GAC Students Do Level 2 Presentation

 

The 2008-09 GAC group did their Level 2 presentation for course 007 yesterday before their peers and GAC curriculum Manager Mrs. Ros Washington who is visiting the academy.

 

Four students –Vijoya Taylor,Nicole Tjon Kie Sim, Seon Gomes and David Chen did their presentations on the History and Development of the car.

Shoghi Mantri did a presentation on Gene Therapy and the ethical implications of its use. Marciano Proeve spoke about the similarities and contrasts between life in Suriname and the USA.

Mrs. Washington praised the students for their enthusiasm research and confidence. She urged the students to aim for higher standards  and to remember to do the little things like having focused introductions and conclusions. It was also important to help their audience  move through their presentations by adding the appropriate transition words and phrases.

They students were grateful for the feedback  and have promised to do much better in future presentations.

Technorati Tags: GAC,AlphaMax,Suriname,Ros Washington,Milton Drepaul

GAC Regional Director To Visit AlphaMax

Australian Mrs. Ros Washington,  Curriculum Manager & Regional Academic Manager for the Global Assessment Certificate program (GAC) will make her second visit to the AlphaMax Academy and Suriname from February 24th – 26th, 2009. 

Mrs. Washington will meet with GAC students, high school juniors and seniors, GAC program coordinator, Milton Drepaul, and GAC Academy course instructors.

According to Academy GAC Director of Studies, Sean Taylor, “We are happy to receive this visit and eagerly look forward to hosting Mrs. Washington during her stay here.  She’ll be coming to Suriname after visiting sister institutions which offer the Global Assessment Certificate program in Mexico.”

The AlphaMax Academy is the first high school in South America and the Caribbean to offer the Global Assessment Certificate from ACT Education Solutions in the U.S. and the Far East.

Middle School Students Donate Art Supplies and Teach Handicapped Students

By: Karlijn van Houwelingen in 
De Ware Tijd 

 Paramaribo - one morning at the Kennedy school and the Mytyl school, two young art teachers stood before a class . With the proceeds from their art exhibition at Gallery Steinhoff, Emily Jong Tjien Fa (9) and Alysha Wazir (11) bought art supplies. They then volunteered to give painting lessons to their handicapped peers.

“We show the children how to draw”. “First we make lines with a black marker“, Alysha instructs. “Then we color in the blank spaces within the lines with chalk. At the Mytilschool they learnt that very well”, said the young artist. “The children colored beautifully”.



 Below: Emily (l) shows a pupil from the Mytyl School how to color neatly while Alysha looks on and smiles. Yesterday, the two little teachers gave the students of the Kennedy and Mytyl Schools- which are both institutions for mentally and physically handicapped children- an art lesson.














photo courtesy of De Ware Tijd/Stefano Tull
A teacher at the Kennedy School translated Emily and Alysha’s story via sign language to the students. “I think they are the first Surinamese children who promote themselves as artists and have had their art displayed”, says gallery-curator and artist Sabina Steinhoff-Ensberg, who has taught Emily and Alysha and displayed their art pieces. “The exposition was a success: several of their drawings together raised 500 US, and it was their own idea to donate a half of the money in the form of art supplies”, Ensberg proudly relates.



While the students are usually assigned things to draw, the idea was to promote ‘free expression’, which is something new for them. “We want to show them that things can be done differently too”, says the gallery curator. She hopes that that will mean something to the children. Drawing and coloring is relaxing and inspiring, because it stimulates you to observe your surroundings. The children then think, “I can do that too”.

 

Translated into English by: Vijoya Taylor

As A Man Thinketh

It is funny to think that this book has been around since the turn of the century, yet its relevance really glows in today’s declining world. Change is no longer an individual endeavor, but an act that must be taken by the entire population, unified to achieve one sole purpose. It is time for a paradigm shift; all the garbage we inhale and exhale on a daily basis is the result of our tainted thoughts; thoughts the new generation grew up with, but desperately need to purify. If all that we achieve, whether we succeed or fail, is the result of our own thoughts, it is absolutely vital that people change certain blemishes in their minds. These days, mankind’s thoughts either revolve around money and material objects, or they are subject to complaining and self-pity. Their thoughts are garbage, and, as a result, so do they become.

Many of us do not understand how much power is packed between our two ears. James Allen gently, but directly emphasizes this power. We, humans, are like little gods, each sitting on our very own thrones. We are the masters of ourselves, our destinies, and all our situations. How we behave is a reflection of how we think and whatever we achieve is a reflection of our attitude. In the end, it is our mission to pursue perfection and keep closing in on it through hard work in the right direction led by proper thought.

Another aspect of this book that I admire is James Allen’s profound writing style. His authorship is absolutely remarkable .His words seem to fit in so well on the page and everything flows so smoothly. He presents to us a massive case that can be somewhat startling, yet he manages to attire it in such a way that it tenderly touches us and allows us the time and space to let it sink in lightly. He constructed this little book very well.
 
In more than one way, As A Man Thinketh is a great literary achievement, that has inspired me just as I am sure it has inspired others before me. It embodies the very secret that many people are searching for – it hands its readers the key to happiness. James Allen presented us with a very simple idea that has been suggested for centuries and that many people already knew, but never really thought about. This little book helped me a lot, since it took all the jumbled up and unclear thoughts already in my head and elucidated it with intense intelligibility. It has made my mission clearer and now, I am even more hopeful and certain that I am here for a greater purpose in life.

By: Marciano Proeve