Tag Archives: MYP

You Thinking of Uni?

Posted by hopejohnson on 13 November, 2017 None comments
October was a month of college prep for our upper MYP and DP students here at SEK: We visited Education
City, held a Canadian university fair, and were welcomed by Qatar University for a tailor-made tour. Lots of
students received inspiration, some gained surety, and others now have more questions than when we
began! All in all, we can be sure that our students have excellent options for undergraduate study, whether
here in Qatar or further afield. Deciding where to choose to go remains the challenge.
The dean at the University of Pennsylvania offers the following framework for guidance in choosing the right school on his blog:

 

  1. Culture:
    • What is the history and mission of the institution. How is the mission relevant today?
  2. Curriculum:
    • More than a listing of majors and programs, what is the design and aim of the courses you will take over 4 years?
  3. Community:
    • Who are the people, the physical spaces of campus and the relationship of the campus to the local environment?
  4. Conclusions:
    • What should I envision for myself at the end of my college experience
    • What are some of the outcomes I may expect?

 

These four Cs are good place to start when students are deciding what school they want to be a part of in the next chunk of their lives. As a prudent parent, I would go ahead and add a fifth C: Cost. It is a very necessary discussion to have!

All of a our students will find welcoming places around the world. As directed above, I encourage them to look beyond a course title, or school name when making that determination, and to ask: What will my day-to-day be like there? What will my classes actually be about? How will this program serve me in my future endeavors?

I am here to help students pore over course details and catalogs, to get in touch with program supervisors,
and find illustrative answers to questions that may help guide their choices. Please have these conversations
at home, and check in with me if you too have questions! It is my pleasure and privilege to be a part of this
exciting time in our students’ lives.

Meet Your New Counsellor!

Posted by hopejohnson on 21 September, 2017 None comments

I am happy to join the SEK family! I bring with me over a decade of international experience in teaching, and a heartfelt belief that education is what changes our world for the better. I have joined the counselling field with this in mind. I will be working with MYP and DP students. This year SEK Qatar will congratulate their first graduating class, and it is my honour and duty to find them great places in university next year.

Personally, I am a Canadian with a well-worn passport. My dear husband Niall teaches MYP English at the school, and our twin girls, Freyja and Juno, will join us on campus next year in the P3 program. Doha is feeling like home already!

Please feel free to contact me! My office is just above the cafeteria, so pop by. You can also email anytime at hope.johnson@sek.qa

 

Cyberbullying – Be a RISK TAKER…

Posted by marlofrontiera on 18 November, 2015 None comments

This week I spent time with the Grade 7 discussing Cyberbullying. We focused on creating safe communities and how this ties in with our IB Mission to create a more peaceful world.  We looked at how working toward global peace starts within our smaller communities.  The students were quite engaged and concerned about creating a safe place to learn and all agreed to working toward making our SEK Community a peaceful place by acting as “upstanders”.

An “upstander” is someone who recognizes when something is wrong and acts to make it right. When an upstander sees or hears about someone being bullied, they speak up. Being an upstander is being a hero: we are standing up for what is right and doing our best to help support and protect someone who is being hurt. In many ways, this is another word for being socially responsible. Or to put it in IB terms we need to be principled, caring and risk takers!!