The Lower Secondary Handbook: Years 7, 8 and 9

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1 The Lower Secondary Handbook: Years 7, 8 and 9

2 Welcome We like to think that Garden International School is an open and stimulating place for students. We have worked hard to create a relaxed but business-like atmosphere where pupils of all ages can engage with and enjoy learning. Pastoral Support New students are placed into a Tutor Group and have a Form Tutor who is responsible for their pastoral care. All Tutor Groups meet and register with their Form Tutor twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The Form Tutor is the primary port of call for communication between parents, students and the school. The Student Diary Students are provided with a student diary. The diary fulfils two important roles. It is firstly used by students to record all homework that is set during the academic six day cycle. Its second function is to act as a communication tool between staff, students and parents. The student diary is checked each Monday by the Form Tutor and key notes are discussed with the student. Both the Form Tutor and parents are required to sign the diary as part of their role in maintaining home school communication. 2

3 The Six-Day Cycle Garden International School operates on a six-day cycle. This is a very simple system and ensures that every day is a fresh learning experience for the students. Example Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 1 Monday August 22 Tuesday August 23 Wednesday August 24 Thursday August 25 Friday August 26 Monday August 29 Tuesday August 30 FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) How long does the school day last? The academic school day starts at 7.50am and finishes at 3.10pm. The school is open for students from 7.30am until 3.45pm. Students can stay in school later than 3.45pm if they are participating in a teacher-led activity, such as a sports club. Students can also opt to stay in the school library and complete homework. The library closes at 4.30pm each day and students must then exit the school. When is school registration? Registration is from 7.50am-8.00am and from 1.20pm-1.30pm. Students must be at their registration room for 7.50am and 1.20pm. What happens if my child is late for school? If a student arrives late to school they enter the school through the Front Office and sign the late arrival sheet. Will my son or daughter have homework? Students will receive homework from each subject every week. Homework that is set in Lower Secondary is expected to take each student about 30 minutes to complete. A wide range of homework is set by staff and some are set to last for several weeks. All homework is written into the student diary, with a due date for completion. 3

4 Do all subjects set the same amount of homework each six day cycle? English, English as a Second Language, Mathematics and Science each set two homeworks during every six-day cycle. Drama and Physical Education homework is set on a needs basis. What does the school day look like? Time 7.50am-8am Lesson Registration 8am-8.50am Lesson am-9.40am Lesson am-10am Break 10am-10.50am Lesson am-11.40am Lesson am-12.30pm Lesson pm-1.17pm 1.20pm-1.30pm Lunch Registration 1.30pm-2.20pm Lesson pm-3.10pm Lesson 8 As a note: the Secondary lunch is also known as Lesson 6. Primary have their lunch during Lesson 5. Each student will have a record of the lessons they take on each day during the sixday cycle in their student diary. What items of equipment must my child bring to school? Students must bring a pen (black or blue), a pencil, a rubber, a ruler, and the correct mathematics equipment to school each day. Can my son or daughter wear their Physical Education kit to school? Students wear the school uniform to school. The Physical Education kit is changed into at the beginning of each Physical Education lesson and then out of at the end of each Physical Education lesson. 4

5 The Curriculum Students who study in Years 7, 8 or 9 will follow a curriculum based on the English National Curriculum. This curriculum places a strong focus on problem solving, skills development and knowledge and understanding. Independent research is supported and the skills required for completing research questions begin to be developed. All students in Years 7, 8 or 9 study the following subjects: Art and Design Awesomeness and Eco-Awesomeness (for students who take Thai Studies) Design and Technology Drama English or English Language support Geography History Information Communication Technology Mandarin (all students in Year 7 study Spanish. Students in Years 8 and 9 study either Spanish or Mandarin) Mathematics Music Personal, Social and Health Education Physical Education Science Spanish (all students in Year 7 study Spanish. Students in Years 8 and 9 study either Spanish or Mandarin) Thai Language or Thai Studies. Garden International School Core Values The School Core Values drive the school curriculum. The student diaries have the Core Values represented in a student-friendly way. 5

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7 Art and Design Art and Design encourages creativity and the development of selfconfidence through practical work. Students are encouraged to make individual responses to the project work undertaken. An important part of the course is an appreciation of art history and how inquiry builds the knowledge of both practical and theoretical levels. Projects are designed to extend the student s use of creativity and imagination. A variety of approaches are used and a broad range of media and techniques is employed. 7

8 Awesomeness and Eco-Awesomeness Awesomeness and Eco-Awesomeness are two subjects that are taken by students who follow the Thai Studies pathway. Awesomeness enables the teachers to provide an educational experience for the students that go beyond the curriculum. It often involves elements of music and drama. Eco-Awesomeness provides the students with a grounding in ecology and ecological awareness. The aim is to make Eco-Awesomeness a course that the students can understand, relate to, and that has a positive impact on the students ecological understanding. The focus of Eco-Awesomeness is the school environment. 8

9 Design and Technology The aim of Design and Technology is to provide a stimulating and positive environment in which a student s problem-solving abilities are developed and stretched. In the design room or workshop students are taught how to approach the various stages of a design problem, alongside developing the practical skills of working with various materials, media and processes in order to construct a suitable solution. Design and Technology combines the development of traditional skills, such as woodwork, with the latest development of skills required at the cutting edge of student accessible technology such as 3D printers. 9

10 Drama In Secondary, students learn about the art of drama, its history and its practice. Students learn how to manipulate the art form for themselves, creating original drama and exploring play scripts, as well as using dramatic techniques to explore a variety of issues and topics. Drama allows students to explore the world around them in a safe environment. It encourages the development of a combination of intellectual, imaginative and practical skills, as well as helping young people learn to work both collaboratively and independently. 10

11 English and English Language Support (ELS) The English Department works closely with the ELS Department to cover the enormous range of student language ability in the school. From the most basic speaking and listening to complex literary essays, the English Department covers it all. We encourage students to be confident talkers, respectful listeners, avid readers, and thoughtful and accurate writers. All new second-language students are given an initial placement test before being accepted into the school. Students who study at the Key English Test (KET) or Preliminary English Test (PET) level are withdrawn from a variety of subjects that are language-dependent. The ELS Department s initial focus is to foster the acquisition of survival language to enable students to cope with the practical aspects of class and school life and to function socially. Once the basic structure and vocabulary are in place, the next target is to assist students in acquiring the necessary spoken and written language to function fully in the mainstream academic programme. 11

12 Geography Geography is a dynamic and exciting subject. A wide range of skills is developed through the courses taught. Geography provides students with the range of skills needed to understand and interpret world issues and to understand the physical processes that have created the world around us. Graphical work, mapping, investigation techniques, analysis, fieldwork and case study learning are all vital skills and they provide a wide educational base for students who are taking Geography. 12

13 History Students in History learn various skills that are useful in many other areas of study. Students learn to critically evaluate sources of information, express their ideas clearly and develop their research skills. Studying History develops useful life-skills such as analytical and conceptual thinking, and empathy. They learn to understand the concepts of change and continuity and the causes of events that have shaped the world. Students are taught to understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and to be open to the perspectives, values and traditions of others. They are taught to seek and evaluate a range of points of view in order to reach conclusions. 13

14 Information Communication Technology Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays a critical role in the modern world and in the learning process at all levels. It is the aim of ICT to enable pupils to become computer literate, to provide the required skills so that students can use ICT to facilitate and enhance their learning across all curriculum areas. In Year 9 all students take Business and ICT. Business and ICT is the study of Business through the medium of ICT. 14

15 Mandarin In Year 7 all students, who are not enrolled on the ELS KET and PET courses, study Mandarin. During Years 8 to 9 all students,, who are not enrolled on the ELS KET and PET courses, choose whether to study Mandarin or Spanish. Students learn the essential vocabulary and grammar through games, play and repetition. The language courses are enjoyable and practical. The language programme is designed to enable the student to be able to communicate in countries where the language studied is spoken. 15

16 Mathematics The Mathematic Department strikes a balance between student success in examinations and in equipping all students with the basics of a mathematical understanding that will be useful throughout their lives. The Mathematics course that is taught at Garden International School in Year 7, 8 and 9 is the acclaimed and highly regarded Singaporean Mathematics Curriculum. The focus is on students having the core skills required to succeed in Mathematics, the vocabulary necessary to understand mathematics, and the skills to approach Mathematical problems. 16

17 Music Music offers a wide variety of opportunities for developing fully-rounded musicians. Students have the opportunity to study a variety of instruments during lesson time. There is a strong focus on musical practice, performance and application. Studying and understanding music theory also strongly supports the student s practical skills. Extra-curricular activities include rock bands, orchestra, choir and numerous smaller ensembles. Music staff direct all school musicals and contributes to music and drama competitions, performances in assemblies, hosting workshops, concerts of varied musicians and taking students on music-based trips. 17

18 Physical Education During Years 7, 8 or 9 pupils have the opportunity to develop their sporting skills and learn how to apply these skills in different activities. The students start to understand what makes an effective sporting performance and learn to take the initiative in sport. The Physical Education Department is concerned with the whole education of the student, not only the physical education. Physical Education encourages and promotes a healthy lifestyle by raising the importance of good health in both body and mind. The Physical Education Department teach the self-discipline that is needed in dealing with both success and failure throughout school life and beyond. 18

19 Science Science is taught as an integrated subject to provide a broad and balanced science curriculum to all students. This means that Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taught in modular form by the same teacher rather than as three separate subjects. The aim of the Science Curriculum for Years 7, 8 or 9 is to make it as interesting as possible for the students whilst maintaining high academic standards. It is important to make a balance between the theoretical understanding of science and the practical experiments that support the theoretical understanding. The aim is for students to understand science as taught through experimentation rather than through learning it by rote. 19

20 Spanish In Year 7 all students who are not enrolled on the ELS KET or PET courses study Mandarin. During Years 8 to 9 all students, who are not enrolled on the ELS KET and PET courses, choose whether to study Mandarin or Spanish. Students learn the essential vocabulary and grammar through games, play and repetition. The language courses are enjoyable and practical. The language programme is designed to enable the student to be able to communicate in countries where the language studied is spoken. 20

21 Thai Language and Thai Studies Thai students have the opportunity to maintain their national heritage through our full programme of Thai Language. The study of Thai Language leads to the IGCSE Thai course. All students who have a full Thai passport are required to take IGCSE Thai in Year 10. The Thai Language course fulfils the requirements of the Thai Ministry of Education. Thai nationals who are able speak Thai fluently but do not have strength in reading or writing in Thai attend Thai lessons but study a more accessible curriculum in a small group setting. Non-Thai students follow the alternative Thai Studies course, which is designed for non-thais and is studied from Year 7 until the completion of Year 9.The Thai Studies class introduces students to the basic language requirements for communication within the host country.. 21

22 Garden International School 188/24 Moo 4 Pala-Ban Chang Road Tambol Pala Amphur Ban Chang