IB Busy! November 2012

ISSUE

02 November 2012

AIS’S OFFICIAL IB NEWSLETTER

IB Busy!

GET IT?

this issue Sophomores: Your Guide to IB P.1 Deadlines & CAS Overview P.2 CAS Tuesdays P.3

Before I Die We asked you last time to tell us about your hopes and dreams, here is what you told us.

Film Competition & Teacher Interview P.4

Part of the CAS Photography Team’s Field Trip to Islamic Cairo

“Drop out and make billions like Steve Jobs” -Mark Iskandar “Hopes and dreams in IB. ha.”

-Ahmed Tag Eldin

Sophomores: How to Get into IB

Surviving IB: IB Its and Bits

“My goal is to meet One Direction.”

-Evelyn Dom

To enter the International Baccalaureate Program, you must understand what is the International Baccalaureate Organization’s definition of “international”.

“I hope to continue IB, get rich, and eventually have Gordon Ramzy work for me.”

-Farahnaz Abdel Bary

The objectives of the IB are to mold students into wellrounded individuals who are more of the interpreters and not the recipients of information. You will be made into a person who learns how to inquire and not just expect to have everything handed to you. This will make you a better person in the ongoing challenges that you will face in your lifetime. Eventually, when you graduate from school, you will graduate with more than the IB Diploma.

You will graduate with the characteristics that enable you to understand that others might also be right, despite differences with your opinions.

When you tell someone you’re an IB student, the conversation can go two ways. The first, “Why are you doing this to yourself? It’s not worth it!” and the second is, “Good for you! If you ever need anything, I’m here to help.” People will say that you will not have time to go out. Sometimes, even for the juniors, you feel like you do not have enough time to finish your work on Friday and/or Saturday, but you still go out on Thursday. Even if you have tons of assignments due that seem impossible to finish, go out! You have to have some fun or else your life will be miserable, not saying that it already isn’t. It makes you mad when your friends complain about their American Diploma classes and how “stressful” they are, little do they know, stressing out became part of your daily routine. For the juniors it was harder to adjust to the IB life; just because they are IB students does not mean they have changed.

Two weeks into the first month of school, teachers were already expecting a different level of attitude, work and almost everything else. They are still the same students they were three months ago!

“I want to drop out of IB and become a _____*. Cause you know, that’s probably the only job out there for a dropout...” *The job was censored due to its sensitive nature.

-Sarah Gharib “My dream is to get a 45 in IB and to study Physics at MIT. La2 khalas ghayarooha ana asasan 3ayez akhosh fenoun gameela.”

-Abdul Aziz El Sabrout ³0\ GUHDP LV WR À\ ´ -Mirna El Banway “My dream is to get over a 40 in ,% DQG EHFRPH WKH ¿UVW IHPDOH minister of foreign affairs in Egypt :)” -Fatima Nosseir “I want to pass IB we bas. I don’t care what I get fe ay haga.”

-Hagar Salama We thank all of those who have contacted us. We apologize if we did not publish what you sent.

There is always next time.

Now, to get into IB, you must understand a few things.

You will have to be willing to undergo a rigorous two years of numerous assessments and projects. For these years to move smoothly, you must understand how to cooperate with others, how to be CARING, and you must be KNOWLEDGEABLE. To actually enter the IB program, you will have to meet a certain set of standards that are acceptable for the IB program to work with. In other words, you already must be, to a certain degree, an inquiring, caring, risk-taking, balanced, openminded, principled, communicating, and knowledgeable thinker. These standards will be reflected by not only your grades, but by how your teachers describe you and how your actions outside of the classroom describe you. Then comes the part where you study and fill out several forms that will be given to you by the end of this year. Now is the right time to look at the courses that IB is offering and to study each alternative and then decide which alternative best suits you.

Even if it’s too early for the juniors, it probably isn’t for the seniors. These are just a few of “You know you’re in IB when...” $ JRRG QLJKW¶V VOHHS LV KRXUV <RX EUDJ WKDW \RX RQO\ JRW KRXUV RI sleep last night <RX EUHDN GRZQ LQ WHDUV LQ WKH PLGGOH RI Biology (or English, or History, or whatever) class, cannot stop, an cannot explain why, not even to yourself. <RX¶YH PDVWHUHG WKH DUW RI SURFUDVWLQDtion so well that your research paper finishes printing just seconds before you have to leave for school. <RX ZRXOG JR LQWR VHYHUH VSDVPV LI \RX ever lost your planner. <RX IROORZ ,QVWDJUDP DQG 7ZLWWHU accounts that only revolve around students complaining about IB.

Deadlines

CAS: Creativity, Action, Service

Week A: Teaching English to Support Staff

Class of 2013:

The IB Diplomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hexagon consists of all the components of IB. At theAtcore the core of thisof hexagon this hexagon are three are three course course requirements that have to be completed for one to qualify for an IB Diploma. CAS is one of these three requirements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Creativity, Action, ervice involves students in experiential learning l learning through through a range a range of artistic, of artistic, sporting, sporting, SK\VLFDO DQG VHUYLFH DFWLYLWLHV ´ 7KLV LV WKH GHÂżQLWLRQ RI ZKDW &$6 LV DOO DERXW DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO %DFSK\VLFDO DQG VHUYLFH DFWLYLWLHV ´ 7KLV LV WKH GHÂżQLWLRQ RI ZKDW &$6 LV DOO DERXW DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO %DFcalaureate Organization (IBO). The guideline for the minimum amountmount of CAS of CAS activities activities is approximately is approximately the the equivalent of half a day per school week (three to four hours per week). per week).

To determine To determine whether whether a student a student has has ÂżQLVKHG KLV &$6 UHTXLUHPHQW WKH VFKRRO KDV WR GHFLGH RQ ZKHWKHU RU QRW WKH RXWFRPHV KDYH EHHQ PHW RU QRW ÂżQLVKHG KLV &$6 UHTXLUHPHQW WKH VFKRRO KDV WR GHFLGH RQ ZKHWKHU RU QRW WKH RXWFRPHV KDYH EHHQ PHW RU QRW

For the last two years, students have been putting their minds and souls into a project that not only helps educate people, but also helps them live an easier life. After talking to Sarah Gharib about her activity, I immediately realized how much the activity meant to her and to the school as a whole. She explains that it teaches her patience as well as appreciating the education she was blessed with. Many times in our lives, people overlook what they have been blessed with, and focus on what they do not have or the negative aspects of their lives. In a situation like this, where one interacts with people who have much less than them, you begin to realize how ungrateful you are.

These outcomes are: 1. Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth 1. Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth 2. Undertaken new challenges 3. Planned and initiated activities 4. Worked collaboratively with others 5. Shown perseverance and commitment in their 5. Shown perseverance and commitment in activities their activities 6. Engaged with issues of global importance 7. Considered the ethical implications of their actions

This activity, mentored by Mr. Ham, is probably one of the more important and life changing ones for many reasons. First, it will make life easier for these workers while giving them the ability to pass on their knowledge to their children and to their friends and family. Sarah goes on to explain how seeing them outside of the classroom and using their knowledge, makes her feel like she has made a difference and contributed to someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you see that difference you made in their lives itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something completely different from any other service activity youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever done. It creates a much smoother relationship between the foreign teachers and the staff. They are now able to communicate better with each other, thus creating a much more HIÂżFLHQW DQG FRPIRUWDEOH OHDUQLQJ HQYLHIÂżFLHQW DQG FRPIRUWDEOH OHDUQLQJ HQYL ronment.â&#x20AC;?

November 18: 1st CAS Deadline November 22: California Applications Deadline November 25: TOK Essay 1st Draft November 29: US, UK, Europe, Canada, Asia December 20: EE Final Draft

Students: November 1, December 28: SAT Registration Deadline November 3, December 1: SAT & Subject Tests November 3, 16, 17, December 1, 7, 8, 14: TOEFL November 3, 8, 17, 24, December 1, 6, 8, 15: IELTS 15 December Christmas One Family Fun Day

Days Off: November 8: Term 1 Ends November 15: Islamic New Year November 20: Parents Conference Day November 22: Thanksgiving Break 21 December-7 January Winter Break *College Board Deadlines expire at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, USA Dates and deadlines are subject to change. IB Busy! cannot be held liable for any changes.

8. Developed new skills Last year, to encourage students to participate in meaningful activities, AIS organized what what we know as CAS l activities, AIS organized we know as CAS Tuesdays. All IB students are obligated to stay after school every Tuesday to participate in these activities.

This is ry Tuesday to participate in these activities.

This is a selection of four different activities that the IB Busy! team found interesting.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAS â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAS cancan be funâ&#x20AC;? be funâ&#x20AC;?

-Ms.-Ms. Nora Nora Elmarzouky Elmarzouky

Week A: Animation Animations are basically the quick display of a series of images to create an illusion of an object in motion. Animations can be made the old fashion ZLWK KDQG GUDZQ DUW H[DPSOH WKH Ă&#x20AC;LSERRN FHOO Ă&#x20AC;LSERRN IRU WKRVH ZKR KDYH ZD\ ZD\ ZLWK KDQG GUDZQ DUW H[DPSOH WKH FHOO IRU WKRVH ZKR KDYH taken Biology). On the other hand, animation can be made with computergenerated imagery. At AISE, CAS Tuesdays offer several interesting, fun and eye opening activities. Animation is one of the activities that are offered

by Mr. Worth in Group A of the CAS Tuesdays. Students in Animation have already created three animated videos, an accomplishment that many might ÂżQG GLIÂżFXOW $FFRUGLQJ WR $PU 0RK\ RQH RI WKH VWXGHQWV LQ WKLV DFWLYLW\ ÂłLWÂśV ÂżQG GLIÂżFXOW $FFRUGLQJ WR $PU 0RK\ RQH RI WKH VWXGHQWV LQ WKLV DFWLYLW\ ÂłLWÂśV really fun; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing really cool things. We made 3 animated videos till now, and yeah we are learning a lot.â&#x20AC;?

It is one of those activities where you actually learn and at the end of the day feel a sense of achievement. According to Salma El Derrawi, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Animation is basically the rapid display of images to create an illusion of a movement.

Week B: Yoga &RQWUDU\ WR SRSXODU EHOLHI \RX GR QRW KDYH WR EH Ă&#x20AC;H[LEOH WR GR \RJD 7KH RQO\ WKLQJ WKDW UHDOO\ QHHGV WR EH Ă&#x20AC;H[ &RQWUDU\ WR SRSXODU EHOLHI \RX GR QRW KDYH WR EH Ă&#x20AC;H[LEOH WR GR \RJD 7KH RQO\ WKLQJ WKDW UHDOO\ QHHGV WR EH Ă&#x20AC;H[ible is your mind. Yoga at AIS is supervised by a professional yoga instructor, Mr. Kim. Farah Salama told us that they learn several postures and yoga sequences, such as sun salutations. Mr. Kim aims from this activity to release them from stress, balance their bodies and mind, relax, and concentrate. The postures that Mr. Kim WDXJKW DQG LV JRLQJ WR WHDFK LQ WKH XSFRPLQJ VHVVLRQV DUH IXOÂżOOLQJ WKHVH DLPV <RJD LV DOO DERXW FURVVLQJ WDXJKW DQG LV JRLQJ WR WHDFK LQ WKH XSFRPLQJ VHVVLRQV DUH IXOÂżOOLQJ WKHVH DLPV <RJD LV DOO DERXW FURVVLQJ borders, and crushing your fears.

As Mr. Kim best puts it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;our fears stop us from succeeding.â&#x20AC;? Most of the participants in this activity have told ,% %XV\ WKDW WKH\ KDYH RYHUFRPH VHYHUDO IHDUV DQG EHFDPH PRUH FRQÂżGHQW +HUH DW $,6 \RJD LV FRQVLGHUHG ,% %XV\ WKDW WKH\ KDYH RYHUFRPH VHYHUDO IHDUV DQG EHFDPH PRUH FRQÂżGHQW +HUH DW $,6 \RJD LV FRQVLGHUHG a female activity, and exclusive only for females. In India, the birthplace of yoga, it has mainly been a practice exclusive to men. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only in the last century that women have been allowed to do yoga in India. It is the same thing at AIS. We are hoping that the next CAS round, there will be some males interested in yoga, and that they actually enroll.

Week B: Permaculture and Gardening

IB Exams Countdown On the day this was published, the 10th of November 2012, 175 Days were left to the start of the IB Class of 2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exams.

Good luck from the IB Busy! and the IB Busy! team.

However, it is actually vitalof part of taking For many people, permaculture may sound boring or even disgusting. However, it is actually a vitala part taking manure and grass clippings care of our garden. The hard-working students are currently using weeds,eeds, horsehorse manure and grass clippings to to and healthier.

Sothey far, have they have planted make compost. Compost, like fertilizer, is used to make plants grow fasterfaster and healthier.

So far, planted FXFXPEHUV FDUURWV SHSSHUV ZDWHUPHORQV GLIIHUHQW NLQGV RI EHUULHV DQG VHYHUDO Ă&#x20AC;RZHUV 7KH\ KDYH RQO\ ZRUNHG FXFXPEHUV FDUURWV SHSSHUV ZDWHUPHORQV GLIIHUHQW NLQGV RI EHUULHV DQG VHYHUDO Ă&#x20AC;RZHUV 7KH\ KDYH RQO\ ZRUNHG sh what they hoped to. garden, Our garden, for those on compost three times and thus have not been able to acomplish what they hoped to. Our for those who do not know, is part of the Thousand Gardens Project, a project that promotes the planting of healthy gardens in Africa.

IB students from both 11th and 12th grade work hard and are forced to step out of their comfort zone to handle manure and other material deemed as repulsive.

Their persistence is what makes our garden a beautiful piece of or campus that all students and teachers should be proud of.

Think about it, would you barehandedly touch horse manure?

These students do, and you must appreciate their efforts to promote a stronger, greener world.

EYE ON IT:

BULLYING As a high school student, you probably think the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;bullyingâ&#x20AC;? is a clichĂŠ. It has this cheesy connotation which prevents us students from taking it seriously. You may think that bullying does not occur at AIS, but just because you do not see or recognize it, does not mean that it does not exist. There is not a single school on Earth in which bullying does not exist, at least in a small amount.

But what is bullying? Basically, bullying is simply the use of physical or verbal abuse to make someone feel bad, inferior or insecure about something specific or themselves in general. Every single person on this Earth (quite sure this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a hasty generalization), has at least one flaw which can bring them down if someone were to make fun of it.

In movies, we see that lunch money is stolen, kids gang up on one kid and throw him in the trash bin, but at AIS, this is not the case. The bullying is not as physical as it is in these movies, but there is some forms of bullying that are just as bad. Do you not see kids sitting alone during interval or lunch? Do you not see students giving their homework to others just because they want to fit in? This exclusion is one form of bullying at AIS. Another is the verbal bullying, which occurs all the time and very little intervention occurs. There is very little that can be done by teachers and administrators because no one will risk reporting a student because they will fear that if that student found out, they would bully them even more.

Stand up for those who are being bullied and treat others the way you want to be treated.

In the Making Karim G. El-Eita Maria Azer Abdul Aziz El Sabrout Marina Milad Omar Allam Under the Supervision of Mr. Khalid Dinnawi.

Special thanks to Mr. Huebner, Farah Salama, Sarah Gharib, Amr Mohy, and Salma El Derrawi.

Pictures courtesy of the CAS Photography team.

We hope you find time to read this even though we know that U B BUSY!!

CAS Photography Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Field Trip to Islamic Cairo

IB Opinions

Film Making Competition: Academic Honesty

We would like to thank Ms. Katherine Gendy for the lovely words she sent.

Do you enjoy film making? Ever had the dream of making a film that thousands of people would see?

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your chance! The International Baccalaureate Organization is, for the first time, holding a competition for the best four-minute film about academic honesty! Honesty is a huge deal to the IBO and to AISE, as demonstrated in recent events. As an IB student, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only given one honor code violation as a warning and will be kicked out if you get another. Of course, cheating isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t limited to peeking at a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s test paper or copying a paper from the Internet - it can be as simple as copying a homework assignment that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even graded or forgetting to cite something in a paper. In fact, Dr. Dina offered an example: a graduate (not from AISE) did not receive their diploma a few years ago simply because they did not cite one of their tables on their extended essay. Obviously, honesty is no joke to the IB and therefore a big matter to AISE too. By cheating, you are ruining your reputation and that of the school - no grade is worth that.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your newsletter is like the light at WKH HQG RI WKH WXQQHO WKH Ă&#x20AC;RZHU LQ the barren land, the pond of water in an everlasting desert. Your newsletter is not just a newsletter itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IB BUSY!â&#x20AC;?

-Fatima Nosseir Remember, if you read IB Busy!, you are beautiful.

What do you think of our newsletter?

Send us an e-mail. aise.ibbusy@gmail.com

To enter the competition, students must email Dr. Dina with their ideas or storyboard right after the end of winter break. Dr. Dina will then select a few videos and their makers are to send an Intent Form to the IBO no later than May 30, 2013. The film itself, only four minutes long, is to be submitted by Sunday June 20, 2013. The submissions are uploaded through http://international-baccalaureate.wetransfer.com. The IB will then choose 10 finalists and judge them on clarity of idea, appropriateness to the target audience (IB students ages 16-19) and creativity.

But hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the catch - everything in the video must be your own work, including the music. You also need a signed consent form from anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice or image is in the movie (shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be younger than 15 years old). The winner will be notified on September 15, 2013 and announced on the website. Later, this lucky winner will receive a letter of recognition from the Director General of the IB, an award trophy/plaque, be interviewed in the IB magazine, IB World, and your film will be shown all around the world in different IB schools. So, AISE IB students, this is your chance to make your school and country proud! Can you imagine IB students all over the world watching a movie you made all on your own, without plagiarizing of course! Take this opportunity and make it a dream come true - you may never have the chance again.

Tips for Senior Exams 2013 Only seven months to go until finals! Of course, the seniors have been working extra hard these past two years mostly to prepare for the assessment that will determine their futures.

Read these study tips even if you are not a senior to prepare for any big test or exam.

- Sleep well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no, all nighters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, your brain needs sleep in order to process information.

- Eat a good breakfast.

- Study days before the exam and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cram on the last night.

- Study from past exams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; solve as many as you can!

- Know the format of the test and make sure you have the command terms memorized.

- ORGANIZE YOUR TIME.

IB Teacher Interview: Mr. Thomas Huebner TOK and 10th Grade History Teacher 1) Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Specifically an IB Teacher?

Although Mr. Huebner did not clearly remember why he took this decision since he made it a long time ago, he knows that he liked both school and history as a student, and a perfect combination of that was becoming a history teacher. He decided to teach IB because as soon as he heard about it, it seemed like it was challenging and interesting for both the teacher and the students.

2) Tell me about yourself.

Mr. Huebner was born in Wisconsin but he spent years in Colorado. He spent a great deal of time skiing, enjoing his time as a hippie, and finally he joined the Peace Corps, which lead him to become an English teacher in Thailand. After Thailand, the later lived and taught in Korea, Tunisia and now Egypt.

3) If a student said they thought you were the worst teacher they ever had, how would you reach and what would you say?

He would thank them for being honest and ask how to change.

4) If you were the principal of an IB school and you were setting goals for next year, what would they be?

Mr. Huebner found that question difficult, and for that reason he never wants to be a principal.

5) What was the last book you read?

A Widow for One Year by John Irving.

6) Some people say one should demand respect â&#x20AC;&#x201C; agree or disagree?

Mr. Huebner disagreed and said that respect should be earned.

IB Busy! Issue 02 November 2012

7) If a student came to you and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;None of the other students like me,â&#x20AC;? what would you tell him/her?

He would ask them if that is a problem. If yes, then the student should work on being more â&#x20AC;&#x153;likeable.â&#x20AC;? If not, then they have an independent personality, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a bad thing.

8) How can you tell that a person is a good listener?

By looking at their body language, respondes when asked, pays full visual attention and takes notes in class.

9) How do you feel if a student does not meet a deadline?

He would be disappointed yet he would listen to the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excuse and possibly consider it (especially if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an IB student, since theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already under a lot of pressure).

10) What was the most frustrating thing that happened to you as a teacher?

A semester exam was stolen, which upset him since he trusted his students (not in AISE).

11) What was the best thing?

A yearbook was dedicated to him the year he left the school he taught in in Korea, even though he only spent two years there.

12) Do you believe you should build a relationship with students? If yes, how?

Yes, and it depends on the student. He believes that he should show interest and remember how it felt like to be their age. This empathy and understanding creates a strong relationship.

Do you have any questions for specific teachers. You know how to reach us: aise.ibbusy@gmail.com