IB MATTERSJune 2011

Al Zahra College aims to develop faithful, knowledgeable and wise citizens who take responsibility for creating a better and more peaceful world.

We will challenge our students to become active learners and critical thinkers who promote intercultural understanding and respect.

IB MATTERS

A monthly publication about trialling the

Primary Years Program (PYP) and

the Middle Years Program (MYP)

at Al Zahra College.

The International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an exciting set of educational programs offered in more than two thousand school schools in over 120 countries around the world. The programs focus on student-centred inquiry-based learning and global concerns. They challenge students to think in sophisticated ways about the connections between ideas in different areas of study. They put learning into an international context.

Trialling IB at Al Zahra College

In 2011, Al Zahra College is a Candidate School for the PYP and a Candidate School for the MYP. The goal is for Al Zahra College to eventually offer all three programs to our students.

NOTE: AZC is undertaking a trial implementation of PYP and MYP. Authorisation can take several years and cannot be guaranteed.

The initial planning for PYP and other possible IB programmes at AZC began back in 2003.

Following first-hand experience with all three programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) in Qatar, Dr Darvall recommended trialling its implementation at AZC.

In 2008, AZC registered with IB as an Interested PYP School. Following a preliminary visit in

2009, AZC was invited to become a Candidate PYP School.

During 2010, AZC completed a Pre-Authorisation visit that considered our preparedness for authorisation as a PYP School.

At this stage, and with a lot more hard work, we plan to seek authorisation in late 2011.

In 2009, AZC registered as an Interested MYP School in preparation for the commencement of Year 7 in 2010. In 2010, AZC was accepted as a Candidate MYP School.

Information sessions are conducted to facilitate parent understanding of what PYP and MYP are all about - bringing learning alive.

PYP & MYP @ AZC

Al Zahra College has always held

parent-teacher interviews at the end of each semester. This year, we decided to include students as well.

Parent-teacher-student interviews were held for the first time on Wednesday, 29 June 2011. These

meetings provided an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning with their teachers and parents.

Parents were given a copy of their

child’s report card and were able to discuss their child’s strengths and goals with their child’s teacher.

Students had the opportunity to go

through their portfolios with their parents and explain why particular items were included in the folder.

It was an opportunity for

everyone involved to be reminded that we are all on a learning journey together. It was also an opportunity for children to discuss their achievements and

goals with mum and dad in their mother tongue.

I hope that everyone involved in the meetings found them to be positive and would love to hear your feedback on the experience.

Dr David McGregor

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews

End of Unit Presentations: June 2011

Curriculum Overview: Unit 3 Transdisciplinary Theme:

How We Express Ourselves

Central Idea:

A variety of signs and symbols facilitate local and global communication.

Key Concepts:• Form• Connection

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

• Signs and symbols• Reasons for the development of

communication systems• Specialised systems of

communication

Key Learning Areas/Outcomes Being Covered:• Science and Technology: ICS2.2,

PPS2.4, PSS2.5, INVS2.7, DMS2.8, UTS2.9

• HSIE: CUS2.3, SSS2.7• CAPA: VAS2.1, VAS2.2,

VAS2.3, VAS2.4, MUS2.1, MUS2.2, MUS2.3, MUS2.4

• PD/H: GDS2.9, INS2.3, COS2.1, V2

Transdisciplinary Skills:• Thinking• Research• Communication

Learner Profile Attributes:

Students will strive to be

• Reflective• Knowledgeable• Communicators• Inquirers• Thinkers

Attitudes:• Appreciation • Confidence• Curiosity• Empathy• Respect• Communication

Teacher: Angela Iliadis

Year 3 Presentation

Welcoming Girl at the Door - Tia Mohsen -Arabic and EnglishWelcoming Boy at the Door – Mohamed Youssef

Welcoming Speech – Medina and Ahmad Sabra

Good Morning Parents, Welcome to our Unit 3 Presentation. The unit is called “How We Express Ourselves”. Ahmad Sabra

We would like to present some of the work that we have done and let you know that we have kept a journal of our inquiry. Medina

Show Journal – Mohammad Kaywan and Abbas Alawieh

We have recorded our unit in this journal. Feel free to look at it at the end of our presentation.

Transdisciplinary Theme – Ali Jomaa

Central Idea – Noor

Key Concepts – Noureddine

Related Concepts – Mohamad Balaghe

Lines of inquiry – Farah

Questions and Provocations Title and 1st 3 – Khalil

Last 4 questions – Sophie

Key Learning Areas – Hassan Al Gharib

Learner Profile – Aya

Attitudes – Reda

Trans Skills – Hussein Soummaka

We have recorded our unit in this journal. Feel free to look at it at the end of our presentation. Mohammad Kaywan

During our inquiry, we discovered that flags are symbols that facilitate local and global communication. We have made flags for all the countries represented in Year 3. Rida

Lebanon, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Australia (including the Aboriginal flag) and Bangladesh

We would like to recite a poem for you now, “We’re All Aussies Now”. - All students Mohammed Darwish

Signs and Symbols Poem – Hussein Salim

I wrote a poem about Signs and Symbols and I would like to read it to you.Signs and symbols are fun to learnThere are so many that your head will

burstI love learning about signs and symbols butThere are so many, I can’t learn them

allTrying to learn them all makes me think that my head will burst

These are some systems of communication we researched….Braille is for blind people and it is an alphabet made up raised dots on paper. IsmailMorse Code is a system of communication through dots and dashes or long and short sounds called “dits” and “dahs”. EmanSign Language is a series of hand movements used by deaf people to communicate. ShahibaHieroglyphics is a picture form of writing used by ancient Egyptians. Hassan MakkiArabic is the language of the Quran. Rida SaifSemaphore like Morse Code is a system of communication. Combinations of flag positions represent the various letters of the alphabet. Abbas Alawieh

That concludes the formal part of our presentation and now the students will talk to you about their “design and makes”.

Year 3 Presentation (cont)

Year 3 Presentation (cont)

Al Zahra College

The IB Learner Profile is the

attributes and descriptors that

define the type of student that IB

hopes to develop through its

programs (for example, MYP).

THE LEARNER PROFILE

Risk-TakersCaring

Communicators

ThinkersReflective

Open

Minded

KnowledgeablePrincipled

Balanced

Inquirers

!

AL ZAHRA COLLEGE

3 - 5 Wollongong Road, ARNCLIFFE. NSW 2205

P: (+61) 2 9599 0161

F: (+61) 2 9599 0162

E: info@azc.nsw.edu.au

W: www.azc.nsw.edu.au !