December & January Newsletter
- IGDVS Newsletter
- Dec 14, 2021
- 6 min read
Dear Families:
Winter break starts on December 16th and ends on January 7th. Have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing holiday!
See you all in 2022!
Sincerely,
The IGDVS Newsletter Team
What is the New Omnicron Variant?
By Katherine Wang
On November 24, 2021, a new COVID variant was reported, and it was named omicron by WHO. The first omicron variant case in the US was reported on December 1, 2021, but not enough information has been reported as for other statistics. CDC says that “current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur.” Scientists are hard at work investigating the new variant, including gathering data and analyzing virus samples, and are also using genomic surveillance to track variants of COVID-19. However, just like all other variants, proper masking, COVID-19 tests, and vaccines provide the best safety measures against the Omnicron variant.
Virtue of the Month:
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” - Stephen R. Covey
Fun Fact:
The world’s indigenous population makes up just 5% of the global population yet protects 80% of global biodiversity.
Inspirational Quote:
“The Earth has enough resources for our need but not for our greed.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Crossword
By Kaitlin Harness
Senior Spotlight: Asia Wijaya
Conducted by Veronica Tee
What was your inspiration for coming to this school?
I am very interested in coming to IGDVS because I wanted to explore education in a different way. It was a school in a monastery, on top of that, it was a school in the United States.
What has been the highlight of senior year so far?
The birthday events that we celebrate for all our classmates! It is by far the most enjoyable event for our class.
What is your advice for the students currently studying in the school or future students?
Time management skills are IMPORTANT. It’ll help reduce your stress and workload, and you’ll feel a lot better.
Take your time and relax. School is important, but so is your health, both mentally and physically.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I would have a stable job, independent from my parents’ income. I would also have brought my parents to Japan, a place they have been wanting to go since my mom gave birth to me.
What was your most memorable experience in IGDVS?
Knowing my classmates. This is the most important event that happened in IGDVS. We have gone through ups and downs, and we have built our own support system.
What is something you hope will continue even after leaving?
As people get better in the classes they are taking, I hope that we will take the initiative to volunteer and teach the next group of people. It is a good support system for students who are struggling in class.
What is your favorite school lunch?
Fried Rice and Curry!!! Thank you kitchen!!
What is your favorite subject and why?
I really enjoy Math. Since I have a good foundation in math, I was able to help and tutor others who are struggling with this class. Even though I am unsure of myself and my explanations, I am always open to feedback, allowing everyone, both me and others to learn better.
The Orbit
By Kaitlin Harness & Cherry Ngo
It's Sagittarius Season!
Sun
As one of the major planets, the Sun represents our conscious mind, ego, and sense of individuality. Most people believe that the traits of the Sun come quickly. However, each person’s Sun shows what they are learning to become, so it might take a while to grow into your sun sign.
Stereotypes:
Easily irritated (either very passive aggressive or direct in expressing)
Spontaneous (can also lose interest quickly)
Positive people (unless they have a water moon)
Trusting - gets very emotional when something happens
Likes to avoid problems
Can act childish
Zodiac Dates:
Aries March 21- April 19
Taurus April 20 - May 20
Gemini May 21 - June 21
Cancer June 22 - July 22
Leo July 23 - August 22
Virgo August 23 - Sept. 22
Libra Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
Scorpio Oct. 23 - Nov. 22
Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec. 21
Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Aquarius Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Pisces Feb. 19 - March 20
Style → Files
By Katie Finnegan
15 Gift Ideas to Keep the Holidays Stress Free!
Environmental Article:
By Rachel Blythe
What is all this talk about the 1.5 degrees Celsius? Why is keeping the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius such a big deal?
Before we get a deep dive into this “green” talk, let’s touch upon the basics of the causes of climate change. When greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide emitted from the burning of fossil fuels, and methane released from agriculture, are emitted into the atmosphere, it traps the heat that is emitted from the sun. This causes the heat to be absorbed by the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere, which warms the earth in general.
When we use the microwave to heat up some leftover food, drive to Starbucks for a cup of coffee in the morning, or even drink from that imported milk from New Zealand, chances are, you are leaving behind (a lot of) carbon footprint. Yes, it is inevitable, but it is also vital to be aware and considerate of how much one is consuming and throwing away.
This summer, IPCC declared a “Code Red for humanity”. As of today, we have already passed about 1.1 degrees Celsius of global heating since the 1800s due to the effects of climate change. And, we are already experiencing drastic changes to the climate: the fire season in California this year has already burned around 2,570,000 acres of land.
So, isn’t it too late to prevent climate change?
Maybe yes, but maybe no. It is true that climate change can’t be stopped as it is already here, but it is not too late to avoid the increasingly devastating disasters that are heading our way.
There is still a brief moment in time when we can once be more considerate of each other, the earth, and ourselves. And to me, this is worth a great deal.
Sources:
AP Environmental Science Textbook
Recent Environmental News:
By Tessa Jahnke
On Wednesday, President Biden signed an executive order to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Under the order, the federal government would move towards a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, five years ahead of the administration's aim of 2035 for carbon neutrality nationwide. The order also directs the administration to cut back on operating admissions by 60%.
4 Ways You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint!
REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE
Eat less meat and more vegetables
Make your home energy efficient
Travel smartly
Firenaut: An App to Track Wildfires
Interview with Amy Liu!
1. Can you talk a bit about your project?
In AP Computer Science class, Yee Kit, Katherine Chen, Veronica, and I teamed up to develop Firenaut, a comprehensive wildfire preparedness app that works offline. Its main features are a personal go-bag checklist, evacuation map, and the latest updates from local authorities, which offer information about nearby fires, evacuation orders, road blockages, power outages, and more. All of these functions can also work offline during power and internet outages through an SMS system, in which updates are sent to the user as text messages and then consolidated in the app. Currently, we have created a high-fidelity prototype of the app and in the spring, we will be using the programming language Java to code it. We submitted our idea to the Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, which is hosted by San Jose State University. After our application essays, pitch video, and presentation slides were judged, we advanced to the final round where we participated in a 90-second pitch competition, a 5-minute group presentation, and a 5-minute Q-and-A session. In the end, our team won the Best Elevator Pitch Award and a $500 cash prize!
2. How did you get inspired to do a project on this topic?
While brainstorming ideas, our APCS teacher, Dr. Chen, showed us the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and our team was inspired to create an app related to climate change and its effects. Specifically, we delved into an environmental issue close to home – devastating wildfires– which was something that affected all of us as well as our family, friends, teachers, and community. At the same time, Dr. Chen also introduced Design Thinking, a user-centric process for designing innovations. We practiced creating an Empathy Map, where we considered the user’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and words when faced with a problem, which in this case was the hectic period of evacuation during a wildfire outbreak.
3. What were some difficulties you encountered and lessons you learned?
For most of us, this was the first time using Figma to create a prototype, so it was a bit challenging in the beginning to figure out how to incorporate the elements we wanted in our design. However, as we used it more, we were able to further refine our prototype to include many interesting features such as a scrolling feed of updates, helpful overlays for the status bar, a blinking cursor for input, and more than one prototype flow.
Check out the prototype of Firenaut: https://www.figma.com/proto/VLodZnR3pKWVs8t8JVDqp8/Prototype-2
Upcoming Events:
Winter Break: Dec 16 - Jan 7
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Jan 17
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