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Student Led Conference (MYP)Recently we developed the MYP assessment policy for the Middle School. This process is required by IB. One section in the assessment policy is about how we document our assessments and how we maintain the student portfolio's. As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we introduced the IB Virtual Community (IBVC). This is an internal blog from IB to communicate and collaborate with the community and other MYP schools. Therefore, the Student Led Conference (SLC) in the International Middle School was organized this year differently.
First of all, the students had to present their summative assessments on the IBVC. Prior to the presentation, the students faced some challenges such as how to upload compressed pictures and some of the students practiced how to convert a movie into a lower resolution because there are certain upload limitations given by the blog. In addition, the student had to reflect on each presented piece on the IBVC. The aim was that the students practice their skills in the use of technology and that they learn how to present and blog safely on the IB Blog.
Secondly, the students had to reflect on their approaches to learning (ATL) which are our skills and a part of the Area of Interaction (AOI) in the International Middle School. Each skill was listed on a roster and the students in collaboration with the parents, reflected on goals for the current and upcoming school year. Our objectives were that the students point out their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.
In summary, it's critical that our students as life long learners, think about their actions and who they will affect others. Therefore in this 45min student led conference period the students also reflected on the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Moreover, the IB Learner profile is also used within essential agreements, which all students developed together.German CertificationLast year our school was authorized by the German government to grant the German language certificates at GAIS. The application process for the authorization was an intense yet rewarding experience. As a result our students at the International Middle School are participating currently in different language proficiency tests in German. We provide two German certificates in our school based on the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages", which is divided into six levels.
The lowest level on the framework is A1 and the highest level is C2 (sequence: A1->A2->B1->B2->C1->C2). The C2 level is the "Abitur or Matura" level in Europe. Our students at the International Middle School are taking the test on an A2 level in 6th grade and on a B1 level in 8th grade. The certificate on the B1 level, named "Deutsches Sprachdiplom I" (DSD I), allows for the requirements of German speaking high schools to be met.
The test includes an oral and a written communication part. In the oral communication section the students have to speak in front of an audience about a given topic. In addition they incorporate a self-made poster in their presentation. Afterwards they are required to reflect on certain questions that will be asked by the proctors. In fact, the 8th graders are supposed to make their presentation in front of an official from Germany and a diplomat from the German consulate in San Francisco.
The written part is divided into reading comprehension, listening comprehension and a German essay. Representatives of the German government will correct the "DSD I".
For students who are transitioning out to high schools, GAIS will offer the DSDII " on the C1/C2 Level in future. This certificate allows them to show proficiency in German language at the University level.
I wish all students good luck for their tests!Middle School Ski TripLast week we went with 30 Middle School students on the annual Ski Weekend at Sugarbowl. The Ski Weekend is part of the MYP curriculum and serves a variety of purposes. On the one hand the students keep a balance between academics and fun, get to know the teachers from different perspectives and vice versa. On the other hand the Ski Weekend gives us a great opportunity for teambuilding and maintaining approaches to learning in the context of kitchen duty, responsibility for their equipment, safety, and health. Moreover, they learn to be respectful towards others on the slopes and during the stay. In addition, the students practice their time management and organizational skills in being on time at the different checkpoints. The checkpoints were used to assemble the different Ski groups before leaving the lodge and the ski resort. Every student had a laminated checklist what they had to wear and organize for the checkpoints.
Every day we were on the slopes and enjoyed the beautiful weather and every evening was a different program organized for the students. One highlight was the snowshoe hike on Thursday night. All the students geared up with their snowshoes and we did a 30 min hike through the forest and the snow. Afterwards the eighth graders prepared cider and banana chocolate on a camp fire close to the lodge and we had a fun gathering. I would like to thank my team for their dedication and valuable time during the Ski Weekend 2011.MYP UnitsIn the MYP (Middle Years Program) we have Units as in the PYP, however they are between four and eight weeks long and developed in every discipline. Similarly to the PYP, we also have Summative Assessments. Therefore, at the end of the Unit, in English the 8th graders, under the guidance of Mrs. Jasprizza, published and illustrated children's books about either social or physical environmental issues, then planned and presented a lesson for 2nd grades. The focus in this Unit was environment, one of the six "Areas of Interaction" in the MYP Model. In the assessment process the students analyzed a variety of literature to identify elements of children's books and environmental issues.
An important part of the MYP curriculum is to integrate technology skills into the curriculum. This subject is not taught as a stand-alone discipline but instead it's built into several subjects in an interdisciplinary approach. This week we launched the IB Virtual Community (IBVC, www.ibo.epals.com) for our MYP students. The IBVC is an online community for sharing information, for posting research project and for reporting about interesting activities such as fieldtrips and overnight trips. In addition the Middle School students can reach out in the IB community and connect with other MYP students around the world.
In the International Middle School we incorporate the IBVC into the curriculum. On the one hand the students are posting their Unit portfolio online, which contains one reflection in each subject per year. On the other hand we are using the IBVC to communicate the Unit Information to our parents, which have access through RSS feed or their log-in's. In fact, our goal is to synthesize and channel all the communication in the Middle School. The students will introduce it to the parents during the student-led conference in March. The IBVC is a secure environment because it's moderated and supervised by IB and the administration. Moreover it's not open to the public, we have had several discussions with the students about the appropriate usage of IBVC and finally the students and their parents signed an IBVC contract based on the IB Learner profile. In sum, the IBVC gives us a great opportunity to connect and to equip the students with the necessary 21st century skills.
Next week the International Middle School is going on the legendary Ski Weekend at Sugarbowl. We leave on Wednesday morning and are coming back on Saturday evening. I'll report about it the week after.
In addition this is just a friendly reminder that you get a $1500 referral bonus for each additional student in the International Middle School.MYP Approches to Learning (ATL)One of the Areas of Interaction in the MYP Program is the Approaches to Learning (ATL).
The ATL includes seven main skills which are organization, collaboration, communication, information literacy, reflection, thinking and transfer skills. These skills are carefully scaffold in the Middle School. In each year of the program we introduce, maintain or master certain skills. In transitioning from the Elementary to Middle School, a major challenge is the organizational skills. This is because in the Middle School have subject rooms and student lockers. Since the students need to switch rooms, usually after a double lesson, the organizational skills are still put to the test. In the Middle School we foster the organizational skills in all the different subjects. For example, we support them in setting up their lockers, or we help them with planning strategies they can apply to meet due dates. In addition there is a lot of one on one tutoring to meet the different needs of the students in their learning process. The implementation of organizational skills during puberty is a critical topic in the 21st century, because the students in this phase need boundaries and a good structure to succeed. Therefore, there is a holistic system developed in collaboration with the students that honors their improvements in organizational management. To this end we organize different talks to enhance these skills in the Middle School. One of this was held last Thursday in the Library together with Grade 5.
We invited a professional in organizational behavior to discuss and interact with the student about time management, motivation, organization and prioritization. In sum, in the Middle School we provide internal and external support for our students in the approaches to learning.MYP VerificationIn the International Middle School (IMS) we have been working towards the MYP verification that will be completed in 2013. During our in-service day we had a position-fixing with the IMS team about the different standards that we are expected to fulfill. Currently we are continuing to work on the Unit Planer and the assessment policy. Our focus on the Unit Planer is to create Units of work that are connected to real-life issues. Our goal is through the context of the five Areas of Interaction (AOI), to design lessons which are meaningful and connected to concepts rather than memorizing content.

Besides the curriculum, we continue to improve the lunch area in the IMS by adding wood chips in the front.