Category Archives: We are IB Learners!

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How to Write A Newspaper Article…

Schüler machen Zeitung!

On Tuesday the 20th of November an expert from the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung came to visit the excited grade 9/10 German Language and Literature class. He was doing his “Volontariat” for the RNZ, which is a type of payed training to become a full-time “Redakteur” or editorial journalist.

He spoke to us for more than an hour, and explained, in depth, how the life of a journalist working for a newspaper is like. Describing the exciting experiences as well as the challenges and difficulties of taking that career path. Afterwards he told us a little about how writing articles for the newspaper is done best and gave us a few insider tips and tricks. After answering the many questions that the class had prepared beforehand he gave us some personal advice for our own projects.

A few weeks ago we have started a so called “Schüler machen Zeitung Projekt” which entails daily RNZ subscription and a newspaper article writing competition where every student is to write an article about something that fascinates the and the best ones will be printed and published in the newspaper! There is also a money- prize for the best three articles from all students taking part in this project.

We were very happy to get such a behind the scenes and in depth overview of journalism and writing articles so a great thanks to Herr Jonas Labrenz.

 text: Ishikaa

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Waldpiraten Run Donations – Where did it go?

On the 13th of November, we visited the Waldpiraten Camp in Boxberg. If you recall, earlier this school year we had a Waldpiraten run, in which the whole school was involved.

We, students and teachers, ran under the hot sun for a few hours and donated money for each lap. Turns out, we collected 2805.38 Euros , the largest sum ever raised by the H.I.S community. The money was donated to the Waldpiraten Camp as H.I.S. has done so for years.

Sonja Müller, the leader of the camp, also gave us a tour of the camp and was astounded by the amount of contributions and was curious to know more about our yearly run to support their organization.

The Waldpiraten Camp is a place where children who are diagnosed with cancer or have disabilities can come together, share their experiences, and have a good time. A certain number of children join the nine day camps throughout the year, however mainly during summer months. They also have the chance to bring their relatives on specific weekends. The whole camp operates on government subsidies and donations similar to the one our school gave. The money we donated, according to Sonja Mueller (one of the social education workers at the camp), can pay the full stay for two children at the camp.

Along with giving our collections of donations, we also got a tour of the camp. Here are a few insights of the camp. The camp has a variety of facilities including:

  • Theater room/stage
  • Art room 
  • Color coded huts
  • Playroom
  • Playground
  • Football field
  • Cafeteria
  • Adventure park
  • Fire pits
  • Large pizza/bread oven

The organization emphasizes that all children taking part in the camp will be able to share the same experiences, as the different activities they provide have been adjusted to all conditions. For example, at the camp they have an adventure park in the trees where all the children can take part and climb along the obstacles. Certain obstacles that attach to platforms are constructed in a way that children in a wheelchair can also have the chance to participate and experience being high up in the trees. Sonja Müller, told us that there are also other exercises they perform on a rock climbing section, where the children that can see have to cover their eyes with a blindfold and then try to climb up the wall. It is important for some of those in the camp that are not blind to understand how difficult it is to do certain activities and also have the chance to experience it for themselves. By the end of their camp, the children end their exciting nine days with a disco party, which they all love to take part in.

 The camp, organization, and facility is truly another home for the children, that allows them to feel comfortable and at the same time, develop new skills through a variety of activities.

Thank you, H.I.S. community, for being “dedicated to making a difference” over the years by supporting the Waldpiraten organization and giving opportunities for children to go to the camp.

text: Kyra & Pritha

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Life Hacks

Friday activities have seen some of the MYP students have the chance to learn some ‘life hacks’. The most recent lesson saw students learn some workplace skills including how to tie a tie and how to iron a shirt, along with creating some tasty Halloween treats. Students rose to the challenge and were excited to learn some new skills.

  

text & photos RS

 

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Service Programmes at H.I.S.

At Wednesday’s PTG coffee morning, we were very happy to present to a large number of parents about Service Programmes at H.I.S. We took you on a short trip with us to Mayana, Namibia, to hear a personal tale about the impact of service on the individual, and we brought you closer to home to see that when the community pulls together, we can run to raise money and even build a new playground.

In each IB programme, Action and Service are key terms. In the PYP, students are encouraged to find their agency; that is, to realise they, even at a young age, have the power to change things. They might change their diet after learning about healthy lifestyles or encourage their family to visit a local museum to learn more about their current unit. In MYP, students develop these skills further and are supported to undertake service projects. This service-based learning has the advantage that students are addressing the seven learning outcomes stipulated by the IB as well as addressing a real need in the community. In the DP programme, Service is the ‘S’ in the compulsory CAS programme, the completion of which is required in order to receive a diploma.

 

It was a pleasure to be able to share with parents some information about these programmes as well as briefly share and celebrate the many service projects the H.I.S. community has contributed to over the years. We hope to keep service firmly on the agenda this school year, building off the success of the Waldpiraten run and playground project. We are always looking for and welcome contacts and support in this, so please do get in touch if you have ideas of projects or groups that we might develop links with in the coming years.

 Helen Parsons and Birgit Kress

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Sports Leaders

Grade 10 students have nearly completed their Sports Leadership unit. For their assessment they had to work in pairs and plan and then lead a sports activity session of their choice with their peers.

Many different activities were chosen including Volleyball, Badminton, Ballet, Hip Hop Dancing, Soccer and Hockey. Leading a sports session can be quite challenging and many of the students found out they had to really work hard in planning their session.

The students responded really well to this assessment and taught their teacher how to do ballet dancing.

Who knows, maybe some of them could become future sports coaches. Well Done!

text & photos JK

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Field to Douaumont, Verdun

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, students of Grades 9 and 10 and the History students of Grade 11 took a trip to Douaumont near Verdun in France.

The trip was part of an interdisciplinary unit combining the subjects History, Science and English.

Interdisciplinary units aim to deepen the understanding and enrich the learning experience of students by allowing multiple points of view of concepts or topics.

 

Douaumont is the site of the longest-raging battle of World War I and the visit brought real life context to the class room teaching. We visited the ossuary, military cemetery and the fort. It was a worth-while experience for students and staff alike.

text & photos AK

 

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Archaeological Dig

Grade 5 began their new Unit of Inquiry, digging around for clues of the past.

During the next six weeks, these students will be taking on the role of archaeologists as they investigate the beliefs and products of past civilizations, that have influenced the development of modern culture.

Before embarking on their first excavation, students learned about how archaeologists use grids to record the exact location of artifacts. The class then discussed the importance of making observations and taking detailed notes, in order to make inferences about what past civilizations were like.

After brainstorming questions they might ask themselves while uncovering treasures from the past, students divided their inquiries into each of the key concept questions – i.e. form, function, connection, change causation, perspective, responsibility, reflection.

Finally, it was time to prepare their bags for their adventure into the past. Students made a list of items we would need to take with us on the excavation and were headed out.

      

The first task our archaeologists had to tackle was laying down the grid. Using geometric skills, students measured out the x and y-axes, divided the increments evenly, and made sure that all necessary gridlines were parallel and perpendicular. Then it was time for digging…    

Once the artifacts were uncovered, students brought them back to our facility, where they recorded their findings in great detail.

      

These Grade 5 students are learning first-hand, how primary sources are used to tell us more about the past and how we got were we are today.

      

text & photos: FW

 

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Needs And Wants

Grade 1 just finished their unit “Needs and Wants”. The students showed their knowledge and understanding of the unit topic by creating commercials. They advertised old products that were used on a daily basis and compared those to the new version of these products. Enjoy the creative energy of the Grade 1 students and watch their presentations on the H.I.S. Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/heidelberginternationalschool

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A Day of Service

The IB Programmes at H.I.S. facilitate a holistic approach to education. As well as academic lessons, the students have opportunities to develop their creativity, physical health, their social and emotional skills – as well as have fun.

Service is one aspect of the curriculum that is common to PYP, MYP and DP. Of course, it looks a little different depending on the age of the student, but the idea of giving our time for the good of others, is the same throughout.

To be able to identify with the experiences of our students and in turn to be able to support them effectively, the H.I.S. staff took Monday 1st October as a day of service to the Heidelberg community. We were involved in three projects; helping to sort and sell second hand clothes at the German Red Cross (DRK) store in Epplelheim, clearing weeds from the carpark at the Hoffnungskirche and supporting the keepers in various areas of the Heidelberg Zoo.

Back in school on Tuesday 2nd October, we reflected on our experiences and presented our reflections to one another.

There was an awareness of being part of a bigger picture – our small sorting or weeding contributions did not necessarily finish a job, but definitely helped!

The development of a team within a task led to increased efficiency and learning to anticipate one another’s needs – how quickly sand can be distributed!

It was rewarding to receive feedback whether verbally from those instructing us or from watching the pigs roll around excitedly in their new bed of woodchips!

We gave our day for the agenda of another, we persevered through the heat and the smells, we challenged ourselves physically… and we look forward to the next time!