Middle School Social Studies

(Mr. Ariail & Mr. Daily)

The first few weeks of the school year in 6th and 7th grade social studies have been exciting and not without a few challenges that come with an online learning platform. However, thus far students and the teacher have navigated effectively through this relatively new approach to learning. This year’s emphasis has been on providing synchronous learning to at least three of the five sections that are taught on a weekly basis.

This means the students are on call and engaged in screen time with the teacher for a majority of class time. For the other sections of the class, the students are learning asynchronously. Asynchronous learning means that the students are on their own typically accessing instructions from the google classroom site and engaging in independent pedagogy. As the year begins the 6th and 7th graders have responded to this format with zeal and determination.

The students have familiarized themselves with online expectations, engaged in icebreakers, and focused on listening and taking good notes. The 6th Graders are currently focusing specifically on the Five Themes of Geography which is traditionally how we start the learning curriculum. The 7th grade has just begun its unit on the physical geography, history, and culture of North America. Prior to this unit, the class focused on geographer skills, particularly determining how to locate places using the coordinates of latitude and longitude. This promises to be a fun year of learning and it holds much potential as there are a variety of ways in which to challenge students in the learning process.  

8th graders are focused on Ancient World History this year, and will use a variety of online resources to understand how we use the social sciences to make conclusions about the past, to use sources to explain our conclusions, and to use the new understanding to communicate our ideas. Students will access resources and in class instruction through Google Meets. They will have regular readings to enhance their in class instruction and skill building activities to help them practice their communication skills. 

Our first unit is learning about the origins of society from the earliest humans through the early civilizations in China, Mesopotamia, and Greece. We are focused on understanding how we learn about the past and the importance of ancient art, inventions and writing. 

High School Art

(Ibu Dewi)

The Art Department would like to welcome you all back to school in the new academic year, through the platform of online learning. Although it is more challenging to begin the new academic year online, students have begun their studies in a positive manner and have been able to understand and complete their assignments successfully, thus far.

I would like to ask parents to assist with the Art program during this time by providing some art materials for your child in order to maximize their learning process. You may contact me at dsoetanto@sis.sch.id for further information on this. The Art Department hopes to make this school year as much fun in learning, exploring and in creating works of art online as if we were in the classroom. 

ART I (Grade 9)

 The student artists are exploring the ‘Op’ Art Movement, which is also known as ‘Optical’ Art. The group will be analyzing its characteristics, which they will later put into practice in their own art work. This style of art is abstract and uses optical illusions, which are created in black and white. This art style gives the viewer the impression of movement and vibrating and flashing patterns.

Art II (Grade 10)

 Zentangle Art is the first art style that grade 10 artists have been exploring. The characteristic of Zentangle Art requires students to concentrate and to be creative. It is a fun and relaxing experience. This art form requires the creation of beautiful images by drawing structured ‘tangles’ in the form of dots, lines, and its combination inside the image. Most of the time, Zentangle Art is completed in two colors. An example of this is black and white.

AP ART (Grade 11 and 12)

Our artists in AP ART classes are challenged to explore ‘new’ art forms, which will be focused upon during the school year. In this class, the artists are given opportunities to be more ‘free’ to explore and to create their works of art. Students have started on Breadth Art, which means an initial idea is ‘copied’ from an example. Then it is developed to be their own artwork.  Later in the course, students will be working on concentration and sustained investigation projects, which require the artist to create their original ideas through the exploration of an artist/s or other resources. In this class, the artists are encouraged to use different mediums available.