ITGS Newsletter

Grade 12 students continued to document their internal assessment projects. These years projects include promotional video, baseball team database, interactive games, school presentation and magazine, websites for school departments and sushi shop. Students have completed project analysis where they justified how their projects are the optimum solutions to specific scenarios. They have also listed the performance criteria to be checked and evaluated at the end of the project.

Japanese B Newsletter in October

We are learning about Global Issues in this term.

We did a presentation of 3 minutes speech”Recycling system in your country” and “ Energy policy in your country”

Students displayed good performances.

We practice reading deeper various kinds of environmental issues.

We thought about “Mottainai Spirit”. And we discussed ”Does your language have like Mottainai words?”  

We were able to think through various viewpoints and come up with new opinions.

Next we’re going to learn about Natural disaster and Globalization.

Physics Newsletter

Dear parents and students,

Greetings from Physics class. We have started the year very well.
IB class has completed most of the topics required. After the break we will study the option topic and spend some time for the Internal Assessment. The first draft should be submitted by December 14th.
The final will be in February.
Once we finish the option topic we will focus on revision and past paper practice.
Non IB students studied radioactivity so far. Working on posters and having a debate on using radioactive resources help them stay on task and engage with the topic.
We will have some assessments before the break to wrap it up.

Best regards

Japanese A Newsletter in October

Dear G12 Parents,

I hope you have been well in the nice season and ready for red leaves.

In October, there are the topics which students learned below.

-Persuasive words
They analyze how words effect to people through CM, Poster and Songs. They created own interesting song by their selves. So please ask them to sing that song. They have been preparing FOA and then they will present it after mid term break.

In November, they will learn some a topic from Part2 below

- Language and Mass Communication: Textual bias, Media institutions.

All students try very hard everyday. 
Also they help us for making a poster of Japanese Culture Day.
I really appreciate you for your support everyday.

If you have any questions/suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Higa

Yokohama Triennale

This week grade 12 art students took a field trip to the Yokohama Triennale, an international art exhibition that takes place every three years.

They had the opportunity to see art on the themes of isolation and connection by Japanese artists such as Mr. (a member of the Superflat art movement) in addition to internationally known contemporary artists, most notably Ai Weiwei, who makes powerful statements about subjects of global importance through his works.  The facade of the Yokohama Museum of Art is currently part of one of these pieces, which uses rafts and lifejackets washed up on the island of Lesbos, Greece to open a dialogue about the plight of refugees.

Students were encouraged to apply what they were seeing to their own work as well as subjects we have discussed in class, including the way that intellectual property rights apply to the art world.

ITGS Newsletter

Grade 12 IB students have started their internal assessment which focuses on providing an original IT solution for a client. The internal assessment component, as well as being interesting, practical and productive, forms an important part of the assessment of the ITGS course.
Students did interviews with their clients and collected data to analyze the current IT system and its inadequacies. The initial consultation and investigation documents are completed.
Grade 12 non-IB students have worked on producing a commercial video. Students are expected to demonstrate their filming and video editing skills; as well as teamwork.

Grade 12 September and October Newsletter

Dear Grade 12 parents and students,

This month in English, we have focused on the following skills:
- reviewing our definitions of language and culture
- note taking in structured lectures for university preparation
- creating, presenting, and reflecting on our own media creations
- understanding terms and concepts related to mass media and communication (media literacy, convergence, media convergence, remediation, linguistic attributes, genre, sub-genre)

Moving on through September and into October, we will be focusing on our unit on Media Bias. During this unit, students will focus on understanding the following questions through analysis and discussion of various forms of media.

1) What is bias? What does biased media look like?
2) How can we learn to identify biased language/media?
3) How does the context of a text help us understand its biased use of language/media?
4) What are the effects of bias?
5) Is it even possible to avoid bias?

Thanks for your time and attention. All homework, resources, and course information is on our shared Google Classroom website which we have been using since the start of September.

As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns, please feel free to email me at chepburn@horizon.ac.jp

Regards,

Mr. Chris

G12 Japanese A Newsletter in September

Dear G12 Parents,

I hope you have been good in the nice season after hot summer.

And in the next month, there will be held Sports Day.

I hope we can meet and talk at the event.

In September, there are the topics which students learned in this month below.

-Introduction

All students already know routines  and class rules in my class. So JNL class goes very well.

-What's Mass-media & Mass-communication

They discuss about mass communication and how we can define "mass communication". Also they search how languages are spreading and growing

-Language and Mass communication: Persuasive words

They learn what language effects mass media, and how words work for people on a poster.

In October, they will learn some a topic of Part2 below

- Language and Mass Communication: Persuasive words (CM, Speech, Song, Propaganda)

Many students are adjusting in a new G12 environment.

Sometimes they might be very busy or (and) confused because of it.

At the school, we all encourage them to adjust.

Also I really appreciate you for your everyday support.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Mr. Higa

JAL Newsletter

Hi,  I am happy to be the Japanese B teacher of G12 class this year, too.

We have Kanji test every Friday in this year.

And we’re going to have preseantation of news for three minutes.

It is for us to get the sense of time for speech.

In this term topic is Global Issues.

First 3 weeks we read essay about Global warming and how to use resources.

We think that “what kind of easy do our countyr use?”

And we’re making a written assignment about social relationships.

We will have many assessments.

Let's keep working hard together in your last school year!!

Art Updates - September

Grade 12 artists have been learning about intellectual property rights and how appropriation and fair use applies to their work.  We hope to have art to share with you here soon.  In the meantime, this Tuesday, September 12 we will have a college presentation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.  It will take place from 3:15-4:15 in the grade 12 classroom, and is open to all high school students.  If you like art and think you might be interested in studying an art-related career path, this is a great opportunity to learn more.

Drawing Contest Announcement!  The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection is sponsoring their 9th annual International Children's Drawing Contest. It is open to students up to 17 years old, and submissions are due September 30th, so you'll need to get right to work.  The theme for this contest is "Harmony: a beautiful state of being when sounds, colors, people, or nature come together as one.  What is your version of harmony?"  Your work should be no bigger than A4, and may be any material as long as it's 2D.

Welcome to Chemistry Class

Dear parents and students.

I hope you had a great summer break.

This is Mr. Koc Secondary science (Chemistry) teacher. I will be teaching G9-12 IGCSE and IB Chemistry.

Starting from the beginning of this new academic year I will be teaching Redox processes  as the first unit of the year.

Students will start getting essential idea Redox (reduction–oxidation) reactions play a key role in many chemical and biochemical processes.

They will learn about;

·        Oxidation and reduction can be considered in terms of oxygen gain/hydrogen loss, electron transfer or change in oxidation number.

·        An oxidizing agent is reduced and a reducing agent is oxidized.

·        Variable oxidation numbers exist for transition metals and for most main-group non-metals.

·        The activity series ranks metals according to the ease with which they undergo oxidation.

·        Electrochemical cells

·        Voltaic cells convert energy from spontaneous, exothermic chemical processes to electrical energy.

·        Oxidation occurs at the anode (negative electrode) and reduction occurs at the cathode (positive electrode) in a voltaic cell.

·        Electrolytic cells convert electrical energy to chemical energy, by bringing about non-spontaneous processes.

·        Oxidation occurs at the anode (positive electrode) and reduction occurs at the cathode (negative electrode) in an electrolytic cell.

I wish you and our students to have a wonderful, fruitful and enjoyable new academic year with full of education. 

Welcome back to English!

Dear Grade 12 parents and students,

Welcome back to English! I am very excited to continue teaching at HJIS and look forward to another great year with you all!

If you do not know me, this is my second year teaching at HJIS. I have previously taught in Kuwait and Spain before coming to Japan. I come from a large family of three brothers including a twin brother who is also an international teacher. In my teaching, I look towards developing a great sense of internationalism within my students, and I hope to continue to do this with your sons and daughters.

This year, we will continue the second half of the IB English Language and Literature course that we began last year. This semester, we will be focusing on Parts 2 (Language and Mass Communication) and 3 (Literature: Texts and Contexts) of the course.

We will begin with Part 2: Language and Mass Communication. The units we will be studying include:

Unit #1: Textual Bias
Unit #2: Advertising and Marketing
Unit #3:  Digital Media
Unit #4 (HL only): Language and the State

If you have any further questions about this course, please feel free to email me at chepburn@horizon.ac.jp

Thanks for your time and enjoy the last few days of summer!

Regards,

Mr. Chris

Welcome to Japanese B class.

Hi,  I am happy with JapaneseB SL  teacher of G12 class this year, too.

First term, we forcus on global issues.

Our learning style like same as last year. But we need to more discuss to colleague  in this year.

So I want to students to think about a topic and develop their opions about it. By means of discussions. I:d like them to listen to different views and express their own openly and clearly.

Thank you

September Math Newsletter

Dear Grade 12 IB HL students and parents,

I hope you had a very nice Summer break and students are ready for a long difficult year.

My name is Mr Bill and I will be Grade 12 Math IB HL teacher this year. I have been teaching Math for 17 years and last 6 years I have been in HJIS community. I am very happy to be here and I am planning to work here as much as I can. I am married with 3 children and live around the school. In the first week of every month, I will try to write in the blogs and give you information about what we are doing in the class.

 In Grade 12, we split  the class into two main classes; IB HL  and IB SL Math Studies. I teach IB Math HL and Mr Tepe teaches IB SL Math Studies

 

HL Topics

1. Sequences , Series and Binomials

1. Arithmetic and Geometric sequences

2. Series

3. Sum of finite series and infinite geometric series

3. Sigma notation

4. Mathematical Induction

5. Counting Principal

6. Factorial

7. Permutation and Combination

8. The Binomial Theorem

9. Expansion

10. Calculation of binomial coefficients using Pascal’s triangle and C(n,r)

2. Functions and graphs

1. Concept of function and function notations

2. Domain, range; image

3. Special functions

l  Even-Odd Function

l  Absolute Value functions

l  Piecewise function

l  Radical Functions

l  Rational functions and asymptotes

4. Classification Of functions

l  Many-to-one Functions

l  One-to-One Functions

l  Even-Odd Functions

5. Composite functions

6. Identity Function, inverse function f^-1

7. Transformation of functions

3. Complex Numbers, Quadratics and Polynomials

1. Roots of Quadratic Equation

2. Sum and Product of roots

3. Modulus of Complex Numbers

4. Operation of Complex Numbers

5. Powers and roots of Complex numbers

6. Polynomial Functions

7. Horner’s Way

8. Zero of Polynomial functions

9. Sum and Product of roots

10. Polynomial Equations and Inequalities

11. System of Equations

4. Derivative and its applications

1. Limit notation

2. Continuity and Discontinuity

3. Limit rules

4. Rate of change and Derivatives

5. Tangent and normal lines and their equations

6. Basic rules of derivative

7. Chain rule

8. Higher derivative

8. Application of first and second derivative

9. Kinematics

10. Optimization

11. Derivatives of Implicit Functions

5. Logarithm and Exponential Functions

1. Basic exponential and logarithmic rules

2. Laws of exponents

3. Laws of logarithm

4. Changing the base of a logarithm

5. Derivatives of Exponential and Logarithmic  F.

6. Arc, Area, Sector, Radians

6. Statistics and Probability

1. Concepts of population, sample, random sample, discrete and continuous data, frequency table and histogram.

2. Grouped  data and modal class

3. Concepts of mean, median and mode

4. Cumulative frequency

5. Variance and Standard Deviation

6. Concepts of probability words; trial, outcome, event and sample space

7. Complementary event and using Venn diagram

8. Experimental Probability

8. Conditional and independent events

9. Bayes’ Theorem

7. Integral

1. Indefinite integral as anti-derivative

2. Basic rules of integral

3. integration by inspection

4. Anti-derivative with a boundary condition

5. Definite integrals analytically and using technology

6. Areas and volumes

8. Trigonometry

1. Right-angled triangle Trigonometry

2. Trigonometric functions and Unit Circle

3. Trigonometric Ratios

4. Identities for trigonometric functions

5. Compound Angle Identities

6. Double angle identities

7. Composition of functions, graphs and transformation of graphs.

8. Inverse of Trigonometric Functions

9. Trigonometric equations

10. Sine and Cosine theorem

11. Area of a triangle

9. The Power of Calculus

1. Derivatives of Trigonometric Functions

2. Derivatives of Inverse Trigonometric Func

3. Rate of change of Trigonometric Functions

4. Integral of Trigonometric Functions

5. Integral by Substitution

6. Integration by parts (LAPTE)

7. Trigonometric Substitution

8. Application with Trigonometric Functions

9. Areas and volumes with Trigonometric Functions

10. Distributions

1. Discrete random variables and distributions

2. Binomial distributions

3. Poisson distributions

4. Continuous random distributions

5. Normal distributions

6. Modeling and problem solving

11. Vectors

1. Displacement vectors in two and three dimensions

2. Sum and difference of two vectors

3. Magnitude of a vector

4. Unit and base vectors

5. Position vectors

6. Scalar vector(dot product) of two vectors

7. Angle between two  vectors

8. Vector equations

9. Vector Product

10. Vectors and equations of planes

11. Angle between a line and a plane

12. Intersection of planes

12. Complex and Polar Form

1. Complex number as a vector

2. Complex plane and polar form

3. Modulus and argument of a complex number

4. Operation with Modulus-Argument form

5. Powers and roots of CN, De Moivre’s Thm

13. ONE OF THE OPTION TOPICS

•  CALCULUS
•  SETS THEORY
•  STATISTIC  AND PROBABILITY
•  DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

Now, I want to explain some important issues and procedures in my classroom.

1. IB Test:

IB is a-two-years-program. This year May, they will take the IB test. Since our students has covered most of the topics, they can have a good stating this year.We have a good atmosphere here and they like to help each other which is very good for IB. 

2. Jupiter:

Our school use the Jupiter grading system as you know. I will post my Homework, grading and behavior situation on Jupiter. I may write emails via Jupiter as well.

 3. Grading scale and Homework: 

In my Math class, my grading scale is given below:

Unit Test             :  35%

Term Test            :  30%

Homework           :  20%

Quiz-Project        :  15%

After I finish one of the major subject, I will give a unit test about the topic. It will not only measure them how much they could learn the topic but also it will be a good review about the topic.

After term, we have only one term test. It is gonna be taken in one of the last weeks of each term. In this test, I will ask questions about all subject that they cover within that term. Only the last term has a different situation. In that test, I will ask question from all over the year's topics. So they should remember all of the subjects.

Homework is one the most important issues that help student understand and solve questions easily. They have HW almost after every math class. In addition, I will give them some big projects that will be done with a group or individually .

  

4. Notebook: 

Notebook is very important for Secondary Math Classes. It is important that they keep the notes very neatly to have review later. To organize and write whole year's topics, they need a big A4 size square grid notebook. I definitely don't want them to use a small notebook and then they change their notebooks very frequently. 

They can buy a notebook themsleves from a stationary or internet. Otherwise our school buy ASKUL notebooks as you see in the picture. It is 400 yen and students can but it any time from me.

       5. Calculator:

       Graphic Design Calculator (GDC) is a compulsory item in IB math.It is strongly recommended that they should buy TI-84 Plus C model. There are many different prices on internet. I kindly advice you to use following web site to search and buy:

     www.amazon.com
           www.amazon.co.jp
           www.ebay.com

      5. Textbook:  In the classroom, we will follow Oxford Publishing Math IB HL Textbook and I will print out the pages and hand out the students. So they can study the topics at home in advance. But I think students may need another resource to make practice and study subjects.

For SL students, I can provide the materials and textbook for the Oxford book which is on the left. Then Students should buy the Cambridge one to study individually which is on the right.


For HL students, I will provide Oxford , I strongly recommend you buy The Cambridge one.

You can check and buy the books in the following links:

Oxford

Cambridge




Important Note: 

You can find and download  the solutions of the Oxford books' exercises in the following web sites:


www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/ibmathhl

        I hope  we will have a satisfied and fulfilled year together with your kids. I know their passion on learning new areas. I am looking forward to teaching your children In IB curriculum.

     If you have any questions, please feel free to contact to me.

     Thank you very much.

  Have a nice day.