IB　News＆Topics

From April 9th to April 14th, we held an installation programme for 10 newly enrolled IB students to familiarize them with the IB program and foster meaningful connections within the classroom. Over the course of 4 days, IB teachers and students had a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other and learn about the structure and expectations of the International Baccalaureate Programme at Nika High School.

On the first day of the programme, the teachers organized engaging classroom activities that fostered cooperation between teachers and students, such as interviewing each other and giving presentations about their partners in front of the whole class. This created a friendly atmosphere where classmates could learn interesting things about each other and their teachers, such as their hobbies and dreams, enabling them to find things in common. Over the next three days, the students engaged in collaborative discussions and activities with the aim of raising their self-awareness, and awareness of others’ values and goals in life.

The remaining sessions of the installation program were dedicated to introducing the students to the IB curriculum and the IB Learner Profile, as well as developing long-term study plans and curricula tailored to each students’ personal interests, academic strengths, and personal study goals, under the careful guidance of the IB teachers. The installation program ended on a high note with palpable excitement from the students who showed active participation and determination to do their best on their new IB journey and complete their newly set study goals.

We wish them all the best in achieving their dreams!

On April 22nd, Year 2 IB students hosted an exciting CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) event in which they presented their research project on the meaning and significance of the Ramadan fast in the Muslim tradition. This project was organized after months of preparation and research by Year 2 students, aiming to introduce international cultures and customs to their peers at Sendai Nika Junior and Senior High School.

The event started with student presentations on the customs surrounding Ramadan, which sparked a fruitful discussion among the curious audience of about sixty junior and senior high school students, as well as Year 1 IB students. The students took turns asking presenters many insightful questions, showing their keen interest in other cultures and traditions.

Following the presentation, the students had the chance to try authentic Pakistani food masterfully prepared by one of the IB teachers and Year 2 students. All in attendance seemed to truly enjoy the delicious curry, rice, and naan, judging by their excited smiles. The event venue resonated with students’ laughter and excitement, ending on a high note in anticipation of future IB cultural exchange events where students will get the chance to learn more about various cultures from around the world.

On July 15th, the International Baccalaureate Program hosted an online English Café event in collaboration with students from the Angelicum School Iloilo in the Philippines. More than 10 junior and senior high school students from Nika took part in this event. They were excited to meet new friends from abroad and participate in a cross-cultural exchange. The event consisted of ice-breaking activities where students introduced themselves and asked their online partners questions about their countries, as well as a team activity where several Nika and Angelicum students had to complete tasks together in Zoom breakout rooms. During this event, Nika students showed great enthusiasm for speaking English and extended their warm welcome to Filipino students who will be visiting them soon in Sendai.

From July 30th until August 1st, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program hosted students from Furukawa High School and Shiroishi High School for a 3-day International Camp (IC). During the first two days, the students got to know the international IB teachers and other Nika students, and they took part in various fun English-based activities together with their teammates.

The first day of the camp was devoted to fostering a positive atmosphere where students were encouraged to talk confidently about themselves in English, and learn as much as possible about their partners through activities such as speed-friending and human bingo. In the second part of the day, the students practiced giving a short group introduction demonstrating what they have learned about each other. This session finished with students learning about SDGs in English.

During the second day, the students took part in various creative activities such as drama role-play in English, learning about positive thinking, and preparing group presentations about Japanese culture in English. The highlight of the day was the scavenger hunt throughout the whole school where students received hints in English in the form of riddles and had to use their detective skills to solve those riddles as a team. This activity helped bring Nika students and guest students closer together, giving them a chance to experience a fun tour of Nika High School through the English lens.

On the last day of the English camp, Japanese students had the chance to meet students from Beşiktaş Sakıp Sabancı Anadolu Lisesi school in Turkey and participate in an online cross-cultural exchange. During a video call, the students introduced Japanese culture and their everyday life as a student in Japan to their international partners, and in exchange learned new information about Turkey and its customs. Both Japanese students and Turkish students were truly enthusiastic about making new international friends, their excited voices echoing throughout the classroom.
We hope that this experience showed the IC participants the power of English as a global language that opens doors into new worlds and brings people from various cultures together!