News from <strong>the</strong> Exams CoordinatorExamination Information for IB and IGCSE studentsI have met with all IB and IGCSE candidates to give <strong>the</strong>m information about <strong>the</strong> arrangements for examinations. <strong>The</strong> studentshave been given personal examination schedules, copies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> regulations for <strong>the</strong>ir examinations, and extra useful advice andinformation. It is important <strong>the</strong>y read this information carefully!IB students will receive <strong>the</strong>ir results through <strong>the</strong> IB results password-protected website on 6th July 2009. IGCSE students willreceive <strong>the</strong>ir results from <strong>the</strong> school in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> August. More details <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> results issue will be given to students later,but any IGCSE students who will not be attending ISS next year must remember to leave a forwarding address for <strong>the</strong>ir resultsstatement and certificate.I have included a summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> examination schedules and some key information below.IB written examinations 2009Week beginning Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayEnglish Lang A1 Hist HL Biology Math4 MayLang A1 History Biology MathGermanEnglish Economics Physics11 MayEconomics PhysicsMath HL GermanSpanish Chemistry Comp Sci **French18 MayPsychologyChemistry Comp Sci**PsychologyIGCSE written examinations 2009Week beginning Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday11 May Science Math <strong>the</strong>n SpanEnglishHistory18 May Math GeographyFrench <strong>the</strong>n ICTGeog <strong>the</strong>n SpanEng X25 May SpanishFrench GeographyFrench1 JuneGeographyScience**HistoryEng Lit8 June **Drama **Science** Public holiday and/or school holiday (no buses!)Students are responsible for double-checking <strong>the</strong>ir personal examination schedule, and ensuring that <strong>the</strong>y attend everyexamination for which <strong>the</strong>y are entered. Students should report to <strong>the</strong> basement (use <strong>the</strong> stairway from <strong>the</strong> main ISS foyer) forall written examinations unless o<strong>the</strong>rwise instructed. Students should report at 08:30 for morning examinations and 13:00 forafternoon examinations.A number <strong>of</strong> IGCSE students have timetable ‘clashes’ because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir particular choice <strong>of</strong> subjects. This will be dealt withaccording to Cambridge regulations, by holding <strong>the</strong> two examinations one after <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> same session. <strong>The</strong>se studentswill have a short supervised break between <strong>the</strong> two papers.IB French and Psychology students please note: Thursday 21st May is a public holiday but <strong>the</strong>re are IB examinations all day.Please note <strong>the</strong>re are no school buses on that day as school is closed. Please arrive at <strong>the</strong> front doorbetween 08:00 and 08:30 for <strong>the</strong> morning session and between 12:30 and 13:00 for <strong>the</strong> afternoonsession and someone will let you in <strong>the</strong> building!IGCSE History students please note: Monday 1st June is a public holiday but <strong>the</strong>re is an IGCSEexamination in <strong>the</strong> afternoon! Please note <strong>the</strong>re are no school buses on that day as school is closed.Please arrive at <strong>the</strong> front door between 12:30 and 13:00 and someone will let you in <strong>the</strong> building!6 · <strong>The</strong> In f o r m e r 29 Ap r i l 2009 www.isstavanger.no
News from <strong>the</strong> Exams CoordinatorIGCSE Drama and Science students please note: <strong>the</strong>re are examinations for you in <strong>the</strong> week after school closes for <strong>the</strong> summer(Drama on 9th June and Science on 10th June, both in <strong>the</strong> morning). No school buses will run on those days. Please arrive atschool between 08:00 and 08:30 and someone will let you in <strong>the</strong> building!IB Art exhibitionAlthough most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> assessment for <strong>the</strong> <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate is in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> written essays and examinations or oralpresentations, this is obviously not entirely adequate for <strong>the</strong> Visual Arts group! Every year I am amazed by <strong>the</strong> creative talent andskills <strong>of</strong> our students, and enjoy viewing <strong>the</strong>ir work. However, this year is something really special. I will let Ms Jeane Svihus,who guides our students through <strong>the</strong>ir artistic explorations, explain a little more. “This year <strong>the</strong> IB Visual Art class has had <strong>the</strong>opportunity to exhibit at one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> region’s largest visual and performing arts centers, Tou Scene. Every spring <strong>the</strong> IB year twostudents put up an exhibition to which an examiner comes and assesses <strong>the</strong>ir work. This group is so big this year (11 students)that it was necessary to find a location outside <strong>of</strong> school. It has been very exciting to experience a new space, and one in whichpr<strong>of</strong>essional artists and performers use. <strong>The</strong> students have done a fabulous job creating art over <strong>the</strong> last two years, and with <strong>the</strong>help <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir parents mounted an impressive exhibit.”<strong>The</strong> students have <strong>the</strong> opportunity to spend about half an hour showing <strong>the</strong> visiting examiner around <strong>the</strong>ir exhibit, discussing<strong>the</strong>ir work. In addition, an open exhibition was held in <strong>the</strong> evening <strong>of</strong> Wednesday 22nd April, to allow parents and friends toadmire <strong>the</strong> students’ artwork. <strong>The</strong>re cannot be many young artists who have <strong>the</strong> privilege <strong>of</strong> mounting a personal retrospectiveexhibition in such a prestigious gallery space!Unge forskere and Fritt Ord competitions 2009Each year, our IB Diploma students become experts in one aspect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir IB studies through <strong>the</strong> ‘Extended Essay’. With <strong>the</strong>support and gentle guidance <strong>of</strong> a supervisor at <strong>the</strong> school, students explore a <strong>the</strong>me <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own choice, and write a research paper<strong>of</strong> up to 4000 words. This is perhaps one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most important parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> IB Diploma, and many ISS alumni have commentedon how easy it was for <strong>the</strong>m to tackle research papers at university, in comparison with <strong>the</strong>ir friends from o<strong>the</strong>r educationalsystems, because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> writing <strong>the</strong> Extended Essay. We are always very proud <strong>of</strong> our students’ achievements, butit is also extremely gratifying to find that o<strong>the</strong>rs also appreciate <strong>the</strong> work that <strong>the</strong>y do on <strong>the</strong>se research projects.This year, two students were invited to Oslo for <strong>the</strong> final <strong>of</strong> national competitions. Mateen Ram won third prize inUngdomskonkurransen Fritt Ord, a competition which looks at aspects <strong>of</strong> free speech. Mateen’s essay, ‘<strong>The</strong> path we choose totake in life…’ examined <strong>the</strong> writing and speeches <strong>of</strong> three great world leaders <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last century: Shoghi Effendi, Martin Lu<strong>the</strong>rKing, and Nelson Mandela. He explains that he particularly focused on how ‘<strong>the</strong>se three diverse leaders used <strong>the</strong> metaphors<strong>of</strong> light and darkness to portray <strong>the</strong> battle between <strong>the</strong> forces <strong>of</strong> good and evil’. Kirsten Peacock won a second prize in <strong>the</strong>humanities section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Konkurransen Unge Forskere (<strong>the</strong> Young Researchers competition), with her essay on ‘<strong>The</strong> FemaleVillain’. She studied <strong>the</strong> characters <strong>of</strong> Medea, Lady Macbeth and Hedda Gabler – three famous female villains coming fromclassical Greek <strong>the</strong>atre, Shakespeare’s tragedies, and Ibsen’s modern drama. Kirsten explains that in <strong>the</strong>se works <strong>the</strong> playwrightmakes a conscious choice to use a female villain, and that ‘she is more harshly judged than a male might be’ resulting in ‘<strong>the</strong>inevitable downfall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> women’.<strong>The</strong> finalists (chosen this year from 129 entries in <strong>the</strong> two competitions) exhibited <strong>the</strong>ir research projects at <strong>the</strong> Nordisk TekniskMuseum in Oslo and enjoyed a programme <strong>of</strong> events including a formal dinner at <strong>the</strong> famous Holmenkollen Restaurant in <strong>the</strong>hills above Oslo.More information about <strong>the</strong>se, and o<strong>the</strong>r competitions, can be found on http://konkurransene.no/ and<strong>the</strong>n follow <strong>the</strong> links.Lynn ParkExam Coordinatorwww.isstavanger.no<strong>The</strong> In f o r m e r 29 Ap r i l 2009 · 7