Welcome Students, Parents and Raha Community

Greetings!

As we roll into the mid-term break, I'd to thank our DP cohort and their teachers for staying the course. This newsletter touches on many of the events and activities that have happened this term, all on top of what we know - that the IBDP is an extremely demanding programme of study. In the DP we ask students to draw upon the skills that they have developed in the MYP in order to be successful.

The break ahead will provide some downtime for all, but it's important to draw upon those self-management skills and use the upcoming days wisely; to get a good balance of sleep, exercise, recreation time and study.

On another note, a huge shout to our Parent Team and the whole community who came together for a fantastic global village last Saturday. It was certainly a day enjoyed by all and a date in the calendar not to be missed!

Best wishes,

Paul Ede Head of Secondary

FROM MR. ANDREW – DP COORDINATOR

Dear DP Community,

I can’t believe we are already nearing half-term. It seems like no time at all that we were heading off on winter break!

This is our special FebuarEE issue! We have some testimonials from our alumni, giving us feedback on their EE experience, as well as some sample EE questions from last year. There are also some top-tips to help you with your EE journey!

Grade 12

Well done to the Grade 12 students for completing their Mock Exams. That’s all the rehearsals completed now – next time it’s the real thing! The Grade 12 schedule is getting full now, with IA deadlines, EE and ToK finishing off and orals for Language A and B. Enjoy some hard-earned rest over the half-term, and make sure you come back ready for the final push!

Conferences

It is still refreshing to see everyone back on campus for 3-Way Conferences. It’s really important to take onboard everything your teachers recommend. If you weren’t able to attend, please remember we are always available, so don’t hold back if you would like to discuss anything with myself, or the team.

Work/life balance

Whilst we encourage all our students to take regular breaks from study, to make sure they are fresh and ready to learn, it is also imperative that students make the most of their study hall periods during the school day. The majority of students use these wisely, making sure that they maximize the work at school, to free-up time in the evenings for revision, exercise and (dare I say it?) fun! Unfortunately, not everyone is using the time wisely. The short break is a good time to reflect on how you can make the best use of your study time.

Into The Woods

What a fantastic performance by the Secondary Team! We are so proud of our students putting on such an amazing show! Well done Ms Caitlin and team!

ChatGPT

The big educational talking point at the moment is the AI writing tool ChatGPT. It truly is amazing and will be a great educational tool to add to our arsenal. The IB is, of course, aware of the possibility of misuse, and is advising schools on which software to use to identify AI work. It goes without saying that using an AI tool to create a piece of coursework would be an automatic failing of the diploma, as it would be considered academic misconduct.

Competition time! One of the articles in this newsletter has been written by ChatGPT. See you if you can spot which one it is!

Have a great half-term break, Mr Andy, atomlinson@ris.ae