Gecko Echo, 2014

16
T H E G E C K O E C H O SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL It was an action packed first semester. Our community has seen a great deal of success as a school in L-D Debate, Forensics, Math Court, volleyball, swimming, and soccer. Plus, we had students participate in several off-island tournaments representing the CNMI in tennis, swimming, and soccer. Beyond the realm of competition, our high school students made a strong showing in their PSAT results with both the Juniors and Sophomores scoring above the national average for Juniors. The SAT results for Seniors and Juniors were also above the national average. Our students have read more than 6,700 books (66 million words!) and taken AR quizzes on them. Between the grades 2-10, teachers are implementing Achieve 3000 to improve student skills in the reading of non-fiction material. The Juniors successfully launched our first season of Gecko Talk News and the Seniors will continue the show in the spring. The Scoop received an upgrade as well as our school website. We added a new security system with seven cameras to monitor our campus. Our wireless network has been repaired and improved allowing teachers and students more reliable Internet access. The elementary computer lab was upgraded with faster processors and more memory; in addition, Windows 7 and Comic Life 3 were installed on all the lab computers. We have solved a rodent problem by purchasing some electric traps. Plus, we are in the process of improving the efficiency of our lights by replacing the old florescent bulbs with LED bulbs. This will cut the number of light bulbs on campus by half and reduce kilowatt usage of the entire school. The old oven was replaced with a new one which works better and is more energy efficient. As the Headmaster, I would like to thank the community for the support and trust you show by allowing us the honor to educate your children. I truly hope that during the first semester of SY2014-15 the community has noticed the improvements to our school. SIS will continue its commitment to providing a quality education for all students. Tim Bray NOTE FROM THE HEADMASTER School Year 2014-15 MidYear Newsletter Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos 1 @SaipanGeckos

Transcript of Gecko Echo, 2014

T H E G E C K O E C H OSAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

It was an action packed first semester. Our community has seen a great deal of success as a school in L-D Debate, Forensics, Math Court, volleyball, swimming, and soccer. Plus, we had students participate in several off-island tournaments representing the CNMI in tennis, swimming, and soccer. Beyond the realm of competition, our high school students made a strong showing in their PSAT results with both the Juniors and Sophomores scoring above the national average for Juniors. The SAT results for Seniors and Juniors were also above the national average. Our students have read more than 6,700 books (66 million words!) and taken AR quizzes on them. Between the grades 2-10, teachers are implementing Achieve 3000 to improve student skills in the reading of non-fiction material. The Juniors successfully launched our first season

of Gecko Talk News and the Seniors will continue the show in the spring.The Scoop received an upgrade as well as our school website. We added a new security system with seven cameras to monitor our campus. Our wireless network has been repaired and improved allowing teachers and students more reliable Internet access. The elementary computer lab was upgraded with faster processors and more memory; in addition, Windows 7 and Comic Life 3 were installed on all the lab computers. We have solved a rodent problem by purchasing some electric traps. Plus, we are in the process of improving the efficiency of our lights by replacing the old florescent bulbs with LED bulbs. This will cut the number of light bulbs on campus by half and reduce kilowatt usage of the entire school. The old oven was replaced with a new one which works better and is more energy efficient.As the Headmaster, I would like to thank the community for the support and trust you show by allowing us the honor to educate your children. I truly hope that during the first semester of SY2014-15 the community has noticed the improvements to our school. SIS will continue its commitment to providing a quality education for all students.

Tim Bray

NOTE FROM THE HEADMASTER

School Year 2014-15 MidYear Newsletter

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos1

@SaipanGeckos

Table of Contents

Teachers 3

Elementary Reflections 4

Secondary Reflections 6

Academic Achievements 13

Sports 14

Celebrating Diversity 15

ETC 16

Credits 16

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Saipan International School opened in 1994 with 45 elementary students after a group of parents identified a need for a quality educational program that would foster academic, emotional and social growth. A four year high school was later added. In 1998, a new four-classroom building was constructed as a new science lab, media center and classroom building in 2002. Most recently, a new building, housing grades nine through twelve and a library, was completed in 2008. Presently, SIS enrollment is approximately 200 students from K5-12th grade.

HISTORY

Saipan International School is a private, non-profit organization that offers instruction in preschool through twelfth grade. Instruction is theme oriented and based on national standards and benchmarks from the United States. SIS is fully accredited through the year 2017 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) from K5 through 12th grade. The school is authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students.

MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY

The mission of SIS is to help each child reach his or her full potential by providing a positive environment that fosters academic, emotional, and social growth. This environment is created when trust, respect, and acceptance are values shared by students, parents, and school staff.Saipan International School is committed to creating an educational environment that affirms a wide variety of learning styles, experiences, skill levels, and interests. SIS also maintains the highest academic standards, and challenges students to perform at the peak of their potential. Each child is encouraged to develop creativity, enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills, and build a feeling of self-worth. Small class sizes, averaging 18 students, give teachers an opportunity to meet the needs of a diverse student population in a secular, nondiscriminatory environment.Students explore multiculturalism both in theory and practice. Our students originate from locations around the world, including the Pacific Islands, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. Daily interactions give knowledge that leads to a deeper appreciation and respect for all people.

WHAT DO GRADUATES SAY?At SIS, I learned to be confident in my abilities. Through activities like L/D Debate, Destino Peru, volleyball, and Student Council, I learned how to lead, how to write and speak well, and how I shouldn't let any opportunity pass me by. Carpe diem, as a former teacher once told me. All of this created a solid foundation from which I was able to successfully pursue my studies at New York University.

Henry Chan (2007), New York University

SIS as an institution supported me in everything that I did, from school to volleyball to Lincoln-Douglas debate, and I found that support to be an incredibly profound part of my high school experience. SIS teachers and faculty prepared me for life post-graduation and pushed me to strive for more, giving me the extra push to apply to universities like USC, Middlebury, and Stanford. They wanted me to be the best that I could be, which inspired me to be the best that I could be. I have nothing but love and respect for SIS now, and hope it continues to inspire students as much as it inspired me!

Amber Roberts (2012), Stanford University

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

2

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

OUR TEACHERS

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

3

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLELEMENTARY REFLECTIONS

In our second grade classroom I try to focus as much as possible on doing hands-on science and technology projects. We use popsicle sticks to build bridges and catapults early in the year, and later we use the sticks to create large scale boats from several cultures around the world as part of a unit on oceanic exploration. Each building project encourages teamwork and cooperation, develops real-world math skills, and promotes the daily use of vocabulary directly related to technology and construction. During the exploration unit we turn the central part of the classroom into a miniature boatyard complete with materials, staging areas, scaffolding for the boats, and i t becomes commonplace to hear words like "hull", "parallel", and "reinforce" bounce around the classroom.Students who might otherwise struggle to communicate with each other in English, drop their guard and through the hands-on distraction of boat building, find themselves becoming more and more comfortable talking openly with their classmates.Saipan International School enjoys a uniquely wonderful and open style of learning that promotes a strong central curriculum augmented by opportunities for teachers to be creative and share w i th s tudents the th ings they themselves have a passion for.For me, I love to guide students through the stages of building and constructing machines, both simple and complex. And though the

models, siege engines, and bridges we build may never survive the

testing process, the e n t h u s i a s m a n d w o n d e r t h e y generate in the hearts and minds of the students is w o r t h e v e r y patiently placed drop of glue along the way.

Mr. WrightG2

Saipan International School - MP, 96950#sisgeckos

4

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” -Thomas EdisonLast semester, the 3rd and 5th grade class had one goal in mind: to grow a pumpkin. Just ONE. Of course, that wasn't what we all hoped for in the beginning of the project. But, as our little patch battled through rain, drought, and insect infestation, we were happy to just see one measly pumpkin. Being novice gardeners, we failed epically. Here are some reflections the students wrote about our project.I like gardening. I like my rain boots in the mud. I don't care if my hands are dirty. But I do not like plants dying. Animals eat our plants. Growing plants is hard. But I want to try again. However, please, please don't die plants. -Stephanie Kim(G3)I enjoyed gardening because I like to dig and plant. What I didn't like was getting sweaty. I learned that we needed to pay more attention to what is going on with our plants and find ways to help it survive. I think we could do some research and have someone help us. I felt really sad when the pumpkins didn't grow because the class and I didn’t have any pumpkin pie.-Aiden Chekoldin(G3)Gardening was funner than I thought. It was quite hard, too. The first time we planted, I was very shocked because the weekend rain drowned all our tiny sprouts. The next time we planted, we put them by our classroom window. The little sprouts grew taller and taller everyday. We watched it lean towards the window, even if you move the plants around. My teacher, Ms. Kathy, said it was trying to get some sunlight. I learned a lot of other things, too. When the sprouts were big enough, we transferred them to the ground. The first weeks started out good, we even saw the pumpkin flowers growing. Then one day, the leaves just started to dry out and soon die. I think that we should start again. -Jaden Castro(G3)I did not like gardening because you have to dig and pull out weeds everyday. You also have to water it often. When it dies, we have to start again. I would not do it again because it is a lot to take care for in 3rd grade. -Sophia Heras(G3)The majority of the students voted to try again. Personally, I think this lesson taught me more than it d id the s tudents . I t showed me how patient a n d c o m p a s s i o n a t e a n elementary student could be. They worked hard to pull out the weeds and worked even harder to keep it alive. Maybe we won't have to try 10,000 times for it to work, but we sure will try again. 2015,

watch out for our garden! Ms. RuszalaG4

5

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

SECONDARY REFLECTIONSS- S is for the sun that shines from the blue sky.A- A is for the tasty apples that are in the supermarket.I- I is for the international school in Saipan.P- P is for the sweet tasty papaya that are planted in Saipan.A- A is for the amphibians that live in Saipan.N- N is for the knees get scratched whenever people playing under the burning sun.

Acrostic Poem by Mary Zon Tybaco(6)

iPadThin, Smart.

Complicating, AnsweringResearching, Taking pictures

Calling, TextingTouch, Flash

iPhone

HairSilky, Soft

Washing, DrawingWig, Braids, Coat, Blanket

Warming, CoolingFluffy, Warm

Fur

WaterLiquid, Healthy

Hydrating, MovingTransparent, ColorfulFlavoring, Sweetening

Sweet, SugarJuice

LavaHot, Hard

Harming, Global CoolingMagma, Gas, Red, Flames

Boiling, RoastingAsh, Cook

FireDiamante Poems by

EunBi Choi(6)

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

Soccer is an interesting sport It requires a lot of teamworkIt is hard to win

It is hard to scoreYou need a lot of equipment

I don’t really like to read bookTeachers tell me to read a lot

I love to read nowBut I am a lazy reader

I want to read a lot faster

My house always has problemsThat is why our house is busy

It is a problemIt is very fun.

Limerick Poem by Tony Kim(6)

6

School is funClasses are enjoyable

Holidays block me from going to schoolOur class has 10 students

Outdoor activities in school are funLuckily, I got lots of friends at school.

Acrostic Poem By Tony Kim(6)

Mr. BeyerEnglish

@SaipanGeckos

G8 English class spent a great time reading the book Lord of the Flies . After finishing the famous novel, their teacher Ms. Hampel assigned the #sisgeckos with several activities from which they learned the value of team work, cooperation and helping each other. Everyone is good at something and bad at something. Ms. Hampel adds, the people around you can help you with what you are bad at, and you can help them with something they are bad at. So everyone needs to help; you just have to ask, "Do you need help?" Don’t be shy and ask. Asking won’t hurt you. It was an interesting activity and everyone got a special memory for their 8th grade school year. We learned another lesson about life. Help each other, ask, offer, and cooperate with each other. These things will make you a better person throughout your life. Don't be selfish, be helpful.

Ms. HampelEnglish

&Drama

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

7

I like it when we do projects and reviews. Projects because if I have a project to do, I need to know what I'm learning about. It helps me study. I like reviews because without reviews I probably wouldn’t understand anything. Grace Choi(8)I like Mrs. Ayeras. She has bunch of experiments that are exiting. Also I like the subject life science. It’s an interesting subject. Rex Kim (7)I like that we get to have fun while learning. That is probably the best thing I like about our school. I also like that we get to have different events in school like the science olympics to get to know about people in different grades. Since this school is an international school, we get to meet different people around the world. We have friendly teachers that help us with our problems. Another thing I like is that we get the chance to earn extra credit to raise our grades up. Ruth Park(8)I like life science with Mrs. Ayeras because she teaches really well, and I learned lots of new things. Also, she gives us lots of extra credits, which helps our grades. Malika Miyawaki(7)My likes were that we had group projects, and we had discussions to learn it better. We had projects like the Rube Goldberg, and I like the most in the physical electrical, I learned a lot, friction power, static friction.In series, learned a lot. Angela(8)I like Physical Science with Mrs.Ayeras because she gives us fun activities to do. We got to build rockets, and mouse trap cars. It was really fun. She also helps us with MathCourt, and how to get better at math. Even though she sometimes gives us lots of homework and tests, it helps us learn more things and get better at them Tania Tan(8)In science, the thing that I think it's the

m o s t interesting is the part when we dissected animals,

and get to know what's it's like in the animal, we

h a d fun, and we learned from

our experience. I also think the

time when we did experiments together

i s f u n . A m i Tsukagoshi(8)

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Ms. AyerasScience

8

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

In 12th grade Physics we had the opportunity for a hands on experience with what we were learning regarding projectile motion. Ms. Andrews gave us the project of building a 2ft cubed (max) catapult that would launch at least 1ft. (most launched much further!) She let us divide into our own groups, gave us glue, rubber bands, and Popsicle sticks, and told us we could use any extra supplies to help better our catapults. Most people bought extra wood in order to improve their catapults. We started building our catapults and after finishing the basic structure, we tested the power and trajectory of the release of the ball. At this moment we adjusted the weight and position of our catapults in order for the ball to go far, but in a consistent place. While building the catapults with our groups we had a better idea of the c o n c e p t o f w h a t i s h a p p e n i n g d u r i n g projectile motion. We had a better grasp about how the ang les o f re lease and in i t i a l velocity affect the ball's t ra jectory- i t 's max height, distance, and time. This was a fun way to put in action the concepts we learned in c l a s s ! - N i c h o l e Arenovski(12)

Ms. AndrewsScience

& Math

9

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLART & YOGA

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

Everyone at SIS loves #art classes. Doing art is a way to express yourself. Ms. P, the yoga teacher, is also an art teacher. She has been doing art since 2006 and she likes how you can express yourself through painting. “Painting is like self expression,” said Ms. P. She was inspired to teach art because she found it similar to yoga. You can find a certain sense of peace and freedom. Her favorite type of art is painting, more specifically, self-expressive painting. Ms. P has different grades paint murals in the library, the high school hallway, and create recycle art in the playground. Yoga and art are related to each other. Ms. P said, “Yoga is a journey to you, to within. Art is also a journey. You paint for process, not for product. Let go of the result and appreciate the journey. Express from the heart.” What she means by this is that the outcome is not important, but the journey that led you to the outcome is. Ms. P also has art classes for adults and teens. Teen art is on Monday afternoons, and Adult art is on Saturday mornings.

Yoga is becoming more and more popular because it is a great exercise for children of all ages. Yoga is designed to reduce stress and find peace from within. Here in Saipan International School (SIS), Ms. Peterson teaches the yoga classes. Ms. P was inspired to do yoga because she heard many wonderful things about it. She likes finding peace and finding some ways to calm her mind, especially when she gets super busy. The purpose of doing yoga, for Ms. P, is that it allows her to go within herself. It lets her listen to her experiences, listen to herself, find peace, and be happy.Yoga has helped her live her life with passion and have confidence and courage to live her dreams. She has b e e n doing yoga for about 10 years. She has

been teaching yoga since 2011. She loved how yoga made her feel so she took teaching training classes and got

certified. She wanted to pass on the benefits of yoga to the teens of

SIS. Ms. P has startedyoga classes for adults, kids, and teens. The kids and teens l o v e t h e g a m e s a n d movements, while the adults take it more seriously. Adult

c l asses a re Mondays and Wednesdays at SIS, while the kids yoga is on Tuesdays. Teens yoga is during school hours. By: Jennifer Tan(11)

Ms. Peterson

10

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Mrs. Bray

SIS is a 1:1 school starting from G7. Therefore, adding a Digital Citizenship class into it’s curriculum was crucial. This class is about collaboration, discussion, creating authentic projects using their own devices. All units spiral to address digital literacy and citizenship topics. Among the topics students learn are cyber-bullying, safe talk online, strategic searching techniques, scams, copyright issues, digital footprint, and reputation online. Lessons are designed to teach students about staying safe, being responsible, and respectful online as well as get better at computing by creating. If you would like to see some of the projects our students created, you may scan the QR codes at the bottom of the page.

11

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Have you ever expected a final exam to be fun and enjoyable? Probably not. In o u r e i g h t h grade Mandarin class, however, the final exam was to make a Chinese video! In the video, everybody has to speak Chinese and we have to discuss what we have learned over the previous years in Mandarin class. This is a very fun and active way to improve our fluency.

It sounds like it would have been easy, right? Well, you are wrong. We had two weeks to work on this assignment, and we were given ten topics that were mandatory to be brought up

during the video, such as making a plane, talk about weather, directions, sickness, order food and drinks in a restaurant or over the phone. It was very challenging, but we all enjoyed doing this assignment. Our ability to speak Mandarin improved in an

environment outside of the classroom. Also, our relationships with each other grew closer as we worked together to get a good grade.

We also had lots of fun while we were watching the videos in the class. It’s so interesting to see the people who you know speak like a native

Chinese person! “Making the mandarin video and watching it makes you have the pride on our acting skills and make us feel like actors. We love this project.” AJ said.

HAVING FUN IN CHINESE CLASSBy: Michael Lee(8) and Morgan Kim(8)

Ms. MarshallChinese

Language

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Mandarin Chinese is the most prominently spoken foreign language. Chinese classes have the highest number of students out of all of the other languages. SIS has two Chinese teachers on staff. However, there are also other languages that the students are interested in. Those prefer to study through an online program called Rosetta Stone (Japanese, Korean, Italian, Tagalog, Portuguese, predominately Spanish, and many others). Students who take Chinese classes study with a Chinese teacher while other students study Rosetta Stone. Students taking Rosetta Stone class have to finish two units each quarter and every lesson should have above a 90% to be considered a "pass." Rosetta Stone class is a self-study class. However, some students run into problems. Jie, a sophomore here at SIS, said, “Sometimes I cannot understand what the words really mean because the program only shows pictures.” Jie, along with some other students at SIS, are having trouble completing the assignments due to the difficulties the program exhibits. Overall, students who have self motivation to study any language get to be successful by either self study program or with a teacher of SIS.

ROSETTA STONE By Lu Song(G11)

12

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

During the first week of December, SIS received an early Christmas present from the College Board, when the PSAT results were returned.

For Juniors, the PSAT results are a gauge to performance on the SAT as well as a qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship program. In the 2014 PSAT the national average score for Juniors was 141.9. The SIS Junior class average was a 160.3. The class high score was a 220. The Sophomore class also showed a strong performance with an average of 149.2 and a high of 198. The Freshmen class average was 126.3 with a high of 174.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

G9G10G11

PSAT

0

200

400

600

800

Reading Math WritingAverage Score SIS highest Score

This fall the SAT test results came and we are proud of #sisgeckos accomplishments. Average Reading score was 515 and our highest score was a 710. Average Math score was 626 and our highest score was a 770. Average Writing score was 567 and our highest score was a 780. These scores once again show the outstanding academic abilities of our Geckos.

SAT

ACCELERATED READING (AR)

ACHIEVE 3000This year we are in the process of implementing the Achieve 3000 program into grades 3-10 at SIS. The program is dynamic and challenges readers at their current reading level. The program was designed to improve the reading of non-fiction material, which becomes more and more important as students move toward college. We have seen excellent growth in all the classes using the program with reading levels jumping across the grade levels.

Accelerated Reader was first introduced to us by our G5 teacher Amy McRoberts in 2009 and since then it is used at SIS to support the development of reading in all grade levels. After reading a book, students take a quiz on the book to demonstrate their comprehension. Over the course of the year, students who actively engage in the program can see dramatic improvements in their reading ability. We encourage you to read 20 to 30 minutes a day with your child to support his/her learning.

G3G5G6G7G8G9

G100 25 50 75 100

Growth

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

K-8 9-12Goal Actual

Engaged TimeSchool year to date Total Books Read

6,766Words Read66,401,924

Based on Reading Practice Quizzes passed

13

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

SIS completed its amazing run this season with a third straight MISO boys volleyball crown in tow, foiling GCA’s title bids in the same number of years. The Geckos swept the elimination round and earned the first finals berth after breezing through the double elimination bracket on the final day. They enjoyed a twice-to-beat advantage after going undefeated. “All games were amazing and the quality of the plays was great. The skills of both SIS and GCA players made the finals worth it by all means,” said SIS coach Mili Saiki, who was assisted by J.R. Gechig and John Nekaifes.“As the SIS coach, I’m very happy and proud, not only with the

Geckos’ performance, but the other schools as well. This is, in my opinion, the year we have seen the best volleyball skills so far.” Quintin Ramsey, William Fong, Chris Park, brothers

Allen and Chris Cepeda, Daniel Lim, Chan Woo Jeong were the other members of SIS’ three-peat winning squad. Article from Saipan Tribune, Nov. 26, 2014.

U12 SIS IFL SOCCER

Our SIS junior varsity volleyball team was in the finals against MCS and it was a very close game. The first set started off slow, but when AJ Hudkins got his power serves in while MCS had game point (24), they finally caught up to them. However, SIS ended up losing the first set 24-26. They would also go on to lose the second set 14-25. Captain AJ says, "It was a real good experience to play with this amazing group. My favorite part of being on the team is having all the good laughs we had, and everything that we accomplished together. We did well and second place is actually pretty good." AJ Hudkins and Grace Choi received an all star award for the SIS White team. By:Adele Hudkins(G11)

MS VOLLEYBALL

Saipan International School joined the elite circle of champions in the NMIFA U12 Interscholastic Football League, following a 2-1 win over William S. Reyes Elementary School in the 2014 season finale played at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. Bruce Berline and Mayling Colombo coached the champion

squad, which also had Daniele Colombo, Go Sekiguchi, Do Hyeon Kim, Matthew Berline, Jabez Sebastian, Patiphon Benchakarn, Jung Woo Yoon, Brian Youn, Brandon Lee, Sean Gil, Hyun Jae Park, and Min Jin Cho on its roster. Article from Saipan Tribune, Dec. 16, 2014.

SPORTSHS MISO BOYS VOLLEYBALL

14

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

The SIS Thanksgiving Feast was on the 26th of November and many people of the SIS community worked hard to make the feast a memorable one. SIS had many kiosks set up separately by nationality, and had most of the food representing Asian cultures. This Thanksgiving, just like any Thanksgiving, reminded us that it's important to know what you're thankful for. This is exactly what I asked our headmaster Mr. Bray. He responded as fast as I finished the question answering, “I'm thankful for the parents’ support we have here at SIS because without them, we’d have a very hard time getting by.” When questioned about the reasoning behind having this SIS feast, Mr. Bray responded, “Everyone will celebrate their different ethnicities that make up SIS. We plan to have many ethnic groups present from different nationalities, and maybe some costumes.” The purpose of the SIS Thanksgiving festival is to celebrate the different ethnicities that make up the SIS community and to give thanks to anything you have in life, such as family and friends. Although Thanksgiving may not be a holiday in most countries outside the US, SIS connects its students to this important holiday. No matter what country you're from, you should always be thankful f o r w h a t y o u h a v e i n y o u r l i f e . -By John Stewart(G11)

Saipan International School - MP, 96950 #sisgeckos

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL FEAST

15

@SaipanGeckos

SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLEDUCATIONAL TAX CREDIT(ETC)

Business owners on Saipan have an opportunity to directly help any school on the island through Public Law 10-73.

1-2-3... Giving is easy!

1. Write a check to SIS between $10 and $5,000.

2. SIS will give you a receipt.

3. Attach the receipt to your monthly or yearly tax return.

SIS is one of only a few Saipan schools that operate without regular funding from a religious or corporate organization so we depend upon ETC fundraising to help pu rchase books , r esou rces , and technology for students. Please help continue the SIS tradition of excellence in education. Donate if you can; if you can't, spread the word about ETC donations to friends with Corp businesses. If you need more information, stop by the office and pick up an ETC information packet in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Russian.

If you want to know more about the ETC, scan the QR Code on the right.

If you have further questions, please get in touch with the Headmaster, Mr. Tim Bray, or the Office Manager, Ms. Mili Saiki.

Mr. Tim Bray: [email protected]:2853171 Office: 2889660

ACA Corporation Ace Hardware CNMI,

Inc.Bank Pacific

Century Tours Inc.Deloitte and Touche

Ginen SaipanKosta LLC

Soi In Corp. Danbi Choi LLC

L & F IncorpratedLaw Office of Sean

FrinkHardt Eye Clinic &

Diabetes Education Center

Pacific Airport Services

JP World Corporation

To watch SIS Video, you may scan the QR Code on the right.

To visit SIS homepage and get an application form you may scan the QR Code on the left.

To visit our Facebook page you may scan the QR Code on the right.

This newsletter was brought to you by the efforts of the students and teachers of SIS. Special thanks go to Mrs. Aysem Bray who dedicated her time to create our first The Gecko Echo Newsletter.

CREDITS

How do these funny shapes work?

1. Get your smart phone out. 2. Find an application called QR Code Reader

and download the app for free to your smart phone.

3. Once the download is finished, open the app and scan the QR Code you see in this newsletter. You will be directed to the webpages, youtube videos, and many more items of interest.

No more typing long web addresses into your computer and finding out that you made a tiny mistake and you need to retype the whole address. You now have QR Codes all over. Simple, fast, and secure!

S a i p a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l S c h o o l A s L i t o R o a d , P O B o x . 5 0 3 1 2 1 T e l : 6 7 0 - 2 8 8 9 6 6 0

Minori Saipan Corp.Moylan’s Insurance Underwriters, Inc.

National Office Net Care Life and Health

InsuranceOkadaya

Pacific Fertility Institute Inc.

Quincy Corp.Salty Saipan Corp.

Sea LagoSeas, Inc.

Seashore Inc.Sin Ho Development Inc.

Smile MarianasVaughan, Victoria.

andWing Corporation

And a big thank you goes to:

You are on our Honor Roll!