IBDP Update

A number of the 2022 IBDP Graduates returned to the College for a morning tea to celebrate their outstanding results and collect their IB Diploma which just arrived from the UK. It was lovely to catch up and find out where they are and what they are all doing post Year 12.

A number are studying interstate – Bond University (Qld) for medicine and Monash (Vic) for pharmacy. Others are doing a range of degrees at USyd, UTS, UNSW and Macquarie – law, commerce, sport science, commerce, international relations, nursing, physiotherapy and teaching. It was lovely to catch up albeit for a very short gathering and we wish them every success in their future endeavours.

The year 12 IBDP students had an internal assessment writing day on Friday 24 March. They have a number of drafts due in the final weeks of term and it was decided that an intensive writing day with teacher support would be beneficial. Ms Lombardo and I supervised the day and the students used their time effectively to achieve whatever goal they set for themselves for the day. As a cohort they organised a plethora of pizzas for lunch which kept them motivated and energised for the afternoon session.

I attended the IB Asia Pacific Global Conference in Adelaide from 19 to 21 March – together with Ms Skerman and Ms Pugh. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to network with new teachers/coordinators and Heads from across the globe. Many IB staff from both Cardiff – assessment and Den Haag – curriculum design, were also present as was the Director General of the IBO – Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen. The IB is in the process of doing a review of its 16+ courses – namely the Diploma and the Career-Related programme and it was exciting to be able to hear about proposed changes and be able to provide input. One of the highlights of the Conference was definitely the student voice that was given – with speakers and performers from numerous schools and Colleges across Australia.

Gabriel Henao – our Spanish ab initio teacher organised a wonderful outing for the languages staff and his Year 12 class earlier this term – more information below.

Julie Harris
Dean of IB

Colombian Culinary Excursion

On Thursday 9 March, the IB Spanish Ab Initio Year 12 class embarked on an after-school excursion to ‘Mas Tinto’, a Colombian cafe in Stanmore. Last year, we studied Hispanic cuisine and learnt how to read recipes in Spanish. However, as a result of COVID restrictions, we have been unable to put this knowledge into practice. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to change that last week, partaking in a cooking class to make arepas which were run by the cafe staff and entirely in Spanish. 

Personally, I had never eaten nor made arepas, let alone other Hispanic dishes and this definitely made a great first impression! Arepas are small, cake-like patties that are made out of corn dough. As a part of the experience, we had to make the dough ourselves and, in turn, get our hands (and some of the tables) dirty. There was a whole range of fillings that we could eat with it as well – beef, chicken, lamb, etc. However, what was especially nice to discover was how flexible Hispanic cuisine is, catering to all types of dietary requirements and preferences. I speak on behalf of the entire class when I say that we all truly appreciated how we were all able to eat fully and deliciously. 

This excursion was a fun and insightful experience for all of us. We not only learned to make arepas but also were given the opportunity to practise our listening and oral skills in the Spanish language. Holistically, IB Spanish has been so much fun so being able to explore the culture and language further was absolutely wonderful. To any students who are considering the IB but are afraid to learn a new language, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and start because as much as it can be daunting, there is a lot of support and encouragement from both your fellow classmates and your teachers. 

¡Sobre todo, muchas gracias a Señor Henao y Señorita Panetta para una experiencia maravillosa, divertida y interestante! Personalmente, apprendí tan mucho sobre cultura colombiana. Para la Señorita Panetta, muchas gracias por ser nuestra profesora de cocina. Tambien lo siento que nuestro arepas no fueran círculos buenos. Para el Señor Henao, muchas gracias por organizar todo y ser nuestro profesor de español. Aprender español estaríamos muy difícil sin ti. Finalmente, muchas gracias a mis amigas por ser una clase simpática y graciosa. Esta experiencia no sería divertida sola. Estoy muy agradecido por esta oportunidad de aprender con mis amigas y profesores asi que, una vez más, gracias. 

Ellie Nguyen
Year 12