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Maths Mastery
Happy Pi Day. As we celebrate the mathematical constant π (Pi) today, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the importance of Maths in our curriculum at ISB. Our approach to Maths is rooted in research and designed to ensure that every student develops a deep and lasting understanding of mathematical concepts.
We do what we do because we know it works.
Learning Maths isn’t just about getting the right answers, it’s about building strong foundations that support future problem-solving and reasoning. This is why we use the Concrete, Pictorial, and Abstract (CPA) approach, ensuring that students explore concepts with hands-on materials, visualise them with pictures, and use abstract symbols and numbers. For many of us, Maths is taught differently now than when we were in school, but our structured progression is backed by extensive research into how children learn best.
A key part of building strong foundations begins in the Early Years, where we focus on subitising, helping children instantly recognise small quantities without needing to count. This skill is crucial for developing number sense, allowing children to see patterns, understand numerical relationships, and build confidence in working with numbers. When children can instantly recognise that three dots on a dice represent the number three, or that six is made up of two groups of three, they develop an intuitive understanding of how numbers work together. This early fluency makes later concepts, such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication, much more accessible and supports their long-term mathematical success.
At ISB, our Maths Mastery approach ensures that students move through learning together, developing fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills at every stage. We focus on securing key knowledge, like times tables and number bonds, because research tells us that committing these fundamentals to long-term memory allows students to tackle more complex problems with confidence. Without these essential building blocks, working memory can become overloaded, making problem-solving much harder.
This is why we prioritise explicit teaching, ensuring that students have everything they need to succeed rather than relying on trial and error.
Maths learning at ISB is structured, challenging, and academic, designed to turn our students into expert mathematicians who are well-equipped to apply their knowledge both in school and in the real world. As we celebrate Pi Day, it’s a perfect reminder that Maths is everywhere, and at ISB, we are committed to ensuring that every child masters it.
House Challenge Day
🟥 🟩 🟦 🟨 Fun, Friendship, and Lifelong Memories.
This week, we hosted our much-anticipated House Challenge Day, bringing together students from Pre-Kindy to Year 6 for a day filled with teamwork, creativity, and excitement. This was more than just a fun event, it was a celebration of community, belonging, and leadership.
One of the most special aspects of House Challenge Day is the way it unites students across different year groups. From our youngest learners to our oldest primary leaders, every child had the opportunity to work together, build friendships, and strengthen their connection to their House, a team they will belong to for their entire journey at ISB. Events like these are key to fostering a deep sense of identity, pride, and camaraderie, ensuring that students feel truly at home in our school.
A huge thank you goes to our House Captains, who stepped up as role models and leaders, guiding younger students with encouragement and enthusiasm. Their support was instrumental in making the day a success. Mr. Hick also deserves special recognition for his exceptional organisation and planning, ensuring that every challenge was engaging and meaningful.
At ISB, we firmly believe that school should be fun. A happy, secure child is one who is ready to learn, grow, and thrive. While House Challenge Day might have looked playful on on the surface, the reality is that these experiences build confidence, resilience, collaboration, and leadership, all crucial elements of our school’s wider success.
And of course, a massive congratulations to Sangang Blue House, the overall winners of the day. 🏆💙 Their teamwork, perseverance, and House spirit shone through, and we are incredibly proud of them.
Learning should be filled with joy, laughter, and shared experiences.
If you have any questions about any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to message in Seesaw.
Mr Michael Everett | Head of Primary
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🗓️ Tuesday 18th March - Public Holiday
🗓️ Friday 21st March - End of Term 2
🗓️ Monday 24th March to Friday 4th April - School Closed
🗓️ Monday 7th April - Start of Term 3
🗓️ Friday 11th April - Hari Raya Assemblies
🗓️ Friday 25th April - Celebration of Learning 👏
🗓️ Friday 2nd May - Yr1 & Yr2 Music Showcase 🎶
🗓️ Friday 2nd May - Yr3 & Yr4 Music Showcase 🎶
🗓️ Friday 9th May - Yr3 to Yr6 Swim Gala 🏊
🗓️ Wednesday 28th May to Monday 2nd June - School Closed
🗓️ Tuesday 3rd June - School opens.
🗓️ Friday 6th June - Reception, Yr1 & YR2 Swim Gala 🏊
🗓️ Monday 9th June - Public Holiday (TBC)
🗓️ Friday 13th June - Yr6 Ceremony 🎓 🗓️ Friday 20th June Reception Music Showcase 🎶
🗓️ Friday 20th June - Yr3 Sleepover 💤
🗓️ Wednesday 25th June (evening) - Yr5 & Yr6 Music Showcase 🎶
🗓️ Friday 27th June - Public Holiday (TBC)
🗓️ Friday 4th July - Last Day of School