ROUND SQUARE NEWS June 2013 - Issue 15
www.roundsquare.org
Round Square International Conference 2013 Saint Andrew’s School, Boca Raton, Florida, USA 6 - 12 October 2013
h t e h Wav c t a C e
Challenging young people to enact positive change in their communities and around the world. During seven days in Boca Raton delegates will be inspired by acclaimed keynote speakers and panels and participate in dynamic collaborative activities on campus and in the greater South Florida community. the Round Square Community to the Sunshine State.
Nick Dorn, Round Square International Conference Chairman and his student committee
Contents
Delegates will be inspired to explore the theme of Waves of Change in unison with the Round Square six IDEALS – both student and adult, will consider the conference theme when listening
business principles.
forums, participating in challenging activities, and connecting with local community service initiatives.
http://www.rsic2013.org/
Conference speakers include Craig Kielburger. Craig co-founded Free The Children in 1995 when he was 12 years old. Today more than 1.7 million young people are involved in its programs.
For more information about the conference speakers and the events visit the conference website
This conference hopes to create a surge of goodwill and action that will be shared worldwide by conference end.
- The McComish Art Award - The Kurt Hahn Prize
• YRS Conference • Alumni Update • RSIS Project News
Also speaking is the founder and CEO of Pencils of Promise, Adam Braun. Pencils of Promise (PoP) is an award winning
For more information visit http://www.rsic2013.org
than 100 schools across Africa, Asia and Latin America and delivered over 4 million
Contact Nicholas Dorn E: nick.dorn@saintandrews.net T: 001.561.210.2092 Skype: DORN0817
PoP was founded with just $25 using
• General News
- July 2013 Update - December 2013 Projects
• Regional News
GENERAL NEWS
FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dear members of the Round Square family. As you would no doubt be aware, the 2013 Round Square International Conference, to be hosted by Saint this year, will be an opportunity for all Global Member Schools to be on one Conference site at the same time. It is highly probable that this will not happen again, at least in the immediate future, given current Conference plans for future years.
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been placed to ensure that the program for adults, as well as for students, is rich and engaging. An email will shortly be sent to Members of the Round Square Family, outlining aspects of the adult program. I encourage all Governors, Heads of School, Honorary Members and Round Square Reps to register for the Conference, given that this will be the last time that we will be together as a Family, at least for the near future.
Roderick D Fraser Chairman of the Board of Trustees
T h e M c Co m i s h A r t A wa rd This very special Award came into being in 1998 when the Governors of The Hellenic College, London (a former Round trophy in memory of Roy McComish, Founder Headmaster of Box Hill School and Governor of Hellenic College. Each year Round Square Global members submit an item of artwork to the annual conference, demonstrating the theme of the conference. The pieces are judged and a winner announced. Originally, the very heavy, valuable silver trophy was transported from one conference to another but now the winning school receives a small trophy which it retains. We are delighted that Box Hill is acting as custodian to this superb trophy, a very
THE KURT HAHN PRIZE GOES TO VIOLETTA BETSCH
Violetta Betsch a young graduate from Salem has been awarded the Kurt Hahn prize for her MPAP idea - MPAP - Multi Purpose Aid Parcel As a Personal Project in 2009 Violetta came up with the idea of MPAP - A Multi Purpose Aid Parcel. While watching a report about the earthquake of Samoa and thinking of the Tsunami in Thailand destructive power of natural catastrophes and impressed by the mass of relief supplied immediately from people all over the world. However, after watching the reports for a while, she realised that a great deal of excess pollution from the packaging of this aid was generated. Inspired by the way in which less privileged communities around the world are inventive in creating shelter from different discarded materials, she wanted
create a stable shelter. The result of this process is MPAP a box that combines packaging and transporting of relief supplies with a mobile, lightweight shelter.
successfully Violetta was advised to patent the idea at the German Patent-amt in Munich. MPAP then caught the attention of CARE Deutschland – Luxembourg, an internationally acknowledged aid organization Together with CARE MPAP October 2011, in Germany. the concept of MPAP, to increase stability and utility, as well as to reduce cost and waste. The future plan is to optimise MPAP for recipients in different situations, run trials and support CARE in their work. Brian Dawson, Executive Director of well impact on the lives of many people
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people of her type that have the potential to bring about meaningful change in the world.�
GENERAL NEWS
GUARDIANS’ GUIDE TO BEING A GOOD STUDENT DELEGATE AT AN RSIC Having attended many Round Square Conferences since the 1970s I think that it would be helpful if I outlined what is, I think the best way to take full advantage of this amazing opportunity on offer to our Round Square students. On being elected to attend a conference remember that you are an ambassador for your school and your country. You need to work with your RS Representative in preparing your school for the conference. Everyone needs to be aware of the theme and they should be able to contribute any points for you to take forward. You are the lucky student but they need to feel part of the experience. Your conference report on your return, should be delivered to the school community including Governors/ Trustees.
and healthy in order to enjoy every minute and take full advantage of this wonderful, unique experience that RS conferences create. “Barazzas” often appear on conference programmes, these are mixed age discussion groups facilitated by students from the host school. The facilitators` task is both extremely important and very demanding and these students need our support, help and consideration as they undertake this daunting role. I look forward to meeting you all and sharing in your enjoyment of a RS conference. Happy travelling, take every opportunity !!! Ann A West MBE JP DL Round Square Guardian
We are part of a very large, worldwide family, representing numerous cultures, religions and languages and consequently when we meet together at International and Regional Conferences we must respect the culture of our host school and country and make sure that no one is embarrassed by our behaviour. Host schools will always give very clear outlines on cultural details and behaviours expected at their schools and “we” the visitors MUST make sure that we understand what is expected of us and keep to the rules. Other good advice will be given on health/ medical issues, suitable clothing for the climate and cultural activities, food and water etc. Conferences are short, between 3 and 7 days and are very busy
ROUND SQUARE GLOBAL FORUM The Round Square Global Forum have put together a newsletter for you to read all the latest News and Updates from across the globe. It includes the highlights from the pilot year; opportunities for 2013-14; mentions of new members and a chance for you to interact.
Follow the link to the online newsletter https://www.smore.com/ergy
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE I am very pleased to report that the preparations for the 2013 Conference in October, are on track and running smoothly. Registrations were I initially in the last week or so. Nic Dorn and forward to meeting delegates later this year. Of special interest to adults is the various forum discussions which have been front loaded into the program and promise to be stimulating and valuable. The Conference program is in its advanced stages of completion and is exciting, interesting and full of potential for a truly memorable experience. The delivery of the First International Young Round Square Conference in May of 2014, hosted in Africa by Dainfern College, and Camp Discovery is in the advanced stages. The organisers look forward to welcoming you to Africa and share in its wildlife, history and culture whilst discussing global issues. More information is available at: http://yrs2014.roundsquare.org Registration will be opening shortly and already interest is growing rapidly. Whilst on the subject of conferences, I that the school allocation to conference hosts of the 2014 conferences has been circulated and is also available on the Round Square intranet. On the project front we are pleased to be offering the new project in Rumania along with the regular projects in South Africa, India, Canada and Peru. A further exciting development here is the coming launch of a new project in Nicaragua. Liz Gray will be providing target the construction of access paths for rural communities and the team will be working alongside local youth and community builders. As we are now midway through the year, I would like to remind all schools that the annual review is due in at the end of September, and lastly may I wish those schools who are heading into the summer break, a well earned rest and enjoyable holiday.
BRIAN DAWSON
GENERAL NEWS
STUDENT LEADERS INTERNATIONAL A new and free resource for Round Square schools Round Square is supporting the free distribution of the Student Leaders International e-zine. This resource is free and available for all primary, middle and secondary schools. It is endorsed by two United Nations youth oriented organisations, the International Youth Council (youth assembly of the United Nations) and the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA). The Student Leaders International e-zine is a resource that can be used
by teachers to develop the leadership knowledge and skills of students, or as a stand-alone reading and library resource. A free Teacher Module with student activities and professional readings supplements the student e-zine. It is only available in English. Please consider making these resources available to teachers and students in your school. Both resources can be downloaded for free from the Leaders in School website www.leadersinschool.com.au
YRS CONFERENCE
First International Young Round Square Conference and their educators.� Preparation for this conference started early in 2012 and the Dainfern College planning around the theme and logo. They were adamant that they wanted to showcase the wildlife of Africa, and highlight the threat of extinction faced by so many species across the globe. The logo and initial programme were developed in time to be launched at the Penryn International Conference in October 2012 after an initial survey to gauge interest was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from across the globe! Meaning of the logo: Every Round Square region nominated an endangered species from their continent, which were incorporated through their footsteps in the conference logo.
Delegations will consist of 4 students (max. of 13 years old at time of the conference) and 2 educators. Schools wishing to bring larger delegations are welcome to submit requests which will be considered once registration is complete. The programme is packed full with a variety of activities around the RS IDEALS and details can be found on the Conference website. Two of the days entail visits to local tourist and historic attractions (such as a Soweto visit) and a game drive to see the Big Five: Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard & Rhinoceros.
The Conference website http://yrs2014.roundsquare.org
The Rhinoceros represents Africa http://worldwildlife.org/species/rhino And the footsteps in the logo, from top to bottom: Tiger (Asia and Gulf) http://worldwildlife.org/species/tiger European Brown Bear (Europe) http://worldwildlife.org/species/brown-bear Bali Staling (Australasia) http://worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/im0113 Leatherback Sea Turtle (Americas) http://worldwildlife.org/species/leatherback-turtle
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ALUMNI UPDATE
EUROPEAN ALUMNI NEWS
BY JENNIE MARTIN
contact Jennie Martin on at Windermere School who were jenniemartin14@gmail.com celebrating their 150th anniversary with a variety of events over the last week culminating in a church service, lunch, water sports for those who felt active and a BBQ in the evening. I arrived at 10am and set up and straight away was approached by a number of older ex students who remembered Round Square and going to Gordonstoun, Box Hill and on a mini RS Conference to Salem so I immediately signed them up. The weather was beautiful so I joined a group of ex students and current staff for a picnic on the terrace where we were joined by lots of other Stannites with their families. It was a lovely day and special for me as this is my old school and even better I managed to get two RS Alumni to say they would organise an event for us later in the year. They will be emailing those who have already signed up shortly.
SOUTH EAST ASIAN & GULF ALUMNI NEWS BY PULAK MUCHHAL Lunch - The South East Asian and Gulf Dec 2012 hosted by Mr. Sumer Singh, Director of the region at the lake of The Daly College Indore The event embarked the beginning of RS Alumni Association. A large gathering of more than 200 people helped the association increase its Alumni base and also introduce the Alumni Association to the region. Looking forward to more such events, in the coming year. RS Fete - Every year The Daly College, Indore organizes Round Square Fete to raise funds for Prince Alexander Project Fund. Round Square Alumni Association also had an Alumni Registration stall in this fete to help in the fundraising. RS AGM - The alumni organization was recently introduced at the Annual General Meeting of the heads of South East Asian and Gulf Region schools. More than 34 schools participated. It was hosted by the Indian School Al Ghubra at Muscat, Talk at Singapore International School, Mumbai - After the AGM, the head of Singapore International School Mumbai, invited the Alumni Coordinator to speak to her students about Round Square and the platform it provides to students.
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AFRICA ALUMNI NEWS BY TESSA WARE Since the RS Alumni project was started, the aim was to bring alumni together and get them involved. On the African continent, various steps towards achieving this aim have been taken. The database has been growing; the facebook group membership has increased and events have been happening on a more regular basis. Furthermore, in certain areas on the continent alumns have been forming their own RS alumni communities. One area in which progress is being made is the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Here a group of alums at Rhodes Uni have been meeting up. These students, who come from schools such as OWLAG, Dainfern, Saint Stithians and Penryn, have been involved in a variety of activities. They have had lunches, a Kurt Hahn Day braai and even for underprivileged students. In addition to these, events have been held further north, in Nelspruit. There was a braai at the International conference last year (at Penryn College). The alums in this area have also had drinks evenings and organised and run a service project: painting trauma center in the area. Also in Nelspruit, Penryn College students were given a presentation informing them about the RS Alumni. These events have been moves to strengthen the alumni database. However, there is much work still to be done. The Rhodes students will have more events and hope to attract move alums at the uni. There are also to be further meet-ups in Nelspruit. Alums from other countries, universities and areas of Africa are encouraged to start events in their various regions. Additional school visitations will take place to ensure that the next generation of alums know exactly what the RS Alumni is all about. All of these steps ensure that the alumni network grows, strengthens throughout our African continent.
RSIS PROJECT NEWS As usual, the RSIS office in Bath is a whirl of activity as we prepare for our July Projects (in South Africa, Peru, Romania, India Ladakh and Canada) while also simultaneously launching our RSIS Projects taking place in December! It’s certainly a busy year, and there are lots of tantalizing new Projects to keep our spirits up as we face a typically grey and damp British Spring outside!
Liz Gray
RSIS Project Manager
July 2013 Update destination.
CANADA Our team this year is in for a really exciting time in Canada, with a diverse range of work to keep them very busy during the long summer days! The group will start the trip re-establishing a 3km overgrown trail to the top of Kitwanga Mountain in northern BC along with Provincial Parks staff which will open this area up to wilderness hikers, local people who go there to gather food, and even the local wildlife! At the same time, the group will help to build a seasonal root cellar at Soaring Spirits Camp that will enable local staff to store food both in winter and summer in a traditional way that will not require fridges or energy! In the second week, the group will be working at the historic site of North
LADAKH building renovations, helping to restore exhibits and doing beach clean ups. After this, they will be in the First Nations community of Kispiox building the children Cultural Playground. The group will build a slide and climbing structure complete with a miniature Gitksan longhouse complete with carvings and paintings of six species of salmon that are linked to traditional legends. After all this, the team will be treated to a 3-day canoe adventure on the Skeena River, and will also see bears catching wild salmon in the rivers in Alaska, just over the border. A truly amazing trip that we know they will really enjoy!
The team this year is going to return to the Lamdom School in Thiksey up in Ladakh. This is where our teams have worked in previous years to help build up There is very little other help that this teams can return each year to add more dormitory rooms, dining areas and classrooms to this mountain school. Working for anyone, so the group will have to be extra-tough to complete their building in time! They will also be treated to the most incredible views you can imagine when they embark on their 5-day hike in the Himalayan mountains at the end of the when the team can bask in the beauty of on the great work they have done at the school in the previous few weeks!
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RSIS PROJECT NEWS PERU in southern Peru. Yuncachimpa is home to many people who either earn their living from the land, or who go and work as hiking guides or other tourism jobs. The community has 45 children who need a kindergarten school as the nearest
some of them to get to school. So our team is building a one-room kindergarten alongside local people (out of traditional adobe mud bricks!) and being hosted in camping groups at four local houses. They will be cooked for by their host family, and will really get a close-up rural communities like Yuncachimpa.
The team will have a few days to see Machu Picchu as well as go on a small jungle tour near Aguas Calientes and will take part in a traditional dance and
ROMANIA Transylvania College have been working really hard with the mayor and community centre for the community. The young people have wanted somewhere to call their own for years, and they are going to work alongside our team to help build the centre! During their stay in Baisoara, the team also have a chance to go to a traditional Romanian wedding and The group will also be doing some hiking in the spectacular Carpathian Mountains and be doing a short cultural tour of Saxon villages and ancient citadels at the end of the
music ceremony on the last day in the community! An amazing trip, with real cultural immersion that will leave a longterm legacy on this village!
SOUTH AFRICA The group this year is heading to a township school called Entokozweni, which is just outside White River near Kruger National Park. They are building a new kitchen, storeroom and serving area for the school that has hundreds of children but no proper kitchen to feed them with! So the team will be working with local builders to make the multi-room kitchen, as well as a vegetable garden for the school. The teachers and children at Entokozweni are really excited to be having the team come to visit! The group will also be linking up with local youth for some music and dance activities, as part of a cultural exchange program. This will means that our team will have a chance to mix with youth from the township the challenges that face them with education and opportunities for the future. The team will also spend some time on a wilderness camp in the Klaserie Game Reserve learning bush and animal but really exciting trip!
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RSIS PROJECT NEWS
December 2013 Projects amazing opportunities for students, and adults this December! All the information is now on the Round Square website, but in summary see below.
CAMBODIA
KENYA
Working with a new Project Partner this year – Camps International who are based in the UK. The group will be staying at their camp up in the north of the country near Siem Reap and will be working with the community of Beng Mealea to improve the facilities at the school there as well as working on small environmental and permaculture tasks with the community.
We have a new Project in Kenya this year that is taking place in Siaya District, in Western Kenya. We are working in partnership with the Moving Mountains Trust, a charity based in the UK who have
The group will also have a few days hiking in Kulen National Park with local guides, walking trails past monuments, waterfalls and through jungle and will sleep out in hammocks overnight next to small villages. They will also spend Christmas Day exploring Angkor Wat
INDIA being hosted by Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) down in Mumbai. The group will travel out to the rural community of Khumbharghar where they are going to build houses for needy families. This is a small tribal community that has very meager resources and very little opportunity to earn any money locally. By building family houses, our group can at least alleviate the dire housing situation and this Project is part of a bigger program that DAIS has to build a total of 25 houses, as well as school, toilet blocks and solar lighting for the village. The group will also be trekking in the Western Ghats, and at the end of the trip will have a great cultural tour round a few of the sites in Jaipur and Agra!
Kenya. Our team will be based at Ulamba Orphanage, and will be working to improve the classroom facilities at two local primary schools. This is part of a long-term initiative which will bring much needed resources to these communities, as well as give team members a real insight into the work of Moving Mountains Trust in Kenya and the opportunities it is giving to young people from challenging backgrounds all over the country. Students will learn what true sustainable service work is about, as well as how communities and individuals can take long-term ownership of these programs. After the end of the work phase, the group will travel to Nakuru and Naivasha to see something of the amazingly diverse wildlife of Kenya!
THAILAND We are running our third annual student/ parent trip in 2013 to Thailand! Hard to trip but this has been a hugely successful initiative and one that has brought the Round Square ethos to families around again with the Pakanyor Foundation to bring clean water to the Karen hill-tribe village of Ban Sob Pha Luang in northern Thailand. They will work for 10 days to dig pipelines, prepare foundations and
then build two huge water tanks which will bring much needed clean water to the community. The group will stay with local families in their traditional stilt-houses and really immerse themselves in daily life!
NICARAGUA We have been working to bring a Nicaragua Project into our portfolio destination and we hope it will offer team members a really interesting insight into this diverse country. The Project has now been approved by the Board and all the details are on the website.
Leader Training Leader Training Workshop and Project We are running another 2-week Leader Training Workshop and Project in December 2013! The details are on the Round Square website and we hope to take a full team of 20 teachers from our schools to Cambodia for a 3-day training Workshop, followed by a 10 day building Project down in the south of Cambodia. Delegates will learn all about Project selection and planning; risk management practices; leadership selection and roles; student training and evaluation and reporting. Delegates will be expected to lead parts of the Project work each day to put their classroom learning into practice and it will be great experience and good “hands-on” learning which delegates can take back to their schools as well as bring to RSIS leadership in future.
Other Leader Training Workshops Liz will be running two other Leader Training Workshops (2-3 days long) in India (based at DAIS in Mumbai, in late August) and in Thailand (for the Australasia Region) in early December. Details will be sent to all our member schools in due course!
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REGIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALASIA
Junior Round Square Conference 2013 by Jeremy Pui, Grade 7, UWCSEA The Junior Round Square Conference hosted by Bunbury Cathedral Grammar
to forget. I signed up for the trip not really knowing what to expect, but once we got there, I simply knew that I was going to have a very memorable week. From day one, every activity addressed the aspects of the IDEALS clearly. It alongside dolphins to feeding kangaroos to learning about an African Service project called “Uthando Dolls”, they all the event: “From Little Things, Big Things Grow.” By the end of the conference, it was clear to me that anyone, regardless of age, gender or other factors, can achieve whatever their dream is, and it can all start by making a small step. Even a great amount of satisfaction and pride.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet with new people from other schools and talk with them, and I found it really interesting to see what we had in common and what we had different views about. After the many friendships that I had made that week, it was extremely hard
will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, as well as the International conference in 2015 which UWCSEA will be hosting. My friends from the conference are eager opportunities that UWCSEA can offer. Round Square is a great platform for anyone to meet people who share the same philosophy in education, similar views and values, and through various discussions, seeing many real-life Est En Vous, and how there is so much potential inside yourself that has yet to be discovered.
From Little Things Big Things Grow Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School (BCGS) hosted the Australasian and South East Asia Junior Round Square Conference 2013 in April. BCGS is set within native Australian bushland 200kms south of Perth in W.A. and 128 delegates from 18 schools were accommodated within the boarding school. The conference was for 12 to 14 year olds and the staff and students from all schools were kept busy for the IDEALS of Round Square. The theme for the week was “From Little Things Big Things Grow” which was woven into the conference in a multitude of ways.
including sea kayaking with dolphins, exploring Bunbury, dune rehabilitation, mountain bike riding, visiting the wildlife park where the delegates fed birds and native animals, indigenous dance workshops and team/communication building games. Our student delegates think the IDEALS should also include fun and friendship, as they met so many new friends and had a lot of fun which concluded with a bush dance on the last night and many versions of “Cha cha cha with your Barazza”.
author Danny Parker and illustrator Matt Ottley who painted a canvas while presenting to the delegation. Lynne Tognolini gave an inspiring presentation about the Uthando Doll Project. She enthused all delegates to make dolls to send to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where 2.5 million Zulu children live with mothers who are HIV positive. We made posted within the next few months as part of a service activity. in Tanzania was also one of the moving guest speakers. Students participated happily in a variety of adventure and service activities
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REGIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALASIA
A day out for a good cause early May was a wonderful day buzzing with community spirit. The structure remained by and large the same as the previous years but with the sense of seclusion that the new venue had to offer the returning combination of musical performances, food and fun felt even more relaxed and intimate than previous years. Under the much needed shade of the trees the crowd enjoyed a programme that had a variety of performances, organized by Year 12 student Julianne with the support of Mr. Clarence, music teacher, and the Round Square team. Father Dennis from the Father Ray Foundation, the charity that shares the organisation of the event, greeted the attendees and thanked them for their
valued contribution which will aid their efforts in constructing a Special Needs Centre at the Father Ray Foundation. A seem as the event drew in an impressive 33,000 baht. youngest students alongside some of the oldest students and even parents and staff. Students from St. Andrews School, Garden International School and Father stage, contributing to the talent that kept the picnickers entertained. Ranging from dance numbers to solo musical numbers, the brave performers kept spirits high. The efforts of the Australian BBQ team did not go unnoticed and their delicious burgers and hot dogs once again made a substantial contribution to the community event.
Girl Rising touches the heart of the Regent’s School Pattaya community you want to achieve you can do it if you believe in yourself.” Girl Rising on 24 May. A large audience
education worldwide. Globe Theatre which housed over 300 personally invited guests. A group of students that make up the Girl Up group, a global campaign supported by the United Nations Foundation that unites over 300,000 students worldwide, organized the event. They welcomed members of the community, community partners and even Thai soap star, Yaya Urassaya Sperbund. Directed by Oscar-nominee Richard Robbins, Girl Rising tells the story of nine young girls from nine different countries whose lives have been changed by the power of education. Commenting on the night, members of the audience agreed that the subject of the necessity for change. time as an alumnus of the school, explained the importance of a correct mindset.
Several members of the Girl Up group agreed that it reinstated their reasons for taking part in the global campaign becoming clearer. Poornima Athikari, current student and member of Girl Up club said, “Girls should have the same chances as boys in this world because no one is worth less than anyone else. [Each gender] shares the same potential to achieve the same things – all they need is the same chances.” The only male member of the club, Haroon Wahidi from Afghanistan, expressed how he knows all too well what Bronwyn Carey and Kylie Grimmer from Women with a Mission, a Pattaya-based charity dedicated to improving the lives of children living along the Thailand/ Myanmur border and families in the region of Chonburi, Thailand, both left with the intention to organize a screening themselves to spread the message even further. “The message in [Girl Rising] should be taken to all young women and to all schools to help them understand that there is so much in education and just what they can achieve.”
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Yaya Urassaya Sperbund welcoming the audience
REGIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALASIA
Going green in Singapore On Friday, 8 March, UWCSEA Dover celebrated the conservation of the environment. LEAF GC (Local Environment Action Force Global Concern), other environmental groups and the High School Round Square Committee teamed up to host one of the most successful Green Days UWCSEA has had to date. Global Concerns are small student groups dedicated to raising funds and awareness for small grassroots organisations across South East Asia and around the world. UWCSEA has either Education and Health, Children, Environment or Empowerment. They are all student-led and student initiated.
school bus was encouraged to take a greener form of transport to get to school, whether it was walking, biking, hopping or busing, instead of a car or taxi. We were extremely pleased to see a vacant driveway at the usual peak hour, counting only 280 cars out of the usual
After school, a Green Fair was held merchandise.
Earth Day 2013 which included someone getting a tattoo of a tree in return for 25 students bringing in tumblers for a whole week! Amongst all this, tree tours enlightened participants with information total we raised over S$2,000 that will go towards sustainable environmental projects. All the events that took place on this day made us proud of the enthusiasm on campus for creating a greener and more sustainable environment! We hope that this will inspire and encourage other Round Square schools to do something similar. Square Committee
this a more regular event; the next one was held on Wednesday, 29 May. This will hopefully encourage more students and teachers to take a greener form of transport more often, if not every day. and second hand clothes were sold. Leftovers were sent to a charity in need.
Australasia & East Asia Regional Meeting, Melbourne At the beginning of March, Ballarat Grammar School hosted our 2 day regional meeting for schools in the A&EA Region. Of the 28 Global and Regional members, 25 were able to attend. The who were joined on the second day by the Heads. This time was very usefully used developing RS connections and activities across the region, including the planning of regional conferences, exchanges and projects. We were also able to connect with the Duke of Edinburgh Award team and friends of Round Square Australia, as well as dealing with some more general RS business. It was agreed that next at UWC in Singapore. This would also give us an opportunity to connect with the hosts of the 2015 International Conference.
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REGIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALASIA
Regent’s Nordstar is Launched Being part of the Nord Anglia Education has the exciting opportunity to expand our community partnership and service projects programme. Nordstar is the Nord Anglia Education equivalent of community service and allocates a Spark Fund of up to $10,000 each year to their schools to support worthy community projects and partnerships. To be able to do this we Nordstar Board consisting of two members of staff, two students and two parents. The students are: from Primary – Sophie Lovich, and from Secondary – Yu Jin Ahn. The parents are: Rosa Jhee and Kim Phan, and the staff members are: Richard Reardon and Paul Crouch. The Board has now met on two occasions and discussed how the Spark Fund existing Special projects Fund and Primary Community Chest. The Board also agreed to make a bid in April for the Shine Fund, a larger fund coordinated by Nordstar Central, hoping to gain substantial funds for the PICC Community Centre project on Phi Phi Island. We are still waiting feedback from the central board on this bid. receive seven applications for the
Spark Fund before the deadline last week. These applications came in from across the school and demonstrated the on-going commitment and passion for community partnerships and service based learning in the school. The applications included:
- Educational focus and opportunity for large numbers of student involvement / impact
- A Saturday morning school programme for community partners
all the applications and is feeding back to each group and advising how best to take their applications forward or to even resubmit them next year with some changes
- An animal conservation project and outdoor classroom with Love Wildlife Thailand - An education and computer project with an on-going community partner in Mae Sot - A project to support soi dogs - A bid to improve the School BIRD Farm - A bid to develop Green Grub – our Primary healthy eating project - A project to provide sewing machines for a school in Mae Sot linked to our community partner: Women with a Mission
- Is a partnership
that most of the Spark Fund, if not all of it, will be awarded and that a number of these projects will receive funding very soon so that they can commence before the end of the academic year. A detailed report on the successful applications and the awarding of the Spark Fund will feature in the next newsletter. Paul Crouch
The Spark Fund does not roll over each year therefore the board aims to allocate the funds for this year to the projects Nordstar – these include: - Sustainability and longevity - A one off support from Nordstar – not reliant on future donations
Nordstart Team
REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA
Round Square ‘Week’ at Bridge House During a week in May Bridge House School celebrated its membership of Round Square and renewed its commitment to the IDEALS of the organization by having a Round Square Week. Activities, none of which took any academic time, started off over the weekend before, with students having the opportunity to participate in a treeplanting initiative in a forest situated in our Franschhoek Valley (Environment).
grade 3 with their reading (Service). This is one of our ongoing service projects, but on this day, there were many more volunteers. Also, students participated in a climbing, running and cycling triathlon (Adventure).
On the Tuesday, we held a whole school student-leader-run barazza during which the students of the school could voice their opinions and submit ideas regarding any aspect of our school (Democracy and Leadership). That afternoon, and on Wednesday, students visited an underresourced school in the Franschhoek community to help young children in
such as kilts. The week ended off with a Round Square assembly during which students presented report backs on various Round Square exchange experiences and conferences that they attended recently, as well as on many other aspects of Bridge House life that relate to Round Square, such as the annual Outward Bound Adventure hike.
We turned Friday into an international civvies day on which students could their heritage. Many students brought
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Overall, the week provided the students with a reminder of the IDEALS that underpin all that we do at Bridge House. By Aimee Bosman (Gr 12 student and head of the RS student committee) and Carol Kramer (teacher).
http://www.facebook.com/ BridgeHouseSchool https://twitter.com/BridgeHouseSchl
REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA
ELARAKI First International Camp April 2013 The ELARAKI School launched its ELARAKI First International RS Camp. The latter encompassed different aspects of the IDEALS. The team consisted of international pupils coming College and ELARAKI School. They were mentored by leaders from the host school and Abbotsholme School. It was an incredible eye-opening experience that it would be engraved in their minds for the rest of their lives. The pupils managed to mingle in a multicultural environment which helped them share their own experiences, improve their communication skills, build mutual understanding and enhance selfcarried out a wide range of tasks involving trees planting, service work, trekking and others. Upon arrival to the region of “TOUBKAL”, the pupils had a chance to learn the basics of planting trees using their own hands. The experience enhanced the a tree requires in order to grow. The team headed to a remote village in the region of “TAMATERT”. While there, the pupils learnt much more about the village
they face. They spent some time with the children of the region and left them donations and presents. The pupils had to meet a big challenge as they went on a trek up the mountains, down the rivers until they reached a place where they learnt how to pitch tents and then spent a whole night in the middle of no where. The pupils took another hike in the woods for the sake of learning about superstition rituals which take place in the region of “SHAMHAROUSH” where the king of djinns is believed to live.
Thanks to all efforts performed by every participant, the main objectives of the Camp were achieved successfully. All pupils enhanced their abilities to work with the group, be aware of the importance of protecting the environment and appreciate the values of mutual understanding and acceptance of the Other. We hope to meet other RS schools next year in a new EIRSC as well as in the second part of the service project “IGHALINE” 2014.
Free the Children at St Cyprians school Last term, the High School was introduced to Free The Children by student leaders within the Round Square portfolio. Free The Children is an international charity that works both nationally and internationally to empower and enable youth to be agents of change. It was founded by a man called Craig Kielburger in 1995 when he was only 12 years old and inspired to make a difference after discovering child labour. Free The Children is focused on providing education for all children especially those in under privileged countries namely Kenya, Rural China, India, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Haiti, Ghana and Nicaragua. Similar to the Round Square International Service projects, they build classrooms for kids. They also accept donations that go towards all sorts of things namely Adopting A Village and buying a goat for families.
The theme of the bake sale was to bake something using the colour blue i.e. blue colour is blue. A spare change jar was also set up in the High School Tuckshop where students could donate their spare change towards Free The Children after purchasing something to eat. With the money raised from the bake sale and the money raised from the spare change jar, we raised a total of R901,30, sale. This money made in Term 1 has been donated to Free The Children and will go towards relieving Sierra Leone in North-Western Africa. If you would like to take part in making a difference, visit the website at www.freethechildren.com.
In support of this wonderful initiative,
volunteered to bake and donate goods to be sold to the rest of the school and the money made went towards the charity.
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REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA
My Exchange Adventure in Africa Anglo Colombiano School student Shane Reilly recounts his experiences of travelling all the way from Bogota, Colombia to Nairobi, Kenya for his exchange at Brookhouse School When I received my acceptance letter for exchange at Brookhouse School in Nairobi, Kenya I had mixed thoughts about being away from my own school, what to think of Africa. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I had many questions in my mind: how is the school? How are the students? How are the teachers, the host family and how I would blend in with the Brookhouse community? My questions started receiving answers
in Nairobi. I have been in Kenya for the gratitude I have for my host family, teachers and students of Brookhouse School. My experience at the school has been amazing and I have visited the national parks, been on exciting school activities. I have blended in well and made lots of friends. It feels like I have been here all my life. For any student in the Round Square community, I totally recommend you consider exchange opportunities. I would like to thank the Round Square community, Brookhouse School and my own school Anglo Colombiano School in Bogota, Colombia for giving me this amazing opportunity.
at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Brookhouse student gives TED talk It is quite a journey from the Maasai land of the Kitengela Plains south of Nairobi to presenting a TED talk in Long Beach California, but for Richard Turere, a Year 8 student at Brookhouse School, it has been an extension of his inventive mind, his courage and his desire to serve his community. Recently, Richard was invited to participate in the TED 2013 Conference in Long Beach, California. TED (Technology-Entertainment-Design) has become a worldwide phenomenon built around a simple premise – people giving short talks on “ideas worth spreading”. Founded in 1984, the annual TED conference is now a renowned four-day share what they are most passionate about. Speakers have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall and Bono. The theme of the Long Beach conference in 2013 was “The Young, the Wise, the Undiscovered”. that made peace with lions” gained him a standing ovation, and has since
become one of the most watched on the TED site. He tells the story of his childhood, growing up as a Maasai boy hating lions because they killed his In Kenya, Maasai farmers keep their cattle in makeshift stalls called bomas along the southern borders of Nairobi National Park, but they are plagued by lions attacking their prized cattle at night. problem with expensive security systems, but none were sustainable solutions. Park conservationists also struggled with the problem of resolving this wildlifeis dwindling at an alarming rate due to the animals being killed by the Maasai in retaliation for attacks on their cattle. A Maasai boy is responsible for protecting the family cattle each night when lions are on the prowl in the darkness. Richard faced this challenge each night with courage, but more importantly he overcame his fears to turn a problem into a creative solution. Although he had no formal training in such areas, Richard drew upon a natural gift for electronics and mechanics when he discovered that lions were scared of moving lights. He created a simple battery and a solar panel to keep the lions away. He attached the “lion lights” to poles around the livestock boma and the impression that someone was walking
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around the enclosure with a torch. His invention outsmarted the lions and is saving cattle - and lions. His contribution to his family and the wider Maasai community has been immense as he has provided them with a sustainable solution for their livelihoods. The invention also means that the endangered lion population no longer presents a threat to the local farming community. www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_ peace_treaty_with_the_lions.html The entire Brookhouse community is very proud of Richard as his story entrepreneurship and self-motivation that can take Africa forward in the 21st Century. He continues to work on other inventions as he progresses through school at Brookhouse, and he aims to become an aeronautical engineer in the future.
REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA
Roedean Digs In Roedean has launched a food garden initiative at NOAH (Nursing Orphans with AIDS for Humanity, one of the aftercare centres on the edge of the inner city of Johannesburg. The Garden Shop Nursery generously donated compost, seeds, containers and gardening implements so that the girls could make
seed beds and planted seeds for vegetables which will keep the children healthy through winter. We look forward to nurturing the garden in the coming months.
Rodean Adventure Roedean School in Johannesburg is active rock climbing club. A highlight of Memorial Challenge which takes place in March every year. The girls look forward to the event as they have the opportunity to compete against, and socialize with schools and climbing clubs from all over South Africa.
Tiger Kloof: African Regional Conference Visitors from Ghana, Namibia, Kenya, Jordan and South Africa gathered in the dust of the North West for four days in Appropriately, seeing this title is a famous saying of Gandhi, the opening speaker was Dr. Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of the Mahatma, who spoke about his philosophy of non-violence. She was followed by Dr. Wilhelm Verwoerd, the grandson of the South African prime minister who closed down Tiger Kloof and all the mission schools. He spoke very movingly of his personal journey from his traditional Afrikaans upbringing to joining the ANC. Finally Fred Swaniker, founder of the African Leadership Academy, spoke about the kind of leadership that Africa needs. There was a great depth of challenge from all the speakers.
Delegates walked 9 kms to a rural school, together with the children who have to do that walk twice every day; they took food parcels into the township and put on a games day for children of a primary school in a very tough part of the location; they were fed one night by the combined efforts of the four soup kitchens which Tiger Kloof supports and they had a morning of games and team challenges in our very own kloof, a wonderful and pristine environmental gem. Delegates were told that the four days would take them on a spiritual journey proved to be the case.
Internationalism: Model United Nations Debate Roedean girls are passionate about debating. In addition to the SACEE debating league, the girls participate in the Model United Nations Debates. Three teams of Roedean girls debated the issue of the Empowerment of Women as the Millennium Development Goal number 3, in a mini – Model United Nations forum this term. The issue
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was debated from the perspective of an allocated country and the MDG success/progress assessed and recommendations posed. We represented Bhutan, Rwanda and China. Well done to our teams who
REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE
Back to the Future YOUNG ROUND SQUARE CONFERENCE AT WESTFIELD SCHOOL 8-11 MARCH 2013 prospect of meeting delegates from all over Europe. Girls and boys from staff members from Gordonstoun, Abbotsholme, Box Hill, Samworth Academy, NSB, Ermitage, Herlufsholm, Louisenlund, Birklehof and the Inter Community School, Zurich joined over
started to snow and it was bitterly cold. Delegates were allowed to spend the Sunday morning with their host families and they visited the city of Newcastle, the Angel of the North, the Quayside and the Roman Wall. Once back at school they had two really inspirational workshops - a perfect follow-up to the activities of the day before. After that they explored ideas and thoughts that had emerged from the conference in Barazza groups led by
Round Square Regional Conference statement on stage. The theme of the conference was encouraged to think about modern technology and the environment and and attempt to guess what the future would hold. Schools arrived throughout the day on the Friday and they were introduced school was asked to give a 5 minute presentation on the conference theme. This was a lot of fun. Some schools had put together informative power points and others had put on plays and speeches. The next day we had an early start and a bus journey to Kielder for a day
Box Hill School pupils donated money to Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Charity
Everyone enjoyed the dinner in the lovely Camellia Dining Room and the very loud disco afterwards! It was sad to say goodbye but it had been a Round Square weekend to remember and not a single case of homesickness amongst the young delegates!
further than the village, delegates had to walk a few mile just to get there! It was worth it. A warm atmosphere amidst beautiful (but cold) countryside welcomed delegates. There were tipis and yurts in the grounds of a beautiful country house. Delegates tried their hand at orienteering, archery, pottery and bush craft. They were given a talk in a workshop where they made beautifully coloured and worldrenowned drawing pastels. At the end of the afternoon delegates trekked back down to the village where a barbeque was organised in the village hall. TV presenter, Gary Fildes from Kielder Observatory gave an excellent presentation on the night sky. Most of the young delegates were too tired to remember the coach journey home! The next day was based at school which was fortunate because it
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(NMCF) received a generous donation from pupils at Box Hill School in Surrey. Kathi Scott and Marian Ayo of NMCF were presented with a cheque money was raised during Box Hill Day, an annual fundraising event that takes place in February, which sees pupils and teachers participating in a series of fun and challenging activities to help charities and the community. This year, students and staff paid to wear non-uniform, sold cakes, ran a slave auction and hosted a variety show. The NMCF based in London, was nominated by year 12 pupil Marcel chosen charities for 2013. Marcel regularly provides voluntary support student ambassador. Other charities that will be receiving money from
Child International, Leatherhead and Wildlife Aid, Leatherhead. Marcel Norval said: “I thought it would be a great idea to invite Kathi and Marian to Box Hill School to tell them about our fundraising activities. It was also a good opportunity to we raised from the charity variety show that I co-organised with the school. After completing some work experience at the charity, I was so impressed with the worthwhile projects they undertake to assist children in South Africa that I wanted to become
to raise awareness of the charity in the UK, so it means a lot to me that Box Hill School has chosen to donate money to this very special charity.”
REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE
CELEBRITY CRICKET MATCH RAISES MONEY FOR CHARITY A celebrity cricket match is taking place at Box Hill School, near Dorking, on 2 June to help raise money for charity. Former England cricketer and TV programme Tufnell, ITV news journalist Mark Austin and actors James and Oliver Phelps - the Weasley twins from Harry Potter - will be joining other famous people for a fun day of sport and fundraising. The open event is held every two years at Box Hill School and is organised by number one charity cricket team. Bunbury
There will also be arts and crafts stalls selling beautiful vintage and handmade goods, a book stall and The Food Float, a local independent retailer that has recently been voted best food stall in Surrey, which is offering breads, cakes, jams and chutneys. This year proceeds from the Box Hill School match and family fun day will be split between DMRC Headley Court (Welfare Fund), a Surrey rehabilitation centre for servicemen and women, and the Bunbury English Schools Cricket Festival, which nurtures and supports talented young cricketers.
author David English CBE and around 14 celebrity matches are played each season. During that time £15.5m has been raised for a variety of charities.
Box Hill School headmaster Mark Eagers said: “Our bi-annual Bunbury celebrity cricket match is one of the highlights of
Additional activities taking place during
fantastic opportunity to mingle with some
with bouncy castle, face painting and entertainment shows, live music with a
up cricketing tips from former professional players and enjoy relaxing with friends and family - and all while helping to raise money for charity!”
Trip to Tanzania Our stay in Moshi, Tanzania was split between two main projects: “Community Service” where we helped out at the Second Chance and Makaa Primary School, and also “Adventure” where we visited several tribes, traveled around different areas and experienced a great safari journey. Before we left, a lot of planning and preparation was done. We had meetings on a weekly basis where we discussed organizational issues, donations and fundraising activities. We packed as much as we could in our suitcases: supplies and equipment for the playground, almost 4,000 pencils, clothes, shoes, frisbees and soccer balls. We had also made number and letter charts for the classroom walls as well as lessons to share with the teachers. My classmates and I have actively interacted with the children by playing games, teaching nursery songs and helping out on campus.
trip, I wanted to experience a completely different culture. As I live in the well developed country of Switzerland, I have not seen many parts of the world that allowed me to realize how privileged I am. Going to a country like Tanzania was perfect. I have already seen and heard in the media about the those whose quality of life is less fortunate. That previous knowledge had given me an idea how the world works. However, personally experiencing the lifestyle in Africa had given me a better understanding. For me, it has been an important part of my personal growing and allowed me to learn and experience different perspectives and points of view. By the end of this trip, I think differently about where I live and promised myself not to take things for granted. I also want to share my experiences and motivate more people to go to Tanzania and help out as I would like to make a difference in
To show our respect, we attended some Swahili lessons before departure to grasp the basics of the language. Not only have we helped out the schools we visited, but also our actions have helped support the local community and its economy by buying goods and materials from regional shops.
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REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE
FELSTED’S FIRST! to be take advantage of a place on a Round Square (RSIS) Service Project. As a RS school, all students and staff at Felsted have the opportunity to join one of the many service projects the RS offers around the world. The principles behind the Service Projects is to bring students from different RS schools around the world to converge on a single location, which is often one of the less privileged schools, or an impoverished community, where they will work together on a project. Project locations vary from distant international destinations, such as Peru, Canada or India. Yet, the underlying value of such projects is to allow the individual to achieve a self-realisation of the psychological, social and physical
energy in the service of someone or something else. where he will part of a team to continue work at the Lamdom Model School in Thiksey, near Leh. Ben will be surrounded by the Himalayan mountains and will be expected to immerse himself within village life. His work on site will be to help build more dormitory rooms for the school, which caters for mountain children from all over the area. Some children have to walk 10KM to get to school; hence the importance of these new dorms. will spend plenty of time with the school children, as well as with local people. Furthermore, on his arrival, he will have two days of walking tours, which will include visiting some of the famous
monasteries of the area. Apart from taking in the spectacular views, it will help Ben acclimatise to the high altitude that he will be living and working in over the space of three weeks. Needless to say, we are thrilled that Ben opportunity and look forward to hearing about his experience on his return.
Braving deep snow and ice exploring Snowdonia Eight pupils and two teachers from Box Hill School tested their sense of adventure during a recent trip to Snowdonia, North Wales. Braving deep snow and icy conditions, the courageous group embarked on a variety of exciting activities to help them learn new skills, foster independence and encourage teamwork. During the four-day trip, which took place at the beginning of April, the four year 7 and four year 9 students embarked on an underground exploration of the passages and chambers of an old slate mine using ropes and zip lines to get around. They also enjoyed a day mountain biking in the rugged North Wales valleys and took part in ice and snow climbing in the Ogwen Valley. Specially trained instructors from Go Below Adventures led the activities. Russell Monk, head of outdoor adventure at Box Hill School, said: “The unusual team from getting out and having fun in Snowdonia. “We had planned to climb Snowdon, but due to extreme conditions it was not safe, so we went underground instead. “Heading through the thick wall of ice to get into the caves was an adventure in itself and the pupils had a fantastic time learning a number of new skills, including using an ice axe. “During the week, we encouraged and supported the group to have a go at all the adventurous challenges on offer, which helped boost self-esteem.”
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REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE
THE FELSTED DIPLOMA - WHAT YEAR 11 SAY As our pilot Felsted CV programme draws to its close, our Year 11 students have been completing their Felsted their comments, it is clear that the Felsted Diploma has made a substantial difference to them. about a wide range of topics: On Adventure: “DofE has taught me to trust my abilities as even if I am not sure what I am doing I
On Inclusion: “The Diploma has reached out to reaches out to those doing the Arts, those loving Sports, and those enjoying their academics; as there is no discrimination in the diploma, many people have been Sebi Anderson On Internationalism: “I learnt to be accepting of background and I have developed a curiosity as to how other countries are different to our own.” Gen Guest
On Charity Work: “I have discovered that I gain a lot of pleasure from the idea of helping others and can feel great satisfaction and
“In a world where there are millions of different cultures and people all around us we have to be open for everything, especially for international issues that concern us all.” Fritz Streng
Wizz Nicholson
On Leadership:
Ed Lucas
On Choice: “I am yet to visit a school which can boast such as variety of co-curricular aspects and success in a wealth of areas, such as MUN, a thriving Drama department, one Sports (in terms of the number of pupils we have), a choice of IB or A-levels and so many other opportunities.” Sebi Anderson
be an example for the whole group, that the leader must be passionate for what they do and has to be organised, able to delegate and know his or her team. A leader has to be able to follow as well otherwise they quickly become a dictator.” Sabine Meyding On Open-Mindedness: “I found out that I need to try out an
On Creativity: “The creative aspects of the CV were also very valuable because Arts & Crafts for example, taught me patience and allowed me to explore my imagination and create.” Emilia Blyth
ordinarily take part in, which I have found quite entertaining.” Sarah Lewis
On Democracy: “I learned about the complexities of the world, how the international community deals with economic and environmental concerns, human rights violations,
them and vice versa and it was very
global issues.” Sabine Meyding On Employability: “I am looking to do medicine at university. I picked to do Drama as I believe that the stage, has improved my presentation and public speaking skills. Communication with patients is a key part of medicine. a key edge.” Pranjal Roy
On Personal Challenge: “In South Africa I had to teach a group of children who could not speak any English.
On Personal Perspective: “MUN and Round Square have also come in handy as I have learnt to speak in public, socialise with people I have never hardly knew anything about. For this I had to do my own research too. This helped me learn a lot more about the world. Round Square made me see just how much I had compared to others.” Shona Glover On Resilience: “One of the most important things I have learnt from the Felsted CV as a whole is that with hard work I can achieve nearly anything I want and beyond that.” Alex Marka “I have learnt that the only thing really pushing me back and keeping me from achieving my potential is myself and that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.” Gen Guest On Student Voice: “I have found that teachers and staff are happy to hear constructive criticism in a good light, and I have also learnt from my experiences that it is vital at times to portray your thoughts on a matter in one way or another - whilst also listening and at times agreeing with contradicting or contrasting views, as it is from here where we learn and develop ideas.” Sebi Anderson On Teamwork and Tolerance: “Being part of a team showed me that I have to change my views sometimes and how to adapt to the ideas and views taught me to be open for critique and suggestions from others.” Fritz Streng “I have learnt to work in a group and how
satisfying things I have ever done.” Gen Guest “The two events while in Felsted that I will probably always remember were the two CCF 24 hour exercises. For every moment of being there, I was both thinking about how much I hated – and loved what I was doing, but the experience was really intense and I learned a lot of things. The most important one is probably the fact that you cannot learn and progress unless you get out of your comfort zone, and that realisation helped me a lot in academic ways, too.” Paula Ursu
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doubt and that I almost always see the best in people.” Gen Guest
REGIONAL NEWS - AMERICAS
Save the Date! 2014 RS Americas Regional Conference and will run from January 27th to 31st. As this is only 8 months after the 2013 Regional Conference hosted by Rothesay Netherwood, we want to give you lots of advance notice so you can be sure to mark your calendars and plan to join us! Though this is a Regional Conference, we would like to extend an invitation to all members of the international Round Square community to join us in January, by June 1st 2013. Members of the Americas Region will be given priority but we will do our best to accommodate at least 1 school from each of the other regions. The theme of the conference will be “Northern Challenge…What Will You working with ALIVE Outdoors, an outdoor education company that will ensure our conference program offers an array of opportunities and challenges in the midst of our Canadian winter. The philosophy of ALIVE Outdoors is grounded in the belief that all people should be empowered to realize their personal strengths and understand how these strengths can contribute to being an active, engaged and inspired citizen of both the local and global community. Through participating in activities like snowshoeing, dog-sledding, and a night hike/ski across the lake by candle lantern, delegates are sure to leave the conference with stories of adventure and a deeper understanding of self. The conference will be held at YMCA Camp Wanakita, located in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands, approximately 3 hours north of Toronto. We hope you will allow yourself some extra time either before or after the conference to explore Toronto, one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in Canada.
The Festival Uncoli Mini-volleyball Among the annual activities of The English School, Bogotá, one stands out: The festival Uncoli Mini-volleyball, which started over 20 years ago. This is a sporting event in which about 20 schools participate, all of them members of the Union of International Schools in Bogota (UNCOLI).
Nearly 400 children between 8 and 12 years old participated in the most recent Mini Voleibol tournament, and it was conducted in two sessions: the opening on February 2 and closing on March 9.
Secondary students usually participate in this activity. Nearly 90 took a training most committed, of which 12 are Grade 11 ° For them this activity counts for the CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) part of the International Baccalauerate Diploma to 10th grade whose sole purpose is to support the activity without expecting any reward in return. The main contributions of the students in this activity are: 1. Participating as judges of each play in the two days and a total of 480 games. 2. Serve as mediators in the development of each game being in score and indicating who wins every play. 3. Disseminate and answer questions about the rules of the festival to players, teachers and parents.
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Toby Brown, Bayview Glen E-mail tbrown@bayviewglen.ca E-maill: caitlin.tino@scs.on.ca
4. Mediate some disputes that arise between teachers and / or parents for the development of the game. enhances the development of this activity, which is part of the sporting calendar in our schools. It is always appreciated by athletes, parents and teachers who always go after the activity happy and eager to return the following year.
REGIONAL NEWS - AMERICAS
Young Round Square Conference at Chadwick school students from schools in the Americas Region, as well as Vivek High School and Chadwick International, convened at Chadwick School for the week-long Young Round Square Conference. For the next two days of the conference, delegates participated in local activities such as taking a trip to the Palos Verdes tide pools and packing meals to ship to Haiti from Chadwick campus. “[We] packed a total of 10,000 meals for kids in Haiti in less than 1 hour, an accomplishment that everyone was proud of,” Wesley Leung, a student from Bayview Glen School, said. Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program in the United States, spoke to the delegates on the second night of the conference. Boyle told the delegates that service requires building personal relationships leadership only develops out of a clear sense of purpose.
On the second leg of the conference, delegates traveled to Camp Whittle in Big Bear, California for an outdoor experience. Delegates participated in a variety of activities such as ropes courses and a “bike build” in which students got into teams and build bikes to donate to local elementary school kids in Big Bear. “I expected the conference to be just workshops and lectures and things like that, but it was really hands on and that helped a lot,” said Kiana Rawji, a student to try and do things like we did at the conference, like packing meals, building bikes or planting trees, at our school.”
Delegates kick off the conference by representing all of their schools in a gigantic chalk drawing of the Round Square logo!
Delegates also participated in a as they competed in an Amazing Race simulation. Students raced with their teams through the woods as they answered trivia games and did teambuilding activities to proceed to the next station. Kyle Civale, a member of the Chadwick Leadership Team said “The Amazing Race helped kids bond and made the
Delegates pack 10,000 meals for families in Haiti
“He gave so many people opportunities received. Not everyone out there is very willing to hire gang members,” said Catherine Kurtz, Chadwick Leadership Team. Delegates also spent a day in downtown Los Angeles visiting tourist sites, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, businesses, Homegirl Cafe. While the delegates ate sandwiches provided by the café in LA State Historic Park, one of the employees spoke frankly to the group about her struggles with abuse and gangs and the process of rehabilitation having grown up in Los Angeles, student leader Margot Zuckerman felt that the experience made her think differently about her own understanding of the city and its inhabitants: “Listening to a Homegirl speak was not only moving for me emotionally, but it also helped me associate the issues of gangs in Los Angeles with a real, charismatic, and intelligent person. I also loved seeing this chain reaction of realization amongst the middle schoolers at the conference, who were ultimately able to understand the gravity of gang-related problems without even glancing at a statistic.”
minutes after.” Students also convened in their Barazza groups, each named after a famous Angeleno, every night for small group to the Round Square IDEALS. “I really liked the fact that we had our Barazza groups and that we would always go back to them to talk about the
Delegates get to know one another by playing a fun game of Captain on the Deck!
because I had the best Barazza group,” School. However, while the delegates participated in a various, sometimes exhausting, activities, many delegates found that the best part of the conference was simply meeting students from other schools. On were each blindfolded and participated in a Head Tap activity where delegates showed their appreciation for each other through a tap on the head. impacts I had made on people in 5 days, and that felt really good,” Milazzo said.
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Leadership Team
Chadwick Marine Biology Students show delegates the wonders of the tide pools
REGIONAL NEWS - AMERICAS
Hackley School & Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy brought tree damage, broken windows, and a power outage to Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, session and running normally. For our neighbors just forty miles to even now, more than six months later. As soon as school resumed, Ninth Grade Dean Seth Karpinski and Upper School Community Service Coordinator create a ninth grade service project that brought students into storm-damaged communities on a regular basis. During the week, students collected most-needed supplies, from crowbars to diapers, and then volunteered at relief centers on the weekends. As one student put it, “Our work in the Rockaways has taught us much about disaster response efforts. Along the way, we have learned the true meaning of volunteerism from dedicated community organizers, hopeful survivors, and struggling victims.” She also notes that through this work, the ninth graders have had to “rethink what impact means. We are all looking to make a connection and share a meaningful moment with those whom we serve. Such moments are both precious and rare. However, while impact
always there. By being authentic and impact. We may never know how long that man or woman who seemed wary of our presence, who seemed not to care gone.” With the shared goal of helping storm survivors, the ninth grade class demonstrated teamwork, creativity, and generosity with their time and energy.
By making a commitment to return week after week, they developed a strong connection with the communities they sought to help and began to understand the magnitude of what occurred there. Looking ahead, we hope to continue to support the recovery effort that will certainly continue well into the years ahead.
REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF
Walkathon for British School in New Delhi school community participated with great enthusiasm and were able to
shooter Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore. This year our focus has been on the the British School has taken the lead to support the girl child working with a number of NGOs. All projects are vetted by the CSR panel, which comprises of teachers, parents, and students representing each key stage from primary to secondary. Under our current initiatives we are working with 4 NGOs – Deepalaya, Snehalaya, India Vision Foundation and CanKids. Deepalaya: As per
the discussion in the CSR panel, it has been decided that the British School will provide for maintenance of their building at Deepalaya, apart from our on-going IT initiative. Snehalaya: The funds raised will be used to provide the following for the NGO – computer with printer, photocopier, everyday use stationery and general medicines. The list has come from the orphanage Snehalaya, as these are things they need urgently. We are going to provide this at the orphanage (Snehalaya) for girls, as we have this as our CSR project for year 10 (money has already been handed over). India Vision Foundation (IVF): As per our discussion with the concerned people at IVF, we will sponsor three children (Anjali, Varsha and Monica) of the Tihar Jail inmates for the upcoming academic session. Sponsorship for each child is Rs. 33, 000 (all inclusive) – this amount will be
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transferred to the bank directly. CanKids: Since treatment for cancer is extremely expensive, we will be able to contribute part treatment for them. We will provide funds for part treatment of 2 girl patients less than 10 years of age.
REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF
CGS fund raise for the Savar Tragedy On Wednesday, April 24th, Bangladesh was hit by a grave disaster when an eight-storied factory building in Savar, Dhaka collapsed and trapped thousands of workers. Overwhelming support for victims of the Savar building collapse brought the CGS communities together. CGS Lower, Middle and Upper all came together to donate in cash and kind. Over 5 lacs takas (US$ 4 lacs takas (US$5200) have been donated so far towards our RS fund for essentials and emergency medical care at Savar. Staff members from
King’s students attend RS Regional Conference the Round Square regional conference in South Africa last month. “Be the change” was the theme of conference, which was held at the Tiger Kloof Educational Institution in Vryburg and attended by some 200 student delegates. Students led Barazza groups that were named after Batswana tribal groupings, listened to inspiring keynote addresses and did service work during the trip, which lasted from April 27 until May 1. “There was just something special about this conference that made me change the way I see things when I came back,”
want to share that feeling of unity here at The group also hosted fun activities – sack races, tug-of-war and egg races among others – for children from the local township, and visited a local lion and rhino park.
CGS travelled to Savar to personally hand over essential items and cash to survivors.
collection of aid in the hope that it would make some sort of difference to those affected by this tragedy.
Also, in mid- May, young minds of classes 7 and 8 organized a `Bake Sale` to raise money for the victims. The teaching staff was no less in lending support to the unfortunate; a `Blood Donation Camp` was organized in association with Quantum foundation
As well as the Savar tragedy, CGS has also recently been involved in raising funds for a local cancer patient who is in desperate need of help. A couple of events, including a gaming competition and a magic show have been organized by the CGS Alumni and students of class 12, scheduled to take place at the end of June. All the money collected from the events is intended to be donated to our RS fund to support the cancer patient.
personnel of the CGS Community donated their blood. Students, Parents and Teachers all participated wholeheartedly in the
Joint Himalayan Trek and Sarah Bozzi chaperoned nine students on the annual Himalayan trek organized by the school in partnership with fellow Round Square member The Doon School. Divided into two components – adventure and sightseeing – the trip, which took place from March 29 until April 7, comprised a balance of challenging physical activities alongside the group travelled to the city of Delhi, where they visited a local market and mosque, to Agra, where they toured the famous Taj Mahal as well as the Red Fort prison, and to Dehradun, the location of the host school. Moral – and often physical – support for one another kept the students motivated as they voyaged together on day hikes that ranged from six to 14 kilometers in length along treacherous mountain paths. Yet the stunning views of snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, a holy lake, the Hindu temple (at an altitude of over 12,000 feet) made it all worthwhile.
Accompanying students on the trip were Salwa Manaja and Gertrude Dudley.
colorful landscape as “one of the greatest mental images” he has ever encountered, so special is the availability of such opportunities to students. “I really wanted to see India,” Castle said.
completely changed my expectations.”
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REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF
Participate in DAIMUN 2013 DAIMUN 2013, a MUN for RS schools, will take place at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai from 28 Nov to 01 Dec 2013. DAIMUN has become one of the most important annual gatherings in the subcontinent for students to come together and exchange ideas and plausible solutions to concerns besetting DAIMUN is “Foreign Intervention”. Registration charges for the Conference (per person) are ¤40 or $50 for foreign delegates and Rs. 2000 for Indian delegates and accommodation costs are ¤25/$30 per day for foreign delegates (per person on twin sharing basis) or Rs.1000 (per day) for Indian delegates (per person on twin sharing basis) which includes all meals and transport.
Please note that additional stays per day (pre or post conference) will attract accommodation charges of ¤25 or $30 for foreign delegates and Rs.1000 for Indian delegates. Once you express your interest for participation (latest by 9th August 2013) the relevant forms will be emailed to you. The detailed itinerary is in the brochure for reference to plan for your travel. Visit the website for DAIMUN 2013 www.daimun.org (under construction but should be up and running by the end of June) DAMUN Team, Dhirubhai Ambani International School,Mumbai
Students from Jordan do service in Palestine crossed the border on March 21 to work an effort to bring hope and inspiration to the village of Mas-ha. Faculty Members Emily Haug and Bowman Dickson escorted the students, who split up to form two separate groups of activities for children ages two to 10. The girls ran a kids day camp, where they played games, face-painted and created beaded accessories while the boys took on manual labor, which included repairing and painting rundown equipment at a community playground, planting and trash clean-ups. The ladies also visited a senior English class with their host – the headmistress
engage in conversations about cultural norms and bond with students through intercultural exchange. Evening Language and Thinking (L and T) sessions allowed for further discussion of topics ranging from aspirations, to the struggle for identity, to the PalestinianAccording to Haug, L and T sessions serve as a vehicle of empowerment and
The annual trip to Mas-ha also plays Palestinian students with their roots and gives them a chance to “come home,” Dickson noted. “It was fascinating watching students (of Palestinian origin) interact with the Palestinians and learn more about the political situation directly as opposed to just hearing the rhetoric about it,” he said. The trip was made possible with the made generous contributions through fundraising activities, including a dinner at the Student Union and a bake sale, both of which took place earlier in the year.
the trip. “We hear people of the village talk about how powerless they feel,” Haug said. “When we come in, they know we can share their story, and that helps them feel empowered.”
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REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF
Every Day is Earthday The students of DAIS planned Earth day Activities in a democratic manner. Student council members went to each and every class and explain the
Students of Grades 1 and 2 enthusiastically pledged to help conserve the environment through a poster making activity to build awareness of conserving natural resources at school. Earth day Poster outlining this message were printed on was distributed amongst two students. The results were pinned up around the school to spread awareness. Grades 3 and 4 students planted
3A, 3B, 4A and 4B planted plant species like Jasmine in the DAIS school premises.
the plants found on the school premises. The students were divided into smaller groups of 10 students and had to make labels for each of these species from recycled paper with interesting facts about them and place it as a placard on the trees. Grade 7 was allocated the task of calculating the carbon footprint as a part of the learning process to understand wastage of natural resources. The data is to be calculated once every 15 days and these results to be shared with all other students at school, thus ensuring that every student is made aware of the carbon footprint that the school generates, and measures can be formulated to reduce this environmental impact. This will be an ongoing process as a part of the schools Round Square and Nature Club activities throughout the year.
research the botanical names of all
VI Eye Camp From entering into the interview room unaware of what we will be questioned upon to leaving the eye camp having weeks gave us more experience than a lifetime would have‌ The VI Eye Camp by The Daly College, Ermitage and Choitram Netralaya was held from 4th to 7th March, 2013. This year our campsite was Mehek Vatika garden. The Daly College and exchange students formed a team of 19 highly energetic children who were selected through an interview along with four teachers. Ten days before the camp started, we went to various places near the campsite to distribute pamphlets and to tell the rural people about the eye camp. It was very overwhelming for us to see the conditions in which people of our country have to live in. The living conditions of the people there motivated us furthermore to give our best, work hard and treat as many people as we could. We went from house to house persuading people to come for the eye camp this year. We were also trained about the eye camp during the 10 days. We received the French students on 2nd March. We went campaigning with them
that day. It was very surprising to see how quickly they quickly learnt Hindi words and were propagating the eye camp in Hindi on their own! On 3rd March, we had set up the camp site ourselves. All of us did a lot of hard work and set up shelters for the people. It was then that we realized how tiresome that job was. By the end of the day, we all went to bed well aware that a big day was to follow‌ As we reached the campsite, all of us were set to work. By the end of Day 1 all by us. We had 1275 registrations. The spectacles distributed were 1092 and 75 cataract patients were detected. We were all glad having such an amazing days passed by, we all became well set with our tasks. Also, there was a very special bonding that had formed between the Daly- Ermitage students. The Ermitage students were so enthusiastic about learning Hindi that by the 4th day of the eye camp, there were quite a lot of French students screening the rural people in Hindi without us having to assist them. This eye camp was the most successful
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cataracts were detected of which 275 were treated. Through this eye camp we did not only help others who needed our support, but we also learnt about our responsibilities towards the weaker sections of the society.
REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF
The British School reach out to the wider community At The British School, we have always valued Service as an integral part of our curriculum. We strongly believe in reaching out to the wider community. Our youngest students contribute as much to the various NGOs that we support. For example in the year 2012-13, the primary school students focused on interactions with Help Age (Old age home), Deepalaya, Arohan and Jamghat. Preparing teaching materials, planning and hosting events, teaching computers etc. have been some of the activities that the students have been involved in. The students collected and donated a variety of items like laptops, books, board games, recycled paper and everyday utility items (soaps, surf) to all the NGOs we work with – Deepalaya, Help Age home, CanKids and Arohan. The school community
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organised a carnival on Christmas and invited Arohan and Help Age residents. It was a very interactive session and all the students and teachers involved felt a huge sense of satisfaction for their efforts. Our senior students have had lots of interactive sessions with Annapoorna every Friday after school hours. The skills taught include Art, Music, Drama, ICT and Dance. On 3rd February 2013, the school had
cure cancer. The CSR department encouraged the students to participate in this walk for several days. As a result, the turnout was quite impressive.
Three Day Adventure Trip
DIWALI Festival of Lights
The British School offers the IAYP a.k.a. Duke of Edinburgh Award program with a purpose of encouraging young people to undertake a balanced programme of activities in order to promote self development.
Diwali, a festival of lights, was collectively celebrated by all the members of the British school community on 9th November.
As a part of this programme, the students form Years 9 and 10 went on a three day adventure trip to Dhauj. While camping at the foothills of the ancient Aravali range, the students involved themselves in various activities ranging from cooking to rock climbing. Such outdoor activities presented students with an opportunity to overcome physical challenges as well as their psychological fears and along the way led them to promote personal growth and self discovery. Furthermore, this trip not only engaged individually but also as a team as it emphasized on team building and group dynamics under challenging circumstances. Overall, this trip fostered a spirit of adventure within the students. Our annual class trips to various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were well received by the students, who participated in a variety of activities with great enthusiasm.
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The internationalism pillar of Round Square aims to promote a shared understanding of different cultures and religions and this is precisely what we aimed to achieve through the Diwali Mela. The message of this joyous Hindu festival was shared among students from different cultures and religions through the use of multi-languages, for instance, Spanish, French, and Chinese among many others. In addition, the numerous stalls at the event promoted collective happiness, which truly embodied the spirit of this festival as well as gave an opportunity to students who gain a better understanding of the Indian tradition. On the whole, the Mela promoted the philosophy that any celebration of hope, friendship and goodwill transcends religious divisions and should be embraced by the entire community. We were able to raise a sum of Rs. 15,000 from the mela.