Music Recitals

We were very sorry to have to cancel our live Instrumental Recitals on the 11th May. It had certainly been a moment we had all been looking forward too and we were so very close to celebrating music with our parents and inviting you into our auditorium! Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed that we can make it happen next year.

Due to the very late notice (we had literally already started rehearsing) the music and theatre team quickly went to plan b and video/recorded the performances. We wanted the learners to still have the opportunity to be on stage and for you to have something to celebrate and share. The learners showed commitment, patience and flexibility throughout the day to ensure that everything ran smoothly. A huge thanks to Mr Zul who is now very busy compiling the videos and editing them ready to share with our Nexus families.

Red Dot Readers Cup

Term 3 and 4 saw our learners taking part in the International Schools Library Network annual Red Dot Readers Cup event. Each leaners is expected to read at least 3 books but our learners read many more than that, as you can see in the photos below. We had a great group of learners in years 7-9 read and books in several categories and compete in a virtual book competition through the Kahoot platform. Normally, this event is live and involves all of the international schools in Singapore. We had two competing teams, one for the 'older' category and one for the 'mature' category. The learners also listened to an author, Wai Chim, who wrote The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling, which was chosen as a Red Dot book this year. Hopefully next year it will be even better!

If you would like to know more about the Red Dot books, see the link here.

https://www.reddotawards.com/2020-2021-awards/shortlist/

Year 7 50 word Gothic Story Competition

Recently, Year 7 learners have been studying writers' use of language and techniques for effect through an exploration of the horror writing genre. As part of this unit the learners participated in a 50 word horror story competition, where they had to demonstrate their use of language to create a scary story.....in just 50 words! We received eerie, spine-tingling stories from every learner in Year 7, demonstrating their impressive use of gothic vocabulary. Congratulations to all of Year 7 on their chilling tales, including our finalists and top 3 winners, who each won two cinema vouchers.

Winners:

1st place - Lucca Noel

2nd place - Rochelle Joseph

3rd place - Zeena Klawunn

Finalists:

Damian Gonsalves Jardin de Ponte

Ash Hurtrez

Yeseul Kwak

Mia Sito

Eric Ghannam

James Emes

Elsa Carney

Layla Green

Shirish Pothi

Save Animals - Earth Day Activities

Year 7 learners were tasked to prepare a huge project that would inform the public about the urgency of protecting many of the animal species that are on the brink of extinction. They researched some of the most vulnerable animal species on the planet. Then they looked into the reasons behind their dwindling numbers. The learners also investigated various ways that we, as individuals, can help the wildlife. As well as developing their research skills , learners were asked to use their communication skills and digital skills to present their materials in a highly professional way. Here are two great examples of learners putting skills into action.

Year 12 Extended Essay Session

Our Year 12 learners have been very adaptable and with short notice have moved from on campus learning to off campus learning with ease.

On Tuesday the 25th of May, the Year 12 group spent the day focussing on the first draft of their Extended Essay. The Extended Essay is a special part of the IB Diploma. It is an opportunity for learners to choose an area of study that they love, to delve into more deeply. They work closely with a supervisor who is a specialist in the subject they have chosen. With guidance from Christine Luo, our Extended Essay Coordinator, they develop their research and information literacy skills through Core Time lessons. They then work independently towards the completion of the longest essay they will have written in their time at school. 4000 words seems very daunting at first, however once learners begin the writing phase of the process, they find it very rewarding.

The steps in the process toward completing the Extended Essay allow learners to develop the following skills:

• formulating research questions that are focussed

• communicating thoughts and ideas

• developing a line of argument and providing evidence to support it

• personal engagement in an exploration of the topic /subject chosen.

These skills are part of the Approaches to Learning that set the IB Diploma Programme apart from other secondary qualifications. Our graduates tell us the the Extended Essay is the perfect preparation for the demands of university assessment.

Our Year 12s achieved many thousands of new words written on Tuesday and are well on their way to competing their first drafts of their essays on June 4th. Well done Year 12. Impressive work!