DP Newsletter September 2021 by Raha International School

DP NEWSLETTER

Sept 2021

Dear DP Students and Parents, Welcome back! It is fantastic to be back on campus, with the shoots of “normality” beginning to show. I’m sure there will be some rollercoaster moments in the coming months, but we can enjoy the positivity while it lasts. A huge welcome to our new students in Grade 11, who have been busy making themselves at home on campus. Looking at the “Everything you’d like to know about DP” Padlet, one of the main concerns is whether you are allowed into the DP Lounge! Of course you are – the Grade 12’s are a friendly bunch who don’t mind sharing (and I’m sure they appreciate how lucky they were last year to have the whole of G-Block to themselves!). We have a great team in the DP this year to support the students, and they have all introduced themselves later in this newsletter. I’d like to welcome Ms Claire and Mr Walter as Heads of Grade, along with Mr Luke who is taking over as ToK Coordinator and Ms Lindsay who in charge of Innovation and Enterprise. There are already some key dates on the horizon, which I have shared at the end of the newsletter. As always, organization is key; if you are not on top of the deadlines, the deadlines will be on top of you! A major announcement made by the IB recently was that there will be no alteration to the curriculum for the Class of 2023. This means that Grade 11 will sit all of the exams and study all of the content. Class of 2022 have a modified curriculum. Both of these are positive, as it demonstrates the IB’s understanding of the position of schools globally.

Communication is key when supporting the students, so it is important that all parents follow the correct procedure when wishing to discuss their child’s progress:

DP Results We are very proud of achieving the highest points average and pass-rate this year, with two of our students obtaining full marks for the first time in Raha’s history. Average points: 35/45 World Average: 33/45 Pass Rate: 98.5% World Pass Rate: 88% Highest Points: Hannah Lila and Eric Zhou – 45/45 Andrew Tomlinson, DP Coordinator – atomlinson@ris.ae Ms Nicole Mann, Assistant to the DP Coordinator, - DPC-assistant@ris.ae

HEADS OF GRADE Grade 11

Dear Students and Parents, I am thrilled to once again be here to support the next step in the Class of 2023’s academic journey. A focus of this year should be their personal growth, accountability and balance. Growth and accountability will come into play as they continue to communicate directly with their coordinators, teachers and supervisors, so that they may properly advocate for themselves. Now is the time where they learn to assess what habits, courses and situations are and are not working for them, and if necessary, make changes. The balance comes when they find themselves not taking time to focus on their personal wellbeing and happiness. CAS, Extended Essay and even extracurricular programs should provide them an escape from their classroom studies, and offer them opportunities to be physically, mentally and emotionally engaged with activities that pique their interests and passions. Time management is also more important than ever. Everything is up to them. We can only guide and support them, but they must establish schedules and habits to help them be the best versions of themselves. To put it simply, they need clearly defined schedules and processes for their school week. I am here to assist not only the students, but I am also here to assist you, parents, in assisting them. My goal is for the Class of 2023 to successfully lead their own inquiry and simultaneously make it as enjoyable as possible. Walter Clarke wlcarke@ris.ae

Grade 12 Welcome back Grade 12 students! It’s wonderful to see you all around campus with positive attitudes and happy faces. There are ten months left of your DP journey! An exciting time and a time for many important deadlines. It’s imperative that you stay organised and up to date with your work. If there are times when you feel like you are struggling or need to chat to someone, please communicate with us; your advisors, your teachers, me (Ms Claire) as your Head of Grade, Ms Mellissa as the school counsellor and Mr Andy as the DP Co-Ordinator. During this final phase, we request that parents keep supporting your child as positively as possible. We need to help reduce the stress levels. Please continue to encourage a consistent, healthy home-schedule that involves set daily homework time (possibly 4-7pm every weekday, more as required); healthy regular eating; relaxation/activities and family and friends time. Reducing the use of social media access during set study times is also recommended. If this is not happening, please let me know if you need support. To make sure the students are dressed professionally and in line with the school’s expectations; please ensure your child has a pair of smart black trousers/pants (no jeans or leggings), a pair of shoes that are completely black and a DP shirt with the Raha logo on the front and black piping around the sleeves and pockets. As a cohort of students, you have faced many challenges over the last two years and have overcome them with commendable determination to be successful. Let’s keep this momentum going and achieve your best outcome possible. I am very much looking forward to celebrating your successes this year and extremely proud to be alongside you on this last leg of your secondary school journey. Ms Claire Armstrong clairearmstrong@ris.ae

UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

Brian Marshall bmarshall@ris.ae Grade 12: The University Counselling Office has three university counsellors) Mr. Stephen George, Ms. Carmen Barrack and Brian Marshall). Each student is assigned a university counsellor case manager. The case managers lead the students, families, and school team through the application process from beginning to end. So, reach out to your case manager as often as you need. September is a great month to get your letters of recommendation written by teachers and counsellors. Each student is allowed a maximum of two DP teachers for LORs. Limiting the quantity of LORs for DP teachers, ensures a high quality of LORs from your teachers. Those applying to US universities should obtain a LOR from their university counsellor. University application information sessions will be conducted during tutorials and/or afterschool Night School sessions. See Night School session schedule below. Each university has an application cycle that opens and closes. In most cases, it’s better to apply early in the application cycle. Admissions will have more time to spend on your application and there are more open seats in their program. An exception may be waiting for improved academic points in a report card and then applying later in the application cycle. First report card is in December. There is only one set of Predicted Grades for university applications which is released in October. Grade 11: The University Counselling Office has three university counsellors) Mr. Stephen George, Ms. Carmen Barrack and Brian Marshall). Each student is assigned a university counsellor case manager. It’s important to get a strong start in the DP. Get to know your six courses to determine if your decisions on your course selection matches your aptitudes and interests. If you are uncertain, book a meeting with you UC case manager. The core (TOK, EE, CAS), is also something you don’t want to forget about. It’s best to be aware of the timeline commitments. Learning about universities is an ongoing process. Tutorials on universities will not begin until after winter break, but you are welcome to attend the Night School sessions listed below and/or begin conversations with your university counsellor. Remember that it’s your performance in DP that determines possible universities to attend.

Night School Afternoon Series 3:15 pm- 4:45 pm Wednesdays University Application Information Sessions Fall Term Sept. 22nd – UK Location - Auditorium Oct. 6th – USA Location - Auditorium Oct. 27th – Canada Location - Auditorium Nov.17th - Northwest Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France) Location - Auditorium Nov. 24th – Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland) Location - TBC Dec. 8th – East Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan) Location – TBC Winter Term Jan. 19th – Central Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary). Location - TBC Feb. 2nd – Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece). Location - TBC Feb.23rd – Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa). Location - TBC Mar. 9th – Western Asia (Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt). Location - TBC Spring Term TBC

Student Counselor Hello DP! I am excited to share the best two years of your school experience with you. As you begin to look ahead to the world of possibilities that await you, it is normal to feel overwhelmed, and anxious especially given the many uncertainties we continue to face. Navigating the DP at this time can seem daunting, however know that you are not alone. We will work together, building on your strengths to ensure you have all the tools and strategies to make this a successful year. Your resilience over the past year has been nothing short of inspiring and will see you through to the finish line! Gr 11 – I am excited to get to know each of you (again) and look forward to working together in our Wellbeing classes. Gr 12 – I hope you enjoy every minute of this year and build a bank of memories to make up for lost time! I am located on the first floor of F block. Pop in anytime and say hi. mjayawickrema@ris.ae

Innovation and Enterprise Coordinator Hello DP students and parents! I am thrilled to be introducing myself in my role as the Innovation and Enterprise Coordinator. This position is designed to help students find opportunities and develop skills and knowledge in line with their personal interests, and their future career plans. Within this role, I will be aiding students in developing their career skills, such as C.V and cover letter writing. This year, I will be running an ECP for students interested in internships and providing helpful career planning strategies. Outside of career skills, I will also be communicating opportunities in the community that arise throughout the year, such as competitions, and events, for our students to participate in so keep checking the student announcements. I am looking forward to working with the community to provide more opportunities for our students. Lindsay Willson lwillson@ris.ae

CORE SUBJECTS

EXTENDED ESSAY Welcome to the DP Grade 11 students! Extended Essay is a core component of the DP, which I will introduce you to in October. You are not expected to work on this task until then, however, you may contact potential supervisors if you already have ideas, or me if you have any questions. You can find the RIS EE student booklet under the EE channel on your class team. Grade 12, welcome back! Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put together in the first year of your DP journey. It is time to submit the completed draft of the Extended Essay by September 5th, uploading into the dropbox on MB calendar. The supervisors will then spend time on preparing detailed feedback on these drafts. The final deadline for the finished Extended Essays will be in November. Students must contact their supervisor and the Extended Essay coordinator if they are facing any issues with meeting these deadlines. After school working sessions will be arranged for students who may need support in completing this task. All support information is available through the students’ Extended Essay worksheets on ManageBac, and the RIS EE student booklet. My room is C01 in the science block, or I can be accessed through teams or email. I wish this to be a great year for everyone! Muge Okur – mokur@ris.ae

Theory of Knowledge

Theory of knowledge (TOK) explores questions about knowledge and the process of knowing. TOK emphasizes comparisons and connections between areas of knowledge (Maths, History, Sciences, Arts, etc.) and asks how these differing academic disciplines produce knowledge. Further, the course encourages students to become more aware of their own perspectives and the perspectives of others.

The Grade 11's will start the year by investigating and reflecting on the values and responsibilities they share as individual knowers. Later, they will explore the ways in which artists, historians, and scientists arrive at knowledge and the different types of knowledge each area of knowledge produces. The Grade 11 assessment is a knowledge Exhibition worth 33% of their final grade over the two years. Students will explore what their chosen objects reveal about the nature of knowledge production and exhibit their work in the school community near year's end. The Grade 12's will explore the ways in which mathematicians and human scientists arrive at knowledge and the different types of knowledge each area of knowledge produces. With the Exhibition completed in Grade 11, the Grade 12's will work toward completing their TOK Essay (worth 67% of their final grade over the two years). The essay challenges students to select a knowledge prompt and respond to it while making connections to two areas of knowledge, real life situations of their choosing, and TOK concepts. I look forward to a year of creativity, critical thinking, and engaging discussions, Grade 11's and 12's! Mr. Luke Clarke Lclarke@ris.ae

CAS

Carlos Noguera, CAS Coordinator cnoguera@ris.ae CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is a core component of the IBO programme aimed at enabling students to demonstrate the attributes of the IB Learner Profile in real and practical ways enabling them to grow as unique individuals and to recognise their full potential. Diploma students (Gr. 11 and Gr. 12) are expected to complete a series of ‘experiences’ throughout the duration of the programme. This should be a variety of individual experiences (i.e. only creativity) or integrated into multiple areas of CAS (i.e. activity and service together). The experiences should be a mix of short and longterm involvement. The focus for Gr. 11 is to complete a variety of short and long-term CAS experiences that includes all three areas and multiple learning outcomes. During Gr. 11 the students are required to complete two of the three recorded reflection interviews. The aim of Gr. 12 students is to complete all CAS requirements by April 10, 2022. This includes: 1. Ensure that all Learning Outcomes are met through a range of experiences. 2. Complete the “CAS project”. 3. Confirm that each experience has the reflection component completed in addition to the recorded interviews.