Grade 9

Hello to all new and returning Grade 9 students.

A warm welcome to High School! We look forward to meeting you all in August!

Orientation Day for Grade 9 students new to the College and in Singapore

If you are new to the college, a special welcome to our community. If you are able to be here in Singapore, please join us for new students' Orientation Day on Friday, 14 August starting at 8.30am.

Orientation Day allows you to meet fellow students new to the College, familiarise yourself with the campus and have some fun. You will also meet your Heads of Grade, Simon Bignell and Esperanza Gutierrez, and your grade secretary, Li Hui Tan. The day will begin at 8.30am in the Tent Plaza (just head to the centre of the campus, you can't miss it) and will end at 10.45am after a scrumptious brunch. Students should wear clothes that they can be active in, such as a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and trainers. Come ready to get involved and have fun! School uniform is not required on this day.

Remote Orientation for Grade 9 students new to the college but unable to join Orientation Day

Due to the exceptional circumstances faced by some of our new families due to COVID-19, new students who are not able to be in Singapore for orientation on 14 August will be invited to a remote orientation programme beginning 11–14 August and continuing in the following weeks.

As restrictions regarding international travel evolve, we will monitor these closely to determine the impact on new families. We will know more about the likelihood of individual students being able to join us on campus on 14 August over the coming month and will contact families in the week beginning 3 August to give more details of a remote schedule and support programme. This will also take into account time zones and access to technology as far as possible.

We are committed to ensuring that any student not able to be on campus for orientation is welcomed into the College by their Head of Grade and opportunities are given for them to begin to connect with other students and staff that week. We are excited to meet all of our new students and look forward to connecting, whether virtually or in person, in August.

Start of term and further orientation for all Grade 9 students, both new and returning.

For all Grade 9 students, both new and returning, the first day of term will Tuesday, 18 August starting at 8.10am in mentor rooms. You will receive information about your mentor and mentor room in the week before term starts. You will all spend the first part of this morning, before lessons begin, meeting your mentor and getting to know each other. This will be a lot of fun, but please do wear school uniform.

Parents will be invited to virtual get togethers and information sessions early in term 1. Further details will be provided nearer the date.

High School Ambassadors

The High School Ambassadors (current Grade 9–12 students) are also involved in welcoming new students and guiding you through the orientation programme. You will met them on orientation day and at the start of term.

Updates

In the lead up to Orientation and the start of term, please be sure to continue to check this website as we will add information and provide updates.  In the meantime, get started by reading the High School Welcome Guide (linked below), visit the 'Resources for all families' page on this website and purchase uniforms from the College Shop online shop.

Laptop and Ready Learner One

All students in Grades 6–12 must have an up-to-date Apple MacBook laptop to support their learning and complete the Ready Learner One programme before the start of school.

New families joining the College in August 2020 have two options to source a laptop:

use an Apple laptop that you already own
purchase a new Apple laptop

This letter provides details on the laptop and orientation requirements. Online digital tools training will be provided to all new students.

Placement test in Mathematics

This is necessary for all new students coming into Grade 9. You will be sent the test paper and we ask that you complete it under test conditions at home at some time before 7 August. Your grade secretary will send you the details. You should not worry about these tests, they are simply to help us place you in the best class for your learning.

Questions?

If you have questions about joining the High School at UWCSEA, a good starting point is to read the High School Welcome Guide to help you get a sense of the opportunities that will be available to you. If you have any further questions, please email Li Hui (lihuitanuwc@uwcsea.edu.sg ) who can help or direct you to someone who can.

A summary of dates and times:

14 August: New students – Orientation day (8.30am start in tent plaza, 10.45am finish)
18 August: All students – Term 1 starts (8.10am start in your mentor room)