A Semester to be Thankful for 一個值得感謝的學期
Congratulations on finishing a brilliant fall semester at MAK! One of the things that I love about working at MAK is that we are always trying something new, raising the bar just a little higher in our goal of being a place where what we know connects with who we are and what we can do.
恭喜大家在 MAK 完成了個耀眼的學期！我愛在 MAK 工作的其中一個原因，是我們一直都在嘗試新事物，並不停將標竿提高，讓學校成為一個使我們的身做及行為，皆與知識連結的地方。
As we approach the halfway point of our year, I’d like to share a few personal highlights.
當我們接近一學年的中途，我想分享一些較突出的個人心得。
Impact Week, Round 2 留痕週，第二輪
This year was our second year combining all of our middle and high school experiential learning programs into one week: Impact Week. Mr. West and Ms. Brabon were able to better integrate our seniors as leaders on each trip, and we got great reports from trip chaperones about the role seniors each played on their trips, whether with middle school or high school.
今年是我們第二年，將所有國高中經驗式學習的戶外教學活動，集中在同一週：稱為「留痕週」。West 老師，及 Brabon 老師幫助十二年級生與每一隊融合，成為各班旅程裡的學生領隊，而跟隊的老師們也分享了這些十二年級領隊們，無論在國中，或高中的隊伍裡，扮演學長姐，表現極佳的評語。
* Footnote 備註: “impact” 在英文裡有「對…產生影響」，或「撞擊」等的意思。Impact Program 的取名背後意義是希望學生們，透過其中戶外教學與志工服務的活動，不但為社會造福，也在自己心靈成長過程中，留下印象深刻的衝擊。
This year our 11th graders were uniquely able to choose between two international trips: a trip to Cambodia that focused on service through relationships and a trip to Indonesia that focused on physical service. This element of choice vastly increased both the student interest and the personal impact of each trip. I attended the Indonesia trip as a chaperone and was amazed at the maturity, humility, and dedication of our young adults at MAK.
今年我們的十一年級生，很特別，可以在兩個海外志工旅中選一隊參加：柬埔寨團，著重於透過與當地孩子的感情建立，來服事。印尼團，著重於勞動式服事。我以隨隊的身份，參加了印尼團，並被我們 MAK 學生們的成熟度，謙虛度，和貢獻深深感動。
Make 動手做
As a result of last year’s incredible Annual Fund efforts, MAK’s maker movement is underway. This fall 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders have been learning problem-solving and basic coding through exploring Microbits with Mr. Tam. So many kids were interested that we’ve had to do a buy-your-own-Microbit order for parents so kids can continue their learning at home.
感謝上個學年大家對年終募款踴躍的參與度，MAK 的創客精神持續擴散中。這學期，三、四、五年級的學生們，利用探索 Microbits 微型晶片的課程，持續和譚老師學習解決問題，和程式語言。有許多小朋友因為對此非常有興趣，因此許多家長們自己訂購 Microbit 創意課程系列，以便孩子在家也能繼續學習。
Our high schoolers have been using the Creation Lab to invent practical use tools around the school, to screen print shirts, to laser cut object in perfect ratio as an application of their learning about ratios in math, and to levitate objects in science. Students have also been using our media tools to write and produce short films.
我們高中生也一直利用「創客空間」，來發明實用的工具，如印刷 T 恤，及應用數學比例原則，用雷射激光機來剪裁物品。學生們也不斷利用我們的媒體工具，來編寫和製作短片。
Serve 服事
Through our chapel programs, MAK is also growing a true culture of service. We’ve continued to partner with RenWu Special Needs School, CoLife Homeless Shelter, and our neighboring schools in the YanChao and JiaCheng neighborhoods through our middle school Christian Service Learning programs. What has been incredible to see this year is the gusto with which our high schoolers have begun to make service a part of their lives as well. Every Tuesday for the during of the semester, groups of MAK high schoolers have been volunteering to teach English in the evenings at CoLife Homeless Shelter.
透過校牧部，MAK 也不停在發展實際服事的文化。我們持續與仁武特殊教育學校、匠愛家園收容所、和在附近燕巢與嘉誠社區的學校，透過我們中學部的「基督學習計畫」合作。另外，也讓人振奮的是看到我們高中生們，今年很有熱誠地將服事融入他們的日常生活。這學期的每個禮拜二，MAK 高中生，成群結隊，在晚上到匠愛家園收容所透過教英文當志工。
Sweet Victory 甜美的勝利
One particular highlight for us this semester was MAK’s first varsity TISSA (Taiwan International School Sports Association) tournament victory: varsity women’s volleyball. MAK has an incredible coaching staff, and it was great to see some of the fruit of their incredible efforts in these first years of our high school sports programs.
這學期一個特別的焦點是，MAK 的女排校隊，得到第一個 TISSA (台灣國際學校運動組織) 比賽的冠軍。MAK 有個很棒的教練團隊，所以很高興看到他們在我們高中運動努力所結的果子。
Goal-Oriented Learning 目的導向式學習
Finally, this semester has seen our secondary staff take particular steps in our journey toward Standards-Based Grading, which focuses grade calculation on learning objectives (or standards) rather than the traditional grading categories of homework, participation, tests, and quizzes. Our secondary teachers have been adjusting their gradebooks, tweaking their redo policies, and focusing on mastery rather than point accumulation this semester. Additionally, several of our secondary staff are using MasteryConnect as a grading platform, focusing marks explicitly on benchmark achievement. I’ve been proud of our staff as they’ve made thoughtful adjustments. More on this topic to come!…
最後，這學期我們國高中老師們，嘗試利用標準式評量系統來打分數。這個評量系統專注於學習目標 (或標準)，而不是傳統式評分方式。此評量系統運用在評分學生功課，參與度，大考和小考。因此，這學期老師們在打分數過程中，不停修改評量基準，和功課重寫的規定，並著重於各項技巧的精通，而不是純粹累積分數。另外，有幾位國高中老師利用 MasteryConnect 系統來評分，著重於在學習目標達成度上打分數。我為我們的老師們感到驕傲，因為他們做了許多貼心的調整。未來會在此話題多做討論！
As we enter this Christmas break, I am incredibly thankful for our staff and for the Christ-centered learning culture that they foster week in and week out at our school and in our community. Our children are blessed!
在我們邁入聖誕假期，我特別感謝所有教職員，和他們每週不停培育以基督為中心的學習文化與環境。 我們的孩子深深蒙福！