Message from the Chairman and Managing Director

Message from the Chairman and Managing Director Dear Parents, Students, Faculty and Management, A new year has begun, and so much has already happened in a few short months! Over the summer we completed the work of installing our classrooms with air-conditioning so that the new academic year began in added comfort. In addition, we started off the school year with a few new features: new textbooks were introduced for English in the junior level and Bangladesh Studies in middle school; these were resources developed by Scholastica for our own students, we expanded the skills lab a program that was piloted last year and has officially launched in our junior and middle schools for Class I to IV, we completed work on more of the facilities of the Mirpur campus, including a beautiful new library, teacher resource center and IT lab, and, we made improvements to our Junior Gulshan campus fee collection booth and restrooms. In addition, we have continued to work on the quality of education with numerous training programs for teachers, and significant development of the core subjects (especially English and Bangla) and the Arts (Art, Music and Drama) by our Curriculum Development Unit. At the same time, the new year began with news about the outstanding academic results of our students in the O and A Level exams this year saw an improvement in the performance of students from the last few years, which was heartening and inspiring. We are so proud of our students and all their achievements; you can read more about the exam results, academic and sporting achievements, as well as events around campus in this newsletter. Thank you to everyone parents, faculty and management who work so hard to give the best education possible to our students. And congratulations to all our students who have achieved wonderful accolades in so many different fields, we are very proud of you! Contents 1. Message from the Chairman and Managing Director.. Page 01 2. Exam Results... Page 02 3. Educational Resources and Materials.. Page 03 4. Academic Events and Achievements.. Page 04 5. Sporting Glories.. Page 05 6. Trips in Bangladesh and Abroad.. Page 06 7. Events Around Campus.. Page 06 8. Notable Achievements by Faculty.. Page 08 Please take a few minutes to read through the news and updates from the past few months. And, rest assured that we will keep updating you on progress made against our own development plans in the coming months. Best wishes, Syeda Maher Murshed Chairman Syeda Madiha Murshed Managing Director Page 1

Exam Results Results are out! As usual, students of Scholastica performed very well in the CIE Public Examinations that were held in May and June 2012. Many of our students achieved top, and CIE also recognized some students for their special achievements in the exams. Below is a glimpse into the results of Scholastica s outgoing Class X and Class XII. Exam Results, O Level, May/June 2012 Exam O Level No. of Students Total No. of Papers Taken A* A B % of Papers Passed % of Papers with Top s 269 1965 359 548 595 98% 76% Students with 8 A s Students with 7 A s Students with 6 A s Marzuka Binte Mahmud Fahim Islam Shetab Fahmeed Khan Sheehan Quazi Fahim Faisal (Dhruba) Sharhan Manir Showmika Tabassum Supti Ashfaqul Azam Rafe Rais Hannan Rakib Morshed Nusrat Ahmed Chowdhury Fabia Ferdousi Huda Ishmam Tabassum Shafi Luana Ahonika Nasir Nanjiba Nawaz Sama E Deen Sharmili Mhepara Adnan Rahman Mortaza Amrita Talukder Mohini Khandakar Zarrin Tasnim Sadman Shahrier Hassan Sakif Tahminur Rahman Ali Risat Amirah Maisha Khan Nusrat Hossain Rasa Islam Sakib Rezaul Haque Sanah Enamul Haque Syeda Maliha Ahmed Parsa Quazi Natasha Ahmed Seemin Masood Rahnuma Ahsan Rooslan Mizan Tasnim Monzoor Chowdhury Anika Nayar Ali Ajrin Jamil Nafis Ahbab Shejutee Anika Karim Mohammad Ruzlan Islam Shadman Sakib Alma Zubaid Rohan Ibne Emtiaz Hasan Irtija Sabila Nazim Shafquat Tanvirul Islam Dorodi Afroze Krishty Mallik Rifa Tasfia Md.sakiul Islam Sudman Muneeba Fakrul Oyishee Ahmad Ahmed Nawaz Amanullah Nazifa Tabassum Humayun Ayesha Aniqa Huq Eshrak-e-moazzam Mayeesha Kamal Alveera Mamoon Faiza Anika Rahman Tasneem Tabassum Athoi Rafsan Mahmud Ajmain Rafa Khan Anika Maruf Iloera Muqtadir Era Shamita Yasna Kazi Tabassum Rubaina Nuhayr Hafiz Shah Meem Rafayat Chowdhury Md. Zunaid Hossain Rafsan Mahin Tahana Tasmeea Mushfiqur Rahman Farhana Rahman Mashiyat Rahman Sohayma Afreen Taseen Shadman Md. Walid-bin-khalid Students With Top s At the O Level, we had numerous students with outstanding achievements, including: 30 students with 8 A 24 students with 7 A 21 students with 6 A Exam Results, A Level, May/June 2012 Exam A Level No. of Students Total No. of Papers Taken A* A B % of Papers Passed % of Papers with Top s 141 438 60 82 134 98% 63 % Students with 4 A s Students with 3 A s Students with 2 A s Atif Saffat Anwar Farah Lamisa Rahman Tahrir Ibraq Siddiqui Ananya Ferdous Hoque Farhan Tanveer Hasan Nafis Mohammed Seyam Mayesha Tashnil Sarah Rahman Kazi Nasim Ferdous (Bubka) Nabila Aziz Shifat S.M. Ishraqul Huq Md. Rasimul Alam (Rasim) Aura Rahman Faiyaz Mohammed Iqbal Aaphsaarah Rahman Hossain Mohammad Nayeim Khan Moutasim Ashikur Rahman Rifat Binte Munsur Fatima Faheem Raadia Rawanul Momen Siam Ul Haque Arithra C. Debnath Arshiful Islam Shadman Sheikh Shadab Towqir Shalina Alam Anika Razi Murshed Ishtiaque Ahmed Shaan Maisha Karim Anisa Kabir Radia Alam Taiman Arham Siddiqui Mohammed Shadman Hossain Quazi Fayruz Rahman Khandoker Rakibul Alam Shadman Mahmood Inzamamul Islam Nabil Apshat Anwar Tasnim Tabassum Gazi Mohammed Shadman Sijan Mehrab Imtiaz Musfiqur Rahman Sakib Salman Rahman Sunny Students With Top s At the A Level, we were particularly thrilled with the results of the following students: 13 students with 4 A 14 students with 3 A 15 students with 2 A Page 2

The Examination Board, Cambridge International Examinations, recently recognized the following students in a ceremony in Dhaka: Year Level Name Subject Award Category 2012 O-Level Sakib Rezaul Haque Additional Top in Bangladesh Mathematics AS Level Taqbir Nurul Huda Accounting Top in Bangladesh A-Level Gazi Mohammed Shadman Sijan Accounting Top in Bangladesh We are so proud of our students, and look forward to hearing about their accomplishments in the future, even as they leave to pursue higher education. We also want to thank the parents and families of these students, who supported them during their exams and cooperated with us to ensure their best performance. Of course, we recognize the important role that faculty played in these results, and thank them for their hard work and dedication. Educational Resources and Materials Textbook Development As you know, Scholastica s curriculum development unit is constantly working on upgrading the curriculum and materials used in the school to stay abreast of modern education methods. We are proud to officially launch the following textbooks in this academic session. Experienced teachers and content developers have worked very closely in planning, writing, editing and designing these textbooks. A panel of eminent national scholars and educationists reviewed the manuscripts of these textbooks and their valuable comments and suggestions played an important role in finalizing the texts and resources. Discovering Bangladesh Book I has been written and published as a Bangladesh Studies textbook for students of ages 9-10. This is the first of a three-book series, and it contains content aligned to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board syllabus as well as Cambridge International Examination s curriculum for the O Level. This textbook is a rich and colorful collection of texts, maps, photographs, illustrations, tables and timelines to present a coherent evolution of ancient Bengal s history, culture and heritage. This historical progression is then contextualized with a background of Bengal s geography and environment. Another part of the textbook covers the core civic and social values to develop our students as future citizens. Feedback from Scholars and Experts.I feel that the write up.has excellently put together the essentials for the young learners. The illustrations and maps will help in the process of understanding and make the historical facts palatable and interesting for the learners,.scholastica deserves our appreciation for their laudable effort. Abdul Momin Chowdhury, Honorary Professor of History, University of Dhaka. The book has been very competently written both academically and linguistically. It will certainly serve the needs of students of English medium schools in the country.providing students with standard textbooks on Bangladesh affairs. Sirajul Islam, Professor (rtd.) of History, University of Dhaka, and Chief Editor, Banglapedia: A National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. this book is an excellent introduction to the facts of Bangladesh environment for the young students at the primary level. K. B. Sajjadur Rasheed, Former Professor, Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka. I hope our young learners will be able to know their motherland, its geographical setting, glorious history, very rich cultural heritage and society as well. Md. Shafiqul Alam, Former Director General, Department of Archaeology. Government of Bangladesh Page 3

Word Quest: The Kindergarten English Workbook: One & Two has been compiled and designed to develop the core skills of English reading and writing in the very young. Through carefully graded fun skill work children aged 5 and 6 are prepared to move easily and with confidence to the primary level. Pupils can explore colors, sense perceptions and feelings, and thus they learn to infer from the pictures and illustrations in the given context. They also learn to count and put in words the number and scale of objects around them. All of these lead them to absorb the meaning of words and sentences naturally and confidently. Attention has been given to creating plenty of opportunities for children to be engaged in learning joyfully. Both the students and the teachers will find the workbook[s]... very helpful and attractive tool[s] for learning and teaching. Manzoor Ahmed, Senior Advisor, Institute of Educational Development, Brac University Introduction of DigiClass DigiClass is an award-winning multimedia-enabled teaching solution. Digiclass incorporates an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB), computer, projector and a preloaded content repository that has over 3,000 animations, 10,000 self explanatory diagrams, 3D interactivity, worksheets, quizzes, e-books and several hours of experiments all designed to make the classroom session more engaging and collaborative. We installed the system in the Senior Section last year, and now have expanded that system to the middle sections in Uttara and Mirpur. The faculty in the middle sections are currently going through extensive training and we expect them to start using the resources from the second term. We hope that the system meets our goals to enhance the learning experience of students and bring the world into the classroom! So far, the feedback from students and teachers in the Senior Section has been very positive and we look forward to finding new ways to incorporate this wonderful technology into different aspects of our teaching. Academic Events and Achievements Field Trips: The Class II IV students of Middle Section, Uttara took fields trips in November to visit Heritage Park, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre and the Liberation War Museum respectively. The students of Class I from Gulshan visited the army museum, where they watched a video clip on the liberation war with amazement in their eyes and also got to see weapons that were used during the war. National Science Festival: A number of Scholastica students participated in the National Science Festival organized by Notre Dame College. Three students from Class VIII, Sultan Arefin Khan, Rizwan Ahmed Chowdhury and Rynel Hasan, secured the Second Prize in the Project Physical Junior Level. The name of their project was Submarine. ALOHA (Advance Learning of Higher Arithmetic) International Mathematics Competition: Aryana Ismail Fakir of Class IV was awarded 1st Runner Up in the ALOHA International Mathematics Competition which was held in Sydney, Australia on 5th August, 2012. Three hundred students from 30 different countries participated in this competition. Aryana completed 70 mental maths questions in 5 minutes. Aryana was selected for the International ALOHA Competition through selection at national level where she defeated 30,000 students from different districts and divisions in Bangladesh. Two other students, Eraj Rahman of Class II and Tahmid Ahmed Safa of Class III successfully completed the Aloha Mental Arithmetic Level One and Level Five respectively, organized by Aloha Mental Arithmetic in Malaysia. Bangladesh International Model United Nations (BiMUN) conference: The conference was held in Senate Hall in the Dhaka University Campus from November 28 to December 01, 2012. Three students of Scholastica s Senior Section, Fahrial Alam, S. M. Muntasir Mubin Sauvik and Ferdous Shamaun, participated in the conference along with 150 delegates from various Universities. Fahrial Alam won the outstanding delegate award and received a crest and certificate in the award ceremony from the Honorable Chief Guest, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Dipu Moni. Page 4

Josephite Debating Festival: Mirpur Campus students were invited to participate in the JDC Debate Festival 2012 organized by the Josephite Debating Club (St. Joseph s Higher Secondary School). The Scholastica team won two rounds, the first against O Level students of Playpen, and the second against class VII & VIII students of Viquarunnessa Noon School. The other two rounds were against O Level students of Academia & A Level opponents from Mastermind. Our team secured success in placing themselves among the top ten teams in the first round. Art and Music Competitions: Individual students also achieved commendations in various competitions, including: Mansieve Sharaar Mahmood, Class IV, got a certificate for playing guitar in a musical show at Music Planet, Gulshan. Faiza Alim of Class IV secured 6th position in the Kidzee Art Competition. Universal Children s Day competitions: The Russian Cultural Centre organized a photography exhibition on the occasion of Universal Children s Day from 20th November to 23rd November. Three photographs of Raida Nafiul Niti of Class I was selected for exhibition. Several students of Scholastica also participated in the Children s Day Celebrations organized by Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Dhaka. The competition was open for all children of the age group of 6-16 years. Students participated in the Painting Competition, Music Competition & Classical Indian Dance Competition. Nine students secured different positions in those competitions. Sporting Glories Scholasticans continue to excel in sports! Scholastica held numerous sporting events of its own, and our students also took part in external competitions and tournaments: Annual Sports Day: Students of KG- II & Class I of Mirpur took part in their Annual Sports on 26th November. Our Chief Guest, Ms. Syeda Fardah Farhana Alam, Senior Vice Principal of Junior Dhanmondi, and our Special Guest, Ms. Noorjahan Begum, Head of Planning & Administration, inaugurated the Annual Sports and encouraged the young athletes for their effort and achievement. Ms. Sofia Jalal, Principal of Middle Uttara and Ms. Farah Sophia Ahmed, Senior Vice Principal of Mirpur Campus inaugurated the Annual Sports of Class II on 27th November. All the Junior Sections also participated in Sports Day in the first term. The event was spread out over 3 days showcasing students' physical fitness, fine and gross motor skills and manual co-ordination. Students participated in musical displays and competed in various races. All in all, everyone enjoyed the events, which helped build a sense of sportsmanship and discipline in the students. Sister Imelda 5th Memorial Girl s Volleyball Tournament 2012: The Girl s Volleyball Team of Scholastica, Senior Section were declared as the Unbeaten Champion of the Tournament organized by SFX Greenherald International School from 5th 6th October 2012. The other teams that participated in this tournament were Australian International School, Southbreeze, BIT, Sunnydale and 2 teams from Greenherald School. Scholastica Interschool Volleyball Tournament 2012-13: On November 8th-10th the tournament was held in the Senior Section Uttara. Seven other schools participated in this tournament Pledge Harbour Sports Academy, The Aga Khan School, Australian International School, Southbreeze, BIT, Sunnydale and Greenherald School. Mr. Salahuddin Akbar, Additional Secretary from Ministry of Education of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh graced the Closing Ceremony as the Chief Guest and handed out the Trophies to the Champions and Runner-up Teams. From the Boys' Team, Mr. Yasin Mahmud (Diyab) was declared as the Player of the Tournament and from the Girls' Team Ms. Sheikh Rashmim Rahim was adjudged as the Best Player. Friendly Girls Basketball Match of A-ISD (under 14): The Senior Section s Girls Basketball team won the match with A-ISD girls team on November 21, 2012. ISD HS Boys Football League 2012: The Senior Section Boys Football Team was declared as Unbeaten Champion of ISD HS Boys Football League 2012 organized by International School Dhaka, which was held from 4th October 8th November 2012. Participating teams were Delhi Public School, Turkish Hope School, Sunnydale, Grace Int. School, The Aga Khan School and 2 teams from ISD School. Page 5

ITF JTI Inter School Tennis Tournament: Scholastica s boys team brought home a Championship trophy from the ITF JTI Inter School Tennis Tournament 2012. The girls who participated in this Junior tennis tournament have also done very well and emerged as Runners Up. In particular, Fabiha Lamisa of Class IV was the Runner up in the class IV Girls Single Group and also in the Girls Team Event Group. A total of 13 boys and 6 girls took part in the Tournament. Golf Tournaments: Rynel Hasan of Scholastica, Senior Section clinched the Junior championship title in the 17th Transcom Cup Golf Tournament at the Kurmitola Golf Club, and his brother Raiven Hasan clinched the Junior Runner-up Trophy in the 4th Gallerie Apex Cup Golf Tournament 2012 at Savar Golf Club. Additional Sporting Achievements: Apurbo Zunaid of Class I secured a Blue Belt in Tae kwon do from Bangladesh Tae kwon do Federation, Dhanmondi Branch. Tahmid Raqeeb (Autul) of Clas VIII became Runner up both in Asian 14/U Series Tennis Tournament 2012 & 7th BKSP Asian 14/U Series Tennis Tournament 2012. Adeeb Mustofa of Class IV has received a purple belt and gold medal in Karate, organized by Gulshan Youth Club. Trips in Bangladesh and Abroad Scholasticans had all kinds of adventures, traveling inside Bangladesh and abroad this term: Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, Bangalore: Nine students from the Senior Section were accompanied by a Scholastica management personnel to Vidya Niketan School in Bangalore, India to attend a Model United Nations conference from October 2 9, 2012. Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, Delhi: Another group of 10 students from the Senior Section were accompanied by two teachers to the Sanskrit School in Delhi, India from October 8 16, 2012. Duke of Edinburgh s Bronze Award program: A group of 30 students, four teachers and one management staff went to the Rural Development Academy at Bogra on Friday 19th & Saturday, 20th October, 2012 to complete an adventurous trip as part of the Bronze Award International Certificate. This was a 2-day program and was organized with different activities designed by the DOE foundation. Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, Chandigarh: The Vivek High School of Chandigarh, India organized a MUN Conference from November 23-27. Two management personnel attended the conference along with 8 students from the Senior Section. Events Around Campus There were so many events on the different Scholastica campuses its been a busy term! Here is a brief glimpse into some of the events, functions and programs held in Scholastica in the past few months: Teacher Appreciation Day: All the campuses celebrated the teachers in October with different kinds of celebrations organized by students and management. The campuses were decorated with quotations, poems and art work. Speeches were made during assembly by management, parents and students. Different activities took place on different campuses, including a cake-cutting and a friendly handball match amongst teachers! Green Week: Students in the all the junior sections observed a week long program to learn about the environment and to appreciate the importance of planting and taking care of trees in our world. Page 6

International Day for Tolerance: Students of Class VII & VIII of Mirpur Campus observed this international day on 14th November. They tried to generate broad awareness among their peers about the consequences of intolerance. Students learnt the importance of tolerance, keeping harmony among individuals, communities and nations; develop capacities for independent judgment, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. Global Hand Washing Day: Observed in October to make children aware about cleanliness and healthy habits. All the students of Middle Uttara Campus participated in the briefing session during assembly. UN Day: The United Nations Day was observed on 22nd October in the Middle Section. During assembly a group of children spoke about the history and main agencies of the United Nations. A number of boards displayed the project work of the students on United Nations. The entire campus was decorated with flags of the member countries of United Nations. In the Senior Section Uttara, the celebration was designed by the prefects of Class XI & XII. Students displayed different handmade and printed posters, reading materials on board for students information. Many stalls on various UN agencies and 10 UN countries were set up to project UN activities and a grand traditional dance performance by the students of Class VIII was presented. Mr. Kazi Ali Reza, in-charge of UNIC, Bangladesh was present as the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony. Bring Out The Best In You : The awareness program was held from 26th October for one week in the Junior Gulshan Campus to remind students about good behavior and everyone s responsibilities. Trip to US Education Centre on International Children s Day: The Students of class II A to C of the Middle Uttara campus made a trip to the US Embassy Education Centre on 21st November, 2012. They visited the children s reading section and received free membership to the library. Victory Day Celebration: The Middle Section Uttara celebrated the 41st Victory Day with an art competition and a short cultural program. About 110 students of Class II (A D) participated in the different segments of the program. The students learnt about our history through dramatization, poem recitation, rendering of patriotic songs and dances. In the morning the Final Round of the Victory Day Art Competition was held followed by the cultural show. The program was enriched with the dramatization of some historical moments which included the 7th March speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the Surrender of the Pakistani forces at the then Race Course Maidan. Students in the Junior Section Gulshan campus also arranged for children to portray the history of our country through a cultural celebration of our country and through the use of the color of pride. Winter Clothing Collection Drive: Under the slogan Donate clothing, warm the heart, the members of the Community Club of Middle Section, Uttara undertook a drive to collect winter clothing for the less privileged people. The students were very enthusiastic and donated generously. The collections were handed over to the JAAGO Foundation. International Literacy Day: To declare solidarity with the international event the Senior Section Uttara organized a special assembly on Sunday, September 9, 2012. The focus of the event was to make students aware about the importance of improving literacy rates globally, to help with acquiring basic education for all, eradicating poverty, reducing infant mortality, reducing population growth, reaching gender equality and ensuring constant development, peace and democracy. This year UNESCO has declared Literacy & Peace as the theme for the event. Page 7

Discipline Month: Discipline with dignity was the theme for this session s Discipline Month in the Senior Section Uttara. The event started with a grand opening ceremony during assembly on September 24, 2012. All prefects were given responsibilities to take care of disciplinary issues on campus. Ms. Farah Naz Islam conducted the oath-taking session. The objective of the event was to encourage students to practice discipline throughout the day. Awakening into Awareness (AIA), an NGO, organized a workshop on Drugs and Drug Abuse for the students and parents of Class VIII on September 25, 2012 as a part of this event. Lazy Eye Program: This program was conducted in the Junior Schools to check the eyesight of the young children. KGI students were given a basic eyesight test and parents were informed if any eye sight problems were detected. Healthy Food for Healthy Life: This student-oriented program focuses on the importance of personal hygiene, healthy eating habits and the importance of proper exercise. To show their knowledge, all the Junior section students taught an audience of parents how make a fruit salad! Notable Achievements by Faculty Ms. Eva Afrose, a teacher in the Middle Uttara campus, was awarded 2nd runner up for directing a short film Shamporko in the Short Film Festival organized by NSU. PE faculty members of Middle Uttara are striving to enhance their strength as teachers, their hard work and dedication was awarded by good result. Ms. Nahid Akhter Zahan passed her Masters in Physical Education in First Division from Uttara University and Mr. Julieas Michael Gomes secured 2nd position getting First Division from the same University. Mr. Faruqul Islam, faculty of the Middle Uttara campus, was Runner Up in the Premier Division Handball League. He also played in the National Handball Championship and secured the 3rd position in the tournament. Page 8