News from Us
14 October 2022
Justice Between the Lines
“The Story of a A Murder That Everyone Knows Will be Committed”
On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, IB students of 10-E were involved in the instruction technique of “courtroom” in their study of the book "Red Monday" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in their Turkish Language and Literature class to bring to light important points that may have been overlooked in the novel. In the courtroom which was set-up to discuss the level of guilt of twin siblings, which partly is related to whether Santiago Nasar committed the crime or not, which was not clarified in the book with the aim of making the reader think. The “verdict” of the student jury and the judge was that the twins were guilty to be convicted with aggravated life sentence.
The students who were also dressed for their roles using their creativity, were successful in playing the various characters in the book. The lesson activity, which encouraged student reflection on the book, helped develop student social skills, self-management, communication, while contributing to their research skills.
We congratulate our students who made us feel, once again, the privilege of being a member of the TAC community with their successful performances.
Taking the Lesson Outside: “Building a Terrarium” with IB Students
When we look at the ethymology of the word “terrarium”, “terra” is earth, while “aquarium” means bell-jar in Latin. It can therefore be literally translated as “earth in a bell-jar”. From the botanical perspective, it is the activity of growing plants in a glass bell jar. Terrarium is not only an activity, but also a botanical art. It is a miniature garden inside glass bell-jars in various sizes and shapes.
Going back to ancient times, to 1827, Dr. Ward focused his studies on plants. After witnessing plants dying from dust and air pollution, he wanted to find a solution, which included trying to grow plants in glass to protect them. As a result of his experiments, he observed that some plants lived in the glass for a longer time. This is how the use of terrarium entered our lives.
Aesthetically, terrarium looks more appealing than the classic pots. It is an impressive visual tool to explain the growth of plants to students. It is a kind of an effective plant arrangement.
There are two types of terrariums, built in an open or a closed system.
In order to introduce the concept to the students, the ESS lesson for IB students was held outside the classroom so that the students see the own school garden from an ecological point of view, raising environmental awareness touching the soil and living things. On October 9, IB students in grades 10 and 11 grade had the opportunity to build a closed system terrarium in the school garden as part of their ESS lesson. We were very happy to observe that our students also enjoyed this hands-on activity.
IBDP Extended Essay (EE) Workshop / Korkut Beriker Library
As part of the "Academic Honesty Awareness Week" on 17-21 October, informative and fun activities are organized at TAC to support the community understanding of academic honesty.
The library research skills lessons held in the school library help guide our students throughout their academic lives.
On October 4, 2022, activities were held around the Extended Essay (EE) process, which is a core element of IBDP, for 10 IB and 11 IB students, as well as those supporting ethical learning.
In the first part of the workshop, information which guide the "ethical use of information, as creating citations, in-text citations, creating works cited page, use of online citation generators and online databases" were shared.
In the second part, group activities were organized. Students who participated in discussions on various academic honesty scenarios examined the sources used and cited in sample research paper.
Activities in Grade 9 German Lessons
At TAC, the learning in second foreign language classes is reinforced with fun activities. 9th grade students learned the vocabulary of body parts and organs, supported with the use of drawings and visuals in the German lesson. Students also developed their research and teamwork skills through active participation. The products that emerged at the end of were displayed on the walsl of the classroom and the hallway.
Orientation for Prep Students by Peer Counselors
An event for the prep class students was held on 8 October by the peer counselors in Grades 10 and 11. The purpose of this event organized by TAC Counseling Department, was to provide the opportunity for fun while helping students to get to know each other better and to socialize.
After the different games and activities, every detail of which were pre-planned, it was time for lunch when the group was treated to the delicious Tarsus lahmacun served by the peer counselors.
The "TAC Peer Counseling" poster making activity, which started after lunch, ended with students painting each other’s faces, and even the guidance counselors’ faces! We would like to thank the Counseling Department, especially the peer counselors, for organizing this gathering, where every moment was special.
Grade 11 Parent Presentations on "TAC’s University Preparation Program and YKS-2024 System" and "Exam Psychology in Adolescents"
On Tuesday, October 11th, TAC organized parent sessions titled "TAC University Preparatory Program and YKS-2024 System" and "Exam Psychology and Adolescence" for the parents of grade 11 students, who have entered an important period in their preparation for university
In the first presentation, Turkish university counselors Oktay Aydın and İlker Kaba shared information about YKS-2024 exam system, YKS-2022 data, as well as YKS statistics. They also provided a summary of what are being done at TAC with regard to preparing students for Turkish universities, explaining important points for consideration for success in YKS. In the conference presented by Serhat Köse, one of the school’s guidance counselors, the adolescence period and exam stress was discussed while some tips were shared with families.
School-Parent Interaction Session on “Emotional Management Skills and Well-Being”
The theme of "Emotion Management Skills and Well-Being" was addressed in the parent session held on October 6 organized by the Counseling Department. In the presentation by the guidance counselors Caner Aydın and Serhat Köse, the concepts of "emotion and emotional management”, relationships and emotional awareness in adolescence were discussed. After the "well-being and mindfulness" practices as the second part, the session ended with questions and answers.
PTA Meeting
The first Parent-Teacher Association Meeting for the 2022-2023 academic year was held on October 13, 2022. This year, we have many returning PTA members and some new members dedicating their time to the school community. In the meeting where Mrs. Sunderman, HoS, Ahu Arslan, Principal, Hasan Ateş, Vice Principal, teacher representatives Gonca Aynacı and Çiğdem Altan, and many parent representatives were present, the plans for the new academic year and other important topics were discussed.
Emphasizing that the most important priority at TAC is to provide the best education to its students while caring for their well-being with its well-equipped teaching staff, Mrs. Sunderman also touched upon the privileged opportunities offered to students. It was a positive and collaborative meeting.
The Earth Prize
The Earth Prize is a global $200,000 environmental sustainability competition for students between the ages of 13 and 19 which will reward the teams whose projects have the most potential to address environmental issues.
Through The Earth Prize, students are challenged, mentored, and inspired to effect real change by designing their own environmental sustainability projects, products, organizations or enterprises.
Every participant in The Earth Prize will engage with original bespoke materials and get personalized mentorship from university students. They will also have the opportunity to interact with the world-renowned Ambassadors and showcase their solutions to a global audience.
The winning solution will have real-world impact potential, and the winning team will receive $100,000 (from a $200,000 total prize), to be split between their school and the team members.
In order to participate the competition please review the poster below.
Good luck!
Counseling Services Handbook is updated
Please click on the image below for the updated Counseling Handbook.
Monthly YKS Bulletin
Click on the visual below for the Monthly YKS Bulletin (only in Turkish)
YKS Exam Preparations at TAC
Please click on the visual below for the video explaining the YKS preparation activities. (only in Turkish)
Özel Tarsus Amerikan Koleji
Email: info@tac.k12.tr
Website: www.tac.k12.tr
Location: Caminur Mh., Tarsus Amerikan Koleji, Cengiz Topel Cad., Tarsus/Mersin, Turkey
Phone: 03242418181
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarsusamerikankoleji/
Twitter: @tarsusamerican