CISH MAPLE DRAGON (March Week 4, Part 4)

Grade 1

This week, we focused on drawing proportional self-portraits. Students mixed white, yellow, red, and brown acrylic paint to create personalized skin tones as a base for their portraits. We also practiced sketching eyes, mouths, and noses, working on rough drafts to prepare for next week's final self-portraits.

Grade 2

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we practiced observational drawing as part of our positive and negative space unit. Students carefully sketched the fountain outside, focusing on proportions and spatial relationships. They also had the option to draw wooden artist mannequins, refining their ability to capture form and structure.

Grade 3

Continuing our slot sculptures project, students used their drawings as a reference while constructing sculptures without tape or glue. They cut and assembled cardstock, ensuring structural integrity and a cohesive design. The challenge was to create dynamic, balanced sculptures that stand on their own.

Grade 4

This week, students completed their radial balance origami projects. Using simple origami folds and symmetry, they designed colorful paper mandalas. After folding, arranging, and gluing their pieces together, students are now ready for next week's gallery walk and assessment.

Grade 5

Students are continuing to sculpt their mythical creatures out of terracotta clay. As we near the final stages of the project, they are refining details and textures. This unit emphasizes hand-building techniques, including slab, coil, and pinch methods, as students bring their imaginative creatures to life with thoughtful craftsmanship.

Grade 6

This week, sixth graders are in the final stages of sculpting their artifact projects, applying finishing details to ensure their work reflects their artistic research. They are refining their craftsmanship and considering how their pieces connect to the cultural influences they studied.

Grade 7

Seventh graders are making great progress on their Pop Art projects, completing their base drawings and beginning to add bold colors. They are carefully applying the stylistic elements of Pop Art to create visually striking and meaningful compositions.

Grade 8

Eighth graders are finalizing their public sculpture mockups, focusing on refining form, structure, and presentation. They are critically evaluating their work to ensure their designs effectively engage with the environment and communicate their intended message.

Grade 9

Impressionist paintings are today among the most admired artworks, often considered the pride of both private and public collections. They possess a unique magic that captivates the more and less experienced art lover alike. Impressionism represents the grand finale of a particular way of depicting the world through painting or drawing, a method often termed realism, which evolved in Europe at the dawn of the modern era and was anchored in traditions dating back to Antiquity. However, Impressionism also established various features that became preconditions and characteristics of 20th Century modern art, and by its almost instantaneous global influence, it became a turning point in the history of visual arts.

During this unit, students will study the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which Impressionism emerged and developed. They will explore the reasons behind its rise and its influence on subsequent art movements and modern art as a whole. Additionally, students will develop their practical skills by experimenting with new mediums while referring to Impressionist painting techniques. This hands-on approach will help them appreciate the innovative methods of the Impressionists and understand their lasting impact on the art world.

During this week, Grade 9 students continued working on their paintings.

Grade 10

In “Art for Dreaming” unit, students will explore the profound impact on the art world of Giorgio de Chirico, the founder of the Metaphysical Art movement. Although he never achieved the fame of Pablo Picasso, or Salvador Dalí, de Chirico's work immensely influenced these artists and played a crucial role in the development of Surrealism. Both Metaphysical Art and Surrealism are distinctive in style but share a dreamlike, often vaguely threatening, and mysterious quality, described by Roderick Conway Morris as “painting that which cannot be seen.”

During this unit, students will study the historical and conceptual underpinnings of Metaphysical Art and its connection to Surrealism. They will study de Chirico’s techniques and themes, focusing on how his work evokes a sense of mystery and the surreal, and will be encouraged to solicit and expand their ability to represent their dreams through visual analogies and metaphors. They will engage in activities designed to enhance their creativity and technical skills, allowing them to create artworks that capture the elusive and enigmatic nature of dreams.

During this week, Grade 10 students started working on their paintings.

Grade 11

In DP and NB Programmes, our students continued working on their 2D and 3D units adding to their portfolio, while developing their concept based sketches of ideas into finalised pieces.

Pre-K

Pre-K friends learned to identify the beat and rhythm by bouncing and rolling to the music. This fun activity helps develop: Listening skills (following cues) Motor coordination (bouncing and rolling) We also played the "Count to Seven" song with bells, practicing counting and rhythm in a joyful way! 

K1

We had so much fun exploring rhythm and movement with rhythm sticks while grooving to "Mama Mia!" Our little musicians practiced: rolling, stirring, and tapping rhythm sticks. This helped to develop fine motor skills, build coordination and focus, and teach beat awareness and rhythm patterns. It’s all about making music learning hands-on and joyful!

K2

We cooked up some musical fun by using rhythm sticks to create a pizza-making adventure while playing along to "Mama Mia". Our little chefs explored: rolling the dough, stirring the sauce, and grating the cheese. This activity: Builds creativity and imagination Develops cooperative skills (working together!) Strengthens rhythm awareness and movement coordination.

K3

This Week in Music Class with K3! This week, xylophone exploration! Our focus was onthe introductory learning song" Baby Shark" a fun and familiar tune that had everyone singing and playing along. It’s not about playing perfectly but about: Building confidence in exploring a new instrument, developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills Encouraging creativity and self-expression Starting with a song they know, and love makes instrument learning joyful and accessible. Keep the music alive at home and singand play along with your little ones!

Grade 1

This week, Grade 1 continued their work on Spring Morning. They focused on improving their pitch, rhythm, and expression while singing. The students also practiced hand movements to help them connect with the theme of spring. They are becoming more confident in their singing and are excited to continue refining the song.

Grade 2

Grade 2 practiced Animals Dance and Flower Dance this week, working on both rhythm and movement. They learned how to sync their dance steps with the music and practiced expressing the movements of animals and flowers. Students are improving their coordination and enjoying the challenge of combining music with movement.

Grade 3

Grade 3 began learning Eye of the Tiger on the recorder. They focused on finger placement, breath control, and reading basic notes. Most students are getting comfortable with producing clear, consistent sounds. They’re excited to build on what they’ve learned and improve their recorder skills as they progress through the song.

Grade 4

Grade 4 worked on the second part of Thunder using bucket drums. They focused on rhythm coordination and teamwork, practicing different drumming patterns together. The students are improving their synchronization, listening skills, and overall timing as they continue to refine their group performance.

Grade 5

Grade 5 worked on learning the G Major chord on the ukulele. They practiced proper finger placement, strumming techniques, and transitioning between chords. The students are gaining confidence in playing the ukulele and are excited to continue improving their skills, especially as they start learning more chords.

Grade 6

Grade 6 is working the unit "Formal Elements of Music " The fundamental building blocks of music are loudness, pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, and reverberation. When combined carefully, they give rise to higher-level concepts such as meter, harmony, melody, and key. Thus, music differs from random sound in the combination of its basic elements and the relations that form between them, now they are creating a 4/4 Rhythm Ensemble with Binary Form and Dynamics.

Grade 7

The grade 7 is working the unit “World Drumming” - Music and Community”. Percussion instruments are found on every continent and in nearly every society around the world. Percussive traditions have shaped cultures and communities. Many percussion instruments in various countries are related, and therefore, musical evolution can be partially traced back through the instruments themselves and their cultural contexts. Communities are groups that exist in proximity defined by space, time or relationship. Communities include, for example, groups of people sharing characteristics, beliefs or values as well as groups of interdependent organisms living together in a specific habitat. Students will work on musical concepts as a large group and then will work on the concepts in solo and small groups. Students will be asked to demonstrate their musical skills by demonstrating thinking skills, communication skills, self-management and research skills.

Grade 8

Unit “Devising and Script Writing” Students will work in groups to devise a short play. The overall theme of the play is loss, though students are free to take that wherever they would like. Prior to working on the plot and script of the short play, I asked students to create a character and a back story for their character. The challenge is then to share their character descriptions with their group and to devise the play together, fitting their characters into the plot. Students will then perform their plays to the other groups and write a reflective piece analyzing the difficulties encountered during the devising process and what good came from it as well.

Grade 10

This week, Grade 10 students delved into the IB Areas of Inquiry, focusing on how music serves as a medium for sociocultural and political expression, as well as its role in listening, performance, dramatic impact, movement and entertainment, and technology in the electronic and digital age. The students engaged in various activities that encouraged critical thinking and creativity in their understanding of music's multifaceted nature. Now they are exploring the creativity of Sampling in Music Production.

Grade 9

This week in Grade 9 Drama, students wrapped up their rehearsals for their Commedia dell’Arte scenarios. Final tweaks were made to physicality, timing, and character work, with a strong focus on bringing energy, clarity, and commitment to each performance. Students gave one another feedback in small groups and had the chance to run their scenes with props and costume pieces. The atmosphere was focused and collaborative, and everyone is now gearing up with a mix of nerves and excitement for next week’s performances.

Grade 10

This week in Grade 10 Drama, students completed the final stages of their Writing Workshop summative projects. They spent time refining, rehearsing, and recording their original pieces, with many groups moving into the editing phase to prepare their work for next week’s showcase. Whether performing live or producing filmed scenes, students focused on polishing their delivery, refining technical elements, and ensuring their storytelling was clear and impactful. It’s been a busy and creative week, and everyone is looking forward to sharing their work with the class in the upcoming showcase.

Grade 6

This week in Grade 6, students explored ratios and proportions, focusing on converting ratios into fractions, differentiating between ratios, rates, and proportions, and applying these concepts to real-world scenarios. Through problem-solving activities, they strengthened their analytical thinking and deepened their understanding of proportional reasoning. Hands-on exercises and group discussions enhanced their ability to interpret and solve ratio-based problems effectively.

Grade 7

This week, our Grade 7 students began their exploration of probability. We started with the basics, understanding probability as a measure of likelihood and learning how to calculate simple probabilities using fractions, decimals, and percentages. Students were introduced to standard probability notation, including symbols for the interdiv and union of events. As we progressed, we applied this notation to Venn diagrams, using them to visualize and analyze relationships between different events. Students practiced identifying interdivs, unions, and complements of events within these diagrams. By the end of the week, they developed a strong foundational understanding of probability, setting the stage for more complex problem-solving in the coming lessons.

Grade 8

Grade 8 focused on 3D geometry through the "Designing a Heating Bag" project. Students designed a microwave-safe heat bag with a 1500 cubic centimeter volume, analyzing various filler materials for optimal heat retention. By considering material constraints and practical applications, they combined mathematical reasoning with creativity. Through peer discussions and presentations, students refined their problem-solving skills, demonstrating an ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world design challenges.

Grade 10

We had an exciting start to our new unit on "Exponentials & Logarithms" this week. Students began exploring fundamental concepts such as logarithms and the laws of logarithms. They actively practiced converting expressions between exponential and logarithmic forms and applying important properties like the product, quotient, and power rules.

One of the highlights was seeing students engage enthusiastically with simplifying logarithmic expressions and solving related equations. Their active participation and curiosity have set a strong foundation for our continued exploration in this unit.

Grade 11 (AA)

This week, Grade 11 Mathematics AA SL students started their journey into Topic 4: Statistics and Probability. They explored important statistical ideas, beginning with measures of central tendency, and practiced using mean, median, and mode to make sense of different datasets. This helped them better appreciate how these statistical measures provide varied perspectives on data.

The class also learned about box-and-whisker plots, an informative visual method for summarizing data sets, spotting trends, and identifying outliers clearly. Additionally, students worked on creating cumulative frequency graphs, which allowed them to visually interpret trends and understand percentile rankings more clearly.

Grade 11 (AI)

In Grade 11, we continued our exploration of probability by working with different diagrammatic representations, including Venn diagrams and sample space diagrams, to visualize and analyze probability problems. We focused on applying probability notation effectively, using symbols for interdivs, unions, and complements to solve increasingly complex problems. As we progressed, students tackled more challenging probability questions, requiring them to manipulate notation, justify their reasoning, and prove relationships between different probability events. This deeper engagement with notation and logical reasoning is helping to build a strong foundation for more advanced probability concepts in the coming weeks.

Grade 12 (AI)

This week in Grade 12, we continued our study of graph theory by exploring Hamiltonian walks—paths that visit every vertex exactly once—and their significance in solving real-world problems like route optimization and network design. Students examined different methods for determining whether a graph contains a Hamiltonian cycle and discussed practical applications in logistics and computer science. In addition, we introduced adjacency matrices as a numerical representation of graphs, allowing us to systematically analyze connections between vertices. By using matrix operations, students gained insight into how graphs can be manipulated algebraically to extract useful information. These new tools have strengthened their understanding of graph structures and will serve as a foundation for the upcoming topics in the unit.