September Newsletter

Dear Grade 11 Parents,

Welcome to the first year of the Diploma Programme at CDNIS. Now that we have had a few weeks to get settled into the routine of the Diploma Programme, I thought this would be a good time to send out my September DP Newsletter. During the two years of the Programme, you'll receive a newsletter from me approximately four times a year. I'll endeavour to keep them short and to the point but will also strive to give you a sense of what we are doing in the Diploma Programme and give you an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks and months.

This month, you will have an opportunity to connect with all of your son or daughter's teachers on Curriculum Night (September 19); be sure to watch for more information from our Upper School administrators on the evening.

During the second week of the school year, Mr. Power and I met with your children during their Advisory class to discuss some of the items in this newsletter and a few other introductory components of the Programme. I emphasized the support we have in place for them at CDNIS and the importance of beginning to learn to advocate for themselves.

Our Grade 11 students listened to "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss at our Introduction to the DP Advisory session. Why "Green Eggs and Ham"?

Ask your child to tell you about the lessons we learned!

The DP Retreat

Our retreat was a huge success! Thank you for your support, flexibility and financial investment in the retreat. We also owe a big thank you to our Advisors who supported the students and organizers throughout the two days.

Finally, a brief note to say how wonderful a group the Grade 11s were to work with. They were respectful, engaging, appreciative, and represented CDNIS very well.

Below are some of the highlights.

Speakers

On Day 1, students were introduced to our theme of global mindedness, where students considered "what does it mean to be educated." Also, on Day 1, we had Matt Friedman from the Mekong Club speak about human trafficking and nine ways we can make a difference.

On Day 2, Mr. Power got students' blood flowing by leading an epic 147-person game of "rock, paper, scissors" (after a brief and hilarious demo by Mr. Noble and Ms. Gaeten). After that, students considered what kind of people they wanted to be during the two years of our Programme and wrote a letter to themselves that will be delivered to them at the end of their last World Exam in May of 2026. We ended Day 2 with an inspirational talk from David Begbie of Crossroads Foundation, who spoke about what actions we can take to make a difference in the world.

Empathy of Style Preference Personality Game

This was our first game of the retreat. Students were asked to continuously trade five cards with one another until they got five that best reflected their personalities. From there, they gathered in groups to prepare a one-minute presentation that reflected their personality preferences.

The lesson students learned is to empathize with those who prefer different ways of operating. Understanding that not everyone sees a small task or a big task (like how to address social issues) in the same way can help us work better together.

Building Sand Castles

This activity started with students being given instructions on various elements their sandcastle was to contain. As a team, they had to conceptualize a design, present it, learn the techniques for building their sandcastle and then make it happen! We saw teamwork in action, and while it was hot and humid, everyone got to work, collaborated and came up with some good final products.

Going Bananas and Quiz Night

On the evening of the first day of our retreat, we played a simulation game called "Going Bananas." The game is meant to simulate the challenges producers face and the benefits that a Fair Trade minimum price and a Fair Trade premium can have on the day-to-day lives of producers and the health and wellbeing of their communities. There were lots of laughs and a few important lessons learned as part of this game.

After Going Bananas, we held a classic quiz night. There were three rounds: one on general knowledge, another on geography and science, and then, finally, the always popular music round.

The Sustainable Develop Goals (SDGs) Simulation Game

This team simulation game, facilitated by Koru Consulting, has been a retreat favourite for several years.

During the game, groups immerse themselves in our current SDG timeline to see how we can impact the world. Teams try to achieve their goals by running projects the require the use of money and time. Every project run by a team affects the World Condition Meter, which may make it easier or harder for other teams to run their own projects.

Like Going Bananas, we combined fun, collaboration, and important lessons related to global mindedness.

The CDNIS course change process has three phases. We just concluded Phase 1 and are now in the second phase. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with this document, which outlines the next two phases of the course change policy. Please note that all course changes for Grade 11 students are completed by our University Counsellors.

We explained the policy to all Grade 11s at our introductory assembly and to parents at the Grade 11 coffee morning and are sharing it here to ensure everyone is familiar with the process.

At the start of the Diploma Programme, I am required to remind parents and students of the following.

A student will only qualify for the award of the Diploma if specific requirements have been met. The following is an overview from the IB of the various requirements that, if not met, will prevent a student from achieving the IB Diploma.

Before launching our Creativity, Activity, and Service Programme at the start of Grade 11, we dedicate more than 10 hours of class time for students to complete the written portion of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) Leadership and Peer Support course. The work they have been doing since the start of the school year forms a significant part of this course, which is required for graduation. Students will complete the second half of the Leadership and Peer Support classes in the coming weeks.

In addition, our CAS Coordinator, Mr. Gregg Lee, introduced our revised CAS programme requirements to Grade 11s at the DP Retreat (see the overview infographic below). Currently, Mr. Lee is meeting individually with every Grade 11 student and working on a personalized CAS portfolio plan with each student. In the coming days, he will email parents information about the OSSD Leadership and Peer Support course and our CAS programme as well as present at our Curriculum Night.

You will continue to hear from Mr. Lee regularly in the months ahead as he informs you about your child's progress in both the Leadership and Peer Support course and our revised CAS programme. In the meantime, you can visit our CAS programme website for more information.

CDNIS CAS 2024 (Final).pdf

Google Calendar & Late Assessments

Encouraging students to use Google Classroom and Google Calendar has become critical to setting our DP students up for success. All assignments, whether daily homework or formative or summative assessments are assigned through Google Classroom and, as a result, appear in your child's Google Calendar and on their "To-Do" list in Google Classroom. This also applies to their Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay components. The calendar for our higher-level seminar classes is also available as a Google Calendar.

All of our students' summative assessments will be returned to students with their marks and, when applicable, their 1-7 grades using the gradebook in Google Classroom. You are encouraged to sit down regularly with your child and explore their Google Classrooms.

The Diploma Programme can be intense and undoubtedly rigorous. As a result, there are occasions when students are unable to meet deadlines. To support our students, I share with you the Diploma Programme late assessment policy. Parents partner with teachers when assessments are late, so it is important that you review the policy.

Please encourage your son or daughter to check their Google Calendars and Classrooms regularly for their upcoming assessments and events.

August 29 - 30 - The DP Retreat at the Gold Coast Hotel
September 19 - Curriculum Night
November 10-17 - Experience Week
November 19 - First Reports published
December 5 & 6 - Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
March 4 - Second Reports published
March 20 & 21 - Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
June 11 - Third Reports published

Diploma Programme Coordinator - Brian Hull: brianhull@cdnis.edu.hk
Head of Grade 11 - Jeremy Power: jeremypower@cdnis.edu.hk
CAS Coordinator - Gregg Lee: gregglee@cdnis.edu.hk
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Coordinator - Chris Tyrrell: christophertyrrell@cdnis.edu.hk
Extended Essay (EE) Coordinator - Dave Perry: daveperry@cdnis.edu.hk

Report abuse