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.