G3 Chocoloate Making Adventure
To gain a deeper understanding of fair trade, G3 has been learning about the global production of cocoa beans and the climate necessary for cocoa to thrive. This all concluded with an incredible day of making their own chocolate bars. Check out the video to see how it went!
They were able to take apart and have a closer look at the cocoa plant which, to everyone’s surprise, didn’t smell much like chocolate at all. Luckily, they had access to some ready-to-melt white and milk chocolate to make their tasty bars!
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Apart from the pesky chocolate thief, the day went incredibly well! The G3 students made some brilliant bars of chocolate that must have tasted just as good as they looked.?
G10 Personal Project Exhibition
The Personal Project is a culminating project completed by students in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP). The exhibition, in the video below, is the conclusion of this project where the students had the opportunity to show what they had discovered.
The project encourages students to explore their passions, develop their research and communication skills, and demonstrate their understanding of the MYP’s key concepts.?
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The Personal Project allows students to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and ability to take initiative, preparing them for further academic challenges in the IB Diploma Programme and beyond.
Alumni Stories - Alan Kuo
We were lucky enough to get a visit from our 2015 Graduate Alan Kuo this month who gave us an invaluable insight into what makes BWYA such a great place for learning and what he has been up to since leaving our doors. Check out the video below to see what he had to say!
One of the most important messages that current students should take from this interview is the fact that passion is something we should all strive to find. Alan suggests that this passion doesn’t need to be something academic and could be as simple as a hobby. This passion could help you significantly in life, especially when the stresses of life start to catch up with you.
Thank you so much to Alan Kuo for coming in and making the time to talk to us about his experience. If you are an alumni and you are interested in coming back for a visit, maybe to see old teachers and staff, or to take a look around the new facilities, then please email us at alumni@ibwya.net with your name, a Tuesday date, and any teachers you would like to meet! Hope to see more of you soon!
G6 Settlements Dioramas
In Individuals and Societies, Grade 6 have been working on their Settlements unit. In this unit, they had to create a settlement diorama to show some sort of ancient settlements from anywhere in the world. Take a look at a few of the amazing projects in the video below!?
As you can see from the video, there was a shock twist in the project that the students were unaware of! After completion of the project they had a disaster happen to their settlement and they had to think of ways to help the settlement survive and prosper.
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The dioramas took roughly 4 weeks to finish in their teams and we think they have done an incredible job at showing different landscapes, cultures and architecture from around the world. Well done Grade 6!
International Day At BWYA - 2024
This International Day celebration at BWYA was the first time the entire school got to celebrate the international community together. The day began with a poignant speech by our Principal of Primary – Mr Sharpe, followed by a fantastic day of activities throughout BWYA. Have a watch of the video below to see what everyone got up to
All over the school, each homeroom had a designated country and had arranged activities, games, and information to educate and entertain travelling tourists. That’s right! Each country had their own border control desk and you had to get your passport stamped before entering. Some intrepid travellers may have even collected all the stamps!
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We were also joined by the following individuals from the Indonesian embassy,?
Deputy Chief of Mission & Vice Embassador: Parulian Silalahi
Staff of Education Affairs: Erashima Saragih
Auditor for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology: Rahmania Dyah Priyanti
The team gave a talk to the whole school about Indonesian culture and gave the students a quiz to see if they could remember the trivia, along with some prizes for the correct answers! So thank you very much to the Indonesian embassy for spending your valuable time with us at BWYA.
Unfortunately for the students, the world cup football match between teachers and students finished 1-0 to the teachers. Better luck next year guys.
The way the whole school banded together and experienced this international day as a complete unit was brilliant for all to see. Roll on 2025!
DP2 Visual Arts Exhibition
After two long years of work, the DP2 Visual Arts students have finished their exhibition on ‘Humanness’. We caught up with a couple of them to find out all about the programme and what makes them so passionate about art. Watch the video below to see what they had to say!
All week, students and staff of all ages have been browsing through this impressive exhibition and it’s been incredible to see the DP students interact with these people, potentially igniting the spark in the next generation of Visual Arts representatives.
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There are those of us who struggle to interpret the meaning behind some of the more abstract pieces of visual art but Hanze Zhang, one of our DP2 Students had this to say in his interview.
"Feel it from the bottom of your heart...It's not only about what you visually see, it's about how you combine this art with your experience. From that connection you can go deeper."
Whatever your taste, this year’s exhibition was a varied and emotive collection of pieces from a group of very talented artists.?
Inspiring Results From BWYA
With summer drawing to a close, autumn is just around the corner. At the start of the harvest season, we’d like to share with you the impressive results achieved by our students over the past year. Whether it is IB, IGCSE, or university admissions, 2020-2021 was a fruitful year for all BWYA students.
In the IB DP exams, we again had a 98% pass-rate, with an average 38.0, far exceeding the world average of 33.0. 22 of our students (45% of the whole grade) also achieved scores of 40 or more. But not only that, two students, Seoyun Kwon and Xiong Penghao, achieved perfect 45 scores.
This year, our IGCSE results were similarly impressive, with a 100% pass rate, and more than half of our 30 students’ exams graded A* or A.
Congratulations to our students for all your successes!
Since being established in 2001, at BWYA we have never forgotten our motto, Locally Grounded, Globally Aware, as we continue to explore the integration of national, and international courses.
In addition to the continued progress in exams, this year’s graduates also received excellent university offers from around the world. Vanderbilt University, Rice, Emory, Carnegie Mellon, Colby College, Smith College, Parsons College of Design, University College London, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of Hong Kong, University of Amsterdam, University of Seoul and many other top universities joyfully received our students. In total, our students received 224 admission notices.
US.
Universities: Close to a quarter of our graduates have entered top-30* universities, and more than 75% of our graduates have been admitted to top-50* universities globally
Liberal Arts Colleges: Nearly half of our applicants successfully entered top-30* Liberal Arts Colleges
Fine Arts Schools: 78% of applicants received admission notices from top-20* art colleges
*Global university rankings from US News
UK & Canada.
UK: Top-20 universities acceptance rate 83%?
Canada: Top-20 universities acceptance rate 100%?
Rest of World.
Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Korea:
Each area top-20 acceptance rate 100%
The Class of 2021 have started the next part of their journeys. Going into new and unknown challenges, we wish them the very best of luck as they continue to grow and learn.
US.
Bates College
Berklee College of Music (2)
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Boston University (3)
Brandeis University (2)
Bucknell University?
California College of Art (3)
Carnegie Mellon University (3)
Case Western Reserve University (2)
Colby College?
Elon University?
Emory University
Fordham University (2)
Georgia State University
Indiana University Bloomington
Kenyon College?
Lane Community College
Loyola Marymount University?
Mason Gross School
Michigan State University?
New England Conservatory?
New York University (2)
Northeastern University (3)
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Ohio State University
Otis College of Art
Parson School of Design (3)
Pennsylvania State University (3)
Pepperdine University?
Pratt Institute (4)
Purdue University?
Reed College?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)
Rice University?
Rutgers University?
Santa Monica College
School of Visual Art (4)
Skidmore College
Smith College
Southern Methodist Univerity?
St. John University?
Syracuse University (4)
The Savannah College of Art and Design (2)
Trinity College
Tulane University (2)
University of California, Davis (5)
University of California, Irvine (5)
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Barbara (3)
University of California, Santa Cruz (3)
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Merced
University of California, San Diego (5)
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut (2)
University of Florida (3)
University of Georgia
University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (2)
University of Massachusetts
University of Miami
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
University of Portland?
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of Santa Monica
University of Southern California (2)
University of Texas at Austin (3)
University of Virginia (3)
University of Washington (3)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (6)
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University (2)
William & Mary
UK
Arts University Bournemouth
Birmingham City University
Durham University?
Imperial College London
King‘s College London (6)
Kingston University
Loughborough University
Middlesex University London
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The Royal Northern College of Music
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance?
University College London (6)
University for the Creative Arts
University of Arts London
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol (3)
University of Edinburgh (5)
University of Essex
University of Glasgow
University of Hertfordshire
University of Manchester (5)
University of Nottingham?
University of Sheffield (2)
University of St. Andrews
University of Sussex
University of Warwick
Canada
McMaster University
Queen’s University (3)
University of British Columbia (5)?
University of Toronto (12)
HK
City University of Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The University of Hong Kong (4)
Korea
Seoul National University (2)
Yonsei University
Others
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Leiden University?
University of Amsterdam
University of Groningen
University of Melbourne
University of Sydney
University of Tasmania
Special Talents and Excellence at BWYA
I’m immensely grateful of the fact that I’m surrounded by peers and instructors who constantly motivate me to push myself and step out of my comfort zone, and the award serves as a reminder of how lucky I am to be able to study and grow in such a supportive environment.
There are many ways we seek to encourage and promote success at BWYA, including of course our scholarship programme?awarded at the start of every year, for achievements over the past?12 months. This year, over?900,000RMB was awarded to?our?students as we recognise?and praise their?efforts and success.
To learn more about what?set?this year’s?49?winners apart, we spoke with three?of them, their homeroom teachers and supervisors to learn more.
Crystal Qin Grade 9Special Talent Scholarship 才藝獎學金獲獎者
“I’m really thankful to be able to receive this award and it means a lot to me because I never would have thought that I would’ve been able to achieve such a recognition for debating.”?Where most schools focus?entirely on?academics,?after winning a scholarship for participation in the?after-school?Forensics club,?Grade 9 student?Crystal?Qin?shared her joy with us at finding?out the importance and value BWYA places on holistic education.?“I have been participating in the Forensics club since Grade 6, and throughout these years, with the help of Mr. Haggar and the other teachers, I was especially able to improve in my ability to speak in front of large audiences?and learn many different debate and public speaking techniques.”?
Speaking of Mr. Haggar, he only had praise when asked to comment on Crystal’s?involvement?in?the club.?“Crystal has a desire to do things well. This pervades the different things she does so that they are all done with excellence, and her debating performance has benefitted a great deal from this.?She has been debating with the forensics club since Grade 6, and this is a key to improvement in any area: sustained effort over a long period of time.”?
Penny Zhang DP2 Academic Excellence Scholarship 學術獎學金獲得者
Penny Zhang, now in DP2,?pointed to her challenges as both obstacles, as well as motivation?for success.?“DP1 has been an extremely difficult and challenging year. I’m so glad that I pulled through each and every time the challenge seemed unconquerable with determination and persistence. I’ve tried, I’ve failed, I’ve learned. I became someone who feeds on challenges to seek meaning in life.?So?for me personally, the award is a recognition less about my actual achievements and more about my grit to always take on my own will to achieve more.”?
Her supervisor, Mr.?Leseberg?further shared with us her excellent attitude towards work,?“In the classroom, she set herself apart from day one with a strategy for success.?As the school year?progressed?she had a process of?previewing material, dedicated attentiveness during class and intensive review leading to an incredible record of unmatched success. [Her work] went well beyond normal expectations and what her classmates attempted.”
Daniel Kim DP2 Academic Excellence Scholarship Special Talent Scholarship 學術、才藝雙項獎學金獲得者
Academic Excellence?and Special Talent scholarships winner Daniel Kim?humbly?deflected the attention away from himself when asked about his growth during his time at BWYA.?“I think that BWYA offers a lot of opportunities for student initiatives to prosper. The staff are very supportive and display a lot of patience with students – This gives a lot of room for us to try new things, to fail, learn the lesson and get back up again.?By the time we reach the 11th grade, students are reasonably well equipped with the organizational skills and problem-solving abilities to initiate projects on their own, and I think that’s one of the key reasons as to how BWYA is consistently able to develop holistic learners and leaders.”
Providing more insight?into the work ethic that has led to Daniel’s success, and thereby this recent accolade, his supervisor Mr. Haggar again shared with us regarding Daniel’s?diligence,?“[His]?time management and consistency?are key factors in his ability to get so much done; those are things that any great leader needs, and he has them. Even more distinct, though, is Daniel’s wide, wide range of abilities; he can do so much, and his sense of excellence and high quality compels?him to do?everything?very well.”
A Word from the Homeroom Teachers 班主任寄語
“Congratulation to Crystal’s achievements last year! She has shown excellent performance not only in academic growth but also social activities. It can be seen from the teacher’s comments that she is an all-round student. She deserves what she has?won.”??
Ms. Yang Bing?
“It is quite common, or at least there is a strong belief, that most students who achieve an excellent performance in class, do little outside an academic environment or vice versa.? Penny is the vivid example that there are extraordinary individuals who can do both and excel at both.? Anyone who has met Penny knows she deserves this award.? She is a leader and a role model in our school community.”?
Mr. Ramon Villar?
“Daniel is not only the role model in our homeroom but also a leader for the whole BWYA community. He is the kind of student with excellent academic records as well as great commitment and dedication to his extracurricular activities as well as the school-wide activities.”?
Ms.?Li?Jiayu
We hope this brief glimpse into the BWYA scholarship programme has helped you to see?not only?the quality of?teaching, extra-curricular activities and?students we have,?but also how in every way we strive to encourage students to develop?into academically excellent,?capable and versatile?young adults.
Finally?we spoke with??member of the?Scholarship?Committee, Secondary School Principal Robert Wang to hear why he?loves?the scholarship award ceremony,?“It is my great pleasure to hand out the scholarship awards each year. Not?only?because of their monetary value, but also because it?clearly demonstrates our firm commitment to excellence in every area?of?students’?growth and development.?Congratulations to all of the winners, you’ve worked very hard for this. To this year’s students, I encourage you to learn from their example,?and?you will reap what you sow.”?
What’s up with SA?
and other stories...
Part of the Middle School’s Middle Years Programme, is a module called Service as Action (SA). To better understand what this interesting part of the MYP involves, SA Coordinator, Ms. Giovanelli shared some recent stories of what the students have been doing with us!
Service as Action Assistants First Solo Workshop
Service as Action Assistants (SAAs) from Grades 7 and 8 held their first solo SA workshops on Friday, August 30. Presenters paired up in each homeroom from Grades 6 to 8 to teach students the steps to write and upload an SA proposal, how to save it, and how to use the SA handbook. These young leaders are taking on bigger roles every month and with every year, they are acquiring more and more experience in many areas while perfecting their Approaches to Learning Skills. This group of thirty-two kids prepared for two weeks and finally delivered their presentations. They prepared their own presentations, information, and images. What an amazing performance of 21st Century skills, perseverance, initiative, and much more.
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Becoming SAMCS (Service as Action Mini-Coordinators)
A group of selected Service as Action Assistants (SAAs) is taking on a bigger role. They are now turning into mini SAA Coordinators. This small group of Grade 7 and 8 SAAs is training groups of Grade 6, 7, and 8 students to become supervisors (SAAs). They are giving up part of their lunchtime to make sure that BWYA has new supervisors for the many students that have to start or continue their journey in Service as Action. Once ready, they will assign the new supervisors 4-5 students to mentor while they will deal with bigger things. This is a major accomplishment for these young people who are doing the job of adults and learning important skills. All this will look amazing on their ‘Brag sheet’ the day they apply for college! There’s nothing above an SA Mini Coordinator (We are calling them SAMC, but we are still not sure). I am extremely proud to see my little ones grow into leaders that make decisions on their own and solve problems that may arise during the training, like location, technology, and more. Truly an impressive preparation and show of responsibility.
MYP to the Core
IB is not just a program, it’s a philosophy. In IB/MYP classes, the student is at the center of the learning and teaching, so you will never see teachers lecturing students for hours, or students sitting side by side in silence. IB/MYP classrooms are filled with noise and chat and discussions and students standing or walking around. Classrooms are full of life and discovery. That’s the IB philosophy. We teach by concepts not by topics but we let the students discover and set the direction of the unit. It’s a journey during which students discover and deepen understanding of complex ideas while they discover themselves, their potential, their abilities, and their talents. The teacher is a mentor, a guide, who supervises and learns with them.?
In the pictures below, you can enjoy some of the work done during the second and third week of school. From illustrating abstract concepts to rephrasing the IB Mission Statement to generating questions based on the Statement of Inquiry I provided them with. The results are jaw-dropping. Their insight shows that the two weeks of preparation for the MYP are not only important but absolutely necessary for the understanding of the program. Giving the students a voice and choice in the direction of the unit empowers them and will make their learning more purposeful.
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Florida-China Exchange Project
SA Across the Ocean Project. Grade 6 and 7 Language and Literature students are participating in another huge project started by their English teacher, Ms. G., and turned into an SA project. The project follows the example of the famous Kakuma project with the only difference being the other participant school is in Boca Raton, Florida, and not in Kenya. However, the idea came from that project for which I volunteer. Students from Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton are studying Chinese for the first time, so what better opportunity for our native speakers to help them improve? And so it started. My dearest friend and IT director of the school, Kelley Briceno, created an online platform used only by the Chinese teacher in Florida, Ms. Florence, our students, and myself. How does it work? Students at Saint Andrews upload short videos of themselves speaking in Chinese. The video is screened by their teacher and approved and then shared with us.
On our end, our students select the videos they want to watch and listen and then record their own video response back in both English and Chinese. I screen the video and then approve them. The videos we receive are mainly of basic Chinese sentences about names, family, what they do and study, and the like. It’s a major success. Students from Saint Andrews are becoming more motivated to study the language and our students are becoming teachers and practicing many skills. The project is called ‘Florida-China Exchange’ but I call it ‘Breaking Walls’. While the students at Saint Andrews work mainly in class, our students can work both in class and at home. The students at Saint Andrews will then be tested on what they have learned while our students receive SA credits and the great feeling of helping others.?
