a dramatic increase in the number of students who now use the libraries on a regular basis. "My biggest problem is emptying the library at 4 p.m. Isn't that a nice problem to have?"

Important News from TIS

Due to personal reasons, Mr. Dean Jackson has had to return suddenly and unexpectedly to Australia. He is on Personal Leave effective Friday, September 26. Regular physical education classes in grades 1-6 will continue. However, any extra-curricular activities or private lessons (such as gymnastics or swimming) previously run by Mr. Jackson are suspended pending further notice.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and we appreciate your understanding in these matters.

School Cancelled Today

Due to the typhoon 8, all classes are cancelled today, Wednesday, September 24th. The school will not be open.

Afternoon Sections of PK Cancelled

Notice to Parents: The afternoon sections of Pre-Kindergarten have been cancelled due to the T3 warning issued for this afternoon. Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten classes will continue, however, if parents would like to pick up their children, they may so do. Please let the main office know if you are picking up your children early.

Addressing Concerns About Milk Products

Important notice to parents of all JK/SK/Grades 1&2 students

Due to the recent fears about Melamine in milk products coming from China, on Wed Sept 17 Red Spot Café changed to the well-known foreign brand Nestle “Dairy Farm” milk/yogurt products. We took this action even though the milk/yogurt we had been using was not of the affected “Yi Li”, “Mengniu” or “Guangming” brands. However, as you may be aware from reports on the weekend, supplies in Singapore of foreign brand “Dutch Lady” milk (using milk from mainland China) have also been found to contain Melamine. Although there is no connection between “Dairy Farm” and “Dutch Lady”, we can no longer assume that just because milk distributed in Asia is sold under a foreign brand name, it is safe to drink.

We have thus decided to take the following step : Until further notice, Red Spot Café will not be distributing any milk or yogurt products to TIS students.
• If you ordered milk/yogurt for Sept 22-25, we will replace it with a Vita fruit juice drink or Yakult.
• If you ordered milk/yogurt for October, you can switch to another drink (Vita fruit juice drink or Yakult) or get a refund for the milk products. Please contact Red Spot Café to let us know what replacement drink you would like for your child.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Our intention is simply to take precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of the children. We hope to be able to offer milk/yogurt products again, once it has been proven safe to do so.

Nina & Gary Lichtenstein, Red Spot Café

Note: TIS has not participated in the DSEJ milk program for the past two years.


致国际学校JK/SK以及1&2年级学生家长的重要申明

由于内地奶制品含有三聚氰胺曝光问题，在9月17日，星期三，红点餐厅改用了国际知名品牌雀巢的牛奶/酸奶制品，虽然我们一直没有使用受影响的“伊利”和“蒙牛”。

然而，您可能从上周末的报道中得知，新加坡知名牛奶品牌“荷兰夫人”（使用来自中国的牛奶）被查出含有三聚氰胺。

虽然雀巢和荷兰夫人之间没有联系，但是新加坡事件之后，我们不能认为在亚洲销售的外国牛奶品牌就绝对安全。

我们作出以下决定：

在另行通知之前，红点餐厅将不再向TIS学生提供任何牛奶或酸奶制品。

·如果您定购了9月22—25日的牛奶/酸奶，我们将换为维他果汁或益力多。
·如果您已经订购了10月牛奶/酸奶,您可以转为其他饮品（维他果汁或益力多）或者退订。请联系红点餐厅，告知我们您为您的孩子选择的饮品。

很抱歉给您带来不便，我们的一举一动只是出于对您孩子的健康的保证。一旦牛奶/酸奶制品被证明可以安全饮用，我们将再次提供牛奶/酸奶制品。
Nina & Gary Lichtenstein, Red Spot Café

Secondary Computer Program Prepares Students For The Future

We live in an information age and preparing students for life in a technological world is an essential part of their education at TIS. Mark Harrison plays a key role in that preparation as the school’s secondary computer teacher.

“Technology is a part of our lives and will just continue to grow. Learning about technology allows students to be active and participating members of the global community.”, he says.
The secondary computer program consists of two different curricula. Students in grades 7 to 9 participate in the ICT or “Information and Communication Technology” program, while students in grades 10 to 12 take the CTS or “Career and Technology Studies” program.
ICT classes teach students the basics about different technologies such as computers, cameras, projectors, interactive whiteboards, scanners, printers as well as different types of software. Students are assigned projects that not only require them to apply what they’ve learned, but that also support core subject areas. Last year for example, grade eight ICT students designed and produced a tri-fold travel brochure about Japan, a country they were also studying as part of a social studies unit.
The more advanced CTS classes enable students to further their knowledge of various technologies and software. They choose areas of study or “strands” from a range of topics including communication technologies, design studies, enterprise and innovation, financial management, information processing, and management and marketing. The program is self-guided and students take responsibility for their own learning under the guidance of Mr. Harrison. “This type of learning teaches students discipline. It also teaches them that if they want something, they have to work for it and do it for themselves.”, he says.

TIS To Host Canadian Student-Teachers

TIS will participate in a new pilot project aimed at providing international field experience to advanced practicum students from the University of Alberta in Canada. Five students from the Faculty of Education will travel to Macau in February and spend three months at TIS student-teaching in a variety of secondary classes, with current TIS teachers serving as their mentors. The student teachers are highly trained, having already completed at least three and a half years of university as well as experience with previous placements in Alberta schools.
The practicum is a required component of the education degree at the University of Alberta; however, the pilot project represents the first time it has been undertaken outside of the province of Alberta. TIS Principal Real Hryhirchuk says having the practicum at TIS makes perfect sense. “Since TIS teaches the Alberta curriculum, the student teachers will receive the same training as they would if they were in Alberta. They’ll also gain some off-shore teaching experience, which will serve them well in their future careers”. If deemed a success, the practicum program at TIS would become a regular offering to University of Alberta
students.

New Campus Improvements At TIS

A number of renovation projects aimed at improving the school's technical capabilities and facility offerings were completed this summer. Secondary students are now using brand new Mac computers, installed as part of a major upgrade to the secondary computer lab. Other technical improvements include new computer projectors in all grade 4 to 12 classrooms as well as 15 new interactive white boards located in various classrooms from grades 3 to 12.

Facility improvements were also a top priority. The student recreation area received a major facelift with the installation of a rubberized safety turf, which replaced the grass area that often became a big mud puddle during wet weather. Young TIS students will enjoy the new sandbox in the playground plus some kid-friendly basketball hoops located near the artificial turf. Other
facility enhancements include three new music practice rooms, elementary and secondary counselling centres on the second floor, an expanded drama room, central P.A. and bell system,
new PE equipment including gymnastics apparatus, new sidewalks and a larger grass field at the front of the school.

TIS Welcomes New Elementary Vice Principal

TIS has a new Elementary Vice Principal. Mrs. Maureen Atherton brings a wealth of knowledge to the position with 21 years of teaching and administrative experience. Prior to joining TIS, Mrs. Atherton spent four years as the Principal of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School in Ottawa, Canada. In her new role at TIS, Mrs. Atherton will be responsible for kindergarten and elementary programs, admissions, student discipline and resource orders.

Curriculum Night

A warm welcome to all of our TIS families! Whether you are returning after the summer holidays or are new to the school this year, we look forward to working with you to ensure your children have a successful year at TIS.
Parents are invited to meet with their child's teacher(s) to learn about the educational program at TIS and what parents can do to help support it. Curriculum Night will be held on Thursday, September 11 from 6-8 p.m. Parents of elementary students (PK-Gr. 6) are asked to come to the MPR first for a short presentation at 6 p.m.

Second Place For TIS Futsol Team

TIS placed second in a "Say No To Drugs" Inter-School Futsol Tournament recently at Macau Stadium. The event was organized by the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau (ARTM). TIS also won the "Best Cheering Squad" thanks to all of the students, friends and families who showed up to support the team.
As part of the ARTM's "Say No To Drugs" campaign, TIS students also participated in an art contest for the organization's annual calendar. Twelve TIS students had their art work featured in the 2008-2009 calendar!

Exam Week At TIS

Exam Week is June 19-20 & 23-25. Please click here for more information and to view the exam schedule.

TIS Earthquake Campaign Raises $100,000

The TIS community responded overwhelmingly to the school's fundraising campaign to raise money for victims of the China earthquake. Hundreds of parents, students and staff members showed their support by donating thousands of dollars. After the week-long campaign, a total of $100,000 was raised! The funds were officially donated to the Macau Red Cross and the Hong Kong Committee for Unicef at a cheque presentation ceremony on Thursday, May 29th in the Primary Library.

School Play This Friday!

In less than a week, TIS students will take to the stage to present a special adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Show time is 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23rd at M.U.S.T. Auditorium.
Tickets can be purchased in the main lobby every day after school and at M.U.S.T. Auditorium on the night of the play. The cost is $50 Mop per ticket. Join our fine young performers for a night you'll never forget!

TIS Students Raise Money For Earthquake Victims

TIS students have spearheaded a campaign to raise funds for victims of the China earthquake. The children have created posters and are making presentations about the earthquake in an effort to encourage TIS parents and students to donate money.

Donations will be collected in the main lobby before school, during recesses, at lunch time and after school until May 23rd. Money can also be brought to the main office at any time.

All proceeds will be donated to Unicef to help with on-going relief efforts in Sichuan province.

Award Winning Dancer Visits TIS

TIS students in grades 3-5 had the opportunity to participate in an Indian dance workshop recently with award winning dancer Pallavi Krishnan. Ms. Krishnan and her musical troupe are in Macau from May 1-30th for the 19th Macau Arts Festival, an annual event which features performances by artists from around the world.
Her visit to TIS was part of a school program to develop students' interest in different art forms.
During the workshop, Ms. Krishnan talked about Indian culture and traditions and also performed some mesmerizing dances. Students learned the technical skills of Indian classical dance and the importance of body language as a means of telling a story. They were then invited on stage for some hands-on instruction from Ms. Krishnan.

HFMD & EV71 Information

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease (HFMD)
Enterovirus (EV71)

WHAT IS HFMD and EV71?
Hand-Foot-Mouth disease and enterovirus 71 are intestinal infections that commonly affect children under 5 years of age. The illness usually lasts 1 week and symptoms include blisters, rashes, ulcers, and fevers. Complications are not common. In rare occasions, it causes complications of the central nervous system, which can be fatal.

HFMD and EV71 are preventable and treatable. Occurrences of the disease peak during June and July.

THE SITUATION AT TIS
We have had no reported cases HFMD or EV71 here at TIS. We are passing along the information received from the Macau Ministry of Health about the illnesses so that parents can be informed.

THE SITUATION IN MACAU
According to the Macau Daily Times, there have been 11 children diagnosed with HFMD in Macau. However, none of the cases required hospitalization nor had any of the children suffered complications. All 11 children were from Tung Sin Tong II kindergarten.

THE SITUATION IN CHINA
The worst hit area is Anhui with 4,529 cases. Of those 22 children have died. Several hundred cases have also emerged from other areas in China.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The medical bulletin from the Ministry of Health can be found on the TISPA Resources page of the TIS website or it can be downloaded directly by clicking here. The medical bulletin provides detailed information about the disease including prevention and treatment.

Download an English/Chinese version of this TIS bulletin by clicking here

TIS Student Nets Coveted Spot At Olympic Camp

Grade 11 student Angela Vu was recently chosen to represent Macau at a special Olympic Camp in Beijing from August 5-19th. The camp, run by the Beijing Olympic Committee, provides young athletes from over 300 countries with the opportunity to train in world-class facilities, spend time with their peers watching the games and attend social functions together. Only one boy and one girl from each country are chosen to attend the camp. In order to qualify for the sole position, Angela had to undergo an intense three-day physical test and an interview which assessed her knowledge about the Olympics as well as her language skills in both English and Mandarin. In the end, Angela had placed first in a field of over 300 competitors!

Now that the hard work is over, the fun begins. "I'm looking forward to meeting the different people at the camp. We're all teenagers and we'll have lots of things in common. I'm also interested in seeing Beijing's efforts and how they have organized the games." said Angela.
As part of the camp requirements, Angela must now attend some information sessions to learn more about the Olympics - a small price to pay for the chance of a lifetime!

Educational Trips Bring the Classroom To Life

TIS students reap more than educational benefits when they travel abroad on educational trips. In addition to enhancing learning opportunities, international travel can also expand students' personal horizons, develop independence, and provide invaluable experiences outside of the classroom.


TIS Vice Principal Howard Stribbell believes school trips provide students with a global perspective and a greater understanding of social reponsibility. "Through service projects, students learn empathy and how to give back to people who are less fortunate."

So far this academic year, TIS students have travelled to Hong Kong, Nanjing, Guilin, Vietnam and Thailand. Next year, the school plans to introduce "Experience Week," in which the entire week from March 16-20 will be dedicated to a variety of off-campus experiences for students in grades 6-12. More information about Experience Week will be distributed early in the next school year

Registration Information Nights

TIS will be hosting two informational evenings for parents and students about registering for next year's courses. The session for grade 9's will take place on Monday, April 14th. Grade 10 and 11 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15th. Both sessions will start at 7 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. This will be an opportunity to learn more about our course offerings and ask any questions you have about high school. We look forward to seeing you there.

TIS Students Top Of The Class

TIS students consistently exceed the Canadian standard for mathematics, language arts and reading comprehension, according to Canadian Achievement Test (C.A.T.) results. Last year, 100% of grade 3-10 classes exceeded the Canadian norm in mathematics; 75% surpassed the average in language arts skills and 63% of classes exceeded the standard in reading.

Reading saw the most dramatic improvement with a 20% increase over last year. As part of the school's overall initiative to improve reading, all elementary teachers received training in THRASS, a reading and spelling program that focuses on the 44 phonemes of the English language, as opposed to just the 26 letters of the alphabet. TIS also adopted the D.E.A.R. program (Drop Everything And Read) for grades 7, 8 and 9, and has expanded its literacy program with the creation of a Literacy Coordinator position at the school.

Summer School 2008

Wondering what to do this summer? TIS' summer school program offers a wide range of fun, educational activities to choose from. Not only can summer school help to meet students' learning goals, it can also provide them with the opportunity to explore areas of interest in more depth. Click here for more information and to view course outlines.

TIS In The News

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently ran a news story about TIS on its 6 o'clock news in Edmonton, Alberta. The theme of the story was "East Meets West" and focused on the similarities between TIS and Alberta schools. TIS provides a Canadian curriculum and is accredited with the Alberta provincial government. Click below to view the story.

TIS Accepting Applications For Enrollment

TIS is now accepting applications for the 2008-2009 academic school year. There are currently openings at all levels, including morning and afternoon Pre-Kindergarten classes.

To start the admission process, please go to the admissions page on the TIS website (http://www.tis.edu.mo/admissions-process_policies.htm) and download an application form. Submit the completed application form to Elisa Gaspar in the TIS main office. You will be contacted shortly thereafter with an admissions interview date (for children in Pre-K to grade 2) or an admissions test date (for students in grade 3 and older).

If you are applying from overseas, please fill out the first page of the admission form and fax it to Elisa Gaspar at (853) 2853 3702. Please include the date you will be coming to Macau and the date you would like your child to start at TIS.

If you have any questions about the admissions process, please contact Elisa Gaspar by phone at (853) 8936 701 or by e-mail at elisa.gaspar@tis.edu.mo.

TIS Continues to Monitor Flu Situation

Today TIS has reviewed the number of absences due to illness. Only two absent students are reporting a fever. This represents a normal percentage of the student population. If your child is exhibiting flu-like symptoms and you have not notified the school, please advise us as soon as possible, so we can accurately update our records. TIS will continue to monitor the percentage of the student body reporting flu-like symptoms.

TIS remains in close contact with the Macau Education Department, Macau Health Department, and the University Hospital and is implementing a number of precautionary measures to ensure a safe environment for our staff and students.

Please check the TIS website for regular updates and announcements. For more information on the influenza situation in Hong Kong, click here to see the letter to the Consul General from the Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau.

TIS Official Response to Possible Influenza in HK

Download the latest update concerning the possible outbreak of influenza in Hong Kong by clicking here (English) or clicking here (Chinese). These files are in PDF format.

Flu Situation in Hong Kong

This morning, Hong Kong closed their primary schools and kindergartens because of a suspected outbreak of influenza. In 2003 when the SARS pandemic broke out in Hong Kong, Macau schools (including TIS) did not close.

Mr. Johnston will be in close contact with Mr. Sou, the director of the education department to monitor the situation in Hong Kong and Macau's reaction.

At this time TIS will remain open. Any additional information will be communicated to staff via email and parents through the school website as it is made available.

TIS has implemented extra cleaning and other precautionary measures this morning.

Learning The Rules Of The Road

TIS was the first school in Macau to host the BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education program on March 7th. Targeted to senior kindergarten students, the program uses interactive games, role-play and a special "traffic park" to help children learn about traffic safety regulations and strengthen their sense of self protection.

TIS Celebrates Book Week

TIS held a variety of events to promote Book Week from March 3-7th. Visiting author and wildlife photographer Jan Latta recounted her exciting adventures in the wild, and storyteller Jan Mann told her special brand of fun and engaging tales to kindergarten and elementary students. Other activities included an "edible book" competition, singing contest, bookmark design competition and trivia quiz. Book Week is held annually at TIS to celebrate the world of literature and give students the opportunity to meet authors.

Sunny Skies Prevail For Community Day

It was a picture perfect day on Saturday, March 1st for the third Community Day of the year at TIS. The kindergarten students participated in a games circuit, while the elementary grades played soccer on the front field. Secondary teams squared off in a volleyball tournament in the MPR. After a hard fought battle, it was the staff team who came out on top! Community Day was started last year to provide the school community with a chance to get together outside
of an academic setting. TIS holds four Community Day events throughout the year.

Online Resource Keeps TIS Community Connected

If you haven’t logged on to TIS Class Connect yet, then you’re missing out on a great new online resource.

The service offers parents and secondary students in grades 7-11 confidential, real-time access to important academic information including grades, attendance, conduct, report cards, schedules and assignments.

“Class Connect facilitates improved communication between home and school.” says TIS Vice Principal Howard Stribbell.

Cecilia Brand agrees. As both a TIS teacher and parent of two sons at the school, she has found Class Connect to be a very useful tool for monitoring their progress.

“Before, you had to wait for a report card to see how your kids were doing, but now, you can see what marks they’re getting on each assignment.”

Grade nine teacher Mr. Chris Lee uses Class Connect regularly to post assignments, due dates, grades and other information relevant to his classes. He says students can benefit as much as parents from using the service. “Class Connect eliminates report card surprises. Students can get immediate feedback on how they’ve done on different assignments and tests.”

A log in and password are required to access Class Connect, and were included with the November report cards. However, if you no longer have the information, just e-mail helpdesk@tis.edu.mo and you will receive a new log in and password in a few days.

Problem accessing pages?

Due to a change of server a few users may have experienced problems accessing parts of the TIS website. These problems are easily solved by clearing your browser cache. Below please find a list of instructions for clearing your cache using a variety of popular browsers:


Windows

Internet Explorer 7

1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options...
2. Choose the General tab
3. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
4. Next to "Temporary Internet Files", click Delete files... and click Yes when prompted
5. Click Close, and then OK to exit

Firefox 2.0

1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Private Data
2. Make sure that Cache is ticked and click Clear Private Data Now

Mac OS X

Safari

1. From the Safari menu, select Empty Cache...
2. When prompted, click Empty to confirm that you want to empty the cache.

Firefox 2.0

1. From the Firefox menu, select Preferences...
2. From the sheet that drops down, select Privacy. Click Clear Now...
3. Make sure that Cache is ticked and click Clear Private Data Now

New Sports League Announced

Jan. 23, 2008

TIS and two other local schools in Taipa have formed a new sports league which will provide students with a greater opportunity for athletic involvement and some friendly competition.

TIS, Sheng Kung Hui and Fong Chong schools are behind the new initiative, which includes table tennis, mini soccer, basketball and badminton tournaments for boys and girls aged 8-16 years old. Mini soccer and table tennis will run from January to March, followed by basketball and badminton in the spring.

“This league is something all three schools really wanted and needed. Not only does it enable our students to compete against each other and improve their own standards, but it also provides them with a unique opportunity to make new friends through competitive sports.“ said Real Hryhirchuk, principal of TIS.

TIS Community Day 2

Jan. 18, 2008

TIS Students Show Their School Spirit At Community Day

Cool and windy weather wasn't enough to stop TIS students from participating in Community Day activities on Friday, January 18th. Every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten up to Grade 11, took part in the day's fun-filled track and field events.

Kindergarten students played a variety of games on the front field, while elementary and secondary students competed in running, jumping and throwing events at the M.U.S.T. track facility. Parents and teachers also got into the fun by participating in some sprints and 3-legged races!

TIS Community Supports Blood Drive

Dec. 11, 2007

TIS parents and teachers answered the call and donated blood at the school's second annual blood drive on December 11th. The Macau Blood Transfusion Service was in dire need of the Rh D negative blood type and called on the TIS community for help.

Flying Eye Hospital Comes to Macau

Dec. 7, 2007

TIS students had the opportunity to tour the one-of-a-kind "Flying Eye Hospital" in December. The plane was stationed in Macau during a goodwill visit to raise funds for a pediatric program in Dehong, China. The DC-10 aircraft has been converted into a teaching facility and ophthalmic surgical centre. Orbis, an international non-profit organization dedicated to preventing blindness in the developing world, operates the plane.

Students Step Out At Annual Walk-a-thon

November 29, 2007

TIS students put their best foot forward at the annual walk-a-thon on Thursday, November 29th at the M.U.S.T. track facility. The walk-a-thon is one of the highlights of the year, allowing the whole school to participate. Funds collected are used to pay for field trips, special educational days, and for guest speakers and artists to visit the school. TIS is on track to raise over MOP$100,000 from this year's walk-a-thon.

TIS Receives Corporate Donation

November 27, 2007

TIS has received a donation of of MOP$1,400,000 from Melco PBL Entertainment as part of the school's "Business Supports Education" program. A cheque presentation ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 27th in the Primary Library, where Co-chairman and CEO of Melco PBL Entertainment, Lawrence Ho, officially presented the donation to TIS Principal Real Hryhirchuk.
Grade four music students performed a song at the ceremony for attendees.

TIS Introduces New Online Access to Marks

November 23, 2007

TIS is now offering secondary students and parents real-time access to academic information including grades, attendance, conduct, report cards, schedules, assignments and transcripts. Using a secure log in and password, students and parents can log in to TIS Class Connect individually. Log ins, passwords, and general information were included with report cards.
TIS is also offering all grade 4-11 students access to their own e-mail, thanks to a new service called "GoogleApps". It allows TIS to administer a large number of e-mail accounts without the need to have any server located at the school.

TIS Students Net Top Prizes At Speech Competition

November 11, 2007

The brother and sister team of Julianne and Andy Zhang turned in stellar performances to take home 1st and 3rd place honours at the 6th Macao-wide English Speech Contest on November 10 and 11 at the Macao Polytechnic Institute. Julianne, who is in grade 11, won the senior high school category with her speech about the value of competition, while grade 3 student Andy Zhang impressed judges with his speech about his favourite sport of swimming. Julianne now qualifies for the finals next year in China.

TIS Launches New Golf Program

October 26, 2007
TIS Launches New Extra-Curricular Golf Program

Students now have the opportunity to develop and improve their golf skills thanks to the new extra-curricular golf club that was established at TIS this fall. The club operates year-round and provides students with instruction from a teaching professional at Orient Golf as well as access to the range. Currently ten students are members of the new club.

Donor Recognition Ceremony

October 25, 2007

A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the new sunshade structure on Thursday, October 25th. The event was organized to formally thank the sponsors of the project, Leighton-China State-John Holland Joint Venture. The sunshade structure was constructed over the summer months and provides much-needed protection from the sun for young students.

TIS Community Day 1

October 6, 2007

First Community Days of the Year A Huge Success!
Over 300 students, staff and parents participated in the Community Days dodge ball tournament on Saturday, October 6th. It was fun-filled day of competition that saw student teams play against one other, as well as staff and parent teams. All elementary students received ribbons for their participation, while the winning secondary teams received medals. TIS will hold three more Community Days over the 2007-2008 school year.

New School Fee Payment Option

Oct. 5, 2007

We have negotiated alternative payment options with BCM bank to allow parents a variety of methods to pay their children’s school:

1) Credit Card Payment – We have installed a credit card machine in the office so that parents can pay fees using VISA or Master Card. As well, those with China Union Pay debit cards can pay fees using this method.

2) Over The Counter Bank Payment – Parents can pay their school fees at any BCM bank. We will include a deposit slip with the school fee invoice. If parents wish to pay at the bank, they just need to bring the deposit slip with them. BCM will then send us the deposit slips, so that we can update our records.

3) Auto Pay Method (BCM bank account holders only) – Parents can fill out an auto-pay authorization form in the school office. This must be done before November 16th, 2007 for the second installment to be processed using this method. The fees will be automatically transferred from your account one day before each installment’s due date. The second installment due date is November 30th, so funds would be withdrawn on November 29th.

4) Pay At School – Parents can still pay their fees at the school office, however if you do so, we encourage you to pay by cheque, so that we can limit the amount of money collected on site.

If you have any questions about any of these payment options, please drop by the school office and ask Rita.

Sincerely,
Mr. R. Hryhirchuk,
Principal .
To download the file in PDF format (Chinese and English) click here.

Students Help UNICEF

Sept. 24,, 2007

This October, TIS students will once again help other children. Through the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” campaign, TIS students will raise funds for helping the most disadvantaged children around the world.
Students who wish to participate may pick up the orange UNICEF boxes and further details from their homeroom teachers. For additional information please contact Jacqueline Varga at 2853-3700.



About the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” program:
In the last few years, the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF had launched the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” Halloween Fundraising Campaign and with the enthusiastic support of schools, corporations and the general public, more than HK$1 million had been raised for improving the well-being of the neediest children by providing them with basic health care, safe water supply, sanitation, education and other social community services.
Through the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” Halloween Fundraising Campaign, we wish to develop the “kids helping kids” tradition in Hong Kong and thus, more underprivileged children can receive help.
For further information, please contact our fundraising department at 2338 5151
UNICEF Website: http://www.unicef.org.hk

Student's Idea Published

Sept. 24, 2007

Congratulations to Riva Adolpho, Gr 5-1. The plot idea she submitted to James Lee, our visiting author in Book Week last year, was used by him and she is acknowledged in the preface. Students submitted story ideas to the Singaporean author for his consideration.

James Lee (pseudonym for Jim Aitchison) is the author of the Mr. Midnight series and the Mr. Mystery series.

Great Time at Lantern Festival

Sept. 21, 2007

TISPA kicked off their activities this year by hosting Fall Lantern Festival celebration on Friday, Sept 21. Despite the heat, hundreds of parents, students, and staff enjoyed one another’s company in the playground and student area at TIS.

It was a great opportunity for friends to re-connect after the summer and a chance to welcome new families to TIS. Mr. Hryhirchuk was quick to express the school’s thanks, “Enrolment is almost at 700 students, so events such as the Fall Lantern Festival are great at further enhancing the TIS community. TISPA, as always, did a fantastic job. We would like to thank the many volunteers who made the event possible.”

New @ TIS

Sept 3, 2007

TIS continues to grow! With almst 700 students from PreK to Grade 11, TIS is constantly adding new educational programs and improving its facility in order to meet the educational needs of its growing enrolment. As you can see from the Nationality graph below, TIS continues to meet the needs of local and expatriate students from 38 different countries.


Secondary Fine Arts Programs Launched
Secondary students in grades 7 to 9 will now take Drama, Music, Art and Information Technology during the school year. Offered on a semester basis, students will be exposed to all four subjects. For more information on the secondary arts program, please see the October 18th newsletter. For additional details about the new music band program, please see the September 21st newsletter .

Enhanced Facilities
This summer saw a number of improvements to TIS facilities. Leighton-China State-John Holland Joint Venture donated and constructed a sunshade cover over the playground equipment to help protect our students from the sun. In addition, a new artificial turf soccer pitch was installed. Using top quality materials has resulted in a great playing field for our students.
Improvements were also made to the front field. It was rolled smooth, sprinklers were recessed into the ground and soccer goals were constructed. The enhancements have enabled students and classes to use the front field on a regular basis.



New Look for Website and Newsletter
We hope you are enjoying our new website and the new format of the TIS Newsletter. To provide us with feedback, please contact Mr. Stribbell.

Secondary Sports Day

Aug 31, 2007

Students learning to work together so that later they can work together to learn. TIS held it's secondary Sports Day on Friday, Aug 31. Students participated in homeroom teams in events such as Basketball, Soccer, Dizzy Bat Race, Ping Pong Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, and the ever popular Tug of War. Despite the hot weather students worked hard at each event and had the opportunity to meet their classmates and new teachers. Not only is physical activity one of the goals of the Sports Day but students also learn how to work together as a team in order to be successful.
Highlights included the high school girls beating the boys in the Tug of War. Not to be unchallenged, the staff took on the students. Despite the staff winning one round, the students emerged victorious overall by dragging the staff along the grass. The principal, Mr. Hryhirchuk, has vowed, "I'll be back."
Thank you to all of the secondary staff who helped make the event a success and a special thank you goes out to the secondary PE teachers, Ms. Heschuk and Mr. Varga, for organizing the day.

TIS features in Canada Hong Kong Business magazine

Aug 31, 2007

TIS featured as the cover story in the Summer 2007 edition of Canada Hong Kong Business, the magazine published by The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. To download a copy of the article in PDF format please click the link below:

TIS article in CHKB

2007-08 School Year Information

Aug 20, 2007
To download this file in PDF format please click one of the links below:

School Year Start Up (English)
School Year Start Up (Chinese)

Author Visits Grade 6&7

June 1, 2007

On Friday, 1 June, the Grade 6 and 7 classes listened to powerpoint presentations about being a writer from visiting author Karmel Schreyer, who lives in Hong Kong. The message of her talk, as she showed examples from her own published books, was that everyone has the potential to write, using their own life experience. Ms. Schreyer, as well as being a writer, is the daghter of a well-respected former Governor-General of Canada, The Honourable Edward Schreyer, and she was able to weave tales of what life was like as a teenager, under the spotlight of public scrutiny, having people like the Queen of England stay at their home. She was very encouraging to her listeners and we were grateful to her for coming over to Macau.

A “Thank You Note” to the students of TIS from Karmel Schreyer:
I want to tell you how much I enjoyed my visit with you and your teachers on 1 June. It is said that people fear public speaking more than anything, so I can tell you that when the audience is as receptive and attentive as yourselves, the speaker feels very grateful. I think about students such as yourselves a lot; in fact it is a running theme in many of my books: the global nomad, third culture ‘kid' - mobile young people who are familiar with the world in a way that I (and many of your teachers I'll bet) could never be. I'll remind you that you are a part of the world's fast-growing youth subculture. Enjoy what all that offers, and remem-ber: Today is where your books begins.

Very best wishes,
Karmel
www.karmelschreyer.com

Kiss N Ride Program

May 2, 2007

Beginning Monday, May 7, traffic flow will be controlled allowing parents to safely drop off children next to the school. Vehicles may not park around the school.

For Pick Up, registered parents displaying the Kiss N Ride ID will be able to safely collect students from the same area.

Parking is only permitted in the lot next to the stadium.

Truly International

TIS is growing! With almost 700 students, TIS continues to serve the needs of local students and international students. TIS students come from over 38 countries! Local students account for 47% of the student population while international students make up the remaining 53%. For more information, please download the graph shown.

Grade Sevens Invade Hong Kong

May 24, 2007
What would it be like if you had to walk up a very long and very steep set of outside stairs just to eat breakfast or patiently cook your own dinner meat over glowing barbeque coals?
That's just a fraction of what the Grade Seven students experienced when they stayed at the Caritas Oi Fai Camp on Cheung Chau Island earlier this month.
While at the camp they also learned how to find symbols hidden in various outdoor loca-tions around the camp by following an orienteering course and had their choice of swim-ming at the beach or in the camp's own pool.
They also enjoyed the rides and saw baby sharks and a hosts of other marine creatures close-up at Ocean Park on the first day of their trip, and, on the final day, experienced first-hand the world's need for water conservation at the Hong Kong Wetlands Park.
It was a great trip with a lot of fantastic memories!

Celebration of the arts - What a night!

Jun 7, 2006
Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the first annual Arts' night on Thursday evening. The night was a total success with talent ranging from singing, dancing, comedy, poetry, photography, calligraphy, visual arts, dramatic performances and much more. TIS students wowed parents and community guests all night long.

TIS Community Dodgeball

May 25, 2007
On Saturday, May 25th, the TIS Community held a 'dodgeball' tournament in the MPR hall at the school. 10 teams from grade 7-10, parents, and teachers, participated in the tourna-ment. After 2 hours of group matches, 4 teams made the semi finals, with the grade 10 team, Mean Machine, eventually winning the TIS Community shield.
The school would like to thank Mr. Stephen Bolton, Ms. Sherry Heshuk, and Mrs Donagh Marr for organizing the event, TISPA for providing refreshments, and all the students, par-ents, and teachers for their support.

Playground gets a face-lift!

Jul 1, 2007
Over the summer months, the school's playground will be undergoing some upgrading. The soccer pitch will be transformed from a half grass / half dirt field to a beautiful artificial turf pitch. The playground equipment will be retrofitted with a top-class shade covering courtesy of Leighton Construction. The construction is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks for each project. During the construction the playground area will be fenced off to keep the area safe for summer school students.