Author: Cebu International School

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

As the only Continuum IB World School in the Philippines (offering all three IB academic programs), CIS is fortunate to be able to benefit from comprehensive coherence across the programs through:

• The learner and the learner profile as the center of importance
• Embedded Approaches to Teaching and Approaches to Learning (ATL)
• International-mindedness underpinning all programs
• Structures of the programs and aligned subject names
• As demonstrated by our recent events, a comprehensive culminating experience in each program.

We recognize all of the effort our students and their teachers have made to get to these impressive levels – take a look through their work, I am confident you will be impressed!

An IB Education:

Upcoming events of note

• May 24: Parent Coffee Meeting 9-10 am run by the CIS PTA (virtual)
• May 26: Student Council Spirit Day (Dress up as twins/multiples)
• May 27: CIS Virtual Graduation (Premiers at 5pm)
• June 9: Last Day of School – Class celebrations & Moving Up Ceremonies (half-day of school); Reports published
• June 13-24: Summer Activities Program

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar (http://cis.edu.ph/school-calendar/) for the complete calendar of school events.

Elementary PHE

by Mr. Jaydil Hermias,  PHE Teacher

Swimming: Such a positive experience!

It has been wonderful to have the pool open and the elementary students have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to learn in a different environment. The program is differentiated for various levels with a focus on having fun while developing swimming skills. Safety and survival skills are also an integral part of our program so that students are well-equipped to enjoy the ocean and swimming pools that they frequent.

The following are some highlights from some of our Grade 4 students:

English Language Acquisition Class

by Ms. Lana Lautamus, ELA Teacher

Unit 4

Grade 6 & Grade 7 have been studying the statement of inquiry connected to Comic Book Characters: “Heroes and villains are creative identities, with empathetic backstories, that are expressed through human values and beliefs.”  

To express our understanding of this unit, we practiced our speaking skills in our formative task by each receiving a portion of a comic strip. Without showing our picture to each other, we described our image, and the other student in the class drew it. We had some hilarious results, but an excellent task for practicing our clarity when communicating.

We also worked on our writing skills in our second formative task by adapting a portion of a comic book into a short story. Using this prompt, the students had choices to write the backstory to this excerpt, write from a character’s perspective or write how they thought the story would end.

Alternatively, students could also do a book response to our graphic novel we are reading: “Avatar: The Last Airbender”.

We are now in the process of creating our own comic strip to share with the other English Language acquisition classes next week, where we will discuss the inquiry questions and knowledge and skills we delved into during the last 6 weeks using a Pechakucha style presentation.

In Grade 8 & Grade 9, we are in the final stages of our unit “The Music We Love (& Poetry)”. Our statement of inquiry, “Music (& poetry) mean different things to different people and is shaped by the audience and cultures that make it” has had us looking at music from our own cultures (Israel, Korea, China and Japan) and also types of popular & culturally-specific music, audience reactions and interpretations and the meaning of lyrics. 

We have also connected music with poetry, and investigated the conceptual understandings of poetry’s form and function. We have also made poetry responses to both musical lyrics and other poetry pieces. We “stole like an artist” and made our own blackout poetry, inspired by Austin Kleon, using lyrics from our favorite songs.

Our second formative task involved a choice board, where students could choose 4 poems. There was choice in responses ranging from blackout poetry, book spine poetry, mad lib poems, rhyme time, texting couplets and others.

A poetry adventure for the Newsflash audience this week! Read this poem from top to bottom, and then read it again from the bottom line first up to the top!

For our summative, we are currently working on poetry responses to a Spoken Word/Poetry Slam presentation, this written piece (“Refugees”) and finalizing our own digital poetry booklets that we will share with a larger audience next week.

Grade 11: DP History

by Ms. Joy Pierra, MYP I&S & DP History Teacher

The four (4) great Grade 11 historians are about to end the first year of their IB History journey with flying colors. Amidst the challenges that they have encountered this semester, the COVID-19 pandemic and the typhoon Odette, their ability to bounce back is one the significant factors that contributed to their success this school year. Here are their thoughts about the course.

A quote in Ms. Joy’s room states, “If you want to understand today, search yesterday.” This is one of the main reasons why we took up IBDP History. We have been able to learn from the struggles of the past, including the fight for civil rights in the United States, the South African apartheid, and India’s independence movements. We are currently learning about Cuba’s independence, which we’ll move on to compare with India’s history. We started off with doing some self-research and discussion, then moved on to creating a physical poster to display in the History classroom (one of the benefits of having physical classes). This poster is a yearbook-themed timeline of the Leaders of Cuba during 1902 to 1925, the years following their independence from Spain and the U.S. occupation.

Moreover, we’ve been working hard on our Internal Assessments (IA), which make up a significant percentage of our final grades for the IBDP curriculum. For this, we research and write a 2000 word essay on a historical event of our choosing including different perspectives and also a cumulative argument. It must contain the following sections: evaluation of our sources, investigation, and reflection. The Internal Assessment allows us to demonstrate our learning and evaluative skills to dive deeper into a topic we are interested in.

As a whole, we have developed our critical thinking skills and media literacy skills. We have become skilled at evaluating a source in-depth and analyzing various sources to determine what really happened back then.

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

College Statistics for the Class of 2022

A few students are waiting for admission results from Singapore, Japan, Australia and the Philippines.  Some scholarships will be awarded after IBDP results are released in July.

Upcoming Virtual Events and FAIRS: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

Links to Register”
Masterclass 3
(May 7, 9 & 10)

EVENT

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 3:  The Art of Leadership and Multicultural Team Management

May 25
Link to register

University of Oxford Webinar Series
May 25: This ‘Writing your personal statement’ webinar will be interactive, and is designed to help students on what makes a good personal statement, the role of super and extra-curricular activities, and what tutors look for.

May 21
Saturday
Link to register
Quest Hotel – Cebu
(in-person event)

Enderun Colleges (Philippines) – Join the Admissions Roadshow at the Quest Hotel & Conference Center

May 24
Tuesday
9:15 – 10:15am
Venue: Studio
Zoom Link to join for online students

Mini Workshop on Writing your Statement of Purpose (College Essay) – This is a mini-workshop arranged by the school with an admissions rep from York College Pennsylvania.  All 11th graders are required to attend.

May 28
Saturday
1:00 – 4:30pm PHT
Link to register

University of Sydney (Australia)
The Undergraduate Taster Series:This is a series of real-time online demonstration classes for potential international undergraduate students. The taster classes will include content from various faculties and schools presented by their world-class academics.

• 1–2pm B Pharmacy/M Pharmacy Practice: Medical Curiosities – From History to the Future of Pharmacy
• 1–2pm B Engineering (Honours): Solving the equation: Circular Economy = CE = Chemical Engineering
• 1–2pm B Advanced Computing: Deciphering First Year Data Sets
• 2:15–3:15pm B Commerce: Leading and Managing a business in a post-covid world
• 2:15–3:15pm B Arts (Socio-legal Studies): Discuss “settler colonialism” and its role in shaping social and legal relations

Principal’s Corner

by Mr. Andrew Powell, EY-12 Principal

Celebrating Learning
As we move further into May we find ourselves in the position of measuring the remaining school year in weeks rather than months. While there continues to be a focus on teachable moments in the classroom it is also a time to celebrate learning that has and is taking place. A few recent and upcoming events help to crystalize this.

G12 Graduating Class of 2022 Celebration
We held a delightful celebration for our Graduating Class of 2022 yesterday. Students, parents, faculty, and staff were able to share in the significant accomplishments of this cohort as they celebrated the completion of all their required coursework and assessments. It was great to be able to share in this moment and listen to memories of CIS as well as the future aspirations of our students. We look forward to their next steps and know that they will contribute positively to society and the making of a better world.

Arts Week
On the back of our recent production success, Arts Week was launched this week. Please do take some time to view the Virtual Gallery of work that features a range of media from the various grade levels and subjects. It is incredible to note the growth that our students demonstrate as they have developed their skills through creating, performing, and presenting. The depth of thought and reflection that accompanies their work particularly in the older grades, is especially poignant.

ES Celebration of Learning
On Wednesday, May 18 our elementary students will be showcasing the growth and development that they have made throughout the year. Elementary parents have been invited to sign-up for a virtual, three-way conference with their child’s teacher on this day so that they may celebrate the learning that has occurred. There will be no face-to-face classes for EY – Grade 5 students on Wednesday, May 18 but students will be assigned asynchronous work to complete when not involved in their conference.

Theory of Knowledge Exhibition
Our Grade 11 students will be sharing their Theory of Knowledge Exhibition virtually on May 18. Students have been provided the opportunity to select from a variety of prompts to demonstrate their knowledge of the course themes and the way in which Theory of Knowledge concepts are manifested in the world around us. Students have identified three objects and their specific real-world contexts and have created individual exhibitions which explain the links between the objects and the chosen prompt, along with justification for the inclusion of each object.

Personal Project Showcase
On Wednesday, May 18 our Grade 10 students will be presenting their Personal Project Showcase. This is the culmination of a year-long project in which students had the opportunity to explore their own personal interests and has resulted in a diverse range of products. Students will showcase their achievements on this day and have also submitted a 13–15-page report for moderation by the IB. The quality of the work is exceptionally high and will make for great viewing.

TEDx Cebu International School
One of our schools’ core beliefs is that learning includes contributing to the world through service learning. We are proud of the various ways that this takes place at CIS. This weekend, a group of Grade 11 students led by Selly, Katrina, Renoa and Anya have organised the first ever TEDx event at CIS. Inspired by challenges faced during the pandemic, these students have created an event in which speakers have been invited to share their experiences of overcoming challenges and proving that anything is possible. They hope that this event provides opportunities for people in our community to reconnect with new and familiar faces, producing fruitful conversations and relationships as they rediscover and reignite their desire to learn and create.

Grade 5 PYP Exhibition

Mrs. Aimee Underwood, Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher

Last Thursday, the Grade 5 students successfully launched their Virtual PYP Exhibition Showcase with an hour-long synchronous event on Google Meet. Approximately 200 attendees joined from across multiple timezones to engage in stimulating conversations with the students about their unique learning journeys. To quote a visitor, “It was truly fantastic to hear the students speaking so articulately about how their central ideas and inquiry have helped them develop their understanding of the UN SDGs!” 

As the event came to a close, words cannot describe the incredibly moving scene that unfolded in the Grade 5 classroom. The students united as one to sing “Change The World” and the many tiny tiles on our computer screens filled with proud beaming smiles, as well as tears of pride and joy all around. Logging off the call, the Grade 5s were then immediately greeted by students and teachers from across the Elementary and Middle High School who rushed over to clap and cheer for them in person. Congratulations! Well done! That was amazing!

While this event was most visible and memorable, it is important to also highlight the learning that occurred behind the scenes. The PYP Exhibition–as with much of what we believe to be true about education–focuses on the “process” rather than the “final product.” Indeed, the Grade 5 students have sharpened a wide range of Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills, reflected on and overcome failures and false starts, capitalized on the serendipitous lightbulb moments, and celebrated the many milestones, successes, and massive achievements throughout each stage of the PYPx. 

If you have not had a chance to do so already, we invite you to take a glimpse of their journey in the Opening Video and explore each student’s experience through their individual websites.

We also recognize that the learning journey does not end here. In fact, it has only begun with many new doors opened to further ideas and possibilities! We look forward to seeing how this talented group of students–armed with important life-long learning skills, knowledge, understanding, and passions guided by purpose–will continue to “help create a better and more peaceful world” (IB Mission Statement). Here are a few highlights from the students themselves:

Student action! Check out Diana cultivating a love of reading in students, Ari encouraging responsible diving, Ofri learning and teaching about clean water, Creag raising awareness of the refugee crisis and promoting empathy, Riku demonstrating the importance of trees, Aubrey teaching others to sew and participate in sustainable slow fashion… and more!

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Grade 5s through their PYPx journeys — faculty, staff members, family and community members, and everyone who visited the Showcase synchronously and asynchronously! It has been a truly remarkable community experience that united us all this year.

Mathematics Analysis and Approaches Higher Level

by Mr. Daniel Monfre, MYP and DP Math Teacher

Grade 11

The grade 11 Math AA HL students have recently completed their introductory unit to differential calculus. This unit is often one of the most challenging units for students and can take a long time to master. There is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein that says “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” After studying derivatives and related rates the students completed a summative test to demonstrate their understanding, then to further show the depth of their understanding the students created videos explaining the solutions to the problems from the test. Below are some examples of the videos that the students have created.

Grade 7 

Students in grade 7 math have been studying 3D solids, naming the shapes, labeling and identifying their parts, and calculating the surface area and volume. 

To help students better understand the surface area of shape we ask students to draw the net (a 2D shape that can be folded to make the 3D figure.) These nets show students the different 2D shapes that are present on the surface of the 3D figure. Seeing the shape in 2D helps them to connect the 3D figure to the shapes they learned about in previous years. 

As a final project, students created a “Book of Shapes” that has diagrams, definitions, and formulas for all of the shapes we studied in class. To really make the connection between 2D and 3D students created “pop-up” pages of their books where the 2D net of a shape can be transformed into its 3D form by pulling a string. Take a look at some animations of their pop-up books: 

School Production 2022: Fireworks – Dream and Believe

by Ms. Stefanny Hemias, MYP Drama Teacher

Despite the pandemic and typhoon Odette, our school production titled “Fireworks- Dream and Believe” was successfully premiered on Friday, April 29, 2022. It’s our second year of producing a virtual production which showcases elementary, middle and high school students’ talents in acting, singing and dancing. The production team was able to come up with an original story and also featured several popular songs and dances such as Celebration by Kool & The Gang, Firework by Katy Perry, Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and a lot more. Though students encountered some struggles when rehearsing online, recording their voices and filming on the green screen, these didn’t hinder them from giving their best performance in order for us to produce an entertaining and exceptional virtual production. 

If you have not watched the show yet, please click on the link.

Students Supporting Students

In the following article, Sophia N. reflects on how she and her friends are supporting the education of other students through their Akyat Aklatan project.

Looking back, my friends and I often took school libraries for granted — research gold mines, hangout spots, and study havens all in one — simply because we could access them anytime we wanted. We realized as we got older that not everyone had the privilege of being able to access educational materials as easily as we did, and that was what we had in mind when we started Akyat Aklatan: a long-term legacy to further the education of high school students just like us.

Balao National High School was one of the sites we encountered in our search for a beneficiary, and there we saw the rundown infrastructure, their improvised classrooms, and finally their (former) library — a little closet no bigger than a parking lot space that the librarian described as “more of a stockroom of books than a library”.

“Mawad-an sila’g gana mo-tuon [They lose their appetite to study] because we don’t have the books or the space,” she told us.

And thus, we set to work to change that. We got a team together, planned the project, proposed it to the Rotary Club of Metro Mandaue 2006, and launched last August 2021. With several fundraisers like the Rhythm of Hope concert (some of which were led by my fellow classmates here in CIS!), we were able to raise more than 700,000 pesos to donate not only a fully-furnished library last April 18 but also a brand-new printer, 3 laptops, and more than 700 books! 

It especially touches us to know that at this very moment the students of Balao NHS are using the library, especially since they commenced face-to-face classes last March. Currently, we intend to carry on Akyat Aklatan in the future beyond physical structures, potentially through mentoring programs in public high schools. Once again, thank you to everyone who supported Akyat Aklatan!

Dragon’s Print

All throughout history, 13 has been associated with bad luck and misfortune. If you’ve noticed some hotel elevators lacking the 13th floor, you know what I’m talking about. Okay, so 13 is an unlucky number, but why? Read more about Friday the 13th on http://dragonsprint.cis.edu.ph/.

PTA Notice

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

Question of the Week: What do I write about in my College Essay?

Most universities in North America and the UK will require a student to write an essay or a personal statement. The content of the college essay entirely depends on where you are applying to. If you are applying to a US university, there is usually a prompt that is provided by the university. Here are some sample questions from the CommonApp:

1) Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2) The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3) Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4) Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6) Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7) Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

Links to Register”
Masterclass 3
(May 7, 9 & 10)

EVENT

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 3:  The Art of Leadership and Multicultural Team Management

May 11
Link to register

May 18
Link to register

May 25
Link to register

University of Oxford Webinar Series

 May 11:  This is ‘An introduction to applying to Oxford’ webinar will be interactive, and is designed to help students understand the different aspects and stages of the application process.

May 18: This is a webinar for parents on “ Supporting your child’s application to Oxford.” It will cover information about the UCAS form, admissions tests and interviews, and again opportunities to ask questions.

May 25: This ‘Writing your personal statement’ webinar will be interactive, and is designed to help students on what makes a good personal statement, the role of super and extra-curricular activities, and what tutors look for.

May 17
3:00PM CDT
LINK to register

Engaging Distinctive Universities: a collaborative, engaging virtual event hosted by Emory University, Rice University, the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. Join this session to help you decide which college is the best fit for you.

May 21
Saturday
Link to register
Quest Hotel – Cebu
(in-person event)

Enderun Colleges (Philippines) – Join the Admissions Roadshow at the Quest Hotel & Conference Center

May 24
Tuesday
9:15 – 10:15am
Studio

Mini Workshop on Writing your College Essay – This is a mini-workshop arranged by the school with an admissions rep from York College Pennsylvania.  All 11th graders are required to attend.

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

PYPx Showcase

Yesterday (May 5), the CIS community was treated to an exciting, informative PYPx (exhibition) virtual showcase by our wonderful grade 5 students. Thank you to the estimated 175+ attendees, I am confident you enjoyed yourself as the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. You will be treated to an article in next week’s Newsflash, so for now, please drop positive comments for the students on their PYPx website, and congratulations to the students, teachers, PYPx mentors, and parents for all of their hard work and support.

Health and Safety reminders

We have been on campus for over 6 weeks now – thanks for your efforts to minimize the known risks so as to make it thus far with no known Covid-19 cases (knock on wood!)! Not having any cases can contribute to a subconscious relaxing of awareness, however, so I would like to just highlight the need for continued vigilance following protocols. In particular, please note the following areas:

Masks: I have been impressed by our community which has been overall very good at maintaining a safe mask culture. Please keep it up/encourage our students (and each other!) to keep it up and not relax the expectations.

Social Distancing: This is an area that we are still working to establish amongst both students and adults. It takes time to change life habits, but if everyone is consistent in conforming and informing, we will be able to establish the “at least 1m” protocol.

Communicating Potential Cases: Our primary goal is the safety of all of our students, but also that of our employees and community members. As a reminder, it is important that you:

• Check your child’s health status each morning before sending them to school. If they have any COVID-19 symptoms, please keep them at home until the symptoms are gone, and inform our school nurse Ms. Lory so we can monitor them when they return to school. 
• Be considerate with your outside-of-school activities as well, as if you do not follow recommended health protocols outside of school, you could easily become a source of infection for others. 
• Be prepared mentally for the possibility that at some point, your child may get infected, despite all the precautions you take. Fortunately, there are fewer cases with children, and symptoms tend to be milder, but it is still not pleasant. Similarly, it is possible that we will have to have classes or grade levels quarantined at home if there is a case at school.

We are very grateful to be able to run face-to-face classes, and we would dearly like to keep it that way by continuing to minimize the risks and ensure we do what we can to learn in a healthy environment! “Kudos” to you for overcoming the multiple challenges you have faced over this school year!

The idea of overcoming is always fascinating to me. It’s fascinating because few of us realize how much energy we have expended just to be here today. I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for the overcoming. — Maya Angelou

Upcoming events of note

• May 9-13: CIS IB Art Exhibition (virtual)
• May 13: Graduating Class of 2022 Celebration event (G12 students and families – refer to emailed details)
• May 18: Whole School Celebration of Learning: ES Student-led parent conferences, MYP Personal Project Showcase, DP TOK Showcase (virtual)
• May 24: Parent Coffee Meeting 9-10 am run by the CIS PTA (virtual)
• May 27: CIS Virtual Graduation (premiers at 5 pm)

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar (http://cis.edu.ph/school-calendar/) for the complete calendar of school events.

Summer Activities & Sports Programs 2022

Grades 4 & 5: Philippine Language and Culture Class

by Ms. Fresh Abcede, PLC Teacher

Influential People

What is your passion? Who are the people who share the same passion like yours? What actions did they take in response to the issues related to your passions? In our unit Who We Are, Grade 4 and 5 students have been inquiring into the different Filipino influential people who contributed positively to the community.

We looked into influential people’s characteristics by connecting them to the IB Learner Profile to understand how and why they are influential. We identified and made some connections to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address the issues related to their passions.

Moreover, they reflected on their own beliefs and values about their passion and how these affect their decisions, attitudes, and actions. The students will continue to inquire about various Filipino influential people and learn the importance of taking action, helping, and empathizing with others.

Grade 11: Math Applications and Interpretation SL

by Ms. Maria Victoria Bacus, Grade 11 Mathematics/Applications & Interpretation SL Teacher

Applications and interpretation is the course with an emphasis on statistics, modelling relationships and use of technology. 

In the first semester, students were introduced to the unit of Number and Algebra, where the connection between compound interest and geometric sequences were explored. The students utilized the Financial application on their Ti-84 calculators in various compound interest, amortizations and annuities calculations. 

In this last quarter of Year 1 of the Mathematics (Applications and Interpretation) SL course, students will encounter opportunities to further enhance their use of technology in the unit of Statistics.

The students will complete different investigations related to collecting, organizing, presenting,  analyzing and interpreting data. The use of desmos, spreadsheets and GDC (graphic display calculators) will be very essential again for the success of this course.

Use of Technology in Math AI SL classes

We started the introduction of the unit by completing a Desmos activity determining the difference between discrete and continuous data. Students were asked to identify if the type of data given is numerical or categorical, discrete or continuous.

Once the types of data were identified and collected, they were then organized and presented in Google sheets by creating tables. Calculations were done through inputting formulas for mean, standard deviation, etc.

Students will both understand the step-by-step calculations of different measures of central tendency and dispersion of data as well as use and interpret the variables in the GDC one-variable statistics’ functions.

Student’s Feedback on the Use of Technology in Math AI SL classes

Desmos

Spreadsheets

Question 1: How do you feel about almost completing Year 1 of the Math AI-SL course? Were you as ready as you expected to be?

Question 2: What are some of the things you look forward to in Year 2 of Math AI-SL class?

G11 Math AI SL Students

Art Class

by Mr. Jessie Saclo, MYP/DP Art Teacher

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” —Edwin Land

The IB acknowledges the arts as a universal form of human expression, a unique way of knowing and understanding that engages us in effective, creative, imaginative and productive activities. 

The PYP, MYP, and DP are frameworks designed for the enrichment of learning. Each framework is a learning pathway that provides students opportunities to develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive in an ever changing world. The arts in particular, give students the support they require to explore their sense of identity and individuality, and to openly experience opportunities to function as artists as well as learners of the arts. Through age-appropriate activities and criteria, students develop their social, emotional, intellectual and personal intelligence through the arts; providing students the opportunities to create, perform, and present arts in methods that engage, convey feelings, experiences and ideas. CIS promotes development in the arts as a dynamic process where students practice to acquire new skills and master those skills developed in prior learning. 

The arts subjects of drama, music and visual art allow students to develop their creative thinking skills, along with other ATL skills which are essential to holistic development. These along with curiosity and practice allow students to acquire, learn, refine and master the skills necessary to develop learning. Fostering creativity as an essential element in the arts addresses the need for student-centered learning to stimulate innovative strategies in creating and performing, and understanding the broad and extensive scope of the arts. 

At CIS we cultivate learning in the arts as an aesthetic experience for our students. An experience of perception through the senses resulting in self-expression, creative work, exploration, and technical proficiency. Through this approach learning is established as a creative process where students identify failure as an element for development.

We invite you to take part in supporting our students as we celebrate the Arts Week from May 10 to 13 where we will feature the creative work of our students in drama, music, and visual art https://sites.google.com/cis.edu.ph/artsweek2022/home

Showcasing Student Work

Patricia (Reesha) Sy – Art Portfolio

We’d like to recognise G11 student Patricia (Reesha) Sy who has been drawing some attention from prospective universities due to the quality of her visual arts portfolio. Reesha joined CIS this year to take advantage of our Arts program and her first portfolio showing wasn’t what she expected.

“I’m a person who, like most artists, finds my work to be very personal so the thought of sharing my portfolio to experienced and professional artists was terrifying. I joined the portfolio viewing and to my surprise, the viewers were very supportive. Seeing professionals share the same enthusiasm and passion for my works as I did, was incredibly mind-bending and unexpected. They loved the works which showed who I was, and finding people who were genuinely interested in the meaning behind each work was new and a little overwhelming.”

Reesha was not only enthused by the interest in her work and the inspiration for her ideas but by the nature of the feedback she received. Instead of receiving constructive criticism, Reesha found that conversations focused on the “why” and the “what next” of her work. She was enthused by viewers wanting to know what kind of person she is and how that is represented in her artwork. The focus on her as a person has encouraged Reesha to rethink and reframe what and who her work represents.

“As a person who likes to hide behind her art, knowing that what the university wants to see is what kind of person I am, and getting excited over that, was new. I honestly really appreciated it. It reminded me of why I love art and why I want to become someone who creates it every day.”

We look forward to Reesha continuing to develop her skills and techniques over the coming year and can’t wait for her to showcase more of her work.

Dragon’s Print

If you’ve scrolled through Tiktok or any form of social media, you may have seen guides to personalities based on a person’s “zodiac sign”. It might seem preposterous to some to judge one’s own and even others’ personalities based on the day they were born, but this belief has a cult following both online and in real life. Read more about zodiac signs at http://dragonsprint.cis.edu.ph/.

Admissions Notice

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

Question of the Week:

I am in 9th grade, what can I do to be ready to apply for college?

Focus on getting good grades and balancing your school work with extracurricular activities.  Colleges look at applications holistically and most universities look at how a student is well rounded in terms of academics and activities outside the classroom. These may be through your After School Activities, sport, and other activities where you pursue a hobby or an interest. Achievements in Grade 9 and onwards are also considered in the evaluation process of college admissions.  Aside from strengthening one’s resume’ when applying to college, it also helps an individual achieve a balanced student life. Also, it is important to know that when you apply to college, the academic grades in Grades 9 through 11 will be examined by the admissions committee.

For more information, you may set an appointment with the College Counselor.  You may email  Ms. Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph to set an appointment or visit the office. 

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

Links to Register”
Masterclass 3
(May 7, 9 & 10)

EVENT

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 3:  The Art of Leadership and Multicultural Team Management

May 11
Link to register

May 18

Link to register

May 25

Link to register

University of Oxford Webinar Series
 May 11:  This is ‘An introduction to applying to Oxford’ webinar will be interactive, and is designed to help students understand the different aspects and stages of the application process.

May 18: This is a webinar for parents on “ Supporting your child’s application to Oxford.” It will cover information about the UCAS form, admissions tests and interviews, and again opportunities to ask questions.

May 25: This ‘Writing your personal statement’ webinar will be interactive, and is designed to help students on what makes a good personal statement, the role of super and extra-curricular activities, and what tutors look for.

May 12
Thursday
LINK to register or use the QR code in the poster

Art & Design Universities in Canada (ADUC):learn more about the international student experience of those who study art, design and media in a specialized Canadian institution.
Participating universities:  Emily Carr University, Alberta University of the Arts, Ontario College of Art & Design and Nova Scotia College of Art & Design

May 17
3:00PM CDT
LINK to register

Engaging Distinctive Universities: a collaborative, engaging virtual event hosted by Emory University, Rice University, the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. Join this session to help you decide which college is the best fit for you.

Principal’s Corner

by Mr. Andrew Powell, EY-12 Principal

This morning our virtual production Fireworks, Dream and Believe premiered and was viewed by the entire school. As the title suggests our production encourages us to dream big, trust yourself and realize your dreams. This is incredibly important at the best of times but even more pertinent as we emerge from the challenges of the past few years.

 The students involved in the production spanned our elementary, middle, and high schools and provided the community with a taste of their talents as they danced and sang with a sense of purpose and togetherness, despite recording all of their parts individually.

 At CIS we intentionally strive to inspire and one of the qualities that we look to model and value is creativity. While often referred to in the context of the arts, creativity is defined by the ability to produce or use original or unusual ideas. Over the course of the pandemic and our return to face-to-face classes there has certainly been a great deal of creative ideas, approaches, and solutions at play. Our virtual production was one example of this.

 Prospective families are increasingly looking to CIS for its creative culture. Our Virtual Arts programmes are in demand by students who are looking to nurture their creative talents. This is not only providing our students with opportunities to learn and experiment with new techniques and skills but is resulting in their heightened visibility to prospective universities.

 The nature of our program encourages student agency and consequently is open to creative possibilities. Our Grade 5 students are finalizing their work on some very promising projects while our Grade 10s have submitted their Personal Project products. The scope to explore their own personal interests has resulted in a diverse range of high-quality expressions which have ranged from writing and enacting an authentic criminal law trial, developing 1980s inspired video games, honing technical art skills through tonal portraits, and fusing Filipino traditional foods for the western palate. These and the many other exceptional projects will make for a great exhibition next month.

 While our faculty work hard to inspire, we have such an incredible group of students that they also serve to motivate our teachers. They provide them with a vivid image of future possibilities which leads to a dynamic approach to lesson planning and unit development, enhancing the overall school experience.

Upcoming events of note

• May 2-3: Regular school days (holidays on our original calendar, but now makeup days due to typhoon Odette)

• May 5: PYPx (exhibition) Showcase (virtual)

• May 9-13: CIS IB Art Exhibition (virtual)

• May 18: Whole School Celebration of Learning: ES Parent conferences, MYP Personal Project Showcase, DP TOK Showcase (virtual)

• May 24:  Parent Coffee Meeting 9-10 am run by the CIS PTA (virtual)

• May 27:  CIS Virtual Graduation (premiers at 5 pm)

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar (http://cis.edu.ph/school-calendar/) for the complete calendar of school events.

Grades 2/3 Music

by Ms. Natasha Arnsby, Music Teacher

Grade 2 students have been learning to play either a keyboard instrument or glockenspiel. They have had a chance to learn some well known tunes. They had agency to work at the performance level of their choosing. Some students played beginner versions of these favourite melodies, and some added chords or left hand counter melodies. This is what they have had to say about their musical adventure.

Grade 3 students have been learning to play the recorder. Through this they have been mastering woodwind playing techniques, such as correct embouchure, breathing properly and tonguing. They have also had a chance to improve their fine motor skills when covering the holes precisely. Students have put their note reading knowledge into action, made beautiful music and had lots of fun along their journey. This is what they have had to say about their musical adventure.

TEDX

by Mr. Jonathan Denton, MYP Coordinator

This coming May 14, 2022 from 4-6pm, CIS will be having its first-ever TEDx event. with the theme of “Rediscover, Reconnect, Reignite” the team hopes to provide a virtual space for ideas, interaction, and inspiration.  We hope this event provides opportunities for people in our community to reconnect with new and familiar faces, producing fruitful conversations and relationships. Ultimately, we hope that the sharing of different perspectives and experiences during this pandemic will rediscover and reignite our desire to learn and create.

This event will feature speakers from all around Cebu and our very own CIS alumni. Slots to watch the event are open for everyone— CIS student or not! If you would like to reserve a slot please answer this short survey tinyurl.com/TEDxCebuInternationalSchool or email TEDxyouthcebuis@gmail.com with your name and zoom email address.

Grades 6 & 7 Design Class

by Ron de Villa, MYP Design Teacher

The G6& 7 Design classes are exploring digital advertisements and graphic designing through the use of various hardware and software that enable them to produce printed and filmed ads for products that they have developed in the current unit.

Graphic designers draw inspiration in many different ways. From real-life experiences to how they view the world around them. Because kids see the world in an innovative and colorful way, there is no doubt that they can be graphic designers, too!

Some people hear the words “graphic design” and think of it as something very intimidating; however, our students have proven in this unit that graphic design is not daunting, but rather can be fun and strategic, and it can be a newfound hobby and even a future career.

We started the unit through a logo design challenge wherein the students were given keywords of a new company and they had to create a logo out of these.  

Here are sample works they created:

Being a graphic designer helps students to communicate their message through their creativity and in time, as they master the skills, they would be able to effectively bring other people’ ideas to life.

Through this unit, the students had to manage their time well as deadlines were set for every part of the process and meeting them was as important as being able to effectively communicate and show their creativity. Furthermore, students learned how to pay attention to details and notice even the smallest details, this was done through consistent feedback from peers as well as teachers.

The Grade 7 students were later on tasked to create designs for the next flagship products of their companies. Through digital and analog sketches, rough designs for various products were done. To come up with these, they of course had to undergo a lot of research and took a lot of inspiration from existing products. Here are some samples:

Based on these products, the Grade 6 were then tasked to create 15-second commercials. The process involved a series of graphic sketches for storyboards before the filming had to commence. Like graphic artists, filmed ad specialists will have to go through different creative stages before they shoot. The Grade 6 students delivered really good output as part of their formatives and we could see how much effort and knowledge they have even prior to creating this short advertisements.

Here are some screenshots of these 15-second ads.

At these age levels, the creativity is just flowing and with students given the right amount of freedom to explore what they want to express and how they want to express, there is so much that they can produce and there’s just so much that they are more than capable of. That’s why I love teaching Design.

Grades 11 & 12  Biology

by Ms. Rebecca Devadoss, Biology Teacher

Grade 11 
Students are experimenting on one factor that is affecting the rooting of a stem cutting. Stem-cuttings are short lengths of stem that are used to clone plants artificially. If roots develop from the stem, the cutting can become an independent new plant and it is a clone of the parent plant. Clones have identical genetic information.

In groups, students have set up their experiments. Data would be collected in three weeks time which will be processed, analyzed and arrive at scientifically supported conclusions. As the grade 11 students are on the verge of stepping into their Internal Assessment tasks, this investigation would serve as a mock IA.

Grade 12
With the return of students in face to face classes, students were able to prepare and view specimens through a microscope. They took photos of their field of view and shared it with their peers who were online.

On the final day of their DP journey, students prepared and presented to the class the various career options that are related to Biology.

They also had some fun in the process!

PHE G8, G9 & G10 Dragon’s Badminton Cup 2022 PHE Summative

by Bryan, Jandra, Mahati, Maki  G10- PHE Online Class
Aadya, Grace, Ryota, Wilson G8- PHE Online Class

Hello everyone! As the school transitioned to face-to-face classes this quarter, we have been working really hard to meet the requirements for our PHE 8, 9, and 10 Badminton online unit. We’ve been practicing as a team, learning the concepts, applying the skills and techniques, and familiarizing ourselves with the rules of Badminton. This week the classes will engage themselves in an action-packed summative through an actual sports tournament dubbed the Dragon’s Badminton Cup. 

For grades 8 and 9, the tournament will start on April 25, going until May 5. For grade 10, the tournament will start from April 26 to May 6, and the champions of grades 8 and 9 will compete against the champions of grade 10, the date of which will be decided after all the games are done. Nine teams are playing for Grade 8 and 9, and eight teams for Grade 10. The tournament format used was a single round-robin; all teams will play against each other before the semi-finals and championship. We looked through a variety of different ways to arrange a tournament before coming to the final plan we created. We learned a lot, and learned from every mistake or misstep we made with the help of our teachers. 

As online class students, it is important for us to be active during PHE class, but for this unit, we were able to contribute by being the prime organizers and movers of the tournament. We were able to work together, meet online, develop and create a successful tournament by planning heavily and working together to make the schedule, rules, and team composition. We discussed every part of the tournament and got feedback to see the flaws that might arise and to be always ready to address every issue that will come out.

To explain further how we were able to connect the online class unit and face-to-face class, here’s the feedback from each online class student. 

Many things were taught to me during the unit, including how tournaments are held, the types of tournaments, matchmaking, groupings, as well as the badminton rules. With that said, we, the online class students (since we couldn’t play badminton at home), were able to be organizers in designing a tournament for PHE grades 8, 9, and 10 for the face to face class. As a part of the organizer, it was challenging, interesting, and a good experience to be able to design a tournament. Hoping that players will have fun and that everything will go as planned.  – Ron, G10

The people online have learned a lot on how to plan a tournament and the specific details that come into play when being the tournament directors and planners. Especially working together as the only online students of grade 10, we were able to help each other in the areas we weren’t confident in and work as a team. I would say we have learned a lot of new things and had a lot of speed bumps on the way trying to figure out solutions to the problems we faced. But in the end we gained a lot of perspective as the people behind it all who plan and make it possible to have a tournament. This time it was up to us, the students online, to create this big event and turn it into reality, unlike what we are used to when the teachers would plan everything for us and create the schedule, teams, rules, and the overall system of the tournament. This was a big learning experience and opportunity for us to have and we will always remember what we did for the PHE class of Grade 8,9,10 in 2022. – Jandra, G10

I would definitely say that I have learned numerous things during this unit. In our class, we discussed the different rules of tournaments, for this specific unit we are focusing on badminton. It was really interesting since we got to learn more deeply about this topic. I used to play badminton and I usually do not mind really strict rules of badminton but this time, I really got the chance to learn the specific elements and rules of badminton. Since we cannot play with others who are in face to face, Maki, Jandra, Mahati and I are organizing the tournament. This opportunity was definitely something special, and the thought that we are actually organizing a badminton tournament is a rare chance. We worked as a team by communicating with each other, especially when creating the different rules, schedules, and matchmaking of the game. This part would definitely be hard without good communication and team work so I believe that this part was the most crucial part of this unit. – Bryan, G10

I think a lot of us learned many things from this unit; arranging a tournament throughout the course of the unit was very interesting to do, because we usually only played in those tournaments, not build them up. We learned a lot about organization and planning things out, and had to act a little like authority figures because we were planning things out; all the online students had to be the people players in the tournament could look to when they have questions. I liked this unit because we learned by doing, and what we did directly affected the outcome of our work no matter what.  – Mahati, G10

Creating the tournament was a very interesting learning experience for me. I learned the different kinds of matchmaking in badminton, learned how to use my creative thinking skills to create a poster that would provide information about the tournament. I worked with my classmates to create a fun tournament for students. I learned the rules of badminton and the importance of rules in a tournament. I learned different badminton skills and terminology too. – Aadya, G8

I was able to improve and work on my organization and teamwork skills. I was able to work with my online classmates; planning out, discussing and analyzing the rules and the different aspects of this tournament. It was fun to create and explore ideas with my classmates. Creating the poster was probably the part I enjoyed the most, due to my classmates all working together and brainstorming different ideas. We were able to learn the importance of rules, and along with that we learned some badminton techniques/stretches. – Grace, G8

I learned that there are many things to prepare. set date, Rules and communicate to people attending the tournament. I see and know how difficult it is to organize everything. – Ryota, G8

 I think this is a great opportunity for me to develop my creating and organizing skills. Though I’m new in CIS, I found it very interesting to work with my classmate as a team. I finally had a chance to learn how a badminton championship works and the formal badminton rules. Making a poster is full of challenges, and I have no experience before. I understood the importance of teamwork and had great fun through this challenge. By the way, thanks for giving me the opportunity. – Wilson, G8

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

Question of the Week:

As a Grade 11 student in the IB Diploma programme, will I need to take SATs to apply for college next year?

It depends.  If you are applying to a university in Canada, UK, Europe and Asia, you will not need to present SAT scores since an IB Diploma is recognized by universities in these parts of the globe. If you are applying to the USA, you will need to check if the university is SAT optional (they do not require SATs).  Most universities in the US have remained test-optional.  They have changed their eligibility requirements and have opted not to require SAT or ACT scores.  

If applying to the USA, you need to check the website of the university you are interested in if they have the SAT score requirement.  For more information, you may set an appointment with the College Counselor.  You may email  Ms. Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph to set an appointment or visit the office. 

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

Links to Register
Masterclass 2
(Apr 30, May 2 & 3)
Masterclass 3
(May 7, 9 & 10)

EVENT

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 2:  Event Management: Creating a Memorable Experience
Masterclass 3:  The Art of Leadership and Multicultural Team Management

May 12
Thursday
LINK to register or use the QR code in the poster

Art & Design Universities in Canada (ADUC):learn more about the international student experience of those who study art, design and media in a specialized Canadian institution.
Participating universities:  Emily Carr University, Alberta University of the Arts, Ontario College of Art & Design and Nova Scotia College of Art & Design

May 17
3:00PM CDT
LINK to register

Engaging Distinctive Universities: a collaborative, engaging virtual event hosted by Emory University, Rice University, the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. Join this session to help you decide which college is the best fit for you.

SAT Update

To register for the SAT, you may click on this link.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

It was great to see many of our Grade 12 students walking around with big smiles on campus yesterday. Why, you may ask? Because after two challenging years, yesterday was their last day of official classes! We will officially recognize their achievements in their official graduation ceremony on May 27, so for now, let’s offer a well-earned congratulations!

As we approach the end of the school year, we are all faced with various levels of pending change. Students and teachers are finishing up their school year and some families are preparing to leave, so there are upcoming changes to face. During this time of change, research has suggested that it is beneficial to consciously consider how transitions can affect us, and our families. The following is an adaptation of an article I have shared before but will do so again as it is directly applicable to consider at this time of the year.

Building your transition RAFT! 

David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken1 outline the transition process as a normal process that uses the following associated feelings:

It is helpful to consider emotions involved during transitions, so as to understand and be ready to deal with any stress these emotions may cause. Failure to cope with these will result in an unhappy transition and poor re-engagement in your new environment. For students, this will certainly affect their social and academic achievements.

Dr. Pollock2 also developed the acronym and visual image “RAFT” to help explain pre-departure processes needed for successful transitions. Here is a summary for your reference:

 Reconciliation – Begin building your raft by asking yourself if you have any relationships that need mending. Is there any unfinished business between you and someone you are in a relationship with? This is the time to give and receive forgiveness. Bitterness and regret stemming from lack of closure and resolution inhibit good grief and adjustment to a new location.

Affirmation – This is the time to thank the people who have been involved in your life. Affirm the relationships you have made and what they have meant to you. Take the time to tell people what you have learned from them and how grateful you are for them. Try to leave as little unsaid as possible when you leave a place.

Farewells – Say good-byes to people, places, pets, and possessions that have mattered to you. Take lots of pictures. Take the time to say culturally appropriate good-byes. Some cultures require a lengthy departure process. Particularly difficult farewells are the ones that are generally rushed or put off, so plan ahead and give the farewell due attention.

Think destination – Think and dream about where you are going and what it will be like. Be very honest about the expectations you have for the people and situations that you are going to. Be honest with yourself about how you feel about this transition. Think ahead to what scares you or excites you about where you are going. Research the realities of your destination. If at all possible, put concrete plans in place.

As we move into our last 2 weeks, please take time to build a RAFT for your transition, and go out of your way to help your friends build theirs. Consider how change may impact the feelings of all of our students whether they are leaving or not, as the process will help them face new situations as they move into a new grade, and as some of their friends and teachers leave. 

*References & Credits:

• Third Culture Kids: The experience of growing up among worlds by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken
• Adapted from: http://theirrationalseason.blogspot.com/2008/04/raft.html
• Raft Photo: Joshua Earle on Unsplash.com

Upcoming events of note

Grade 12 Farewell

Elementary: Physical & Health Education

by Mr. Jaydil Hermias, PHE Teacher

Grade 9: Math

by Ms. Maria Victoria Bacus, MYP/DP Math Teacher

Exploration allows us to discover the unknown

The Theorem of Pythagoras

Grade 9 Mathematics students are currently learning about the world of Trigonometry, as the name might suggest is all about triangles. In this unit, students will explore mathematical relationships which will allow people to calculate what they can’t measure.

To explore the rule discovered by the Greek mathematician, Pythagoras, students completed an investigation regarding the relationships between the sides of the triangles.

Here are some students’ answers shared on the Padlet:

Figure 1 (Investigation) – Pythagoras’ Theorem

Figure 2 (Problem-Solving) – Taco Truck by Desmos

In this particular Desmos activity, students encounter situations that they may experience in real life- taking a shortcut to save time. They then utilized the Pythagorean theorem as a tool to solve problems involving diagonal distances. They reviewed their prior knowledge on speed, rearranging formulas and manipulating equations, to determine the best path to a taco truck from a spot on the beach.

Here are some students’ work on their Desmos activity:

Here are some students’ Main Takeaway:  (shared on mentimeter.com)

Grade 11: IB Psychology

by Mr. Michael Stewart, Psychology Teacher

As part of our Unit on the Cognitive Approach to Psychology, Grade 11 IB Psychology students have been learning about and researching cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are predictable, systematic errors in judgment that arise from the way our minds process and organize information – we are all susceptible to them, regardless of background, age, education level, and so forth. To find out more about cognitive biases, please check out these short documentaries created by the students:

Alumni News

Alya Laplana from the Class of 2020 was recently featured in the ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) morning news to talk about Habilin, an organization with the goal of creating an education revolution in the Philippines.

We are proud of our graduates for going out and making a change in the world!

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner

The Digital SAT

Last Saturday, April 16th, CIS participated in a pilot test study for the Digital SAT.

Here are some FAQ’s about the Digital SAT taken from the College Board website. 

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE
April 25-26
April 30, May 2-3
May 7, 9, 10

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 1: Discover the New World of Luxury (Link to register)
Masterclass 2:  Event Management: Creating a Memorable Experience (Link to register)
Masterclass 3:  The Art of Leadership and Multicultural Team Management (Link to register)

Admissions Office

SAT Update

To register for the SAT, you may click on this link.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.

Principal’s Corner

by Mr. Andrew Powell, EY-12 Principal

This week in our Newsflash you’ll note reference to the way our Grade 5 students are exploring their passions as they work towards their PYP Exhibition along with an advertisement for our upcoming MYP Personal Project Showcase in May. Both initiatives provide students with the opportunity to initiate a self-directed study as part of the culmination of their work in the PYP and MYP. The work our teachers do to scaffold our students through this process is integral to their success and I would like to highlight how fortunate we are to have two exceptional educators in Mrs. Underwood and Mr. Denton leading our students through these projects. We also have a large proportion of our staff acting as mentors for our students and I would like to highlight the benefits that this approach provides.

 Mentoring in the sense of these projects provides our students with access to additional support and perspectives. Typically, students are matched with a mentor based on the mentor’s personal and professional interests, and how they may align with the topic or exploration that a student is interested in. The mentors meet regularly with the students over a sustained period of time in order to provide advice, direction, expertise and inspiration.

 While all of our mentors are teachers at CIS and therefore experienced educators, project-specific training has been provided to them in order to maximise their effectiveness. In the case of the PYP Exhibition our teachers have been provided with professional development on how to be an effective mentor and the lead teacher scaffolds their work with students with clear expectations for each session. 

In addition to supporting our students’ development of skills and knowledge, mentoring in this sense provides students with positive role models. Sustained engagement provides a strengthened sense of identity, communication skills and interpersonal relationships. It helps to develop confidence and raise aspirations.

 Here are a few thoughts on the mentoring process from our Grade 5 students:

 “My mentor has been very helpful as I explore how nature walks can help with mental health. She can help me research quickly and find resources that I can read and include in persuasive writing.”

 “She is really good at taking all of the messy ideas that I have in my head and consolidating them into a clear idea and line of inquiry.”

 “It’s great to work with someone that’s not my regular teacher because I get to know about other perspectives and have someone else to look up to and ask questions.”

 Providing mentors to our students is an important initiative that helps to individualize our students’ educational experiences. It helps to further develop our sense of community and I know that from a mentor’s perspective, it is a rewarding experience.

Upcoming events of note

• April 11-15 Mid-semester Break (Easter/Holy week)
• April 18: School make up day (Day B)
• April 26:  Parent Coffee Meeting 9-10 am ← Save the date!

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar (http://cis.edu.ph/school-calendar/) for the complete calendar of school events.

Grade 5 PYP Exhibition: Mid-Journey Update

Mrs. Aimee Underwood, Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher

The highlight of Grade 5 each year is the PYP Exhibition (PYPx), which unites students, teachers, and other members of the learning community in a culminating, collaborative learning experience.

Over the past few weeks, our Grade 5 students have been busy exploring their passions and connecting them to local and global issues through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). Their passions and issues are as diverse as the students themselves, ranging from fast fashion to green architecture, inequality in coding to child refugees, invasive species to music therapy, and more!

Through the process of their inquiry, the students are deepening their knowledge and understanding, sharpening their ATL skills, and challenging themselves to consider how they can demonstrate their IB Learner Profile attributes to “help create a better and more peaceful world” (IB Mission Statement).

Below are some surveys that the Grade 5s will be grateful for if you can help fill out, so that they can collect more primary data for their research:

• Mental Health and Well-Being (Anna): https://forms.gle/jAe7fYnheKWLjEbMA
• Fast Fashion and Consumer Behavior (Aubrey): https://forms.gle/sPEi1SpkZre91zox6
• Tanks and Military Technology (Sam): https://forms.gle/iNvhrGazsrfqbe9i9
• Jaguars (Dave): https://forms.gle/G9J1BPqev3srYYzV9
• Deforestation (Riku): https://forms.gle/cajq7TY1QqeWYjnj8

As we head into the last half of the PYPx journey after the break, we look forward to seeing how the students will take action and publicly share their learning with the wider community. Stay tuned

Language Acquisition Classes

by Mr. Antonio Melgar, Language Acquisition Teacher

MYP Spanish – Grade 6/7

Grades 6 and 7 students discovered how to talk about  food around the world, the food pyramid, classifying the foods into categories,  and how to mention the most famous dishes. Also, they are learning how to explain the process of preparing a simple dish in Spanish and discussing what is healthy and what is not.

Grade 8 and 9

This term we focused on discussing how  globalization is a process that affects us all in diverse ways. We talked about famous people from our countries, and how they became global,  and how a language can be global, and how accents and idioms make a culture richer and more international. Also, how by using or consuming products from other regions of the world we enhance our knowledge and discuss  how our small actions can help make our planet sustainable. And applying past tense is a great tool to talk about it!

Grade 10

This term we focused on the environment and how our actions can lead to either preserving or damaging it. As this is a multilevel class, students also discussed global warming and its implications, idioms and colloquial expressions as a way to convey meaning across cultures and how food is something that unites us. 

Personal Project

MYP Personal Project

SEL Tips

Dragon’s Print

After 2 whole years of learning remotely, our return to normality is nearing. Despite us being comfortable in our own humble abodes, face-to-face (F2F) classes have begun, meaning that we students who are able to return to campus will have to adapt. Read about a few days in the life of a Grade 11 Student getting used to full F2F days at http://dragonsprint.cis.edu.ph/.

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

April 9
Saturday
1:00PM
Link to Register

EVENT

Ritsumeikan University (Japan) : Ask us! : Why choose Ritsumeikan & What undergraduate programs are offered

April 13
4:30 – 5:30pm
Link to register

New Zealand University webinars: (in cooperation with Beacon Academy in Manila) 

April 21
Thursday
7:00 – 9:00pm
Link to register

April 23, 25 & 26
Link to register
(pick the schedule/time zone that is works for you)

Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Masterclass 1: Discover the New World of Luxury

SAT Update

To register for the SAT, you may click on this link.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

It has been another extremely busy week as we moved from our successful two-week half-day on-campus transition schedule to our full-day new normal regular schedule. Despite a number of adjustments needed to address the various issues arising from two years being off-campus, overall things went smoothly, which is a huge credit to everyone in so many ways – from students, parents, and family, to teachers, staff, and fellow administrators. Thank you all for your individual contributions to the CIS community!

Constant pressure is tiring at the best of times and can be overwhelming at others. Over the past two years, we have been living through societal changes on multiple fronts, and we know change can be a major source of stress. As we were planning our return to campus, one of our objectives was to seek a quick return to learning routines that will enable us to create a safe learning environment that can also be a haven for our students from the various unsettling global changes we are experiencing at this time, such as climate change, war, the social media and big tech revolution, and so on. Our “anchor” through all this are our guiding statements. Two, in particular, are relevant to this topic:

• Core Belief #1: Learning is a joyful, creative, and open-ended exploration.
  ⇒ Instead of worrying too much, let us recall the joy of learning, and seek ways to nurture our students, and our own, creativity and open-ended exploration.
• Core Belief #6: As an IB World School, the Learner Profile Attributes and Approaches to Learning are embedded in all that we think, say, and do.
  ⇒ Focusing on positive LP attributes such as being caring and open-minded, and consciously seeking ways to develop our approaches to learning (ATL) skills will enable us to better cope with the challenges of life, and help to build our resilience.

Speaking of resilience, it is reassuring to read that “a growing body of research illustrates that academic buoyancy and resilience support students’ healthy acceptance of and response to challenges in and out of school.” Anderson et. al* notes that “resilient learners have meaningful goals, manage their emotions when they experience setbacks, and accept what they can and cannot control in the learning experience. Academic resilience is built on individual characteristics—composure, confidence, coordination, commitment, and control. Those processes develop through strong relationships in school and explicit instruction, messaging, and modeling across learning environments.”

Let’s all work on developing relationships and academic characteristics, modeling positive behavior and accepting what we can and cannot control in our learning experiences, both in and outside of school. Hang in there for another week everyone, be resilient, and you will have time over our mid-semester (Easter) break to rest! 

*Academic buoyancy and resilience for diverse students around the world by Anderson, RC, Beach, PT, Jacovidis, JN and Chadwick, KL. 2020. International Baccalaureate Organization.

Upcoming events of note

• April 1: MHS Quarter 3 reports published
• April 4-8: STEM week
• April 11-15 Mid-semester Break (Easter/Holy week)
• April 26:  Parent Coffee Meeting 9-10 am ← Save the date!

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar (http://cis.edu.ph/school-calendar/) for the complete calendar of school events.

College Acceptances Update

Early Years 

by Ms. Aimee Valenzona, EY Teacher and Ms. Freya Abella, EY Teacher Aide

As we are about to end the month of March, the Early Years have started with our new unit on How the World Works. We began our unit by making use of our learning environment as our provocation to encourage student inquiry in the classroom. We started off by turning off all our lights in the classroom leaving it as dark as possible as our students came to class early in the morning. Guess what happened next? 

Our EY explorers demonstrated our early morning routine by getting their names as they come in class, removing their shoes, sanitizing, and placing their bags in their cubby holes. This routine will further develop their self-management skills as they practice and learn to show independence as they perform these daily routines. Upon entering the classroom, they noticed something different. They observed and started asking questions. Here are few of their observations/questions:

As you read through their responses and observations, you will notice how they made connections with their previous experiences at home and during the recent typhoon in Cebu last December. Being able to observe and easily connect with the world around them enables our young learners to expand their thinking and feel valued in relating learning to themselves and the real world. As we continued with this week’s engagements, students made use of their senses  as they shared their observations and made an inquiry about light and the sun which led us to take note of their prior knowledge and ideas. As we continue to move forward, we will discover and learn more about how light and shadows enable us to interact with the world around us. 

As we transition to our full-day New Normal schedule, we will continue to develop our number sense by making use of math concepts such as more and less and try to explain our thinking as we solve simple problems by using counters or objects. In literacy, we are in the process of working towards finishing some of our students’  book covers while the rest will still start and/or continue with their books. Any idea what’s missing in our book covers? 

Grade 8: Science

by Christine Enrile, Science Teacher

In Quarter 3, the students explored the concepts and applications of Chemistry in society. Their summative assessment challenged them to use their understanding and skills to be able to design an eco-house which incorporated the theme of sustainability in the design and use of materials.  The decision on using certain materials for their eco-house was anchored on their understanding of the changes in matter, both beneficial and harmful. In addition, developing a room layout involved integrating their knowledge and understanding of globally – accepted conservation practices in eco-house designs. Using their critical thinking and creativity,  the students designed a house considering the efficient use of materials, space, and energy. These are their outputs and reflections.

Grade 10: Music – Protest Song Composition

by Ms. Marie Briones, Music Teacher

The G10 wrapped up their unit on Protest Music last week with a presentation of their very own protest song composition. They were asked to compose lyrics on a simple single melody line around an issue/problem/cause of their choice such as political, social, socio-economic, etc. 

Here are some of what they have to say about the whole process of composing a protest song, from their challenges and trials to triumphs of how they overcame them, from what they are most proud of about their composition to how they think they could improve it.

“What I like most about my composition/process of composing is the creation of my lyrics. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to make a good piece, but I realized that as long as I stick to the formula and have an idea of what sounds good to me, I would be able to create something good for what amounts to an amateur’s attempt at composing. Overall, I am proud of my protest song because I was able to give meaning to the lyrics…”- Zeke 

Zeke – The Crisis.pdf    Zeke – The Crisis.mp3

“Listening to the melody every time I finished a measure was really fun. I thought that music was just for entertainment but I realized that every music needs to have a message. Every time, music tells it directly and indirectly, just like the music we made. ”- Dennis

Dennis Composition.pdf    Dennis Music.mp3

“Composing a protest song, I believe, is really being creative in the process though it also involves music theory. What I liked most about the process of composing is learning how to create a song which is the first time I have ever done. It was really fun creating the melody, the chord progression and the notes of the keys, fixing the notes/ lyrics to make it better, putting emphasis on the musical metaphors, and exploring Musescore application.” – Ron Michael 

Ron Michael – Others.pdf       Ron Michael – Others.wav

“The melody that I composed sounds really good compared to the number of times I tried composing. What I like most about my composition/process of composing is that we are able to think of so many outcomes and possibilities of how that music will come out. Composing is basically your own idea and knowledge put into one piece so your piece is mostly based on your creativity and imagination.” –Bryan 

Bryan – Our Life.pdf          Bryan – Our Life.mp3

Admissions News

Dragon’s Print

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

April 9
Saturday
1:00PM
Link to Register

EVENT

Ritsumeikan University (Japan) : Ask us! : Why choose Ritsumeikan & What undergraduate programs are offered

April 7 & 8
Book a Slot
(BST – British Summer Time is 7 hours later than PH time)

University of Oxford (UK): Webinar Series for Parents/Guardians: These are designed to provide parents of potential Oxford applicants with all the information they need, as well as give them a chance to ask us any questions they may have.

April 4, 5, 6 and 13
4:30 – 5:30pm
Link to register

New Zealand University webinars: (in cooperation with Beacon Academy in Manila) – please refer to the schedule below:

Participating universities:  University of Otago, University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, Lincoln University, The University of Auckland, Massey University, University of Canterbury, Auckland University of Technology

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO LIST OF PROGRAMS  AVAILABLE:  CLICK HERE
UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO LIST OF PROGRAMS  AVAILABLE:  CLICK HERE

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

CIS Students make their long-awaited return back to campus!

After two years of remote learning, it is difficult to describe in words the range of feelings I have had, and have observed from others, from our students being back on campus as we commenced our transition this week following health and safety protocols aligned to those of the IATF/CebuCity-EOS. While there were lingering concerns with safety from some, or how to cope with hybrid learning from others, overall I have observed a sense of relief, happiness, and excitement from students, faculty/staff, and parents. These feelings reflect our belief here at CIS that, while there are aspects of remote learning that have provided various benefits, the opportunity to interact with each other in person still holds a significantly high value to most, as it allows us to communicate and interact with each other with more depth and satisfaction. Everything went relatively smoothly, and we look forward to consolidating our new protocols in the coming week of transition!

Statement on the armed conflict in Ukraine: CIS calls for respect and peace

As the world watches with shock and horror at the Putin regime’s unprovoked and overwhelmingly condemned violent invasion of Ukraine, Cebu International School stands in solidarity with colleagues, friends, students, and communities in Ukraine, as well as those in neighboring countries, including Russia itself, who fear for themselves, their families, their country, and their futures.

The values inherent to Cebu International School are described in the IB Learner Profile Attributes, and infuse all elements of the school program, and therefore, the culture and ethos of the school. The importance of these attributes to the CIS community is clearly communicated in our core beliefs, which state, “as an IB World School, the Learner Profile Attributes and Approaches to Learning are embedded in all that we think, say and do.”

CIS also believes in the ideals of international mindedness. We are committed to actively working towards building a community that can learn together in a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just environment. 

Accordingly, we uphold the responsibility of all people to value and respect the:

• collective needs and rights of each community 
• needs and rights of all individuals to feel safe, protected, and valued, to have a voice and express an opinion, and to have the opportunity to thrive in all aspects of life. 

As an international community representing 24 different nations, when conflict occurs we encourage respectful open dialogue that seeks first to understand, and then to think critically to come up with peaceful win-win solutions. The principles outlined above that we hold dear are being violently violated in Ukraine, so we feel the need to reiterate that:

CIS stands against the violent use of force by any individual or country to unilaterally impose their will on other people or independent states. CIS stands for the Learner Profile Attributes that reflect the democratic values that underpin the values evident in the so-called free world. In short, CIS is for respect and peace.

Related Resources

Support Ukraine via Pechersk School International (PSI)
PSI is an international school based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Their website contains a selection of resources and support options (including Art for Peace in Ukraine).

How to talk to kids about the conflict
The following sites offer suggestions about how to talk to your child about events in Ukraine:

• How to Talk to Kids About Ukraine (New York times)
• Ukraine: 5 Ways To Talk To Children About Conflict (Save the Children)
• A School Staff Guide for Supporting Students Impacted by the Crisis in Ukraine (from SeaChange Mentoring – this guide has been developed for teachers, but may be of use to parents as well)

Grade 3 Class

by Ms. Katrina del Mar, Grade 3 Teacher

Ahoy Mateys! Our adventure into our fifth Unit of Inquiry, Where We Are In Place And Time, started this week. We began by unpacking a mystery box. The items included a map, five ships and a journal. Who can possibly own this box?

The Grade 3s believe this box is owned by an explorer. They explained that an explorer uses a map and a ship to discover the unknown. Explorers keep track of everything in their journal while they are at sea.

Taking charge of their own ships, the Grade 3 Captains sailed their ships to our new unit. Like explorers, they wrote down their very first entry in their Captain’s Log.

We invite you to write your very own journal. Think about your day. What were the best moments? What were the hardest ones? What did you do to get through them? Who made your day special?

Grade 7: Individuals & Societies

by Ms. Joy Pierra, Individuals & Societies Teacher

Research and analysis are essential aspects of Individuals and Societies. These aim to develop the students’ inquiry and investigating skills. One of the tasks that the students need to complete in I&S class is the research action plan. The research action plan template is designed in a way that students meet the objectives of the subject which are reflected in the MYP I&S learning criteria, particularly focusing on criterion B. 

The I&S 7 class completed a research action plan for the topic, “The Impact of American Civil War on the Americans and the world.” Students chose an area to be the focus of their investigation; political, economic, social, and the impact on slaves.

Here are some of the Grade 7 students’ thoughts about completing a research action plan.

Here are the different sections of a research action plan and their their corresponding learning criteria.

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

March 24
Thursday
4:00pm
Link to register

EVENT

Do Facts Mean Truth?
In a world overwhelmed by misinformation and falsehood, does knowing the facts always present truth and reality? This talk will introduce students to fact-checking through some fun examples and point out that our own biases play a part in our understanding of truth and reality. (Webinar by Hong Kong Baptist University, with a short presentation about admissions at the end of the webinar)

March 25 & 26
1:00 – 7:00PM

Study Abroad Virtual Fair

March 29
Tuesday
6:00PM PHT
Link to register

Scholarship Opportunities in Canada: Studying abroad can be an expensive undertaking. Hence, schools in Canada offer scholarships to international students in order to attract more students.

If you are interested in learning more about Scholarship Opportunities for international students in Canada, we invite you to attend this webinar.

SAT UPDATE 

To register for the SAT, you may click on this link.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Jenny Basa at jbasa@cis.edu.ph.

Dragon’s Print

During the past few months, the seniors have been busy as they devoted time to preparing for their IB mock-exams, a series of tests that cover their DP subjects. It is designed like the final IB exams with similar questions and aims to prepare students for the final stretch of the IB program. Read more about their packed week of mocks at https://dragonsprint.cis.edu.ph/

Finance News

Principal’s Corner

by Mr. Andrew Powell, EY-G12 Principal

As we prepare for a significant transition returning to campus next week, I thought it timely to underscore the importance of the ways in which we will prepare for our community to continue to thrive while navigating the upcoming change.

While many of our students will be excited about the prospect of a return to campus, we are mindful that some will benefit from ongoing encouragement and the space to talk and seek reassurance. Throughout the pandemic we have encouraged our students to grow, be adaptive and develop their resilience. This continues. We look forward to greeting our students with a smile and continue to stress the importance of empathy, relationships, and social-emotional development. Our teachers are committed to providing a welcoming, safe, and supportive learning environment.

Our students have been craving personal connection. Having a connected community is important for our wellbeing. It will be important that our teachers and students tend to their personal and virtual relationships in a way that cultivates a sense of a shared experience. We want all of our learners to feel valued through the way in which they interact with each other so that they feel secure and appropriately adjusted to a new but familiar learning environment. Our teachers are cognizant that this transition comes with a degree of uncertainty and will look to empower students through their connections with each other.

As a school we continue to seek creative ways to engage our community and reimagine education. The next phase of our teaching and learning involves a hybrid experience in which students at school and at home will be engaged concurrently in their learning journeys. We view this as a time of excitement and new possibilities. We have proudly embraced innovation within the school and continue to be driven by the latest research on High Impact Teaching Strategies. Our teachers are passionate about ensuring that all students succeed.

We’ve learned that a thriving school community is anchored by a commitment to ongoing learning and constant reflection. This is a process that involves all stakeholders. We look forward to working with you over the coming weeks and continue to be committed to cultivating a valuable school experience for our students.

Kinder/Grade 1 Class

by Ms. Tara Bersabal-Alagao, Kinder/Grade 1 Teacher

Homes
For the past five weeks, the Kinder and Grade 1 students have been inquiring about homes. First, we looked into the different kinds of houses around the world and learned that there are different types of houses. Some examples are apartments, mobile homes, cabins, houseboats and farmhouses. We shared what our perfect house would look like if we were to build a house. We learned about opinion writing. Opinion is what you think or how you feel about something. We learned the different parts of opinion writing using the OREO organizer. Then, we turned the picture of our perfect house into writing. We chose what color we would like to have for our perfect house and gave our opinion and explained the reason why we chose that color.

In this unit, we also learned about the different factors that we need to consider when making decisions in building and designing a house. We pretended to be architects and helped different families in deciding the house that would fit their needs. Some of the things that we need to consider are the climate, geography, available resources and culture. 

Through stories and discussions, the Kinder and Grade 1 students have learned the reasons why people need a home. They also discovered the difference between a house and home. A house is a building but a home is a place where we live with our family and where we feel safe, comfortable and happy.

Grade 9: Design

by Ms. Gerri Ancajas Jumao-as, Design Teacher

The Grade 9 Design class are currently busy exploring techniques and developing skills related to textile through a series of formative exercises.  

Repairing a tear exercise:  This exercise involves mending of cuts or tears in clothes.  

Here are some students’ works.

I sewed on  the towel. I used a striking color for the thread. I think it would be better if my sewing was a little more precise and consistent. – Yeseul

I think my ending needs a bit more practice, it was ok but I need to look for more techniques on that. Other than that I think I did pretty well; maybe I could make the stitches a little closer to each other but other than these two I’m not sure on how I can improve. – Noam

I think my sewing wasn’t that bad, especially that it was my first time doing it. I think I need to really practice and improve my sewing. I also think that I need help from other people who actually know how to sew also and ask for some tips. Overall I think it was ok since it was my first time sewing and repairing a tear. – Aaryan

I used the stitch called “Blanket Stitch”. I found it easy to do;  it was not really complicated because I used this stitch mostly when mending rips or small holes. Most of the stitches weren’t really visible from the outside, which was the goal of the work. Thus, I think I did a decent job on this one. – Annika

Patching a hole exercise:  This exercise involves using a patch of cloth to repair a clothing that has a hole in it, in order to protect it from further damage or to decorate clothing.  

Here are some students’ works.

Despite the fact that the whip stitch is easy to do, it was a bit challenging for me to use this method in joining the patch and the cloth. To improve, I should press the fabric and the seams properly as I sew to prevent the cloth from scrunching together, and paying close attention while doing so in order to make the stitches as straight as possible. – Fiana

I am pretty happy with what I did although, the piece of fabric I placed over the hole could have been a little bit tighter for it to not protrude so much. Next time I will make sure to stretch it out beforehand to create a better looking result. – Adam

During this task, I improved my precision and patience skills. This assignment challenged me to be extremely exact and patient. There’s a considerable deal of both. In order to get great results, I needed to establish a balance between these two abilities. – Roland

I think I did well with the sewing — not my best work but it was good enough as an amateur rookie in this field of work. Though I feel that way, I do think I could’ve done a better job in achieving the task this first time. In retrospect, I feel I struggled in certain parts of doing the stitch which I think could’ve been quickly overcome (but it seemed I couldn’t then). – Gabrielle

Adding buttons exercise:  This exercise involves sewing buttons to clothes as a fastener or decoration.  

Here are some students’ works. 

I think I did well on my sewing activity, the button was secure, and did not come off. I will improve my sewing skills by finding a more quick way to locate the holes where my needle is supposed to go through. – Elijah

I think my sewing was kind of good. I think I do need some improvement on how I handle the needle and I also need more practice to get used to sewing. Though this is the first time I put on a button, I did relatively well. Some parts of my stitches were also a little bit loose and that’s one thing I could improve. – Aaryan

Overall I believe my performance for this task was pretty decent. To improve I want to not crease my fabric and do it more accurately so that there is space in between the button and the fabric because if the fabric is too close to the button the person will not be able to move the button. – Sengo

I think overall I could’ve done a better job even if the product was functional and overall because it is pretty tidy. I think that some of the strategies to make improvements are to go even slower to really make sure I did every step well because the process is more important than the final product and the product is just what comes out of a well thought and well executed process. – Miguel

Weaving exercise: This exercise involves two sets of yarns or threads that are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.  

Here are some students’ works.

I think that I did ok for my first time, definitely need some improvement but overall for me I think it’s ok. – Sengo

Middle & High School Drama

by Ms. Stefanny Hermias, Drama Teacher

Grade 6 and 7 Movement: Pantomime

In our Unit 1, Grade 6 and 7 students are introduced to the concept of movement being an effective use of communication. Students physically created objects, and portrayed scenes through pantomimic technique. Students explored the basic principles of pantomime and used exaggerated movement to evoke emotion. Students also used deliberate and motivated movement to explore thoughts and feelings, which will prepare them to create a physical life for a character. In their summative assessment, they recorded a video of themselves  pantomiming  activities based on trending issues, such as: Covid 19/pandemic, typhoon Odette, remote learning etc. Here are some summative video responses from the Grade 6/7 Drama Da Vinci class.

Please click each student’s name to watch their ‘pantomime’ video.

Spoken Word Poetry
During our ACL (Adverse Circumstance Learning) program, Grade 6 and 7 Drama students explored the world of “Poetry”. Students had the opportunity to watch several videos on spoken poetry which included some performances from last year’s students in Drama. They have been provided with ready-made poetry materials that they could use for their individual pre-assessment tasks.

Please click here to watch some video snippets of the Grade 6/7 poetry  pre-assessment performances. 

Student reflections: 
I learned that I could speak fast, I usually speak slow so I didn’t really know I could speak fast without getting my tongue twisted. One thing that got in the way of my progress was that I would often procrastinate on practicing and recording during the week. This was because I didn’t want to record a video and talk out loud. But as the week was ending and the number of assignments decreased, I finally got around to practicing and recording a video. A big challenge I faced was taking notes about the poem, since this was my first time doing this I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. However, I was able to write down what I thought would fit and be relevant to the poem. I find spoken word poetry fun. I enjoyed decrypting the meaning behind my chosen poem, although I wasn’t sure what to do at first. I wasn’t that avid about shooting a video though, this is due to the fact that I usually work at night since that’s morning time in Cebu. If I were to re-do the spoken poetry again I would have tried to plan out my movements, since they were mostly random and only made a little sense when tied to the poem. Nino V. 

I think when doing this project I could do better but I think I had a hard time memorizing because my tongue got twisted in a way. Another thing is that I was able to speak loudly and I was able to memorize most of it, especially the last part. I liked the poem Iread. It really satisfied me.It was fun too in a way! Arianna P. 

Throughout this project, I’ve learned more about how poetry can help people realize their own portions of life, and how it evolves and develops with that realization. Another factor could be the simplicity in which I was able to articulate the section of the statement and position the emotions throughout the performance. Trying to find distinct emotions to communicate within the different lines that would correlate to the mood it conveyed was a problem that occurred during the performance process. The most difficult parts were trying to incorporate hand gestures and facial expressions as I was mostly focused on the emotions and how the poem was presented within words and feelings, but not so much on the hand gestures and facial expressions, which made it difficult to fully represent the poem with full on emotional responses. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the poem and experiencing the rush of sensations I felt when I first read the lines, reliving those emotions while understanding the passage and the poem’s significance and depth. Despite the fact that it was required, I despised the way I had to present.To emphasize the performance and give it more passion, I’d add more facial expressions and hand motions. M S. 

Grade 8 & 9 Drama

Unit 1: Monologues

Grade 8 and 9 students started their elective class in Drama  this second semester. During our ACL program in January, students were able to demonstrate their ability to memorize and improve their character development skills by performing a monologue. They were provided with 15 ready- made monologue materials to choose from for their pre- assessment tasks.

As we  resumed our regular remote learning, we explored the types of monologue and its features as well as ways on how to write a monologue.  In our formative assessments, students were introduced to a monologue which came from the Big Bad Wolf in the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. After reading and performing the monologue, they then had the opportunity to write their own monologue for a character in a story and delivered it in class. You may find some of the recorded videos of “The Wolf’s Woes” Grade 8/9 own version monologue below. 

Currently, Grade 8/9 Drama students are in the process of their summative assessments. One of the  tasks is for them  to be able to select one character from a published play or movie and find a 3-5 minute monologue that best represents that character. Stay tuned for their upcoming monologue performances that will be showcased soon. 

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor

Question of the Week:

Upcoming Virtual Events and FAIRS: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

March 17
Thursday
7:30PM Eastern time
Link to register

Investing in Your Future:  The Return on College
This interactive Q&A will:

• Explain the nuances of college ROI (Return on Investment) as well as its limitations
• Explore key findings of the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce report which ranked 4,500 colleges and universities by ROI
• Discuss how the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard can help families make fiscally responsible decisions

March 24
Thursday
4:00pm
Link to register

Do Facts Mean Truth?
In a world overwhelmed by misinformation and falsehood, does knowing the facts always present truth and reality? This talk will introduce students to fact-checking through some fun examples and point out that our own biases play a part in our understanding of truth and reality. (Webinar by Hong Kong Baptist University, with a short presentation about admissions at the end of the webinar)

March 25 & 26
1:00 – 7:00PM

Study Abroad Virtual Fair

SAT Update

The SAT exam for March 12, 2022 will push through.

For safety requirements and guidelines, please refer to https://go.cis.edu.ph/SAT-guidelines

Dragon’s Print

As students, we all know that the feeling of academic stress is inevitable. Even if you are a stellar student, it is extremely difficult to stay stress-free, especially as you progress through higher grade levels. Read more about academic stress and mental health concerns at https://dragonsprint.cis.edu.ph/

Admin News

by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of our on-campus classes on March 16, 2020. As we approach our two-year anniversary of remote learning, we look forward to the final phase of our return very much! In summary, our return to campus has followed three phases:

Phase 1: Family bubble exercise opportunities using school facilities (under the conditions of the Executive Orders governing exercising during specific alert levels) – Commenced May 2021.

Phase 2: On-campus SEL Activities trial (under approval from Cebu City Education HUB/EOC) – Commenced October 2021.

Phase 3: Return to on-campus face-to-face (F2F) classes – (under approval from Cebu City/DepEd/EOC) – Projected to commence mid-March 2022 – we hope to have a date for you within the week!

It is now time for CIS community members to give thought to what it will be like when we return to campus.

Our team has been working hard to make the transition as smooth as possible, but there will be areas that will require your attention. These will be both practical issues (such as arranging to pop into school to get uniforms for students who may have outgrown theirs and arranging transport), and psychological issues (such as preparing students being emotionally for being around others for a whole day and to how learning might be different with on-campus safety guidelines and doing hybrid learning).

We are aware many of our community members will have some anxiety over our return. This is normal, so in order to help students, parents, families, and teachers with this transition, here are some of the steps we are taking:

• We will be providing multiple opportunities for you to learn about the changes and expectations as we come onto campus, and ask questions.
  • These will include providing written/visual information – such as the Dragon’s Reignite Return to Campus Plan already distributed that outlines the health & safety and procedural guidelines for our safe return. (This is confidential to the CIS Community thus no link is provided here – please access it from the link in the Info Brief from the Superintendent emailed on Feb. 21.)
  • We plan to produce a few homemade videos to help you visualize what it will be like to be back on campus!
• Student orientation sessions will be provided on the first two days back on campus.
• Virtual meetings will also be offered for information and Q&A sessions. Parents will also be provided the opportunity to attend a parent orientation on campus!
• Our first two weeks will be a transition phase with a reduced schedule to facilitate us all getting used to being back on campus.

Our objective for this long-awaited event is to do our best to ensure the continuity of learning over the transition period back onto campus. More details will be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks leading up to the return date. Have a wonderful weekend dreaming about it!

Upcoming events of note

March 15 (Tue), 7-8pm: CIS Corporation Regular Meeting (for CIS Corporation members only)
Mid-March (exact date TBC): Return to Campus Orientation and Transition days
March 25 (Fri): HAD 3 (AM)/Faculty PD (PM); No classes in PM
April 4-8: STEM week (rescheduled so as not to conflict with our return to campus transition week)

Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar for the complete calendar of school events.

Early Years Class

by Ms. Aimee Valenzona, EY Teacher and Ms. Freya Abella, EY Class Assistant

A week ago, our EY explorers shared about the kind of sounds they prefer hearing. During our synchronous calls, we gathered their ideas and noticed how important it is for us to appreciate sounds and how music is connected to our emotions. We observed that soft sounds are pleasant and not all loud sounds are unpleasant. Most of the students prefer to listen to loud sounds during the day and soft sounds during the night. We noticed a few important points our students shared during our discussion. According to them, Music calms them down and it makes them feel happy and relaxed. There are two types of music, soft and loud music. They find music nice to the ears while noise hurts the ears. These are some of the ideas we gathered from our students. 

This week, the Early Years explored even deeper into our unit and tried a simple experiment to find out how sounds are produced by creating our own musical instruments. They were given the option to choose what musical instrument they would like to make. Then, they prepared the materials and started making their chosen musical instrument during our synchronous call. They learned about how sounds are produced by playing their musical instruments and by singing the song about Vibration. We continued with another experiment and made a telephone string to find out how sounds travel. We learned that our voice vibrates the air inside the cup and transfers to the bottom of the cup, then passes the sound waves to the string and to the other cup which allows us to hear. Our EY Explorers explored how these are done by using their telephone strings with their family members. 

In Literacy, our EY writers have started the beginning part of their book by identifying the characters and the setting of their stories. They started with simple drawings and shared how their stories began. As we move along, we will continue with our books and start thinking about what happens next in our stories. The process of creating their books can help develop their thinking, writing and communication skills. 

We are looking forward to finishing and sharing our books with our families and friends! For now, can you guess what happens next in our stories?

Beginning part of our stories:

Elementary: Language Acquisition – English

by Ms. Evangeline Belono-ac and Ms. Claudette Colinares, LA Teachers

In Language Acquisition-English classes, students engage in numerous learning activities to develop the four language domains- listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They explore words related to their units of inquiry to build their vocabulary, improve their comprehension, and to support them in accessing the curriculum. 

Speaking and Listening
Oral language skills are essential to a student’s language and literacy development. Speaking and listening skills need to be taught and practiced.  Students are more likely to master their speaking and listening skills when they are actively engaged in learning them.  Therefore, to enhance the students’ speaking and listening skills, they are provided opportunities to practice using the language orally such as sharing their experiences, participating in discussions, performing dialogues, doing oral presentations, and playing games. 

Building Vocabulary
Vocabulary development is vital in learning a language.  It is not only key to reading comprehension but also important in developing oral communication skills.  The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text and express himself or herself orally.  To expand their vocabulary, students explore words related to their units of inquiry.  They learn their meaning, spelling, and usage. They engage in varied activities to review and master the words such as Word Search, Crossword puzzles, unscrambling letters, and playing games like 4Pics-1Word, Pictionary, Drawize, Scattergories, charades, etc.

Reading
Reading is an important part of language learning because it helps students develop other related skills such as grammar, vocabulary, and writing.  It allows students to see grammatically correct sentences in context and this can serve as their model for their own writing.  While reading, students learn new words.  In class, students read fiction and nonfiction books related to their units of inquiry to improve their accuracy, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Reading materials are utilized as mentor texts or as springboards to writing activities and to support the reading skills developed in their literacy class.

Writing
Writing is another integral element in learning a language.  It provides students with the avenue to learn all the rules of their language and how they can better organize their ideas more coherently using the language. Writing practice helps students think and speak in the language they are learning. As they continue practicing, they are able to quickly form new thoughts in that language. The practice eventually leads to proficiency in the language because they have developed a deeper understanding of it.  Students learn grammatical rules and structures and apply these skills and knowledge in their writing. Following the writing process, they produce various texts based on the writing genre focus of their homeroom literacy class.

Model United Nations 2022 (BEIMUN)

by Ms. Emily Cornet, IBDP Coordinator

During the second half of February each year, students from CIS have typically travelled to China to participate in the prestigious BEIMUN Conference, hosted by the International School of Beijing.  For the second year in a row, this conference took place in an online setting, with over 400 students from 39 different schools joining Microsoft Team to have committee meetings, breakout sessions, and debates. The Conference spanned four days, with an additional prep day the week before.

Our team of seven students from CIS were spread across committees participating in discussions surrounding vaccine passports, protecting human rights of people with different sexual orientations and gender identities, declining birthrates and aging populations, anthropocene extinction, and the conflict between Russsia and Ukraine.  Students prepared resolutions and amendments in teams with students from other schools, as well as voiced the opinions of their assigned countries through parliamentary debate and questions.

One student described their experience as “​​There were definitely many situations that involved us feeling confident and unsure, especially when writing our resolutions. Due to this bit of uncertainty and drive to finish before the committee session, I felt that this was the main highlight of the conference. I was able to learn from the other delegates and hear the great ideas they had in their own resolutions, and finally work together to merge them. During this session, we talked about the reduction of carbon emissions, renewable energy, business compliance with environmental laws, and awareness. Additionally, we planned on defending and focusing on some clauses in our speeches as the delegate of China facilitated the discussion, and I am glad that the resolution passed.”

Another student said, “Although I didn’t talk as much, I had a good experience because this was my main first MUN where I did thorough research on my topic, due to interest, and it also feels sad knowing that this might be my last BEIMUN.”

Congratulations on a great job done over the February 24-27 weekend to our CIS BEIMUN Team: Akeisha M (11), Hayun W (11), Jun J (11), Jooha C (11), Thomas K (11), Seohyun P (10) and Selly P (11).

Assessment Should Never be a Mystery

by Mr. Jon Denton, MYP/PYP Coordinator

Imagine an assessment where you are given the answer scheme ahead of time. Where you know how you have done before the teacher even looks at your work. No need to imagine. This is the reality of assessment in the MYP.

MYP achievement levels are defined by a set of descriptors that paint a clear and transparent picture of a student’s current level of understanding within that subject. Achievement levels are earnt by students when they demonstrate the qualities that are defined by the descriptors. Furthermore, these levels are standardised in a manner that a student receiving an achievement level of “four” at CIS would receive the same level of achievement from every teacher in any MYP school throughout the world. 

How achievement levels are determined
Each subject is assessed against four learning criteria that have been defined by the IB. Criterion A deals with subject specific knowledge and understanding, Criterion B with research and exploration, Criterion C with communicating understanding, and Criterion D with critical thinking and applying understanding to real world scenarios.

Each criteria is broken down further into stands that deal with specific skills. For example in the Personal Project Criterion A Strand one asks students to state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal. Note how each level has been defined. The terms in bold are command terms, and they distinguish the difference between the levels. 

To determine a student’s achievement level we start with the first descriptor and ask ourselves, does this describe the student’s performance – have they stated their learning goal? If the student work exceeds the expectations of the first descriptor, we determine whether it is described by the second descriptor – the student outlined the connection between their personal interest and that goal.  This practice continues until we arrive at a descriptor that does not describe the student work; the work will then be described by the previous descriptor. 

To help students succeed the teacher will provide examples of what each level could look like, as has been done below.

Please note the skill that is being developed is to give a detailed account of a process that includes the reasons and causes. The example clearly shows the difference between outlining, describing and explaining. This skill of being able to explain rather than outline is transferable to all subjects. Whenever they see the term “explain” in an assessment they will know what is expected in the answer. This constructionist approach will enable students to be successful in all their subjects.

College/Careers Counselor Corner

by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor

Upcoming Virtual Events and Fairs: (students & parents are welcome)

DATE

March 5
Saturday 
4:30PM
Register HERE

EVENT

Do you want the chance to meet with over 60 universities worldwide?  If you do, please join the Webifair tomorrow.

CIS is a co-host high school. There will be a 20min. Session on “How Colleges Evaluate Applications”. At the event, there will be a workshop on “AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 MINS – HOW TO MAKE STUDY ABROAD AFFORDABLE” where students can hear about how to make international education affordable in 8 different countries and a career fair with 60 universities around the world whom they can meet individually (including Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, U.K, the U.S).

March 9, 2022
6:00PM PHT
Register here

Rice University (USA)
Information Session for International Students

March 25 & 26
1:00 – 7:00PM

Study Abroad Virtual Fair

SAT Update

The SAT exam for March 12, 2022 will push through.

For safety requirements and guidelines, please refer to https://go.cis.edu.ph/SAT-guidelines

Corp. Notice