Recycling Day

 

Last Tuesday 28th of November, our family recycling day was a success! A big thank you to all the parents who got involved in this project. Members of the PYP student council were happy to be part of SEK initiative to protect the earth.

Our next recycling Tuesday will be on the 19th of December, 2017.

We look forward to having all our parents bring in their recyclable paper and plastic.

IBDP extended essay

Grade 11 were off timetable on Tuesday 28th November in order to immerse themselves in beginning their IBDP extended essay task.

 The task is not an easy one: write a 4,000 word university entrance level research paper on a chosen topic. The stakes are high too – failure to meet the minimum standard will result in a failing condition for the diploma!

 It’s fortunate, then, that help is at hand. During the day the students were assisted by librarian, Annick Lapalme, who was able to offer expertise on such topics as research and effective citation. Several of the school’s subject specialists guided the students too, focusing on the specific requirements of the essay in their subject discipline.

Pictured are the grade 12 students dropping by to offer their advice and the dos and don’ts of the process from their perspective – they should know, they’ve just finished theirs!

 All in all it was a very positive start to a long and rewarding journey – thanks to everyone involved.

SEK Qatar students attending WISE 2017

 

Last week, SEK International School was honored to attend the World Innovation Summit for Education 2017 at the Qatar National Convention Center. Across 3 days, students, teachers and parents were involved in different activities, conferences and workshops under the theme Co-Exist, Co-Create: Learning to Liv and Work Together.

 

Tuesday, 14th November MYP Grade 8 Learning Lab – LittleBits, Cad design and 3D Printing

Grade 8 students participated in a maker workshop to empower their creativity. They created a remote control car using LittleBits, a droid inventor kit to create the next generation of droids.  After that, students created a model using an online CAD platform; the digital model was imported to a 3D printer and they could finally see their three-dimensional creations.

 

Wednesday, 15th November  DP Grade 12 – Opening Ceremony and Learning Lab C2 Workshops

The students got to experience the inspirational opening address by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and the thought provoking special address by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria attended by Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan and other notable panel members, all anchored by BBC World’s Yalda Hakim. It was a privilege to be part of the audience!

All of the speakers discussed the theme of education and its potential role in bringing harmony to an unstable world, and all offered insight and perspectives from which our students can both learn and use to deepen their own understanding of global issues and solutions. There was advice too, in the form of exhortation from several of the panelists for our young people to become adept at processing the world of the media and distinguishing between truth and manipulation.

We’re sure that for many of our students education has never felt so vibrant and vital.

Following on from the opening ceremony and panel discussion was a series of opportunities for the students to add their own voice to the proceedings. Working with both the Canadian based C2 workshop and global news network Al Jazeera allowed them to speculate on the nature of education in the future and the role the media has to play in any future conflict resolution.

 

Grade 2 Textile Craft Interactive Workshop at SEK Qatar International School for Doha Learning Week

As part of the Doha Learning Week initiative, SEK Qatar offered a fascinating workshop where Grade 2 students, who have been exploring the timeless textile craft of weaving, hosted an interactive workshop to share their learning with their parents. During the workshop, students guided their parents through the process of weaving on a loom and collaborated to create a large-scale rug. In promotion of sustainability, the rug was woven entirely from recycled textiles and yarn created from reused clothing.

The workshop was inspired by the impressive Imperial Threads exhibition currently being held at the Museum of Islamic Art. The MIA collection showcases elaborately designed carpets, a well-known feature of Islamic Art and was a reference point during the students’ inquiries into woven rugs.

 

Thursday, 16th November – MYP Grade 7 Generation Amazing Learning Lab and Closing Ceremony

Grade 7 students participated in the workshop “Generation Amazing Football Activity”, by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy

Generation Amazing is Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s flagship corporate social responsibility program. It uses the opportunity created by Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup to empower and educate people across Qatar, the region and the globe. Our students were invited to join Generation Amazing learning lab to participate in an energetic session that promoted:-

An Inclusive Generation: Teaching children the importance of accepting others regardless of their background, characteristics or situation –therefore reducing social exclusion in the society.

A Healthy Generation: Encouraging children to adopt healthy and active lifestyles.

A Green generation: Promoting sustainable behaviours to children –encouraging them to lead “reduced energy” lifestyles.

After the Workshop, SEK Qatar had the privilege to attend  the WISE closing ceremony and listen to the inspiring work of Dr. Patrick Awuah who is this year’s recipient of the WISE Prize for Education.

We are very grateful to the organisers and the sponsors for what was a great opportunity – thank you WISE and please have us back for the next summit!

Model United Nations Conferences

 

Over the weekend of 9th – 11th November, 2017, five SEK Qatar students put their research and communication skills to use at the 10th annual Doha College Model United Nations Conferences.  

The SEK students represented the country of Croatia in a number of General Assembly Committees, The Disarmament Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Students worked hard and collaborated with their peers to negotiate and discuss issues such as the prevention of terrorist organizations from acquiring mass weapons, the preservation of cultural diversity and the promotion of the use of nuclear weapons to combat climate change. Students truly enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss such intense issues as well as working closely with others their age to make a change.  

It was an enlightening experience for all attendees.

International Day 2017-18

We are celebrating International Day at SEK Qatar. Today, 30th of October, we are representing many regions of the world with performances, exhibits and displays all around the school.

This is a great opportunity for our community to enjoy our cultural diversity and share our different backgrounds in a festival of learning.

The main hall is devoted to Europe. Parents are leading Spanish and Greek dances and Grade 5 students are enjoying an afternoon tea party while they look at the history behind afternoon tea, which originated in England, including the migration of tea around the world, the production of tea as well and how it ends up in our cup, and the customs associated with afternoon tea. Grade 1 made European Dishes using different materials and parents from Italy, Spain and Russia contributed with yummy food and interesting information.

In the cafeteria we can find the big continent of America and a station with food from different countries (Argentina, Colombia, USA, Chile, Brazil…etc.), as well as a station with different artifacts from these countries and information leaflets about them. There are several art displays around the cafeteria:

Preschool 3 have prepared “Brazilian Carnival” and Preschool 4 “La Boca houses from Argentina” & “Molas Artwork”. The Spanish team will display artwork from Colombia.

The library hosts Asia and Middle East, where there is an ongoing workshop from the MYP students. At the Japanese exhibition we are painting and constructing a cherry blossom tree. In the study room, we have a Tabbouleh video with the opportunity for students to make tabbouleh. There are Indian miniature paintings on display from Ms. Maire, the art teacher, and painted lanterns.

In the Gym we find Africa, the land of wildlife safari, untouched nature and breathtaking sunsets. Come and visit our continent to take part in some fun-filled activities, such as the Masai Mara high jump competition or the animal bone guessing game. Music lovers – come and create your own shekere instrument and learn some Tanzanian rhythm with the help of Grade 3 students. Feel free to pick up a paint brush and add to our Masai Mara backdrop too.

Sharing the Gym with Africa, we find Oceania. Grade 4 students are teaching the attendees how to play touch rugby and the basics of the game. Grade 5 students have made some rain sticks to put on display. The class is doing workshops where attendees can make their own Aboriginal rain-stick.

We invite you to come and enjoy this special day and celebrate our cultural diversity at SEK Qatar.

Hispanic Day 2017

 

On 12th October, SEK students celebrated Hispanic culture and language through interactive games and activities throughout the day. Some of our students and teachers wore traditional clothing from Hispanic countries and the youngest students from Preschool prepared songs and read in Spanish.

Diploma Students spent some time playing classic games with their younger peers such as “la gallinita ciega” and learnt some new vocabulary and had a lot of fun together.

PYP students enrolled in different activities related to Hispanic art, music and dancing.

The students from PYP Spanish classes painted hearts and made bracelets with the colors of flags from countries from the Hispanic world.  In addition, students used other games and resources to familiarize themselves with the countries, their flags and their capitals.

MYP students participated in activities related to Spanish language and culture (music, traditional games and role-plays in Spanish).

It was a truly memorable experience for all SEK Community.

MYP Job Alike

On Tuesday, 10th of October 2017, we have received a visit of different MYP teachers from other schools in Qatar. Qatar Academy Sidra and Arab International Academy together with SEK International School Qatar, participated in this event to share the best IB practices among their MYP teachers.

During the afternoon, professionals from each subject groups met to share good practices and experiences, including teaching and learning strategies, the use of ICT in our lessons, challenges and solutions. We all left the meeting plenty of fresh ideas to use in our classrooms.

Graduations 2017

 

It is that time of year again, when some groups of students make that exciting leap from one stage of their education to another – the Preschool 5’s are moving into the next phase of their PYP journey, the Grade 5’s move to the Middle Years Program, and our Grade 10’s are making their way to the Diploma Program. Their proud teachers wanted to write some words of congratulations for them.

Ms. Yasmin and Ms. Gillian, Preschool 5 Homeroom teachers: “Congratulations Preschool 5! This year has been such a great year for our students. We made new friendships, learned about the world we live in and became inquirers. We enjoyed the different activities and field trips we had in Preschool 5. We discovered the skills that have helped us grow and become more internationally minded. Our units of inquiry opened our imaginations and made us knowledgeable about the world. The attitudes we developed throughout the year helped us build better relationships and become more responsible.
We are now ready to move on! Grade 1, we are coming to share what we have learned and see what is in store for us!”

Preschool 5 Graduation playlist:

Ms. Catherine and Ms. Cassandra, PYP Grade 5 Homeroom teachers: “Congratulations to all who have graduated from PYP today. The Grade 5s have been looking forward to their graduation day from the first day of term and we honestly cannot believe how quick this year has flown in. We have made many inquirers and demonstrated all of the IB learner profile attributes. This year we have recognized our strengths and our developmental areas. We have had many great experiences and made many memories, but it is time to leave the nest for our Grade 5s. They are ready to take the next step in their journey.
Graduation is a time to celebrate your achievements and to mark the next stage of your life.
This year we have seen the Grade 5s blossom and we can happily say they are ready for the next challenge!
Well done to all of the Grade 5s!”

Mr. Scott MacGregor, Grade 10 Tutor: “Our Grade 10 class is abuzz right now with excitement and nerves; expectations and some fears. They have been able to be distracted with the preparations for their Graduation day on June 20th but they have spoken about how the reality will be fully realized when they stride across that stage, accept their certificate, and move the tassel to the left of their graduate’s cap.

As their tutor, I can say this – they are ready. Whether they want to be or not. They will face and meet the challenges that lie ahead in the DP and whatever path they choose beyond that. I am very proud of you all and it has been my privilege to be your teacher and tutor this past year.
Congratulations and good luck!”

Grade 5 and Grade 10 Graduation playlist:

Arts Night 2017

We are celebrating one more year the Arts Night, this time at the Movies, on Thursday, 25th of May, 2017.

This year we will be showcasing our students’ achievements in our Arts programs with movie themes. Our celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. with performances from our PYP program including dance, drama and music. Afterwards our guests will have a chance to explore our PYP, MYP and DP student art exhibitions, Grade 8 Community Projects, partake in art, music and drama workshops, games and activities, as well as watch short films produced in our after-school film club. We will wrap up the night with final performances from our PYP and MYP music classes and clubs.

In PYP Visual Arts lessons, students have been exploring a broad variety of films as a starting point for their art making over the past number of weeks.  They have drawn inspiration from characters, scenery and concepts in many well-known films. Some of the classes have created individual pieces, whilst others worked on collaborative projects. They used a broad range of media including drawing, painting, collage and animation.  In extra-curricular art clubs, students worked on movie themed 3D props for the stage scenery and decoration.

Hollywood Mural Painting Workshop with Miss Maire

Location: PYP Art Room

Ever wondered what it would be like to have your own star on the Hollywood walk of fame? Now you can! A mural painting workshop will take place in the PYP Art Room on Arts Night. The tickets will be provided at the school entrance from 4:30 pm on a first come first served basis, so if you’re interested in taking part please arrive early. The workshop is open to artists of all ages willing to be creative and try their hand at painting their own Hollywood star.

Interactive Film Music-Making Workshop with Mr. Fernando and Mr. Devin

Location: PYP Music Room

How many times have you wished it was you up on the stage? How many times did you wish you could feel what it’s like to play music in front of an audience? Do you enjoy film music? This is your chance to answer those questions and enjoy the thrill of performing on stage. During three 20-minute slots, we will work on three famous pieces of film music and will prepare an accompaniment to perform together with Grade 5 students on the closing show for the evening. No previous music experience is necessary for this workshop. Only 10 people will be able to join each slot, so come early to make sure you get your ticket.

Parents, families and friends are welcome to enjoy the Arts Night with us. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Grade 5 Exhibition

 

The second SEK Qatar PYP Exhibition took place on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th May. Our Grade 5 students enthralled their audience and captured the imaginations and attention of all the guests who attended. Each of the fifteen groups have worked closely with mentors from our school, DP student mentors as well as their homeroom teachers Ms. Cassandra and Ms. Catherine. This was a true collaborative effort from the PYP team, led by our PYP Coordinator Ms. Nikki.

For the past seven weeks, students have been following the inquiry cycle and expanding their knowledge in relation to a shared central idea: “People have a shared responsibility to promote sustainability through positive and proactive interactions with their environment.” Students selected a wide range of issues connecting to this central idea such as endangered animals, eco-warrior animals, deforestation, pollution, water conservation, climate change, recycling, universal education, sustainable energy and food sustainability. They have developed their own lines of inquiry and formulated key questions to drive their investigations forward. They gained new perspectives by going on numerous field trips and conducting interviews with professionals, experts and specialists in their chosen fields of study. This process has been immensely challenging and rewarding at the same time. We have witnessed our student’s inquiry skills develop at an impressive rate over the past couple of months. This invaluable experience has laid the foundations for continued skill development in MYP next year.

Monday’s performance and presentation welcomed students from other local IB schools as well as our own PYP classes, who wanted to share in this joyous occasion. The visiting students asked questions and engaged in dialogue with SEK students who were well able to display excellent communication skills as they delivered their speeches and presented their inquiries. This was a wonderful learning experience all round. The Grade 5s were true ambassadors for change and excellent role models, inspiring others to become more conscious about sustainability.

On Tuesday, we had our long awaited parent’s evening. The excitement was palpable as students, parents, family friends and members of the school community turned out in force to support the Grade 5 in their final stage performance. This was by far the student’s best performance and there was a real sense of achievement in the air. Students confidently performed a poem entitled ‘Mission Exhibition’, followed by a contemporary dance. One of our DP students, Lafan Hasan created an inspirational and uplifting video, which evidenced the entire learning process. Next, the students shared their own fairytale about sustainability before the entire grade level took to the stage for a musical display, which consisted of a soundscape and the student’s own musical rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’. The audience response was amazing and it was truly heartwarming to witness the culmination of the student’s efforts.

Here you are the full playlist from our YouTube Channel Play SEK Qatar.