News from Secondary School Dear parents, It was a busy week in Secondary as we head into the October break. Sports fixtures, camp reflections, assessment due dates, Universities Fair, student research teams in action — lots happening! This will continue when we return; on Friday I shared the link to our online booking system for our ParentStudent-Teacher (PST) Conferences in mid-October. The link can also be found here. The break next week is a nice opportunity for students (and teachers!) to rest and relax a bit after a busy beginning of semester. These occasions are natural opportunities for students to reflect on their progress and evaluate their efforts thus far. An interesting thought experiment a student might do is to consider the following question: “What points will my teacher likely raise with me and my parent when we meet at the PST conference?”
Thinking in this manner is part of the reflection process and helps students to consider their progress from different perspectives. Just as teachers plan for conferences, so should students. On that note, I do ask that all secondary students attend the PST conferences with their parents - it is their education and they should have a “seat at the table” and be part of the discussion. I wish parents and students an enjoyable break!
Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal
Parent Workshop Day - MYP CONCEPTS and CONTEXTS Phil Clark MYP Coordinator
............................................................................................... Last Friday we organised a full day for parents to experience learning through concepts and contexts. In the morning parents participated enthusiastically in a hands-on mini unit of inquiry that simulated how Grades 6-10 students learn and are assessed in MYP. The unit was interdisciplinary, in that it incorporated three different subject areas - Individuals & Societies, Design and the Arts.
their own culture. They learnt how to make structured notes and how to cite their information sources using the collaborative features of Google Docs. They found library books and online resources to research how their culture has traditionally been expressed through food and the arts, and how it has been expressed in modern times. Comments overhead during the session included, “I didn’t know we’d really have to work,” “This is harder than it looks,” and “Now I know why my child says it is hard to get a 7 or 8 on assessments.”
While the unit developed skills and knowledge in all three subject areas, it was also designed to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts of “culture” and “innovation” and was set in a context of “personal and cultural expression”. The statement of inquiry for the workshop was “People can express their cultures in innovative ways while remaining true to their identities.”
The first session of the workshop was held in the school library with a focus on developing collaboration and research skills and historical knowledge in Individuals & Societies. Parents worked together in groups of two or three, huddling around computers to search the library catalogue and find books about
After a short morning break in the school cafeteria, the second session saw parents split into two groups - one group moving on to Design class, and the other group moving on to Performing Arts. Parents had to apply what they had researched and learnt about their culture during the previous session, and create an innovative way to express their culture by designing and creating either a meal (food design) or a theatrical performance (performing arts). Parents worked enthusiastically and created some truly impressive products. Comments overhead during this session included, “I wish we had classes like this when I was at school,” and “Now I know why my child is so excited about this subject,” and “Can we do this again?”
Igniting Minds
Continue next page >>
Impacting Lives
5