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DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
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BY Chris Ruskay IB Diploma Programme Coordinator
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Keaton Maier ’22
History
The Impact of Horological Technology on the Socio-Economic Development of the Western World.
Victoria Horsman ’22
English Literature
A Comparison of the Struggle with Death in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Hamilton: An American Musical.
Andrew beingessner ’22
Global Politics
Evaluating Consultative Elections as Democratic Legitimizers of Canada’s Senate: Proceduralist and Instrumental Criteria.
YASMIN MOHSEN ’22
Music
The Influence of Historical Andalusian Musical Elements in the Modern Arab World.
LUCY COLEMAN ’22
History
Jazz, African American Music, and Civil Rights - A Study of the Connection Between Jazz and the Movement Towards Civil Rights.
Ragini Khullar ’22
Biology
Serum Transferrin Receptor Saturation as a Method of Diagnosis for Iron Deficiency Anemia in Non-Lactating, Non-Pregnant Nepalese Women Aged 15 - 49.
sHAHEENA SHAJANI ’22
World Studies
To What Extent did the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Emotional Mental Health in School-Aged Adolescents Within the United Kingdom and Pakistan? AAt Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) we believe that academically excellent students are resilient and resourceful in addition to being strong collaborators and communicators.
Students and parents at STS have continued to show strong support for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), the culmination of the
IB educational continuum. Through this Programme, students have the opportunity to go deeper and ask insightful questions, to add to their own perspectives through problem solving, and develop independence and confidence by applying themselves to a wide variety of academic challenges. Not only does this add to their enjoyment of school now, but this leads to success in post-secondary studies and a drive for lifelong learning.
The Diploma Programme was introduced at STS in 2001 and, over the course of 21 years, hundreds of Senior School students have taken the opportunity to augment their academic experience at STS.
This year, the DP Class of 2022 had 53 students registered in at least one IB class, including seven Diploma Programme Candidates. Each of the 2022 Diploma Candidates completed the requirements of the two-year IB Diploma Programme, which is a significant academic accomplishment. The Diploma Candidates completed seven IB DP courses, culminating in the writing of 12 to 15 final exams and the submission of a major project in each course. In addition, each student submitted a Theory of Knowledge essay (TOK), an extended essay on a topic of their choosing, and each completed the IB “CAS” portfolio, which promotes personal growth in creativity, activity, and service. The candidates’ 4,000-word extended essay topics reflect the depth of the students’ academic achievement and is a measure of their excellence in scholarship at STS.
BY Yasmin Mohsen ’22
“Music is the best “
representation of what
For me, International Baccalaureate (IB) Music was special because it was a subject I chose purely for myself. It offered me a place in school where I could explore a passion and take a break from the stress of Senior School. Now, that’s not to say it wasn’t difficult. It’s a subject that requires a lot of time to complete assignments and create work. Still, I think out of all my subjects, music is the best representation of what IB means to me because it continuously challenged me to test my limits. In music I’ve done things I didn’t know I was capable of. I learned to manipulate technology to push the boundaries of what music is, wrote and performed soundtracks to school plays, and learned more about my Lebanese heritage through research and creation tasks, which allowed me to communicate where words failed. IB Music teaches discipline and resilience. You can’t be afraid of a challenge because so much of the course is based on exploring unknowns. There are three portfolios an IB student must complete where we research, experiment with, and present music. Each portfolio requires students to consider music with differing levels of familiarity through personal, local, and global contexts, meaning it is impossible to finish this course without learning something new. When you take Higher Level (HL) IB Music you also have to complete a project called the Contemporary Music Maker, which is a multimedia project where we had to present our use of music in an interdisciplinary setting. I explored different genres and styles of music, ranging from music in Hamilton to Yue Opera to Lebanese protest songs. Because I did my extended essay in music too, I also analyzed Andalusian
Fmusic from 1,000 years ago and compared it to Middle Eastern music today. If you asked any of my IB Music classmates what they studied, you would get a completely different answer out of everyone. That’s the beauty of it, we all had the freedom to choose what we wanted to learn. I joined Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) very recently, and having done this course at two different schools, I can confidently say that what makes IB Music special here is the dedication of our teachers and the opportunities the School provides for its students. Because of encouragement from Mr. Van de Reep, I collaborated with the Timepoint Ensemble to compose a song which they will perform this September. I had a world of music tech at my fingertips at all times, letting me experiment with different instruments and ways to put together a piece, such as by using the Ableton Push or the Arturia Microfreak. I even played a Theremin! STS also strongly encourages students to collaborate with each other for group performances, song ideas, and inspiration for research tasks. For our final showcase, the vocalists of the class performed a song together, which was extra special for us after not being able to sing for two years because of COVID-19. I’ll miss having this class where I could always directly see the results of my hard work, learn that struggles bring benefits, and know that I always had teachers and classmates I could rely on to push me to fulfill what I learned Nil nisi optimum really represents. In the moment during a visit to the School, Notable Alumni and Emmy award-winning composer, author, and speaker on diversity and inclusion Dr. Dave Pierce ’90 came upon a chance meeting with Yasmin Mohsen ’22 in the Fine Arts and Innovation Wing. In a matter of minutes, the artist and the aspiring artist who had just met were channeling their creativity and passion for music in an impromptu collaboration. An inspiring and empowering moment beyond the walls of the classroom!
