I'm not going to start off with the cliche : 'It seems just like yesterday that I went to Hong Kong....' because it doesn't. A lot happened in those two years, that changed me as a person, taught me numerous lessons, and other such things. But, it's over. One chapter closes, and another opens. However, between that is the summer. I am spending summer 2012 with my family in Dubai, cooking, doing yoga, relaxing, watching movies, reading books, and posting blogs. I will also start tutoring some kids in the building to earn some summer money.
As I type, I feel like I am typing useless things. Instead I should be writing about my wonderful experiences at Li Po Chun United World College, the things I learnt there, how I changed as a person etc. etc. I won't do that. Instead I will put down in this blog, the reports that I got from various teachers and staff leaders at my college. It will sum up how I did academically, and in extra-curriculars during the two years, and might also provide inspiration to me when I feel like giving up.
Final Report Second Year 2010-2012
Report On: Rabeya JAWAID
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
I commenced facilitating this class when I arrived in August and finished the teaching of the class in November 2011. During this time students completed both their internal assessment requirements (a presentation based on a real world knowledge issue.) and their external assessment (a Theory of Knowledge Essay based on a prescribed essay title.). Rabeya was a good TOK student who in a careful and thoughtful way considered TOK issues. On certain topics that particularly interested Rabeya, she became very vocal, but always reflective.
Arnett Edwards
HIGHER LEVEL SUBJECTS
ENGLISH A1 HL
Rabeya showed ability in English and made progress through the year. She demonstrated the ability to respond sensitively to literature and to construct coherent arguments to support her views in her essays and oral work. She showed awareness of social and cultural issues and brought these to bear in interesting ways. She was motivated enough to work independently outside the classroom, the results of which were evident in an impressive Paper 2 in the “Mock” Exams in which she demonstrated a detailed grasp of the texts she based her essay on. Rabeya was attentive in class and listened respectfully to the views of others. I enjoyed having her in my class and I wish her all the best for the future. Moreover I hope she continues to nurture her interest in literature.
Mark Eyeington
ECONOMICS HL
In her final year study, Rabeya has worked hard and shown a keen interest in Economics. She handed in a reasonably good coursework portfolio for which I expect she will receive a high grade. Rabeya has a satisfactory attendance record and was always attentive in class. Subsequently she made consistent improvement throughout the course.
I expect she can achieve a high grade in the final examination.
John Tonks
HISTORY HL
This year in History, students spent most of the year on a focused and detailed study of recent Chinese history. Some of the events studied included, the fall of the Qing dynasty and the birth of Modern China, the May 4th movement, the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, the Japanese invasion of China, the Chinese Civil war and the establishment of the People’s Republic under Mao Zedong. In line with the overall theme of the history program aiming to provide an understanding of modernization and its impact on societies, Japan in the Meiji era was also studied as a contrast with China. In addition to in-class lectures, the students were asked to prepare presentations, engage in mock historical trials, write timed essays and also had to complete an Internal assessment (a piece of original research) worth 20% of their final grade. Students were also further trained in the interpretation and evaluation of historical evidence and made aware of the crucial importance of a critical attitude towards various historical interpretations. Rabeya is a conscientious, capable and motivated student of history. Throughout this year, she has been very effective in group presentations and mock trials. Her essays are good and she has achieved a certain consistency near the 7 level and I think that with the right focus, she might achieve it in her May finals. She always writes better when given the time to organize her material as in her IA:
“Were Islamic reforms the most important of Zia-ul-Haq’s domestic policies between 1977 and 1988?” which was truly excellent and received the grade of 24/25. It was a pleasure to work with her and I wish Rabeya the very best in her finals and in her future course of studies.
Sylla Cousineau
STANDARD LEVEL SUBJECTS
SPANISH AB INITIO SL
This year, the Spanish Ab Initio course started with a revision of almost all the content taught during year 1, emphasizing especially the imperfect, the grammar point with which we ended the previous year. We spent quite some time revising and finally we continued with !Mucha Suerte! a book designed for GCSE students and that more or less covers contents and topics of the Spanish Ab initio course, such as the Individual, Education and Work, Town and Services, Food and drink, Leisure and Travel, and Health and Emergencies. The final topic, The Environment, was covered by resorting to other manuals such as Sueña and Etapas. Therefore, the students studied the main grammatical verbal tenses in lessons designed specifically for that (present, imperfect, present perfect, future, present continuous and commands). Regarding the grammar, students have received a good number of handouts, often with English explanations in order to hone their grammatical skills on the most basic and even slightly more complex structures, for instance the verbal tenses. Both Nuevo Ele inicial and !Mucha suerte! include writing exercises related to the topics covered. Apart from understanding and writing, students were well prepared in advance for their oral examinations, practicing individually on a weekly basis, either with their buddies or their teachers. Apart from general questions, students were expected to practise dialogues based on the topics and grammatical structures covered in the syllabus. Rabeya’s performance throughout the year has been good and I hope she will get a grade according to my expectations. Overall she has worked at a good pace and her attendance was very good. She always asked relevant questions and showed a very good interest in the subject. On the other hand she was always polite and considerate in the interaction with her classmates. Regarding the final year examinations I hope she can find time enough for a complete revision of the topics and those grammar aspects pointed out as problematic in her written assignments, including agreements and grammatical gender. I have told her to revise samples of text D as there is room for improvement as well. I would like to say that it has been a pleasure having Rabeya in my class and I wish her the best in the future.
Jesus Sanchez Rodriguez
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS & SOCIETY SL
The Environmental Systems course was designed to provide students with a coherent perspective on the environment that was essentially scientific and above all enabled them to adopt an informed and responsible stance on a wide range of pressing environmental issues. The programme content was such that students’ attention was constantly drawn to their own relationship with their environment and the significance of their choices and decisions they made in their own lives. Furthermore, on a broader scale, since the resolution of the major environmental issues rests so heavily upon international relationship and agreements, the programme naturally lead students to an appreciation of the nature and values of internationalism.
Rabeya has had a very successful year in the subject. Her grades have continually been at the favourable end of the scale and this is down to her willingness to commit fully to her tasks. She has grown a thorough knowledge of all the key concepts required for the course and can apply them to the various situations both theoretical and practical. Rabeya’s laboratory work has been very thorough, well planned and methodically carried out and through her reports. She has demonstrated quite a comprehensive understanding of what she has been doing. Her mock exam result of 85% was expected. Overall it has been a pleasure to have Rabeya in the class because she has the ability to bring in issues that both complement and extend beyond what is required. With an organised, well constructed revision strategy she should produce a top result and I will look forward to seeing her final results.
Dave
MATHEMATICS SL
The Standard Level students completed the syllabus with the study of Statistics and Probability Distributions. This was a demanding end to the course as this topic is considered an area of difficulty. The students responded well to the challenge of this year's syllabus that was also heavy on Calculus, Matrices and Vectors. Additionally, during the twoyear course all students completed a Portfolio of two tasks, one based on "Mathematical Investigation" and the other on "Mathematical Modelling". This Portfolio is the internal assessment component of the course and contributes a maximum of twenty per cent towards the final grade. Overall, the Standard Level programme has offered a test of the students' ability to master a Calculus-based syllabus and it should provide a sound basis for any university or college course that requires a good mathematical background. Rabeya has shown excellent progress throughout this two-year programme. She is a very capable student and has produced very good work in this subject, which can also be reflected by her successful completion of the Portfolio tasks with an excellent score. In the light of her dedication and determination towards Mathematics, I am confident that Rabeya will not encounter any undue surprise in the final IB examination and will handle it even better than her Mock. Finally, I would like to wish her every success in the future.
Vincent Chu
EXTENDED ESSAY
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS LEADING TO THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
PASSENGERS FLYING IN FLYDUBAI, THE DUBAI-BASED LOW COST AIRLINE?
Rabeya had decided to do an extended essay on the demand of low cost carriers in Dubai right in the beginning. This was part of her summer plan as she would stay in Dubai for some time and she would have the opportunity to interview the consumers of FlyDubai in the airport. Rabeya set up 4 hypothesis and she based her analysis mainly on the consumer surveys. Low price is the major factor in attracting passengers and consumers have changed their requirements for air travel. The lack of substitutes in the short distance low cost market and the increasing number of migrant workers all contributed to the success of AirDubai. A sufficient range of appropriate sources and data have been collected and the investigation was satisfactorily planned. The essay demonstrates a good knowledge and understanding of the topic studied. Rabeya has demonstrated the ability to conduct research with minimal supervision. She followed the feedback and did her best to improve her draft work. Her final essay has met most of the criteria and it is hoped that she will get a good grade for her work.
Esther Chau
PROJECT WEEK REPORT
ANTI-TRAFFICKING, AFESIP, KAMPONG CHAM, CAMBODIA
A group of 18 students went to a poor part of rural Cambodia, Kampong Cham, for a life-changing experience to work with AFESIP, an anti-human trafficking organisation which rescues girls and young women from a life of slavery and sexual violence. The students lived at the rehabilitation centre in extremely basic conditions and for one highly active and demanding week, shared the lives of these girls. The students confidently organised, ran and helped out with dance, art, drama, music and games sessions. The response from the Cambodian girls, aged between 5 and 16, was overwhelming: desperate for affection they tumbled into the arms and hearts of the students. Exposed to these activities, the Cambodian girls learnt rapidly and gained more than just new skills from our visit; they learnt a little confidence, love and trust. Undoubtedly the impact on the students was just as great, as they experienced the girls’ astoundingly positive attitudes and their strong desires to put the unimaginable horrors they had faced behind them. The students also spent several hours with APLE, an anti-sexual exploitation NGO which tracks paedophiles and others who exploit children for sex, and provides the evidence necessary for prosecution. The students found the time spent with APLE to be highly informativeand helpful in putting their week spent with the girls at the AFESIP centre into perspective.
Rabeya was superb again. She focused all of her energy, sensitivity and awareness into the girls and they loved her for it. She worked constantly and devoted as much time as possible to giving the girls the affection and the attention they needed so much. As expected, she ensured that the activities ran smoothly and also devoted attention to the girls who lacked the confidence to join in. Before the trip she was involved in organising the art activities, and on the trip she not only ran the art programme but also showed great initiative and quiet leadership in assisting with the other activities. She could not have done more and gave so much of herself to the girls in the centre. I am truly grateful that she returned to this trip and that it has inspired her so strongly.
Dave McCracken
QUAN CAI (EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMME)
CIRCUS
Stella McCracken
The circus group met each week to learn and teach each other a variety of circus skills. The emphasis was on team work, training and choreographing performance routines. Over the course of the year, the students learnt the skills of the diabolo, plate spinning, the poi, the devil sticks, and balloon twisting. As a new initiative this year, they took their circus skills with them into the community and
performed for different services, such as for the elderly, at the children’s hospital and at birthday parties for deprived children living in the poorest parts of Hong Kong. They also performed with great success in a number of shows on campus and had great fun in the
process!
When she started this term, Rabeya was unfamiliar with circus skills but keen to learn. Desiring to master plate spinning, she gained in confidence and worked with great dedication and perseverance until she had acquired the skills. With extraordinary perseverance and eagerness, she put in extra practice sessions and made remarkable and rapid progress. She demonstrated particular dedication when rehearsing for the Chinese cultural evening and all the service sessions.
Overcoming her nervousness and displaying much courage, she performed with great skill and flair at all shows and events. Even after the performances scheduled for this term were finished, she still learnt more tricks. Always energetic, always laughing, I am delighted that she joined the circus team this term.
HATHA YOGA
Sylla Cousineau
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit. What is commonly referred to as "yoga" can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses. Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The students that participated in our weekly yoga sessions this year were introduced to all basic asanas (postures), and to some breathing exercises (called pranayama). Particular emphasis was put on developing flexibility and some strength, particularly the upper body and abdominal muscles. We practiced inside but when the weather permitted also outside on the rooftop. Rabeya made steady progress in many of the asanas thisyear and also in her weak area, upper body strength. She was quite willing to take on new challenges such as the head stand.
GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Magan Savant
GIF facilitators (with the help of other College community members) prepare a range of presentations on a variety of topics of political, environmental, social, economic, cultural and religious significance and present them to the community followed by discussion.
Rabeya brought in a good deal of diversity to the GIF facilitators group and was an important member giving a different perspective to the whole idea of discussions. She very well put the concepts in global issues related to politics, environment, economics, culture and social aspects together and brought out their interplay to show their effects in our daily life and how we as UWC community can use this background in making world a better place. I hope she continues to take this enthusiasm to her further education at University.
HELPERS FOR DOMESTIC HELPERS
Julie Harris
Help for Domestic Helpers is an activity which works with already established NGO’s in Hong Kong: Helpers for Domestic Helpers and Christian Actions Domestic Helper programme. This is an irregular service where the students travel in small groups to the NGO’s offices. They mainly help HDH with paralegal work on Friday afternoons. This work ranges from translation to transcribing interviews. For Christian Action the students are involved in the activities which are planned for Saturdays and Sundays. These are the days that some helpers are off duty and they attend educational
activities. The LPC students plan and run classes on their own, ranging from: art, dance, English, computer skills to cooking courses. This activity is almost entirely student led with minimum staff supervision and what they have achieved this year under Colin and Rabeya’s careful guidance has been outstanding.
As a leader of Help for Domestic Helpers, Rabeya has been invaluable both in her capacity as a day-to-day manager and her role as a leader and vision-setter for the group. She consistently led through example, making numerous trips to teach English classes, lead game sessions, and volunteer at the legal aid clinic. Members of the Quan Cai undoubtedly benefited from her steady presence and dedication to the service. As a leader, Rabeya proved herself both dedicated andhighly effective. She conducted numerous brief but effective service planning sessions, worked with members of the
group to decide on scheduling matters, and liaised with the professional staff at the NGO. Her passion for the service was all the more evident in the new activities of which she oversaw the introduction - both new Friday legal aid clinic volunteering and the new Saturday English class sessions. Overall, Rabeya displayed a wide-range of leadership abilities and a commitment to the service that allowed for the service to grow and flourish under her leadership. She demonstrated
an impressive commitment to social justice issues and making an impact in the surrounding community.
ENGLISH BUDDIES
This is an activity in which students assist their peers with their English expression in their written work. They are assigned students who require help (”buddies”) and work with them for as long as they need assistance and it is left to the students to set up times to meet with and help their “buddies”.
Rabeya has performed the role of student leader of English Buddies most effectively and conscientiously. She managed a large group of students in a sensitive fashion. She learned the importance of communicating well, and also realized that democratic methods of decision-making are not always the most effective in the context of a residential school! As an English Buddy she did good work with individual students and seems to have felt passionate about, and committed to, the
English Buddies activity. I am sure that she has learned much from the experience of being a student leader and is to be congratulated for her efforts!
Mark Eyeington
TUTOR COMMENT
Rabeya has been part of my tutor group since I took over from my predecessor at the beginning of the year. She is a very friendly member of the tutor group, contributing with her effort and ideas for activities. Her friendly and gentle nature as a senior has gone a long way to help bond with the first years. Academically Rabeya has been working hard consistently to keep up a good level of performance in line with what is required for university education. All her teachers speak
positively of Rabeya’s ability to perform well and also interact with the others in the class. She has also successfully completed her Quan Cai programme and has written some very thoughtful reflections showing her interest and commitment. It is expected that the hard work and effort she is putting into her revision and preparation for the examinations will help her achieve successful results. Having learnt the fundamental skills of balancing academics, with extra-curricular activities and an active residential life I am confident that she is ready to leave LPC with some wonderful
memories of her two years here and all the friendships that she has forged with her peers and the bonds that she has established with her teachers and tutor. She especially bonded with my daughter and it was a pleasure having her as member of my family. Wishing her the best for the future.
Kalpana Balan
