UniVERSOtea Mornings 2024-2025

These sessions take place on Wednesdays, 8:00am-8:45am  at Connect, Level 2, The HUB

Early Dismissal Reminder: Wednesday 25 September 2024

• Families are reminded that on Wednesday 25 September, the entire school will have an early release day. Learners will be dismissed from classes at 1:30pm.
• These early release days are designed to provide time for the LDT to undergo Professional Development, in order to keep our academic program on the cutting edge of research
• Please adjust learner pickups as needed on this day if your learner does not have an ECA on this day.

Beyond the Walls kick off trip: Welcome Quest!

We launched our first Beyond the Walls [BTW] trip last week, called Welcome Quest! This was a whole loop BTW, and instead of being connected to a specific Learning Lab, this BTW was about building community and BTW training for the new learners and new Learning Designers!

• The purpose of this trip was to teach important navigation, budgeting, safety protocols and communication skills, preparing our learners for all future Beyond the Walls trips this year. 
• As a project-based curriculum school, this trip provides an excellent opportunity for learners to apply their skills in real-world contexts. 
• They learned how to use the BTS to reach various areas, gaining a deeper understanding of Bangkok. 
• In House groups, our learners competed to visit as many “attractions” as possible within the given timeframe of three and a half hours. 
• The team with the greatest number of photos taken at each location earned corresponding house points. 
• Learners were also encouraged to try out local food as part of their lunches, fostering community through interactions with peers, LDs, and the local community.

Check out these photos of BTW in action!

Project Updates!

• On an exciting Day 1, we unveiled this year’s game and rules for scoring in VEX competitions.
• Since we haven’t built robots yet, learners took on the role of their bots and competed on the field blindfolded while their teammate issued commands from outside the playing area.
• Learners formed tentative teams and began building a Hero bot that can perform basic scoring actions. They will use these as a jumping off point to pick a challenge to work on to improve their robots.

Project Updates

• This week was highly productive for our Hygiene Heroes, with the first milestone "Learn."
• The team explored various aspects of hygiene, conducted a peer survey on hygiene practices, and shared their findings.
• They also investigated different pathogens—bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and fungi—taking on the role of detectives to uncover the causes of diseases worldwide.
• The week concluded with science lab safety and their first experiment.
• They compared four types of water—pond, pool, tap, and filtered—analyzing them for microorganisms and contaminations.
• This hands-on experience deepened their understanding of scientific methods and provided valuable practice with microscopes.

Project Updates!

• This week, our learners delved deeply into the theme of women's representation in art by researching and exploring previous International Women’s Day events. 
• They critically examined the effectiveness of these events, exchanging insightful opinions and discussing their impact. 
• In addition, the learners conducted thorough research on contemporary Thai artists whose work focuses on women and feminist themes. 
• They explored the unique artistic methods these artists employ, gaining inspiration and new perspectives for their own creative processes.
• Building on this research, the learners channeled their creativity into making artist books that reflect their artistic expression and understanding of the theme. 
• They demonstrated remarkable engagement and involvement, producing a diverse array of artist books, including blueprints and demo-folds.

Research Book Clubs

• To encourage engagement and a love of reading, learners had the opportunity to choose their own book club groups and books. 
• There is time given each week during Research LABs for learners to set reading goals and discuss key features including plot, characters, setting, themes, and literary devices. 
• All selected books are appropriate for readers aged 15 and under, though some may contain mature content.
• Please review the books and contact LD Chrissy (chrissy.nagle@verso.ac.th) if you have any concerns or speak with us in person at the upcoming Family conVERSO.
• We encourage learners to take these books home to enjoy the many benefits of daily reading (more information can be found in this link.
• Your support in promoting daily reading and ensuring the books are returned to VERSO on the indicated date and in good condition is greatly appreciated to avoid any necessary replacement charges.

Research LAB A with Chrissy 

 VERSO Verdict: Mock Trial Challenge

• Grade 9s have begun their research journey by considering: "What does the world need more of?" 
• This exploration into our global needs will decipher the topic for our hands on mock trial where learners will actively argue the different perspectives through their roles on the defense or prosecution team. 
• The Driving Question for this project is “How can engaging in a mock trial empower us to seek justice, uncover different perspectives and advocate for matters of personal significance?” 

 Books Clubs

Whilst books are being ordered learners will read individually and share quotes that resonate with them and then the following book clubs with begin:

• Mona, Liberty, Maya & Looksorn: All the Dangerous Things by Willingham, Stacy
• Penguin, In & Jun: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Jackson, Holly
• Alex & Jack: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

Research LAB B: with Chrissy 

READolution

• Grade 10s are embarking on their thought-provoking journey exploring the Future of Reading. 
• They are currently diving into the realm of literature and technology to unravel the mysteries of reading and explore its evolving landscape. 
• This will inform their actions as they work towards this Driving Question “How can a deeper understanding of reading and its future empower us to drive positive transformations in our school environment and beyond?”

Book Clubs

• Chloe, May, & Towa: Kindling by Traci Chee
• Nisha, Janden, & Proud: TBC
• Don, Benson, & Jules: Into the Light by Mark Oshiro

Power Hour with Coach Joe & Coach Ji Yoon   

• This quarter's power hour sessions will center around preparing students for the upcoming sports event on 25th September, which features various track and field events, including long jump, shot put, discus, javelin, high jump, and track races for 100m, 200m, and 400m. 
• The sessions will focus on drills and movement exercises to enhance performance, along with stretching routines to prevent injuries. 
• This comprehensive preparation aims to ensure students are physically ready and confident for the event.

UniVERSOlly Well with Greg

• This year the UniVERSOlly Well course will have a theme of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging for each quarter. 
• We are beginning this week with Identity and Belonging. 
• At the start of a year it is a wonderful time to assess ourselves for how we are different, what we want our identity to be in the larger group, and how connected we feel to the systems around us. 
• Our lessons will integrate character assessment and understanding of personality to increase our awareness of our place in VERSO and the wider world. 
• To learn more about how you as a parent or caregiver can support identity formation in children, read this article with many tips about supporting the growth of young people.  

Art Labs with Gideon & Ji Yoon

MADLab (G9-10)

Q1 Courses and Topics: 

• Observational drawings
• Landscape artworks
• Self-portraits
• Creative pieces

Goals for the first unit or Quarter: Complete their drawing portfolio with a diverse selection of artworks created using various dry media (pencil, charcoal, pen, & markers).

• Update: The learners reviewed the fundamental principles and elements of art, focusing on the abstract application and appreciation of the first three elements: line, shape, and form.
• They are now engaged in a still-life sketching project designed to enhance their visual perception, refine their sketching techniques, and improve their ability to draw accurate proportions.

AP Studio (G11-12)

Courses and Topics 

• AP STUDIO ART: Exploring the topics of their choice (Inquiry)

Goals for the first unit or Quarter:

1. Foundational Skills: Students will explore the principles of art and enhance their drawing and 3D skills to establish a strong foundation and technical proficiency.
2. Critique and Feedback: Students will learn how to appropriately critique artwork and provide constructive criticism, fostering a supportive and analytical classroom environment.
3. Written Evidence and Inquiry: Students will focus on writing clear and insightful evidence to support their work and develop a solid inquiry for their portfolios. 
4. This plan will help students build essential skills and prepare them for success in their portfolios.

Important dates [AP]:

• CollegeBoard AP Classroom sign up: October 2024
• Exam: 9 May 2025

Science Labs with Matt & Joanie

Courses and Topics 

• Life Science
• Earth Science
• Physical Science

Goals for the first unit or Quarter:

Life Science

• The Grade 9 Life Science curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of cells, transport across membranes, and human nutrition. It emphasizes hands-on learning experiences to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 
  
  
• In the first unit, students will delve into the world of microscopy, learning how to prepare slides, calculate magnification, and observe different types of cells

Earth Science

• This week, the lesson highlights the captivating exploration of our planet where it unfolded as students delved into the fascinating world of Earth science. 
• One of the highlights of the lesson was the exploration of the four main branches of Earth science: geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. 
• In Units 1-3, students will explore the intricacies of our planet and its place in the universe.
  • Unit 1 delves into the celestial world, teaching students about the Moon's phases, the scientific method, and the gravitational forces that hold our solar system together. 
  • Unit 2 focuses on Earth's history, examining the processes that have shaped its surface, from weathering and erosion to plate tectonics. 
  • Unit 3 explores Earth's systems, including the water cycle, carbon cycle, and the distribution of natural resources. 

Physical Science

• Learners will spend the first quarter gaining an understanding of Forces and Motion. They will be able to represent motion in a variety of graphical formats and perform multi variable calculations to determine unknown quantities.
  
  
• Learners will complete a variety of practical experiments, and improve their ability to use the scientific method to question and quantify the world around them.

By Jarret Voytilla