DP Newsletter October 2019

DP NEWSLETTER

October 2019

Dear DP students and parents, It has been a whirlwind start to the year and I hope all of you are able to find some time during the mid-term break to relax and spend some time not worrying about the IB‌not too much time, obviously! There are are too many deadlines on the horizon, so please make sure you check the Managebac to ensure you are on top of everything Equivalency Thank you to those of you who have already completed and returned the Undertaking letters. Anyone who has not returned will be added to an Arabic class, as requested.

Academic Honesty All Grade 11 students are required by the IB to sign the Academic Honesty form. If it is not signed, we are not able to register you for exams. Please complete the forms and return them as soon as possible.

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.

Exam Registrations Thank you to the Grade 12 students for returning the exam registration forms. After the break, you will be given a final form to check, before the registration for the May Exams closes. Please note that there is quite a substantial fee for changing any errors after the registration deadline (1 st November) Course Changes The deadline for course changes has now passed and it will no longer be possible to change subjects. Some subjects will allow change from HL to SL or vice versa, but not all and unfortunately all requests cannot be guaranteed.

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Parent Conferences It was fantastic to see such a great turn-out for the Grade 12 Conferences. The feedback has been incredibly positive and I think this will be the model for Grade 12 Conferences as we move forward.

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 Ms Nicola Hewitt, Assistant to the DP Coordinator, DPC-assistant@ris.ae

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HEADS OF GRADE Grade 11 Dear Year 11 parents, Students are starting to acclimatize to the demanding diploma program expectations; strong organizational habits are vital for their success.

I would like to address two common parent queries that present around this time of year, what is the typical time of expected homework per night/week? and what can we at home do about late night procrastination sessions (typically YouTube and Social Media)? Firstly, students on average have 3-5 ‘Study Period’ double lessons a week (not including Break and Lunch periods). This scheduled time is set aside to complete homework and subject review tasks.

Teachers will add homework and assessment tasks to ManageBac frequently. However, if students are utilizing their class-time and ‘Study Periods’ effectively, they should be able to complete assignments without any major disruptions to home-life. Spending late nights completing homework tasks, typically, suggests poor time management at school/home. If this is becoming a regular occurrence, please contact the advisory teacher/subject specific teacher. Subject homework and review expectations are continuing to increase; hence, it is vital for students to implement consistent organizational strategies. I have uploaded blank study/organisational planners (to ManageBac) to help students with this. All students have been asked to modify; print and display them at home; please encourage this (or another) organizational process. Secondly, to combat late night Social Media/YouTube/procrastination sessions, I encourage all parents to switch of the Wi-Fi at an agreed time and/or keep their devices in your room (I will take the hit for these suggestions).

As the course unfolds, please look for unusual behavioural changes at home (such as increased anxiety; social withdraw; mood swings; irregular sleep patterns; appetite changes etc.); If you notice anything unusual, please keep in close contact with your advisory teacher; Ms. Mellissa; Mr. Andrew and myself. You are the best barometer, so please keep us abreast; getting the DP balance right takes time and support.

Lastly, Student ID cards are being generated; opening the opportunity for various discounts throughout the UAE (where applicable). As soon as these are ready, advisory teachers will distribute them to students.

I wish everyone a restful break, and please email me if you need assistance/have any questions.

Regards, James jjones@ris.ae

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Grade 12 Greetings Grade 12 Parents, We are now in full swing with the final year of the DP. Students have been given their first round of predicted grades and many deadlines for Internal Assessments are slowly but surely creeping up. During this time, it is important for our students to reach out for help if they need it. I know anxiety levels are starting to rise and I actively encourage Grade 12 to seek out the support they need from teachers, our trained counsellors or even their friends and family.

We have also completed our first Grade 12 parent teacher conference and we hope that it has been helpful to gauge your child’s current position in all of their subjects. For some families it will be some reassurance that your child is on the right track and for others I know it will be a case of working out what the next steps are to help your child get to where they want to be. Please remember that we are here as a partnership with parents to help your child be as successful as they possibly can here at Raha so feel free to reach out at any point for support.

I would also like to share a reminder that class time is crucial at this point in the DP. I am aware that family life can be hectic and illness is unavoidable at times but please be mindful of the potential disadvantage that absence during class time can cause. Secondly, a reminder about uniforms. Most students are adhering to our uniform policy which is fantastic but we do not accept jeans, leggings or shoes in any colour other than all black. I know parents of students in their last year here at Raha will be reluctant to go out and buy new uniform attire with only mere months to go before they graduate but we do have high expectations for our students in their academics, conduct and presentation and your support in upholding these values is greatly appreciated.

Finally, students generally seem to be coping well with the demands of DP at this point. I am very proud of how Grade 12 have been conducting themselves since the beginning of this year. They have set the bar incredibly high for the rest of the school not only in academic performance but in their everyday interactions with staff and peers alike. Keep up the good work!

Christine Armstrong, Head of Grade 12 carmstrong@ris.ae

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UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

the winter break.

Grade 12: As a cohort, you are about to start submitting university applications to the UK, US and Canada. For UK applications, these universities only look at your Predicted Grades which may lead to a conditional offer, if you have the required minimum IB points and a strong Personal Statement. November is a very well-timed submission of your UCAS application, where you would only apply later, if your teachers have indicated that your Predicted Grades will rise to meet the minimum requirements of a targeted university. Otherwise, submit early when there are lots of seats available and receive conditional offers before

The US and Canada universities do use Predicted Grades, but they place a heavy emphasis on your high school transcript. Your transcript contains your academic history of report card marks from grade 9 -12. Your first report card marks for grade 12 are released in mid-November, so it’s very important that you put in an excellent effort during your grade 12 start-up. Many conditional offers from Canada and acceptances from the US, will be based upon your academic history of 9-11 and your first report card (first column of marks on your grade 12 transcript). Universities from North America to have minimum Predicted Grade requirements, but often are difficult to find on their websites. Emailing, or even better calling admissions to obtain their IB requirements is essential to measure your own competitiveness in obtaining offers from these universities.

Grade 11: During this month, you will be introduced to your Extended Essay. This component of your DP core is given importance by universities around the world. Universities look at this as a learning assignment to develop research and essay writing skills, which will support your future success in your undergraduate degree. The Extended Essay provides you with an opportunity to engage in a topic which may be related to your future course at university. Engaging in an interest area beyond the classroom, whether through your Extended Essay, CAS, internships, clubs, competitions, personal readings or online courses, is viewed very positively by all universities. There will be lots of opportunities to visit with universities during the next couple of months at Raha or within the community. Find out about their IB entrance requirements for courses that interest you at these universities.

University Visits: October 14th – US University Fair 16:00 – 19:30. Sheraton Hotel October 27th – Netherlands Fair – Raha – location TBC October 30th – Simon Fraser – Canada 9:55 – 10:30 DP Study Hall University of British Columbia – Canada 1:00 – 2:00 DP Study Hall th October 30 – November 1st – Najah Fair – local and international universities Day and Evening - Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre Brian Marshall – bmarshall@ris.ae

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Extended Essay Muge Okur, Extended Essay Coordinator mokur@ris.ae

Grade 11 students will have an Extended Essay introduction session in October. This will be their start of this core task of the Diploma Program. At Raha, we expect our students to complete the Extended Essays by the November of Grade 12, which gives them a calendar year to complete it. In the introduction session, starting strategies, timelines and resources will be shared with the students. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the extended Essay, mokur@ris.ae.

Grade 12 students should have submitted their draft Extended Essays to their supervisors by now. It is time for the supervisors to return those drafts with feedback. Once students receive the feedback, they should aim to make the necessary edits in time for the November 7 final deadline. Looking forward to the completion of this huge task!

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