Secondary Newsletter 29 – April 9, 2021
The BIS Library has some BAD books
CAS Corner by Avril Bahar
University Counseling
Upcoming International SAT Test Date & Deadline
The BIS Library has some BAD books
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has released their annual most “challenged and banned” books in school libraries (USA) list for 2020. These are the books that are requested to be censored or removed from libraries due to “controversial” social issues that some people (mostly parents) believe are too dangerous for exposure in a school setting. In America in 2020, there were over 270 official challenges to all books, and the top 10 are located here.
Have no fear, however; the BIS Library has 6 of these “bad” books (and 1 DVD) in our Secondary section available right now for check out and reading to corrupt your soul. These books are:
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie
- Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson
- Stamped From the Beginning – Ibram X. Kendi
- George – Alex Gino
- Of Mice and Men (DVD)
All of the books listed above have received an incredible amount of authentic, genuine quality literature reviews and awards and have a plethora of redeeming literature and educational value within the context of some of the issues certain groups have used as grounds for attempted removal.
The Library does have a “Request for Reconsideration Form” available in our Policy and Procedures Handbook (though we have not had any challenges since its creation). While we must of course be sensitive to and protective of content for certain grade/age levels, the BIS Library obviously supports freedom of intellectual pursuits by Secondary readers and is proud to feature these qualitative works in our collection. Come check them out, literally!
CAS Corner by Avril Bahar
Running & Cycling
26 February 2021, Friday
Today I went cycling for the first time in a while because for the past few days/weeks, I haven’t necessarily been feeling too well mentally and physically. For the past few days, I’ve lost motivation to go outside the house to exercise as I had been swamped with assignments and assessments but these were all just excuses I told myself to get out of exercising. From online school, I started feeling quite anxious as I realized that it’s nearly been a year since we went from physical to fully digital so this thought made me lose all motivation to really do anything. Additionally, I wasn’t feeling too well physically as I had come down with a cold and my whole body was sore. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious and it was only because I haven’t been having as much sleep as I should. However, after a few days of staying in my room and not doing much, I realized that I needed to get my act together and finally get out of the house rather than making excuses for myself not to. I chose not to go cycling with a friend as I wanted this time to myself and to essentially reflect on the past few days. I noticed that all the negative thoughts were just in my head and I was overthinking for no reason. From this, I’ve realized that it’s sometimes best to just go out and do something productive rather than moping around thinking about it in a negative light to avoid partaking in it.
University Counseling
Now is an excellent time for G10 and G11 students to start exploring programs and universities. One way to do that is by taking advantage of summer programs. We have some listed below, but if a student has an interest in exploring a particular university, there is a decent chance the university will be running summer programs. Summer programs are experiences providing students with opportunities to explore career options and get a feel for university life.
G10s and G11s should begin to reach out to current students and representatives at universities of interest via their website. Go to a university’s home page. You will often see where prospective students can contact student ambassadors or representatives, who meet and share campus life, programs, and activities on offer. When virtual fairs are available, take advantage of the opportunity to talk individually with university representatives.
BridgeU is the place for students to explore universities and careers and shortlist universities they discover that spark interest. BridgeU also has mini information links on the dashboard of individual accounts. These help students explore careers, learn how to write university essays effectively, and much more.
The goal for current G11s is to have a university shortlist, a field of interest, cv, and reference letters before they head home for the summer. Look for an information session for G11 families coming soon.
Upcoming International SAT Test Date & Deadline
Fairs
Meet 99 universities at the NISC University Fair 2021(April 7-10)
PDVL Virtual Edu Fair 2021 (April 10 & 11)
Summer Programs
InvestIN Summer Future Internships for ages 12-14 in London
InvestIN Summer Internship Program for ages 15-18 in London
Washington University in St. Louis for HS students
Drexel University for HS students
The New School Parsons Paris Fashion & Luxury online courses for HS students
Paris College of Art for 16+
Pace University pre-college immersion program for 16+
Pratt Institute design-related summer information sessions
Summer Discovery Programs for MS and HS students
Glion competition (Deadline April 23)
Imperial College London global program
Stanford University Stanford Environmental & Water Studies Scholars Program Scholars Program
Stanford & MIT High School AI Summer Program (Deadline April 30)
Stanford & MIT Middle School AI Summer Program (Deadline April 30)
EU Business School in Barcelona
USC School of Cinematic Arts (Deadline June 18)
UC Berkeley virtual
Les Roches
EHL Academy Switzerland and Singapore
Scholarships
Scholarships for International Students
Scholarship opportunity at Jacobs University (April 16)
Scholarships for International Students by Everett Community College
International scholarships for undergraduate students at University of Kent
Les Roches Hospitality’s Next Disruptor 2021 (Deadline June 25)
Virtual Events
Southern Utah University: Study in the USA Webinar for East Asia (April 9)
Open Day Bachelor in Management (BSc) program at ESCP Business School (April 10)
CEI Talkshow Series Study Entrepreneurship & International Business in Canada (April 10)
Global Adventure Week by Iowa State University (April 12-16)
Drexel University Leading the Future of Business and Technology (April 14)
Monash University Virtual Information Session – 18 April (Deadline April 16)
CEI Talkshow Series: Study Computer Science in Canada (April 17)
Dalhousie University Virtual Preview Day Session (April 19-30)
Resources from BridgeU
15 questions to ask when choosing a university
Guide for International University Admissions
Supporting your child through the application process