Science-Mathematics

Science - Mathematics department supports the “Total Quality in Education” system and stresses the  importance of technology. The courses offered are Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Health Education, Mathematics, Geometry, Analytical Geometry and Computer Science.

The aim of the Science - Mathematics department is to educate students as inquiring individuals who can analyze, synthesize and make comments; who are creative, imaginative, decisive and sensitive to the environment; who have developed their analytical skills.

Within this frame, teaching is individualized according to each student’s learning style.  The purpose of  Physics, Chemistry and Biology courses is  not only to make the students better understand the world in which we are living but to help them relate it with the physical environment and also to teach students how to approach new problems.

For effective learning, our teaching methodologies include: Pair or group work, role playing and implementation of simulation techniques and projects.

In our Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Advanced Project Laboratories, our students participate in the courses actively in groups of two or three using, theory and practise.

Students are taught the relation of Mathematics and Science with other disciplines. Students are encouraged to participate and supported by staff in national or international project competitions and seminars. (UNESCO-SEMEP, TUBITAK, COMENIUS, SCIENCE OLYMPICS, etc.).


Computer Science

There are two computer labs in the school for computer science courses. In addition, other departments can use these laboratories as needed. All hardware and software are  continuously kept up-to-date. These laboratories provide, internet access and many services such as printing, scanning and image multiplexing. All courses aim to prepare students for the future.
Aims
- Students will be able to use and understand the Windows operating system.
- Students will learn to access the internet and do research on the internet.
- Students will learn the basic level of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation programs.
-Students will have knowledge of basic computer hardware.
-Students will be familiar with current technologies.
- Students will use their knowledge in other lessons.
- Students will acquire knowledge of the basic internet.

Mathematics

1. Mathematics
2. Geometry
3. Analytical Geometry

Our aim is to improve the analytical thinking of the students, to get students gain into the habit of doing research and making inductions and deductions to improve their intuitive thinking. In addition to this, students become open minded. Another aim is to represent the number of geometric models systems by and in this way, explain some natural events.
Studies are assessed by preparing quizzes, common exams which are appropriate to each grade level. In all grade levels, a mathematics club is established to enhance the students’ interest in Mathematics. Studies are related to advanced math problems, reasoning questions, the history of Math, math projects and paradox.
Math courses are offered on the weekend for the students who want to improve their math skills. In addition, for students who intend to study abroad, SAT Math Courses are offered as well.
Turkish - Social Sciences

Our goal is to educate students according to the principles of Atatürk and the mission, vision and values of our school, as individuals who are modern, caring, inquisitive, creative, self-confident and respectful to national and universal values.
Turkish Language and Literature
Turkish Language and Literature, as well as grammar courses are offered according to the Turkish Constitution and the law of national education.
Within this framework, we strive for the following aims:

• Correct and formal use of the Turkish language,
• Ability to convey thoughts and feelings in a smooth, grammatically correct and effective manner,
• Enjoy reading, and getting the habit of studying regularly,
• Have high cultural, moral and universal values,
• Analytical thinking,
• Be inquisitive,
• Problem solve,
• Learn the importance of literature and social sciences within the context of fine arts.

In order to reach these goals;

• Reading hours are planned, monthly book reviews are done to introduce students to Turkish and world literature.
• Selected poems from Turkish and world literature are presented to teachers and parents as year-end shows that includes music, costumes and scenery.
• Authors of  literature works and poets covered in the curriculum  are invited to meet students.
• Selected movies are shown which have educational and artistic value and the students are then to comment both in written and oral forms.
• Cultural festivals, book shows and class discussions on current scientific, artistic, cultural, educational issues taking place in the media are held.
• Support sister schools with book campaigns.
• Panels, symposiums, conferences, forums are held.
• Competitions on short stories, fables and essays covering various topics are held to showcase students abilities.
• Creative drama works are presented.
• Audiovisual technologies are utilized.
• Remedial studies are offered for all levels to cover general points as well as various topics.

Social Sciences
This department includes Geography, Philosophy, History, Turkish National Revolution History, Religion and Ethics, Military Science and Theory of Knowledge.Within these frameworks, the department aims to educate students as individuals who are able to do research, plan, analyze through real life activities.
Aims

1. Educate students to become good citizens who have a deep appreciation of Atatürk’s reforms and principles; who are hard-working, inquisitive and selfless.
2. Teach the importance of society, the concept of “nationality” and the values of Turkish people; strengthen their love, respect and trust of the Turkish nation, the flag and it’s soldiers and military.
3. Motivate students to participate in group work and help others.
4. Embrace the fact that people have mutual rights and responsibilities and are aware that everybody should respect and tolerate each other’s opinions and beliefs.
5. Enlighten students about the economic values of the environment they live in and national resources; raise awareness about protecting these values and resources.
6. Develop students’ habits of protecting and using their own possessions and handling school properties with care.
7. Support students in learning and understanding the basics of production and consumption.
8. Encourage students to analyze living conditions of societies and interpret the economic relations between them.
9. Organize student centered activities and projects.
10. Organize trips, presentations, workshops and dramatizations .

Physical Education, Music and Visual Arts

According to our school’s vision, our department aims to train students as individuals who can understand, appreciate and participate in sports and athletics, visual arts and musical. Our students improve constantly and are able to question what is going on around them .
Physical Education
The purpose is to provide students with the general knowledge of sports and to provide them with a knowledge of better health. Physical education classes help students’ adapt to social life by teaching them to lead mentally and physically healthy lives. Activities in the classes maximize students’ ability to move and be flexible. We encourage the students to spend their free times in sports to help them to improve their existing potential.
Our goal is to lead our students to become individuals who,

• are team players,
• make a habit of studying regularly,
• have self confidence and can express themselves,
• know the basic first aid principles and practices,
• can move in coordination with music,
• accept the principle of ‘sports for life’ philosophy,
• believe in a “healthy body and healthy mind” motto while taking part in individual and team sports activities.
• are aware of Ataturk’s ideology about sports, and the physical and mental improvement sports can provide for young people.
• are better prepared and more effective in social interactions.

To achieve our goals we,

• Perform activities that enhance the motor skills.
• Encourage and organise activities (like ski course camps, hiking, camping) and sporting events (like Terry Fox Run, Avrasya Marathon).
• Invite famous sports personalities to our school and organise seminars.
• Teach and perform the basic practices of sports such as basketball, volleyball, football, swimming, badminton, table tennis, educational games and athletics through the use of our schools sports facilities.
• Perform cross-class competitions in sports activities such as basketball, football and table tennis.
• Encourage students to participate in club sports activities (basketball, football, volleyball, swimming, archery, table tennis, dance, etc.) according to their individual potential, capability and performance.
• Perform regular sports training programs in order to form school teams and assign students to different teams according to their individual capabilities and levels.

School awards are given out to students who are successful in sports competitions.

 

Music
Our goal is to help our students become individuals who are well educated, self confident, can express themselves easily and clearly and who have a good understanding of the arts.
Aims

• Supply students with an education that will improve their interest and love of the arts,
• Create an appreciation of life through the study of music,
• To form good habits and  behaviours,
• Help students become active listeners,
• Teach students to express their feelings and ideas through the use of music,
• Teach traditional, contemporary, national and global music, music groups and composers,
• Allow students to appreciate music culture as one of the important components of culture in general.

To achieve our goals we,

• Conduct a school-band and hold practices,
• Provide information about the lives of different composers and play the music,
• Encouarge students to attend musicals, operas and classical music concerts in order to get in the habit of listening and watching quality music performances,
• Organize choir and solo performances for and during the national holidays,
• Teach the culture of Turkish and Western music.

Visual Arts
We consider the study of visual arts as part of modern life. Our goal is to enhance the aesthetic comprehension and creativity of our students, to help our students to become individuals who are creative and able to question, who are self confident, open minded, respectful to their surroundings and to themselves.
In this framework, with education in Visual Arts, we aim to educate students as individuals who are open minded, productive, who improve their artistic creativity, who can express themselves through media such as painting, who have knowledge and training of charcoal drawing, colour drawing , Lavi, ceramics, printmaking and Ebru techniques.
In order to achieve our goals we,

• Teach technical and aesthetic information about painting,
• Present the lives and works of artists from Turkey and around the world.
• Demonstrate colour  painting techniques and exercises.
• Organize field trips to art galleries and museums to study the works of Turkish and foreign artists.
• Do studio work after the field trips.
• Study 3D designs in our ceramics studio.
• Organize events about photography and cinema.
• Study traditional Turkish Ebru technique to create  unique imprints.
• Organize in-school artists workshops.
• Provide information on art education in universities.

Foreign Languages

Our high school program is based on a communicative and transformative approach in which we weave diverse cultural strands throughout the curriculum. Some projects and performance tasks are designed to have the students acquire and improve language skills through experiential learning. We support our program with a range of extra-curricular activities that promote self-awareness and reinforce social values. Students’ abilities will be developed in an integrated program within each of three areas as outlined in the European Common Framework : 1-Understanding (Listening/Reading) 2-Speaking (Spoken Interaction/Spoken Production) 3-Writing
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide a supportive, learner-centered, multicultural environment in which students receive the highest quality of language instruction while acquiring the skills they need to succeed as citizens of a global community.
Vision
1. To use a communicative approach in supportive , learner-centered, cooperative classroom environment in which the teacher acts as a facilitator/co-communicator and models respect, so that students learn to respect themselves and others.
2. To promote multicultural understanding (multi-culturalism)so that students develop not only an understanding of themselves and others, but also a growing tolerance and understanding of society in general.
3. To help students develop confidence in English/Spanish writing, speaking, reading and listening as well as a recognition of their own abilities and achievements, all of which will enhance their performance in future academic and work environments.
4. To help students acquire the skills and habits they will need to succeed not only in academic settings, but in the world at large throughout their lives.
5. To encourage students to take an interest in lifelong learning and a willingness to take responsibility for their own learning process.
6. To begin guiding students systematically and sequentially toward success in later competetive academic endeavors IELTS, DELE (Spanish) standard exams, college essays, etc.)
7. To personalize instruction to the highest degree possible.
Aims
1. Students will be able to:

• attain skill levels by implementing the Council of Europe Standard Adult Passport Guidelines. Attainment of these levels will put students on target for later in competitive examinations.

For English (Prep:A1+A2+B1, 9th grade: B1+B2, 10th grade: B2, 11th grade: B2+C1 12th grade: C1)
For Spanish ( Prep: A1, 9th grade: A1+A2, 10th grade: A2,11th grade: B1,              12th grade: B1+B2)

• Receive integrated language instruction (Understanding/Speaking) through the application of DYNED ( Computer Assisted Language Learning) as these interconnections are a key to successful language mastery.
• Understand and respond appropriately (at their level) to what they hear, read, and experience in English/Spanish.
• Produce English/Spanish speech spontaneously, accurately, and effectively (at their level) and gain experience in oral presentation.
• Begin to develop abilities to analyze, summarize, compare, predict, critique, interpret, argue, make connections and inferences, and do basic research in English/Spanish.
• Listen and read accurately and critically; and be able to read specific information and identify main ideas and key words.
• Begin to develop an aesthetic, evaluative approach to world literature, and be able to identify themes and literary devices.
• Develop the ability to express ideas coherently in written English/Spanish. Understand the structures of sentences, paragraphs and expository essays, and begin developing a unique writing style.
• Understand personal learning styles, and acquire the metal-learning skills to succeed in every learning endeavor.
• Gain experience in working both independently and cooperatively through participation in international projects. (Young Reporters For the Environment, Commenius )

Assessment

The department has established a policy of keeping clear and precise records to assess the pupils  learning achievements as well as teachers'/students' self evaluation (self-assessment). Teachers use a range of relevant assessment tasks, both formal and informal. Teachers maintain accurate standard assessment records for each student. Assesment is used as a planning tool to meet group and individual needs and is measured against achievement objectives. In addition,  school strategies are applied to address under-achievement.

1- Social development and work habits assesment checklist.
2- Performance assessment.
3- Comprehension assessment (pop quizzes, listening activities, homework).
4- Oral performance and presentations and classroom participation.
5- Composition and essay writing activities; portfolios.
6- Written exams.
7- Projects.
8-Term papers.
Office Hours: Teachers make themselves available during specific hours for students in need of extra help or guidance.

Extra-Curricular activities: We provide students with a variety of choices for club activities. MUN, Drama Club, CAS are among the club activities which have been done successfully so far. Also students have been encouraged to publish a magazine in English/Spanish.
     
Guidance and Psychological Counseling
Guidance and Psychological counseling provides students with professional assistance in personal, social, educational and occupational matters.

Aims

• Provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for problem solving, decision making, adapting to different situations,
• Enable students to recognize their own personal qualities such as interests, talents, desires and to develop those qualities to the highest level,
• Be of assistance in planning for his/her life and future,
• Support the development of a positive and realistic outlook,
• Ensure better communicational skills,
• Provide counseling services with parents on a need basis,
• Ensure students acquire universal values such as respect, love, responsibility, self awareness, sensitivity and awareness of environmental issues.

Principles

• Respect individual privacy.
• Guidance and Psychological Counseling is on a volunteer basis.

Available for all students, the Guidance and Psychological Counseling Services offers students the opportunity to express themselves freely, feel comfortable and ask for advice and share their thoughts.
Aims and principles are planned and organized in a flexible way and then carried out step by step.
Programs
Student-Based Programs

1. Educational Counseling Services : Provides students with activities to form effective study habits, success and motivation, choosing a field, offering guidance to determine which higher education institution is suitable for them and also make suggestions on academic clubs according to their interests and abilities.
2. Professional Counseling and Guidance : Helps students recognize their personal qualities and talents and compare them to those needed in their preferred career choice to make sure that they are suitable for each other.
3. Personal Counseling and Guidance : Follow up on student’s  psychological  and social development and support personal development  as well as consult with him/her  personally  in regards to motivation, social life, fear, and timidity, etc.
4. Student Recognition Studies : Consider student’s talents and skills in educational, professional, and personal development and recognize those who excel.
5. Group Counseling Activities : Support students who take part in  group activities to foster their personal and social development by considering their needs, such as motivation, profession guidance, etc.

Parent-Based Programs
Guidance and Psychological Counseling provides efficient communication between the school and parents informing parents about the studies and activities carried out at school. We guide parents  according to their children’s academic achievement, emotional, and social development. Different conferences are organized and bulletins are prepared by the department.
Teacher-Based Programs
In-Service Teacher Development seminars are organized considering the needs and requirements of all teachers. In addition to this, regular meetings are arranged in order to share information about the classes and students.

Testing and Evaluation  

Aims
In order to assess the efficacy of our education system, we need to test and evaluate our students in order to see how successful they are and to what extent. In addition, testing and evaluation helps to identify slow learners and those with special needs and disabilities.
Target: High Success

• To what extent have the target objectives been achieved?
• What are the target objectives which we have not achieved?
• Which subjects have achieved the target objectives?
• Which subjects still need to be observed?

How We Achieve Our Goals
All subject area practice tests are distributed to students including all subject matter that have been covered in class.
Starting from the 9th grade, mock exams are given in order to practise for university entrance exams.
Topics needing review are identified with assessment quizzes.
Student records are accessible on OKULNET with the use of passwords.

Student Data sheeet
Teachers use various data to determine which students need help and in which subjects and offer remedial classes improving students’ individual academic success.