Middle Years

January has been an exciting month in Science. With Ms. Becky at the helm, the students in the Middle Years have been taking part in a multitude of hands-on exercises. The Grade 8s have been introduced to the complex but wonderful world of Chemistry. In class, through designed experiments, they have looked at physical and chemical reactions, endothermic vs. exothermic reactions and a variety of other chemical reactions and discoveries. The Grade 7s, delving into Astronomy, looking specifically at planet Earth, assumed the roles of paleontologists. By taking a trip outside, here on the sea side, they went investigating for fossils and organisms that could tell them a story about ancient life on the island. They returned with a vast array of rocks and shells that each had a tale of their own to tell.

In the Language and Literature, both classes have been involved in writing, designing, illustrating and publishing their own books. The Grade 7s are involved in writing children stories, using some of their own favorite childhood tales as models. The Grade 8s have learned the art of letter writing and have put together interactive books of Extraordinary Correspondences between characters they created. Views of these books will be forthcoming.

On Tuesday, November 1st the MYP had an amazing experience as we looked outside of the classroom window. The image shown is of a ‘water spout’ that was spotted by Ms. Shari. The whole MYP saw and were amazed and it made for a great science moment. Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. Pretty cool!

Cultural Studies this year proves to be an all-consuming and curiosity-inspiring thing. It’s great to see the students at work, hunting through atlases to acquaint themselves with their world. Their questions and their insights are interesting, funny and enlightening. In the hour-long sessions, students and teacher learn so much.

                This year, we took a trip to Washington DC, and it was certainly our favorite. We learned about American history in a fun and interesting way. We visited various monuments, memorials, museums and historical sites; and it was a great hands-on experience. We met new people and visited new places, and it was a trip we will definitely remember!

                As soon as we arrived in the city, we were impressed and excited about its history and significance. On our first day, we went to the Air and Space Museum on the Smithsonian complex, saw the Vietnam Memorial and visited the Lincoln Memorial. We also met up the other two school groups we would be touring with: a class from California and one from Texas. We all met and even made some new friends, and they definitely made the trip more fun and interesting.

                On our second day, we visited George Washington’s historic home on Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery. We were impressed and shocked at the sheer size of the cemetery and the hundreds of thousands of white grave markers covering the hills. There, we also watched the changing of the guard and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That evening we also went to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where we got a great view of the city from the rooftop terrace.

                Our third day opened with us going to Capitol Hill, where we visited the Capitol building and the Library of Congress. Later we walked in front of the White House to take pictures, and spent the afternoon at the Natural History Museum. We saw sea creatures, the first humans and various gem stones, including the famous Hope Diamond. We finished the night at Jefferson Memorial and Roosevelt Memorial.

              We spent our fourth and final full day at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American History Museum, and the Pentagon City Mall where what we learned in our classes became very real for us.

                This trip has been our favorite school trip as it was very educational and fun. It was a life changing trip that taught us about American history, culture and politics. It was a very different and fun way to learn, it made the information easier to understand and visualize.  It taught us the importance of American history and its impact on the United States.

                We will never forget all the fun times we had together on this trip and hope that other students will be fortunate enough to experience them too! Thank you to all the teachers and parents who helped make this amazing experience possible. We could not have done this without all your help and support.

Early on the morning of Sunday, April 10th, 2011, we met at the airport and boarded the Prop Plane that would take us to Cayman Brac. Once we arrived on the sister island, we quickly passed through the airport, hopped on a bus and were taken to the Alexander Hotel where we would stay for the next three days. After getting settled in our hotel rooms, we headed out to the pool. After lounging and a good game of Marco Polo, a nice evening meal at the hotel restaurant, we finished the day with a fun game of ‘Spoons’.

The next morning we hopped on the bus and prepared ourselves for our first adventure. First, we visited the caves, and then we went the lighthouse which we took turns climbing up for a bird’s eye view of the Brac coast. While visiting the lighthouse, we went to the bluff where we saw the brown Boobie birds. After that, we traveled to the Labyrinth where Katherine Bodden- Harris, an author, told us the history and healing purposes of the Labyrinth. Later on in the afternoon, we visited the Brac Heritage House where a local artist’s pieces were displayed. We learned a great deal about Cayman Brac and the island’s history on that first day.

                On our final day, we left the hotel for a cooking class at the Cayman Brac High School, were we made traditional Cayman Rundown; or otherwise known as a Coconut Dinner. We were able to participate in the class and enjoy the final dish. Then we went to the beach where we went snorkeling and saw many sea creatures that included the barracuda. After two hours of lounging and swimming, we drove back to the hotel to end our trip.

                Like all good things that must come to an end, so did our Brac trip. We packed up our things and headed to the airport where we said goodbye to the Brac and returned home, to Grand Cayman.  It was an enjoyable experience for all of us.

Congratulations to Grade 7 student, Marissa Towell, who came in 2^nd place in the ‘Earth Science’ category for her solar cooker project in at this year’s annual Rotary Central School Science Fair.  Please visit, http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2011/04/05/Weird,-wacky-and-full-of-wonder/, for further details. 

We are so proud of you Marissa! Congratulations again!

Bonjour!

The students have been studying modes of transport and how to travel to different destinations. They learned how to say that they were going on a trip to Washington DC and how they were going to get there! We have also been discussing dream vacations, and continued with Episode 5 of our Soap Opera.

This week, the students shall learn how to describe what they did during their visit to Washington DC!

Salut!

Mme Wendy

Bonjour!

The students are continuing to work on the unit on ‘Food and Drink’. Last week, they practised ordering in a cafe and discussed what they were going to eat. The class also sampled some some pains au chocolat. These went down very well!!

This week, we shall learn about meals. We will also study how to say ‘There is’ and ‘There isn’t', and we will look at tips on checking written work.

Salut!

Mme Wendy

We have been learning about modern art and how to create it. We made ‘Jackson Pollock’ style paintings using a splatter and marble technique. We have also created digital art in the style of ‘Andy Warhol’. Next up is experimenting with water colours.

Miss Ali

“I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own” – Jackson Pollock

Pablo Picasso and the famous art movement ‘Cubism’ is what the Middle Years students have been studying. They have taken elements of ‘Cubism’ and put them into their own ‘cubist style’ painting. We used acrylic on canvas.

Miss Ali

“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not” – Pablo Picasso