Mrs Leah – 2023/24

What a great finish to the end of our week –  HD Heavy Industries KFCC put on a lovely concert of music and awards, followed by a gift! Thank you to all who made it possible; and a very big thank you to all the students who participated in the read-a-thon and raised money for the orphanage.

Also, a shout-out to our Ms. Year 9 student who worked so hard this week completing her Cambridge Testing. I am so proud of her hard work and dedication to her studies, I am sure she will do well. 🙂

REMINDER:

Tuesday April 30th we will go on our class trip to ULSAN GRANDPARK. Everyone signed the permission slip at the end of term 2, so we are proceeding as planned. We will return to school by 3:30 so regular club/bus schedule applies. Students will need a pack lunch, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and comfortable shoes and clothes to walk in. I will remind everyone on Monday.

Tuesday we took a break from our normal schedule to participate in World Book Day by reading to little friends in the Library. We also had so in-class reading time to relax and engross in our favorite books for an hour.

In maths years 8 and 9 continued to work with ratios including expressing ratios in 1:n and comparing fractions and ratios, while year 7s used addition and subtraction in various areas including area and financial problems. The homework is a follow up practice for each lesson on Friday so I recommend to complete it over the weekend and return Monday.

In English we looked at character types and the functions of different characters as per Propp’s character theory. In the homework there is a worksheet in which a favorite book or movie should be analyzed to match the types of characters to Propp’s theory and explain their function in telling the story. We also looked at writing setting descriptions and conveying atmosphere with physical descriptions.

In History class we looked at the pre-war background of Europe to understand how nationalism, imperialism, alliances, and militarism all contributed to the outbreak of WWI. We also did a reading rotation to collect information about trench warfare to prepare for Monday when we discuss why trenches were used and what being in a trench was like.

In Geography class we dove into the different types of plate boundaries and the types of disasters they caused. We then mapped out the major plates on a world map and marked volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the last 7 days from real-time geological websites to visualize how active they plate boundaries are. In the homework in a reading review of these processes.

For science we looked at plant parts and adaptations to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Students had to match the model with the label and its definition before recording this information in their own notebooks. We also looked at plant transport with the xylem and the phloem and how plants move water and nutrients. There is a quick read and fill in the blank activity to review for homework.

Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Mrs. Leah

After a nice two week break we are back at it again!

The air quality has been absolutely abysmal this week, so sadly we have been cooped up a bit in an effort to preserve our lungs. Hopefully next week we can enjoy some sunshine and burn some energy outside!

A few reminders:

April the 23 (Next week!) is world book day. Students are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters! It’s a fun way to share our love of reading and there will be pried during a special assembly, so get creative and share literary passion with a fun costume!

Also, Thursday April 25th at 10:30am is the information session with Mr. Green about the residential trip in May. He will go over the planned trip, activities included, and cost. Students will be present as well, it would be great to have interested parents attend.

What we’ve done this week:

In maths we started new units on ratio and proportion with year 8/9, and using addition and subtraction in a multitude of ways with year 7s. We were able to balance lesson related paper work with fun with Sumdog online. In the homework all year levels have work based on what we covered this week to practice and review skills.

English has everyone thinking creatively as we dive into the elements of crafting a fictional narrative. So far we looked at great story openings in literature and what makes them effective and engaging. We also look at characters and the importance of developing fully fleshed antagonists and protagonists with backstories, goals and motivations, as well as flaws and conflicts. Students started mapping out a character that will be used in the creation of an original creative story this term.

ICT this term has us looking at the use of spreadsheets. To start off with we took a look at the features of spreadsheets in Google docs and identified columns, rows, cells, and cell references in spreadsheet software. We also played with formatting techniques by making pixel art.

This term we have Geography as a subject. We will be reviewing plate tectonics and the movement of the lithosphere. This week we looked at the layers of the earth and identified the major plates of the crust.

In science our unit focuses on photosynthesis to begin with. We brainstormed what we remembered about the subject from years prior and mind mapped the interdependent relationships of the sun, plants, and animals. Then we dove into the chemical process carbon dioxide and water go through to become sugar and oxygen. There is a reading piece included in the homework with some comprehension questions and fill in the blank to review this information for next week.

Finally, in History we are taking an in-depth look at World War One. Last term our unit had us to a brief overview to better understand Wilsons 13 points at the Paris Peace Conference, but this term we get to really dig into the causes, the details, and the affects of this important piece of history. We started this week talking about the assignation of Franz Ferdinand and the intertangled alliance system that set Europe, and the wide world, for war.

Homework:

Due Monday April 22nd

Friday we talked about managing getting our work done in a timely manner. This week almost everyone had difficulty completing in class work due to socializing with peers and being off topic. The one student who was able to finish everything in time (with time to spare!) stayed on task and engaged with her work – proving it was a student issue rather than a workload issue.

I advise everyone to complete one math worksheet and one reading comprehension Saturday, and the other math and reading comprehension Sunday. It should take no more than 60-90 minutes to finish each day.

Year 7s – Math: step 3 Adding Integers and step 4 Adding Decimals

Year 8/9 – Math: Writing ratio in the form of 1:n (only 1 worksheet, but longer)

Everyone:

What is photosynthesis? reading comprehension with questions

Photosynthesis fill in the blank

How did the war start? reading comprehension and questions

Have a lovely weekend and see you Monday,

Mrs. Leah

Happy Spring Break! I hope everyone has a fantastic two weeks to rest and recuperate for term 3.

We said goodbye to term 2 with International Day, and what an amazing turn out and spread provided by HFS parents and family! We were all so impressed and thankful for the care and love put into food preparation, the poster boards, decorating, and traditional dress! Thank you so much for making such a magical day possible 🙂

Over the week we did a lot of wrapping up; in math we finished our units and took the assessment Monday. So far White Rose maths is showing itself to be a good curriculum! It seems most students appreciate the step-by-step break down of the material and the gamified accompanying math through Sum Dog. On Friday we did some Kahoot review of maths and everyone always has fun doing that!

In Science students completed their final independent lab reports. Using the guided class lab report as a model, students created their own questions, used the data from our previous experiment, made a hypothesis, and worked through all the steps of conducting a scientific experiment including identifying the variables, writing step by step procedural instructions, conducting the experiment and recording the data, and interpreting their results. It was a lot of fun!

This week we also took a look at the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. These proposed goals are referenced quite frequently in educational content, including the IMYC curriculum. These goals address various aspects of the global condition and propose suggestions to improve the living conditions of the world from environmental to economic domaines. While they use simplified graphics to denote their principal aim, the goals themselves are presented in a rather convoluted and confusing matter. Students were assigned a goal or two and takes with deep diving the UN site, as well as the web, to identify the key issues the goal was created to address and ideas on how average people can positively contribute to this goal in their day to day lives. Finally, each student created a slide for their goal to present their findings. The idea is that students will be more informed and aware of what these sustainable development goals are and what they address as they will encounter them often in their academic careers.

There is no homework these next two weeks, however the school is having a read-a-thon to raise money for the Ulsan orphanage. Students may collect pledges of any amount, read the assigned books (or as my students were told, write the title, author, and number of pages on the back of the form and have a parent sign off on it!), then collect the pledges for the charity event. Please see the HFS Newsletter for more information. (Students were also sent home with the pledge form and book list last week.)

Have a wonderful break and see you in term 3!

Mrs. Leah

Quick reminder; next Tuesday the 26th is the field trip to Ulsan Grand Park. Please be sure to sign up using the link: https://forms.gle/CBzPACE8Lf1atoz19

If the forecast changes and there is rain, we will move the trip to term 3.

It was a bittersweet week as we said goodbye to a dear friend and student of HFS. We wish her sathe best on her new adventures abroad!

The highlight of our week was on Tuesday when we did some cooking! After learning about different varieties of rice, we gathered recipes and ingredients to try out the different flavors. I was very pleased with how responsible everyone was around the ‘kitchen’! Everyone worked well together and demonstrated great care, patience, and enthusiasm for cooking.

In English we had a bit of fun by watching the 1983 version of The Outsiders. Over three days we watched segments of the movie taking notes of the differences between the book and film. Then, students wrote a compare contrast and thought about why film makers may make changes or take artistic liberties when adapting stories to the scree. We also wrote the opening to a hypothetical sequel for The Outsiders to warm up our minds for next terms unit on creative narrative writing. Lastly, we had some fun doing a Kahoot quiz on questions from story line and reviewing how figurative language was used in the book.

For math we finished our units for both Algebraic Functions for year 7’s and Working on the Cartesian Plane for years 8 and 9. On Monday we have an assessment so please be sure to complete the homework over the weekend to help review.

In Science students are doing a second lab with the rotocopters, but this time they are leading with the inquiry questions and creating hypotheses. Using the class led report as their guide, students will modify the roto copters, collect data, and report their findings independently. Next week there is a assessment on the Scientific Method and conducting experiment. I strongly recommend students review their science notes and the homework to best prepare!

In History students had the opportunity to read the written reports of other students and provide a bit of peer review. It was good to see students recognize how their teacher assesses their work by following the projects guiding questions using a checklist. It also allowed them to closely analyze the work of others and learn a bit about various explores from the Age of Discovery!

Finally, in PE students had the opportunity to plan and organize activities for Mr. Dunn’s class as our usual PE buddies were away on their field trip. In pairs, each team created a plan, gathered their equipment, and took a turn as the teacher instructing small groups of year 3/4 students. It was a lot of fun and a great experience to understand how challenging it can be leading instruction!

Homework:

DUE MONDAY MARCH 25th

This weekend students have two math worksheets to help review for their unit assessments on Monday. There is also some science review worksheets on variables and the scientific process to help study for the Science unit test on Wednesday.

As our field trip in Tuesday, I highly recommend all the homework be completed over the weekend to be prepared! It’s not too much, I promise.

– Mrs. Leah

This week flew by… two week until Spring Break?

Week 12, Tuesday March 26th will be our class trip to Ulsan Grand Park. We will spend the day in the sunshine riding bicycles, exploring the zoo and butterfly garden, and having a picnic. If you are interested in attending we need a few adults to join us. Please sign up to attend!

https://forms.gle/93YZUNnKk15KZjsE8

In English we finished The Outsiders and did a lot of work on understanding the overall themes of the novel, the authors purpose, and writing an objective summary. I have received a lot of positive feedback from students about this book, so we will definitely be doing more reading Spring Term! For homework, students will need to hand write a book review for The Outsiders. We went over in great detail the requirements and expectations on Friday, and the work done in class will help flesh out the review. It is due on Monday, so be sure to get cracking!

In math we continue to work with White Rose. So far, we all see to enjoy the step-by-step approach of the curriculum. New concepts are introduced each day and build up on one another. The in class work load in manageable and students are doing well. Year 7’s have been using function machines to work out simple and more complex algebraic equations, and Year 8 and 9 are working out the coordinates, gradients, and equations of lines. We are still working on behavior when tasked to work independently while the other year groups are with the teacher, but I trust that everyone will take their time seriously and complete their work without issues and the weeks go on.

In Science we put the scientific method to use with a simple rotocopter experiment. We asked the question of how weight would after the speed at which the rotocopter fell. Students wrote their hypothesis, identified the variables of the experiment, the materials, and wrote step-by-step instructions for a fair test. Then, in pairs, students conducted their experiments timing the weighted drops from 1 and 2 meters up, recording their data along the way. Next week we will conclude our experiment with an analysis of the data and determine if it supports our hypothesis.

For History we are looking at an overview of the Age of Discovery and why/how Europeans started to venture out and explore the world. We were able to make connections to our previous units on the Crusades and the Reformation (and the printing press!) Student final reports on their explorer look good, many students will see their person of interest talked about as we continue this overview next week.

In ICT students have been planning an itinerary for a local adventure. Using key term searches and Boolean operators to search for and narrow down the details to plan every step of the adventure. The finale result will be a slide show full of links, screen shots, maps, and step by step instructions to the exciting day.

Lastly, in Wellness we planned out shopping list in order to cook up some rice dishes next Tuesday. Students are working with a partner and have decided what they are able to bring to school for Tuesday. (They may bring items on Monday to be stored in the fridge!) I am able to order dry goods online, so most the items students bring are fresh.

Everything is due MONDAY MARCH 18th. 

English – 

• The Outsiders Book Review
• Follow the example and the checklist VERY carefully; the planning paper is just a plan – do not just copy what you write there onto the lined paper. 
• Three pages of lined paper are provided. Your review should be in a formal tone and use full sentences and paragraphs. Spelling and grammar should be checked. (Let a parent proofread it!)
• You must handwrite it, it should not be typed. 
• Best handwriting – if I can not read it, you must rewrite it. 

Maths-

• Year 8/9 – Straight-line graphs
• Year 7 – Two-Step function machines

That’s it for this weekend as both items are due on Monday, and I expect the book review to be FANTASTIC. 

• Mrs. Leah 

So close to Spring break! Can you feel? The kids in class sure can!

We’ve been keeping quite busy with a lot of reading, writing, and research this week. We had pictures taken this Friday, and coming up we have the School Picnic on Sunday the 24th, as well as International Day Friday the 29th! If you are interested in joining, please check the official HFS Newsletter for the link.

In English we are almost finished with our book ‘The Outsiders’. It is so encouraging to see how much everyone is really into this story and how well they can talk about and analyses the events and characters. This week we took a look at themes in literature and identified themes from the story using textual evidence. We also revisited the idea of point of view and how it affects the story; students wrote the events of the last few chapters we read from another character.

Whiterose is working quite well in math; we finished our unit on sequences and all year groups did very well on the assessment! Now, years 8/9 are working on the Cartesian Plane with x and y coordinates, while year 7s are using function machines to transform inputs to outputs. I appreciate how well everyone is doing with split grouping; it can be challenging to stay on task and work responsibly when sitting with a peer group, but the level of concentration and work is noteworthy.

Students have been working on a visual display for different varieties of rice for Design, Technology, and Innovation combined with Health and Wellbeing. In pairs, students did research on the growth, process, nutritional value, and preparation of one of the worlds most vital staple foods. Now that the displays are done, students will prepare their recipes and supply list in preparation to cook in week 11!

In History student finished their research report on a famous explorer. We took a look at some missed details and reviewed the importance of using your own voice and citing the work of others. I made many comments on the submissions, which were addressed during the class work period. Students have the option to polish up their final submissions this weekend for homework to earn higher marks.

In Science we are looking at the Scientific method and the importance of a clear process when conducting research to answer questions. We had an over view of the scientific method and concentrated on the importance of conducting a fair test during the experimentation stage. In the homework there is some practice identifying independent and dependent variables, which will be valuable as we start conducting in class experiments and documenting the process.

In PE we were able to get out onto the full sized Ulsan College soccer/football pitch! We had a lot of fun playing in the sunshine before the weekend.

Term 2 Week 9 Homework

English – 

• Read chapter 11 by Tuesday March 12th
• Digital Notebookdue MONDAY March 13th for chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10.
  • Remember: full paragraph answers, as many sentences as your year (7,8,9…) or more, and use textual evidence to support your ideas if you can! 

Maths-

• Year 8/9 – Plotting Coordinates Worksheet
• Year 7 – Find the Input Given the Output Worksheet 

Science – 

• Identifying Variables Worksheet 
• Types of Variables Mystery Picture

History- 

• LAST CHANCE TO PERFECT YOUR REPORT! (Earn a better grade) 
• The guiding questions are on Classroom, they need to be answered/addressed in your paper. 
• Address any comments 
• Make sure you are citing your sources in a proper works cited page (use EasyBib online!) 
• If you are quoting a source or are paraphrasing facts such as dates. Use IN TEXT citations. (EasyBib will even format them for you!) 

– Mrs. Leah

An early end to a lovely week, and on a leap year day no less! I was able to meet with all parents to talk about student progress, so thank you everyone for taking time to come and see me.

In English we are making our way through ‘The Outsiders’. Students are showing good enthusiasm for the book and understanding of the characters, plot, and themes. We did a bit of poetry analysis and wrote about how our perspective of characters may have changed from the beginning of the book, connecting this perception to the major theme of not judging people by first impressions. We also questioned if ‘bad’ people can be heros and if heroic acts can negate past misdoings.

In ICT we have been investigating Boolean search terms. Students were able to compare search results on different search engines, and when using the terms AND, NOT, OR. We also had a fun image search activity to visually represent the variety in response we can get by using Boolean terms.

Students are also doing a side project of researching different varieties of rice and creating a display with the information, nutritional value, and recipes. Once these displays are completed, we will be cooking up some different rice in hopes to discover new and delicious ways to cook, consume, and appreciate one of the world most important food staples.

In math we continued with White Rose Maths which is proving to be very manageable and helpful for student’s learning. We are still playing with the rotations and timing, but so far I am pleased with the progress and understand of sequences. Year 7s are focusing on pattern recognition in linear and non linear sequences and year 8/9 is generating sequences with simple and complex algebraic rules, as well as finding the rule for the nth term of a linear sequence.

History and Science have both been keen on research: we reviewed research skills and citing work properly, then dove into finding information about a famous explorer who ‘discovered’ a new place, and finding information about a scientific discovery to create a timeline. We will continue to work on writing formal reports and making presentations for both subjects next week.

Term 2 Week 8 Homework

English – 

• Read chapter 7 by Tuesday March 5th
• Digital Notebookdue MONDAY March 4th. Reading Response Question, Interpretive Question, and Vocabulary study for chapters 4,5,and 6.
  • Remember: full paragraph answers, as many sentences as your year (7,8,9…) or more, and use textual evidence to support your ideas if you can! 

Maths-

• Cambridge Workbook:
  • Year 7s: 9.2 numbers 1 – 16 (finish up)
  • Year 8/9s: 9.3 numbers 1-14, and finish up 9.2 if needed. 
• Write your answers CLEARLY in either your blue maths notebook or on a separate piece of paper that can be attached to your notebook. 
• These exercises are due MONDAY March 4th

History- 

• Complete your research on your discoverer
• The guiding questions are on Classroom
• Make sure you are citing your sources
• You will be writing a formal report: make sure you have enough information and details about the person and their discovery to create a 3-4 page typed document. 
• You will be polishing and formatting your report in class next week, not researching. 

I will see you all in March,

Mrs. Leah

This week was an exciting week for HSF as we had our official opening! Students participated in an assembly Wednesday and were able to mingle and mix with important figures of Ulsan and the international school community. A special thank you for parents who were able to attend!

In English we started our novel study of SE Hinton’s ‘The Outsiders”. Students are charged with reading the assigned chapter each night in order to fully participate in class. We had a review of the book’s time period and the cultural influences and references, investigated the affect of point of view on the audience and how we can judge the reliability of the narrator, and revisited how works of fiction follow plotlines. So far everyone has had a great time and become emerged in the story; it brings a tear to a teachers eye to hear students making references to the book we are reading in their side conversations and jokes!

For math we finished up our unit on angles and started using our new maths curriculum ‘White Rose Maths’. It is very ‘bite sized’ and allows students to focus on smaller tasks that culminate into a bigger picture. While students have already been working at their year level in the Cambridge workbooks, now they are separately instructed as well. They will continue to use Cambridge question sets for homework, but be sure that the questions are in line with what we have learned in class.

Our subject lessons have been in theme with our new IMYC unit: Discovery. In this unit student focus on the big picture idea of ‘finding out new things is a human driver and affects things for better or worse’. We talked about what it means to discover, recent life discoveries we have made ourselves, and how we can ‘fall down the rabbit hole’ when searching for information. This unit will have a great deal of research involved so we will also be focusing on research skills, finding credible sources, using citations, and perfecting our written outcomes.

Term 2 Week 7 Homework

English –
– Catch up on reading ‘The Outsiders’ if needed, chapters 1-3.
– You will need to read chapter 4 by Tuesday the 27th, so you can read ahead.
– Digital Notebook due MONDAY the 26th. Reading Response Question, Interpretive Question, and Vocabulary study for chapters 1-3.
– Remember: full paragraph answers, as many sentences as your year (7,8,9…) or more, and use textual evidence to support your ideas if you can!

Maths-
– Cambridge Unit 9.1 on Sequences.
Year 7s: numbers 1 – 16
Year 8/9s: numbers 1-14
– Write your answers CLEARLY in either your blue maths notebook or on a separate piece of paper that can be attached to your notebook.
– These exercises are due by Thursday; you will have some in class time to work on them, but you will also be starting 9.2, so don’t wait until the last minute.

Next week we will start research projects in History and Science, anticipate doing some work during next week on these subjects.

-Mrs. Leah

A quick mention that we are doing a novel study on ‘The Outsiders’ by SE Hinton from now until the end of the term. This will require students to read assigned chapters during the week.

It it very important for students to complete the reading to be able to participate in the next day’s lesson.

Students also have a digital notebook with two questions to answer and some vocabulary words to define and use in a sentence for each chapter. Reading response and interpretive questions are expected to be answered in full paragraph form, with at least as many sentences as the students year group (year 7 – 7 sentences, year 8 – 8 sentences, etc.) We discuss the themes and ideas of the questions in class, so everyone should have an idea as to what is being asked. The questions are personal opinion in nature, but use of details and examples of the book, including quotes, is highly encouraged. Spelling and grammar should be checked as well.

The digital notebook should be completed by the Monday of the next week for each of the chapters read the previous week. For example, week 7 students will read chapters 1 and 2, and chapter 3 over the weekend. On Monday of week 8, chapters 1-3 are due in the digital notebook.

The digital notebook is linked on the English Google Classroom.

This will be the English Homework unit the end of term 2, so students will note receive additional paper homework on Fridays.

Thank you,

Mrs. Leah

Everybody is about back in class after the holiday/bout of influenza going around!

This short week was one to catch up and finish up on our IMYC Consequences Unit. 6 weeks has already passed somehow, so it is time to start or next unit: Discovery. Right on time, as this Friday we are sending out progress reports from term 1 and the first half of term 2. Next week I will have availability for parent-teacher conferences after Wednesday and into week 8. Please click the link and select a time:

https://calendar.app.google/3A43HNzbenvdc83J8

Also, please have students wear the School Uniform to school on Monday AND Wednesday. Red or blue is fine. Mr. Green would like to take some video clips Monday, and Wednesday is the School’s Grand Opening event.

In English we finished our transactional writing unit with writing instructions for a romantic Valentines Day date. Then, students grouped up and pitched, planned, wrote, peer edited, and digitally formatted a newspaper with various story types. Everyone was very involved in their writing and worked collaboratively.

In math we picked back up with angles and practiced drawing our own angles on strait lines, tringles, parallelograms, and trapezoids. As I was out last week and the extended weekend, the unit test has been moved to Monday to give everyone a change to review their notes over the weekend.

For History we engaged in a bit of flipped classroom where we reviewed the homework that covered the end of WWI and the Paris Peace Conference. We discussed the repercussions on Germany, the US struggle to stay involved in the League of Nations, and the effects of the war on Europe. Students closed this unit with a brief ‘Exit Ticket’ where they brain-dumped what they knew about two of the events we covered this unit; the crusades, the reformation, and the Paris Peace Conference. Then, they had to compare and contract the two in a written statement.

Science was a quick wrap up of a few more force types which culminated in a short, multiple choice/short answer, very generous unit test. For the most part everyone earned their salt!

ICT and PSHE morphed into a more catch-up and complete work sessions, so we will be picking back up on content starting next week. We did manage to have a bit of fun on Valentines Day however where students used Canva to create love (or anti-love) themed posters to practice formatting text and graphics on a design template.

Homework:

As we have finished a unit, the home work is light. Please be sure to study for the Angles Unit test Monday!

• Angles in Parallel Lines – A Parallel Problem (use your knowledge of angle types!)
• Yr 7 Calculating Angles in Triangles / Yr 8 Calculating Angles in Quadrilaterals
• Valentines Day Around the World Reading Comprehension
  • Look up the definitions of the vocabulary words or use context clues in the text to define the word
  • Read the text and answer the questions