High School Diploma Newsletter No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 1

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1 No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 1 Dear Parents, On November 29 th the students returned to their normal timetable after the first three-week internship of the year which gave them the opportunity to gather work experience in a variety of companies and organisations. Right after Winter Break they will begin applying for their second internship (April 2011), so I encourage parents to support them in their planning by discussing the experiences made during their work days in the professional world. BBIS is a lively school community that offers students a multitude of activities to engage in outside the classroom, helping them develop individual talents and become balanced personalities. I have been especially proud to recently see a lot of involvement on the part of High School Diploma students, with pupils from our group starring in the very successful High School musical Man of La Mancha, contributing to World Aids Day and Human Rights Day as well as taking part in the GISST Badminton tournament well done to you all, and don t forget all the CAS points this has helped you collect, too! Wishing you all a restful holiday and very Happy New Year, Julia Peters, High School Diploma Coordinator Dates for your calendar 10 th December: High School Dance 17 th December to 5 th January: Winter Break WELCOME 2011! 10 th 14 th January: Mock exams for IB Diploma courses (not HSD) 21 st January, : Workshop for Parents about E-Safety (e.g. online safety) 12 th 20 th February: February Break Teachers in the High School Diploma programme: Mr Dave Dolin / Humanities Mr Burton Chamberlain / Business Studies Mrs Claudia Klooster / Science Mr Konstantin Padioukov / Mathematics Ms Julia Peters / English & German & Projects Mr Harry Klooster / ICT Mrs Leslie Kamphausen, Ms Julia Peters / Internships Mr Steve Gregory / PSHE Mr Richard Reynolds / Design & Technology Mr Steve Vandersteen / PE Ms Sharna Hughes / Educational Aide Last rehearsal for Man of La Mancha: the trouble-making muleteers molest Dulcinea/Aldonza HSD projects: raising money for a good cause with handmade wreaths and delicious jam more news next page

2 No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 2 Information and Communication Technology The students have worked hard to finalise their dream house designs. They will start investigating how we can include our school buildings on Google Earth so people all over the world can have a look at our campus. This topic is an excellent opportunity to investigate the safety aspects of the internet as well. Mathematics After the October break we started the new topic Probability. Students were introduced to various techniques of solving basic questions on Probability. After a break due to the students internships, they revised and prepared themselves for a final test on the topic (scheduled for December 10 th ). PE Before the students left for their work experience weeks, they were busy developing their badminton skills as well as their knowledge and understanding of doubles / mixed doubles rules and strategies. Showing their expertise at using design software the dream house project Science The students investigated oxygen production in a water plant and identified various variables of the experiment as part of the assessment Criterion B ( scientific inquiry ). They revised for a topic test on plants which assessed Criterion A and B ( knowledge and understanding and scientific inquiry ). Last week we started with our new unit on machines and technology by building models of a shaduf, a simple machine used in Egypt for over 4000 years and which is still in use in the Nile valley today. The shaduf helped to introduce the first principles of levers. Mixed doubles...and strategic tips from Mr Vandersteen

3 No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 3 English In English the students have concluded their study of marketing by learning about the Product Life Cycle and brand management. They practised their listening/viewing skills (English Criterion C) with an assessment on an interview with a marketing specialist. Changed identities will be the focus whilst studying an adapted version of Patricia Highsmith s The Talented Mr Ripley. During their internships, the students also investigated the companies they were working for and completed a Reflective Journal. Design Technology In Design Technology the students were able to make and assemble the second compost container using skills of cooperation and team work to get the tasks done in extra quick time; the second container took only four lessons to complete as the planning had all been settled in advance. We are now moving into the evaluation phase: students will identify their strengths and weakness for each stage of the project which will help them when we begin the next project in the New Year. For the new project students will be working individually on identifying a design need and writing their own design brief. Business Studies The class is finishing a unit on the economic environment which covered such topics as international trade, mixed economies, exchange rates, and competition. We also looked into and discussed a case study of an online firm using a controversial marketing technique. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) In PSHE HSD students have now started a new topic looking at Personal Finance Education and Economic wellbeing. We will spend time over the next few lessons focusing on money management, personal budgeting and issues around personal debt, credit and loans and the importance of savings. Last week we watched a podcast about a sociologist who is trying to exist without money and discussed how wasteful society is. For more information on Personal Finance Education and to take a look at some of the teaching resources, please check out Projects Ms Chudy, Head of Art at BBIS, created and carried out a special art project with the High School Diploma class: during three sessions they made about 25 seasonal wreaths and sold them to raise 560 for the Berliner Tafel, a charity that helps feed homeless and needy people in Berlin a result we are all really proud of. Mid way through the 'design cycle' - one of our compost bins in the making Hand-made seasonal wreaths, sold for a good cause

4 No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 4 German Students in the Deutsch B (non-native) group created their own verrückte Familien (crazy families), demonstrating their ability to use family relevant vocabulary and possessive pronouns. Next is the topic Willkommen in Berlin and learning how to ask for and give directions. Our native-speaker, Deutsch A student has studied a parody of a job application and given a presentation on how to write a good application letter. A variety of writing exercises are helping him to develop a good understanding of the novel Crazy and improve basic grammar and spelling. Using the writing cycle of drafting, editing and producing a final version has also been part of the course. Humanities In Humanities, the students are currently editing their research papers on individually chosen topics; this will be finished in the new year. In another project, Images of Me, the students used different languages (visual, textual and symbolic) to create representations of themselves. Their works can soon be admired in our classroom. Images of Me project Symbols, texts and self-portraits: different ways of telling the world about yourself In conjunction with the Market Garden, the HSD students will be learning about traditional preservation techniques by making jam and relish a fun activity, too, in the days before Winter Break and a great way to raise some more money for the Berliner Tafel. Discussing current events with Mr Dolin in Humanities

5 No. 3 / 10 th December 2010 P a g e 5 Difficult choice: Apple & Pumpkin Jam, or Mexican Zucchini Relish or both? Any questions, comments or suggestions? Please phone or mail me at school: Julia Peters High School Diploma Coordinator Phone: / julia.peters@bbis.de

High School Diploma Newsletter No. 2 / 15 th October 2010 P a g e 1

High School Diploma Newsletter No. 2 / 15 th October 2010 P a g e 1 No. 2 / 15 th October 2010 P a g e 1 Dear Parents, This week we concluded our series of special day trips and activities with an introduction to sailing on the Hermannswerder lake near Potsdam. Our instructor