ACG School Jakarta February 2023 Newsletter

Wolf Pack

What a packed month this has been

A big thank you to Ms. Ursula for supporting this endeavour along with the Literacy Committee. Thank you to all the parent readers, it was great to have you read in your native languages. I look forward to building on this with mother tongue clubs in the new academic year, if you are interested in supporting this idea, please contact Ms. Mia. Read more about Literacy Week on Page 17 and 18.

The ACG School Jakarta Interactive Newsletter

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

What a packed month this has been. The students have been on field trips to so many exciting places and been raising awareness of Mental Health Issues.

The Student Council ran a week on Mental Health Awareness as it is very important across the while school and for the community to understand how children develop and the issues they are facing in today’s world. There was a focus on strategies to develop well-being and self-esteem. This is an area ACG School Jakarta will continue to on over the next few months.

It was great to see our parents coming in for the PYP Parent as Learner sessions, and for the Year 6 transition meeting. More information about other year transitions will be coming out shortly.

Want to know more about Aquariums and Taman Mini look no further than the exciting pages for Year 2 and 4.

Even I got involved in teaching this month. I became the Boss of a sneaker manufacturing plant and the Year 11 maths students had to help me plan our strategy for making a profit. They came up with some wonderful ideas and a creative solution.

And then of course, we had Literacy Week. A big thank you to Ms. Ursula for supporting this endeavour along with the Literacy Committee. Thank you to all the parent readers, it was great to have you read in your native languages. I look forward to building on this with mother tongue clubs in the new academic year, if you are interested in supporting this idea, please contact Ms. Mia.

Read more about Literacy Week on Page 17 and 18.

As we come to the end of term 3, we will celebrate Pi. It is such a long number it deserves a day of its own.

Many thanks and have a wonderful holiday.

Warm regards

Myles D’Airelle Principal

Myles D’Airelle

Vice PrincipalMessage from the

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

As an IB World School community, we strive to be ‘balanced’:

“We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.” (IB Learner Profile)

The month of February saw our students enjoying school-wide events and excursions outside of school, which reminded us of the importance of having a healthy mind and a healthy body. You can see some photos of the events in the following pages.

Our Mental Health Awareness Week was organized by ACG School Jakarta Student Council. In their proposal, they wrote:

“Student Council would like to organize our annual Mental Health Awareness Week as we aspire to begin the semester with a community bonding experience and to create a safe and understanding environment for our entire ACG community… As we aim to address, help improve and expand students’ understanding of mental health, we have organized three activities for secondary; an anonymous rant space, a kindness box and a tea party, some of which will be held during advisory times. For primary, we are putting greater significance on mindfulness sessions along with a guided yoga session and the kindness box which will be differentiated from secondary. Allocating time for mental health is very important therefore students are highly encouraged to take part.”

The main reason for organizing this event is to increase awareness surrounding mental health, both our own and mental disorders in general. As mental health is an aspect that is not brought attention to often, we would like to dedicate an entire week to raise its awareness. Students will be able to participate in activities that help them cope, sooth, and acknowledge their mental health– as well as offer compassion and kindness to others.”

We are proud of our Student Council for leading the school community to deepen our awareness of mental health.

Selda Mansur

Vice PrincipalMessage from the

In another whole school event, we celebrated Literacy Week, designed to inspire our school community to make reading a part of our daily life.

“Books are mirrors when readers see their own lives reflected in the pages. Books are windows when they allow readers a view of lives and stories that are different from their own. Books become sliding glass doors when readers feel transported into the world of the story and when they feel empathy for the characters.” (Rudine Sims Bishop, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors)

Our Primary students enjoyed listening to stories in a variety of languages (Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian) read by our teachers, parents and Secondary students, as well as through an online session where our second and fifth year students met with second graders and listened to a story read by an Australian and a Turkish librarian from a school in Turkey.

Such international and intercultural collaborations help us develop empathy as we get a glimpse of life through others’ eyes.

When I first arrived at the school in October 2022, I asked my Year 2 ELS students their suggestions for best places to visit in Jakarta. I asked them where they spent their weekends, and several of them said “The Mall’. That’s the legacy of the past few years we all had to spend inside the safety of our homes, going out only for essential purposes.

As pandemic restrictions are eased in Indonesia, throughout February, several classes went on half-day excursions to continue learning beyond our school borders. As part of their units of inquiry, our KG students explored their interests in the culinary field in an edutainment centre. Year 2 and Year 6 students enjoyed a joint field trip to an aquarium to explore life below water, and Year 1 and Year 4 students viewed architecture in Indonesia from high above, on Skylifts in Taman Mini. We are now planning such short trips to Science and Art Museums for other year levels for the coming weeks, as well as longer trips for the next academic year.

Vice PrincipalMessage from the

Such outings contribute to the development of independence, team building skills, collaboration and communication skills, while also providing a range of activities designed to spark students’ creativity and imagination.

Throughout February, our teaching team, joined by administrative staff members, continued working in groups to lead our school’s preparations for the 2024 IB PYP and DP Evaluation. We continued exploring how to improve the culture, environment, teaching and learning at ACG School Jakarta, in alignment with our school’s purpose. We continue to explore ways to strengthen the continuity by mapping our IBPYP, Cambridge International, IGCSE, and IBDP curricula implementation

On 7 February, we had a parent workshop which focused on ‘Inquiry based learning: being actively involved in and taking responsibility for own learning’, and parents reflected on balancing the support and guidance they offer to their children, and knowing when to take a step back so their children can take ownership of their lives.

And, along the same lines, on 20 February, our Year 6 parents participated in a presentation about how they can support their children in their PYP Exhibition journey, as well as their transition to Secondary School in Year 7.

We wish you and your family to have a balanced life, a healthy mind and a healthy body,

Selda Mansur Vice principal and PYP coordinator

Coordinator Message from IB Diploma

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

I hope that you and your family are doing well.

Year 13 Updates:

We’re into the most challenging stage for the Year 13s, with Mock Examinations occurring this week and next week. These exams are being run just like the IBDP examinations in May, which will assist the students in their preparation. There are also IA deadlines and preparation for the final examinations. This is always a very difficult time, so please do your best to support your child and reach out to us if you require any support.

The students will receive their results prior to the holiday break to assist them in their upcoming study leave. Students will still be able to meet with their teachers in this time if they wish to. We are also planning to run some workshops to provide additional examination skills and strategies. If students wish to have a session on a particular skill, exam paper, or topic as a class, please contact myself and their teacher to arrange this.

Sleep – Make sure that the students are not staying up late to study the night before an exam. Getting at least 8 hours sleep is much more important for their performance.

Year 12 Updates:

Students have now started research for their Extended Essays and should have met with their teacher supervisor. They will be working on this project this semester, with the aim of having a full draft completed by the end of the academic year.

Please continue to support the students in arriving to school on time.

Support: We realize that this is a stressful time for Year 13 students. Please encourage your child to reach out to us if they require emotional or academic support. We are happy to arrange a time with our school counsellor if needed, or to provide additional support. Having a balance of activities and adequate sleep is also important for students at this time.

Thank you for reading and please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Kieran Pascoe IBDP Coordinator

Kieran Pascoe

PYP Parents Programme

As an IB PYP (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme) World School, we view “partnerships with parents and legal guardians as benefitting the students and value the perspectives they bring to the learning community. The partnerships between home and school provide the foundation to support students’ learning, growth, health and well-being and agency”.

To that end, we are organizing monthly meetings to further involve you in your child’s education. Each month, we focus on one aspect of the PYP.

On 7 February Tuesday, our focus was ‘‘Inquiry based learning: being actively involved in and taking responsibility for own learning”. d

From an IBPYP perspective,

• “Play, problem-based learning, collaboration, experimentation, and explicit teaching all have a place within well-considered inquiry-based learning experiences.

• Inquiry is purposeful and authentic.

• The inquiry process builds capacity through student agency where voice, choice and ownership feature strongly.

Inquiry, as the leading pedagogical approach of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) recognizes students as being actively involved in their own learning and as taking responsibility for that learning. PYP learning is approached with a spirit of inquiry. Drawing from the transdisciplinary themes and students’ interests, inquiry is an authentic way for students to relate to, explore and understand the world around them.

…The IB believes that this is the way in which students learn best.

As part of the learner profile, students are supported in becoming “inquirers”. Inquiry nurtures curiosity and promotes enthusiasm for life-long learning. Effective inquiry encourages students to think, challenge and extend their ideas; it prompts students to reflect and take action. Through the inquiry process, students develop and demonstrate/practice the approaches to learning and attributes of the learner profile.”

Inquiry in the PYP, Teaching and Learning, PYP From Principles into Practice

During the parent workshop, we reflected on the roles of teachers and parents in supporting children’s inquiry to help build ‘capacity through student agency where voice, choice and ownership feature strongly.’

We considered adults’ role in children’s inquiry and shared our reflections on these questions:

• What support and guidance is available to your child at home? From whom?

• Does your child need more or less structure, control and guidance?

• How can you know if you are giving the right support?

• What is your role in making student agency happen?

PYP Parents Programme

”Agency “enable[s] people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and self-renewal with changing times”

PYP students with agency use their own initiative and will, and take responsibility and ownership of their learning. They direct their learning with a strong sense of identity and selfbelief, and in conjunction with others, thereby building a sense of community and awareness of the opinions, values and needs of others.”

We talked about how teachers, as well as parents, need to have a fluid role in children’s learning. Sometimes leading explicitly, and at other times, taking one or more steps backward, so that the children can take steps forward in their journey to independence.

Our next meeting will take place on 7 March 2023, Tuesday, 15.00-16.00. This time we will be inquiring into “Concept based learning: Seeing the big picture.” You can write to Selda. Mansur@acgedu.com if you would like to learn more about PYP implementation and please contact Mia.Sari@acgedu.com , if you plan to join our March workshop.

A community of entrepreneurial and compassionate learners

As we continue with our preparations for the upcoming IB Evaluation, we reflect on the successes and the challenges we face as a school community, and continually seek better ways of identifying and working towards our goals.

In February, we continued with our group meetings. Every Wednesday, our SelfStudy groups met to discuss their findings from IB and other documents, reflected on the answers in those documents to their group questions, and started creating surveys to reach out to other members of the school community to involve them, so that we can identify the challenges we face as well as the resources and opportunities we have. We will then be able to clarify our collective goals and draw up programme development plans to achieve those goals, to become a reflective, collaborative community of entrepreneurial and compassionate learners.

IB Perspective on Self-Assessment

“Programme standards and practices are the foundational set of principles for schools and the IB to ensure quality and fidelity in the implementation of the programmes.

The programme standards and practices identify elements that are aspirational and developmental and those that are required for schools to become and remain authorized to offer IB programmes. IB World Schools must have all required elements in place to retain their authorization to offer the IB programme(s). These elements are essential to the integrity of the IB programmes.

In the self-assessment, schools identify any requirements that are not in place. Every effort should be made during the self-study year to ensure that by the time of the evaluation visit or DP evaluation reading the school meets all requirements.

The programme standards and practices are organized into four overarching categories: purpose, environment, culture and learning. The four categories fit into a framework, which places “learning” at the centre and is encircled by IB philosophy and the school’s unique context.”

From IB Guide to Evaluation

Year 2 coordinated a joint excursion with Year 6 to the Jakarta Aquarium this term. Both year levels were studying the Unit – Sharing The Planet. This was the second excursion for the year for Year 2 and the first for Year 6 and all the students were excited about the trip and enjoyed the whole day. Year 2 had been learning about how the choices humans make have an impact on the planet, and on this trip they were able to see, touch, listen to the animals that are impacted by human choices that affect the environment.

See more photograph of the activity here

On Wednesday, 15 February, Year 1 and Year 4 students visited Taman Mini. This park was designed as a summary of the culture of the Indonesian nation, showcasing various aspects of the people’s daily life in regional pavilions with traditional architecture, as well as displaying multiple clothing, dances and regional traditions.

Year 4 students were in the tuning-in phase of their How the World Works Unit of Inquiry and learning about how architecture has changed. Students enjoyed the skylift ride, which gave them an overview of the buildings and park design.

See more photograph of the activity here

For Year 7’s An Introduction to Journalistic Writing unit, the class explored online news sources from a range of different countries. We looked at different news sections, features of articles, with a focus on Genre, Audience, Purpose (GAPS). We decided on a target audience, of the Year 4-6 students, and each of us chose a topic which we found interesting, and hoped our target audience would too. The class then went through the process of planning, drafting and finalising our articles, which also included photos, photo captions and photo credits. After careful editing we created a magazine, which we plan to share with the upper primary students. If you’d like to read our magazine, please click the image above.

It was an exciting day for the Y9 math students; they were about to buy their first car! The car dealership had six vehicles for sale. First, the students had to choose three cars they were interested in purchasing and calculate the interest and balance from two different bank offers for each car. After deciding which bank would give them a better deal, the students had to fill out a car loan application form and submit it to the bank manager. After the loan was approved, the students had to write a cheque for the car dealership and sign a contract with the car dealership manager. Drive safely, Year 9!

Mathematics: Year 10

Help, the math classroom is locked! The Year 10 students had 70 minutes to escape the room by solving math puzzles and cracking the codes. It was challenging, adventurous and a lot of fun. The students cooperated very well and exited the room just in time for their next class.

Our principal, Mr Myles, entered the Year 11 math class as Mr J. Ball, owner of the High Step Sport Shoe Corporation. He hired the Y11 students as consultants. Their job was to calculate how many pairs of Airheads shoes and Grounded shoes Mr Ball should produce in his factory to maximize his profit. The students had to consider several constraints, e.g. there are only a limited number of machines in the factory, and the workers cannot work overtime. The students did a great job, and Mr Ball was pleased with the results

At the beginning of February 2023, the Year 11 IGCSE Music class did a micro recital in the music room. The purpose of this activity is to gain their confidence. They performed classical pieces using instruments such as the violin, flute, piano, and keyboard and performing matters because it provides a goal. When a student completes a piece of music, even a simple one, we hope they gain self-confidence, pride, ownership of their instrument and a valuable experience that will help them develop essential life skills.

Design & Technology

Design & Technology, also known as D&T, is a class that combines creativity and practicality. It is a subject that focuses on problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation. In this class, students learn how to design, develop, and manufacture products using different materials and tools, including wood. The wood workshop is an essential part of this class, where students can develop their woodworking skills and create amazing projects.

Design & Technology is a class that provides numerous benefits to students. It encourages creativity and innovation, which are essential skills in today’s world. It also teaches practical skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication. Students learn how to work in teams, collaborate on projects, and present their ideas to others.

Design & Technology also provides opportunities for students to explore their interests and passions. Students can choose to work on projects that interest them, such as creating furniture, toys, or even musical instruments. This class allows students to develop their skills and interests in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Mental Health Awarenss Week

From the 6th to the 10th of February, the Student Council organised a weeklong event for mental health awareness. To spread awareness about mental health issues, the Student Council organised colouring, relaxation exercises, a rant board, and a tea party. On Monday, during assembly, the primary student council representatives hosted relaxation exercises to destress the body and mind. A rant board was also available all week long for students who needed to write about their problems and feelings freely and anonymously. On Wednesday, each advisory had colouring sessions where students could colour to relax and relieve their stress with classmates. Finally, on Friday, every secondary advisory hosted a tea party where students could talk about and express their emotions and thoughts to each other. Overall, mental health awareness week was a great success, and students were educated on the importance of mental health.

Last week, our school hosted Literacy Week, and it was a huge success! The event was filled with exciting and engaging activities to promote reading and literacy among students. One of the week’s highlights was the multicultural storyteller sessions by the supportive and dedicated parent community, who were willing to take time out of their busy schedule to participate in school activities. Their participation and encouragement were instrumental in creating a fun and engaging learning experience for everyone, where students could listen to stories from different cultures and traditions. In addition, it was an excellent way for students to learn about other cultures and appreciate diversity.

Another fun activity was the “Guess the Reader” game, where students unlocked QR codes to guess the identity of the mystery guest reader. Again, it was a thrilling experience for the students, encouraging them to think critically and pay attention to details.

The “read-a-thon” was also a hit amongst the students, who were challenged to read as many books as possible within a specific time frame. Each book read won a point for their house team. The activity was designed to encourage students to develop a love for reading and to help them improve their reading skills.

Finally, the Wayang puppet theatre showcased Indonesian traditional storytelling and culture. The show was based on a famous Javanese story, and it was a creative way to bring the story to life and engage students in a different story experience.

The secondary students participated in a range of literacy activities throughout the week with enthusiasm and good humour.

Read Aloud

In this activity students volunteered to Read Aloud to primary students. The sign-up slots were quickly filled, and 28 readers from Years 7 – 11 happily visited classrooms to read some of their favourite books in English, Indonesian and Korean. The primary students loved listening to, and meeting, our older students and their participation was fantastic.

Creative Writing Competition

We also held a Creative Writing Competition where budding writers, poets and illustrators were invited to submit a new, or recent, original piece of work, in any of the three categories. We received some wonderful entries showcasing creativity, style and personal expression. The winners are:

Short Story category winners:

• 3rd place: Serafin Pingol – Yr 11

• 2nd place: Amara Saputra – Yr 13

• 1st place: Farha Azmi – Yr 7

Poetry category

Lower Secondary (Yr 7-9)

• 3rd place: My Father by Maryam Suliman – Yr 8

• 2nd place: Love for the Living by Rashi Pandya – Yr 9

• 1st place: The Windows to your Soul by Aahana Patel – Yr 9

Upper Secondary (Yr 10-13)

• 3rd place: Three Words by Aisha Witono – Yr 12

• 2nd place: Rahasia Dendam by Sarrah Riang Hepat – Yr 12

• 1st place: Teenage Dream by Sarah Miski – Yr 10

Poetry Party Advisory Competition

In this activity advisory classes needed to select a poem from pre-1900. Classes then were required to work collaboratively to adapt and perform their poem in a creative way, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the poet’s message. Entries were innovative and it was interesting to see how classes interpreted their poem. The winners are:

• 3rd place: Yr 7 Ulfa

• 2nd place: Yr 10 Pho

• 1st place: Yr 7 Dickinson - video HERE

Overall, Literacy Week was a resounding success, and it was evident that the students had a great time participating in the various activities. The event was a testament to the school’s commitment to promoting reading and literacy among students, and it was a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.

See more photograph of the activity here