Academic Enrichment Programme 2020

Year 5 students attended a large variety of workshops and programmes listed below:

EE Launch & EE Café

The EE Launch and Café sessions were introductory presentations into the EE writing process. Considered one of the core components in IB, the EE Launch focused on the guidelines and approaches to successfully writing a competent EE. Students also had the opportunity to explore different subject options during EE Café sessions, wherein teachers went into detail about the specific pre-requisites and requirements for their respective subjects.

Library Research Process

Similarly, the Library Research Process was a workshop designed to teach the students fundamental research skills. Topics like research planning and strategies, validation of sources, importance of identifying perspectives for writing an analytical work, and intellectual property rights were covered in-depth. Students were also introduced to various components of the academic writing process and how to effectively produce a good piece of written work. The following topics were presented during the session:

• How to do a literature search

• Search Techniques (Keywords & Boolean Searches)

• Searching ACSI’s Online Catalogue, E-databases & NLB’s E-resources

Year 4 Information

Literacy Skills were introduced to the students to prepare them as an independent researcher during their IBDP journey. They learn how to find information using our library catalogue, E-resources and NLB E-resources which will support their independent study, projects and eventually to EE.

Study Skills by Elevate

A seminar on study skills was conducted by Elevate to introduce students to a range of skills that will allow them to motivate themselves throughout the course of IBDP. Students were encouraged to analyse the role of “belief” as a means to motivate and propel themselves to their personal best in their final years, as well as examining conditioned beliefs and selflimitations that might hinder confidence.

Additionally, all students were led through a 4-step goal setting process, helping them to identify their own personal unique and compelling reason to drive them through their final years. These examined goals are based on the student’s individual streams, taking their career paths, university and vocational study based goals into account. Once students identified their own personal compelling motivation, they were led through a short-term planning process, breaking up their overarching goal into a series of achievable, short-term benchmarks.

Callido Baseline Assessment

A Callido workshop was held to introduce the Callido EE Companion to students – a research tool and platform that helps students in developing their EE research question and essay writing, as well as support in conscientious self management. Students had the chance to undertake the Callido Baseline Assessment first to benchmark their skills, before embarking on the EE writing process. They were also taught how to use and navigate the interface on-site, with professional Callido instructors present to give support and answer questions.

Significant Skills of TOK

After a brief introduction into TOK, students were divided into groups of five. Each group was given a specific title, of which students were instructed to base on a real life situation of their own choice. With marker pens and mahjong paper at their disposal, they quickly got to work on brainstorming appropriate knowledge questions related to their real-life situation, correlating links between the two. Undertaking IBO’s Approach to Teaching and Learning Strategies, the students were actively engaged throughout the session, learning important skills in preparations for their Oral Presentation along the way.

Year 4

Students were introduced to the IB TOK course through a lecture entitled “How do we know what we claim to know?” They had to complete a number of tasks on worksheets that were provided. These tasks covered important TOK concepts including personal and shared knowledge, ways of knowing, and knowledge claims. Some of the activities were quite challenging, but they were given the opportunity to discuss their responses with one another. The lecture was designed to give the students a taste of TOK through a series of thought-provoking concepts and exercises.

CAS Project Planning

As a key component of the IBDP, students were also given time to gather in groups and plan out the scope of their CAS Service project, under the careful supervision of their tutors. Due to the circumstances of this year’s COVID-19 outbreak, the overseas service trips were unfortunately cancelled. Taking this into consideration, students are required to fulfil their CAS project requirement through local projects instead, working within their respective Houses on a local project in collaboration with a local non-profit organisation.

First Aid Training

Last but not least, professional instructors from International SOS were invited to our school to conduct First Aid Training courses, where students were given first-hand experience on how to properly assist and resuscitate fallen individuals in need. Students were taught the principles of first aid, the inherent responsibilities of the first aider, importance of personal safety, proper infection control, and most importantly, the systematic approach to dealing with a first aid incident. First Aid CPR mannequins were provided on-site for students to actively practise the techniques they were taught, running through the systematic approach in assisting an unconscious casualty, including and placing the casualty in a proper recovery position.