reflections

reflectionsA Newspaper for Everyone at JPA

Quarter 4 2014-15

SERIOUS

inside... PUBLIC SPEAKING... TENNIS AND GOLF... AP RESULTS WOW... ACT TIPS AND MORE...

Over the summer break five JPA students from grades 9 - 12 attended the National University of Singapore (NUS) science camp at NUS’s state of the art research center. Their daily lectures gave an overview of current cutting-edge research on forensic science, toxicology, biology, odontology, botany, and entomology. The afternoons were then spent in the university lab conducting various experiments from the manipulation of nanoscale objects using single-beam gradient force traps, to analyzing and classifying non-native species into appropriate phyla. The students recreated the O.J. Simpson lab conditions, in order to highlight the potential dangers of mishandling crucial evidence. They used agarose gel electrophoresis analysis to examine various DNA samples to determine the positions of suspects on the evening of the crime. Another afternoon lab session introduced the students to advanced electron microscopy. The electron microscope uses a beam of electrons to create an image of a specimen, giving the students the opportunity to examine organisms under a much higher magnification than a traditional optical microscope. Finally, an animal classification workshop at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum provided an opportunity to observe and distinguish between key characteristics of animal species both native and non-native to Singapore. SUMMER ACTIVITIES CONTINUED PAGE 3

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STEM CLASSES CONTINUE WITH NEW ROBOTICS CLASS

AN INSPIRATIONAL WEEK IN THE LAB AT SCIENCE CAMP

Grade 7 and 8 students are having a tremendous time learning how to program robots in their technology class. The programming interface requires critical thinking and an understanding of logical processes. The students have to write their own programs to command their robots and often they find the robots are not “obedient”; they do not respond as

SCIENCE SUMMER FUN

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expected and this forces the students to look again at their series of commands and identify where they went wrong. This process of debugging is challenging, but richly rewarding as the classes learn not only to program their robot correctly, but also to analyze their own thinking. Each time students revise their program they become more precise and develop their

thinking, collaboration and communication skills. “Learning through robotics shows me how to get results through making mistakes and continually refining my commands,” says Rasy from Grade 8. Makara agreed adding, “You start with your imagination and creativity and then you see that the technology opens up a huge potential for future innovation.”

ROBOTICS: PROGRAMMING AND DEBUGGING

SCIENCE

A Newsletter by students for everyone at JPA

A Newsletter by students for everyone at JPA

A Newspaper for Everyone at JPA

Two of our 2013 graduates have put their communication and public speaking skills to good use at conferences around the world. Barang, currently studying at Elon University in North Carolina, was invited to participate in the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York sponsored by the Wedu “Rising Star” program. Barang was keen to communicate to world leaders the need for free education in Cambodia. One of the discussions she was part of was Youth Speak: Pivotal Moments That Encourage Positive Youth Development. She was joined by Holly Carter, Founder and Executive Director, BYkids - Their World, Their Films; Khalil Fuller, Chief

THANY AND BARANG PUT THEIR PUBLIC SPEAKING TO THE TEST

PUBLIC SPEAKING CLUBOne of our new extracurricular clubs on offer this term has been spearheaded by Sinet ‘16.Reflections asked Sinet what prompted her to start the club and what she hopes to gain from the experience.“Public speaking is a skill for life. In my opinion, every individual should be able to deliver a speech confidently in front of a group of people. Everyone appreciates a speech that is clear, coherent, concise and articulate. In public speaking club we are learning how to do that. First, we think about who is in our audience and how can we get their attention. We have to consider what sort of ‘hook’ will engage them. Once you have their attention you have to think about how to keep their attention. We’re looking at tactics like framing statements as questions or engaging them by sharing personal experiences.No matter what area you choose to go into as a career, you will use public speaking. Whether it’s making a presentation at work or convincing someone in government to assist you, public speaking is vital in communication.”

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Executive Officer, Learn Fresh; Shazia Ramzan, a student from the Malala Fund, and other members of the CGI. They discussed catalytic moments in their development and how the CGI can work together to support young people throughout the education to workforce continuum. Barang concluded, “The meeting helped me think about effective and successful communication and how it is essential in achieving outcomes.” Fellow 2013 graduate Thany, who is currently a student at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, was invited to a meeting organized by the UN Global Compact in New Delhi, India. The event, “Equality Means Business: Women’s

Empowerment Principles in Practice”, brought together over 150 leaders in government, business, academia and civil society to discuss the essential role business must play to realize gender equality. As one of JPA’s first graduates and the first in her family to have a university education, the subject is one close to Thany’s heart. “There were so many highly professional women and men who came to share what they are doing in their companies to empower women. They were from all over the world, but came to India, which shows that they are concerned about this issue and they are actively involved in trying to solve an issue occurring worldwide.”

A Newsletter by students for everyone at JPA

A Newsletter by students for everyone at JPA

Some JPA students discovered new skills over the summer when they threw themselves enthusiastically into the games of tennis and golf. Thanks to coaches from Tennis Cambodia, a group of students were initiated into the thrills of tennis while another group were given an introduction to the world of golf by PGA professional golf player, Alan Martin, at Angkor Golf Resort.Introductions to both games included an emphasis on core values of the games: integrity, honesty and leadership, ideals with which JPA students are very familiar.Students thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Tennis is being introduced as a regular feature of Saturday activities at JPA, while another group of students have been invited to attend a session of golf in November.

TENNIS AND GOLF TEACH LEADERSHIP AND FITNESS

SUMMER PROGRAM:

STUDENTS TOP AP EXAMS ON FIRST GOHARD WORK PAYS OFF IN AP EXAM RESULTS

success. Whether it was winter holidays or Khmer New Year, they kept polishing and refining their knowledge and skills, right up to the day of the exam.”In AP Physics, three students earned a score of 4, placing them in the top 16% of participating students worldwide. The remaining twelve students earned 3 or above, 3 being a passing grade for university level physics, placing them in the top 35% of students who took the exam from countries around the world.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college level programs. During the 2013 – 2014 academic year, JPA students had the opportunity for the first time to undertake one of two AP courses – AP Physics or AP Calculus. They then sat the exams in these subjects and the results were remarkable. In AP Calculus eight students obtained the top score of 5, and the remaining two students earned a score of 4. Mr. Sokcha said, “As a teacher I feel that my students deserve this

CAMBODIA- Sixteen students from grades 10 and 11 were given the opportunity to work with Camps International over the summer break. Camps International offers students from around the world the opportunity to gain insight into how many less privileged people live; to learn about other cultures and to gain experience in participating in community projects. This year they brought several groups of high school students from the UK to Cambodia. JPA students were delighted to join their British counterparts. They translated conversations between the UK students, their teachers and members of the community. They also participated in assisting the local communities alongside the British students. They helped to build a kitchen for a local school and worked repairing roads and dams. One of the highlights was to be able to take the UK students around the Angkor temple complex and share their knowledge of Khmer history. In return, JPA students learned about the interests of UK teenagers and made some firm friendships.FLORENCE- Continuing JPA’s connection with the magnificent city of Florence, another group of students was very privileged to attend a month long study tour. Renaissance expert and art historian, Professor Bill Cook, revealed the wonders of art and history that define the city through its architecture, museums and art galleries, while Dr. Karen Giacobassi guided them through the marvels of science at the Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo museums. They explored the diversity of La Speculo Museum of Zoology and Natural History and traced the development of the Human Race in the Museum of Anthropolgy. While visiting the Galileo Museum, Phearom from Grade 9 commented, “All of these great minds like Gallileo were considered crazy by the church in their lifetime. Now they are considered geniuses.” AUSTRALIA- For the third consecutive year, another two groups of students traveled to Adelaide, Australia. For Grade 9 student Sovung, whose dream it is to build a planned city in Cambodia, it was a life changing experience. From the top of Mount Lofty overlooking the city Sovung thought, “Adelaide is a great city and I admire the architecture but lacks a subway system, so I think I could do better.”

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AP Physics teacher Mr. Shapiro said, “For many, this was their very first physics course and on top of that, this was an entirely new exam so very few practice resources were available. Despite the relative mystery of the test and the high level of difficulty, the students worked hard to earn their passing grades and we are very, very proud of them.”This year, students have an additional course to choose from – AP Chemistry.

cultural exchange

A Newspaper for Everyone at JPA

This quarter’s star student honor

goes to Seiha from grade 10. Seiha has

been given the title for epitomizing an exemplary

student. Ms. Clingman said he fully participates in mind, body and spirit, “constantly pushing

himself to higher levels of critical thought and articulation.” He is also constantly positively reinforcing his

peers to perform at their best.

Congratulations Seiha!

quarter 1 2014 issue

A Newspaper for Everyone at JPA

STAR

Seiha

Grade 10“

STUDENT

WE INTERVIEW ACT EXPERT, ANNA MC KEE, ON THE STANDARDIZED TESTACT

PHOTO GALLERY: LIFE BEYOND JPA

1. Chanty at AUW, Bangladesh, 2. Barang takes Sopheap on the lake at Elon University, 3. The new AUW undergraduates reunite with Thany and Y Soun, 4. Rithy Sakk with some new friends at Wabash, 5. Socheat and friends at UWC Norway, 6. Barang with classmates at Elon, 7. So arrives at Leysin American School in Switzerland, 8. AUW grounds, 9. Socheat showing off the Cambodian flag, Norway, 10. Kimyan at Emma Willard, New York.

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JPA seniors are very aware of the need to prepare for their future. One of the benchmarks which will influence whether they obtain scholarships to international universities is the ACT. Fortunately, this year Ms. Anna Mc Kee has joined the JPA staff and she has been putting the students through their paces in preparation for taking the ACT test at the end of October. Prior to joining JPA, Ms. Mc Kee assisted students with ACT prep and college applications in and around the Bay Area, California.The ACT is a standardized test designed to level the field and enable comparison of students from different schools around the world each with their own assessment criteria.There are five components of the test: Reading, English Writing, Science and Math. Ms. Mc Kee

explained that although JPA students are particularly good at Math and Science, there is still a need to read the question carefully as words such as ‘not’ can be overlooked and therefore ‘trick’ the student into choosing the wrong answer. “It’s essentially a reading test.” Ms. Mc Kee explained, “You have to be very careful to read through the questions properly and annotate them. Students were hesitant to annotate at first, as they felt it slowed them down, but highlighting words such as NOT and EXCEPT can ensure that students read the question correctly.”ACT scores are a critical factor in students being considered for full scholarships. However, the test is challenging as it is based in USA culture. Topics as varied as Star Trek and biblical

references are covered which are more familiar to students in the USA than to many international students.Students are learning to focus on reading carefully and to decipher the nature of the questions. Annotating at speed is an essential technique as is understanding how the questions are designed. With less than a minute to answer each question, it is very important for students to acquire these techniques. One student, Srey Nich, commented, “I learned a lot through the experience with Ms. Mc Kee in the ACT prep class. She taught us so many tips about how to do the test and strategies to release stress. To be honest, I learned so much about myself in these two months and especially how to improve my college essay.”