Grade 9
Students in Grade 9 start on a two year programme for the MYP certificate, studying courses from eight subject areas: English, World Languages, Humanities, Science, Mathematics, Technology, Arts and PE. A subject area may offer several courses - into which a student may choose to go, be placed by the school according to ability level or study in a trimester rotation.
Each subject is graded 1 to 7. To achieve an MYP certificate a student must achieve an average of a 4, and no grade below 3 in any subject. In addition, they must complete Community and Service hours and a Personal Project which they begin at the end of Grade 9.
In each week, students have 1600 minutes of instructional time divided into forty 40-minute periods - eight each day. Most periods are arranged in doubles of 80-minute blocks. Students study English for 240 minutes, World Languages for 200 minutes, Humanities for 200 minutes, Science for 240 minutes, Mathematics for 200 minutes, Technology for 160 minutes, Arts for 160 minutes, and PE for 160 minutes. There is an additional homeroom period of 40 minutes each week.
English is divided three levels according to language proficiency: English A, English B Advanced and English B Standard. Students are placed on entering the school according to a test, and subsequently change levels based upon their on-going performance.
Students may choose one of the following World Languages: Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. There are four levels of Chinese – Chinese A, Chinese B Advanced, Chinese B Standard and Chinese B Foundation; on entering the school students who choose this option are placed in an appropriate level according to a test. German and Korean are only available to native speakers, while Spanish is only available at a beginner level. Japanese is divided into two levels – native speakers and beginners.
Humanities is a single course incorporating units of History and Geography. Science is similarly a single course with units of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Technology is divided into three trimester courses with specialist teachers in each, while Arts students make a choice at the beginning of the year from Visual Art, Drama or Music and stick with their single choice for two years. PE is a year long course.
Grade 10
Students in Grade 10 complete their two year programme of study for the MYP certificate, studying courses from eight subject areas: English, World Languages, Humanities, Science, Mathematics, Technology, Arts and PE. A subject area may offer several courses - into which a student may choose to go, be placed by the school according to ability level or study in a trimester rotation.
Each subject is graded 1 to 7. To achieve an MYP certificate a student must achieve an average of a 4, and no grade below 3 in any subject. In addition, they must complete Community and Service hours and a Personal Project which they begin at the end of Grade 9.
In each week, students have 1600 minutes of instructional time divided into forty 40-minute periods - eight each day. Most periods are arranged in doubles of 80-minute blocks. Students study English for 240 minutes, World Languages for 200 minutes, Humanities for 200 minutes, Science for 240 minutes, Mathematics for 200 minutes, Technology for 160 minutes, Arts for 160 minutes, and PE for 160 minutes. There is an additional homeroom period of 40 minutes each week.
English is divided three levels according to language proficiency: English A, English B Advanced and English B Standard. Students are placed on entering the school according to a test, and subsequently change levels based upon their on-going performance.
Students may choose one of the following World Languages: Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. There are four levels of Chinese – Chinese A, Chinese B Advanced, Chinese B Standard and Chinese B Foundation; on entering the school students who choose this option are placed in an appropriate level according to a test. German and Korean are only available to native speakers, while Spanish is only available at a beginner level. Japanese is divided into two levels – native speakers and beginners.
Humanities is a single course incorporating units of History and Geography. Science is similarly a single course with units of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Technology is divided into three trimester courses with specialist teachers in each, while Arts students make a choice at the beginning of the year from Visual Art, Drama or Music and stick with their single choice for two years. PE is a year long course.
