Parents

On Monday, November 30th, we are excited to begin a two week project period for:

Middle Years Program and Diploma Program students with asynchronous project based activities from:

November 30th to December 11th.

These will be teacher supported programs that will be part of the coursework required for all students, and evaluated as part of the end of the first semester marking period. 

Teachers will be accessible during the week of

November 30- December 4 by email and a zoom office hours from 10am-Noon on the following days:

11/30 - Monday - Science

12/1 - Tuesday - Individuals and Societies

12/2 - Wednesday - Language and Literature

12/3 - Thursday - Math

12/4 - Friday - Art /Language 

During the asynchronous time students will be working on a project in each class with IB guided “process steps” due to ManageBac the week of 11/30-12/4. This blend of guided instruction, independent study, and project development are at the heart of the inquiry-based curriculum that is unique to IB skill development.

Final projects will be due during the week 12/7-12/11. In order to spread out the deadlines, final project submissions will be due on the following days:

12/7 - Monday - Science

12/8 - Tuesday - Individuals and Societies

12/9 - Wednesday - Language and Literature

12/10 - Thursday - Math

12/11 - Friday - Art /Language



• Project guidelines, expectations and IB assessment criteria will be introduced in class before the end of in-person learning from 11/16-11/24.

• Students will have a chance to plan and begin the initial stages of their projects with guidance from their teachers.

Teachers will also be available over email and will be providing feedback to the process steps via ManageBac. If students need more support, teachers will be available during their subject day’s office hours.

The project time period is a great chance for students to have some flexibility, work independently and foster skills of inquiry in investigating the subject matter.



In addition to the projects, students are also required to read their all division asynchronous read. Many thanks to Language and Literature Group Chair, Julianne Papetsas, for selecting texts that would be engaging but also poignant for the time we’re living in. When students return to school in January, advisors will use these texts to foster discussion and reflection. Students will have to purchase their own copy of the text; we encourage parents to consider a family read, and for older MYP students to consider reading both selections.

MYP (7-10): I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and Ken Nimura

It's not easy being a tween, but it's even harder when one has the task of battling giants. Barbara is an acerbic fifth grader who pushes away would-be allies with her aggressive, and at times cruel, behavior. She prefers the confines of her imagination and lashes out against her reality in ways that often get her in trouble. I Kill Giants is about coping with grief and the struggle to understand the pain of others. It’s about fighting the things that scare us most and learning to overcome even the greatest tribulations and heartaches.

DP (11-12): They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

Music is a great unifier. It has the power to heal, the power to move us, the power to transport us to a precise moment in our lives. One song can capture the complexities of our emotions, and one album can define our youth. So what better way to understand this moment we’re living in than with music? Poet, essayist, and cultural critic, Hanif Abdurraqib, uses sports, film, and predominantly music, as vehicles for social commentary. Through famous cultural moments and figures, some you know and some you’ll want to learn more about, Abdurraqib reflects on race, mental health, grief, and a wide range of emotions and experiences.

Parent/Student - Teacher zooms will be held on

Friday, December 18 

After semester reports are published on ManageBac. A sign-up for the zoom conferences will be sent out in early December. Students are encouraged to be on the zoom with their parents to hear feedback from the teacher.

Tuesday, January 5-Advisor check-ins with students

Wednesday, January 6- Classes begin- Online

Monday, January 11- Newman in-person classes begin.

As a final scheduling note, our return from the extended holiday vacation for the start of the second semester will begin online, January 6-8. We are planning to be online to provide families the time for students to receive testing results in advance of a return to in person classes on Monday, January 11, 2021. As a safety precaution, we will be requiring all students returning to in person learning on January 11 to provide proof of a negative Covid test.

Advisors will be reaching out to their advisees for a beginning of semester check-in zoom to establish goals and provide support on Tuesday January 5th.