This pandemic, for me I believe has been very good. Not going to physical school has meant 0 travel time, which has been a revelation- a surprising amount of extra time added into my day. I have been able to keep up my fitness, through rigorous training and am learning new things every day. I have also created a quarantine tab in this portfolio which dedicates each week into learning a new skill which I will continue throughout the summer.
I feel very confident now going into Grade 10, entering the second and main half of IGCSE. IGCSE exams are early next year, and this year we have a set of mock exams before the December Christmas break. Throughout the summer I have been studying hard, revising grade 9 material, and going ahead and learning and finishing some grade 10 subjects (math and chemistry) Which has prepared me and gives me a headstart in terms of knowledge. This year will surely be a busy and stressful year, however, hopefully, I can make the most of it and excel in what I do. I have already got inspiration and know that I would like to study in different fields of Biochemistry in IB and going on into university. I am very passionate about science in general, and especially global warming and climate change.
I have received three new teachers this year my mentor, Chem-side teacher and french half-class teacher. I am excited to get to know them and learn with their new teaching styles.
Grade 9 so far has been a great experience, throughout the many different classes, trips, and subjects. I have learned a lot. Alongside all the learning, I have also made new friends and had a lot of fun throughout. My goals this year was to really get the feel for the IGCSE syllabus, to excel and to get to know all my teachers. I have tremendously improved in all my subjects and am looking forward to continuing along this path in order to achieve the highest marks possible in the IGCSE exams.
The grade 9 exams have been fun, however, to me they are a brand new experience and this has made me get a good feel of how examinations will work in the real IGCSE exams. From this experience, I now know what worked, and how I can better revise for exams in the future. During the school year, I have also gone on my school trip Himalayan rafting which really inspired me and showed me again what the world has to offer without human development. One topic I am very passionate about is climate change and global warming. I also participated in multiple services, Surfaid and Circus with the local community which helped me extend my outreach.
Science has always been something that I have enjoyed and has continued being a subject I am passionate about in High school. For the future, one of my job opportunities would most likely be in the science field. Whether it be computer science, biochemistry or even sports science. Other fields such as design and technology and geography also interest me a lot, and could potentially outreach viable career options in the future. Nevertheless, I have really enjoyed Grade 9 and am looking forward to Grade 10.
I have been accepted into the Himalayas rafting trip in Easter, and I am very happy and grateful I got the position on the trip. This trip was my first choice and I am very excited for it.
My first image specifically shows that even as technology is developing; and teenagers are becoming more and more addicted, when we really get out into the wilderness; we can truly make new friends; and have the time of our lives. These days all teenagers do is stress about school or sit and watch youtube or play games. Which truly doesn’t make sense to me, wouldn’t you rather go out and meet people face to face rather than on skype, wouldn’t you rather have friends in real life rather than a huge friend list on facebook?
Social media and technology is slowly as if trespassing into younger and younger children and the effects can be devastating. There’s a huge rift slowly forming between teenagers in schools, the ones who are really passionate in any field of sport (being an athlete myself) and the people who just go to school because they are forces to and don’t do anything aside from friends and school. A teenagers life shouldn’t be JUST school, I encourage and recommend everything to find something they like such as a hobby, or passion and really carry that out; work on it and get better at it. Stop staring at screens and get outside and do something; anything before it’s too late.
I’d like to give a little shoutout to 3 specific former coaches of mine, they’ve all helped me through tough times; helped me improve and encouraged me to do better, get faster, fitter and stronger. The first shoutout I would like to give is to Mrs.Upston, one of my former physical education coaches, she unfortunately no longer teaches at UWCSEA. Mrs.Upston was my favourite Physical educations teacher because she was able to successfully teach us, challenge us while making us have a blast (fun) and really look forward to P.E. in the week. The second and third shoutouts go to to 2 of my former swim coaches, who have also left UWCSEA to coach elsewhere and travel the word; Coach James and Coach Cash both helped me so much along my swim journey, Coach James helped me with my technique and being able to keep up with everything when I was younger, in white squad. Coach Cash helped me most specifically in g7, where he would let me train with him; as he saw my potential and that I was committed to really improving/getting better at swimming, I would regularly train with him in the mornings and evenings and through him I became and official senior member in g8. Coach Cash really really helped me improve and he was a very outgoing and fun person to be around, I was really when Coach James and Coach Cash left UWCSEA. These coaches all shared something in common, they were all committed to teaching, while having fun from time to time. They all really inspire me to grow and develop my personality into a more outgoing and joyful one. The impact a coach can have you isn’t purely upon you, coach’s all have different ways of teaching and enforcing learning and these coaches have exceled and have left their mark on me, a really good one. Unfortunately as they have left I will no longer have them as coaches however I will remember most of my favourite coaches forever.
The answer is everything, I am looking forward to getting to know my teachers and classmates better, as well as extending my knowledge and getting myself through IGCSE. I am also quite excited to learn more outside the box information and gain skills such as being able to ideate and draw well and fast in DTRM with Mr.Zobrist. I am also learning lots of new intelligence from Mr.Dinsdale in the subject of geography. I also am very happy with my subject choices, and am really looking forward to doubting and challenging myself in dicussion in economics with Mr.Owens. High school so far has been great and in some subjects I have already learnt a lot. I am also really looking forward to participating in my GC Surfaid, and whatever local service I choose in s3 and s4. I obviously look forward to getting better at swimming throughout the year, and have set goals in place for both short-term and long-term periods of time. I am looking forward towards tests, and am working hard to maybe get into Ad-math after the first test if I would like too. I am also quite muscly and since lunch time is later I have to bring and eat a lot more snack and food before lunch.
This week has been my first week in high school and the IGCSE course. I have been allocated to the three classes I have been interested in and have decided to take for my course
-Design & Technology Resistant materials
-Geography
-Economics
I am really happy with my course choices, although this week has indeed been quite boring; mostly icebreakers and stuff. I was able to meet all my new teachers. I am excited to start my work, though this week we haven’t done much work and it’s been quite boring with all the icebreakers. However, through the icebreakers, assemblies and mentor times. I have gotten to know the strengths and weaknesses of my class, and have gotten to know people better and make new friends. I am really excited to learn more and extend my knowledge in these subjects that i’ve chosen, and i’m really happy with all of my teachers.
When I watched the video of the making of Ed-Sheerans worldwide hit “shape of you” I was able to relate many parts of my school life, Just like Ed, I am a very passionate person and always want to jump straight into things. Maybe sometimes even rush into things, however just like Ed does I am able to collaborate well with peers in group works such as this group project with Ed Sheeran, Johnny Mcdaid and Steve mac. I feel like this video really shows how you should really have a freestyle flow in life, and as Ed shows in the video experiment with everything, out of curiosity and if something doesn’t work you always have many other options. I also did the personality quiz and I got the role of executive which i honestly think is completely wrong, I am an outgoing person however I am organised, practical and intuitive; when in school I try my best to impress and I usually set goals for myself to achieve in both the short term future and the long term future. I feel personally that aside from homework tasks given in school it is truly very important to set proper goals, as it shows progress even if you don’t make those goals it makes for the next year and the next. Goals can also show others about you, what’s your dream goal? ect… As you could hear John Mcdaid was constructing on with Ed in this video “He would constantly come up with different beats and lines and we were able to work out the song pretty quickly within 15 minutes we had a beat going and everything” I think this really is a big example of coaching and teaching and one big inspiration to me is my dragons swimming coaches, Coach Martin and Coach Smith.
