Admin News
by Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent
It was a delight to see all the smiles and hear the laughter today as our students enjoyed our third House Activities Day (HAD3) for the year this morning. Well done to and thanks to the ES and MHS Student Councils with their respective supervisors for organizing the event, and to all teachers and staff who helped set up and supervise the activities!
Please take note of an eventful coming week. Our annual IB Art Exhibition commences Monday and is located in the CIS Studio this year. G10-12 Parents, Ms. Basa is hosting a valuable meeting for you to learn how is your child supported through the College Application process, so please plan to come on Tuesday (8-9 am, Annex). And finally, we have our third ISAC Tournament for this year happening next Thursday-Saturday in Manila. All the best to the Girls’ Football and Boys’ Basketball teams as they compete. Go Dragons!
Have an enjoyable, balanced long weekend from tomorrow!
Upcoming events of note
- Mar 16: End of third quarter; HAD 3 (AM)/Faculty PD (PM); No classes in PM
- Mar. 17 – School Holiday (end of term 3)
- Mar 20-Apr 3 IB Art Exhibition @ CIS
- Mar 21: G10-12 Parent Meeting
“How is your child supported through the College Application process?” (8-9 am, Annex) - Mar 28: Parent Coffee Meeting
“Reviewing the CIS Guiding Statements” (8-9 am, Annex)
Please refer to the CIS Event Calendar for the complete calendar of school events.
SEL in the PYP
by Ms. Evangeline Villagonzalo, Guidance Counselor
The school continually works on promoting and achieving students’ socio-emotional & personal development, care, and protection. Cultivating a healthy environment for the entire community is considered paramount. For the past weeks, the guidance sessions during homeroom time in the elementary classrooms focused on self-care and being in charge of our bodies. The students were involved in learning engagements designed to develop good habits and empower students to make good choices.
The lessons and activities were geared towards discussing the personal benefits of learning how to protect and advocate for oneself.
Students studied the importance of developing good grooming and good habits. In the process, students gained an understanding of their bodies and the social-emotional impact it has on them as they grow and experience changes in different aspects.
Furthermore, they learned about basic refusal skills, which is when it is okay to say “No”. While grasping the idea of consent, personal space, and boundaries, we talked about the difference between “safe touch” and “unsafe touch”. Students participated in follow-up activities that gave them an opportunity to recognize safe and unsafe situations and the impact of making smart choices in protecting themselves when faced with difficult situations.
Helpful tips for parents:
- Talk with your child/ren about self-care and being in charge of their bodies.
- Provide opportunities for your child to practice these skills by respecting their personal spaces and boundaries.
- Recognize and praise them when they are caught practicing and/or displaying behavior that shows self-care and making smart choices.
Grade 12: Visual Arts Exhibition
by Ms. Gerri Ancajas-Jumao-as, IB Visual Art Teacher
The Cebu International School Visual Arts 12 Exhibition presents the work of the talented Grade 12 Visual Art students as a culmination of their 2 years study of IB Visual Arts. Working in diverse mediums and styles, these students delved into a variety of themes and concepts, each one drawing on their personal inspiration and experiences to produce an impressive, significant body of work.
Featured Students:
Naoki
Patricia Marie
Chewon
Yoonseo (Victoria)
Yongwoo (Roy)
Grade 8: MYP Individuals & Societies
by Mr. Damon Freeman, Individuals & Societies Teacher
The grade 8 I&S students were tasked to each select an Indigenous Group from around the world and embark on an ambitious research project that would promote knowledge and awareness of the group and crucially: the need for us to work to preserve indigenous groups` cultures.
The idea of preserving Indigenous Groups is intrinsically attached to the international mindedness we try to promote to our students as global citizens.
The project was divided into four parts. Each student needed to complete a detailed research action plan where they had to find a large quantity, as well as a wide variety, of sources and analyze each source using the OPVL method we had studied in class. Once a bulk of information had been gathered the students created a static display, a short video and participated in a tough interview about the knowledge they had obtained about their Indigenous Groups.
The project culminated in an exhibition where students and teachers were invited as guests to learn about the Indigenous Groups. Our guests asked simple as well as complex questions about the Indigenous Groups which allowed us to ascertain the level of critical analytical thought that each student had put into for their Indigenous Group.
Well done to the grade 8s for producing superb projects and for helping to promote this vital concept of the preservation of Indigenous Groups.
Indigenous Groups featured: Dine (Navajo), Papuans, Bare, Maori, Ainu, Mongols, Samal Badjao, Maasai, Mi’kmaq, Inuits.
Grade 6: Science Class
by Ms. Haydee Montero, Science Teacher
“How do changing physical conditions affect the growth & survival of living things?”
An abiotic factor is a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment. Different types of ecosystems showcase how different abiotic factors affect biotic components. In a terrestrial ecosystem, these include temperature, light, water, pH, and the availability of food, while in a marine ecosystem, the abiotic factors would include salinity and ocean currents. Abiotic and biotic factors work together to create a unique ecosystem.
Working on Unit Three’s Statement of Inquiry, “A sustainable environment depends on the relationships and interactions between living and non-living components”, the Grade 6 students explored a few of the abiotic factors that might affect the growth of the monggo seedlings.
Here are some snapshots of their actions caught on cam and their realizations on the concepts:
The seedling showed no growth in clay soil. Clay soil is unsuitable for planting because it cannot effectively absorb water. Because there is little space between the mineral particles in clay soil, which is composed mainly of very minute mineral particles and has little organic content. The soil is sticky and does not drain the water well. Because clay soil is hard soil, the water simply pools on the surface rather than being absorbed. According to Plant Problems Seed Sprouting (2020), heavy clay soils make it difficult for a seedling to break through the cement-like soil because clay soil is heavy and compacts easily, and drains water slowly (Colleen Vanderlinden, 2022; Cathy Pleasant, 2015). -Rebecca, Rhianna, Roy, Creag & Ari
The seedling placed in pH 8.0 which is above normal, made the seedling rot, while the seedling placed in a pH below 7.0 did not rot. A pH above 8.0 allowed the seedling to grow well, while 2.0 pH had the least amount of growth.
For most plants, the ideal pH is slightly acidic and slightly alkaline. At extreme pH, the availability of some nutrients is decreased, thus stunting plant growth(Soil PH | VRO | Agriculture Victoria, 2023). – Dylan, Logan, Anita, Ofri & Kieth
Dragon’s Print
House Activities Day, better known as HAD, is an integral part of the CIS experience and continues to be celebrated every year. As another HAD passes, this article aims to express its vital role in bringing people together as well as fun facts about HAD’s history.
To read more, visit us at dragonsprint.cis.edu.
College/Careers Counselor Corner
by Ms. Jenny Basa, College/Careers Counselor Corner
The Australian government announced increased post-study work rights for eligible occupations and also increased the working hours for international students from 40 to 48 hours every fortnight. For more information, please visit this link.
College Events (Virtual and Face to Face)
DATE
March 21
Tuesday
8:00 – 9:00 AM
Canteen Annex
Open to Grade 10-12 parents
EVENT
How is your child supported through the College Application process? – A session with the College Counselor for parents to understand what their child needs to do in the College Application process and how parents can support them.
March 23
Thursday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
For all Grade 11 students
Venue: Canteen Annex
Writing a College Essay
March 24
Friday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
(Dragon’s Dome)
All Students from Grade 10-11, Grade 9 are invited, Parents are encouraged to attend.
College Fair on Campus – Meet university representatives from different universities from Australia, Canada and the UK. Click on the countries below for participating institutions. Parents encouraged to attend!
List of participating institutions:
Canada
Bow Valley College
Capilano University
Centennial College
Georgian College
Lakehead University
Loyalist College
Manitoba Institute of Trades & Technology
Niagara College Toronto
North Island College
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Ontario Tech University
Red River College Polytechnic
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Sheridan College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
University Canada West
University of Lethbridge
University of New Brunswick
University of the Fraser Valley
Vancouver Community College
Australia
Acknowledge Education (Stott’s College & Front Cooking School)
Adelaide Education Group
Australian Catholic University
Australian College of the Arts
Canterbury Institute of Management
Deakin College
Deakin University
Federation University of Australia
Flinders University
Griffith University
International College of Management, Sydney
James Cook University
University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide College
University of Canberra
University of Newcastle, Australia
University of Tasmania
University of Woolongong
Western Sydney University
April 19
Wednesday
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Canteen Annex
Nagoya University of Commerce & Business (Japan) – This is an info session with the university rep. He will talk about the admissions process, the programs they offer, and what it’s like to study in Japan.
SAT Update for 2022-2023
| SAT Test Date | Deadline for Registration, Changes and Regular Cancellation |
| May 6, 2023 (Digital) | April 21, 2023 |
| June 3, 2023 (Digital) | May 19, 2023 |
Test dates labeled Digital means that students will bring a device to the test center and take the exam using their device. The College Board may provide devices for test-takers who do not have access to a device. All test-takers for Digital SATs are still required to report physically to the test center to take the test.
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.