Graduation Week 2022 @ SEK International School Qatar!

Congratulations to all of our students who graduated this year!

We are excited to share with you that for the first time in over two years SEK-Qatar was able to celebrate all graduation ceremonies in school premises, with family and friends joining in person to celebrate each student’s milestone.

Preschool 5

This was a very special day for all our Preschool 5 students as they attended their first school graduation. The IBPYP Programme, which runs from Preschool 3 to Grade 5 (aged 3-12), “nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning” (ibo.org, 2021). Our teachers and staff at SEK International School Qatar have thoroughly enjoyed teaching our brilliant Preschool 5 students this year. We are proud to send them off into a well-deserved, joyful summer holiday and we are looking forward to welcoming all our returning students back next academic year when they enter Grade 1 at SEK-Qatar.

Grade 5

Next up were our Grade 5 students ready and eager to start the MYP Programme in August! Congratulations to all of them for completing the PYP Programme. Throughout the past 8 years of school, they have worked very hard and learned how to tackle challenges and embrace opportunities in our fast changing world. SEK International School Qatar is proud to offer the PYP Programme as it is one of best educational practice globally.

Grade 10

MYP Grade 10 students – congratulations for finishing the IBMYP Programme at SEK-Qatar.

The IBMYP Programme runs from Garde 6 to Grade 10 and is essential for laying a solid foundation for the final DP stage. During the MYP years, students work on community and personal projects in order to learn and expand their horizon.

DP

Class of 2022!

Congratulations SEK International School Qatar Diploma Programme graduates.

Over the past two years they have studied incredibly hard to complete the ambitious International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme.

Not only did they battle through Extended Essays, Theory of Knowledge, CAS and many exams, yet it is also worth mentioning they spent most of their diploma stage living and studying through a global pandemic. This alone was another added challenge that all of our students mastered very well.

It was a great pleasure to have taught and equip our Grade 12 students with the necessary knowledge and skills for their next stage in life. All of SEK-Qatar wishes our 36 graduates the very best for whatever thier future might hold.

Microsoft Showcase Schools Award Ceremony 2022

At the beginning of this moth, SEK International School Qatar was invited by Microsoft Qatar to an award ceremony. SEK-Qatar was honored alongside ten other schools in Qatar who have successfully achieved the Microsoft Showcase School status in the academic year 2021-2022.

“The scheme aims to raise the efficiency of the educational system and enhance students’ standard through an array of cutting-edge modern learning strategies that push forward digital transformation, development momentum and cultivate creativity and innovation, keeping abreast of the 21st Century Skills.

The Microsoft Showcase Schools is a yearly certification world-standard project that selects schools that best implement specific criteria in incorporating technology in education.” (Microsoft, 2022)

SEK-Qatar has achieved this status for the 4th time in a row and we are proud that staff and students use Microsoft Apps as a day to day tool to organize their work and learning.

Especially the ICT Department, led by Francisco Jesús Ruiz González, at SEK-Qatar has been working very hard over the past years to ensure everyone at our school receives the necessary support, schooling and platforms.

Francisco, Mr. Fran for most of our students and staff, was also representing our school during the Microsoft event, visualizing how we use Microsoft in our school as an example of best practice. Here at SEK-Qatar we believe in the following mantra: “Technology is not a subject, it is a tool to improve teaching and learning”.

We are very excited to see how much more we can use Microsoft tools to enhance our everyday school life and where we will be in a few years from now. All we know is, this is only the beginning of a life-long journey to an open-minded and international world of learning and teaching.

Science Lab 8

In the Science unit on Chemical Reactivity and Solutions, our Grade 8 students performed an experiment to study the activity of an enzyme called catalase found in the cells of many living tissues; such as the liver and potatoes (including humans). Students discovered the importance of how catalase speeds up a chemical reaction in which it breaks down hydrogen peroxide, a toxic substance that our cells produce as a byproduct of respiration, into two harmless substances; water and oxygen.

Science Lab 6

As a part of their Science unit on Matter, our Grade 6 students performed a skills-based experiment to discover the chemical composition of various unidentified materials by using several tools available in the lab; such as an electronic balance to find the mass of each sample and calculating the volume of the objects by using graduated cylinders. With the set of quantitative data they obtained, students were then able to calculate the density of each sample which then gave them the necessary clues in figuring out the identity of each object through research.

DP Art Exhibition

The final exhibition is the culmination of the students’ IB Art experience. They have made a selection of their best work produced during the 2 years course and these were presented in the form of a curated virtual show which articulated their purposes and intentions as artists.

The students had the opportunity to present the work in any medium and we can find Acrylic paintings, charcoal or different types of sculptures.

Once again, the pandemic has affected the way our students experiment with different techniques at school and as a result, we can see certain propensity to use digital techniques such as Photo Edition, Animation or Software developed painting.

Nonetheless, this has been a very successful exhibition where the students have experienced the concept of the space and its importance for the display of the work and its impact on the audience.

We would love to invite you to watch the results of the tough but enjoyable journey of our DP Art students.

Link to Virtual Art Exhibition: https://bit.ly/3z5h6oq

Grade 11 Group 4 Project

Last Wednesday and Thursday, our Grade 11 students were engaged in their Group 4 Projects. The group 4 project is a collaborative activity where students from different group 4 subjects work together on a scientific or technological topic, allowing for concepts and perceptions from across the disciplines to be shared in line with aim 10—that is, to “develop an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and their influence on other areas of knowledge.” The group 4 project allows students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science and technology. It may also allow them to understand the limitations of scientific study. The choice of scientific or technological topic is open but the project should clearly address aims 7, 8 and 10 of the group 4 subject guides. Ideally, the project should involve students collaborating with those from other group 4 subjects at all stages. To this end, it is not necessary for the topic chosen to have clearly identifiable separate subject components. The project must be based on science or its applications. The project may have a hands-on practical action phase or one involving purely theoretical aspects. The emphasis is on inter­disciplinary cooperation, and the processes involved in scientific investigation, rather than the products of such investigations.

University Fairs

Last week, our MYP and DP students were able to engage in various University fairs. Among others, Unifrog was hosting a virtual international university fair for our students with nearly 50 institutions represented. The list included prominent universities from Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. The US Education Group (USEG) was represented on our SEK-Qatar campus with 15 American universities to discuss program options and pertinent issues for applicants.

Community Project 2022

The Community Project is a core part of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and at SEK-Qatar our students are completing it in Grade 8 (MYP3). This enriching project is divided in four phases,  our year students started working on their projects in October in order to finish by May.

Phase one – Investigating: Students worked over the months of October and November researching about needs and issues in our community in order to set a goal for their project. They also had to evaluate their primary and secondary sources, to make sure they were reliable and up to date.

Phase two – Planning: Once they had finished their investigation, they started planning how they were going to achieve their goal and create a successful outcome or product. They were asked to use their organisation skills to set short- and long-term deadlines, as well as develop their collaboration skills within their groups.

Phase three – Taking action: In this phase students focused on giving a service and making an impact in our community. Some of them decided to organise in-school events, others were a bit more risk-takers and created connections with organisations outside of school.

Phase four – Reflecting: Finally students reflected on their learning experience and the development of their ATL skills. They evaluated the quality of the service provided and their impact in the community.

This academic year we are proud of our 13 projects and we are pleased to invite other students, parents and staff to see their presentations by visiting their virtual exhibition.

Through the link below, you will be able to access our very special and innovative virtual exhibition – https://bit.ly/3MEat0l

  • Each section shows three of our student’s group. After viewing them and giving feedback, please move along to see the rest. You can always go back to the previous sections you have already visited by following the markers on the floor.

Please continue reading below to help you navigate through the virtual space.

By clicking on the markers on the floor you will be able to move around in the virtual space. Each section is designed by three of our student groups. When viewing the section you are linked to the related Sway (a new tab will open). Please make sure to read the survey at the end of each Sway where you will have the chance to leave your feedback which is especially very valuable for our students. After that, you can close the tab and go back and look at the next project.

Do not miss the welcome video in the center of the virtual exhibition which will give you an overview of all their work.

Please be aware, loading time for the virtual space may take a while depending on your internet connection, please be patient.

PYP Exhibition 2022

This year’s exhibition was a synthesis of the journey throughout the Primary Years Programme, and a time to share the knowledge, achievements and success of each student. As a culminating experience, the exhibition has given students an opportunity to pursue their interests, develop conceptual understandings, apply ATL skills and demonstrate the attributes of the IB learner profile. Students where able to showcase student agency and take action to make a positive difference in their school and local community.

During the exhibition, students overcame challenges as they worked collaboratively with their group members. Primary and secondary sources were sought, virtual field trips, online interviews and observations staged, data collected via surveys, experts consulted and group negotiations conducted.  And it was from this, that sustainable action to educate, eradicate and even reimagine has and continues to be taken by these learners. Throughout the process they were guided by mentors who supported students with structuring their time, keeping them on track with their research and supporting them with questions and guidance.

The grade five students celebrated this process by presenting their understandings to the school community. They should be very proud of their achievements, the skills the students used in gaining that knowledge, the understanding of concepts which most might think are too difficult for a G5 student to understand, and the actions that the students have taken to attempt to solve their issue, or raise awareness of it.

Social Issues, A Community Project by G8 Students

The IB “Community Project” is a yearly project that Grade 8 students participate in via groups, in order to spread awareness or take action to make our community a better place. One group of students this year, took it upon themselves to spread awareness about different social issues focusing on racism, gender inequality and bullying.

Through months of preparation and research, they created a website https://jumanamoawad.wixsite.com/my-site and had weekly lessons throughout the whole academic year to reflect and discuss in class.

During the month of May, SEK-Qatar will hold an exhibition where all Grade 8 students will be able to display what they have achieved in their groups for the “Community Project” 2022.