Raha Diploma Newsletter July 2019

DP NEWSLETTER

July 2019

Dear Future DP Students and Parents, As we near the summer break, I wanted to share you some information regarding the Diploma Programme.

Here is a link to summer work and the DP book list. Grade 10 Summer Work If you haven’t already ordered your books, it is advised that you purchase the necessary books as soon as possible. Ms Jen has some for sale second-hand, otherwise Magrudy’s is fully-stocked with the texts. If you are travelling outside of the UAE, it may be worth considering purchasing through Amazon, as the prices are often cheaper. With regards to summer work, it is extremely important that students are ready to work in September, as the teachers will expect them to be prepared.

I appreciate the frustrations the new decree from the Ministry has had on some students’ course choices, but I request that you complete the form sent earlier this week, if you wish to study Arabic in the Diploma, or wish to gain equivalency from ADEK. Sadly, some students are leaving us for pastures new, and we wish them all the best in their exciting new adventures. I wish all students, parents and teachers a relaxing, exciting and reenergizing summer holiday; enjoy your well-earned break!

Uniform All students are required to wear loose fitting black trousers, ankle length (either from Zaks or tailored elsewhere)- jeans are not permitted; females may wear a long black skirt, ankle length; All students must wear the DP white shirt (with black piping); black shoes with black soles; Zaks black sweater or a plain black sweater with no logo/writing (no hoodies).

Zaks is located on the second floor in Raha Mall.

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Exam Fees Following feedback from Grade 12 Parents, I would like to announce the Exam fees as early as possible. I had hoped to do this before the summer break, but they have yet to be published by the IB. This year the fees were 4200 dirhams. This covers the costs of the exams themselves, invigilator’s reimbursement and the shipping of the documents. When I can confirm the exact cost, I will pass this on to you. This is payable at the start of Grade 12.

Communication Communication is of the upmost importance to us at Raha, therefore it is vital that students and parents follow the correct procedures when contacting staff.

ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION CLASS TEACHER

HEAD OF FACULTY

DIPLOMA COORDINATOR

PASTORAL COMMUNICATION ADVISORY TEACHER

HEAD OF GRADE

DIPLOMA COORDINATOR

Andrew Tomlinson, DP Coordinator atomlinson@ris.ae

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HEAD OF GRADE Dear Students and Parents, I am sincerely looking forward to working with you all throughout the approaching school calendar. This will be an exciting year filled with constant opportunities for personal growth. Students will face strong adversity next academic year, it is unescapable. It is vital therefore, to communicate concerns/questions early with the appropriate staff. Do not let issues linger, or questions go unanswered, please remember the staff are all here to help you, please seek immediate guidance as required.

To take full advantage of this program, please make use of the dedicated Diploma Program (DP) staff at your disposal. These include the Head of the Diploma Program Mr. Andrew Tomlinson; University counsellor Mr. Brian Marshall; secondary school counsellor Ms. Mellissa Jayawickrema; Head of Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Ms. Aoife Abushaqra; Extended Essay (EE) supervisor Ms. Muge Okur; and the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) supervisor Mr. Carlos Noguera.

Likewise, it is imperative for students to be efficient with their time management throughout the whole DP journey, following a logical sequence of process is important. Please express all general school questions through your advisory teachers first and foremost (they are your initial ‘gatekeepers’). Communicate any subject specific concerns/quires with your subject teachers. The Head of the DP Program is available to you for course/program academic related concerns/quires (changing subjects, academic documentation requests, SL & HL changes etc). Approach myself, your Head of Grade, for any unresolved school concerns. Please email me directly (jjones@ris.ae ) if you are not getting the answers you seek from following the above contacts, I am your general point of contact.

If you have any questions as a parent/caregiver, or would like to inform me of any issues concerning your child, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me via email. I am located in Block D, room 12 (upstairs, second classroom on the right). I look forward to hearing from and meeting you all in the coming months.

Kind regards, James Jones, Head of Grade 11 jjones@ris.ae

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UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS University Counsellor Role: ∙ Advise students, their parents, and the broader Raha community about university admission process, trends, procedures and testing. ∙ Counsel and support students as they engage in the university research process, draft essays and personal statements, and complete applications universities in the UK, US, Canada, and around the world.

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∙ Conduct individual meetings with students and parents throughout the year. Maintain confidentiality regarding student and family issues ∙ Conduct university information tutorial sessions and evening Night School sessions to inform students and parents of the regional application systems around the world. ∙ Write high quality letters of recommendation, update and complete school reports, and manage supporting school documents of student applications. Use BridgeU software throughout the university application process. ∙ With BridgeU, conduct psychometric activities with secondary students to guide course selections and career exploration. ∙ Promote and ensure effective communication between all parties associated with university planning.. Collaborate with the DP Coordinator and Heads of Grade. ∙ Inform and facilitate student access to all necessary and relevant information regarding SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS and other admission testing. ∙ Administer the PSAT test. ∙ Collaborate with other Taaleem counsellors to develop best practices and organize university fairs. ∙ Host university visitations to our school campus Brian Marshall, Director of University Counsellor Office

bmarshall@ris.ae

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COUNSELLOR Welcome to the DP! As your school counsellor, my role is to support your emotional and social wellbeing as you make your way through the demanding process that is the IB Diploma program. It is normal to feel overwhelmed, stressed and anxious as you look to the future; however, know that you are not alone. We will work together to make sure you have all the tools and strategies to make this a successful year.

Melissa Jayawickrema, School Counsellor mjayawickrema@ris.ae

CORE SUBJECTS The Extended Essay Welcome to the DP! The extended essay is a piece of independent research on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a supervisor in the school. It is compulsory for all students taking the Diploma Programme and is an option for course students. The extended essay is externally assessed and, in combination with the grade for theory of knowledge, contributes up to three points to the total score for the IB Diploma.

Grade 11 students will be introduced to the extended essay process in October where overview of the extended essay, guidance on topic selection and research question. In Raha, we expect our students to complete the extended essays by November of Grade 12, while most writing takes place during the summer break between Grade 11 and Grade 12. In order to be prepared for writing the extended essay, each student needs to go through significant amount of research and/or data collection, which will take place during the Grade 11 academic year.

I recommend students to start thinking about their areas of interest and be prepared to work on narrowing down to a research question with the support of their supervisor by the time we start the process in October.

I will be providing guidance for students and supervisors throughout the process, as well as setting deadlines to keep track of their progress. Here is the link to the extended essay online guide for students and parents who wish to have more detailed information at this point.

https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/extendedessay/apps/dpapp/index.html? doc=d_0_eeyyy_gui_1602_1_e&part=1&chapter=1

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the extended essay.

Thanks!

Muge Okur Extended Essay Coordinator mokur@ris.ae

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CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is at the core of the IBO programme along TOK and the Extended Essay. CAS aims to foster student citizenship by encouraging them to find opportunities to have an impact on the communities they belong to.

Both Gr. 11 and Gr. 12 students are expected to complete a series of ‘experiences’ ( or activities) throughout each school year. Every CAS experience should focus on one or more of the three strands; Creativity, Action, and Service (i.e., activity and service together). FullDiploma students are expected to maintain an updated CAS portfolio on ManageBac. This means that the CAS questions, reflection and evidence tabs for each experience must be filled out.

The focus for Gr. 11 students is to research, plan and act on a series of meaningful experiences that meet the Learning Outcomes set by the IB and at least one CAS project. The difference between a CAS experience and a CAS project is that the project is done collaboratively over a sustained period of time.

The progress made towards these activities needs to be documented on ManageBac with consistency. Students may complete the reflection for each activity through a written narrative, audio recordings, or annotated pictures.

Over the course of the year we will record two interviews. The first interview is to ensure that the expectations are clear and goals have been set. The second interview is to look at the progress made and to discuss the plan for the rest of the programme.

Carlos Noguera, CAS Coordinator cnoguera@ris.ae

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Theory of Knowledge Confucius said that 'real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance'. In TOK students sometimes feel ignorant. The more you learn, the more questions you have! The main aim of TOK is to help you formulate answers to the question, “how do you know?” in a variety of contexts, and to recognize the value of that question.

In the 6 subjects you take for the DP program, you spend most of your time gaining knowledge. Knowledge about the natural world, knowledge about humanity’s history, knowledge about our economy to give just a few examples. TOK aims to connect all these different strands of knowledge and make you think critically about how we learn, and the value of what we learn. Ultimately, TOK is at the heart of everything you study at school.

Additionally, your EE grade, combined with TOK, may provide you those 3 extra points that universities seek from outstanding students who display critical thinking skills. Here are a few things you can start doing this summer to start thinking the TOK way: 1 – Read the news with a critical mind. Recommended newspapers include: www.theguardian.com, www.huffingtonpost.com, www.theatlantic.com 2. Watch this Ted Talk in which Daniel Tammet touches upon the different ways we know things:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzd7ReqiQnE 3. For more information on the TOK course, please refer to the IBO website https://www.ibo.org/en/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/theory-ofknowledge/ Aoife Abushaqra ToK Coordinator abushaqra@ris.ae

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