The American Times
A newspaper club from American Highschool
Quote of the Month:
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”
-Confucius
Information about Confucius
Mikhail Bulgakov was a Russian medical doctor and a writer. He is best know for his work “The Master And Margarita”. After graduating from medical school in Kiev, he enlisted in the anti-Bolshevik White Army as a field doctor. Because of contracting typhus while being in northern Caucasus he had to stay in Russia, which greatly contributed to his writing career. At first he gained quite the popularity but later on his success was limited because of his anti-Soviet ideas and ideologies. His criticism of the misuse of knowledge and ideas by the Soviet doctors are conveyed in one of his most famous novels “Heart Of A Dog”. The book shows the short and long-term struggles of everyday lives in the Soviet Union. The story is about a stray dog who in a critical wounded situation is discovered by a doctor called Phillip Pillipovich who earns the dog’s trust, names it Sharik and starts conducting an experiment upon him. The doctor is a vocal anti-communist but he gets away with it because of his medical services. After getting hands on a human corpse, the doctor transfers some of the human parts into Sharik. The dog slowly transforms into a human. The story is not meant to be conceived literally. It is meant to be allegorical, attacking Bolshevism. But in reality it has a much bigger and deeper meaning. The dog is a symbol of Russian people, who are exploited, battered, and literally treated like animals. The doctor can be perceived as the Communist party and even Lenin himself. The transformation of the dog that the surgeon conducts is a parallel to the Russian revolution. The book’s main purpose is to make the reader understand the consequences and results of giving power to people like the Communist party. History can not be reversed, if no one takes action, people may fall into a continuous loop of crude, brutal, and an unstable life. People of the Soviet Union allowed the communist party to almost achieve the impossible- to change the humankind. The story reminds us and makes us understand the power of people. Everyone should read “Heart Of A Dog” once in their life, in order to understand the impact that they have upon society, have a deeper knowledge of their rights and how to use them wisely. A quote by Alice Walker shortly summarizes one of the messages conveyed in the story- “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
AP Scholars
By taking AP exams, you don't only get the opportunity to earn college credit, but you're also a candidate for AP Scholar awards, which are great additions to your college application. These are the qualifying factors for each award:
1. AP Scholar - You must get 3+ on at least 3 AP exams
2. AP Scholar with Honor - You must get a 3+ on at least 4 AP exams, and have an average score of 3.25+
3. AP Scholar with Distinction - You must get a 3+ on at least 5 AP exams, and have an average score of 3.5+
4. AP International Diploma - You must get a 3+ on at least 5 AP exams, and all of the following:
2 exams in different languages, for example, English Language and Composition and Chinese Language and Culture
1 exam offering a global perspective (Art History, Macroeconomics, World History, Human Geography, Comparative Government, etc.)
1 scientific exam (Calculus AB, Computer Science, Physics 1, Chemistry, Statistics, etc.)
1 additional AP exam (Seminar, Research, Microeconomics, Psychology, etc)
5. AP Capstone Diploma - Seminar and Research exams with a score of 3+, and 4 additional exams with a score of 3+.
With our AP classes, you can get an AP Scholar award already in sophomore year. These awards are given as certificates on your Collegeboard account, when your AP scores are released.
-Mariam Chakhnashvili
Presidential and Dean's Lists
Our school provides us with variety of academic achievements and doesn’t let any of our hard work go to waste. One of the examples of our recognition would be the president and dean’s lists. The Academic Dean’s list consists of students who have graduated the school year with a 4.0 GPA. The Presidential Award for Education is divided into 2 categories: Presidential Award for Educational Excellence (Gold) and Presidential Award for Educational Achievement (Silver). Our students have made us proud by achieving all the requirements necessary for a spot in these lists. The following names are the people who have been included in the Dean’s and Presidential lists from last year. The Dean’s list consists of 9 students from a range of grades. The grade 9s were Mariam Jakhua, Liza Gordeziani, Ekaterine Gorgadze, Nikoloz Paniashvili, and Lika Bolkvadze. The grade 10s were: Nika Bezhuashvili, Nita Bakradze, and Mariam Chakhnashvili. The only student from grade 11 was Mariam Arveladze. Now onto the presidents list, this list consists of only the grade 12s, who have maintained a 4.0 GPA during all the 4 years of secondary school. The 2 students who got the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence or the Gold award were Irakli Bezhuashvili and Ana Darchiashvili. The only student who got the Presidential Award for Educational Achievement or the Silver award was Nia Zeikidze. these were the names which were on the lists from last year but starting today everyone has a chance of getting into at least one of them. and do not forget… your hard work is never disregarded by American High School.
Re-accreditation
In February of 2020, American High School was hosting Cognia Engagement Review visit for reaccreditation. The team of experts observed process of studying and had meetings with all school representatives - administration, teachers, students and parents.
So later, they evaluated the school by many different criteria, including teaching methods, management and resources.
On 2nd of April American High School got a congratulatory email from Vice President of Cognia Accreditation Commission on getting accredited.
,,Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that the Accreditation Engagement Review Report for European School -American High School has received final approval from the Cognia Accreditation Commission…
American High School Index of Education Quality (IEQ) 345 out of possible 400!
As an Accredited institution you are encouraged to be engaged in continuous improvement efforts, addressing the Standards identified in the Initiate and Improve phase, and ensuring the Standards in the Impact phase stay as effective practices within the institution.
We extend congratulatory wishes to your community and look forward to celebrating your continuous improvement journey”
The American High school was awarded with the international accreditation for the next five years and received impressive scores in every aspect.
Graduates
We must never forget the students who have left our school, since everyday they are making us proud. Even though they may not be physically here with us anymore, they will never lose a spot from the AHS community. Here are some of the students whose achievements have gotten them into spectacular universities. Ika Bezhuashvili, one of AHS’s star students is now studying in Columbia University in the city of New York. He is majoring in Political science-econ. Next is Kato Bakradze, she is now at Yale University majoring in Economics. Tega Cheishvili goes to UCLA and is majoring in communications. And lastly, Sopo Chkonia is already a graduate of UCLA and is now studying at Columbia graduate school of epidemiology. These are just 4 students out of many who have made AHS honored. We expect and await the future pupils to have the same results. Good luck to our graduates and may they continue to excel in all they do!
Interviews with alumni
1) As an admitted student, what do you think was the most important part of your application?
A: As we're taught in school, your academic achievements are very important to universities; Some colleges perform the first round of eliminations based on your SAT and GPA, but that's not all. Your scores improve your chances of being admitted, but get a guarantee, I think you should talk directly to your college. You're more likely to get accepted if you seem passionate about your major and the specific college you're applying to, since every college wants a loyal alumnus for its reputation.
Irakli: Standardized test Scores and grades are obviously vital to the college applications, but at the end it still comes down to your involvement in activities, both inside and outside the school, and your personality, or otherwise said what type of a person would a university portray you as. I firmly believe that Columbia University in the City of New York chose me not only because of my scores, but because I am passionate in Political Science, the field that I so diligently want to explore.
2) Do you think European School adequately prepared you for the requirements of college?
A: I definitely think European School equipped me with all the needed skills, even though we weren't taught the details. While I may have never had to create my own lesson schedule, I was taught important time management and planning skills. So yes, I do believe that European School gives you everything you need to succeed in college, as long as you can adapt to the small changes.
Irakli: I have been in/with the European School from the kindergarten to my senior year, so it is only natural that I deeply cherish the memories we’ve made here together with friends, faculty and school staff.
Through multiple journeys - from traveling to hell with Dante and Virgil to vicariously living through the entangled intrigues of Hamlet to exploring the brain, mind and behavior, - the European School has given me a firm platform on which to build my future education and career. It is a huge privilege to be studying in an environment full of intellectual vitality.
European School gave me the skillset that I increasingly value as I embark on my college journey. Skills starting with collaboration and communication to research and analysis help me stay optimistic about succeeding in one of the best universities in the world – Columbia University in the city of Mew York. College prep resources and the counseling service at our school helped me land acceptances at top colleges, including four ivies (Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, Brown), UC Berkeley and more.
3) As advice to current students, is there anything you wish to have done differently while in school?
A: High school felt very stressful for me, and I wish I enjoyed it more. Of course spending time on long-term goals is important, but it's not all. It's possible to built a great college application while letting yourself take breaks where you truly rest, rather than being worried about the next workload.
Irakli: My key takeaway is that sometimes school might appear as too arduous, but if we keep our head inside this whirlwind and benefit from both the breadth of knowledge and the intellectual vitality, our classes will become more pleasurable, and our intellectual exertions – more satisfying. Ultimately, we will understand so much more than a typical love story, mathematical equation, or a concept in Psychology.
-Interview by Mariam Chakhnashvili
Online School in AHS
In spring 2020 European School faced new challenges. Due to the complicated situation in Georgia concerning the pandemic, European School has moved to online mode of learning since March 2020. The school rapidly organized productive and fruitful online lessons, because of which there were practically no complications concerning the learning process. Initially, the online learning process was slightly difficult for the students due to having to spends more time in front of computer screens than usual. However, European School rapidly resolved the problem. The school was very quick to provide students with blue-light and UV blocking glasses, which turned out to be very functional for children due to its ability to reduce exposure to blue light waves. Regardless of distance learning, the students and teachers were able to cover the program successfully. European School has started new 2020/2021 academic year with new regulations, beginnings, and ideas. The digital transformation of the school contributed to its ability to effectively respond to challenges. New technology resources in classrooms promote and ease online learning process for both - pupils and teachers. The school came up with new conference cameras and interactive whiteboards, which made online learning more similar to face-to- face learning. Due to organized lessons and productive advancement in technology, the school will successfully continue the online learning process before the improvement of pandemic situation in the country