March2013

=Important Information = Easter Break: Half Day Thursday March 28 - Tuesday April 2. Spring Break: April 29-May 3. PYP Exhibition: April 18

Science News:

MYP1: Students just completed their unit on life and classification and have started their unit on matter and changed of state. Students will be learning about the differences between physical and chemical changes, elements, compounds, and mixtures.

Pictures: Here you can see the MYP1 students looking at the reaction of vinegar and pennies.





MYP2: Students have finished their unit on the diversity of life and have started their unit on energy and electricity. Students will be learning about the differences between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy as they apply to roller coasters and other situations. Furthermore, students will be learning about how electricity flows through wires and how to properly create open and closed circuits.

Pictures: Here you can see the MYP2 students completing a lab where they had to calculate GPE and KE.







I learned about kinetic energy formula and how to apply it to my life, and gravity is generally 9.8, so I know gravity energy and my dream is to become a scientist. The kinetic energy formula and gravity energy will help me with my dream. GPE and KE is useful.

Yunsu

We have been doing Energy unit this month. We learned about many different kinds of energy. For example, KE (Kinetic Energy) and GPE (Gravitational Potential Energy). With some objects moving, we calculated the KE and the GPE. We had to use some math skills in science. We also did a lab. We had to roll a ping pong ball on a wooden thing and calculated the KE and GPE. I really enjoyed this unit because I really like math and I got to use it in Science.

Hyoung Jun Reflection

In this unit we saw the different types of energy (Kinetic, Potential, Gravitational). We did some exercises, and problems about it we even did an experiment using a ramp of wood and a ping pong ball. We had to measure the height of the ramp, and let the ball roll in the ramp and measure how many second did it take.

I especially think this unit was boring, and very hard. It had a lot to do with math and I am very bad at math. We had to do some questions too, and I am not the person who likes do worksheets as homeworks or as a class.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I think we did only the hard kind of energies, like Kinetic, Potential and Gravitational. But we didn't do Hydro, electrical and all those energies, we just did the movement types, and trust me they are the hard ones.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Andrea Reflection

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">MYP3: Students have finished their unit on waves (all types including sound and light) and have stated their unit on simple machines. Student are learning about how simple machines make our lives easier and how to calculate mechanical advantage and efficiency.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Pictures: Here you can see the MYP3 students completing experiments at SkyTower Billards Club.

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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Last week, we went to pool to do our geometry lab. Our purpose was to see the reflection of balls. There were some dots on the table. So we could calculate and estimate the reflection easily. We learned about angle and it was really helpful and important because angle control the cue ball. I think I learned many things about pool. I enjoyed this field trip. Because I like pool. It was really interesting to do a geometry lab in the Sky Tower. I would recommend this field trip because it's fun and helpful to understand about reflection.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ji Min Reflection

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The purpose of going to the pool was to make a experiment. Our experiment was to find what direction will the cue ball if I hit the ball. I learned what direction will the cue ball go if I hit the other ball. I also learned that if I use the diamonds correctly I will be able to hit the ball right. I really enjoyed this trip because I had lots of fun doing it.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Seoungwoo Reflection

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The purpose of going to pooling was to make experiment of where the ball travels and bounces of the wall like lights does it. The balls in pool bounces off the wall the same as light rays. if you bounces the ball at an angle it bounces of in the same angle. Light does it the same when it bounces of. The experiment was to see if you bounces the ball in an angle the ball bounces of in the same angle. We also learned how to shoot the ball to hit the other balls. We talked about where you should shoot it on the diamonds on the side. I enjoyed going there because i learned how shoot the ball so it hits the other balls. I would recommend the lower grades to go there next year because they will see how the light bounces of. They would also learn how to hit the ball so it hits the other balls.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Oliver Reflection

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Last week we went to play Pool in Sky Tower. Our purpose to go to play pool was to do an experiment of the reflection on the light rays.I enjoyed this field trip because this was the first field trip where we played a game. I learnt that if we hit the cue ball to the wall then it goes 90 degrees and hits another wall. I would surely recommend to go next year because the next time if we go we might learn something exciting which could be scientific.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Shivangi Reflection

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">MYP5: Students finished their unit on the mechanisms that allow photosynthesis and cellular respiration to occur at the organelle level. Students will be starting their unit on reduction and oxidation reaction in the next couple of weeks with a focus on the application of Redox reactions in industry.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Pictures: Here you can see the MYP5 students seeing how the amount of light effects the rate of photosynthesis.

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Middle School Physical Education



Students in MYP 1 just completed their gymnastics unit. For this unit they learned and practiced various jumps, balances and rolls. For their summative assessment task they answer the unit question, 'What does a gymnastics routine look like?' by composing their own individual gymnastics routines that had to incorporate 8 different skills.

The MYP 2 students are in the process of completing their Rhythms and Dance unit in which they explored the question, 'What are the different ways you can move your body'? Their final assessment task was for them to make a creative dance in groups of three, which included both group and solo parts. They also chose the music to go along with their dance.

If you would like to know more about these units as well as see some videos please go to the following link, which will take you to the MYP 1 and 2 PE wiki page:

https://wis-pe.wikispaces.com/6th+and+7th+Grade

Students in MYP 3 and 5 have been working in their Rhythms and Dance unit. MYP 3 students have been creating a sword fighting dance, which is being done in collaboration with the Language A teacher and the dance will be part of the Grade 7's 'Romeo and Juliet' play. This will take place sometime in April/May.

The MYP 5 students have just completed and gave a final performance of their duet dances. Each pair chose an issue that is going on in the world and worked together to create a dance that was their interpretation of this issue.

If you would like to know more about these units as well as see the MYP 5 dances please go to the following link, which will take you to the MYP 3 and 5 PE wiki page:

https://wis-pe.wikispaces.com/8th%2C+9th+and+10th+Grade

=Mathematics=

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The **MYP 1** students have finished their ‘Angles’ unit. They learned how to draw, estimate and measure angles. They also recognized angles in real life objects and situations and classified them by determining their properties. Now they are working on the videos in which they show, what they have learned in this unit.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The **MYP 2** students finished the Time, Volume and Mass unit. They tried to answer one question: Can you go one day without using Math? After the break they will start the Graphs, Tables, and Charts unit and they will be learning how to draw, read and interpret line, sector and bar graphs. Then the students will learn how to choose the best statistical graph depending on the type of data that needs to be represented and draw graphs using a spreadsheet.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The **MYP 3** students are finishing the Geometry and Measurement unit. They can identify and name angles formed by the intersection of straight lines and they can recognise similar and congruent figures. They also learned about area and perimeter of 2D shapes and surface area and volume of 3D shapes. After the break they will start working on the final assessment of this unit.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The **MYP 5** students are continuing the Trigonometry unit. After learning how to use the unit circle to find equivalent ratios for obtuse angles and discovering the sine and cosine rules they are applying this knowledge to solve real life problems.

= = =<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Language A =


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">In language A **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">, to celebrate Book Week, the students presented the book projects that they had been working on for the last few weeks. Each student in the middle school had to read a book in English and create a project about the book. The idea was to demonstrate their understanding of the book and to motivate others to read. In class this week, the students presented their projects to their peers.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">MYP 1 Presentations <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">

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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">MYP 2 Presentations

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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">MYP 3 Presentations

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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">MYP 5 Presentations

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=<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The Book Week Party =

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The culminating event of book week was the ‘Book Week Party’ Organised by the MYP 5 students. This was part of their DT and Visual Arts curriculum – The design of an event.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">During the party there were presentations by the MYP 1 and MYP 2 students.

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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">There was time to mingle and look at all the displays.





<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">The organizers also prepared hot chocolate and other snacks for everyone!



<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">There were awards

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Congratulations to the grade 10s for Reading the most Books!

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Congratulations to Andrea, the winner and Jakob, the runner up of the book mark design competition!

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Congratulations to Minhae, the winner and Dhaya, the runner up of the book mark poem competition!

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Congratulations to Chiharu for winning the Art Learner Profile Risk-taker award!

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">There was cake! Ms. Daniela Tagowska prepared a beautiful book themed cake (with a little help from her mum) which went down really well with everyone!

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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">There was also a book quiz, prepared by the grade 10s to finish the event!

=<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Great Job MYP 5! =

=<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">MYP 5 Language A (MS. Heike) =

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">During this last month, the students have been working on Shakespeare’s __Macbeth__. They have learnt to recognise literary devices and how to interpret the text themselves. Besides reading and interpreting the play, the students have watched several scenes from two film adaptations of __Macbeth__. Watching these films did not only help the students with understanding the play, it also allowed them to compare how two different directors had interpreted the play.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Throughout the month, the students have been working towards their final assessment for this unit. For this end of unit task, the students had to prepare a comparative commentary. In this comparative commentary the students had to give a speech about one of the key scenes from the play and compare the play to the two film adaptations. The comparative commentary had to show that they could apply the skills they had learnt in class. Before the final speech, the students had several practise rounds during class. This gave them a chance to improve their speeches and learn from each other.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Last Wednesday, the students had their final assessment. All managed to stay calm and composed even though they had to speak for approximately 10 minutes. Their speeches were well prepared and the students had obviously put in a lot of work to make them well organised and well informed.

=More Visual Arts and Design Technology news:= MYP 3 FIELD TRIP TO BOLESŁAWIEC CERAMIC FACTORY This Field Trip completed student's knowledge from previous Unit "Ceramic - Baked Earth" and was anather approaches to learning. They found out what is the difference between mass production, which they saw in bolesławiec and short artistic production process they had seen at University of Visual Arts in November. In Bolesławiec Grade 8 was painting a mug with own composition.

All MYP GRADES WERE CREATING VARIOUS CONTENTS OF BOOK WEEK PARTY IN MARCH.
Book week was a cross-unit event with Language Arts, Visual Arts, Design Technology and Language B. Photo Relation from the party you can see above. Organization and entire design of the evant was a part of Grade 8 and Grade 10 Design Technology Curriculum. Below you can see examples of Grade 7 works, which were displayed during the party. These are handmade books for kids. The stories was written on Language B - French or Polish

**Music:**
Students decided to change “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel to music from "Pirates of the Caribbean". However, students from Grade 5 will perform a theme from "Bolero" as a part of Spring Medley, which has been preparing by PYP students. Our final song will be "Unshakeable" by Howard Jones. This song is aim of a project called Voices Around The world 2013 global song, and we are going to take part in that performance. More details you may get to know here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqPatiS_uU&feature=youtu.be