In Grade 10 English, we explored themes of familial relationships and culture through a variety of texts; as the topic is very broad, we did a lot of projects to learn about the various perspectives surrounding the topic. The project I am most proud of is the one we did for the Poetry unit, in which we wrote and/or analyzed a poem that is related to the theme of culture. In this project, I was able to do some creative writing by writing my own poem, and I was also able to practice proofing my writing through analyzing my own work. One thing I also loved was that I was able to make a mobile on my own and showcasing everything I did to my classmates. There's always a special feeling about seeing your own handiwork everyday as you enter your class.

For multiple prep sessions, we practiced writing news reports! Since I have had experience writing articles for the CISS Journey (school newspaper), it wasn't much of a challenge for me. But this time, I had to write a report by hand and find a way to fit all of my ideas into the given space. Click here to see my checklist.

In Grade 10 Vietnamese Literature class, I got to help prepare for the school's annual Tet display by drawing the head of a traditional Hue dragon boat. It was a semester-long effort between me and my classmates alongside my Vietnamese teacher.

We first drew the outline of the dragon head on each side, then we traced the outline with black marker and painted the sides with acrylic paints.

In the end, we received a lot of praise for our work and I earned a high mark for my efforts in this project. Throughout the process of making the dragon head, we also learned a traditional art form of Central Vietnam, and we gained a bigger appreciation for it. I also got an opportunity to present the display at the school's annual Tet House Day (a school activity day) and teach students at CIS a little bit about my country's uniquely diverse cultures.

For our Grade 10 French culminating task, we had to write a short story set in a Francophone (French-speaking) country using the grammar tenses and vocabulary that we have learned throughout the semester.

I was assigned the Principality of Monaco, a small sovereign state in the south of France. Not only is it a city famous for its lavish architecture and casinos, it is also apparently famous for its ballet company, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, which was established by Princess Grace Kelly's daughter after her mother's passing.

As I love watching mystery movies and the behind-the-scenes of theater performances, I decided to write a story about Jeannette, an amateur detective and opera singer-in-training who attempts to solve the mystery of her ballerina friend's injuries before the latter's big Christmas performance with the help of Yves, Jeannette's choreographer and witty assistant.

Through this assignment, I learned a lot more about Monaco's unique culture through researching its traditional foods, history, languages, celebrations, and art forms. I am also especially proud of my story as it was quite well-written and my first short story written entirely in French.