MYP Newsletter The MYP newsletter provides a snapshot of the life of MYP students at Amman Academy.

October 31, 2018

In This Issue

• News from around the School

• Community and Service in the MYP

• MYP Events

• China Day at AA

• The Student Council at AA

• Sports Activities

• News from the different Departments

News from around the School

Cashless School

Amman Academy is the first school in Jordan to offer online payment services to its students. This

service simplifies the payment process for students while enabling their parents to monitor their

transactions.

Students have been provided with smart bracelets to use in the school cafeteria.

The system benefits our students as it will help them understand the latest methods of payment, and will also provide them with the chance to practice handling and controlling their expenses.

'Provide them with the chance to practice handling and controlling their expenses'

Technology at AA

Amman Academy is leading technology innovation in education. Our aim is to provide our students

and staff with the latest tools, knowledge, and data necessary to enhance critical thinking, analytical

decision-making and gathering of information; the latter will support academic success and personal

growth in our 21st century learners.

Technology Opens New Prospects for AA Students

As we continue to increase the level of technology integration in our classrooms, we are exerting

more efforts in educating our students in various fields of practical technologies. With this aim in mind, we have added a number of IT-related classes this semester. These include:

• Robotics class (Grade 6)

• Android Programming (Grade 7)

• Advanced Android Programming (Grade 8)

We plan to add more classes for other grade levels in the future, as we hope to increase technology integration to ensure that our students are ready for the future.

1 - Technology Classes

2 - Technology Classes

3 - Technology Classes

4 - Technology Classes

"Education is evolving due to the impact of the Internet. We cannot teach our students in the same

manner in which we were taught. Change is necessary to engage students not in the curriculum we

are responsible for teaching, but in school. Period." – April Chamberlain

The Virtual Lab

Amman Academy’s Immersive Lab Simulations enable interaction and group collaboration in STEM

Education

AMMAN – September 26, 2018 – Schools are back, and Amman Academy decided to surprise their

students by providing them with the most immersive educational experience. Learning is

transformed into a Knowledge Transfer Experience, and students now have an unl eashed curiosity,

simplified complex topics, and increased attention span and retention.

Amman Academy is the first School in Jordan to adopt the all -in-one screen virtual reality desktop

Lab, which is an educational solution that is easy-to-use, straightforward and natural to support

student learning in science, technology, engineering, and math curricula, as well as art and social studies.

The VR Lab allows students to engage with virtual objects and understand the science behind them.

This  experience  enables  them  to  enter  a  physical   playground   that   promotes   discovery

through experimentation, learn the process of troubleshooting while  allowing  students  a  safe 

place to discover the basics of  electrical  circuits,  and  improves  student research skills as well as

develop detailed  mental  models  of  the  human  body.  The VR Lab helps students become explorers, and transform teachers into facilitators of knowledge.

Community and Service in the MYP

The Community Service program at Amman Academy aims to develop open-minded, inter-culturally

aware global citizens who are both empathetic and respectful toward their closer and wider communities.

Our grade 8 and 9 students engaged in a community service project headed by Tkiyet Um Ali where they worked alongside TUA team members.

Tkiyet Um Ali is a non-governmental organization which helps raise money to feed and sustain

underprivileged citizens all year long through the provision of “Food for Life” while guiding them toward long term self-sustaining solutions for an empowered and dignified existence.

Our grade10G students had the opportunity to make a difference in an older person's life by visiting

,for the elderly. During the visit, students had the opportunity to share breakfast ”اإلنسانية العناية بيت“and spend quality time with an older member of the house.

MYP Events

Back to School Picnic

To kick off our yearly theme of Innovation and Technology, the SLO team planned an innovation jam

event where students designed and created their own musical instruments by following the

innovation process using supplies and recyclable material, all whilst enjoying freshly squeezed juices

from Prime. Student teams competed for most innovative and most functional instruments.

Back to School Picnic Winners

The winners of the “Most Innovative” and “Most Functional” instruments from the Innovation Jam were treated a pizza lunch from Pizza Lovers.

Student Club Fair

The SLO team organized a Student Club Fair to give students the chance to become familiar with the

student-led clubs available, register for the existing clubs, and grab the application forms for those who would like to create their own clubs.

Karaoke Night

Karaoke night was planned by the SLO team to give students the chance to sing out loud, express

themselves, engage with other students across different grades, and let off some energy. Students

sang their hearts out to contemporary songs and classics.

Open Mic Night

The SLO team arranged for an Open Mic Night to get the students’ creative juices flowing and

express themselves through different performances such as singing, dancing, guitar playing, and a standup comedy performance.

China Day at AA

In cooperation with TAG-Confucius Cultural Program, AA organized China Day at AA; it was a great

learning experience for MYP students during which students learned about the Chinese culture. They

learned about the Chinese Tea Ceremony, Tai Chi, Chinese cal ligraphy, Chinese games and crafts and

Chinese medicine. They also enjoyed a tasting of Chinese food. This event was an opportunity to

develop international mindedness and an understanding of other cultures.

The Student Council at AA

Student Council Campaign Workshop

The SLO team held an interactive workshop for all the students running for the Student Council. The

workshop was given by a political campaigning consultant who works wi th individuals running for

parliament. The workshop educated students on how to create platforms, on how to effectively deliver messages to target audiences, and on how to give motivational speeches.

Student Council Presidential Debate

A presidential debate was held to help the students learn more about the presidential candidates up

for election and about the platforms they represent.

Student Council Election Day

Leading up to election day, candidates running for Student Council were campaigning and giving

speeches about their platforms and present their views. Voting was conducted online to ensure the

privacy, anonymity and fairness of all votes. The election process was a learning experience for

students where they learned to defend their views, stand for what they believe in, and vote for their representatives democratically.

Student Council Election Ceremony

The SLO team organized a ceremony for the winning candidates, where the Class Representatives

receiving the majority of votes from the grade they represent were announced, and the President

who was voted for by the entire MYP and DP student body was also announced. Celebratory gifts were handed to congratulate the winners on becoming part of the Student Council.

Sports Activities

Swimming Achievement

Another AA sport achievement! Congratulations to our swimming team members Rashed Abbasi (Gr

6) and Ghaleb Ashour (Gr 7). They have been chosen to join the Jordanian National swimming team.

Rashed and Ghaleb achieved amazing results during Jordan Open swimming competition. Way to go boys!

AAC Cross Country Participation

Many thanks to our Track & Field team for making us proud with their great participation at the AAC

cross country on Saturday, October 13. Our Track and Field team includes:

• Tina Abu Rabee, Nouf Al Salem from grade 6

• Marina Abu Shamaleh, Jade Hamati, Louay Ramadan, Amin Farah from grade 8

• Fares Tasin, Hana Abu Al Rous, Majd Abdeljawad from grade 9

• Laith Abu Al Rubb, Salma Atout, Abdullah Odeh from grade 10

Basketball Super League

The PHE department organized AA Basketball Super league. Around 70 MYP students enrolled in the

league and were distributed into six teams, each sponsored by a company: Zain, Hawares projects,

Jerrard, T-Bone & Cheese, McDonalds and Bedfordshire University. The teams were supervised by

professional basketball coaches. Matches took place on Fridays in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The league will last for 5 weeks ending with a closing ceremony on Friday November 17.

News from Different Departments

The Arts Department

Music

• Students conducted an investigation about the lives of Mozart and Beethoven during which

they learned about their personalities, compositions and experiences.

• Grade 8 students learned about Music therapy and the effects of music on different

disorders. Students confirmed that playing the hand chimes is very soothing for the performer and the listener as it has a rich tone and sounds like hand bells.

5 - Hand Chimes Time!

6 - Hand Chimes Time!

7 - Research!

Visual Arts

• Grade 6 students learned about Van Gogh and his artistic style. They learned about the different brush strokes and methods to mix acrylic colors to create a new palette.

• Grade 7 students learned about the color theory and the effects of colors on one ’s behavior.

Students are creating their own logo that represents them and will color their final sketch

based on the effect of colors studied.

• Grade 8 students experimented with watercolors. One of the biggest challenges is transparency, and they were able to overcome this challenge.

8 - Color mixing time!

The Arts Department Project

Students enjoyed painting with the Art teachers walls in the school hallways. They worked collaboratively to showcase their creativity and love of art.

The Individuals and Societies Department

السادس الصف

ي البحث طرق وتعلم المدرسية المكتبة بزيارة السادس الصف طلبة قام لقد المختلفة التاريخية العصور عن للبحث السليم العلم .والمراجع المصادر توثيق وكيفية المعلومات جمع عىل والتدرب ومظاهرها،

السابع الصف

ي بشكل بالعمل السابع الصف طالب قام لقد ماتالمعلوي جمع عىل تعاون .وتطورها الحضارات تاري خ عن مختلفة بطرق

الثامن الصف

نت، استخدام خالل من األقران مع التعاون مهارة بممارسة الثامن الصف طالب قام • عرض بتصميم قاموا حيث االنتري ي السلبية الظواهر نبذ حول تقديم

.والعبودية التعصب، العنف، مثل المجتمع ف

تأملبال الثامن الصف طالب قام • ي اتيجيات ف ي التعلم استر

ي العوامل أهم ناقشوا حيث الوحدة خالل مارسوها التر التر

اتيجيات عن وتحدثوا الصف، داخل التعلم عىل ساعدتهم ي االستر ي بوجودها يرغبون التر

.المختلفة الوحدات ف

اموافق العنف موضوع حول بفعالية والتفاوض التباحث أجل من مجموعات ضمن بالعمل الطالب قام • بتحليل

ية رسومات وعمل للعنف، آثار أسباب وايجاد عليها، والتعليق الصور من مجموعة .العنف ظاهرة حول كاريكاتتر

Grade 10

Ms. Jehad Nabali, our school librarian, revised the MLA 8th edition method for referencing sources

of information with the grade 10 students in preparation for their History Midterm Summative Assessment.

The English Department

Grade 6

Grade 6 Students researched a poet and created a PowerPoint Presentation as part of their Oral

Summative Assessments.

In order to complete the task, students were expected to annotate the poem Daffodils by William

Wordsworth on A3 paper. Through this activity, students developed their ATL skills, mainly, collaboration, affective and communication skills.

Grade 7

Grade 7 students used one of the themes from the novel “The Wheel of Surya” and in their designated groups, sketched their very own political cartoons.

Grade 9

Grade 9 students developed their poetry analytical skills during English Language and Literature

classes. They first researched the context of the poet's life then extrapolated how the social and

economic circumstances influenced his work. During the process they developed their collaborative skills.

The Design Department

Grade 6

Grade 6 students investigated the existence of the problem “lack of knowledge about Jordanian

cultural sites” within their unit “Explore your Jordan”. They visited the PYP stage during which PYP

students filled out a questionnaire in order to prove the need for an interactive brochure.

Grade 7

During the inquiring and analyzing stage of the Product Design subject; grade 7 students conducted

an interview with the guard man, to discuss the needs of AA students while crossing the street from

the main building to the gym, in order to identify key aspects of designing a bridge to connect the two buildings together.

Grade 8

The students learned how to communicate through orthographic drawings using boards, rulers and

triangles for drawing. The students developed detailed technical drawings that helped them create their final solution in the workshop.

Grade 9

Our grade 9 students visited King Hussein Center for Special Needs Children to identify children ’s

problems due to the lack of medical products. Students were expected to find the best solution to

satisfy the children’s needs under the global context of “Fairness & Development”. The main

concept for the unit was to design and create a toy for those kids to overcome their physical challenges.

Grade 10

Grade 10 students searched for problems that align with their unit's global context "Scientific and

Technical Innovation". They were then expected to find a solution through creating a website, mobile application, or a video to help target users adapt to a new environment.

The Arabic Department

السادس الصف

ت) بتصميم السادس الصف طالب قام فاؤل تدعو عبارات يحمل بهم خاص (تيشترا واألمل للت

ي للسياق تطبيق الهويات العالم

ع القمصان هذه بيع بعد مجتمع خدمة لتقديم والعالقات تر .بريعها والت

السابع الصف

ي السابع الصفي طلبة قام ة ف

ح واألدب اللغة ماد ي يا قصيدة بشر واصل خالل من أم

، بالعمل الت طريق عن ذلك تمي وقد الجماع

.(تمايز) متنوعة أنشطة

الثامن الصف

امن الصفي طلبة قامي نصي بتحليل الث ي العمل خالل من وتواصلوا الفضاء، عالم حول خارجر رواد حياة وتخيلوا الجماع

خصية؟ بنطافتهم يهتمون وكيف ينامون؟ وكيف يأكلون؟ كيف )الفضاءوا (الش

.بالرسم ذلك عن وعتر

The Science Department

Grade 6

Students used their critical thinking skills to gather and organize relevant information to formulate

the formula for measuring the volume of both regular and irregular shaped objects. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Knowledgeable

Students used their critical thinking skills to gather and organize relevant information to measure

the mass and the weight of assorted objects using the digital balance and the spring scale. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Knowledgeable

Students used their communication skills to structure information in lab reports on how density differs between multiple liquids. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Knowledgeable

Students used their creative thinking skills to apply existing knowledge to generate and plan a

procedure to examine a number of physical properties for selected objects. IB learner profile

attribute enhanced: Inquirer

Students used their communication skills to structure information regarding the differences between physical and chemical change. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Knowledgeable

Students used their communication skills to structure their conceptual understanding using scientific

keywords. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Knowledgeable

Grade 9

Students used their critical thinking skills to solve a crossword about the elements of the periodic table. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Thinker

Students used their transfer skills to arrange information about the history of the periodic table. IB

learner profile attribute enhanced: Inquirer

Students used their information literacy skills to research about the daily uses of some el ements of

the periodic table. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Communicator

Grade 10

Students used their communication skills to collect data of an investigation about the effect of

changing temperature on the rate of a chemical reaction. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Communicator

Students used their critical thinking skills to come up with an improvement to the water

displacement method in measuring the volume of gases produced from a reaction. IB learner profile attribute enhanced: Thinker

The Physical and Health Education Department

Grade 6

Grade 6 students developed their basketball skills and their understanding of basketball rules and

symbols during PHE classes. Students practiced being a referee in order to implement basketball symbols.

Grade 8

Grade 8 students have come up with a plan to refine their soccer techniques during PHE classes.

Grade 9

Grade 9 students learned about keeping positional balance when playing with a partner in a double badminton game.

The Mathematics Departments

Grade 6

Grade 6 students practiced solving questions to investigate patterns collaboratively.