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.

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.

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.

MYP Basketball

Last week SEK-Qatar MYP boys basketball team participated in a tournament as part of the School Olympic Program in the Basketball Federation Hall in Al Gharrafa.

It was the first time in a school competition in 2 years, so they were very excited.

Our boys won the first match 12-6, it was relatively easy game where the players showed great superiority. We were not fortunate on the second game where we lost 13-7. The other team’s players were significantly taller than our players, and this made it more challenging for us.

It is still unsure if we will go through to the next round, but we will find out very soon. Those games will then be played after Ramadan.

It great to see the excitement and happiness on our students and they demonstrated great attitude during the tournament.

DEAP Talk

Last week we had a visitor from DEAP who presented to our MYP grade 10 students regarding what the organization does to lead the beach cleanup movement and the fight against plastic pollution in Qatar while also advocating volunteerism and the importance of preserving the beautiful nature we have here in Qatar. The organization explained several ways in how the SEK-Qatar community can support. You can follow the organization on Facebook and/or Instagram to see how you as a family can contribute. There are plenty of articles and YouTube videos out there as well if you do a quick search. We sincerely hope this presentation will start a strong collaboration between the organization and our school community.

Micro:bits

By using Micro:bits, students from Grade 9 are doing a Physics project called Energy Awareness at SEK International School Qatar. Students have been inquirers by using their thinking skills and developing research questions that allowed them to investigate how much light energy is used in our daily lives in different school learning environments such as our Library, PYP, MYP, DP Classrooms, administration offices, big common areas, etc.  The goals of the investigations are, firstly to evaluate if SEK-Qatar would be able to contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Global Goals proposed by United Nations regarding Climate Action and secondly to communicate through Service and Action how the SEK-Qatar community could be more reflective and caring regarding energy consumption in their daily lives.

MYP Outdoor Lab

Our 8th grade students took an experiment outdoors to investigate the Earth’s albedo effect on how the surface of the Earth influences its ability to reflect or absorb heat. They used temperature probes inside of soda cans covered in brown paper and white paper and took measurements of each can over a 15 minute period and compared the changes in temperature for both under direct sunlight. The importance of this lab was for students to understand that the albedo effect has a significant impact on our climate. The lower the albedo, the more radiation from the Sun that gets absorbed by the planet, and temperatures will rise. If the albedo is higher, and the Earth is more reflective, more of the radiation is returned to space, and the planet cools. On average, the Earth has a global albedo of about 30%, which means it reflects about 30% of the sun’s radiation. However, deforestation and the melting of ice sheets have on large scale started to change the global albedo.

How to find the right career path and stand out when applying for your dream degree?

Today, at SEK-Qatar we had the pleasure of welcoming Marc Garnett, Commercial Director at LLS, a sports academy specialised in inspiring and training the next generation of multi-sports industry professionals, and ambassador of the Steven Garrard Academy.

Marc took our Grade 10 and Grade 11 students on a journey through his personal life, from playing sports at school, to becoming a sport coach and now working on the business side. He interactively showed that if you want to persuade your dream, it is essential to stand out and offer something different to your peers. Key elements to help this practice, Marc called it “Winning Formula”, are Qualification, Experience and Networking.

Whether your dream is to travel the world, performing sciences projects, play sports, work in media, write, calculate, learn, teach etc. as a student of the 21st century look beyond and push further.

This links fantastically with the SEK-Qatar Mission and Vision as well as the IB curriculum, as we encourage our students daily to volunteer, think outside the box and nurture agency.

Welcome to the Community Project Exhibition for the MYP Class of 2023

Our MYP Grade 8 students did an amazing job of overcoming the challenges of the pandemic and have produced some fascinating Community Projects. They have inquired into a range of issues facing societies, from creating safe ways to dispose masks to exploring how we can take better care of Qatar’s cats.

The Community Project is an important part of the MYP, it helps with preparation for the Personal Project in Grade 10 as well as developing students holistically in line with the IB Mission Statement.

Students have to apply multiple skills in order to be successful, especially it is crucial that they develop their communication and collaboration skills, both of which are very important competencies when working in a group. It has been a delight to see students work hard and embody many of the Learner Profile attributes, particularly how caring our students are about the community we live in and the wider world.   

Through the link, you will be able to access our very special and innovative virtual exhibitionhttps://bit.ly/3p1JsZH

  • Each section shows three of our student’s work. 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 read 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 students. When viewing the section you are linked to the related Sway (a new window will open). Please make sure to read the Sway as at the end of each Sway you will have the chance to leave you feedback which especially is very valuable for our students. After that, you can close the window 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.