TAC Parents Monthly Bulletin
January 2020
Mid-Winter Bird Count
In order to monitor the wetland ecosystem and bird populations, the mid-winter waterbird census, carried out annually in our country as well as all globally, took place in Göksu Delta on the third day, after Adana-Yumurtalik and Akyatan Lagoon on the first and second days, respectively.
The event, attended by TACBiotech Club and grade 11 IB Environmental Systems and Communities students, emphasized biodiversity in the region. During the bird census, the students were informed about the feeding style and behavior of waterbirds by Ms. Güler Bozok from the Natural Research Association.
Bozok said that they no longer see a big diversity of bird species in the region as in the past. Unfortunately, the number of birds in the region, which is also frequented by hunters, is decreasing year by year. Very few flamingos were detected during the bird count. It was explained that the bird census reports for Turkey in general will be shared by the National Parks General Directorate after the completion of all field studies in the country.
Grade 9 students - Job Shadowing
With the follow-up and guidance of our counselor Mrs. Özlem Algan, forty three students from grade 9 participated in the job shadowing activity and successfully completed the project. In grade 9 where choosing an academic path towards a future professional career is gaining importance, students are seeking answers to the important question "What is the professional environment in which I see myself in the future?” Within the job shadowing initiative, our students spent a full day with a specialist working in their chosen professional area. They got involved in the routine work processes and had a chance to experience the business environment. The practice is called “shadowing” since the students are entirely involved in the daily operations of the professional and spend time together with that person like their "shadow".
TAC students who spent the day in the practical areas of various medical fields including neurosurgery, gynecology, emergency medicine, cardiology, as well as law, pharmacy, conservatory, architecture, aircraft engineering and factory, expressed their pleasure and the productive nature of the opportunity, adding that they would continue to be involved in it in the future.
The professionals who accepted our students and helped them to experience business life for one day also volunteered to contribute to such career counseling endeavors of the school in the coming years. They found TAC students very motivated and eager.
The IB Mathematics Camp
The IB Mathematics Camp, the first of which was organized in December, was offered again to Grade 12 IB students on January 14, upon high student demand. At the IB Mathematics Camp, which was planned as three sessions, students revised topics with their mathematics teachers for half a day and solved questions which were previously included in IB Exams.
The school is planning to continue offering IB Mathematics Camps, which are found very beneficial by students, during the second semester.
Visit to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Information Center
On January 15, 2020, 11IBFM students visited Akkuyu NGS Information Center in Mersin under the supervision of Mr. Orhan Baycık, Assistant Principal and their physics teacher Mr. Orhan Vatansever.
The trip, which started with the introduction of the sections of a nuclear power plant through models, drew attention to the amount of power generated by the power plants, their safety and their environmental-friendly nature. At the end of the tour of the center, detailed information was given about the plant, the construction of which is in progress in Akkuyu. The plant is expected to be activated in a phased fashion in 2023. At this point, the benefits of nuclear power plants for Turkey, referencing the history of energy generation in Turkey, were explained by specialists. After the presentation, the students expressed their concerns about the potential disruption to the natural life in the region where the facility is located and asked their questions to the authorized staff. After answering questions, the presentation ended with a brief information session about the future of energy in Turkey and nuclear power plants in the world.
Our students, who received information from the experts about the benefits and possible side effects of nuclear energy use, enjoyed the presentation which was enriched with simulations and quizzes.
A visit to Anadolu Cam AŞ Mersin factory
The contribution of seeing the operational process in a business establishment on-site is very important in high school, where self-awareness is key for the student from the perspective of future careers. Our grade 9 students went on a visit to Anadolu Cam AŞ Mersin factory, accompanied by the guidance counselors Mrs. Özlem Algan, Mr. Serhat Köse and Mr. Sinan Öz, the assistant principal. Our students, who received information about the production process in the glass factory, attended the presentations about the operational processes and safety, witnessing the formation of glass first hand. They also learned that there are different professional areas, including administrative and engineering, in the factory.
An Exemplary Community Outreach Initiative from TAC Robotics Club
TAC students stand out in their community with their social sensitivity as well as their academic success. Students from the TAC Robotics Club, Gönül Meliha Manav and Esat Tuna Erdağı took on a leading role in organizing a meaningful meeting with a middle school in their region to help improve their community.
TAC students, who met with 6th and 7th graders of Mustafa İstemihan Talay Middle School in Tarsus, led a 3-hour workshop in the field of robotics and software, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s education.
The workshop used real life based exercises such as construction of parking sensors, LED lamps and traffic lights using Arduino. The middle school students were observed to be very eager and curious during the projects as they discovered new things after the necessary installations and programming of arduino electronic cards.
This event was of special importance for our student Gönül Meliha Manav, since her ‘students’ were coming from the middle school where she graduated.
A Review of the Homeroom Lesson and Activities
TAC joined forces once again with Akdeniz University lecturers Assc. Dr. Gülfem Çakır and Dr. Evrim Çetinkaya Yıldız for a 2-day training with an aim to review homeroom period activities to be offered in the second semester. Homeroom teachers and guidance counselors responsible for grade 9 participated in the training.
After the first workshop in November, the planning of the activities to be carried out in the first half of the 2nd semester was completed in four separate sessions over the course of two days. During the morning sessions, the school’s guidance counselors Özlem Algan, İlker Kaba, Caner Aydın and Serhat Köse looked at various class and group activities that could be implemented by the counseling department. The afternoon meetings held with homeroom teachers focused on the efficiency of the activities, challenges, advantages and impacts of classroom activities.
The counseling activities, enriched with current practices that contribute to the student’s personal, social, academic and professional development were further explained by academicians. During the workshop where our teachers actually implemented the activities and planned the activities for the future, it was observed that the role of homeroom teacher was further strengthened and that teachers gained a better mastery of counseling practices.
“Zero Waste” Presentation of the Science Department
The disposal of waste without being sorted in the recycling and recovery process causes serious loss of resources both materially and in terms of energy. In this context, "Zero Waste Project" has as its goals to prevent waste, to use resources more efficiently, to prevent or minimize waste generation by reviewing the causes of it, and to collect and recycle waste at its source.
The “Zero Waste Project” was undertaken by the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization for “recycling”. This is an issue to be emphasized by our country and globally, and was launched in October 2017 and received applications from more than 32000 schools.
Within the scope of this project, an informative presentation on “Zero Waste Project” was given to the teachers by our biology teacher Mr. Fatih Metin on 08.01.2020. The presentation included the initiatives that were completed and planned to be implemented in our school in connection with this project. This very effective and enjoyable presentation reminded all about the importance of “Zero Waste” idea.
The Shooting Sports Tournament
At the Shooting Sports Tournament held on Saturday 4 January in Mersin to mark the Mersin Liberation Day, TAC’s grade 9 student Nail Tan KOÇ received the third place.
TAC Receives Second Place in Mersin in Badminton
TAC received second place in Mersin at the provincial Boys Badminton Tournament on 13-16 January 2020.
With this result, our team qualified to compete at the national playoffs to be held in February.
We congratulate our students for their achievements and wish them the best of luck at the national level of tournaments.
Success in Basketball
At the Basketball tournament organized by the Mersin Youth and Sports Directorate, TAC’s boys basketball A team received second place.
We congratulate our players and coaches, and wish them continued success.
TAC’s Basketball B Team Placed Fourth in Mersin
TAC’s boys basketball B team which represented our school at the Basketball Youth Junior League B League competitions, qualified to participate in the final playoffs in Mersin as the winner of the group matches in Tarsus.
At the end of the provincial playoffs in Mersin, our team received fourth place. We congratulate our student athletes and coaches, wishing them continued success.
A Successful Result from the Handball Team
TAC’s handball team, which participated in the 2019-2020 provincial competitions in handball at the club level received the 3rd place in Mersin. In their last game, the team defeated Aksev Sports Club with a score of 13-10, bringing the 3rd place trophy to their club. We congratulate our team who is filled with the excitement and happiness of returning to the handball courts after a long pause.
Tarsus American College
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