RoundUp
Term 2 Second Half | 2019-2020
Dear Parents,
There are many adjectives being used to describe the times we are currently enduring and almost all of them are accurate. As I write this message for this edition of RoundUp, I have the February half term edition beside me and can’t believe that only six weeks ago, the current situation seemed unimaginable. For people, businesses and probably governments, it’s all about survival now.
The key to overcoming difficult times is often in preparing for them but the Covid 19 crisis came upon us so quickly that few had time to prepare.
As the situation escalated, all schools on the island were given a day’s notice of closure and we at TLC had to decide on our response and then undertake the massive task of implementing it.
We decided to keep as closely as we could to the normal school day but teaching the lessons online. At this point I want to give credit to the teachers. Almost overnight, they had to change their planning and teaching style AND learn to use technology few had encountered before. We began our online teaching on March 16th and, not content to rest on our laurels, we have used our experiences, those of our students and constructive feedback from parents to help us evolve our online solution, a process that will continue as long as schools remain closed.
One of the biggest impacts on the students has been the cancellation of the summer exam series and we have been investigating ways to help the Year 11 and Year 12 students gain something positive from the time that would have been spent revising for and taking their exams. Working with Edexcel, we are about to introduce a new qualification to TLC Private School which will appeal to both academic and vocationally minded students. The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) has the equivalence of up to half an A level, accrues UCAS points and is looked favourably upon by universities when assessing applicants as it shows they have experience in the skills they will need at undergraduate level. The course is an exciting and stimulating one and we already have students who are keen to participate.
We all hope that the crisis is over soon but I think it’s too soon to hope that the summer term will start with us all sat at our desks in the two school buildings. Until that happy day comes and this nightmare is behind all of us, stay safe this Easter, enjoy the time with your family, away from the computer screens and, as the Queen said to the British people, ‘We will meet again’, hopefully sometime soon.
Ian Wells | Director
Dear Parents,
I want to begin by echoing Ian’s thanks to the school community. Some of our teachers are parents too and we know first-hand from them how difficult it is to help children with their learning at the same time as trying to do your own work that helps to feed, clothe and house your families.
Teaching history and geography to our secondary students, I get to experience first-hand what online teaching is like and often receive feedback on what online learning is like too.
For all teachers, the difficulty has been how we get the knowledge, skills and understanding across to the students having lost one of the most important ways of communication – body language.
Internet connections across Paphos aren’t the best and we often have to work without cameras, losing another way that we communicate through being able to demonstrate visually to the students. That said, there are benefits which many of the students have reported – they find they can concentrate better and they enjoy the interactive lessons with their teachers.
It’s a truism that the best teachers are reflective teachers and I am copied in daily on excited emails between the staff telling others of new and creative content they’ve found or new ways to do things or previously undiscovered facilities of the software we’re using. All of us recognise that our online teaching has come a long way from our first day online back on the 16th March, less than four weeks ago.
Whilst we may all be learning something new, including new ways to work, increasing our personal adaptability – and developing some much needed resilience along the way, we are all desperate to get back to our physical school environment. For that we are at the mercy of the government and its efforts to defeat Covid 19. Let’s hope the battle is short but successful and we can greet long lost friends before the summer is out.
Stay safe.
David Lewis | Principal
From your teachers
with love...
Dear Students,
School closure and isolation measures happened so very fast and you didn’t have the opportunity to say goodbye to your teachers and friends before the holidays.
None of us anticipated that that this term we would not be with each other, at school in our classrooms, learning, enjoying each others company and having fun together. I am writing to you today to tell you how proud I am of you all. You have worked so hard everyday online with our TLC Continuous Learning Programme, with smiles on your faces, facing the challenges with hard work, determination and perseverance. Above all, you have faced this new challenge with a positive and winning attitude.
These attributes will definitely help you achieve your life goals. You have managed to adapt and to make the most of a difficult situation while maintaining a positive approach with focus. These attributes we have seen in all of you is highly commendable. We are very proud and blessed that we have students like you as part of our TLC family.
We look forward to seeing you all back at school in the near future.
Stay home, stay safe and always remain positive.
Love from
Miss Valentina | Vice Principal
Happy Easter!
Enjoy yourselves , keep safe, hug your mum and dad, brothers and sisters,
If not in person send virtual hugs. Miss seeing you in classes but it won’t last forever!
Keep strong.
Ms Addison
Stay Positive, you not alone.
Stay positive, you are not alone…
With all the awful things that are happening in the world because of the coronavirus, now might seem like an unusual time to talk about being positive but I think that being positive is the core ingredient to not losing focus and getting through hard or unusual times such as these we are facing.
All around the world students are struggling to stay motivated and study at home, at the start I found it very difficult to adjust and I am sure some of you did too. We are all missing our friends, classmates and teachers but I am grateful that we are still able to continue our studies online. It’s really good to still see and hear my classmates, attend lessons and still be able to study together and support each other. Many students are stuck at university or in a different country, missing their families too, that must be even more difficult. No matter what your situation is, it is tough keeping distance from our friends or loved ones and people in general but we have to do it. Isolation measures are in place to protect as many people as possible from the effects of coronavirus.
For those of us fortunate to be isolating with family or loved ones, I see it as an opportunity to spend quality time with them. I have taken time in my day to spend time with my mum and sister, play games, laugh and make memories together because before you know it, this will all be over and life will return to normal. For some that will mean returning to school, for others a new chapter. I will be going to university at Portsmouth, UK and leaving my family here in Cyprus. If you have family members that are not all with you be strong and remember that this will pass and you will all be back together again.
Stay safe and let’s look forward to the time we will see each other again soon.
Adriana Pyrgou | Head Girl
A Message by Lara MacIntyre
Thank you teachers for all the work you are doing to help us get our education.
We know it is hard and a new environment, but we know you are all doing an amazing job at teaching us. Thank you for the support with the virus and suffering the wrath of trying to control all of us via technology. Using technology to learn has been kind of challenging for both teachers and students, but you are all helping us get through it and we thank you for all you are doing. You guys are epic, so thank you.
Sincerely,
Lara MacIntyre
Year 8
Isolation | Year 9
Before the closure of the school, our Year 9 students were studying a diverse range of poets and poetry.
This has proved a great blessing, as it has provided our class with the opportunity to move towards writing their own poems, using the poetic techniques which they had been learning about. As our Year 9 students would tell you, at the essence of poetry is the universal need to connect to other people through language; to take feelings which are almost inexpressible and put them into a written form. Poetry also requires a certain stillness of mind and attention to detail, things which this period of isolation has presented a perfect opportunity to embrace.
It is both ironic and beautiful that through the distance of online learning, our students have written poems which have helped them to express their emotions about the impact of the Coronavirus and also connect with each other, at a time when many of us are feeling disconnected. Our young poets were also asked to take a photograph which they felt best symbolised their poem. I have greatly enjoyed reading their work and the feeling of intimacy it has given our class during this difficult time. So, a huge shout out to our wonderful Year 9 students and as always to the incredible power of poetry!
Ms Ally
Music & more...
‘Monday 6th April saw our first ever ‘live streamed’ concert by our Y12 music pupil: Zak Goodwin. He performed online to 8 members of staff where he played three pieces of his own choice, accompanied by a set of program notes for the audience to enjoy whilst he was playing. We are looking forward to our next online concert and inviting more people to listen and enjoy the fabulous talent we have here at TLC.
Well done Zak – a lovely time was had by all!’
Please also take a moment to enjoy Alisa Gonsales Moro, Y7 PE video and ‘Love Story’ performed by Wendy Hu, Y10 .
Ms Clare
T‘Love Story’ performed by
Wendy Hu, Y10
Sandwiches!
Year 1 have been doing an amazing job this term with their online and home learning!
For our English topic instructions, they have made jam sandwiches, built dens and created new games for when we come back to school.
In Maths, they have been working hard on measures and solving problems to do with length, weight and capacity. They put all these skills together when they made cakes and biscuits.
Miss Louise and Miss Irene are really proud of all of your hard work this term.
Water Pollution
For the last four weeks Year 2 have been studying Scientists and Inventors. Last week we learnt about Rachel Carson and her work about Ocean Habitats and Water Pollution. The pupils were set an experiment as part of their work to do at home. It was to show how insecticides and pesticides used on the land ultimately polluted the water . Below is a set of photographs of the experiment carried out by Robyn.
Ms Miranda
Happy Easter from Year 2
World War 2
Year 6s have been learning about the events that led up to the start of World War 2. We looked at how the war affects the lives of everyday people, food rationing, the economy and the important role that men, women, and children played during the war. Students wrote diary entries, created anti-war posters and wrote letters to their families.
Ms Evie
Diary Entry by Ava Wells
17/05/1941
In the attic
It is another day hiding in the attic. I am tired, I am sitting on a small bench reading my favourite book. It is so quiet you can hear people breathe because we are not allowed to talk as someone could find us. If we do talk, we have to whisper. The passageway leading to the attic is covered by a bookshelf that can be open from the outside and the inside. On the bookshelf, there are office files disguising it.
It is hard living in an attic. We have to be ready at 8 o’clock sharp to sit down and not talk as the workers in the factory can hear us.
At 12 o’clock I sit down and start writing in my diary- this is what I am doing now I am writing, grateful that I can express myself in some way.
Ava
18/05/1941
The food gets worse
It’s another day in the attic. In the early days of hiding, we had a variety of foods. We had meat and fresh vegetable but now we pretty much have the same food for weeks. At least we have loads of potatoes thanks to Henk Van Hoeve. The worst thing we have ever eaten is mash and kale. You won’t believe how kale that has been sat in a barrel for years can smell so bad.
Ava
Evacuee letter by Amelie Jones
Dear Mum
I have arrived in the country now. The journey was very enjoyable. I sat with Margot and Eliza. You know, my friends from school. Margot, Eliza and I live with the Campbells now. They’re husband and wife and they live on a farm. They chose another evacuee too. Her name is Alice Harper and she goes to my school. We stayed up late last night and had a midnight feast of toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate. It was delicious. We toasted them with Mr. Campbell on the fire inside. Then we ate them of course.
Alice, Margot, Eliza and I share a bedroom in their house. It’s so nice there. We can read for as long as we want here because Mrs. Campbell paid the electricity bill two months ago. It’s like the boarding school stories in the library.
Of course, all this isn’t as good as living a normal life with you and Dad. I miss you so much. I do horse-riding here now and I go to the local club. Angie, my instructor, said that I’m a good rider.
Miss you so much Mum,
Love
Anne
Diary entry by Dimitrii Deputatov
Ms Doubtfire
By Spyro Mavromichalos | Year 8
By Lara MacIntyre | Year 8
My Little World By Alisa Feizullova | Year 8
My little world
When all is dark inside my soul,
I come inside my lovely world.
It’s filled with toys and loyal friends,
And there happiness never ends.
I jump and run,
I scream and laugh.
And no-one tells me what to do:
To play the flute an hour or two…
And no-one shouts: “Al, come inside!”
Nor closes the door in front of my eyes.
Nobody expects something more than I can,
Nor plans my life without me beforehand.
And everywhere I go, I always win,
Because in my world, I am the queen.
My games, my books, my interests.
My life, my rules, my funny self.
And all those people, animals, friends,
All bow before me, and raise their hands.
And all those characters I’ve read or seen
In a good book, or a cinema screen,
They all are here, always with me.
In my world I have everything I need,
And all my dreams come true here, indeed.
And I would stay in this world all day,
But my real body needs a role to play.
So I come back in this dull world,
And only survive by the thought,
That somewhere deep inside of me
There is a beast that needs to be freed.
