Admissions representatives from three colleges will be visiting SGS in the next week: Gonzaga University on Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 12:30 to 1:00pm; Grand Canyon University on Thursday, Nov. 18 during Flex time from 9:45 to 10:15am; and West Point (USMA) on Monday, Nov. 22 from 12:00 to 12:30pm.  All visits are happening in the MS/US Library Study Room.  Students can learn more about these different schools!

College admissions representatives will be on campus to visit with students.  Come learn about the University of Chicago from 1:45-2:15pm on Monday, Oct. 18 and Whitworth University at lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 19, both in the Library Study Room.  Plus, St. John’s College will hold a meeting with students via Zoom on Wednesday, Oct. 20 from 12:15 to 12:45pm (start of G block); check with Happy Avery for the Zoom link. 

The 8th through 11th graders completed the PSAT test on Oct. 13.  See a Photo Gallery of them filling out the test, which could qualify the juniors for National Merit Scholarships.

The seniors spent time in the library doing college prep work while the rest of the Upper School was taking the PSAT test on Oct. 13.  See a Photo Gallery of them working on college applications and essays.

IB Alumni Highlight:  Nico Morales graduated last year and is attending Occidental College in California.  He had a fall break and came back to school to visit some teachers and coaches.  We were able to ask him how college is going and if he had any thoughts on how the IB has helped him in his classes.  He said, "the IB of course helped with the admissions process but also preparing me for the level of writing that was expected at college. Our first major writing assignment was an 8-page paper that I had no issue finishing in less than a week while some of my classmates were struggling to even write an outline. That’s when I really felt like all the hours working on the IAs and EEs paid off."

Extended Essay Highlight:  Senior Maggie McLaughlin is doing her EE in English A Literature.  Her research question is:  To what extent does John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In challenge contemporary views through the use of a child vampire?  She will explore the deviancy of the child vampire, Eli, in Lindqvist’s novel.  The novel analyses the contemporary perspectives society has on childrens’ innocence and their agency and compares it to the characterization of Eli within the text.  It also analyses gender and sexuality, specifically with queer children, due to Eli’s non-binary identity.  She chose this topic because vampire lore’s construction and broader connection to society has always been of interest to her.  The portrayal of monsters in literature allows for analysis of what society deems transgressive.  Let the Right One In is a Swedish vampire novel recommended by Chad Rigsby. 

CAS Experience Highlights:  CAS experiences for all of our Upper School Students this week included helping with Lower School cross country, helping with Middle School cross country, rock climbing, verbally transcribing an essay, horseback riding, painting pumpkins, helping at a county fair, and performing at a coffee house.

IB Question of the Week:  What are IB subject briefs?  
IB provides short, two-page summaries of many of their most popular subjects including an overview of the topics, a teaching hours distribution and a sample assessment question or two. While not intended to provide a complete picture of the course, they do give some insight to the teaching philosophy and structure of both SL and HL versions of the course. Complete subject guides for actual teaching of every course are available to authorized and candidate IB schools. There are also many other resources available to IB Diploma course teachers; both online and in training sessions. Check this link for the available Subject Briefs.

For detailed IB information, please refer to the International Baccalaureate page on the SGS website and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning.  As an overview, the Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay (EE).  

The 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th graders all take the PSAT test on Wednesday morning, Oct. 13.  Students should check for room assignments, start time, and what to bring to the test.  Afterwards each class will have an afternoon activity to celebrate completing the test.  High scores on the PSAT can qualify juniors for National Merit Scholarships, and SGS also uses the test results to track the academic progress of students in each of these grades. 

An admissions representative from Seattle University will make an in-person visit to SGS on Wednesday, October 6 at 2:30pm in the Library Study Room.  Students interested in learning more request permission to attend from their H block teachers.

Senior Parent Night, this Wednesday, September 29 from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the US Library, is where parents of seniors can learn where their student should be in their admissions and financial aid process, as well as have time for Q&A.  While this meeting is mainly for parents of seniors, all parents are welcome to come and learn what to expect for their younger students by the fall of their senior year.  See you there!

Learn about Columbia University's dual programs for General Studies overseas on Thursday, September 30 at lunch on MS Teams.  Two recent SGS graduates were accepted into Columbia’s dual programs, one in France and the other in Ireland, so this is a real option for SGS students to consider.  Students interested in learning more can log into the meeting Using This Link.