PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL
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PSI LIFE
We Grow. We Lead. We Succeed. PSI Vision Statement: We Grow. We Lead. We Succeed. At PSI, this is not just an abstract phrase; it is something we can observe every day at PSI.
PSI Life Quarterly Magazine
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DIRECTOR’S NEWS
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BOARD UPDATE
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FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL
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ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGING, STUDENT CENTRED
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A STUDENT-CONSTRUCTED KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM
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DOING SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT THINGS IN GRADE ONE
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PSI VISION - WE GROW. WE LEAD. WE SUCCEED.
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CONNECTING VISUAL ART AND MATHEMATICS IN THE PYP
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FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL
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MATHEMATICS AT PSI: INSPIRING SUCCESS FOR ALL
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WEEK WITHOUT WALLS
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THE EXTENDED ESSAY: HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED
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INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES
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LEADERSHIP & LEARNING
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PTA NEWS
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CAS: TAKING NEW ROLES
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PSI PANTHERS ATHLETICS 2017 - 2018
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COUNSELLORS’ CORNER
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LIBRARY: SHARING OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE
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emmaz@psi.kiev.ua
EDITOR’S LETTER
SECONDARY
Chief Editor – Emma Zelenina
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COMMUNITY
WWW.PSI.KIEV.UA
Copy Editor – Patricia Puia patriciap@psi.kiev.ua
Layout Design – Max Mart Printed by: “Ukrdruk” Publishing company
PSI Life is published quarterly by Marketing and Communications Department of Pechersk School International, Kyiv for students, alumni, parents, and friends of the school.
Founder Pechersk School International, 7a Victora Zabily Kyiv, Ukraine, 03039 Phone: (380 44) 377 5292 Fax: (380 44) 377 5242 communication@psi.kiev.ua www.psi.kiev.ua
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twitter.com/PSIKiev
PSI LINKEDIN PAGE
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W E G R O W. W E L E A D . W E S U C C E E D .
Dear PSI Community Welcome to the new PSI school year 2017 - 2018!
By Emma Zelenina, Marketing and Admissions Manager
I am happy to introduce you to our new PSI Life Fall Edition which is focusing on our Vision Statement: We Grow. We Lead. We Succeed. At PSI, this is not just an abstract phrase; it is something we can observe every day at PSI. I am so proud of our students’ achievements at the beginning of the school year. The Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments results are strong, the list of universities that our students enter is expanding, and every day we see our students grow, lead and succeed. Moreover, we are anticipating an opening of our Phase 2 building, with an absolutely new and modern design of the classrooms. We will have new and expanded facilities for the school, including a swimming pool, a double gym, an auditorium, three new science labs, art and music classrooms, IB zones for student study, and more offices. All this also proves that our Vision is present in many spheres of the school’s life, not just the educational side of it. There are so many wonderful projects and events that have already happened at PSI and lots more to come. Please enjoy reading this issue to find out more about them. Enjoy the autumn!
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Dear Parents, Students and Community Members:
John Burns Director, Pechersk School International, Kyiv.
The quarterly PSI Life Magazine is a celebration of the School, with ‘good news stories,’ staff articles, photos and student reports from Early Childhood (EC) to Grade 12. Please enjoy viewing and reading our PSI Life fall edition and a huge thank you to all the students and staff who contributed articles.
The Important Role That Dads Play In Their Child’s Learning Traditionally, it is mums who take on the responsibility for packing the children off to school, keeping in touch with teachers and even making sure the weekly homework is completed. In a recent survey of international schools, it was found that whilst this pattern continues, dads are also heavily involved in their children’s learning. Dads were found to add important time to their children’s home learning experiences. It was also found that both parents are equally involved in decision-making about choosing a school as well as setting longer term education goals and pathways. Broader research has found that interactions with dads is crucial to a child’s learning. This is not a matter of adding more hours of homework or sitting through pages of mathematical equations. Dads often add new experiences and introduce different activities to mums and in turn stimulate healthy brain development that can have positive effects on children’s social, emotional, and intellectual development.
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All dads want their children to be successful. Here are six great ways that busy fathers can make a positive impact on their children’s learning: Read with your child. Reading with your child or encouraging them to read will help them to succeed academically. The ability to read will strengthen your child’s confidence at school and enables them to fully participate in every lesson. Listen and talk with your children. Children develop communication skills from the conversations that they hear. Involve your children in conversations, encourage them to share their ideas and ask for their opinions. This can be done at dinner time or even whilst watching a movie together. Share your gadgets. Children are stimulated by your enthusiasm and motivation. Sharing your latest gadget and what it can do is a great way to encourage thinking. Try introducing your new mobile device or notebook to the children and see if you can get it back. Do something physical. Stimulating your children’s physical development enhances blood flow, oxygen levels and in turn brain development. From bike riding to yoga, all of these activities are wonderful opportunities to communicate, question and develop important confidence skills. Get to know your children’s teachers. Learning is all about motivation. We do not learn from people whom we do not make a connection with or whom we do not enjoy spending time with. By knowing a little about your children’s teachers and their interests, you will find opportunities to make links and connections to your children and their own interests. When children feel connected to their teachers, both confidence and motivation increase. Attend parent-teacher meetings. These are usually twice a year, for a total of one hour of time. Put these dates in your diary so that you can attend. When you meet the teacher(s), ask to see your child’s work at school, discuss any areas where you can further support within the home, and even tell the teacher(s) about your child’s hobbies and interests. The key thing is to take an interest in your children’s schooling activities and interests. As you focus on your children’s improvement and successes at school, their thirst for learning will increase and as a side benefit, they will develop a greater relationship with their dad.
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Reflection: It Isn’t Just for Students Students in all three of the IB programmes are often asked to ‘reflect’ - on what they’ve learnt, on what they think, and on how they’d like to act on what they’ve been taught. Reflective essays, journal entries, and even videotapes are a common part of the IB process.
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ut many people don’t realise that reflection is also part of the work of the School in general. For the past eighteen months, PSI has been involved in a detailed and thorough reflection process called the ‘self study.’ Working with standards from the Council for International Schools (CIS) in Europe, the New England Association of Schools
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and College (NEASC) in the United States and, of course, the International Baccalaureate (IB), PSI teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, students and board have been reflecting on our progress and setting goals for our future. In that brief span of time, teams of teachers and administrators have produced a very large ‘reflection’ essay, now over 400 pages long! It includes a profile of our school and community, our rankings of our progress against the standards of all three organisations and each of the IB programmes, and our plans for continuing
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Patricia Puia Secondary Principal / Accreditation Chair
improvement over the next five years. From 26th February - 2nd March, the School will host a team of approximately 15 educators from around the world who will meet with representatives of all of our community and ensure that our reflections are accurate and thoughtful, and that our plans for the future are sound and based on the best practices of international schools like ours. Their visit will not only lead to PSI’s reaccreditation from all three organisations, but it will also validate and challenge our thinking, and support us in our plans
to be an even better school. In the weeks and months ahead, the PSI community will hear a lot more about the results of the self study, the new strategic plan, and the upcoming visit. In the meantime, we appreciate the opportunity we’ve had to stop and reflect on how far we’ve come in the past five years, and to ponder where we could be as a School five years from now. We hope all members of our community will continue to reflect on that progress, as it’s a very powerful tool to inspire us to grow, lead and succeed.
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PRIMARY SCHOOL
P E R S O N A L E XC E L L E N C E
FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL As we begin a new school year, we look forward to watching our children ‘grow, lead and succeed’ academically, socially and emotionally. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), play-based learning, and readers’ workshop models of teaching and learning do all of that. The Primary School faculty is committed to our students in all they do, whether that is teaching them to inquire into concepts through a unit of inquiry, learning maths concepts through play with our youngest ones, or developing a love of reading in all of our students.
by Sue Williams, Primary Principal
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hroughout September, students took the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments in reading and mathematics and the Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA). Some students also took the WIDA test, which demonstrates a student’s skill levels in reading, writing, speaking and listening in English. All of these tests have one very important thing in common. Alongside classroom assessments, these tests tell us where a child is and what the child can do to progress. We use this data to determine a student’s knowledge, skill level and understanding in reading and maths.
As we analyse the data, we are able to plan and implement lessons that will lead to growth for each student in these academic areas. Our units of inquiry and play-based learning structure are all geared to help our students remain curious, inquire and question about concepts, and work either independently or in small groups as they learn. As students learn from the teacher, they also learn from each other. This is why our days have social and emotional development embedded in everything our students do. Much of this comes in how we live the IB learner profile each day. Classes start off each morning building social rapport and trust among classmates so that they feel safe in taking risks. While learning and building their perseverance, they also learn respect and responsibility by working with others. Our second graders learnt all of this very well. Guided by Ms. Leuders and Ms. Monkus, they took the responsibility and organised their classroom for learning and social spaces in their ‘How We Organise Ourselves’ unit of inquiry. And our fourth graders took risks as they worked in teams to find clues and answers to puzzles, then played music in our ampitheatre for our Grade 5 students. Our students also lead through their work as student council officers and representatives. Our student council just began their work this year and is led by President Bhanavi K, Vice President Maia T, Treasurer Masha Z, and Secretary Emma S. These students help lead our school as they maintain our recycling program and come up with ideas to ensure that our playground is safe. Each day, we see students succeed every day, whether that is performing a task in class or creating music, building a work of art, learning a new skill in PHE, doing well on an assessment, having a good day because they made a friend, or overcoming a disappointment. When a student comes to me and says ‘I am having a great day!’ I know that everyone is working towards watching our children grow, lead and succeed. 9
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Academically Challenging, Student Centred by Glen Nicholson Primary Deputy Principal and PYP Coordinator
Academically Challenging and Student Centred...These are key words and catchphrases in the world of education, but what do they actually mean for us?
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hose words, along with the IB vision and our own school vision (‘We grow. We lead. We succeed.’) means that we here at PSI work very hard to provide a constructivist model of teaching and learning that places the learner at the centre of the learning; that learning is differentiated and personalised; and that the curriculum is relevant, rigorous, authentic, and academically challenging. When we look at the programme of teaching and learning, we work hard on dealing with the here and now but with an eye to the future. We work hard to recognise and build on multiple intelligences, to affect positive change, and to provide critical friends and intellectual ‘sparring partners’ for our learners so that we may hopefully develop well adjusted, balanced, happy people who embody the IB attitudes and learner profile.
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PSI is an IB world school and has been so since 2000. This is an international benchmark standard of excellence of which the entire community can be proud. The IB has unashamedly idealistic, lofty ideals as their guiding vision, just as do we here at PSI. When I think of the alignment between the mission and vision of the IB and PSI, I am reminded of the quote ‘Shoot for the moon. If you fail, you’ll land among the stars’ (Norman Vincent Peale) because this is our business. This is what we do here; we shoot for the moon. We want nothing but the best for our students and we work hard in partnership with our community of learners to facilitate and build this capacity and intellectual capital. One of the most powerful levers of change within education is student advocacy or student ‘voice.’ This is what leads learners into being self-monitoring and self-managing - our ultimate goal. To highlight some of the ways we are being student-centred and academically challenging, I asked a number of students in the upper Primary School classes to respond to the question ‘How are you being academically challenged at PSI?’ Below are some of their responses:
‘I’m academically challenged in my maths group learning about decimals because I don’t know their place values but I am eager to learn more.’ ‘I am academically challenged in my reading, writing, spelling and maths. I am challenged to pronounce words correctly and read with fluency and expression.’ ‘I think I am being academically challenged in reading, because it is hard for me to write summaries and retells that are very detailed and have all of the important information about a story.’ ‘For me, academically challenging means areas that I am working on. Spanish is one of the areas because for me it is a little challenging and this is a new language which means different spelling and different pronunciation. I also find fractions hard…’ These responses tell us that we have learners who are motivated, encouraged, at the centre of the model and happy to be taking ownership of their own learning.
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A Student-Cons Kindergarten Andrea Armistead & Kendall Jackson Kindergarten Homeroom Teachers
In Kindergarten, children who take ownership over their environment take ownership over their learning. The more children create in their environment, the more readily they will interact with the classroom. With this belief in mind, Kindergarten in PSI this year began with blank walls, blank shelves, and blank bulletin boards, all as invitation to the students to help create the learning displays in the classroom and to send the message that it will be their work that is showcased.
By Clare Cannon and Debbie Lirette Early Childhood Homeroom Teachers
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Students began the year by writing their own names for their cubbies. While a seemingly simple task, this activity conveyed the idea to students that they have a space in the classroom that is theirs and that how they write and draw is important and meaningful. This was also an important first assessment by teachers as we learnt about children’s fine motor skills, as well as letter and sound development. From there, we expanded into developing a student-created calendar. This became a meaningful multi-day learning experience as children read books about the months of the year, sang songs about the days of the week and months of the year, wrote and illustrated month labels, and began to count and write numbers. Calendar is an important part of our morning circle time, so having the children helping to create the calendar means that they are ready to take turns leading this important numerical activity.
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nstructed Classroom Students are also learning that Kindergarten is a classroom that we share, and that we are all responsible for the materials in it. For children to have independence in the classroom, they need to learn how to care for materials. This includes using the materials correctly as well as organisational skills. As children created their own labels and decided where to store all of our materials, they took ownership of the classroom and are now more invested in their use. At this point, students were ready to use the materials to explore and learn literacy and numeracy skills, as well as ideas related to our unit of inquiry. To begin this work, we created a co-constructed word wall and numberline. We use both of these tools throughout the year to help children read and write their letters and numbers and to lay a foundation for strong numeracy and literacy skills. Although these are beginning of the year activities, having students taking an active role in the environment is an ongoing process. Throughout our units of inquiry, students will give input into how to set up the environment. Teachers also take student interest into account when setting up new provocations to promote further inquiry. This dynamic approach to learning and having student input into the environment ensures that students are engaged in purposeful learning throughout the year. 13
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Doing But Significan Things Grade by Melissa Hutton, Laura Lamb, and Jonathon Simon Grade 1 Teachers
For our first unit of inquiry this year, first grade focused on who we are and how we can do small but significant things to help others and build a community. We decided that the Panthers’ Choices were the best way for us to do small but significant things at school.
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ome of the Panthers’ Choices we are using include the following: wait and cool off, tell the person to stop, apologise, ignore it, walk away, choose another game, talk it out, share and take turns, and make a deal. During the Who We Are unit, we focused on Panthers’ Choices because we wanted first graders to show respect and to understand how their actions affect others. The students were
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nt in One able to communicate about these choices through role playing, communicating, drawing, and writing. The students in first grade showed their independence and thinking skills when they were able to use these choices without teacher support. These are choices that the students may have taken and used on the playground, in the cafeteria, in the classrooms, and should now take and use at home.
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Grade 5 is an important year for any student. Along with being the final year in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), the children are developing quickly socially, emotionally and physically. Our curriculum address all of these areas and the goal for us as teachers is that every student has the necessary skills required to be successful in the next stage of their education, which for most, is the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).
During Grade 5, the students have the opportunity to share their growth as learners with the whole community through the PYP Exhibition. This exciting unit gives the students the chance to bring together their learning and understanding of all of their time throughout the PYP, however long that has been.
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The PYP exhibition has a number of key purposes: for students to engage in an in-depth, collaborative inquiry to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning to provide students with an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives for students to synthesise and apply their learning of previous years and to reflect upon their journey through the PYP to provide an authentic process for assessing student understanding to demonstrate how students can take action as a result of their learning and lead by example. to unite the students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community in a collaborative experience that incorporates the essential elements of the PYP to celebrate the transition of learners from Primary to Secondary education
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by Sarah Browne and Bryan Reardon, Grade 5 Teachers
At PSI, the Grade 5 students choose an area of interest and a local / global issue that connects with it. They are able to dig deeply into both of these aspects of the Exhibition and are expected to do all of their own research, using both primary and secondary sources. They also have to take ‘action’, which gives them a chance to lead other students in the school by sharing their action with them or by encouraging others to take action. Throughout the process, they keep a journal where they can reflect on the process of their journey through the Exhibition and show their growth as learners. The expectations for Exhibition are high as students also need to work on arts projects and to bring all their learning together in the form of a presentation to the community on Exhibition Day.
Reflections from Grade 5 2016-17 During Exhibition I think I became a lot more independent. I also got better at teamwork because I had to work a lot with others. I became more creative, making a paper tree for my art project that showed we can reuse paper rather than wasting it. Andrea What learner profiles and attitudes did you get better at? Independence: Because in Exhibition you do a lot by yourself and I am used to working in groups. After the Exhibition I found I could work more independently. Confidence: Before the Exhibition, I was scared of presenting but now I know that I can do a good job and am not worried about failing. Jeffrey Because of the Exhibition, I have a better understanding of the learner profile and attitudes. When we developed the questions for our research, I became a better thinker. I had to think hard because if the questions were not good questions then the research and the report would not be good either. I also learned to be confident about what I do and in my work. Indy
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Connecting Visual Art ///////and MathematicS //in the PYP by Anna Belokon Primary Art Teacher
rt and Maths are two different subjects, but there are certain similarities between visual art and the thinking processes used in mathematics. Visual art offers a bridge between deep and meaningful artistic components and understanding mathematical concepts, while math skills are important and have practical application in the real world. Nevertheless, there is a strong integration between mathematical concepts and the creation of art. Both subjects focus on thinking and problem solving, providing an experience for students to explore and discover new knowledge. The strongest connection between maths and art was present in our recent Design unit. In our grade one Art class, students learnt about 2-D shapes and 3-D forms. They explored techniques of making 3-D animals. Students focused on thinking how to implement their knowledge of 2-D shapes while designing their 3-D animals. Students inquired and defined what a 1-D element is. They put knowledge into practice while making 3-D animals and had so much fun applying different techniqutes and presenting the features of the animals they had created. Integrating mathematics with visual art makes student learning more meaningful and engaging.
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SECONDARY SCHOOL
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FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL
by Patricia Puia Secondary Principal
We grow: Four of our eleven graduates last year were with PSI from Kindergarten onwards. A handful more in this year’s class will also be leaving the only school they’ve ever known. We’ve watched them gain in skills and confidence in their time with us, from playful children to gawky adolescents to adults ready to embark on their university careers. The PSI vision isn’t just a lofty statement or an impossible goal. It’s something we can demonstrate on a daily basis. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the graduated class of 2017 and the Grade 12 students working towards graduation this year.
We lead: The class of 2017 took the lead in community service projects ranging from the Djerela Centre for disabled children and adults, to a local animal shelter, to an orphanage for the visually impaired. Our students in Grade 12 have taken up those causes and added some of their own. They are also running student council, advocating for international issues in Model United Nations, and serving as captains on our sports team. They are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today.
We succeed: Our class of 2017 graduates succeeded on many levels. Every student in the class who attempted the full IB Diploma earned the IB Diploma. That 100% pass rate is a first in the history of PSI. They continued our streak of high scores as well, giving us our third year in a row of a 34 point average - 4 points above international norms. And they have matriculated to universities in the UK, the US and around the world. Our current Grade 12s have similarly lofty goals and ambitions and are working diligently toward achieving those dreams. 21
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Mathematics at PSI: Inspiring Success for All by Tatiana Isakova, HOD of Mathematics, CAS Coordinator 22
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How does one describe success for an individual in mathematics? For one person, it could be a maths contest award, while for another it is overcoming maths anxiety. For teachers, students’ success is their most important goal and an indicator of their professional success. The Maths Department and our students at PSI are living the PSI Vision Statement, as we engage in an academically challenging programme in the environment which aims to open doors for success for every student.
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uite often, teaching mathematics is based on memorising formulae, rules and facts. Such a strategy rarely leads to success, because these isolated facts do not carry personal relevance. Teaching maths in a real life context is a credo of our department. For example, learning percentages this year culminated in a project about how much of a tee shirt’s price is in the labour. Measuring and modeling parts of one’s own body with geometric solids helped to make formulas meaningful, and asked students to process information efficiently when Grade 9 students worked on the project , “How much skin…”. Every class is a diverse learning community. Students come to PSI with different backgrounds, learning styles and habits, and with many languages. How do we create a ‘win-win for all’ situation that provides sufficient challenge to
those who grasp concepts quickly and support those who require additional guidance? At the beginning of a school year, we evaluate students’ readiness for a course by offering diagnostic tests. We also take into account other data available. Information is used for planning, differentiation in class and for placing students in groups (Standard and Extended Mathematics in Grades 9 and 10, Math Studies, Standard and Higher Level Math or PSI Maths in Grades 11 and 12). Our goal is to give the students an opportunity to achieve their own highest level of success. Class spirit encourages students to be active participants in their learning, to ask questions, and to remove the fear of making mistakes. Teachers and teachers’ assistants provide individual support and guidance. Hands-on activities also help the students to move up on a maths ladder. With our assessments, we do not judge students, but educate them. Assessment tasks may differ even within the same grade level. (For example, assignments for EAL students may contain some terminology hints.) We also actively use online tools like Khan Academy and MyiMath that allow students to work independently on problem solving, and teachers can track individual progress. Our team uses a variety of methods to help students enjoy mathematics and get a feeling that maths is fun. For example, we asked students to ‘march’ their maths learning slopes. We often give an opportunity for students to ‘play’ at maths while reviewing maths concepts. 23
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GRADE
by Julie Constance, Grade 6 Homeroom Teacher
WEEK without walls
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Stanford University Professor Carol S. Dweck says, ‘In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking “Oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses”, you say “Wow, here is a chance to grow.” ’During the Grade 6 Week Without Walls trip, the Transcarpathian Region in Ukraine provided many opportunities for growth. The students’ learning experiences included health, science and the IB learner profile.
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n day one, students had a short plane trip to Ivano-Frankivsk where we met our guides from Active Ukraine. We had lunch on the way to a Prokurava village and then rode bicycles 3.5km to the village school to try our hand at the traditional craft of dying Easter eggs decorated with patterns and layers of dye. After we rode our bikes back to the bus, we transferred to Maietok Sokilskyi, our hotel in the mountains, where we had a master class on making varenyky, which we enjoyed eating as a part of our evening meal. The second day began with collecting some data on resting and active heart rates that the students used to develop their hypotheses about how their heart rates would be affected
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by our hike. After breakfast, we set out on a challenging hike to a lovely meadow above the hotel. There were several ascents that really challenged students to push themselves to reach their goal. It gave us all a real sense of accomplishment when we succeeded in reaching our destination. Once we reached the top, students worked together to gather wood, cut vegetables, and cook spaghetti, corn porridge and tea for our midday meal. The rain made the trip down a muddy hill a challenge that gave students an opportunity to be caring leaders as they helped each other slide down the hills. Back at the hotel, we cleaned up with hot showers, had tea, dinner and circle time where we discussed all the ways we grew in the IB learner profile traits. On day three, we packed up for our move to Nadiya Hotel in IvanoFrankivsk after the canoe trip on the Dniester River. We transferred by bus to Luka village, where we took a 2 km hike to the river’s edge for our picnic lunch of soup and fresh salad. The instructors put us in our life vests and
gave instruction on how to use the paddles properly, then we set out for the 13 km trip down the river. It rained on us again, but only for a few minutes and we were working hard, so it did not slow us down. We stopped halfway for rest and a snack. The river was beautiful and peaceful, with herons flying overhead and resting on the banks, and cows looking out from the surrounding farms. When we arrived at our destination, there were hot tea and biscuits waiting for us. We changed into dry clothes and headed off to the hotel, where we had dinner and settled into our rooms for the night. On our final day, we started with a bus ride to Zalissya village, where we explored the Mlynky Cave with head lamps and coveralls like real spelunkers. There were narrow passages and even a place where the only way through was to crawl. Several students said this was their favourite activity of the trip. After the cave, we went to a nearby castle that had an area on the grounds where we played a fun game of ‘keep away’ with the chaperones and guides against the students before heading to the Staryi Mlyn restaurant for a feast of traditional Ukrainian food before our overnight train trip back to Kyiv. On this trip, we were challenged to grow as we did things we don’t usually do. We were challenged physically and mentally to push ourselves to do things we did not think we could do or had never done before. We grew as risk-takers, and communicators. We displayed open-mindedness as we explored places very different from our homes and learnt to get along with people we did not spend much time with before the trip. Many students took the opportunity to take on leadership roles, encouraging each other and helping their peers overcome challenges. All of this led to a week full of successes as students achieved their goals biking, hiking, canoeing and caving. We grew, we led, we succeeded! 27
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GRADE
by Cory Haugen, Grade 7 Homeroom Teacher
WEEK without walls
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The class of 2023 headed to Lviv for their grade seven Week Without Walls trip, piling onto the Monday afternoon train and heading west to the City of Lions. After too short a night, they ran headlong into their adventure, exploring three different castles - Olesko, Zolochiv and Pidhirtsi. Students learnt about the historical significance of Lviv as a city, as well as how it factors into the story of the entire region. They followed clues to a treasure, working together to successfully achieve their goals. Students finished their day by revisiting the lessons they had learnt during their castle tours.
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n Wednesday, students explored different parts of downtown Lviv, hunting for the lions that are ubiquitous in the city’s architecture. Challenged by their guides, they investigated the sculptures and then went underground for a tour of the city dungeons. In the afternoon, they watched a show at the Lviv Puppet Theatre, experiencing some of the local folk stories in Ukrainian.
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Thursday brought more challenges, with students playing ‘Legends of the Old City,’ working in groups to follow clues left out in the city center, unraveling the local history and folklore. After lunch, they participated in master classes on making chocolate and marzipan, developing a bit more respect for the sweetness we often take for granted. Friday, the last day in Lviv, meant a trip to an open-air folk museum, where students looked through a window through time into life in earlier centuries. They saw how people baked, ground grain, socialised, and went to church in preindustrial Europe, learning how something as simple to us as the placement of windows in one’s house could say volumes about a person’s status. Finally, they went to Korniakt Palace, one of the most elaborate historical sites in Lviv, where they stood amongst historical treasures including, but not limited to, royal seals of Poland and a lock of Napoleon’s hair. In the evening, it was time to get back on the train, bidding their hotel and Lviv goodbye. It was a long overnight trip back to Kyiv and students had much to think about on the way. 29
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GRADE
by Brian Lamb, Grade 8 Homeroom Teacher
WEEK without walls
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The Grade 8 students travelled to the PGL Liddington Camp located in Swindon, U.K. for a week of outdoor adventure and fun. Students challenged themselves in various aerial and climbing activities as well as mountain biking, orienteering, and cooperative games.
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ome students who expressed a fear of heights at the beginning of the week were climbing like spider monkeys by week’s end! Students also conducted experiments to measure the speeds of people on zip lines, the giant swing, and the speeds of arrows at the archery range as part of their Science unit on Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration.
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The camp’s counsellors commented on several occasions about how polite, cooperative, and well-behaved our students were during the week. I was particularly proud of our students when one day as we were going downstairs to lunch, we came across a group of young children struggling to carry their suitcases up the stairs. Without any sort of prompt at all, several of our students asked these youngsters if they needed help, and then proceeded to make several trips carrying luggage up two flights of stairs. Overall it was a very successful week that saw our students face and overcome challenges and fears, work cooperatively, forge friendships, and grow together as a class.
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GRADE
by Jane Ellys, Trip Leader
WEEK without walls
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Grade 9 students spent their Week Without Walls enhancing their studies in Individuals and Societies and English Language Acquisition by exploring Cold War Berlin. Students turned their classroom knowledge of the Berlin Wall into a week of discovery. Having the opportunity to see the site of the Wall, to speak to witnesses from that time, and to see the city firsthand not only helped the students to understand the topic of study, but gave them a glimpse of divided Berlin, showing how learning is not just for the classroom.
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he Reichstag, the present German Parliament, was our introduction to the city of Berlin and its history. The group attended a ‘sound and light’ performance about the history of the building on our first evening, and the next morning had a lecture in the gallery of the plenary hall. We were afforded the opportunity to see graffiti left by Soviet soldiers at the end of the Second World War, which has been preserved as part of the building’s history. The visit ended with the group exploring the dome and the roof area of the building. The views of Berlin were excellent! The afternoon was devoted to visiting the
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Berlin Wall Memorial Museum at Bernauerstraße, an area where a large section of the Wall and the ‘Death Strip’ have been preserved. The group was able to walk around and explore this section, giving them a firsthand idea of what Berliners saw during the 28 years that the Wall stood. They were accompanied by two guides who pointed out specific details, and who helped them to imagine exactly how it must have been to be in Berlin when the Wall was up. The visit ended with a film that explained the building of the Wall and the role of the Berlin Wall in world history. Another day took them on a bike ride along the route of the Wall in the city. Expert guides used different techniques to show students how to identify former East or West Berlin while taking them to Checkpoint Charlie, the Peter Fechter Memorial, the East Side Gallery, the Oberbaum Bridge and the Russian War Monument in Treptow Park. The trip took five hours and included a stop for lunch. We zigzagged from East to West, marking the path of the Wall and its intrusion on Berliners’ lives evident. The class gained an understanding of how life in Berlin as one city was interrupted for almost three decades. The guides also told the students stories of some very daring escapes from East Germany. This day ended with a visit to the DDR (East Germany) Museum. This museum has a large exhibit centred on everyday life in former East Germany. Students could sit in and simulate driving a Trabant, learnt how people lived by touring a ‘flat’ completely set up with East German furniture, sat at the desk of an SED (Communist Party) leader, and saw how much people earned and how industry was organised, as well as what life was like as a conscripted soldier in the DDR Army. The interactive museum was a hit with everyone, and showed how East and West Germany became culturally different countries simply by being divided by the Wall. The culmination of the trip was a tour of the Lindenstraße Memorial: a Stasi (secret police) prison in Potsdam, near Berlin. Dr. Peter Hampe, a former prisoner, conducted the tour, explaining how the prison worked and how political prisoners were kept in solitary confinement during their time in this prison for interrogation purposes. He also told his story of becoming a political prisoner at age 19 for an escape attempt. It was further explained how the Stasi had identified him through his handwriting after he had written an anonymous letter to American radio (RIAS) in West Berlin. After his arrest, he discovered they had intercepted the letter, which added considerable time to his sentence. A question and answer period helped the class to expand their knowledge of life in East Germany during the Cold War. The students
put together their interview questions using a biography they had been given in class before our trip, but were keen to find out more information after seeing the prison and listening to Dr. Hampe’s story. They discovered the experience of talking to a Cold War ‘Zeitzeuge’ (time witness) to be enlightening. All travel in Berlin was done by public transport, bicycle and on foot; as a result, students began to feel comfortable traveling around the city. Each evening, dinner was at our hostel and afterwards we took long walks through interesting areas of the city, or had sessions during which the group discussed and planned their upcoming summative assessment in Individuals and Societies with Mr. Faircloth. One evening we had a Berlin Trivia Quiz. Students were put in teams and answered questions about what we had seen and learnt. There were some added questions about life at PSI. The winning team received a prize. We also broke into room teams and packed and cleaned our rooms at the YMCA before we checked out. Each student had a job to do and the rooms were sparkling for our early checkout on Friday morning. The Week Without Walls was not all work, however; there was also time for visits to Vapiano restaurant, Dunkin’ Donuts, and the Ritter Sport Store to have chocolate bars made to order. It was an outstanding visit, made even better by the students’ keen interest in the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Their ‘real world’ experiences were just one way that the Week Without Walls trip this year supported the school’s mission. We worked together and grew as a team, which made for a successful Week Without Walls. An outstanding week! 33
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by Kelli Karg, Trip Leader
GRADE
This year, not only did Grade 10 explore how culture is protected and preserved on our Week Without Walls trip to Krakow, Poland, the class dug deeper to look at what a community with a long history does with individual stories. How does the memory of a whole group of people pull from its ranks to share stories, and ultimately move forward beyond what has been lost?
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s a trip that is rooted firmly in the Individuals & Societies and Language & Literature curriculum, we saw a variety of historical artifacts and personal memoirs. We began our week with a guided tour in the Underground Museum beneath the Main Market Square, as well as a walking tour throughout the rest of Old Town, where we discovered the origins and development of the city and region, going back to the Middle Ages, which brought together Muslim, Jew and Christian in a mix rarely seen in Europe. The slow build of the week continued as we developed our understanding of the Jewish culture as it existed in Krakow for ten centuries at the Old Synagogue, and took a walking tour through the
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rain in the Jewish Quarter. We were able to visit places that offered hope to communities, like the Eagle Pharmacy in the former Jewish ghetto, which acted as the centre of communication and refuge from the horrors of ghetto living, and Schindler’s Factory, where 1200 lives were saved. In these instances, students got to experience memoirs and other stories of great respect and sacrifice to protect those of a different religion.
Art students had the opportunity to visit many of the different sculptures and monuments in Krakow with an excellent guide who made the students think about the importance of preserving memories, the decisions that artists have to make and the sources of their inspiration. They finished at the Plac Bohaterow Getta Square Ghetto Heroes Square in English - which has been turned into a monument using bronze chairs that commemorates the Jewish ghetto and the Krakow Jews. The story behind the choice of this representation is very poignant. The visits to the Gestapo Museum where we learned the stories of prisoners of war and Polish resistance fighters, and trips to concentration camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau were difficult for the students, as they viewed the remnants of the places where so many people lived and died in the 1940s and 50s. Their struggle brought up insightful debate about the benefit of preserving a place of such sadness and systematic destruction. How does a place that represents the opposite of protection stand for preservation? During the week, the students were challenged in a way that we rarely are in our daily lives. The difficult decisions made by those whom we study in Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies ask the students to see that choices between self-preservation and the preservation of humanity are never easy. Our final stop at the Galicia Jewish museum showed us images of how these choices endure into the 21st century and how memory can keep these kinds of choices ever-relevant. Modern Krakow, as we saw at that final museum and our last dinner together, is a place where the intertwined stories of Pole and Jew continue. The students saw terrible realities on this trip, but they were also able to take with them the hope that comes with rediscovering shared culture, geography and roots. Krakow gives voice to myriad stories in its museums and monuments, its restaurants and music. And our students took time to listen.
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by Callum Marshall, Trip Leader
GRADE
This year, the Grade 11 Week without Walls trip to London again provided opportunities for students to experience some of the cultural offerings that London has to offer as well as hopefully challenging their thinking through the activities they participated in.
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he class arrived in London on Monday and successfully navigated London’s public transport system to arrive at the hostel in central London around midafternoon. After settling into the rooms, we left for our first activity, which was designed to allow students to explore the local area. This included Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Using a scavenger hunt they had to work in groups to collect photographs of a variety of landmarks and their group with various objects and people. After dinner, the groups met up for a Jack the Ripper tour around some of the streets in London’s East End. As well as hearing the gory details of the murders and seeing some original images of the victims, students also learnt
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how different late 19th Century London was compared to the present day. As the focus of the London trip is the arts, students were often divided into groups depending on their arts focus at school. Therefore, on Tuesday morning, a group of students went off to the National Gallery, another to St Paul’s Cathedral and a third went on a ‘Royal’ bike tour that took them through some of central London’s parks with a focus on the royal family and some of its history. After lunch at Borough Market, one of London’s most renowned food markets, students either went on a street art tour in the Shoreditch area where they could see work by street artists such as Banksy, visited the Science Museum, or took some time to explore Camden Market. On Tuesday evening, students watched Alice’s Adventures Underground, the first of three theatre performances organised for them. This was an immersive theatre experience in London’s Vaults Theatre under Waterloo Station. The performance gave students the chance to meet some of Wonderland’s famous inhabitants, take un-birthday tea at a very long table, listen to a mock turtle sing, and help an underground movement rise up against the Queen of Hearts.
Wednesday morning provided opportunities for students to visit the Tate Britain Gallery, tour Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, or test their climbing skills at one of Europe’s largest climbing wall centres. Those who visited the Globe Theatre, as well as getting a tour of the facility, participated in a workshop and had the chance to see a sword fighting display. In the afternoon, IB Design students went with Mr Parkinson to London’s Design Museum, Visual Arts students went to the iconic Tate Modern, and the students who had been climbing visited London’s Natural History and Victoria & Albert Museums. Both the design and visual arts students participated in workshops as a part of their visit. Wednesday evening took us all to the Apollo Theatre to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in what the Guardian newspaper review described as a ‘radical update of Tennessee Williams’s study of the conflict between truth and illusion’. With some stunning performances from Hollywood names such as Sienna Miller and Colm Meaney, this was a theatre experience that will stay with the students for quite a while. Thursday started with opportunities for students to join a London walking tour called the Dark Side Ghost Tour or to visit the Tate Modern museum, for those who had not had the opportunity thus far. After lunch, we then went to our final theatre experience at Shaftesbury Theatre for a matinee performance of Motown: the Musical which had us all singing and clapping along to some classic Motown hits by the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross and the Supremes. After our group dinner in London’s West End, our last experience was an Escape Room, where groups of 5 competed to solve a mystery and escape the room before the end of the allotted 50 minutes. Some were successful, some a little less, but all had fun trying! Overall, it was a successful trip. There was a balance of the serious and the less serious and the different arts subjects were catered for in a variety of ways. By encouraging students to reflect on how the experiences they had throughout the trip made them feel and by challenging their thinking, aspects of their TOK course were also addressed. 37
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by Audra Santos, Trip Leader
GRADE
The Grade 12 Week Without Walls trip to Bovec, Slovenia, is always a good time for students to challenge themselves in new ways, take risks they wouldn’t normally imagine, and work as a team. We had beautiful weather this year and were able to take advantage of the breathtaking scenery and calm of nature while getting in touch with our more adventurous sides
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e began our first day with rafting on the Soči River near Bovec, Slovenia, an area near the border with Italy and Austria. Many students were hesitant at first to board the raft after the instructional course on how to correctly paddle, follow commands, and what to do in case of bumping into a rock or falling into the water. Luckily, everyone stuck with the challenge and soon we were off on the rapids! It was quickly evident that the rapids were not as dangerous as promised, and students began to relax and enjoy the experience and the scenery. After lunch, the group climbed halfway up a mountain with the goal of coming back down via the canyon’s mountain stream. This activity is called ‘canyoning’ and is not for the faint of heart! Participants were
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dinner, which turned out to be quite tasty. In the meantime, they had also given up their technology and were able to enjoy the time together talking and playing games like cards, mafia, and manhunt. Our final day was yet another adventure which began with a hike up to an ancient fortress. This particular mountain pass was once the border of the Venetian and Austro-Hungarian Empires and Fort Hermann lives to tell the tale. The same pass was used as a major trade route during the Roman period, connecting Western and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and beyond. After lunch, we donned helmets and harnesses for a trip up the mountain for ziplining. With five wires and a combined distance of about 3 kilometers, the zipline in Bovec is among the longest in the world! The scenery can’t be beat as you soar over the treetops and look down into the valley. Some students were apprehensive, but in the end, everyone had a fantastic time conquering their fears and experiencing a good adrenaline rush. Our visit to Slovenia was unbeatable and the seniors made memories together that will last a lifetime. Throughout the week, students were challenged beyond what they experience on a normal basis. Many came on the trip with reservations, but left with newfound confidence. Most of all, everyone enjoyed the pristine waters, fresh air, and dramatic mountain scenery. asked to slide down slopes of flowing icy, mountain water into crystal clear pools, and occasionally to jump from a rock into a pool where the rushing water was too fast in which to slide. It was like nothing our students had ever done before and the true daredevils reported having the time of their lives! The rest were glad to have at least tried it once. Our local mountain guide reported that the rain the day before our arrival had contributed to almost a metre of snow above the treeline on the mountain where we were scheduled to spend our third night, so unfortunately these plans were changed. Instead of hiking up the mountain, the guide took us on a beautiful nature hike along the river for about 13 kilometres. The pace was leisurely and the terrain was mostly smooth, so this was an enjoyable and relatively relaxing day. The Grade 12 students expressed their disappointment at not being able to stay overnight in the mountain hut and work together in their cooking groups to make dinner in the cabin’s kitchen, so they found a way to make this work at the hotel we were staying at in Bovec. Luckily, most students had been given apartments with a full kitchen, so they went shopping for ingredients and got to work on cooking our 39
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by Annahita Sarty, Extended Essay Coordinator
The Extended Essay: Helping Students Succeed As any Grade 12 student will tell you, senior year is a time of high stress and deadlines, one of which is the Extended Essay (EE), a 4,000-word piece of independent research that allows students to investigate a topic of special interest (IB, 2016).
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ome people (not least of all the seniors themselves!) may wonder why students who are already completing a highly academic programme have to produce yet another research paper, and a 4000-word one at that. Simply put, besides the fact that the EE is a Diploma Programme (DP) requirement, there is also growing evidence that cultivating the research and time management skills required for the EE helps ensure student success as they continue on to University. According to research conducted by McGill University in Canada, Warwick University in the United Kingdom, and the University of Virginia in the United
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States, completing the EE taught students to be ‘critical and independent thinkers’, prepared them for various aspects of the research process, and gave them an increased level of confidence when doing research reports. (IB, 2013) Another study conducted by researchers from the Education Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) corroborated these findings, noting that the skills students learnt while doing the EE ‘left DP students feeling more prepared to conduct research than many of their classmates.’ (IB, 2014) Perhaps even more important than the aforementioned skills promoted by the EE is the fact that ‘IB alumni are overwhelmingly excited about their engagement with research: they are more proud of their research, more likely to intend to conduct more research in the future, and more likely to find their research skills to be important to their future success.’ (Inkelas et al, 2012, p.4) One of the key elements of the EE is that students choose their topics themselves from one of the six areas they are studying. It is vital that students choose their topic carefully, as the research involved in writing the EE can be difficult and time-consuming, and in many cases, the student’s passion for his or her chosen subject is one of the main factors in success. This year, students have chosen topics in a number of areas, ranging from History to Psychology to Economics. They are looking at questions as varied as the effects of censorship on the poetry of Taras Shevchenko and D.H. Lawrence; the recovery of hotels in Kyiv after Euromaidan; the political,
social and cultural success of the return of the Crimean Tatars to Crimea after 1989; and the economic and ethical implications of sequencing the human genome. Our seniors have worked hard on their EEs over the past 7 months, and they should be very proud of their achievements. The skills they have learnt throughout this process should serve them well, both in university and beyond. Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Bibliography Inkelas, K.K., Swan, A.K., Pretlow, J., Jones, J.N. (2012) Exploring the Benefits of the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay for University Studies at the University of Virginia. Case Study. University of Virginia, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Curry School of Education, Virginia (Online). Available at: http://www.ibo.org/contentassets/ d74675437b4f4ab38312702599a432f1/finalfulluvaibreport10-18-12. pdf (Accessed: 25 September 2016) International Baccalaureate (2014) ‘Study finds that IB Diploma Programme students are more prepared for university’ The IB Community Blog, 9 July. Available at: http://blogs.ibo.org/ blog/2014/07/09/study-finds-that-ib-diploma-programme-studentsare-more-prepared-for-university/ (Accessed: 25 September 2016) International Baccalaureate (2013) ‘IB Diploma Programme research shows extended essay improves student approach to learning in higher education’ The IB Community Blog, 20 November. Available at: http:// blogs.ibo.org/blog/2013/11/20/ib-diploma-programme-researchshows-extended-essay-improves-student-approach-to-learning-inhigher-education/ (Accessed: 25 September 2016) International Baccalaureate (2016) Extended Essay Guide First Exams 2018. [Online] Available at: http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/ Group0/d_0_eeyyy_gui_1012_1/html/production-app3.ibo.org/ publication/258/part/1/chapter/1.html (Accessed: 25 September 2017)
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Individuals and Societies (I&S)
by Katy Hourston, Individuals & Societies HOD
We grow
The I&S Department is off to an exciting start this year! Students have been developing inquiries based on our key concepts of Global Interactions; Time, Place and Space; Systems; and Change. Using real-world examples to support our learning, we have been looking at the Berlin Wall, world religions, the Holocaust, the European Union and cartography! Our MYP curriculum provides students with an opportunity to develop their Approaches to Learning skills while accessing content from history, geography, economics, politics, religion, social studies and much more! This year, the Department welcomes Dr Tito Basu to the team. Dr Basu and his family come to us from their most recent school in Tunisia and in addition to teaching MYP I&S at grades 8 and 10, is our new 42
Diploma History and TOK teacher. We are very excited to have Dr Basu and his wealth of experience on the team! The I&S Department has also expanded at Diploma level, with the addition of a new subject: Global Politics. This is an exciting new course developed by the IB which allows students to develop an awareness of fundamental political concepts, and to understand them through real-world examples. This year, the Global Politics class is developing inquiries into sovereignty, power, human rights and other concepts. Our case studies include North Korea, Kurdistan, Ukraine, the United Nations and NATO. Next year, the course looks at Development, Peace and Conflict; students will have an opportunity to shape their own inquiry by selecting a political issue that is important to them. In addition to their classroom studies, Global Politics students are required to organise and participate in an Engagement Activity, which includes an element of action related to a political issue. The Grade 11 class is passionate and involved, so we are very excited to see what they come up with!
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We lead
We succeed
PSI students will lead the way in many I&S-related events this year. In November, 25 High School students will travel to Budapest for the Yale Model Government Europe conference, and simulate multinational diplomacy in response to a crisis. In previous years, PSI students have received multiple awards for their skills at the conference, and we aim to continue this high standard. Our Middle School Model United Nations (MUN) will continue this tradition when they attend their conference in the Spring! In September, I&S DP students attended the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Kyiv, and interacted with key strategists, thinkers and policy-makers in global politics, including John Kerry, David Cameron and Richard Haas. The students enjoyed listening to lectures and asking questions at this prestigious event. In November, Grade 9 I&S students will join the British and Canadian Embassies at the annual Remembrance Ceremony held at the Park of Eternal Glory. Two students will read a poem as part of the ceremony.
All of this means a very busy and productive year in I&S! As the year goes on, our Grade 7 students will participate in an interdisciplinary unit with the Maths department on refugees, Grade 8 will find out how global interactions lead to the development of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (and then use this knowledge to participate in an Amnesty International event), and Grade 9 will develop their own brand and marketing campaign. Please keep an eye on the I&S Department as students demonstrate their knowledge and succeed as global thinkers and problem solvers!
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Leadership & Learning L
eadership takes many forms, and, so far this year in the arts, we have seen leaders emerge in many different capacities. Whether these are returning students helping incoming new classmates to learn routines and processes in the Art classroom, or lifelong guitar players teaching new chords to fellow seventh graders in Music, we see our students step up often. Battle of the Bands, a performance night started here two years ago, is now in the hands of two DP students, who are excited about sharing their love of music with the PSI community and are enthusiastically promoting the idea of youth leadership within student-driven ensembles.
Leadership cannot happen without a commitment to personal growth, however. Throughout the years, we’ve seen students display this dedication to improving themselves in the arts, putting in countless hours of rehearsal, or completing yet another piece for an exhibition, and working tirelessly to share their vision with the community. Already this year, high school students are beginning the rehearsal process for a winter production with new drama teacher, Erik Zambrano. The Cuchulain Cycle is a collection of five plays by poet and author W.B. Yeats, based on the Irish mythological hero. Not only does the play make the actors and audience consider the idea of heroism, but it also looks at how our choices can impact the world around us. To quote former American President John F. Kennedy, ‘Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.’ Only by having our students step into leadership roles, whether in or beyond the classroom, can we help them to truly succeed.
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by Mica Gaard, MYP Music Teacher, Head of Arts
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PTA NEWS
by Beth Parkinson, PTA Communication Coordinator
It’s always great to begin a new school year and be in the position to look forward to all that is to come throughout the year ahead. So far, we have had a good start! The PTA enjoy playing such a tangible role in contributing to the school motto a place where we belong and helping to make this become a reality for every community member. We are really open to feedback and ideas, and want to support you as parents and teachers, so please stay in touch.
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he Back to School Picnic in August was a huge success. As always, we aim for existing and new families and staff to get acquainted and have a ‘chilled out’ time in the warm weather! It was good to observe so many families out on picnic blankets chatting and to see kids playing. As a PTA committee, we enjoy planning and organising events, but we are also immensely grateful for the support of the school and parents who really make it happen by participating! The PTA organised the annual Wine and Cheese evening recently for newcomers, this year at the Vice President’s house. Being off of the school campus brings a different dimension to
socialising. We trust that new staff and parents had a fun and relaxed time at this lovely venue. The long awaited opening of the new building is going to bring so many wonderful opportunities for everyone! Please join us at one of the biggest community events of the school year, International Night, on the 28th of October. This will take place in the new gym and it will be an honour to showcase all of the nationalities present here at PSI! There are a few key ongoing topics that we, as a PTA, feel really passionate about. Firstly, the CISRI grants are available during certain seasons of the academic year and we encourage students to apply for these to support their social action projects. The PTA is 100% behind the fundraising for this new venture and we really hope the kids take us up on it fully this year! Secondly, we are making every effort to back the school in becoming environmentally sustainable. We are working closely with the Green Committee, Student Council and outside companies, on the best options for recycling, reusing and other sustainable practices. Please help PSI in becoming green and make this a joint effort! Lastly, having Classroom Parents is one key way the PTA can help teachers, parents and students communicate and feel supported. Thank you to all those parents who have signed up, we trust the year ahead will be fun, fruitful and rewarding! 47
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Back to School Picnic Photos
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CAS:
By Tatiana Isakova CAS Coordinator
TAKING NEW ROLES We all make choices: How to live, what principles to follow, how to distribute time, and how to interact with the outside world.
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or IB Diploma students, these choices are particularly important. They have made their subject choices, and in August, they started making their CAS project selections. For the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) programme, students needed to choose projects of interest where they could develop their strengths, find joy, and learn new skills. Actually, this year the task was a bit easier, since an introduction to CAS was made in the fourth quarter of their Grade 10 year, so most of the students already had some project participation experience. At the first planning meeting, Grade 11 and 12 students gathered together, and new CAS teams brainstormed fresh ideas and discussed goals and plans. When we analysed the project list, we were pleased to notice that most of the CAS projects at PSI are student -initiated. This year, some new
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projects also appeared on the list. One of them is the Writing Lab initiative. Students plan to support others in writing skills development, sharing their skills and knowledge with peers. Students also feel a commitment to global issues, and plan to start a project related to the environment. They are ready to take risks and become coordinators of a school wide project, which will open new horizons for all parties by increasing the role of CAS students in cooperation between the three IB programmes. CAS projects also give the students an opportunity to learn leadership, cooperation, and
time management, as well as getting an invaluable experience that they might never obtain in the classroom. Every project has a student leader and a teacher as a supervisor. For the students, this leadership is excellent practice in planning, collaboration, and interaction with external institutions. The PSI vision - ‘We grow. We lead. We succeed.’ - directly relates to CAS team leaders and all CAS students. Here’s what our teams are working on. This year, the Djerela team started an ambitious drama project with the clients of the centre. The group that supports Orphanage #11 for visually impaired children is planning to teach the children a dance routine. With the help of the PTA, they will also help the orphanage to equip their sports field. For this, our students will learn how to write a grant application, do an economical analysis, and report on their spending of funds. This year, the Kindergarten building team made their first steps in their project. They measured and worked on the design for the sand box covers for local Kindergarten #24. The Student store team also started their sales. Students made some new decisions. (Economics in action, indeed!) and summed up last year’s donations. The student store is pleased to state that in 2016-2017, they invested 45,400 hrv for equipment and events for different centres; 10,200 hrv to help with medicine and food for families with severely disabled children; and 19, 600 hrv to support cancer treatment and rehabilitation for two families. The Animal Shelter group is planning big events to raise awareness as well as visits to the shelter. The Children of the World to the Children of Ukraine group worked in the summer to help a camp for refugee children and plans to invite children from Cherkassy to Kyiv. In short, students have made a good start in their CAS programmes. They will continue to set goals for a variety of creative and active projects, leading to a well-balanced and successful CAS programme.
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PSI PANTHERS ATHLETICS 2017 - 2018 by Ric Floyd, Athletics Director / Head of PHE Department
This year will be a year of new excitement. With the completion of the new sports gym and pool, we will once again have training and games on the PSI campus! We started Season 1 with a good number of students signing up and preparing for the upcoming Kyiv School Sports League (KSSL) and Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) tournaments.
This year, students will also have some new developments in our athletics gear to look forward to, including: — Long sleeved as well as short sleeved season sublimated shirts given to each PSI Panthers team member — A new CEESA tracksuit design with new colours and material — New team uniforms with our new ice blue colour and new logos
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KSSL also has the possibility of new programmes this year as sports in Kyiv international schools grow. We are looking at Middle School Tennis, Middle / High School Cross Country, and Middle / High School Swimming tournaments to help prepare students for the CEESA events. The league also wants to further develop the Invitational Futsal Soccer Tournaments and the Track and Field Tournament in the least season.The football season for KSSL has grown and we are now back having competitive games. In 2017 / 2018 we will be hosting the following CEESA Tournaments:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Middle School Boys Football
Middle School Knowledge Bowl
High School Boys Volleyball
2nd to 5th Nov 2017
26th to 29th Apr 2018
17th to 20th May 2018
The programmes we offer in athletics for the fall season are listed below, with the dates and venues for each CEESA Tournament and the list of coaches involved with each team as our programme grows each year:
Team
Coach
Assistant Coach
CEESA Dates
CEESA Venue
Middle School Boys Football
Bryan Reardon
Alex Semeniouk
Nov 2 - 5
Kyiv,
Middle School Girls Football
Julie Ann Mirse
Clare Cannon
Nov 2 - 5
Ukraine
High School Boys Football
Ric Floyd
Rex Santos
Nov 8 - 12
Skopje,
High School Girls Football
Callum Marshall
Katy Hourston
Nov 8 - 12
Macedonia
Middle School Girls Tennis
Chip Faircloth
Sarah Browne
Oct 11 - 14
Sofia,
Middle and High School Boys and Girls Cross Country
Michael Holland Valeria Laitinen
Cory Haugen
Nov 9 - 12
Bulgaria
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III
COMMUNITY
COUNSELLORS’ CORNER:
We Grow. W We Succee As we begin a new school year, many challenges lie ahead. Some challenges appear simple: going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. Some challenges are more difficult: reading, writing, listening and speaking in a different language. We all face new opportunities. These have three possible outcomes: we decline, we stagnate, or we grow positively.
P
echersk School International students and families will grow in a positive direction this school year. In order to move forward, we must incorporate positive habits into our daily lives. Dave Brailsford, British cycling coach, emphasises the ‘aggregation of marginal gains.’ He believes the secret to improvement is focusing on one area of your life. He then coaches people to improve in that area by just 1% every single day. This is critical. These incremental steps compound upon themselves. One year of focused, 1% daily improvements adds up very quickly. If you do not improve by 1% a day, you whittle yourself down to almost zero improvement over the year. Another expert James Clear, talks about small habits and improving by 1% each day as well. Sustained, simple and positive, daily habits create leaders in their areas of focus. A student who reads for 30 minutes every day will become the student his peers turn to for reading support and advice. A student who learns a new word
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every day will become a better speaker, reader and writer in his / her language of study. Thus, we don’t focus on the final goal (e.g., running a marathon). We focus on what we do daily (becoming a runner). Daily habits create your identity. A musician is someone who plays musical instruments and enjoys music as part of his / her daily life. A musician is not someone who picks up a violin from time to time. Thus, a critical component to building an identity is doing something, no matter how small, every single day. When building your focused habit, it is vital not to miss more than two days in a row of performing your task, states Nathan Lozeron. If you miss performing your behavior once, your chance of forming a habit is reduced by 5%. If you miss performing your behavior two days in a row, your chance of forming a habit is reduced by 55%. If you miss three days in a row, your chance of continued performance is reduced by 90%. Therefore, to be successful, do not miss more than two days of consecutive performance. Consistency and quantity are key elements for success, not perfection. Habits are the foundation of growth and change. Habits consist of four stages. The first
W E G R O W. W E L E A D . W E S U C C E E D .
We Lead. ed. by Michele Basu, Secondary School Counselor
three are noticing what to do, wanting to do it, and doing it over and over again. Finally, habit formation is maintained by enjoying the rewards of the behavior. Sometimes rewards are immediately noticeable; sometimes rewards are acquired months or years later (a healthy, fit body, acceptance to university). Remember, your identity emerges out of your habits. Eventually, you become a runner, you become a reader, you become a vegetarian, you become your best self and you succeed at being best yourself. Begin a small daily habit and watch yourself grow, lead and succeed. ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.’ - Aristotle
Works Cited Brailsford, Dave. Team Sky. Web. 14 September 2017. Clear, James. This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1% and Here’s What Happened. 2014. Web. 14 September 2017. Lorzen, Nathan. How to Build Habits and Execute Effortlessly. 2016. Web. 14 September 2017. 57
III
COMMUNITY
Library: Sharing our vision of the future by Pam York and Polina Spencer, PSI Librarians
F
or those community members who have been part of the Futures Forum in the 2016 - 2017 school year, it will come as no surprise to hear about the library and IT departments’ proposed merger. We believe that merging the library and IT departments will enable PSI to offer a streamlined, efficient service to the entire community. Combining areas of overlap between the two departments will strengthen the impact on student learning.
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W E G R O W. W E L E A D . W E S U C C E E D .
In recent years, there has been an increased focus in education on collaboration between subjects. One that’s often discussed is STEAM, but what is it? STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics. The concept is to use these subject areas as a lens from which to look at inquiry, learning, critical thinking and problem solving. The ultimate goal is to support students in becoming thoughtful risk takers, engaged in experiential learning using their creative abilities. These are the qualities which will help our students to become future innovators and leaders.
This year, the library and IT departments will continue exploring possibilities and options to promote collaboration between the two departments and investigate the potential for furthering the STEAM opportunities available to students at PSI across all curriculum areas. As PSI continues to grow, this is our vision for leading and succeeding and the future of a multifunctional, flexible learning space. We look forward to sharing our thoughts and vision with the whole PSI community in the upcoming months.
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ОЛОВАЯ
ВЕСТИБЮЛЬ
23 OCTOBER 2017 MONDAY, @ 8:45 AM GSPublisherVersion 0.0.100.100
Phase 2 Building Opening Ceremony
– Followed By Building Tours – Drinks & Refreshments – Student Sports Events will take place in the new gym on this day. – Student Performing Arts Events will take place in the new auditorium on this day – Alumni and visitors are most welcome to attend and must register with directorpa@psi.kiev.ua
An IB World School Since 2000