Week two - September 10th 2020

Secondary school

From the Head of Secondary

It's amazing how quickly GIS secondary school has developed a 'business as usual' feel to the atmosphere of the school. We seem to have found our stride across the school - masks on, social distancing protocols beginning to develop as autonomous habits, connections to learners accessing remotely - but we're making it work. I've observed students presenting from home to their colleagues in class; students working in school as part of a group with students accessing from home and students just making it work!

We may have found our stride, but the pace is quick and the demands on teachers are high. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers and I would also like to acknowledge the parents that have taken the time to write in with their words of encouragement, appreciation and thanks.

Curriculum night & goal setting Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs)

Curriculum night

Our annual curriculum evening for secondary school parents will obviously need to look a very different this year. The evening will need to be hosted online and we are trying to catering for the varying levels of experience that our families have with the IB and life at GIS.

You can find the subject briefs for each secondary school department HERE and we hope that this will provide you with the information that would usually be provided by our subject leaders in person on the evening.

On the evening, various senior and middle leaders of the secondary school will provide sessions related to the curriculum and programs of the secondary school. There will be introductory sessions about the MYP and DP for families that are new to those programs (or have students moving toward the DP - G9 and G10). We will also have sessions that will delve a little deeper for those families that need that level of information. We will provide an update nearer to the evening with times and modes of access.

Goal setting PTCs

Our goal setting PTCs have been positively received since we introduced them two years ago and we consider them to be an important aspect of setting the scene for a successful school year for students. Student target sheets will be made available to families prior to the PTCs so that you can discuss the goals that your child has set in each of their subjects and, most importantly, why! Your conferences with your child and their teachers can then be efficient and the time can be optimized.

The booking of slots with teachers will take place using a platform called PTCFast and the link for this will be made available to families Wednesday 16th. It is advisable to book your appointments quickly as teachers can become fully booked. If there is a case in which you are unable to book a time with a teacher during the conferences then please reach out directly to find a mutually convenient slot either before or after the PTCs. It may be obvious but please note that all appointments will be done online as they were at the end of last year.

Please note that Grade 12 lessons will run as normal on the daytime PTC but all other grade levels will not have lessons on that day. Work will be set for students to complete at home.

Kiana joined GIS in 2015. Her commitment to her academics resulted in her achieving well in MYP including a 6 in her personal project.
Kiana leads the Ambassador club and will be applying for a senior role in the Student Executive Leadership Team this year.

There's no soft start in DP

Kiana Heidary (Grade 11)

After months of online learning and a long summer break, returning to school was something that I was eagerly waiting for; however, due to our current circumstances, sometimes new beginnings can feel extremely isolating.

For me, this meant the beginning of my IBDP journey. I had been preparing for the DP for years, but as soon the first day of school approached, my body was filled with mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness! As the days went by, I realized that the fear that comes with being in such a programme is based on the fact that it challenges you and forces you to step out of your comfort zone.

I wish I had built the courage I needed to challenge myself in earlier stages of my academic career. Perhaps in the MYP, I could have gotten involved in activities that enabled me to discover skills that I had never thought of developing and I could have said “yes” more often to things that I thought were impossible to do.

As the leader of the Ambassadors club, I should say that all of the new members of our community are already demonstrating what I wish I knew previously - being a risk taker by adjusting to a new environment. This can be extremely challenging to do, hence, as members of such a club, we tried to ensure that each and everyone of the students entering GIS feels welcome and comfortable!

Ghadi joined GIS this year and has made a great first impression on the school.

A phenomenal first experience

Ghadi Zahreddine (Grade 9)

During the first week at Gems International School it has been clear to me that the school has been taking full safety predations for Covid-19 leaving me feeling safe and welcomed.

Academically the teachers are all amazing and all try their best to make it fun and educational while learning any subject.

My favorite aspect of this week is my new social life at GIS. From the moment I entered the school I felt welcomed by so many classmates of so many different nationalities. Everyone was so happy to show me around and teach me about the school.

In conclusion my experience at this school only in the first week has been phenomenal!

The agility of GIS learners

As we visited classes this week, it has been astounding to see how well our students have settled into their new scenarios. When we looked beyond the social distancing measures, the passion for learning and dedication to 'get on with it' shines through. It is such a source of pride for all of us to see the IB learner profile in action; open minded, courageous, inquiring students working together to manage their new normal.

When we visited Science, our Grade 6 - 8 students were working on their lab reporting processes and Ms Sangita's Grade 7 class were full of confidence when we spoke to them about the reasoning behind the unit. They explained that lab reporting is a fundamental skill of science and they saw it as a great opportunity to receive feedback early in the year to help them be successful in future units. In PHE, we saw students working through their aesthetic movement unit and they we able to successful show us the early stages of their processes.

DP2 students are working hard this week to prepare for their mock exams; which were postponed due to remote learning at the end of last year. We wish them all good luck but we know that you will be prepared and will represent yourselves well. Our DP1 students have transitioned exceptionally well for any year but to see them take to DP life so well this year is incredible so well done to all of our Grade 11 students.

DP students delivering their presentations in Psychology

Ali in Grade 7 working on his aesthetic movement unit in PHE

DP Global Politics students beginning their Human Rights unit by exploring an article of their choosing from UDHR and relating it to their contemporary case study

Grade 8 give their perspective on the interpretation of imagery in Language & Literature

The importance of service learning for IB students

The term 'service learning' is used a lot in education; but it really is critical for an IB student and is often cited as one of the differentiating factors between IB students and students from other curricula.

Service is about giving of ones self for the good of others; so what about the learning? At GIS, when a student has an idea for a service learning opportunity (or considers engaging in one of the many that exist within the school) they are expected to predict the learning that could take place for them. Will they need to develop themselves as public speakers; develop creative skills; work as part of a team; communicate with adults that they don't know; persuade and convince others about a cause. All of these things need to be honed, developed or learned from new; this is the learning that comes from service.

In MYP, 'service as action' is the way in which service learning is honored and students are expected to design their service experiences to meet the seven objectives of service as action. A service as action experience could come in the form or leading a project; initiating something following a unit within a subject area or by engaging in a project that is led by another student.

In DP, CAS (Creativity, activity & Service) sits within the core of the programme and students are expected to dedicate themselves to the Service aspect of CAS in order to meet the requirements of the DP. A student cannot be recognised as a DP student, and pass the diploma, without a commitment to service and the learning that comes as a result of it.

This is why service learning sets IB students apart and this is why student projects are thriving at GIS. If you're a student, think about where your service learning is coming from; if you're a parent, speak to your child about how they can engage further in service learning. It is also worth scrolling down and checking out the student leadership section of this newsletter.

Real world issues as the context for lessons

We're proud of the way that our older students role mode the use of social media as a professional platform and how it can be sued with real purpose. Zain Mohsin (Grade 12) has managed to connect with leading voices in sport and journalism via social media and regularly documents his learning journey using twitter.

In Zain's tweet below, we can see the way that DP Global Politics utilizes real world issues and news to provoke debated, discussion and to contextualise the course, bringing the syllabus into focus for students.

Reminders & Updates

Certificates

Certificates from the 2020 Secondary School Awards Evening have been received and will be distributed to students next week.

BYOD

Personal devices are the responsibility of students. Be sure to have them fully charged before arriving at school and bring chargers with you, to ensure that you have access to online resources throughout the day.

Digital Citizenship

The use of personal devices (mobile phones, tablets and laptops) at school is a privilege, managed by the teacher.

We encourage all students to use devices responsibly and to respectfully comply with teachers’ requests to turn off devices or discontinue their use, if they are not required for learning.

If personal devices are deemed to cause distraction from or disruption to learning, devices may be temporarily confiscated (for the duration of the lesson or until the end of the school day).

Mother Tongue languages

Mother Tongue (MT) languages are an important aspect of an international student's education. The mother tongue language is a critical aspect of maintaining a connection to a young person's heritage and family culture.

At GIS, we try to support families with the maintenance of their MT language and offer School Supported Self-Taught (SSST) pathways in IBDP. As an SSST candidate, an IBDP student takes on a tutor out of school and completes IBDP assessments in their MT language to gain an bi-lingual diploma when they graduate (providing passing grades are achieved for the IBDP). More information about SSST and bi-lingual diplomas can be sought out via our DP coordinator, Mr Ruairi Cunningham (r.cunningham_gis@gemsedu.com).

Headway institute provide MT languages programs that can, in some cases, be delivered within your child's curriculum time at GIS or as an ECA. They also offer one to one programs, programs within their facility at Academic City or via online sessions.

Parents that are interested in taking on a MT language program with Headway are encouraged to reach out via the contact information on the attached flyer.

MT language programs within the school curriculum are dependent on numbers of students per grade and tutor availability with Headway

Our student Ambassador club is recruiting!

Hello GIS community!

I am Kiana Heidary (Grade 11) and I lead the Ambassadors club here at GIS with my deputy, Eashani Sarup (Grade 11).

The aim of the ambassador club is to represent everything that is great about GIS. One of the earliest projects that we work on in the school year is welcoming and supporting our newest community members.

During such unprecedented times, human connection is essential; we can all work together and make the best out of such an unusual experience!

If you would like to join the Ambassadors club, please do not hesitate to contact us using the information provided on the posters or you can apply directly using the google form found HERE

We look forward to collaborating with you all soon!