MS HS NEWS

MSHS News
Written by Mr. Alex Nenes

Hello, SWA Community!

I hope you are all fine and in good health. The past two weeks were really busy for MSHS students and teachers with the end of term 1 assessments and students having their work submitted, so we can generate the reports. After the assessment period was over, the WWW trips brought a wonderful closure to what has turned out to be a very productive and successful time for our students. The report card printing and distribution and Parent Teacher Conferences mark the end of the first term cycle and all parents are invited and encouraged to make appointments with their child(ren)'s teachers and coordinators in order to strengthen the home-school partnership as well as to set new targets and design an action plan towards the students' success.

With the above being said, I would like to wish you all a happy end of term 1, and I hope you enjoy your term 1 break. See you again on October 17th!

MYP UPDATES
Written by Mr. Haoken

Dear MYP Parents & Guardians,

Our MYP Programme embraces key elements of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) as well as external assessments of CAIE. Together with our BEST Pathways, SWA's Grade 6 to 10 programme combines age-appropriate approaches, a focus on ATL skills development and academic rigour, ensuring that our students are prepared for success.

Please see the notices and reminders for the first week of Term 2:

1. Summative assessment tasks are posted on Managebac. Teachers clarify the expectations for each summative task with direct reference to the subject assessment criteria, (A, B, C, D). All teachers will provide a minimum of 5 days notice in advance informing students of summative assessments. Assignment feedback will be key to encouraging our students' development. Teachers provide an overall guidance comment within the Managebac platform and return all markings within the 7 days turnaround period. Please feel free to contact us if you encounter any issues.

2. We encourage all students to be involved in at least one Sport or Athletic EX. Please review your child's chosen activities to ensure pickup time arrangements as needed.

3. Academic Support classes for all subjects will begin in Term 2. These support sessions take precedence over non-paid EX and CAS activities. Teachers may place students on these academic support lists as needed based on performance on assessments.

4. The Grade 10 personal project provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent and age-appropriate exploration into an area of personal interest. Through the process of inquiry, action, and reflection, students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their approaches to learning (ATL) skills. Grade 10 students completed their Objective A - Planning during August and September 2022 and progressed into their Objective B - Applying Skills. By February 1st, 2023, Students should be able to complete three elements:

• Product or outcome—evidence of tangible or intangible results: what the student was aiming to achieve or create

• Process journal—ideas, criteria, developments, challenges, plans, research, possible solutions, and progress reports

• PP report—an account of the project and its impact, on a structure that follows the assessment criteria. The report includes a bibliography and evidence from the process journal that documents students’ development and achievements.

5. Please check Managebac regularly and contact us if you are having any trouble logging into the website.

6. The Term 1 Vacation takes place from October 10th - 14th, 2022, and Term 2 will resume Monday, October 17th, 2022.

WWW TRIP 2022

Grades 6 and 7 - Lembang, Bandung
Written by Ms. Katherine

Finally, a WWW (Week Without Walls) trip could finally happen! The much-anticipated grades 6 and 7 trip to Bandung kicked off on September 27th, 2022. Students and staff gathered at school in the early morning, and after checking we were all present, we boarded the bus. On the first day, we experienced a cultural dance and all played the angklung together to make some popular tunes, that everyone knew. Onto an orphanage next where students shared information and games together. Finally, we arrived at the hotel - and the kids couldn't wait to get to their rooms with their roommates. Day 2 - we stayed at the hotel and learned about planting seedlings, this was followed by team-building activities, then an option to play in the pool, and then ending with the 3 groups arranging a performance for the evening's bonfire. Day 3 - we departed for the paintballing and archery activity. At last, early afternoon, we left the vicinity of Bandung to head back to BSD. We all arrived tired and hungry, but extremely happy as a good time was had by all! Pictures say a thousand words, see below for highlights of the trip.

Grades 10 and 11 - Tidung Island
Written by Mr. Rajesh

The much anticipated WWW trip to Tidung Island after a long wait of three years was thoroughly enjoyed by the students of grades 10 and 11. Tidung island is very close to Jakarta and is one of the largest islands in the array of 1000 islands. It offers secluded beaches, starry nights and an amiable community. This trip, consisting of 42 students and 4 teachers, was a strong way to consolidate learning, as we strongly believe that these experiences can be directly related to the real world, giving an exposure to the students to learn from nature outside the classroom environment. It was a great experience for the students to experience cultures, respect differences, and develop new friendships with their peers and thus broaden their horizons and knowledge. This fun-filled trip started on September 27th; all students and teachers arrived with a lot of excitement at the school at 5 in the morning, and we boarded a super luxury bus for Marina, Ancol to take the speed boat from there. The journey to Tidung Island started at 8 a.m. and it took us about an hour and a half to reach the island. For many students, it was a first time experience on the speedboat and that in itself was a good experience. We were served snacks and drinks on our arrival and students were given some important instructions about the activities by the tour operators. After the group photograph, the first activity was to visit a local school to interact with the students and donate books to them. We were impressed with the way the students and teachers from that school explained their ways of experiential learning which includes oceanography, marine life conservation, engineering & study of ecosystems to make the environment better for healthy living. After this activity, students checked into their cottages and reassembled for lunch. The mode of transportation all through the island was using bicycles and even though it was tiring for a few students, most of them enjoyed exploring the island using bicycles. The students and teachers witnessed a beautiful sunset from the white sand beach followed with dinner to mark the end of the first day of the trip.

On the second day, we had many activities lined up which included snorkeling, a mangrove tree plantation, a visit to the turtle conservation area, a visit to Pari island and, of course, volleyball and frisbee as fillers between these activities. The activities not only brought a lot of excitement but new learning, which after all was the main objective of this trip. Snorkeling for many students was a first time experience and they initially hesitated to get into water but once they saw the glimpse of the amazing underwater world, it was difficult to get them back on boat. The abundance and variety of color and creatures was simply staggering. Snorkeling allowed students to witness wildlife in its natural habitat. This activity was followed with the mangrove tree plantation which gave students a sense of responsibility towards nature, and they learned the benefits of mangrove trees to help stabilizing coastline ecosystems and prevent erosion. We then visited the hawksbill sea turtle conservation observation and students were explained the ways the turtles are taken care of.

On day three, we had a few adventurous activities planned at the Tidung bridge point. Students took part in fun activities including banana boat, sofa boat, swimming, finding sea-treasures and many team building games. It was a great experience for the students and teachers alike. The activities continued until 3 p.m. after which we boarded the speed boat to return to the school.

The trip photographs can be accessed here.

Trip to Tidung Island - Students' Reflection

Chelsea - Grade 10

The WWW trip was very memorable. I liked that we all were able to take a break from school and have some quality time with each other. From the trip, our grades also became more comfortable with each other.

Clarissa - Grade 10

During the trip, I got to know more people from grades 10 and 11, which is a great thing. I also got to know the different cultures in Indonesia. Overall, this trip was really fun and memorable, as I got to ride a banana boat with my friends, ride bikes, and play cards during our free time. The people there are very nice and welcoming. I also enjoyed the activities that were provided for us.

Despite a few difficulties which are obvious in trips like this, I have learnt a lot from this trip. There are many activities that required teamwork, this could definitely improve my leadership, communication skills, and teamwork skills. Lastly, I got to learn how to be more disciplined, how to manage time, and be a more responsible person.

Gabe - Grade 11

There are many things that I learned throughout the 3 day and 2 night trip to Pulau Seribu. The first thing I learned is resilience. There were many times where resilience was needed throughout the trip. For instance, there were people who were uncomfortable with the first cottage which led us to change cottages. However, I thought that the cottage was alright since it was just for a nightly stay. Secondly, resilience was also needed during the use of bikes. We had to bike around the island which was tiring, but it was very fun indeed. The second thing I learned was kindness and putting people before you. There were times where I would let people go first in line when we are eating, so they could eat first. There were a couple of times where the girls had to take showers in cottages allotted to boys; so the boys had to wait for probably an hour just to shower, to let the girls go first showing their attribute of caring. Overall, it was one of the most fun trips I have ever had with my friends. I can confidently say that this trip was one of the best WWW trips ever and it will definitely be a cherished memory for the rest of my life.

Erwin - Grade 11

It was a really fun trip; we all had a great experience. Despite some difficulties, we all had fun in the end. It is definitely was meaningful trip as the last WWW trip for us, the 11th graders. It will be a good memory of my high school time to look back to in the future, but of course, we still have a lot of time to have more trips with our friends in the future also.

K. - Grade 11

I enjoyed this year's WWW trip to Pulau, Tidung in Pulau, Seribu. I think the most enjoyable were the activities and the bike riding as I enjoyed biking as a kid and it's been a while since I last rode one. I learned the importance of taking care of one another as the girls looked after each other in the cottage, such as when someone lost their phone, a lot of people jumped in to help find it, even though we almost never really conversed during school. It helped me form new and stronger friendships and gave me insight on different personalities. At the beginning, I was hesitant to join because I didn't really like water activities or anything to do with the ocean, but since all my friends were joining, I figured I should just join as well (after all, it would be the last WWW I could join). Ultimately, it was more fun than I expected, although there were some unexpected occurrences– like the saltwater faucets, unlockable room doors, and food issues– I still managed to push through. Overall, 3.8/5 experience.

Phoebe - Grade 11

The trip gave us plenty of opportunities to exercise. We traveled to places using bicycles and there were lots of activities that required us to swim. This trip was very refreshing: being out in nature, enjoying the breeze and the hot sunlight, is a very interesting experience. The beautiful scenery of sunset, the seas, and the coral reefs that could be seen during the snorkeling sessions was spectacular. One of the most interesting things that I learned is to be independent; we had to tidy up our stuff by ourselves and take care of ourselves. There were lots of outdoor activities that required us to be in contact with the sunlight. We have to have self-management skills to apply sunblock and also when to go out or when to stay in the shade. I also learned to develop my communication skills during group activities, such as preparing a performance and joining the scavenger hunt. I made new friends during the trip and relieved my stress by having fun during the trip. Even though some of the food provided did not match my taste, I always tried to finish the food I took, to not waste it and be responsible for the food.

Sana - Grade 11

During the trip, I got to learn so much about other people. I was able to get closer to some people whom I thought I would never talk to. I also got to learn how to take care of myself and prioritise myself - mental health and also physical health. I also tried my best to take care of others and help them whenever they needed it, and most importantly be kind to everyone.

Kathleen - Grade 10

During this trip, I have learnt a lot and also had a lot of fun. I have made new friends and kind of socialized a bit more. On this trip, we stayed in a cabin where it looked pretty nice. I think that overall, the last day was the most fun day since we got to ride on the banana boats and the other rides, too. We got to see the pictures that our teachers took, and these pictures will keep our memories about the trip alive. I made a lot of memories during this trip, and it's something I will cherish.

Jasmine - Grade 10

I felt like the trip allowed me to learn life-long skills for instance, self-control and self-management. I became more independent as an individual, for instance, packing everything myself, planning what to bring with me, knowing when I have to wake up, so I could plan my time well in the morning and many more, which somewhat helps me to become more prepared as I will leave to go to university in just a few years, thus being disciplined and independent is an important skill. I became more filled with gratitude and appreciative of the little things. I learned so many new things as well, for instance, I became smarter when riding a bike, I became more adapted to the nature and world around me, etc. As mentioned earlier, self-control was present when I have to control myself to not feel nauseous in the boat, especially considering the fact that it was bumpy and the boat felt like rocking from one end to another. I still tried to calm myself down in many ways with the help of teachers, etc. In addition, during the snorkeling activity, I had to control myself to not go in the water, despite it being tempting as I was considered a non-swimmer, meaning I am not able to go and conduct the snorkeling activity. It was hard, but I overcame it in the end and still felt lucky enough to do other fun activities. I felt as if my team-building skills improved as well. I consider myself to work best alone; however, on this trip, I realised that working with others could allow yourself to get more insight as well, getting more perspectives and getting to know people more. From this trip, I made many new friends, especially from different grades. From those I have never talked to, I actually began to engage in conversations and got to know them better. Furthermore, self management was very much related to how I disciplined myself. When I wanted to sleep longer, I told myself that I had to wake up at a certain time so I could plan ahead for the day better. Self-management is a skill I always had in me, but I felt like it enhanced more during this trip as I went by myself and there was nobody else that was there to remind me of my things, different to how it was back at home with my mom reminding me about things to do. In conclusion, despite many ups and downs in this trip, there were still lots to be grateful for and I truly was delighted to be a part of the trip with all my fellow teachers and friends.

Yu Ju - Grade 10

Overall I felt that the WWW trip was a very fun experience. I got to do a lot of things with my friends such as snorkeling, banana boat, seeing dolphins, etc. I learned a lot of problem solving or adaptive skills over those three days such as when the electricity went out for the whole afternoon, I thought of using the small torch we were supposed to bring as well as my phone to light up the bathroom to take a bath. When my towel got dirty after snorkeling, I asked my friends for an extra. The next day, we went in the water again so I needed another towel but there wasn’t any, so I resolved to using tissue paper. The food (although it did get some complaints) I was perfectly fine with because I like Indonesian food. The accommodation (although the blanket was a thin piece of cloth) I managed to sleep quite well (mostly because I can sleep well anywhere with a bed and blanket). The mosquitoes didn’t bother me as well. I was really grateful how I was perfectly healthy throughout the trip even when some got dizzy from the ship, stomachache from the food, cold from the AC that couldn't be turned off, scratches from hitting a tree, getting knocked on the head. I was quite surprised cause I’m usually the one who gets injured on family trips. The IB profiles that I displayed were risk-taker (banana boat), open mindedness (adaptive), caring + thinkers (I tried to think of solutions when my friends were in trouble). The ATL skills I used were self management, thinking - finding solutions - and social - to communicate and interact with people from different grades and teachers that don’t regularly teach us. What can be used in my learning would probably be flexibility and willingness to adapt to different situations and think optimistically of things.

Gary - Grade 11

I found this WWW trip pretty fun. On the first day, I was a bit desperate due to the hotel we were supposed to stay in, and it was the first time I rode a bicycle for a long time, so I thought it was dangerous to ride a bicycle while there were motorcycles beside us. But, luckily, we changed our cottage in the end, and I got used to riding a bicycle again!!! On the second day, it was very enjoyable that we did the snorkeling and I got to play in the water with my friends. Although I'm a non-swimmer, I still enjoyed the time we swam in the shallow area. Moreover, I was also very entertained by the campfire activity, which I got to see how my friends performed, and the way they sang the song was hilarious. On the third day, I had a new experience, such that it was the first time I played banana boat and sofa boat, and it was especially with friends. Overall, I think this will be one of the most memorable memories I have in my high school life, and I really enjoyed it.

Jessie - Grade 10

Grade 10's and 11's were given an opportunity to join an event called "Weeks Without Walls''. In this event, students were given the chance to explore an area of the Earth, but this time it was in Pulau Seribu. In this event, students were able to do activities together and learn more about new cultures there. From September 27 to 29, 2022, we were able to learn and experience a lot of things. On this trip, I mainly learnt to not take things for granted. On this trip, we definitely realized that we took things for granted if we compare our lives in Jakarta. For example, in Pulau Seribu, tap water was hard to find. In the girls' cottage, there wasn't any tap water but only salt water. Moreover, in Pulau, Seribu, many of us realised how bad water pollution is in Indonesia. Because of this, we were able to learn the importance of taking action to help clean trash. Overall, I enjoyed the trip to Pulau Seribu. Activities I enjoyed most throughout the trip were definitely the biking scavenger hunt as well as the banana boat. During the biking scavenger hunt, it wasn't only about playing the game, but it was also about appreciating nature by looking at the views while biking, as well as getting to know more people throughout the trip as we were split into groups with different grades. For the banana boat, it was definitely also one of the most enjoyable activities as we were able to do fun water sports with our friends, making happy memories. On this trip, the IB learner profiles we used were 'open-minded' and 'reflective'. As for 'open-minded', I was able to appreciate other cultures and traditions and learn from experiences. For 'reflection', I was able to understand more of myself throughout the trip, such as my strengths and weaknesses.

Florencia - Grade 10

From the WWW trip I had so many new experiences. Because I'm a new student I didn't know all of the grade 11 and this trip helped me know more about them. Also there was a team game that allowed me to have more conversations with them and interact with each other. This trip also made me know about the local schools there. This trip also made me know more about everyone, and it really helped me to adapt in this school. After this trip, I feel more comfortable in the school. I really enjoyed the second day because we did snorkeling and swimming on the beach. We also had a barbecue.

Jonghyuk - Grade 10

During this trip I had a hard time, but also had some funny moments and enjoyable moments. During these days, I was able to talk to many people and working in a group made me collaborate. The people gave us activities that we had to do as a team, so I could work with many other people. Also, after the activities, we used our rooms with 4 different people so I could talk to people inside the room ( which helped me a lot to get closer to other people). Since I am a new student, it was such a good experience to get close to other people, and it will help me to enjoy the rest of the year. This was an eye-opening experience to Jakarta and society. Pulau Tidung is part of DKI Jakarta (province), but it felt like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan Jakarta.

So Young - Grade 10

I was excited when I heard that we would have WWW, as this was the first time for me to go on a field trip at SWA. The first day I was kind of tired and exhausted because we had to wake up early and we had to ride a boat and a bus, and also a bicycle. So, it was quite tough for me as it's been a while since I rode a bicycle. The scavenger hunt was fun and sunset walking was memorable. I really loved this activity because we got to take many pictures together and see beautiful sunsets together. The second day was also good, but it was a bit sad that non-swimmers couldn't join snorkeling. The third day was the best, as we got to do the banana boat and the sofa boat, which was really really fun. Although my nose and throat hurt so bad because of the seawater, I enjoyed it so much. I think I developed communication skills as we had to communicate and collaborate with our group members to complete the tasks. Moreover, I learned how to organize my things properly which can help me in my studies. This can improve my time management and self-management while studying. Although some moments weren't that good, overall, I really enjoyed WWW and it will be my precious memory.

Antônia - Grade 11

As it was my first WWW trip in Sinarmas school I have to say it was incredibly fun and interesting, there were ups and downs of course but there always is to any adventure. I think my favorite part of the trip would have to be the island hopping or the sunset trip. It was an amazing view and although there was some trash in the beach the sky and the deep ocean did make up for it. It was also amazing to see all the fishes and get to know the staff working with us while snorkeling. Overall as a new student it was an amazing experience to have to be able to get to know everyone better and to be able to have fun with my classmates. I’m glad I went as I got to make new friends in different grades and bond with them over the fun times and not so fun times.

Kylie - Grade 11

I had a great time on this WWW trip. I learned a lot of new things, like the locals' lifestyle and the differences between our school and the nearby local school. In addition, I learned how to adapt to a new environment and become more independent without my parents. My favorite part about this trip was the last day when we did the banana boat and the sofa boat. It hurt my nose and throat afterwards, but it was worth it.

I found this year's WWW trip to be both fun and informative, as there were various activities that we were able to do, which helped make the trip memorable.

Nicholas - Grade 11

This trip helped me develop some IB learner profiles, such as being caring, open-minded, and reflective. One of the experiences that struck me the most was when I saw that there were various areas on the seashores or beaches where there was trash lying around, and this made me more determined to not litter.

The activity that I enjoyed the most from this trip was the banana/sofa boat ride on the last day of the trip, as it was the first time that I had done those activities, and I was able to share the experience with my closest friends.

Dillon - Grade 11

For this year's WWW, my peers and I went to Pulau Tidung. When we first arrived, we learned about many things related to the island and how its school works. Soon after, we went to the meeting spot in order to do our next activities and experience the surroundings. During the first and the last day, we did a lot of activities. These included a scavenger hunt, island hopping, a banana boat ride and many more. For me, I learnt quite a lot during this trip. The skills I picked up included being able to ride a bike, as I have never ridden one ever. Because the only form of transport for us was using bikes, I had to continuously persevere to ride a bike, even if it involved hurting myself. Other things I learned about was how resourceful basic trash can be since on the first day, we learnt about the way the locals use items such as bike tires in order to make fish apartments. Overall, this trip was an exciting, unique and fun experience that was fun thanks to the people there, such as friends and supervisors that made the trip feel comfortable and fun.

More photographs can be accessed here

21st Century Library
Written by Ms. Bozzetti

Embracing the concept of 21st-century libraries and renovating the role of teacher librarians, SWA is reshaping its approach to engaging teachers and students in an interactive learning space which aims to become the hub of learning. Here, DP students have been working on their TOK essay research. While making the library a learning destination fostering communication and collaboration, students enjoyed the research process and felt more productive in working towards their goals.

Tech Moguls - The Gifted and Talented Programme

Grade 9 Tech Moguls
Written by Tech Moguls Students

Grade 9 SWA students in the Tech Moguls programme conducted experiments on the acceleration of motion on an inclined plane. Afterwards, they carried out another experiment called “free fall”. They had to record the acceleration of falling objects with different masses. After conducting both experiments, they used their critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate the results of the two experiments. They observed that the trolley in experiment 1 had a uniform acceleration. Furthermore, they noticed that changing the slotted mass in experiment 2 did not change the rate of acceleration. From these observations, they concluded that acceleration is constant and acceleration does not depend on mass since gravitational field strength g is constant.

Throughout the term, they all enjoyed the experiments thoroughly and participated eagerly. They communicated and collaborated with each other effectively, and they shared their knowledge with each other. They also demonstrated a lot of curiosity and were inquisitive throughout the experiments.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Grade 6 ELA
Written by Mr. Jay

Media and social media are now an inescapable part of our everyday lives. From FB, to Youtube to Twitter and TikTok, we are all connected to various platforms of media. In G6 ELA this term, we focused on media literacy, understanding what it is and how advertising effectively persuades viewers. In exploring the various types of persuasive techniques used by companies, G6 was tasked at also creating their own advertisement for a product they created. In groups, they had to come up with their own product and then produce an ad or PSA, using some of the same persuasive techniques we covered in Term 1. The results, creative, entertaining and dare I say, well acted. (In some cases.) Overall, it was an enriching and fun experience for everyone!

DP English Language and Literature and Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
Written by Ms. Bozzetti

Leaders of Learning.

Embracing the undergoing transformation in education and seeking to empower students and the youth that will run the world and shape our future we, at SWA, welcomed a guest speaker in the English Language and Literature class to share her experience and technique on how to have a high performance on the Individual Oral and English Language and Literature subject. Helena C.B. Soares graduated as an IBDP student in 2021 and is now doing her major in English Literature and Creative Writing and visited us to deliver a tailored lesson to help students excel on their IO.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Grade 9 IGCSE focus through implementation of a practical
Written by Dr. Xavier

On Thursday October 6th, we performed the experiment linked to the formative assessment: Formative Benedict’s test. Ms Martha, our laboratory technician, had kindly prepared all materials and equipment needed beforehand. In groups, students were following the steps of the protocol given by the teacher, and made some tactical decisions as to how to implement this protocol in the most efficient way possible. This collection of data as well as the worksheet of the experiment, the lab report template, and the criterion C MYP rubrics will then be used to prepare a presentation where each group will share their reporting of the results obtained. During each presentation, the students will peer-assess their classmates, using the rubrics of Criterion C. This way, they will develop and strengthen their skills in this criterion, and will take advantage of group work to share ideas, strategies and advice within their groups. They will receive oral feedback from the teacher.

Grades 9 and 10 IGCSE focus through past papers practice
Written by Dr. Xavier

In order to be even better prepared for IGCSE examinations at the end of Grade 10, both Grades 9 and 10 students practiced IGCSE past papers questions. They used the oral comments from the teacher as well as the official IGCSE mark scheme to better understand the marking they were awarded. After this, the whole class discussed every single answer to all questions from the test, including discussing the reasons why three out of four of the answers in the Multiple Choice Questions (Paper 2) part of the test were not the good answers.

In a second session, Grade 10 students revised their knowledge/comprehension of all Biology IGCSE material covered since the beginning of Grade 9. For this, they used their colour-coded “Whole IGCSE curriculum”, and each of them had a one-on-one conversation with the teacher to clarify a specific part of the syllabus.

Grade 11 Review of the Summative Test and Progress on Producing a Laboratory Report

On October 4th the students reviewed their answers to the Unit test #2 performed on September 21st. They used the comments and grades from the teacher as well as the official IB DP mark scheme to better understand the marking they were awarded. After this, the whole class discussed every single answer to all questions from the test, including discussing the reasons why three out of four of the answers in the MCQ (Paper 1) part of the test were not the good answer. They then scanned their papers and uploaded them on Managebac for their own and their parents’ reference.

In addition, the students made progress on the laboratory report, using the internal assessment structure, towards the production of the formative version of the summative assessment linked to a mandatory practical of the IB DP Biology syllabus, i.e. Osmolarity. The practical was implemented on September 26th, the formative version is due on October 4th, and the summative version is due on October 18th. They will receive feedback from the teacher on this draft, permitting them to improve the quality of the report towards the summative version of this assessment, which will receive a grade.

Grade 12 Pandemics Presentations

On October 4th, the G12 students performed research for preparing an oral presentation on a chosen epidemic/pandemic that marked the history of mankind. They spent approximately one week fine-tuning the collection of information on the disease itself (nature of pathogen, points of entry, ways the pathogen spreads inside the body, its symptoms and how it contaminates fellow humans), on what is know of the history of the epidemic/ pandemic, and then focused on the medicinal approaches towards the future prevention/ treatment/ eradication of the disease. The diseases that were treated were: the Spanish flu (Selma), Smallpox (Jinuk), and H3N2 Influenza (Vacya).

After each 5-8 minute presentation, a student-led discussion occurred between the students, the teacher acting as the moderator. This way, all students learned from researching/ presenting, and learning from each other’s presentations, strengthening a number of ATL skills in the process.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Grade 10 Chemistry - Term 1 Activities
Written by Mr. Benjamin

Grade 10 students were having lots of hands-on learning activities in the month of September 2022. They were introduced to the concept of Organic Chemistry through ball-and-stick model, constructing their own hydrocarbon molecules whilst uncovering the existing use of the compounds in real-life, such as octane for petrol fuel and butane for Bunsen burner's gas. They were also exposed to the concept of isomerism, by re-constructing the ball-and-stick model with the same amount of atoms in different arrangements. Additionally, they realised how isomerism plays a crucial role in the field of pharmaceutical drug synthesis, with one of the isomers could potentially turn into a cure while the opposite could be toxic to the consumers.

In one of the practical lessons, they managed to witness the dehydrating effect of concentrated sulfuric acid by turning glucose into plain carbon. They also conducted experiments on chemical properties of period 3 compounds such as sodium oxide, magnesium oxide, phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid to determine the relationship between position in the periodic table and their respective acid-base characteristics, using universal indicator and the color charts. A few students attempted to neutralize the compounds with each other to achieve neutral color-green and they successfully did it despite the small margin of success without titration set.

During the summative assessment, students performed their self-led inquiry-based experimentation by crafting their own research questions, planning investigations, preparing their own chemicals based on their suitable concentrations supervised by the teacher and lastly collected data before writing down the report using the MYP Experimental Cycle. Here are some of the photos in action:

Grade 12 Chemistry - Internal Assessment (IA)

September 2022 - Grade 12 students have spent some of their weekends and after school hours to collect primary data for their personally-led research activities, to fulfill the requirement for IBDP Chemistry. Some of the experiments included complexometric titration using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Patterson's reagent to determine the amount of calcium content in milk, an experiment to determine the activation energy of salt that is commonly used to produce oxygen in airplanes, as well as production of biofuel and its optimization to improve viscosity for better combustibility. Most of the students are still in the preliminary stage of data collection with some modifications required to ensure data can be collected in a school lab setting. Best wishes to Grade 12 Chemistry students for a successful internal assessment!

MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

Ancient Number System
Written By Ms. Olive

Grade 6 Math International students explored the number systems of different ancient civilizations - Babylonians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Mayans. In groups, they researched the assigned number system and explained the basis of that number system to the class. Below are the videos that include all the relevant information about the ancient number systems.

I&S DEPARTMENT

Grade 9 Enterprise - Term 1 Activities
Written by Mr. Aleksandar

This term 1, the students in the Grade 9 Enterprise class had their first experience of taking a deep dive into the world of business and enterprise. Overall, they were really engaged throughout the term and decided on splitting into groups to conduct the coursework requirements for Enterprise, while conducting preliminary research on identifying areas of business that they want to focus on. A highlight of their efforts in term 1 was a submission of a business plan for a social enterprise that they would like to start. Compared to traditional businesses their idea had to be about more than just generating sales and profits and rather focused on how enterprises of the future can be a vital part of the solution for many social and environmental problems that require urgent attention. Below are some snapshots of their presentations:

MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Written by Mr. Freddy

The Grade 7 Music students were working together in exploring Rock n Roll music in their Music classes this term. They learned how to form the dominant chords using specific intervals and the bass line of Rock n Roll in theory and applied it in their piano practice. They rehearsed together in the piano lab for their individual practical test. They presented the song “Rock Around The Clock” during their piano test and were divided into 2 differentiation groups, the basic and intermediate. Below are some examples of their videos:

VISUAL ART DEPARTMENT
Written by Mr. Alan Wang

This term was an amazing journey, allowing me to see how artistic and talented students are at Sinamas World Academy, from Grade 7 to Grade 12. Some of their artwork impressed me, not only are they talented with their creativity and technical skills, but also in their inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking.

Below are some snapshots of student's artwork from Grade 8, 'My Native Mask' and Grade 11 & 12 students 'Visual Art Comparative Study'.

Grade 8 'My Native Masks'

INDONESIAN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
Written By Ms. Marcel

“To grow yourself, you must know yourself” - John C. Maxwell

Learning about ourselves is always fun! In other words we get a chance to get to know ourselves deeper and explain it in Indonesian Language. The grade 6 are preparing and creating their own autobiography videos. Before that, were a series of activities as an introduction to writing their own autobiography. It started with making a mind map about themselves. Then they continued to make an autobiography text draft. The final activity was making their own autobiography video. Some of them explained about their family, their hobbies, and also their values. They also made their own family tree and presented it in front of the class. It was a great result in grade 6!

CHINESE DEPARTMENT

Grade 8 Chinese Acquisition Orals (Summative Project)
Written by Mr. Charles

People are interested in celebrities and want to know more about their favourite actors and singers. Most of us follow famous people on social networks, watch youtube videos about them, read magazines and online articles. We love chatting about our favourite celebrities with friends and this does not appear to do any harm. G8 Chinese Acquisition phase 4-6 students’ second summative assessment of the term was to talk about a famous person they admired. After the individual oral presentations, students had to answer questions in a natural and fluent way; they had to expand their ideas into long meaningful sentences using grammar patterns and vocabulary, which would help them get the highest score band for Criterion A (Listening) and Criterion C (Speaking).