On Wednesday 2nd April the Year 11 cohort plus their Science teachers participated in Streamwatch as part of their Collaborative Science Project for their IB Diploma.
This day was a fabulous chance for students to develop their own research questions and collect data from the natural environment plus consider their place in the world. All students had hands on experience using a range of biology, chemistry and physics sensors, test strips and other equipment.
We have been very lucky to have Anne Lanyon from St Anthony in the field and Mark Seacombe from Streamwatch working with us on this project.
Later in the year these Year 11 students will present their findings to the incoming IB students from Year 10.
Year 11 Collaborative Science Project – Streamwatch
valuable insights FROM a giss alumnus
Filipe graduated in November 2024 and has since started studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He recently visited us and wanted to share the following feedback with teachers and students about his IB experience at GISS.
I also think that the time management skills developed through balancing multiple commitments (including the subject coursework, internal assessments, the EE, TOK and CAS) during the 18 months of the IB journey is a huge advantage during university and that the IB structure also enhances creative and critical thinking, which is highly beneficial for university studies.
Furthermore, I have heard that in university courses that emphasise essay writing, IB students are generally much better prepared due to their experience with the EE and other reflective writing tasks, as well as their familiarity with citation, referencing, responsible AI usage, and plagiarism regulations.
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Compared to the HSC system, I believe that the IB better prepares students for university due to its more in-depth curriculum. A lot of the material in my current university classes was already covered in the IB. I am convinced that the IB fosters independent learning, enabling me to feel well-prepared for my classes now and to effectively manage my time.
Compared to the HSC system, I believe that the IB better prepares students for university due to its more in-depth curriculum. A lot of the material in my current university classes was already covered in the IB. I am convinced that the IB fosters independent learning, enabling me to feel well-prepared for my classes now and to effectively manage my time.
Some snapshots capturing our Year 12 Physics students in action, gathering data for their Internal Assessment.
ib internal assessments
ib
internal assessments
Am 25. und 26. März fand an unserer Schule der diesjährige Känguru-Wettbewerb der Mathematik statt. Über 80 Schülerinnen und Schüler stellten sich den kniffligen Multiple-Choice-Aufgaben, die nicht nur mathematisches Wissen, sondern auch logisches Denken und kreatives Problemlösen erforderten. Der Wettbewerb, der ursprünglich aus Australien stammt und mittlerweile in über 80 Ländern stattfindet, begeistert jedes Jahr Millionen von Teilnehmern.
Die meisten unserer Schüler hatten viel Spaß an den abwechslungsreichen Aufgaben, doch gerade die schwierigeren Fragen brachten einige an ihre Grenzen. Dennoch: Durchhalten lohnt sich, denn neben der Herausforderung winken Teilnahmeurkunden und ein Preis für den besten jeder Klassenstufe.
Sobald die Ergebnisse vorliegen, werden wir euch natürlich informieren. Wir sind gespannt, wer in diesem Jahr den weitesten Känguru-Sprung – die größte Punktzahl – geschafft hat!
Känguru-Wettbewerb 2025:
Knobeln, Grübeln und Grenzen testen
- Frau Schell
On March 25 and 26, our school hosted this year’s Kangaroo Mathematics Competition. More than 80 students took on the tricky multiple-choice questions, which required not only mathematical knowledge but also logical thinking and creative problem-solving. The competition, originally from Australia and now held in over 80 countries, excites millions of participants every year.
Most of our students enjoyed the diverse challenges, but some found the more difficult questions particularly demanding. Nevertheless, perseverance pays off, as all participants receive a certificate, and the best student in each grade level is awarded a prize.
We will share the results as soon as they are available. We are eager to see who achieved the longest “Kangaroo Jump” this year – the highest score!
Kangaroo Competition 2025:
Puzzling, Thinking, and Pushing Boundaries
Frau Schell
Der Film, den wir gemeinsam mit der Französischklasse der 11. und 12. gesehen haben, hat unser aktuelles Thema „soziale Beziehungen“ sehr gut veranschaulicht. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Beziehung zwischen einer Mutter und ihrem Sohn, die zu Beginn sehr eng und vertrauensvoll ist. Doch im Laufe des Films vor allem nach der unerwarteten Schwangerschaft der Freundin des Sohnes beginnt sich diese enge Bindung zu verändern. Die Distanz zwischen Mutter und Sohn wächst, und man erkennt deutlich wie sehr die Situation die Mutter emotional belastet. Der Film macht eindrucksvoll deutlich, wie äußere Ereignisse familiäre Beziehungen beeinflussen und sogar belasten können. – Kenza, Year 12
visit to the french film festival
As part of our French B studies, we explore the important of ‘relations sociales’, discuss those important to us and how these are experienced for others in the Francophone world. As luck would have it, the French Film Festival put on a film with this topic at its heart, so we joined other Francophiles at Palace Cinema and reflected afterwards on how the mother-son relationship was represented in this piece of art. – Herr Fleischner
We firstly see in this film a family of two, composed of a mother and her adult son, who lives with a disability. Originally we are exposed to a functional pair but the further we move into the story we start to understand that they are not as happy as they seem. By the end of the film they were able to work through many of their problems and the audience can see that they both have worked on themselves to navigate the son's increasing independence. – Cassie, Year 12