MATHAMATICS
Grade 8
Grade 8 was the year I joined Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, this year I struggled a lot with mathematics as at first I found it very difficult to adjust to the IB curriculum at criteria, however over time I was able to show improvement through gradually learning more on what was the best way to practice mathematics In the duration of grade 8 I needed to be determined and persistent to achieve such. This semester we also went from offline to online school, this was a huge change, and hence also impacted my learning . Over time I was able to understand how to best tackle online learning and hence progress best.
Grade 9
Grade 9 was my second year at the academy hence I was much better prepare, I was able to continue online learning this year through a variety of online tests on assesprep and zoom classes. Over all I was able to to show much improvement in mathematics as I started first semester with get 6's where as at the end I was able to receive 7's. During grade 9 I also had to be determined as online classes were a bit harder to concentrate on, and it was often harder to decipher concepts however though persistent and support from my teacher I was able to maintain active class participation and hence my grades as well. In the final June exams in grade 9 I was able to achieve a 7, which helps reflect how I was able to maintain my math grades from grade 8.
Grade 10
This year in mathematics I have faced many up and downs this is as when we started the semester in the first extended mathematics paper I scared a 22%. This was quite a drawback as in grade 9 i never scored under 70%. However through considerations of my previous results and teacher recommendations I was able to continue in extended mathematics. This was quite a risk considering my performance in placement test however by being a reflective and determined learner I was gradually able to improve. To do this I often had ot work with my friends and teachers to clarify concepts after school, the weekends and the holiday break. At the end of semester one I was able to achieve an average of 6 which shows much improvement from the 21% I achieved at the start of the year in the placement tests.
Start of year results
Recent Results
ENGLISH
Grade 8
In grade 8 when I joined Aga Khan Academy Mombasa I started the year my reading a book communicating the impact of the Mau Mau, it talks about the terror of the white settlers and the determination and fight for freedom by the group. The book helped me learn about Kenya's situation in the 1950's. while also teaching me various english skills such as the use metaphors, smilies and change in perspective and person. Next we read a book my William Shakespeare called a Mid Summer Nights dream. Till today this is one of my favourite books, the way it show the reality of society through a comedy inspires my writing.
Grade 9
In Grade 9 my grades in English decreased drastically, this was because of the change of offline school to online school, My average went from a 7 to a 5, to improve this I firstly of all took guidance from my friends, managed my time better and participated more in class. Because of this I was able to improve my grade in english to a 6. In addition in Grade 9 we read the book to kill a mocking bird, through this book I was able to explore the concepts of racial injustice, and ethics, helping me further discover my passion for the cause.
Grade 10
In Grade 10 english has been quite a challenge, the first grade that I got in an english assessment as can be seen in the screenshot was a 4, this was quite a set-back for me as grade 10 grades determine entrance in DP. However through a lot of guidance from my teachers, and determination I was able to improve this and get 6 in the last assessment I did for semester one. In Grade we read the book Lord of the Flies, this book opened my eyes to the reality of humans through the characters and helped me see the characteristic of savagery we all humans have deep down.
BIOLOGY
Grade 8
Grade 8 was the year I started to learn biology in the IB curriculum under sciences, this was quite difficult for me as this was the first time I was understanding how the criteria could be used for sciences. Over here I learned how to structure a B-C report which helped learn the key process of documentation of research while also learning how to answer D questions through use of prior knowledge and the drawing conclusions from reflecting on learning. This year was a key to step to understanding how to the IB system works and hence even-though I did not receive grades due to COVID I was able to learn key skills which helped me throughout my MYP Journey.
Grade 9
In Grade 9 I did not score well during the best grades at the start of the year when we learning about the nervous system. To help rectify this from semester 1 I had daily zooms with my peers so I could better my understanding on the concept of not just the nervous system but also the basics of biology. I also better adapted to online learning as I became more punctual and disciplined while understanding my classes. i also took notes in my online exercise book which helped me document my work and helped me further build my understanding though the process of note taking.
Semester 1:
Semester 2:
Grade 10
In Grade 10 biology has been quite a challenge this was due to first of all going offline from online, and also the change of teachers between the semester. In grade 10 I found it hard to adapt to all these changes and hence scored lower in semester one. however by having determination and going over my mistakes in the past papers, I was able to score much better in the mock examination and show improvement much like grade 9. This year I also learned that even-though I may not score the best in biology it is a subject I am very much interested in and would want to definitely continue studying in DP.
Semester 1:
Mock Examination:
FRENCH
Grade 8
In grade 8 I started learning french from phase 2, this was very difficult for me as I was very much a beginner in french, who had no idea how to even introduce myself. For this reason I struggled a lot with french, to help tackle this I had to get a lot of guidance from teachers and peers, as I was not at the same level of learning as them. During grade 8 for this reason I was not able to score well and met a lot of challenges because of my whole average going down. Considering this I decided to stay determined towards french and was able to improve this result in grade 9.
Grade 9
During grade 9 I was able to improve my grade massively as I scored a 5 during semester 1, and score a 6 in the final June exams of grade 9. In grade 9 I feel that I was able to show much improvement because of the continuous guidance and support I got from peers and students. In the duration of grade 9 I learnt how to write many different text types such as letters, descriptive texts, interviews and speeches. I felt the biggest achievement from grade 9 for me, is not giving up, this is a I had to stay determined even-though I was not scoring good grades at the start of my journey in french.
Semester 1:
Semester 2:
Mock Results
Grade 10
In Grade 10 the level of french we were studying got much more difficult because of stage 4, stage 4 required higher level grammar and vocabulary which is one of my weakest point. With this I had to say determined though-out the year even when french seemed impossible to understand. TO help overcome this I used many textbooks and practice tests to improve my french writing, and reading skills, where as to improve my listening skills I started watching content that was in french and trying to understand it. Initially in semester one i scored an average of 3 which was a huge drop from grade 9, however in the finals I was able to work and improve this grade to a 5.
Semester 1:
Mocks:
CHEMISTRY
Grade 8
Grade 8 was the first year I started learning chemistry in the IB curriculum, and this was during online school. Even-though during online school we did not get grades I stil noticed how the way chemistry was taught was very different, for example instead of learning different experiments and their procedures we had to create such experiments. I found this quite difficult at first however with the guidance of my teachers and peers I was slowly able to to adjust to this system.
Grade 9
Grade 9 was the first year I did chemistry apart from sciences, this was very interesting to do as I was able to focus on the subject more in-depth and hence get a better understanding of the topics concerning chemistry. This is also where I started to build my interest in chemistry. In addition because year 9 was online I also got to learn how to use a new software for testing, which was asssesprep, at first this was hard to use however by the end of the first semester I was able to use it without a doubt.
Grade 10
During grade 9 I was able to increase my knowledge relating to chemistry by a lot, this was we learned very new concepts such as molarity, redox reactions and electrolysis. Such topics were quite hard for to grasp but after consulting my peers I was able to understand them well. In addition grade 10 was when we re-stared offline school this was a bit hard to to adapt to and hence c cause by grade for chemistry to drop from a 7 to a 6. To help get my grade back to a 7 in the final exam I have gone over past papers to learn from my mistakes, consultes peers and teachers, and with their guidance I have been able to clear my confusions.
ART
During grade 8 I had the opportunity to take art, this was allowed me to have a more creative lens, not just in terms of the artwork I created but on school work and life generally. Though art I was able to improve my descriptive writing as I learned to evaluate every detail, and express my self though brushstrokes and lines. In addition taking art helped me develop a passion for painting. The act of painting also allows me to express myself differently. Through my paintings, I can explain different concepts more clearly. I am an impatient person, who normally can not wait for things and is too curious, but painting has helped me develop patience because when I paint, I normally have to wait for different coats to dry in order to repaint and give it a fine finish. Initially, it was very difficult for me to wait for one color to do its job and I would mess up the painting a lot. But now, I have developed the skill of patience and can wait for things to yield the final result.
pop culture piece
swahili door piece drafts:
final swahili door created: (art skills used: carving, painting, calligraphy)
DIGITAL DESIGN
First design I ever created:
Because of all the guidance I had received form my mock e-portfolio, I was able to put the best step forward for the final E-portfolio. For E-Portfolio we had to create a product relating to the global context personal and cultural expression. The loss of Sindhi culture is prevalent in today's society. To be lost is to not be remembered, and due to the amplification of westernisation, common Sindhi practices like the production of the Ajrak have been overwritten in the name of "development". My client feels this loss is also furthered due to stereotypes about traditional methods. For example herbal medication is called "old-fashioned" in the name of more modern alternatives, this practice of western assimilation not only tears down these traditional archetypes but also tears down the identity of people. A zebra painted black does not become a horse, and a Sindhi assimilating Western practices does not become an American, all it does is that it strips down the original identity. To be is to be perceived, and if the general perception puts the Sindhi culture lower than other cultures, then it also lowers who these people are as a whole. Considering this emerging problem sindhis must deviate from the current trend of painting themselves in order to appear different, for all cultures are beautiful and unique. My IT solution aims to share the beauty of the Sindhi culture to solve the issue that my client, a Sindhi faces due his culture fading away through this westernisation that exists in our society. The reason I choose to build an IT solution is that it can be accessed anytime around anywhere in the world and hence has the biggest reach. The main aim of my IT solution is to share the beauty of the Sindhi culture and help celebrate the culture while proving the importance of avoiding misunderstanding and stereotypes and preserving the culture.
The website created can help my client as it will discuss the elements of the culture so that it can be used to help discuss the culture, and hence promote its importance and beauty. Overall the website has various information that can help discuss and celebrate the culture such as photos and content about the art, music, food, and fashion of the Sindhi culture. On the other hand the video focuses more on the impact of stereotypes and westernisation of the Sindhi culture and helps people the importance of preserving Sindhi culture. To create the IT solution I used various skills such as video editing, coding, sound editing, photo editing and logo creation. After the process of building the IT solution I gave 2 weeks for my client to test out the IT solution to fully evaluate the impact of the solution.
Grade 10
During grade 10, i feel I have learnt the most important skills of all in Digital Design which is time management. because of much work there in grade 10 and how little time there is, it is very hard to meet Digital Design deadlines. During the Mock E-Portfolio you will learn that you personal project reports, summative, and various tests at the same time. Because of this it is very important to schedule your time well.
During the Mock E-Portfolio which we created before making our E-Portfolio I created a product dedicated to ensuring safety online. From My Mock Portfolio I was able ot outline what I needed to improve on in my final E-Portfolio, this included explaining my problem in Criterion A, making my specifications more clear in criterion B, explaining skills used with more detail in criterion C, and using clearer screenshots throughout. During Mock E-Portfolio I was able to create a safe communication platform for students:
Grade 9
In grade 9 because now I understood how Digital design worked I was able to manage my time much better and hence create a much better reports for the different criteria's and also manage my time much better. This year I further expanded on my video editing skills, as I created a video for one of the Digital design projects. i also further built my coding skills as I built a responsive website for another project. I improved much on coding since grade 8, as I was able to use external css, and create different containers for different functions, as well as create slideshows and galleries on the website. This was the year I also learned how to create an appendix, I now use this knowledge for must of my subjects, and always include an appendix in most my work for reference.
Grade 8
Grade 8 was the first year I ever did Digital Design, and honestly it was the most difficult subject for me as I did not understand what to do at all. The first criterion A I wrote I got a 5. This was I had no idea how to structure my work, or what and how to write . Because of this I had to get much guidance from my teacher Mr. Lang'at and also work with peers so that I develop an understanding of the subject. The second time I wrote a criterion A report I got an 8 for this reason. overall grade 8 helped me create a good foundation for DD. I was able to learn how to edit videos, images and music this year, as well as how to code a basic html website.
2nd design create after guidance:
HUMANITIES
Grade 8
In grade 8 I first started doing humanities this was quite a journey for me, I enjoyed learning about the silk route, global trade, IMF, World bank and how tech influences people around the world. Since this was the first year I ever did IB I struggled quite a bit with OPCVL, and writing a report. Overall it was very fun to learn about how interactions and globalisation have changed food, ideas, values, clothing, language, etc around the world. During humanities we also studied the geography of the silk road, for example we learnt how the Himalayas was formed, and the weather and climate patterns in different biomes, which I found quite interesting.
Grade 9
During grade 9 we learnt humanities online though-out, because of this I struggled a bit to understand different concepts at first but overtime I was able to manage zoom and online learning better. This year we covered the apartheid, equality and pluralism, genocides, the second world war, Brexit, post election violence in Kenya, and powerful bodies of conflict intervention such as the UN and LON. In semester one we were able to create an infographic which helped me to understand you were suppose to structure a B-C more, and in semester one though making various presentations I was able to learn the correct format used in humanities better as well and hence improve my grades.
Grade 10
In Grade 10 humanities has been very fun, we started the year of with a bang by learning about resources, and conflicts caused by resources. Through the use of several case studies I was able to understand different types of resources, the role of resources in development, and different conflicts caused because of resources, as well as resource depletion the impact of it on the environment. Through learning about how we can build a circular economy I have thus been able to reduce my carbon footprint. In semester 2 I have been able to learn the role of trade unions, the industrial revolution the slave trades, economics, and the impact of a country's economy on development.
