EUROPEAN SECONDARY CAMPUS NEWSLETTER Edition 13.0 Friday 19 th April 2013

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1 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台 北 歐 洲 學 校 EUROPEAN SECONDARY CAMPUS NEWSLETTER Edition 13.0 Friday 19 th April 2013 From the Head of British Secondary and High School Section IB Art Show. It was my pleasure to attend the IB Art Show on Monday April 15. The IB Art students have worked very diligently over the past 2 years and the result of their hard work was some truly wonderful pieces of art. Congratulations to all students involved and also to Mr Hill for his leadership and mentoring of these highly talented students. Good Luck H4 s Today is the last day of school ever for our H4 students. The last day at school is a memorable occasion for any student and one I am sure they will never forget. They have represented the school with pride and distinction and I am so proud of their achievements. They are well placed to go off to the world as caring and responsible global citizens. I wish them all the best for their upcoming exams and encourage them to finish off 13 years of hard work by continuing to work studiously over the next few weeks as the study for their final examinations. TES Gala Evening I look forward to seeing as many parents as possible at the TES Gala Evening on Saturday April 27 at the Grand Hyatt. Our PSC do so many wonderful things for our school and it is important we all get behind them for such events. I hope to see you there! Warm regards, Stuart Glascott SCHOOL WEBSITE: CONTACT: Taipei European School, Swire European Secondary Campus, 31 Jian Ye Road, Shihlin, Taipei Telephone:

2 From the Deputy Head Dear Parents, We hope parent and students had a relaxing Spring Break that has left our H2 and H4 students in particular re-energised for the final push towards exams. Our High School Office has been a hive of activity as final coursework submissions for IB have been processed and final assessments conducted as their IB courses have come to an end. Throughout this process our students have shown their usual commitment to achieving their very best. Our teachers have spent many weeks now providing lunch time and after school revision sessions, with the school also being opened on Saturdays to squeeze every last ounce of learning out of our H4 and H2 students and I would like to thank them for the dedication that they have shown in supporting your children. Likewise, for our H2 students it is crunch time as they approach the final week of their IGCSE courses. Final PSHCE sessions will be dedicated to providing last minute messages to all of our H2 and H4 students on how to look after themselves during the exam season to ensure that they are fully prepared for the next few weeks of intense revision and examination. The school will be open to these students if they wish to come in prior to an exam or stay on afterwards if they wish to study. Some teachers will continue to offer study sessions even when exams have started, and our students will know when these are. I would like to echo the sentiments expressed earlier by Mr Glascott in commending the IB students who exhibited their art work at this week s Art Show. It was an impressive array of works of art that stimulated lots of debate among those who attended. Students were rightly proud of their artistic achievements and we hope to be able to hang onto some of these fantastic paintings, sculptures and photographs to inspire future generations of artists at the school. A wet but wonderful cross-curricular project was enjoyed by our Year 7 students last week who spent the day learning about marine biology, rock pools, coastal pollution and erosion whilst at the same time being inspired to produce music, art and creative writing compositions. Photographs and further information can be found in this newsletter. Thanks go to Mr Greaves and Mr Sparks who co-ordinated the day. Teachers and students alike commented that despite the weather the day was a definite highlight of the school year. Nothing quite beats experiential learning and we hope to see such days becoming a regular feature of our school calendar. Please take some time to read the astonishing accounts of how some of our Pi champions managed to remember hundreds of digits of the Pi formula. It will make your brain hurt! Warm Regards Chrysta Garnett From the PE Dept Crunch time! Studying and Exam Tips From Physical Education Dept. The idea of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind is something we try to advocate in Physical Education. Exams are known to be stressful, and a time where people neglect their body and focus on their mind. To many people this seems like the best idea, to focus on their studies only to improve their results. This can be a very mentally and physically draining process which can have the opposite effects. Exercise is well known to assist students in feeling energized and refreshed for their studies. It is also known to improve attention, speed of 2

3 processing and the ability to perform cognitive tasks. During studying it is important to try to find a balance between studying (Mental aspect) and also focusing on your body s health. Understandably, you may not have time to do a full workout routine that you normally do. Perhaps you do not have time to go for a long run, but try doing some form of exercise as a study break to refocus your mind. This could be as short as 15 minutes. Take a walk, lift some weights, do some pushups or something else to help your body stay healthy during exam period. Best of Luck! Craig Morris Head of Physical Education Never Forgotten Last week Year 9 students heard from TES guest speaker Mr. Michael Hurst M.B.E, Director of the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society. Michael talked about the Second World War in the Pacific and the students got a feeling for what the allied prisoners must have felt going to work in the depths of the mine tunnel at Jinguashi on the North East coast of Taiwan every day. Mr. Hurst explained about the suffering at other camps in Taiwan and the horrors of war more generally. This was an opportunity for students to remember the POWs and to reflect on their suffering. Mr I Stewart Head of History News from the Mathematics Department Do you struggle to remember a new phone number? Then maybe you need some tips on remembering numbers. Following the Pi Day competition, where students tested their memory to the limit by trying to recall as many digits of the fascinating, infinite quantity that is a circle s circumference divided by its diameter, won conclusively by Lenny Pelhate of the French Section, here are some of the methods used by our memory champions: 3

4 Lenny Pelhate, F6e (384 correct digits): Je les apprends en chinois, par groupe de 3 à 5 chiffres, car, comme ça, il y a moins de syllabes à retenir (les nombres prononcés en chinois sont généralement plus courts à prononcer): Par exemple: 12345, en chinois cela donne: yi er san si wu ( 一 二 三 四 五 ), alors qu'en français cela fait: douze mille trois cent quarante-cinq. Après les avoir révisé, je les écris 20 à 30 fois. Il m'a fallu 4 jours, chaque jour en travaillant entre 2 et 4 heures. Je suis bon pour retenir des numéros de téléphone et le nombre pi c'est comme plein de numéros de téléphone... Mais cela devient difficile de se souvenir au-delà d'environ 400 chiffres, surtout en aussi peu de temps. Jade Tsui, H1 (219 correct digits): I like the feeling that comes with remembering long chains of numbers, and it s quite important to have a reason to remember the numbers so you have something to drive you forward. Basically I separated some of the numbers into digits with the start of one line following the start of the previous line. For example I would separate into so after I remembered one chain of numbers I would immediately know what follows. Saku Kuittinen, Y8 (186 correct digits): I wanted to take part in this competition because I have a really good number memory. My technique is to learn a group of 10 at a time for example To learn these 10 I divided them into 3 groups which have similar numbers: (this one has 32 at the start, then 8, then 23 which is a reflection of the 32); 066 (this one has a zero and two sixes); 47 (these were the only ones left). On school days I study a group of 10 using my technique. Matthew Ng, H3, recalled 155 digits correct): Firstly, I remembered the first 30 digits from a song called the pi song. Then I realised that was not enough, therefore I remembered a lot more by using words. In around 10 short sentences I remembered 200+ words but I didn t remember the sentences properly, hence I made a mistake, but this was because I only made the words and studied them in an hour or so. The way I made the sentences was like this: the 3 correlates to the consonant m 1 correlates to the consonants s and z 4 correlates to r 5 correlates to the sound hard K and I have them for each number for example this sentence: "Marvin will Marinate the goose chick." this sentence gives etc... I got this tactic from an online thing when I was younger and I have been creating sentences with words for a while now, I find this way a very useful way to remember numbers. 4

5 Intermediate Olympiad Results We are beginning to expect fantastic results from our students in the annual UKMT competitions and they have not disappointed us this time. IMOK results: Jensen Yang, Milton Lin, Alex Lee have been awarded certificates of distinction, a medal & book prize. Stephen Lien, Daniel Lee, Justin Liu are awarded certificates of distinction. Elizabeth Morrison, Tim Cheng, Alpha Wu are awarded certificates of Merit Leo Ku is awarded a certificate of participation. Kangaroo results are also in, well done to Jacky Wu, Jeffery Sun, Jenny Li, Jolie Ting, Stephanie Kao & Sunny Tung who are all awarded certificates of participation. Awards will be presented later this term. From the English Department After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. Philip Pullman The English Department is proud to present the 2013 FOBISSEA Third Annual Short Story competition. Every year, FOBISSEA hold a short story competition based on a one word theme. A total of 37 schools take part in this and our students have entered for the past three years and have garnered honourable mentions for their stories submitted, though unfortunately no trophies yet! This year s competition theme is SECRECY. Students can write any kind of story they want so long as the theme of secrecy is addressed. The story must be 1000 words maximum and no more (the rules are very strict). One story from each school will be sent in and from there 6 stories will be shortlisted. These will then be judged by children s author and illustrator Joseph Theobald. The winner and two runners up will win trophies and have their stories published on the FOBISSEA website. Entries must: Have a title Be typed Be double spaced on one side of each page Be in TIMES NEW ROMAN font Pages must be numbered No illustrations, photographs or other identifying marks The final word count must be stated Have a cover page must be included which lists the title of the submission, the student s name, the name of the school, the school telephone/fax number, Miss Brown s address (claire.brown@tes.tp.edu.tw) Be in English Be original Be unpublished Not be submitted anywhere else simultaneously Please send entries in a.pdf format to Miss Brown s by 29 th April. Good luck! The scariest moment is always just before you start. Stephen King, On Writing 5

6 News from the Drama Department Three perspectives on the TES school production Sweeney Todd. Firstly, A note from the director: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (school edition) was a tall order really when you come to think of it. All those off key tunes, still moments, all that dark gothic angst, the bitter pill the audience is compelled to swallow every night as Sweeney pursues his dark desires - not to mention 140 pages of script with which to become intimately acquainted. Indeed, to this point, it might be argued that it had not been prudent to take on such ambitious material in the past - you can see why. Of course, the only way to develop and grow in the area of the arts in (and outside of) schools is to step outside of comfort zones, focus on your objectives and 'reach for the stars'. If that all sounds a bit 'Fame' then this year's musical production makes no apology for that. Indeed, Sweeney Todd is sophisticated enough an animal (as musicals go) to adroitly side-step that kind of criticism. But what it really comes down to is 'rehearsal'. Thanks to a very cooperative art department (particularly Mr. Hebden) the set was the most elaborate the school has seen, the acting was eminently well studied, the music was rousing, the mise en scene was satisfyingly sparse and the overall impact was... well, dare I say unforgettable. The students stepped up to the plate like true 'pros' in the end. It was a production beset by misfortune with main players being taken ill in the last week. The director was forced to 'give' his Sweeney on the final dress and managed to resist succumbing to the wry smiles that were radiating from somewhere high up in the ESC atrium and if that wasn't enough one of the stars was rushed away with severe food poisoning immediately after the curtain went down on the first night. As always the staff dug deep into a pot of goodwill and ushered and chaperoned and schmoozed and kept the show tight and professional throughout. The lead actors played their hearts out and even though Thursday was the best night, every night offered something new and exciting. Some of the students underwent a baptism of fire by the Friday, bouquets were flying and there was a shared and special sense of achievement in the atrium which was palpable for all to behold. What with unparalleled houses, wonderful buzz from word of mouth in the days after the production (they were still talking about it after the two week break!) and superb commitment from the enormous team of backstage crew, musicians, actors and staff ( Miss Campbell, Miss McNeill, Mr. Papps, Mr. Laing, Mr. Matthews and Mr. Sparks all contributed lovely things to the production ) this has surely brought in a new and very welcome era for school performance. My thanks to all for helping make it such a fantastic experience for everyone involved. Mr. Morris Head of Drama Sweeney Todd: a Retrospective Looking back on Sweeney Todd, I cannot help but remember the wondrous atmosphere, great acting and exuberant costuming that were brought harmoniously together by the precise nature of Mr Morris directing. While I was initially questioning the casting choice for Sweeney due to my personal reservations about what the character should look like, the moment that I heard his booming and powerfully deep voice singing No Place like London, all previous reservations about his appearance evaporated and I was fully captivated by his haunting portrayal of Sweeney as a broken man driven by revenge, lost love, and sorrow. 6

7 Chi Wen Chang s performance as Mrs. Lovett displayed an equal passion compared to Roger Lo s performance of Sweeney, but it was made all the more powerful by the multi-dimensional character of Mrs. Lovett. Her transitions between greedy business woman to sweet, doting caretaker (without as much as a pause) allowed the audience to immerse themselves fully in both her performance and the play itself. While every single performance given that night was incredibly well rehearsed and cast, there was one performance that for me, truly stole the show : that of Tobias Ragg, Sweeney s future apprentice. The energetic and hilarious portrayal of Tobias completely won over the audience, inciting much laughter and applause. The songs were well sung and performed by both the cast and the orchestra. Mr. Papps expert conducting created a dark atmosphere that perfectly complemented the sinister storyline of Sweeney Todd. A particularly fond memory was the involvement of the audience, a mainstay of TES performances, during the song Epiphany where Sweeney points his razor directly at various audience members. Somehow, I ended up being the first one being picked out and was fully embroiled in the anger flowing from Sweeney. It truly made me feel like a part of the performance and allowed me to become fully immersed in this dark vision of Victorian Britain with fascinating characters, wonderful soundtrack and deep narrative. It was a truly lovely performance, one that will stay with me for a very long time. by Bryan Goh H4JD Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd! The Demon Barber of Fleet Street After 15 years of exile in Australia, Benjamin Barker has returned to London with a new identity, Sweeney Todd. There he learns the sad truth from his unusual former neighbour Mrs. Lovett: the cruel and rogue Judge Turpin who fell under the beauty of Benjamin s wife, Lucy, ordered Benjamin s arrest in order to get closer to Lucy. Refusing the continuous solicitations from the Judge, Lucy poisons herself. At this time, the Judge also adopts their daughter Johanna. Helped by Anthony, the young sailor in love with Johanna and Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd journeys on his quest for revenge. Over the course of a long rehearsal period, artists started designing the set, choirs began learning their songs, and actors rehearsed their parts and practised their lines. Mr. Hebden as well as a few Year 9 students designed the set for the musical and their skills are to be strongly praised. The actors, realistically and terrifyingly disguised in detailed costume and makeup, should also be proud of their accomplishments. Their long rehearsal hours were proven worthwhile, and the acting skills shone brightly as did some valiant efforts in the last weeks from the orchestra. Indeed, Jonathan Haudenschild, member of the backstage crew, commented: The school has improved significantly, technology-wise and maturity-wise. He added: Students felt more committed this year. Overall, it was a professional school production, which offered the audience an unforgettable night. According to numerous opinion that circulated after the show, it was said to be the best musical ever produced in this school. Gabriel Baudard, H3 7

8 From the Assistant Head (High School) Good Luck H4 Students! Yesterday in PSHCE we had the opportunity to wish our H4 students good luck as they begin study leave on Monday. It is hard to believe that their two year IB course is nearly over! We are very proud of the hard work and commitment these students have shown so far, however they are not finished yet. Their biggest challenge, the final IB examinations are quickly approaching. A lot of work is being done to help prepare students in lessons and in extra revision sessions. While few people enjoy sitting examinations I urge our H4 students to remember the opportunity these final assessments offer a chance to show what they know and to prove their abilities as IB learners. Good Luck H4 we are cheering you on! H4 Graduation The H4 students and their parents have been informed of an exciting change to our TES Graduation ceremony. In the past the ceremony has been held in the Phase II Atrium at the ESC. However, as the IB cohorts have grown bigger, the Atrium space feels a lot smaller! This year we have 60 graduating students and so we will hold the ceremony at a larger venue that better suits our needs. With the help of Mike Humphrey, a TES parent, we were able to secure the eighth floor of the Chinese Culture University sporting complex. This space includes a formal auditorium and a reception area with spectacular views of Taipei (a stunning backdrop for our cocktail reception). We are very excited about the opportunity to host our H4 students and their families in this special venue. A big thank-you to Mike Humphrey and the ESC Parents Association for their support of this event. Mobile Phones At School A Reminder A reminder that mobile phones are to be switched off and stored in a safe place between 7:55am and 3:00pm each day. Phones will be confiscated and stored in the High School Office if they are used during these times. Ms Sonya Papps Assistant Head High School As the final exams approach, this has been a busy (as always!) and emotional week for H4 students as they bid farewell to aspects of their lives which have taken up a lot of their time and which have pre-occupied them greatly over the past two years. In recent weeks, students have said farewell to their Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, a course which has equipped them with thinking skills they could not have imagined having in the years leading up to IB. They are all now critical thinkers who are able to question what they see, hear about and feel in the world and, though the course has finished, the skills they have gained will never be lost. They will always ask questions, and that will move them on in life. March saw the end of Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) programme for H4 students as they uploaded their final portfolios for assessment. Like TOK, CAS is, in many ways, 8

9 something that is peculiarly IB, developing well-rounded individuals who care and are willing to give up their time for others, and who are balanced and creative. CAS experiences will remain as happy memories for many years to come. All other internal assessments have now been completed and sent to the International Baccalaureate Organisation for marking and all students now have marks under their belts in advance of their exams. They can now go into the exam hall comfortable in the knowledge that a lot of work has already been done, and that marks have been achieved. They should also remember that at least 50% of the marks come from what happens in that exam hall, so it s certainly not plain sailing from here (far from it), but they are definitely reaching the finishing line which has seemed so distant for so long. In recent weeks the Theatre and Visual Arts courses have ended, with all their diverse assessments having already taken place. Theatre performances have been happening throughout the past two years and have been reported on, but this week saw another spectacular Art Show, which displayed a range of styles, approaches and colours from our seventeen Visual Arts students. I am very grateful to Ka-Sheen Hui and Jorge Lee (both H3 members of the IB Productions team) for their article on this event, which follows. Our final Core/PSHCE lesson with H4 students yesterday involved a celebration of achievements so far (with the acknowledgement that there are many more to come!) and gave students an opportunity to thank a group of teachers who have played key roles in their development and success over the past two years. The session began with Victoria Yeh (Student Council Secretary) presenting certificates to H4 members of the Student Council. She thanked them for their commitment to the Council and the school and for their guidance of younger and aspiring members. The voluntary leadership of the Student Council is highly valued and regarded in our school and I am grateful to President Vernon Lin and the Student Council Executive for recognizing these former leaders. Many thanks and congratulations to Christine Shih (President), Tiffany Shiau (Treasure), Grace Tsai (Events Leader), Altman Tai (Central Committee Leader), Brandon Hsiao (Service Leader), Alison Chan (Events Vice Leader) and Sara Ellis (Central Committee Vice Leader). Mr Sparks then gave a talk about the procedures for final examinations and gave out some important documents which students need to keep safe and study carefully. Individual exam schedules were sent to parents in February, so please ensure that these are displayed prominently at home. The family can be a great source of support for students doing exams, so please familiarize yourselves with the dates they have exams and be extra kind to them on those days! Ms Papps and Ms Garnett then gave motivational presentations about visualization as a means of enhancing success, citing examples from the world of sport. This ended with a practical visualization exercise in which students took part with impressive focus. We ended our final session with by toasting (with fizzy grape juice fake champagne!) key members of the IB Team who have supported students for the past two years, and I would like to formally thank them again here. Mr Paul Lee, our CAS Coordinator, has supported, cajoled and chased all students to make sure their CAS portfolios were the best they could be, ably supported by CAS Advisers/PSHCE teachers, Mr Tony Cornes, Mr Chris Sparks, Mr Andrew Weng and Mr David 9

10 Wong. Mr Sean Kenny, our TOK Co-ordinator, and his team (Ms Sonya Papps and Mr Simon Thomas) have given our H4 students so many opportunities to think differently and creatively and I am grateful to them for all they have done. Mr Graham Bean, our University and Careers Counsellor, has given so much of his time to support students in making their higher education applications and support them on a personal level too. Finally, the H4 form tutors, who have supported students pastorally, on a daily basis all year. My sincere thanks to Ms Julie Dale, Mr Tony Cornes, Mr Fabrice Laureti and Mr David Wong. I have very much appreciated the support of my team and I know the students have too. Finally, I would like to wish all H4 students every success in their final examinations. As a year group, they have been exemplary. They are a focused and committed group of young people who we are sure will do well. We are already very proud of them and we look forward to being even prouder when we see what we hope will be wonderful IB results on 5 th July. Darren Latchford IB Co-ordinator Art is indefinite, there is no right or wrong answer, was the reply of a visitor of this year s IB Art Show when asked what art meant to them. Truly, art is an open-ended area of knowing with no right or wrong perspective and is open to a wide array of inference and appreciation. The art showcased this year, which was created by our seventeen IB Visual Arts students, was no different. The genres varied greatly from collections of self-portraits and professional photography to paintings and sculptures representing abstract interpretations of the world. When asked what inspired her to paint her masterpiece (A Way to Remember), Julia Chang replied, A lot of it had to do with things that people think are cliché, like friendship and graduation. These two things were likely to have been on the mind of all the graduating students since their time in our school is coming to an end. However, it is definite that they were not the only sources of inspiration as wider issues like political and social satire were definitely present much of the artwork on display. Out of all the questions we interviewed guests with, one muddled many into a dilemma about what kind of answer to give. The question was, If you could pick a work of art to hang in your house, which would it be? Most guests ended up listing an array of artwork, as it was too difficult to pick one definite work of art. Amongst all the favourites were Andrea Garcia s Human 10

11 Nature, Seulgi La s works which challeneged contemporary issues in Korea and Ruby Ho s diverse. My personal favourite was Reflection by Andrea Garcia, which was a sculpture of a robot looking at itself in a mirror. Dr. Weston also felt that choosing a favourite work of art would be difficult and when asked which painting he would prominently display in his house, he stated that he would definitely choose different works of art for different places in the house owing to their diversity and artistic nature. He also revealed that the European embassy often comes to the school to pick four to five piece s from the annual exhibition and we are all excited about which they will pick for display in Various people commented that the works on display were artistic, creative, innovative, experimental, on the edge, cool, diverse, unique and the daring nature of the students to embark on such innovative tasks were well appreciated by all who came. On the whole, the exhibition was a huge success. Many congratulations to Melanie Chan, Cecilia Chang, Julia Chang, Kar Mun Cheah, Claudia Cheng, Andrea Garcia, Ruby Ho, Cheryl Kao, Seulgi La, Aidan Lee, Fiona Lee, Ivy Sun, Ching Toh, Tiffany Wang Hsieh, Aron Weston, Deborah Zietz and Head of Art, Mr Matthew Hill. Ka-Sheen Hui and Jorge Lee (H3) IB Productions Harmony Home Project Launches The H1 Service Project for Harmony Home is now officially in motion and last week our first group of students visited the shelter in Wen Shan. At this shelter, volunteers look after babies and help to raise young children infected with or affected by the AIDS virus. This was a steep learning curve for all of them and they were clearly outside their comfort zone trying to comfort some lively and restless babies and entertain happy and mischievous toddlers with toys. Some of our students became very attached to the children there, and other just became attached to their toys, but they all now have a clearer first hand perspective of the value of their campaign to raise funds for and awareness of the work of Harmony Home, and the visit was a great success! Mr. Winter and H1 students at Harmony Home Mr Gavin Winter Head of Year H1 and H2 11

12 Theory of Knowledge, H3, Visit of Professor Mary Goodwin On Thursday April 11 th the H3 TOK students and several teachers were treated to a very entertaining and thoughtful presentation on the kind of knowledge that literature, especially poetry, can provide to its readers. Take for example my favourite of the poems she shared with us: read it yourselves and see what it says to you. THE POOL PLAYERS. SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon. [Gwendolyn Brooks] Discussion of the poem included whether its audience was predominantly Afro-American or not, and the impact of war on the mores of a society..and those ideas came from the H3 students, not teachers. Mary Goodwin succeeded in drawing out of the students a great deal of lively and clever comment. As a fellow-english teacher I admired her. But the students also deserve credit for being very open to the ideas of an outside speaker and very responsive to the sharing of other students. It was an excellent TOK class, since TOK lays a great deal of stress in its philosophy on the idea that others, though different may also be right, and on the generation of ideas from the students themselves. The Humanities invite their students into a domain of knowledge that is equally as important as the Sciences and Mathematics, but one that is configured and measured differently. Mary Goodwin was very clear and confident in her call to the students to value the education the Humanities give them, and it is worth remembering once again the wisdom of the IBO in insisting that the study of Literature be a part of the Diploma course, and that the Theory of Knowledge course, with its emphasis on thinking critically about how we assemble the information we call knowledge and then employ it in our daily lives actually operates, remains at the core of the Diploma. Sean Kenny, TOK Team Leader. From the University and Careers Counsellor H4 students are currently beginning their study leave for the IB Diploma examinations, after having received some impressive university offers particularly from the Hong Kong, UK, US and Canada. UBC and University of Toronto have made conditional and unconditional offers. Such schools as Washington, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, Parsons NY, Virginia, USC, Purdue and Miami (so far) have offered confirmed places to our students and have been accepted. Our UK applicants currently have chosen firm conditional offers for Oxford, Imperial, Nottingham and East Anglia. More are still waiting to choose theirs. A number of our talented art students will be attending UAL. HKU and CUHK in Hong Kong have also made conditional offers to some of our graduates. Recently there have been changes to the requirements for English proficiency for entry of international students to undergraduate programmes at UK universities. Fortunately, Cambridge qualifications (studied at TES) are one of the approved providers, which is an advantage for our graduates over others applying from overseas. See the following link: 0ZL0Y,4ABTH,1 Graham Bean, University and Careers Counsellor 12

13 From the Assistant Head (Key Stage 3) Year 9 s offer Support to Sport On the last day of Term 2 the whole of Year 9 travelled down to the EPC to support Mr Milner on Primary Sports Day. There was a new format for the day and in order to make it work the Year 9 s were needed to run the different stations as firstly the Y3 & 4 students made the rotation and then later in the morning the Y5 & 6 students competed. The Year 9 students did a fantastic job showing great responsibility and maturity as they counted scores, gave instructions and supported the younger students. It was fantastic to watch the students taking on a leadership role and representing themselves so positively. Their hard work was certainly appreciated by Mr Milner, the Primary staff and students as well as the large number of parents who came to support their children. This is something that will become an annual event as we will support Primary Sports Day again next year. Camp Taiwan and Outward Bound The response towards the Year 7 Camp Taiwan excursion has been great with the majority of students signed up for what will be an action packed and fun filled 3 days in the mountains. Unfortunately the Year 8 s have not shown such enthusiasm towards their outward Bound opportunity. I would like to take this opportunity to really stress what an amazing educational experience this is for our students. They will need to cooperate, support each other, show leadership, challenge their boundaries and be taken out of their comfort zones both mentally and physically. These experiences have such a positive impact on our students who all return stronger, more confident and more rounded individuals. I do hope that more students will sign up for this activity next week before we close the booking system. It would be a shame for students to miss out on such a potentially positive and enjoyable experience. James Woodall Assistant Head Key Stage 3 Year 7 Ocean Project Field Trip On the 11 th of April, the Year 7s went to Shimen Beach for an educational and experiential cross-curricular field trip spearheaded by Mr. Sparks and Mr. Greaves. The purpose of this field trip was to support their Love Your Oceans Home project which will be investigated across the curriculum and culminate with a Love Your Oceans Home sculpture and animation art exhibit for the Society of Wilderness at the Taipei Science Museum. This exhibit will commence June 8 th and last for 2 months. The Science Museum curator, LaBenida Hui, along with a marine biologist from Dr. Sun-Yat-Sen University, joined our excursion and offered didactic support to all Year 7s as there were many queries about the upcoming art exhibit as well as the aquatic life they were examining along the coastline. Our field trip last Thursday was divided into three areas of study: Geography, Art and Science but will reach even more areas of study back in our TES classrooms as well. 13

14 Geography: Hani Sparks We all sat under a natural stone arch to get cover from the rain and were given a notebook to work in. First, we talked about how the arch was made to be how it is today, so we learned about erosion. Erosion is when wind, rain, waves and ice hit against a rock breaking it down over a long period of time to make a new shape. Next was transportation, which is when the ocean picks up sediments and drops them in other places, over time forming a sedimentary rock. Lastly, we looked at deposition, which is when the water erodes the little bits of sediment and moves it to a sand bank when the river slows or goes round a corner. For an example of how it works, think about when you're in a car and you go round a bend and you all squish into one another. Then we did the 4 ways erosion breaks down large rocks. Firstly 'Hydraulic Action' is the force of the impact of water e.g. waves. Secondly, 'Corrosion'- a chemical reaction that corrodes material. Thirdly, 'Abrasion'- fine material hitting/breaking down surfaces. Lastly, 'Attrition'- big rocks thrown on other surfaces breaking them down. On our way back to the bus we had to find at least 3 ways that humans affected or changed the coastline, e.g. building roads. You have to cut down trees and other plants to build it destroying natural habitats for some creatures. Art: Vatsal Savani Wet! Slimy! Fun! Messy! Four words to describe the amazing activity that we had. The enthusiastic spirit of the Year 7s was mind blowing when they were picking up rubbish and trash from the vast beach. Styrofoam (foam), buoys, plastic and glass bottles, plastic lids, and other stuff, were some of the many things we collected. Using the debris collected, we are going to make a sculpture and an animation project to represent TES at the World Ocean Day exhibit in the Taipei Science Museum. Mr. Sparks and Mr. Hebden, our 2 most helpful teachers, explained to the squad how the bits and pieces were on a long journey that ended at the beach, or in this particular case, at the Science Museum. The team had a new experience which they will never forget and our motto of the day was from waste into a wonderful piece of art work. Science: Daphne Oani We were assigned to take photos of the plants and animals and investigate a marine life food web. Practicing catch and release with hermit crabs and puffer fish, we were able to get up close and have a first-hand experience with marine life and examine their food web. We also found algae/seaweed, plankton, krill, prawns, puffer fish - it goes a long way. From this outdoor field trip, we have been asked in Science to make a Food Web poster based on all the information we gathered from the beach and present our findings to our classmates back in school. Mr Raymond Imbleau, Head of Year 7 14

15 Voices for the voiceless: Year 8 s campaign for Animals Taiwan The Year 8 Service Project kicked off this week with an introductory visit by Liza Milne, the director of Animals Taiwan. Animals Taiwan consists of a group of volunteers, both expatriates and locals, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the island s abandoned and mistreated animals. TES and Animals Taiwan have agreed to work together so that our Year 8 cohort can gain knowledge and understanding about pet ownership, responsible animal care and develop empathy for stray, abused and abandoned animals that exist in our community. The service project will challenge students to be resourceful and creative as they plan campaigns using an array of multimedia, social network systems, brochures and posters in order to assist Animals Taiwan in getting some of the animals at their shelter adopted into good and caring homes. Students will also have an opportunity to visit the Animals Taiwan shelter in Beitou and get to meet and walk some of the animals who are currently awaiting adoption. Enthusiasm and excitement is running high amongst the Year 8s regarding this service project and it will be exciting to see how effectively their adoption campaigns will be. Timothy Sing Key Head of Year 8 & 9 Liza Milne informing Year 8s about Animals Taiwan From the Director of Student Services I need to inform you that this week we launched a new system for letting you know if your child has had to go to the school nurse for any reason which might require you to follow up in any way, such as with a visit to a doctor. Hopefully, the new system will see an end to those pieces of paper that parents used to find at the bottom of their children s rucksacks and other bags to advise that that your child received a bang to the head, for example. You and the class teacher will be notified via in such cases, with the reason for the visit, and the outcome. However, if your child has had a more serious accident or is particularly unwell, the school nurses will continue to alert you via a phone call. If you have any questions about this, the school nurse for your school section will be happy to answer them. David Reynoldson Director of Student Services 15

16 From the Library THANK YOU PARENTS!! Dear students, You must have noticed that we have two beautiful new sofas at the Phase 1 library!! Thanks to the ESC PA, we are able to replace our peeled old sofas with brand new ones that allow more students to sit on them and enjoy reading together. With parents great support, we also have ordered new books and DVDs that facilitate teaching and learning in all 3 sections. Please keep an eye out for the library news and visit the library regularly so you won t miss our thrilling new arrivals! Happy Reading! Angela Chang Chief Librarian angela.chang@tes.tp.edu.tw 16

17 Num 3 La Gazette Française Date: Avril 2013 Vernon Lin, Président du Conseil des Elèves : par les élèves, pour les élèves. VIE DE L ECOLE Par: Gabriel Baudard Il y a quelques mois, tous les élèves de l école ont participé au nouveau «Values Day», qui a enseigné aux élèves, ou approfondi leurs connaissances sur la parole, et la valeur qu elle peut avoir. Lors de cet évènement particulier, les élèves ont eu la possibilité, pour la première fois dans l histoire de l école, de choisir leurs propres représentants, et voter pour le président du Conseil des élèves auparavant choisi seulement par les membres du Conseil. Suite à la page 3 English translation page 4 «Unite for Progress», le slogan de la campagne de Vernon Lin. Le changement de l équipe éditoriale Nous voici nous voilà, vous nous connaissez bien et bien non car nous avons beaucoup changé. Le changement se définit désormais par une plus petite équipe, néanmoins plus efficace et plus motivée. Nous avons un nouveau look plus minimaliste. Notre mission est de vous informer d une manière précis et simple sur la vie des élèves de la Section Française dans l École Européenne. La Gazette Française publiera ces articles chaque deux mois, avec peut être des éditions spéciales qui seront publiées mensuellement Martin Muñoz Ledo, Rédacteur en Chef Interview de Emmanuel Fritzen, directeur de la Section Allemande Page2 Interview du nouveau président du Conseil des élèves: Vernon Lin Page 3, traduction page4 Le Nouvel An Chinois Page 5 ECA Les Voix de la TES Page 6 1

18 Interview d Emmanuel Fritzen Directeur de la section allemande. A quatorze ans, sa famille déménagea à Taïwan, où il apprit le mandarin. Il suivit ses études au Heng-Yi Middle School puis à l université de Fu-Jen, où il apprit le français. En 1968, il retourna en Allemagne, en continuant ses études scientifiques dans le même village Luechow. Il étudia plus tard la physique, les mathématiques, la pédagogie, la psychologie et les moyens d enseigner à l université. Après avoir reçu le doctorat d enseignant, il enseigna, en Afrique de l Ouest, à un niveau égal à notre éducation au secondaire : It was surely the most challenging event ever in my career, with no electricity, no Internet, no blackboard. Ecrit par Min-Chen Chu et Jonathan Dubruel. Interview réalisé par Min -Chen Chu, Jonathan Dubruel, Giulia Labertonière et Dorian Collard. Dans le cadre d un devoir C.N.E.D. portant sur l interview d un élu local, nous, élèves de la classe de seconde, étions allés interviewer Emmanuel Fritzen le mardi 12 mars pour nous entrainer à interviewer des personnes importantes. Quand nous sommes rentrés dans son bureau, l inquiétude nous ravageait. Bien que cet entretien ne fût qu un entrainement, le danger d être humilié devant quelqu un d aussi important était très stressant. Ainsi, quand nous avons commencé à nous présenter, nous avons fait tout notre possible pour montrer le meilleur de nous- mêmes! Emmanuel Fritzen est né à Berlin-Neukoelln en 1952, soit en Berlin de l Ouest. Dès son plus jeune âge, il possédait déjà dans l esprit l idée d enseigner, ce qui le mènera bien loin. Il fit ses études du primaire et du secondaire dans le village de Luechow, en Allemagne. En 1992, il retourne à Berlin, et prend le poste de principal dans une école qui abrite des enfants économiquement en difficulté. Il prit ce poste car il voulait mettre en pratique des stratégies pour changer la manière d éduquer les enfants. Il voulait aussi un challenge auquel il pourrait se mesurer. En 2006, il songea changer de lieu d enseignement, et passa du cursus Allemand au cursus international, où ses stratégies fonctionneraient mieux. En regardant la liste des écoles étrangères internationales, il vit notre école, la T.E.S., qui proposait une place de directeur dans la section Allemande. Coup de chance! Il voulait justement revenir à Taiwan, son lieu d enfance. Suite à la page 5 2

19 Continuation de la page 1 Quelques semaines avant les élections, les trois candidats, Vernon Lin, Rachel Chen et Victoria Yeh, ont pu former leur équipe de campagne, et poster des affiches sur les murs de l école, créer des groupes Facebook, discuter avec les élèves aux pauses et crier haut et fort leurs slogans pour convaincre leur auditoire. Nos reporters sont allés interviewer le vainqueur, Vernon Lin, qui est entré officiellement en fonctions fin février. Il est tout d abord important de connaître ses motivations pour présenter sa candidature. Il explique que puisqu il avait longtemps travaillé avec le Conseil des élèves, dirigé par de grands leaders, il pensait que c était à son tour de prendre la tête du Conseil, et faire de l école un meilleur endroit pour étudier. Nous lui avons ensuite demandé ses premières émotions lorsqu il a su qu il avait été élu. Il a répondu : «Du soulagement! La campagne a été dure et laborieuse, et j étais satisfait du résultat annoncé». Ses actions Mais le résultat, c est à nous d en juger! Le fondement de sa campagne était une intégration plus efficace des sections française et allemande dans la vie de l école et surtout du Conseil des élèves. Il promet qu en août prochain, lors de la rentrée 2013, il ouvrira de nouvelles places au sein du Conseil pour les étudiants de ces deux sections. Leur pouvoir et action nous sont encore inconnus, mais tous espèrent fortement qu ils seront dignes de la promesse. Cependant, ses actions ne s arrêtent pas là. Un autre objectif est d augmenter l esprit des étudiants, et les rendre fière d être dans une telle école. Pour cela, il désire accroître la réputation de l école dans la société taïwanaise en travaillant de près avec des organisations, ainsi qu améliorer les aménagements de l école, tel que la disponibilité du wifi. Ce projet a démarré il y a quelques années, afin de permettre aux élèves de travailler sur leurs propres ordinateurs avec internet, et a longuement été refusé. Le Conseil a discuté avec l IT Committee, dont quelques professeurs, et espère enfin pouvoir fournir le wifi vers Pâques. Différent du Conseil des élèves, Roots&Shoots cherche aussi à améliorer l ambiance de l école grâce au projet Eco-School, et nous avons demandé à Vernon s il était au courant de ce projet. «Oui, j en ai entendu parler», nous répond-il «Nous planifions de travailler avec ce groupe» Conscient que lorsqu il y a un vainqueur, il y a aussi des perdants, il parle positivement de ses compétiteurs qui ont couru pour la présidence : «Ils sont des étudiants très compétents et désormais également aux commandes dans le Conseil. Il est très agréable de travailler avec eux.» Il s adresse aux membres de sa campagne et tient à particulièrement les remercier pour leurs efforts considérables et leur soutien constant. «il pensait que c était à son tour de prendre la tête du Conseil, et faire de l école un meilleur endroit pour étudier.» Enfin, à la question «Penses-tu que tu as du pouvoir?», il répond : «D une certaine manière, oui, j ai du pouvoir. Et cela parce que, avec les autres dirigeants, je dois guider le Conseil dans son ensemble, et organiser et assigner des tâches à chacun.» Il termine enfin en s adressant à tous les élèves : «Le Conseil des Elèves désire inclure les idées de tous les étudiants. Les changements et le travail que le Conseil apporte dépend énormément de leurs efforts. A cet égard, tous ont le même pouvoir.» Nous pourrons constater du résultat ainsi que de l efficacité du Conseil dans un an, lorsque le mandat sera écoulé, et qu un nouveau président sera élu, par les élèves ou non. En attendant, les membres du Conseil ne sont pas les seuls à savoir quoi faire, mais vous tous, élèves, savez et connaissez vos attentes. Si vous avez des désirs (réalisables) vous pouvez soumettre votre idée à un des membres ou à Vernon Lin lui-même, et ils seront plus qu heureux d y répondre du mieux qu ils le pourront. 3

20 Vernon Lin, Student Council President: For students by the students A few months ago, all students participated in the new Values Day. During that day the students had the possibility for the first time in the history of TES to vote for the Student Council president. This election would usually be internal but this year candidates had to convince the students to vote for them. A few weeks before the elections, the three candidates: Vernon Lin, Rachel Chen and Victoria Yeh, had the opportunity to form their own crew. In order to convince the students they had to display posters on school walls, create Facebook groups, discuss with students, and shout slogans. Our interviewers interrogated the winner of the elections, Vernon Lin who has been officially in office at the end of February. First of all it is significant to understand his motivation. He explains that he had been working for the Student Council for a long period of time. He believed that the new election was his time to shine and to lead the Student Council for a better school life. We had a chance to ask him what his first reaction was. He answered: My first emotion was extreme relief. It had been a tough campaign and I was glad that things turned out the way it did. This mandate would be an efficient integration of the French and German sections to the school life and its place in the Student Council. He promised that in a near future a few seats of the Student Council will be dedicated to students of those two sections. In addition to this project, the President is also working on a Wifi project; the aim of this project is to furnish Wifi to the students to enable them to use Internet on their own computers. This was discussed with the IT Committee many times; however it was subsequently refused by the administration. In a different way the school project Roots and Shoots also work to improve the school life with the Eco-School Project. We asked Vernon if he was aware about this project: Yes I am aware about this project and we are planning to work with them. When there is a winner, there is always a loser. He talks positively about his rivals: My competitors are very able students. They now have important roles in the student council. To the question: To what extent can you say you have power? he answered: To a certain extent I have power, along with all the leaders of the student council. We have to lead the whole council and assign and organize tasks. He personally thanks all the members of his campaign crew for their considerable efforts and their support. He finishes the interview by addressing these words to the students: The Student Council also includes the views of all students; the work of the Student Council depends on the efforts of every student We will able to judge the efficiency of the Student Council in one year time, when his mandate will be over, and a new president will be elected. Student Council members are not the only who had to make the moves, it is you, students, who need to make your ideas heard. Submit all your ideas and wishes to the Council and they will be pleased to answer your ideas as best as possible. 4