First Day of the 2015-2016 School Year
The halls are bustling once again as students from both divisions return to Island Pacific Academy for the 2015-2016 school year.
Wearing “superhero” design PYP (Primary Years Programme) t-shirts, Elementary Principal Steve Ross and Vice Principal Linda Hang greet a young student arriving on the first day.
The year’s first “Good Morning high fives” were given to each grade 6-12 student by Secondary Principal Kip Cummings and Vice Principal Micah Banton as they entered the building.
In Elementary–Kindergarten through grade five–the children began the day with a “welcome assembly” from the teachers. “The rest of the day was spent doing ‘get to know you’ activities and learning both classroom and school day routines,” explains Steve Ross, Elementary Principal. “We really strive to create an environment in which the students are comfortable with their surroundings and each other. Before long, the students will be immersed in the PYP curriculum, ready to learn.”
Dozens of hands shot in the air when Head of School Gerald Teramae asked a question during the PYP Assembly on the first day of school.
The Secondary division–grades six through twelve–started their morning with trivia games, class competitions, and bonding activities. New faculty members were introduced and all students were presented with a planner which includes the school’s mission and vision statements. The Middle Years Programme students (MYP grades 6-10) then settled into their schedule, visiting half of their classes, receiving syllabi and reviewing what they will need for each class. Our Diploma Programme (DP grades 11-12) students began attending their International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) and/or Advanced Placement (AP) classes on August 12 but have been looking forward to having all of the students back.
Kento Sugama (‘17) and Devyn Munar (‘17) lead an IPA Trivia Game during a Secondary student “town hall” in the multi-purpose room (MPR) on the first day of school.
It won’t be long before the usual high energy at IPA is back to full tempo with many activities and events for students, parents, and the community. (Take a look back at school year 2014-2015 to get an idea.) Several ILH Sports have begun practicing, After School Enrichment classes begin next month, and numerous clubs are already planning activities for the year ahead.
Events in the fall include: a statewide VEX IQ Tournament here on campus Saturday, September 5, hosted by IPA; a community meeting and discussion panel including many of the local public and private schools regarding working together as a community; IPA’s first open house for the school year and IPAPA’s (IPA’s parent and teacher association) annual Fall Family Festival on Saturday, October 17; and the 9th annual golf tournament which supports Financial Aid.
