I am happy with the way I organize my priorities, ensuring that I have enough time to dedicate to all the different aspects of my life.
Stress Resilience
When I have a problem, I take charge by creating a realistic plan and working to solve it.
Healthy Relationships
I am satisfied with the amount of time I spend with the important people in my life.
Rest & Play
I am confident that the amount of time I spend connected to technology such as video games, television, computer, Facebook, and cell phone is good for my overall well-being.
Handling Emotions
I am able to communicate my emotions in a positive way without being irritable, critical, or angry.
Spirituality
I have a clear sense of meaning and purpose in my life.
School & Work
I am satisfied with the way I pay attention, participate, and prepare homework for my classes, extracurriculars, volunteer work, or job.
Care for the Body
Most days I get at least eight hours of sleep at normal sleeping hours.
My second WOOP goal expanded on my first, aiming to dedicate more time to family. The purpose of the goal was to strengthen my relationships with the people who matter most and feel more present in everyday life. I’ve noticed that spending time with family and pets makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied.
My wish was to spend more time with my family, and my desired outcome was to actually commit time to socializing with them. Whether it’s playing board games or just chatting, every moment counts. The biggest obstacle I face is the inconsistency of homework and school projects. Some days are light, while others are packed with assignments and deadlines, which makes planning time with family tricky.
To handle this, my plan is to set boundaries, creating timeouts on certain days to stop doing schoolwork, no matter what. I’ll also try to use lighter weekdays more intentionally for family time. That way, I can build more consistency, even when my schedule isn’t predictable. Last Saturday, I spent time talking with my grandma about playing squash together when we’re both free.
I chose this goal because I don’t want schoolwork to be the only thing I focus on every day. I want to build habits now that help me stay close to my family, even when life gets busy. In the end, this goal reminded me of the saying, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” By setting boundaries and being more intentional with my time, I can make space for what truly matters.
This health unit helped me gain a deeper and more accurate understanding of mental health, particularly in the areas of facts, real-life impact, and media portrayal. By researching obsessive-compulsive disorder and listening to others’ presentations, I learned how mental illnesses vary widely in their symptoms and effects, but all can significantly influence a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. I also learned that mental health conditions are fairly common—especially among teenagers—but they are still often misunderstood. Many people live with these conditions every day, and their experiences can involve challenges with school, work, relationships, and physical health.
One major focus of the unit was understanding the actual facts about mental illness. We explored causes, symptoms, and treatment options using reliable sources, which helped clear up a lot of misinformation. I now know the difference between myths and facts, and that mental health conditions require just as much attention and professional support as physical illnesses. They aren’t something people can simply grow out of. Instead, managing them is often a long-term process that can involve therapy, medication, support systems, and healthy coping strategies. It takes time, effort, and understanding—not just from the person experiencing it, but also from the people around them.
Another important part of this unit was looking at how media portrays mental health. In many movies, TV shows, or social media platforms, mental illness is either exaggerated, used for humour, or portrayed in unrealistic ways. Oftentimes, people believe that everyone has a little bit of every illness, just at varying degrees, which leads to many conditions being downplayed. These portrayals can create negative stereotypes, making it harder for people to speak up or get help. On the other hand, we also studied examples of media that handle mental health with more accuracy and sensitivity, which can help spread awareness and reduce stigma. Recognizing the difference between harmful and helpful portrayals is something I’ll carry with me going forward.
Some areas of growth, struggles, and some of my work
My goals and how I plan to achieve them
My Vision Board
Some of the things included on my vision board are:
LEGO
Language Acquisition
Videography
Travel
Family
These are important because:
I enjoy challenging myself to grow in different areas. LEGO pushes me to be creative and think like an engineer, while language acquisition helps me connect with other cultures and expand my communication skills. Videography allows me to capture stories and improve my technical abilities, and travel broadens my perspective by exposing me to new environments and experiences. Family is my foundation, giving me support and a sense of belonging as I continue to learn and grow.
My Goals Are:
1. Learn how to build with BrickLink Studio and upload models to LEGO Ideas.
2. Create a cinematic travel film, either solely focused on Xinjiang or with footage from elsewhere in Asia and Europe.
3. Acquire B1 DELF and A1 TestDaF diplomas.
Here is evidence of how I was able to start to make progress towards my goals:
Transdisciplinary Transfer Goal (TTG)
The TTG I chose to reflect upon throughout the year is…
Critical Thinker
In the Pumpkin Timebomb project, I demonstrated critical thinking by determining and predicting when a pumpkin would explode. I used technology to model the relationship between height, circumference, diameter, and the number of rubber bands needed for the explosion. I interpreted and analyzed residuals, identified and interpreted the y-intercepts of linear models, and explained how the slope and intercept related to the data.
My sticker is inspired by a blend of cultural symbols: the Canadian maple leaf, the Fleur de lis, and the First Nations Eagle Feather. I included all the required design elements with thoughtful descriptions and unique transformations that go beyond what was taught, adding depth and meaning to the final piece.
My project demonstrated a thorough understanding of linear functions by accurately graphing a piecewise function with two or more intervals to represent Notre-Dame’s height over the years. I provided correct equations in point-slope and/or slope-intercept form for each interval, precisely identifying the domain, range, slope, and intercepts with clear contextual explanations. The situation and problem were clearly described, realistic, and meaningful, with well-defined questions using accurate function notation. My mathematical thinking was evident through properly shown work, correct calculations, and the use of academic language to make clear and logical connections between all parts of the problem. Additionally, my project showcased higher-order thinking by analyzing, creating, and evaluating connections between the intervals and the real-world scenario, offering insightful and original interpretations.
My science notebook and OneDrive folders are neat and organized for the most part, but my table of contents could use some more effort. They have been useful tools for storage and learning.
I have been submitting a few more late assignments recently.
Evidence of Understanding Key Concepts
Out of the dozen concept checks I’ve done, there is only one where I didn’t get ‘three for three’ on. This shows that I understand the material fairly well.
I did a great job introducing the world of Potadentia and its unique characters. The quirky details about the Potadents and their way of life, like their top hats and superstition about rocks, immediately draw the reader in. The sequence of events, from the peaceful village to the chaos of the fire, flows naturally and keeps the story engaging.
In my essay, I explored sacrifice and moral responsibility, connecting themes of courage, silence, and honesty to the complexities of moral dilemmas. I effectively integrated the moral challenges faced by the characters, creating a cohesive and engaging narrative. My writing is well-structured, with smooth transitions and a clear focus in each body paragraph. In the conclusion, I synthesized the key points, leaving readers with a reflection on mutual growth and success. Additionally, I used language effectively, replacing pronouns and eliminating ‘be’ verbs to create more precise and impactful expressions. Overall, my essay showcases strong analytical skills, depth, and maturity.
I thoroughly prepared for the debate, managing my time effectively and meeting deadlines for checkpoints 1-3. I actively engaged in discussions with my partner, contributing to counterargument and rebuttal preparations. I identified different perspectives on immigration in the EU, clearly explaining each point of the claim and providing reasons for action. I referenced examples of social change to support my argument and suggested potential solutions. My claim was well-organized, supported by clear evidence, and strengthened by logical reasoning. During the crossfire, I presented counterclaims that highlighted the limitations of the opponents’ arguments.
I conducted an in-depth analysis, making insightful connections between events and historical contexts to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the causes and effects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s dissolution. I effectively applied researched evidence throughout the three paragraphs, strengthening my arguments and providing a well-supported examination of the topic.
This letter reflects the vocabulary and grammar I have learned through my Duolingo studies and the helpful guidance of Ms. Inna. During this learning process, I have acquired idiomatic expressions, French sayings, and vocabulary related to warfare. To add depth to my message, I combined these language elements with my knowledge of geography and history, allowing me to write a letter that feels genuine and realistic. Additionally, I focused on using the imperfect tense, which helps me clearly convey past events. This project demonstrates my progress in language learning and my eagerness to blend different areas of knowledge into effective writing.
I recorded a roleplay with Marcus and Matthew, where I played a SAMU medic helping two friends. One of them, Marcus, had fallen down a cliff. We added funny sound effects and used a variety of sentence structures and new vocabulary. We focused on using the imperative tense and expressing pain. While trying to make it feel realistic, we also included humour and used rich vocabulary to clearly describe the accident. Our organized and relevant questions, along with effective intonation, helped with understanding. We clearly explained the health issue and used proper grammar for giving commands and advice. By using the past tense, we effectively described the accident. All the speakers maintained a good balance, and we used the imperative tense correctly.
Encore Subject: Band 🎺
I will now share my progress in Band…
Strengths
Recognizing Notes
Sight Reading
Performing
Areas of Growth
Instrument range
Keeping up with woodwinds
Breath control
My Euphonium skills improved significantly thanks to fellow baritone players and Pudong’s brass-focused band director.
I enjoyed performing at the Halloween Parade, an experience filled with nostalgia. I also improved my marching while playing an instrument.
Encore Subject: Physical Education ⚽️
I will now share my progress in PE…
In PE, my knowledge and experience with other nets sports translated well to pickleball, improving my performance. Similarly, despite being a weaker swimmer, I applied my invasion game skills to water polo, allowing me coordinate with teammates in the water.
Passion Project
My Passion Project involves colour correcting and grading a cinematic travel film regarding Xinjiang. The goal for the film is to capture and share the region’s natural and cultural beauty through my personal experiences over a thirty-day journey.
Closing
Thank you for listening to my progress towards my goals over the last year. Do you have any questions?
Google Calendar is a user-friendly application that allows users to create events, tasks, and appointments by simply clicking on a date and time. Users can add details such as the event title, location, and a brief description, along with notifications to ensure that they don’t forget or miss anything. Its multiple calendars ensure inclusivity and personalization.
The app supports multiple calendars for personal, work, and holiday use, with colour coding to make distinguishing and telling them apart a lot easier. Calendar sharing is beneficial for team assignments, and the app syncs across devices, ensuring updates appear everywhere. Its integration with third-party apps and services and customizability enhances its versatility.
The visually appealing interface allows for easy navigation between daily, weekly, and monthly views, making creating events quick and simple. Google also offers extensive support resources, including tutorials and forums, which can help users solve issues. Google Calendar acts as a planner, calendar, task manager, and time tracker all at once, making life easier.
Google Calendar supports my WOOP goal by helping me maintain a consistent schedule and reducing the time I waste on deciding what to do. It encourages healthy habits by reminding me to focus or play, depending on the situation. By providing a clear overview of my tasks and commitments, Google Calendar reduces my anxiety of forgetting assignments or deadlines. A structured schedule also promotes better time management, helping me finish my work, and allowing me to rest and spend meaningful time with family.
Google Calendar utilizes a humane design, emphasizing usability and accessibility. The intuitive layout helps users engage without feeling overwhelmed with mastering all the features. The app enhances daily life by simplifying organization, making it easier to balance work and personal time. Moreover, regular use of Google Calendar helps me foster better time management skills, leading to more productive days and a more balanced life.
The psychology of stress is directly linked to the brain’s limbic system, comprising the hippocampus and amygdala, which regulate emotional responses and manage feelings. The prefrontal cortex works closely with the limbic system to help make executive decisions and control reactions in stressful situations: the fight, flight, and freeze responses. When faced with stress, the body releases the hormone cortisol, which can increase feelings of anxiety and contribute to negativity bias, causing one to focus on the negatives, often overshadowing all the positives. The psychology behind stress is important for building resilience and self-regulation.
I was Driver 3 of Rob the Racer. Rob the Racer is the automobile cousin of Bob the Builder, Mob the Mechanic, and Pob the Penguin, Cob the Cooker. We participated in an event which we constructed our own team cars, and had a race. But it was not about ‘first place’ it was the team that had the most accurate prediction for their team rate. We managed to get 3rd place in our C2 block period! We used our knowledge of ratios and rates to calculate a predicted rate for our race based on previous test trials. If we could redo the project I would have encouraged Ethan, Aaron, and myself to go slower, as we went way quicker than our predicted rate. We used metres, minutes, and seconds as units of measure for our calculations and overall project. The units were very important because if they were mixed or messed up, the everything would have fallen apart.
Creating a portfolio, or blog is a great way to collect all the work you’ve done throughout your academic career. You can include academic, athletic, and personal artifacts or experiences that you want to share with a wider audience. This is a great way to organize all your learning in one place and you can take it with you when you leave SAS. When you make your portfolio, you create posts that are categorized according to your subject. Some categories have already been set up for you, but if you need more categories you can add them as needed. It’s important that your posts have the following:
An engaging title – this should not include the name of the subject since this is referenced in the category. Think of this as the first opportunity to engage and hook your reader!
Body – this is where you share your learning. This should include a combination of text and media in the form of images, graphics, and embedded videos. You should always consider how your post looks to your audience. Is it engaging and organized? Do they want to keep reading?
Category – select one that has been set for you or add a new category. Posts can have more than one category e.g. Humanities and Myself as a Learner
Tags – create tags that can be used as keywords to describe your post. Tags help organize your post a little more! Aim to have 3-5 tags for each post. For example, if you are posting about a novel you wrote, you might want the following tags: #Fiction, #MurderMystery, #Theme, #PlotDiagram
Click on the images below to find a few helpful tips for creating your posts, adding media, and making categories:
