EIS "Heads Up!"

This is our sixth HeadsUp Newsletter video featuring Artūrs Piļkēvičs.

On March 16th, Exupery International School hosted "The Future of Inclusive Education Conference," drawing over 250 participants, including educators, parents, and enthusiasts from various countries such as the USA, UK, Brazil, and Latvia. This event underscored the pressing need for change in inclusion and showcased attendees' strong desire to drive meaningful differences.

The conference featured keynote sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and masterclasses, offering insights into global and local perspectives on inclusion. Topics spanned neurodiversity, teen anxiety, dyslexia, school administration for inclusion, inclusion of gifted and talented students, utilization of visual aids for special needs support, literacy initiatives, teacher burnout prevention, emotionally intelligent schooling and parenting, and classroom calming strategies, among others.

We extend our gratitude to the Head of Exupery International School, Mr. Artūrs Piļkēvičs, and our Learning Support Coordinator, Mrs. Brenna Weston Bell, for their organizational efforts and contributions as speakers. Special thanks to keynote speakers Mrs. Marijke Miles and Dr. Elizabeth Joy Shaffer for sharing their profound insights and experiences.

Acknowledgement is also due to all speakers who presented innovative ideas and practical tools, enriching the conference experience and furthering its objectives. We appreciate the support from Mārupes Novada Pāšvaldība. Thanks are also owed to the dedicated teachers, students, and participants whose involvement made the event successful. Your commitment to the idea of inclusion is deeply valued.

Last week, Exupery International School held a Spring Festival. This super exciting event combined elements of Mardi Gras, Meteņi, Shrove Tuesday, Maslenitsa, and Užgavėnės. Add sweet treats and active games, and you'll have a perfect example of how our students can learn about different traditions and cultures in a fun and dynamic way!

During the preparation for the festival, students from Grade 8 and Grade 7 gave various presentations on the similarities and differences among Baltic, Slavic, French, and English cultures. In music lessons, students also had the chance to compare traditional melodies of different countries. Everyone was involved in the process, even the youngest learners from the Preschool and the Primary School, who participated in creating the decorations and making the colorful signages.

We thank our IB Russian Language Teacher, Ekaterina Pavlova, for organizing the Spring Festival; our fantastic team of teachers for their work with students, selection of music, and masterful decorations; Mr Vlad, for his technical contributions; Grade 8 and Grade 7 students for hosting the festival; and Grade 10 & Grade 11 students for their assistance. Together, we created an incredible day, and there is undoubtedly more to come.

On March 15, we hosted our parent-student-teacher conferences, and student voices took centre stage this year! Many of our students presented their work at these student-led conferences and discussed their progress with teachers and parents.

This shift fostered valuable communication and reflection skills in our students while giving everyone a unique perspective on their learning journey. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate achievements, identify areas for growth together, and collaboratively plan the next steps for continued success.

We are happy to share the stellar results of our students at the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Competition (UKMT)! Huge props to Artemii from Grade 8 and Arseniy from Grade 10 for snagging Gold, Mati from Grade 10 for securing Silver, and Artsiom, Mark, Mikhail, Ilya from Grade 9, as well as Luca, Sofja, and Mikhail from Grade 10 - for rocking the Bronze! Let us also give it up for our fantastic Math teachers, Zane Latve and Samuel Rex Summa, and the entire Exupery International School Math crew, who have dedicated their time and expertise to working with students. Your efforts make the world of Math come alive, and we could not be prouder of you!

At Exupery International School, a big part of our college and career counselling program is creating opportunities for students to hear first-hand experiences from various walks of life. Recently, we had the honour of hosting Ms Isabel Reeves - a medical student who is also a biologist, artist, athlete, ambassador, and cancer survivor.

While originally from the United States, Isabel has lived all around the world as a third-culture kid. Despite many challenges, she pursued her dream of becoming a doctor. After obtaining a BSc (Hons) in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of St Andrews, she delved into virology research, and today, she is in her second year of studying medicine at Riga Stradins University. Izzy was super inspiring and gave some helpful advice, which you can use in your daily life.

Our students Vladislavs Grigarenko from Gr3 and Arsenijs Asonovs from Gr2 participated in the chess tournament on March 9th, which brought together 37 participants from 6 schools. Special thanks to the host -the German School of Riga and other participants, Jules Verne Riga French, King's College Latvia, Exupery International School, and the International School of Latvia. We proudly announce that Vladislavs Grigorenko became a Champion in the U10 Junior Category!

Last Friday and Saturday were marked by an unforgettable event at Exupery International School! Not only did we host the 2024 World Scholar's Cup's regional round, but we actively and successfully participated in it. Our teams competed with over 60 students from Latvian, Lithuanian, and German schools, showcasing their talents in creative writing, debating, and tackling a range of scientific and even philosophical questions.

We performed great, qualifying for the next global rounds and bringing home 18 gold and 22 silver medals. We now have a few adorable plushy alpacas to join our school community!

A massive round of applause to Roberts, Serafima, Dara, and Victoria from G7, as well as Emīlija, Luca, Aleksandrs, Arseniy, and Mariia from G10 for their proactive involvement and outstanding representation of Exupery International School. Special thanks to Miss Elīna Vestmane, our English Language Teacher, for her guidance and support!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated teachers, whose passion and commitment enrich the educational experience for our students. Thanks to our incredible volunteers, guests, World Scholar's Cup organizers, and everyone who made this event a success. We look forward to seeing you all at the next rounds!

Imagine, there are 30,000+ universities worldwide! How can you increase your chances of getting into one that is the best possible fit? The journey can genuinely want to wander through the endless labyrinth while being blindfolded. So, during our last EduChat session, our University counsellor, Dr Rhonda Fisher, who has more than 15 years of experience, shared significant insights on navigating the maze of the university application process:

Looking ahead, do not miss our next EduChat sessions - they are always informative and fun!

"Food for thought"

Here are some valuable tips on what we can do about it. In this Forbes article, Tiffany Shlain explains how turning off screens for 24 hours each week can work wonders on your brain, body, and soul. This CNET article describes how to use digital detoxes to disconnect from technology and reconnect with people and life around us. However, it is not only about tech! This Harvard Business Review article explains the good news is that tech-based or -enhanced breaks - can give you some of the same benefits as the offscreen variety if you can include some combination of physical movement, social interaction, and brain stimulation.

Re-enrolment in process – book your spot for next academic year!