April 2012
Learning in an international community Impacts of multilingualism Scholars broaden perspectives International approach to music
Our international community
Many articles in this edition have expanded content in eDunia—look for the symbol as you read the magazine and visit eDunia for more photos, video, music and expanded content. Other stories only featured in eDunia:
Welcome to the second edition of print Dunia for the 2011/2012 academic year. In this edition, we have several articles focused on the international nature of our community and the impact that this, and multilingualism, has on our students. The diversity of our community is real cause for celebration and is an enormously important part of the educational experience we offer students. Without an appreciation for other cultures and languages, without an understanding of the national history and current geopolitical position of other countries, our students cannot become effective global citizens and leaders. There is no doubt that learning in an environment that contains more then 60 nationalities gives our students a perspective on how the world works that they would not otherwise have. The UWC movement was founded by Kurt Hahn, with a mission to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Hahn lived through two World Wars and was adamant that he would do all that he could to ensure that successive generations would not have to endure a similar experience. He thought that the best way to promote international understanding was to bring together young people from different cultures and backgrounds. Looking at our students interacting with one another today, in the classroom, on the sports field, in orchestras, in drama productions, through service projects and in those small, everyday interactions, it is easy to see that Hahn had the right idea. One of our new scholars this year said, “I’ve spent half a term here, and it’s been so amazing. I’m learning with people from all over the world, and we are so bonded, even though we are from different countries. We talk to each other like we’ve known each other all our lives.”
Top story Writers Fortnight Writers Fortnight at the start of Term 2 was just the beginning of the creative journey for many students. A showcase of writing from both campuses.
Primary School Another one of our students, also new to the College this year, said that he felt he was creating the kinds of friendships that would still be strong 50 years from now. These are exactly the kind of understandings and connections Hahn was hoping for, and they are alive and thriving in our school today.
Arts Festivals Preparation for the Arts Festival performances on Dover Campus were enhanced by the use of technology.
The Emperor’s New Clothes Staged by the East Junior Drama group.
The second term at the College was a busy one, as always. There is no doubt that one of the challenges for our students is to balance the sometimes competing demands on their time. Reading the articles in Dunia and additional articles and expanded content in eDunia, I am reminded of how well they rise to this challenge. It is remarkable how much they have achieved over the last few months. As exams begin for our older students, and transition to the next grade appears on the horizon for our younger ones, I wish them all the best for the coming final term of the year. I have no doubt we will be celebrating their many achievements once more in the next edition of Dunia.
Middle School
Warm regards
Royal Geographical Society
Julian
UWCSEA’s Geography Department took a leading role in setting up a branch of the Society in Singapore.
Development Unit Grade 6’s Development Unit opens eyes on both campuses.
High School Global Issues Network UWCSEA students from both campuses went to Manila for the GIN Conference.
Community For the Protection of Children The Centre for International Education hosted a number of events, including a workshop for High School students.
Activities ACSIS Football results East Campus football teams enjoyed success in the ACSIS tournament. 2
International community
The privilege and challenge of international education By James Dalziel Head of Campus – East
After teaching overseas for more than 13 years, my wife and I have amassed a long list of former international students with whom we make every effort to remain in touch. During a trip some years ago to Queen’s University in Canada, we took the opportunity to have lunch with a former student. This particular student held a Canadian passport, had grown up in Singapore and recently started university. Remembering what it was like to be a poor and hungry academic, we invited her to bring along some friends. When she walked in the door of the restaurant she introduced her new best friends, one from China, the second from India and the third from South America. All of them were foreign students to this Canadian university, all of them English second language speakers and all of them trying to decode the nuances of a seemingly quirky and impenetrable central Canadian culture. Drawn by the gravity of a shared struggle, our former student was connecting with these other international students in their shared experience. It would seem that her passport did not unlock the secrets to cultural integration. “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” – Wade Davis For our international school students, life can be very different. Different in terms of experiences, different in the way they learn to see the world and different in the way they associate with their culture. International school students are often described as being
more worldly, more open and more accepting. Opportunities to become plurilingual, to travel, to meet people and develop friendships from a wide variety of different backgrounds and nationalities are all part of the normal experience for our international school students. We often hear how our students at UWC South East Asia are “so confident” and “so able to speak with adults.” They are described as sophisticated for their age, and “cultivated” as a result of their exposure to a wide variety of cultures. While this experience can be an incredible privilege, it can also, at times, be a seemingly insurmountable trial. For some time, we have known that expat children have very different challenges when seeking to define their identity in cultural terms. Children who live and attend school in cultures outside their parents’ home or passport culture, when faced with the question, “Where are you from?” will pause (often wishing they could provide a succinct answer) and usually begin their response with, “Well, I was born in …” While this situation provides a tension while living abroad, it is minor compared with the potential pressure experienced when the student repatriates to the country that their passport declares as home but in which they have not grown up or lived. While expecting to return to the comfortable surroundings of home, they usually find that their international education has shaped their thinking in ways that are inaccessible to those living a more traditional, culturally-rooted lifestyle. When repatriation is coupled with the added excitement of starting university and leaving the relatively safe and comfortable lodgings provided by parents, the transition can be overwhelming.
Dover Other 19.46%
India 21.39%
Canada – 2.50% Netherlands – 2.50% Malaysia – 2.83%
UK 18.16%
Japan – 3.30% Rep. Korea – 6.62%
USA 8.24%
Australia – 7.22% Singapore – 7.78%
East Malaysia – 2.20% Canada – 2.41% Rep. Korea – 2.62%
Other 17.15%
UK 23.85%
Japan – 2.72% India 17.47%
New Zealand – 3.24% Singapore – 5.13%
USA 14.23%
Australia – 9.00%
It is a privilege to have an international experience, and even more so in an institution such as ours that places such a high value on intercultural understanding. Roger Peel expressed it well some time ago when he wrote, “It is not expected that students adopt alien points of view, merely that they are exposed to them and encouraged to respond intelligently. The end result, we hope, is a more compassionate population, a welcome manifestation of national diversity within an international framework of tolerant respect.” But it is not just our students who are held to these lofty challenges, it is our expectation that all members of our community seek to understand and value the unique ways in which various cultures have sought to make meaning within our world.
Reference: Peel, R. (1998) Education for Life, Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organisation
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The impacts of multilingualism By Frazer Cairns Head of Campus – Dover
Despite multilingual education dating back to the ancient world in a variety of different cultures, until relatively recently multilingualism was seen by many education researchers as an exceptional, even hazardous, phenomenon. Trying to learn through a language other than the language spoken at home (for example learning science in English rather than Japanese) was cited as the root of a number of difficulties: cognitive overload, semilingualism and language confusion to name but three. Learning through more than one language was, essentially, bad for you. This point of view obviously has profound implications for a school such as ours where a large proportion of the community is learning through a language other than their home language. It is not at all unusual to talk to parents who are worried that speaking their home language with their children will at best impede their progress in English and at worst confuse them so that they end up speaking no first language. Thankfully, modern educational research now sees multilingualism as a potential asset that provides learners with a strategic (and significant) advantage rather than as a cause for concern. As one might perhaps expect, speakers of multiple languages learn further languages more easily—they seem to have a higher metalinguistic awareness (in other words, they show a better understanding of the nature of linguistic structures) and a more analytical approach towards the social and pragmatic functions of language. However, more interestingly, research has suggested that a ‘uniqueness’ exists in the development of multilingual students when compared to their monolingual peers.
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“Empirical research has shown that plurilinguals ‘know things’ that transcend the purely linguistic level,” according to Laurent Gajo, a professor at the University of Geneva. In Gajo’s view of learning, the different languages interact and combine to generate, not the simple addition of distinct competences (i.e., not just two monolingual halves welded together), but rather an original, individual, complex competence on which the user may draw. Speaking multiple languages, it seems, makes you better not just at other languages, but also more creative and better at mathematics, science or history.
It is important to say that learning through a language other than your home language is not an easy option or one that will yield instant results. Though many children attain basic communicative competence in a language relatively quickly, the more specific language demanded in an educational setting takes longer to acquire, and most students initially see a drop in their overall performance as they try to adjust. Much will depend on personal factors such as motivation, the child’s communicative needs and levels of anxiety, however, in the medium term, the drop is usually compensated for. Over time, a multilingual child usually regains their age-appropriate progress, often times surpassing their monolingual peers. Should you, then, speak to your child in English at home if it is not their mother language? No. For a child learning in a second language there is considerable research on the vital important of maintaining their mother tongue. Skills acquired in the first language can be transferred to the second language so, for example, if your child has developed good reading skills in Japanese, she is likely to be able to apply these skills when reading English. (One useful
reading skill is the ability to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from context.) Similarly, the skills of being able to plan out a piece of writing or develop an argument in a persuasive essay can be applied in the second language once they have been learned in the first.
Many children in international schools plan to return to their home country at some point to continue their education. Students who neglect their mother tongue can often suffer from problems of identity loss or distance from their parents, and from other family members in their home country. Both of these are strong reasons to make sure they do not have gaps in their mother tongue. Educational research has generated more than its fair share of false conclusions—playing Bach to your children and having potted plants in the classroom does not necessarily make them better at maths. It is important to recognise that the range of factors that go together to generate the positive consequences of multilingualism are not as yet fully understood, and that much will depend on the personal factors mentioned above. The choices of the institution (for instance, its language curricula and its teaching methodology) will also have a critical influence on a learner’s willingness, or reluctance, to transfer resources from one context into another. This year at UWCSEA, a working group of staff has been reviewing the language policy of the College with a view to making recommendations for change. The group is due to present its findings later in the year, but what has become clear is the importance of the strategic and transferable skills that multilingualism can bring to our students as they face a complex and rapidly changing world.
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Our scholars broaden perspectives multilingual and as a group they speak 41 different languages. The enthusiasm of the Senior House boarders, many of them scholars, to contributing to the International Mother Language Day activities organised on Dover Campus on 21 February was another example of the way in which scholars contribute to the rich cultural diversity we enjoy in the College community. Total percentage of scholars by continent, academic year 2011-2012 South America 12% Asia 34%
North/Central America 15%
We are enormously proud of our scholars, not just because of the impact they have on the world when they leave the College, but because of the positive impact they have on our international community. The UWCSEA Scholarship Programme supports 67 scholars from 33 countries, with students from as far afield as Guatemala, Senegal and the Czech Republic, and large representations of students from Asia, Central and South America and Africa. This academic year, we have also begun welcoming our first Singaporean scholars. In addition to the Grade 11 and 12 scholarships awarded by UWC National Committees in their home country, the College awards three-year and five-year scholarships that commence in Grades 10 and 8 respectively. This allows students of promise and potential to develop English language and other academic skills that will enable them to successfully complete the IB Diploma programme. The College community benefits tremendously from the presence of our scholarship students. The diversity they provide enriches the everyday life on the campuses, and their commitment to making the most of
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their opportunities ensures that they are actively engaged in the school community. They bring a fresh, and sometimes powerful and personal, perspective to their fellow students and the whole community. It is one thing to learn about conflict as part of your Unit of Inquiry in Grade 5; it is quite another to have a fellow student visit your class and share a personal story about how conflict has impacted on their family: “One sunny day last week, Liam came home and told me that his class had a special visit from some of the older kids [scholars] at the College. He proceeded to recount each one’s traumatic experience being a child in a war-torn region. He was obviously quite moved by the whole discussion, and knowing my son, I could tell that he felt proud to be a member of the same student body as these children, who are heroes in his eyes.” Lori Kaufman, parent of Liam Grade 5, 2012, UWCSEA East Given our scholars come from a diverse range of educational and cultural backgrounds, it is not surprising that a recent survey of scholars revealed that, while they all have English as a common language (but not always their first language), the majority are
Africa 18%
Europe 21%
If you would like to learn more or support the Scholarship Programme directly though the UWCSEA Foundation’s Annual Fund, please visit http://foundation.uwcsea.edu.sg.
Further reading on our international community can be found in the Community section in eDunia. • Diana Smit, East Campus Primary Learning Support Teacher and co-author Dr Lisa Pittman talk about the benefits and challenges of being an expat teen, based on research for their book Expat Teens Talk. They outline initiatives developed by UWCSEA alumni to help them cope at university. • Ilse Veenbaas-Boersma, Dover PE Teacher, provides a personal account of how to address the ideas of ‘Third Culture Kids’ with your children.
International Mother Language Day honours linguistic traditions By Frankie Meehan Teacher of ESOL and TOK MS Local Service Coordinator When I invited Senior House boarding students to join in the planning of events for International Mother Language Day 2012, nearly 60 students offered to help. Here was a chance— they seemed to be saying—to celebrate not just a precious part of their own identity but also the riches of language diversity. Those students represented 35 different languages, including not just the larger European and Asian languages, but also Krio (Sierra Leone), Oshiwambo (Namibia), Papiamentu (Netherlands Antilles), Tetum (East Timor), Telugu (southeast India), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda) and Haitian Creole. We are fortunate to have dozens of other languages in our College community,
and on 21 February, I enjoyed listening both to the languages themselves and to conversations about language. In a Middle School Maths lesson, for example, students examined the number words in their various home languages and spotted surprising patterns. Languages as apparently different as Hindi/Urdu (ek, do, ti:n), Welsh (un, dau, tri), Greek (éna, dhío, tría) and English (one, two, three) turn out to be related through a common ‘ancestor.’ Languages are a storehouse of cultural knowledge and different ways of looking at the world, so in losing them we lose more than just words. It is heartening to know, therefore, that every year about 300 of our IB Diploma students study Group 1 languages other than English. They include students who are the sole speakers of their language
on campus but who, nevertheless, follow a ‘school supported’ model that comprises lessons in the study of literature. With languages dying at a rate of one every two weeks, these students are ‘taking good care of mother.’ UNESCO launched International Mother Language Day in 2000 “to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.” It makes sense for UWCSEA to celebrate a day that is so well aligned with our own mission and philosophy. Expect more noise next year! A full report of the event on both Dover and East campuses can be found on eDunia, including some video footage and interviews.
THIMUN 2012: the unforgettable school trip By Nikita Mathur, Grade 11 Here we were, 16 newbies from all over the world flown in to Schiphol from Singapore, attending the world’s biggest High School Model United Nations conference to represent Pakistan. The first morning had us all calming the butterflies in our stomachs. However, almost instantaneously, on reaching the World Forum Center, a feeling of elation overcame each and every one of us as we joined 4,000 students from every corner of the world in what would be the beginning of an unforgettable week. As the days continued, the debate quality intensified, and we found friends in the most unexpected people. Through the Model United Nations tradition of note-passing, many of us got to know both delegates and our committee chairs from all over the world. Our delegation Ambassador Kumba Seddu, UWCSEA scholar from Sierra Leone couldn’t “believe the friends that THIMUN brought to [her].”
She also added, “THIMUN gave the opportunity to act as an ambassador of Pakistan to the UN for a week. I was actually able to sense what it felt like to have the world at heart and make decisions that will benefit the entire human race. It was a wonderful and life changing experience.” An unforgettable aspect of the trip was also when we bonded with students at UWC Maastricht. Meeting students from another UWC was surreal—we all instantly bonded, as though we’d known each other for years, and I think we can all say that we felt the UWC spirit and connection. Ludmila Brito, a scholar from Brazil summarizes the week, “A week of MUN is just too little—we should have a month! I spent the conference believing, talking and making friends that I will never forget. It is just amazing to see that the youth is so engaged. We were representing other countries, understanding and trying to find an
agreement about important issues that change every person’s life, and trying to reach global harmony. Full of emotions, I learned so much about other people, about myself, about confidence and about friendship. It was unforgettable.” UWCSEA sends delegations to several MUN conferences around the world each year. Read more about the IASAS MUN in Manila, MUN Singapore event and much more on THIMUN in eDunia.
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International approach to music on East
Arts education is a key feature of a UWCSEA education. In the East Campus Music Department, a new approach to the curriculum is being developed that supports the College’s commitment to international mindedness. A conversation with Mark Bradshaw, Head of the Music Department, reveals more about the exciting developments. Underpinning the new approach is Mark’s belief that music is not a universal language, but rather a universal common experience. From this perspective, the experience of music allows people from dramatically different cultures or traditions to connect with both the music and each other. Western music traditions have long been at the centre of music education with spotlights on ‘world music’ included as supplements to the curriculum. The UWCSEA East Music Department is moving toward a greater emphasis on music education that equally values and teaches a range of musical traditions including Western, Southeast Asian, South American, African and Indian musical styles and instruments.
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Consistent with UWC’s mission to “unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future” and the IB philosophy to “develop internationally minded people,” this new direction supports student learning in several ways. Most importantly, students will develop their awareness and understanding of ‘otherness’ and will recognise and value other peoples’ perspectives. According to Mark, “We can help students to develop the confidence to welcome the unknown—not to pre-judge it—and to have strategies to be able to begin to understand it through its contexts, structures and music.” In addition, Mark hopes to open up music to non-specialist musicians who will—alongside the Western instruments and ensembles on offer—have the opportunity to learn a non-Western instrument from an experienced teacher and play in a non-Western ensemble. From August, IB Diploma students will be able to develop their CAS profile by learning an ab initio instrument and benefit from both ensemble and individual lesson opportunities for these unfamiliar instruments.
Sourcing international instruments is key to offering students these experiences. The Music Department already has a variety of South American and African instruments, and students participate in a Samba band led by Pablo Calzado. In early April, Craig Coutts and Mark travelled to Bali where negotiations are in progress to buy a gamelan. This collection of instruments is played by a group to produce a distinctive performance that depends equally on each musician. The lessons that come from these international instruments go far beyond how to play them. In Balinese gamelan, and in the Brazilian Samba Band for example, the ensemble is emphasised over all else—everyone needs everyone else to make the music work. By contrast, many Western musical styles—think of the classical concerto, the bebop jazz combo, the vocal star— emphasise the individual. Mark believes the challenges ahead are worthwhile in fulfilling the IB programme aim and the UWC mission. Every opportunity to help students better understand other cultures and one another is a further fulfilment of our mission.
Theatresports competition forms new friendships Theatre is by its nature inclusive, and the Theatresports festival is a perfect example of how bringing together a group of students, with diverse nationalities, cultural backgrounds and educational experiences can create magic. This year’s Improv Festival, run by the Drama Department culminated in two nights of intense Theatresports competition in the Small Hall on Dover Campus on 17 and 18 February. The third time the Festival has been run, this year’s event saw 10 competitors from UWCSEA Dover join with 6 guests from Singapore’s Dunman High and 2 from Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa. The four teams competed for the Sir Stamford Raffles Cup in a game-based theatre format, where teams challenged one another based on audience input. The mix of nationalities and openness of the participants made Theatresports the success it was. “We arrived and started doing workshops but more importantly we started to get to know the other actors and the feeling of
Photos by Henry Chang
nervousness disappeared. We were at a different UWC and things felt very different. What felt the same, however, was the emphasis on the group over the individual. We were all genuinely pleased for each other when we did well. You really put yourself out there when you improvise and having a group of people, most of whom are competing against you, support you, makes it a lot easier,” said Oliver Mills, who travelled from Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa in Swaziland to participate. While some audience members may have been nervous about their potential involvement in an improv theatre competition, taking part was easy and fun—and essential to the success of the event. “I really liked the ape, who hyped up the whole festival and kept the audience happy and dancing. The audience participation was also good, and it helped us a lot when it came to ideas,” said Lerato Mokoena, also from Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa.
After an energetic two nights of performance and competition, team Siyavuma (Oliver Mills, Lerato Mokoena, plus UWCSEA’s Advait Padhye and Ruben Baartscheer), took home the gold medals and the Sir Stamford Raffles Cup. Equal second place went to Dunman High’s Yes man 3 and UWCSEA Dover’s Los Improvisadores, while Say What?, also from UWCSEA Dover, placed third. The bonding and friendship created by the workshops and the performances is as important as the competition, and we hope to continue to the tradition of hosting students from around the world to this annual event. “During the 10 days, I learnt a lot about improvisation through the excellent workshops and loved performing and having fun on stage. Seeing another UWC operating very differently but achieving a very similar aim was fascinating. It was when I met the people that I realised the similarities of UWC students. I feel, therefore, that the tournament was as rewarding as it was because of the people I met,” said Oliver Mills.
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Academics
Student-led conferences reinforce learning By Mary van der Heijden Vice Principal (Curriculum) Primary School – East An essential part of our assessment and reporting process on both campuses are student-led conferences (SLCs). The students in the Primary Schools reflect on their learning and lead the conference for their parents. Each class identifies the key areas of learning, and the students then work through activities at different stations, all the time explaining their learning. This gives parents a window into the kind of activities the students are involved in on a daily basis and also allows them to share in their child’s learning. The students also share their learning portfolios, which are comprised of work samples from different subject areas that have been chosen and reflected on with the teacher and student. At the
end of the school year, the students proudly take their portfolios home to keep as a record of their learning over the year. One of the very special aspects of the SLCs is that each area of the curriculum is seen in action. Parents are encouraged to work in partnership with their children in PE, Music, Art and Languages in different areas of the school, as well as in their home classroom. The day empowers students to demonstrate their learning and gives them an opportunity to talk about how they learn, as well as what they’ve learned. It in turn gives parents greater insight into both how and what their children learn thereby enabling them to reinforce the knowledge and skills at home.
Photos by Joseph Tan and East Campus staff
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UWCSEA Dover welcomes the Year of the Dragon By Dawn Hull Head of Asian Languages (Primary) – Dover The Year of the Dragon started with a roar with a lively lion dance on the Friday before Chinese New Year. Head of Dover Campus, Frazer Cairns was on hand to receive the lettuce (sheng cai) and mandarin oranges which symbolise wealth and prosperity, while the lions were facing the new building to ensure a flow of good luck. Infant School students, resplendent in their traditional Chinese New Year colours of red, orange and yellow, were in good voice as they sang popular New Year songs. The festivities continued at lunchtime with a mini Chinese fair where Junior School students could try Chinese calligraphy, ‘kick the shuttlecock,’ attempt the lion dance or buy a range of Chinese goodies.
Throughout the week before the Chinese New Year break, the Asian Languages Department also organised a number of curriculum-related activities to celebrate this important festival. Middle School students went to Chinatown on a treasure hunt to find important items for Chinese New Year, while High School students made delicious dumplings in class. This lively week of activities heralded a strong start to the Year of the Dragon on Dover Campus.
Renowned physicist gives students a glimpse of the universe By Jasper Hancock, Grade 11, Dover On Friday, 20 January, UWCSEA was fortunate enough to host John Ellis, one of the most established minds in the world of theoretical physics, for a lunchtime lecture. Professor Ellis’s cornucopia of contributions to particle
physics span several decades, but he has most recently been prominently known as a leading researcher at CERN’s particle accelerator, the LHC (large hadron collider), which most physicists would concur to be by far the most exciting piece of scientific equipment to be devised in decades. The professor’s talk was fascinating due to his calm and measured demeanor as he talked of his work at CERN and the LHC; experiences that sound as if they could have been directly lifted from a fantastic science fiction novel. He listed the physical features of the LHC, which frankly are sheer miracles of modern engineering, as though they were just bullet points on CERN’s office supply list. Professor Ellis told us that the evacuated 27km particle accelerator contain so few atoms that they are the emptiest part of our solar system. He mentioned that the super coolant used for the magnets used in the LHC have a temperature of 2.1K, making them colder than outer space and the coldest
place in our galaxy. He stated that the huge energies released within the LHC actually create the hottest place in the galaxy, right here on Earth. The lecture was overflowing with stories of incredible occurrences within the domain of physics, and the way they seemed wholly unremarkable to the professor truly served to stir a sense of awe and amazement about the world of particle physics. These are very exciting and profound times for physicists, yet Professor Ellis described these remarkable events in a way that was accessible to the students, with the only mathematics present being printed on his t-shirt. The UWCSEA community was exceedingly fortunate to be able to catch an insider’s glimpse of the cutting edge of research in physics from the professor’s presentation, and we are immensely grateful and appreciative to Professor Ellis for taking the time to speak to us.
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Reading Workshop strategies build lifelong skills By Steve Meade Deputy Head of Campus – East John Locke (1632–1704) stated that, “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” At the UWCSEA East Campus this academic year, reading has been a major focus for our Primary School teachers. Our K2–G5 teachers have been working closely with an experienced consultant, Maggie Moon, to implement Reading Workshop with an overarching aim of improving student reading proficiency. Maggie Moon was a Staff Developer for The Reading and Writing Project, at Teachers College, Columbia University. Since moving abroad, she has worked with many international schools in Southeast Asia. Maggie will return to the East Campus in April and May this year to continue working on reading with our Primary School teachers.
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Earlier this year, Maggie also presented two parent workshops on the Reading Workshop model. Reading Workshop is an instructional model that marries explicit instruction in reading strategies with opportunities for students to practice each reading strategy independently, with a peer and in small groups. This model emphasises the importance of student engagement and the interaction between readers and text. It provides differentiated instruction in reading. Reading Workshop focuses on the teaching of reading strategies with an aim to foster independence among readers. There are seven important strategies that all readers must be able to apply to text in order to read and understand content. These comprehension skills are key to literacy development: • predicting • accessing background knowledge
• envisioning/visualising • connecting (to your life, to another text, to the world) • questioning • monitoring for meaning • inferring • accumulating • synthesizing • interpreting • critiquing In Reading Workshop, we stress routines and practices. It is very important that students understand what is expected of them and that they will be required to use reading strategies and be able to articulate their thinking. With this professional development for teachers and the learning enhancements for students, reading skills are sure to improve among Primary students.
UWCSEA’s commitment to professional learning By Steve Meade Deputy Head of Campus – East What teachers know, do and believe has a major influence on what students learn. At UWCSEA, we strongly believe that to improve the quality of teaching and learning, we must invest in the learning of teachers. A teacher’s professional learning journey is an ongoing process of inquiry into and reflection on their practice, punctuated by learning activities and programmes designed to enhance their professional knowledge, skills and attitudes. This process of growth and development provides opportunities for teachers to examine and challenge their assumptions about their role, experiment with teaching strategies and develop a deeper understanding of their subject content, the students they teach and how their students learn. Teachers need to be provided with opportunities to learn; they must also be open to learning. A commitment
to the professional growth of every teacher is supported with professional learning opportunities that respect and acknowledge that teachers are adult learners who learn in different ways, come from different backgrounds, work in a variety of context specific settings and cater for the needs of diverse students. We all know that to improve at something, you have to practise. And if you want to learn more about something, you have to study. At UWCSEA, we approach professional learning in the same way. Professional learning for teachers at the East Campus has been a major focus for our community this academic year. Every Wednesday afternoon, teams of teachers meet to inquire into and reflect on their practice with an overarching aim of improving student learning. Examples of professional learning workshops for teachers at East this year include:
• The implementation of Reading Workshop in K1–G5 • A balanced approach to student assessment • Differentiation of instruction to support the diverse needs of our students • Use of technology as a tool to enhance student learning In addition to our Professional Learning workshops conducted on Wednesday afternoons, we also have two professional learning days this year for teachers when students are not at school. On these professional learning days, we also engage in the study and practise of new skills and knowledge, based on research, to improve student learning. Teachers will continue this great learning and worthwhile dialogue throughout their time at UWCSEA.
PE teachers participate in a training led by the Digital Literacy Coaches on using video capture and playback to enhance formative assessment and feedback.
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Activities
OPUS
2012
“Thank you for such a memorable and inspiring evening. As always, the performance was meticulously rehearsed and performed, and it reminded me yet again why I am so delighted that my children are living the UWCSEA experience. The weekends given up and the long hours’ dedication to ensuring that Opus was the overwhelming success it was is a credit to everyone on stage and behind the scenes. Last year was Ottilie’s first Opus performance and again, I was so very impressed by the extraordinary quality of an event from a school that is not a dedicated music scholars establishment—you would never guess! Please pass on our appreciation to everyone involved, including the lovely Paula who joined the UWCSEA staff in August and for whom this was her first Opus.” Aloise Price Parent
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“I had the pleasure of attending Opus 2012 last night and want to congratulate the Music Department on an extraordinary performance. It was truly breathtaking! Your ability to bring together a multitude of students across a range of grade levels and produce such high quality, sophisticated performances is an absolute credit to all of you. I truly appreciate the hours of rehearsal, planning and collaboration involved in producing such a high quality performance. Please convey my congratulations to all members of the Music Department for the work each and every one of them has played over the years in producing students who have the confidence and ability to perform this polished, entertaining performance—an incredibly powerful learning experience for our students. Bravo to all.” Steve Meade Deputy Head of Campus – East
“It is the first time that I have performed in such a big venue … Even Singaporeans dream of performing in the Esplanade. It was also my first time to see such professional orchestras, ensembles and choirs. It was quite overwhelming.” Chi Huynh Grade 11 scholar from Vietnam “We have no words for the magnificence of last night’s performance and will be forever grateful for the opportunities afforded to our two boys by all the team in the Music Department. As Jonathan prepares to move on, I can only hope that Mike will choose to be a part of the music life of the College as with Jon’s departure we also feel a sense of imminent loss. Thank you for the memories.” Rhona Chapman Parent
“Opus last night was a supremely impressive performance! Each piece was thoughtfully chosen and passionately performed. If one were to have stood outside the hall, it would have been difficult to tell if it was a professional orchestra and arioso or school children. It required talent, hard work and organisation, and the Opus team did it! Congratulations! I am so proud that my daughter Malaika (Grade 6), even though she has joined in the January term only, was chosen to be a part of this performance. It is an experience she will remember for years, and a lesson that talent alone is not enough—practice and discipline are equally important to put forth a great show. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening.”
“What a beautiful concert last night. Congratulations on all the pieces played throughout the evening and a special ‘bravo’ for your composition ‘Gold.’ Really amazing! Matthieu said: ‘Poor Mr Hill, he worked all his holiday for it.’ Well, it was well rewarded!” Cathy Pool Parent “I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed listening to the Symphonic Band and the Orchestra at last night’s Opus performance. If I hadn’t been so self-conscious, I would have jumped up to give standing ovations! It’s wonderful to have moments when one’s spirit can’t help but soar. Please give my congratulations to your musicians. Such poise! Such talent!” Althea Besa Parent
Atiya Kazi Parent Photo by Tom Soper
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Jungle Book
Photos by Tom Soper
By Jamie Cant, Teacher of Theatre Arts and Drama – Dover
packs roam the back streets and alleyways.
The Grade 8 production of The Jungle Book in March on Dover Campus was a re-imagining of Rudyard Kipling’s original tale told through fast moving drama, hip hop dance and song. The superb ensemble cast of Grade 8 students breathed new, raucous life into this classic, which gave students an opportunity to perform a challenging ‘rite of passage’ piece, set in a city where savage, territorial gangs and
The Jungle Book featured Grade 8 students on stage demonstrating the skills, abilities and confidence that they have developed over the course of their involvement in the Middle School Drama programme. The production was a collaborative effort across several schools, providing High School arts students with valuable opportunities to work in rehearsal and back stage in essential supporting roles. Grade 9
An exciting milestone was reached at UWCSEA East in March with the production of the first Middle School play, Sleeping Beauty. The play ran to sell-out audiences with a talented cast comprised of 33 Middle School students across Grades 6–8.
by a genuine love for performance and an enjoyment of this play. As a group they were a delight to work with as a result of their focus, discipline, dedication and, most importantly, their sense of humour. This cast made rehearsals fun for all involved, and this is a great credit to them.”
Drama Department Head and Sleeping Beauty co-director, Bronwyn Bye, shared that the students involved had had “diverse drama and theatre experiences previously, but were united
Like most large productions, support and collaboration came from across the College community. In addition to the Drama Department faculty and
Sleeping Beauty
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GCSE Drama students mentored the Grade 8 actors, according to their areas of expertise, and, together with Grade 11 and 12 IB Theatre students, were also involved in a number of substantial production roles including costumes and make up, lighting and sound. Of significance to this production was the music, which was rearranged and performed by Grade 11 Music student Victor Repkow and teacher mentors Miles Tranter and Helen Rhodes (vocals), based on an original score.
Middle School cast, a group of Grade 9 IGCSE students did the cast’s makeup each night, the Facilities Department constructed the set and Grade 10 student Jamie Lynn Buitelaar served as the Stage Manager. Congratulations to the Drama Department and all the cast and crew for an outstanding first Middle School production at UWCSEA East. See eDunia for expanded coverage including a slideshow and cast list.
Shows of strength at SEASAC By Mike Staples Director of Sports, Activities and Expeditions – Dover This year, the Dover Campus maintained its hold on SEASAC, topping the rankings of the best schools in Southeast Asia with seven Championship winning teams. These results, three winning teams ahead of last year’s tally, are remarkable, considering that Season 1 football and volleyball teams could not travel due to the Bangkok floods and that we could not enter gymnastics due to the completion of our superb Gymnastics Centre.
We congratulate the High School SEASAC winning teams this year: Girls Touch, Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Swimming, Boys Softball and Boys Cross Country. Special mention should go our Cross Country Team who competed in the inaugural SEASAC Cross Country Championships here in Singapore (with the boys team winning first place) and to the Boys Softball Team who won SEASAC gold for the first time in UWCSEA history.
We hosted three SEASAC Championships this year, Cross Country, Tennis and Swimming, and we should thank our fantastic UWCSEA Physical Education Department, Sports Coordinators, and support staff for ensuring terrific sporting occasions for our athletes in which to compete at the highest level. A special mention is owed to our Parents Swimming Committee who supported the officiating and organisation of one of the best SEASAC Swimming events the conference has seen. A full write-up on all the individual SEASAC events can be found on eDunia.
SEASAC results 2011/2012 Boys
Girls
Football
No event – Bangkok floods
No event – Bangkok floods
Volleyball
No event – Bangkok floods
No event – Bangkok floods
Rugby/Touch
4th
1st
Basketball
1st
1st
Tennis
3rd
4th
Swimming
1st
1st
Softball
1st
5th
Badminton
3rd
2nd
Cross Country
1st
2nd
Golf
3rd
2nd
Next year, we have the unenviable task of upping this year’s results. However, with a review of the training programme, hard pre-season commitment to training, and more competition leading into the tournaments, we can, I am sure, raise the bar again. We look forward to seeing you supporting your UWCSEA Sports teams at the SEASAC Boys Football, Gymnastics and Girls Softball that we will be hosting at Dover next year. 17
Service
In service of trees By Nathan Hunt Head of Theory of Knowledge – Dover and Frankie Meehan Teacher of ESOL and TOK/ MS Local Service Coordinator Readers of Dunia will already be aware of the importance placed on trees at UWCSEA in making the College a literally greener institution. The sponsored tree-planting programme at both campuses is progressing well, and the work of Frankie Meehan’s Forty Trees for Forty Years Project continues to document the notable species at Dover and the memories associated with them. Walking around campus, you will see an increasing number of metal plaques that the group have placed to celebrate this biodiversity as well as the human connection with individual specimens. The Rainforest Global Concern group has also been very busy this academic year. This High School group raises native and naturalised species in the nursery opposite Mahindra Boarding
House. Having already planted out seven saplings at East last year, our effort turned to preparing more specimens for planting at Dover on UWC Day in December 2011. In equatorial conditions, trees can grow very fast so our weekly routine mainly involves repotting the seedlings in ever larger pots. We use an organic, locally-produced compost as a growing medium as well as feeding the trees with worm compost fertilizer. Despite the seeming abundance of rainfall in Singapore, watering the plants is a major task too as a few dry days in the tropical heat can put young plants under severe stress. We also have to contend as best we can with fungal and ant attacks without resorting to chemical pesticides, so by the end of the lunch time session we’re normally dirty, itchy and sweaty—probably not the best way to start afternoon lessons but a valuable change from the hours spent in front of our laptops in airconditioned classrooms.
Thus, it was a great reward for our efforts to see over 25 saplings planted on UWC Day with help from students of 10GSe and 11AAr and Head Gardener Andy Tan’s hard working grounds team. Our concept has always been to increase tree biodiversity on campus, especially of local varieties, as many of the species planted in the past were ‘exotics’ originating elsewhere in the tropics and grown for their aesthetic and practical qualities, not necessarily for their wildlife benefit. Indigenous species attract more local and often rare varieties of insects and birds. Thus, over seven species were chosen, including those normally found in Southeast Asian rainforests such as Millettia atropurpurea as well as those more commonly found on sandy shores and coastal swamps such as Calophyllum inophyllum and Barringtonia asiatica. As well as improving biodiversity on campus, many of the species have attractive fruits and flowers, and all Photos by Henry Chang
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have traditionally been culturally and economically important to humans in our region for reasons as diverse as providing fodder for livestock, waymarks for travellers and poisons for killing fish as well, of course, as valuable timber for boatbuilding, house construction, furniture and a myriad of other uses. However, readers can be assured that we’ve no plans to chop them down for use in future or extract any poisons for use on campus! Our next planting session will be in Term 3 this year when we hope to find a few spaces round the newly constructed building at Dover Campus. This will include planting out a Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) sapling of which we are immensely proud—the tree was raised from a seed of one of the two removed when the construction of the new building began. It was one of the very few seeds that germinated and the only seedling to survive; with a lot of care and affection, it is now ready to re-occupy the
position where its beautiful parent once stood! Many of us had a lot of affection for these trees—their wide green canopies periodically covered in bright yellow flowers or hundreds of ‘copper pod’ seeds at others were a fantastic sight, especially from the upper floors of the Humanities block. We will do our best to ensure their only offspring survives to make up for at least some of that loss. A new five-storey building of steel and concrete can never really be cited as an example of sustainable development, however energy efficient it is, but this young sapling will perhaps serve as yet another pointer to the direction we should be heading. There are plenty more initiatives afoot that are working towards this goal, and we hope to be writing about more of these in future issues of Dunia. Lastly, if this young sapling reaches maturity to grace the entrance to the new building, it will serve as a tribute to the many hours of hard work put into the nursery by some of our
current Grade 12 students due to leave the College in May. Of special note are retiring Head of the GC, Sohko Shimada, and one of the founding members of the group (way back as a Grade 6 student!), Victoria Emerson, whose legendary affection for worms has done much to keep our compost healthy. We wish them and all our Grade 12 helpers all the best and hope they come back in 20 years to see a magnificent Yellow Flame bearing witness to the interest and care they showed for their campus. We hope to make them very proud. Interestingly our new GC Head, Aaeysha Fazal, is the younger sister of Bilal Fazaal (Class of 2011) who was another founding member. There’s definitely something about growing trees that’s infectious … If anyone is interesting in seeing the nursery or finding out more about the Rainforest Nursery project (we can even supply you with a free native tree for your garden!) then please contact staff supervisor Nathan Hunt at nhu@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Bringing greenery to one of the greenest campuses in the world By Libby Orr, Annual Fund Manager “He who plants a tree, plants hope.” Lucy Larcom Our vision is for the UWCSEA East Campus to be full of indigenous trees that will provide a shady, green environment for the whole
community, as well as myriad educational opportunities. Planting a tree is a unique opportunity to leave a lasting mark on one of the most environmentally innovative educational facilities in the world. Planting a tree is a wonderful way to celebrate the hopes and dreams that
we all have for the future of the College and all those who attend it. There are already 44 trees planted on East under this programme, with space for 200 more! For more information about our tree planting programme please visit: www.uwcsea.edu.sg/treeplanting
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Shaving heads for cancer awareness
East Campus has been abuzz with students and staff having their heads shaved to support cancer awareness organisations. Such a gesture takes real commitment, and it is impressive to see so many people taking part for a worthy cause.
Hair for Hope By Nidhi Shilotri, Grade 10, East Chair of Cancer Awareness East At lunchtime on 14 March, students and teachers voluntarily got their heads shaved as part of the Hair for Hope 2012 event organised by the Cancer Awareness East Global Concern. Fifteen student participants from the Middle School and High School, along with two teachers who bravely participated, and through the symbolic gesture helped to raise awareness about cancer among the students and UWCSEA community, and funds for cancer patients. Participants wanted to show cancer patients that they are not alone in their fight against cancer. “After all my hair was gone, and it felt all cool on top, I realised how patients 20
who undergo chemotherapy might feel about themselves. I am proud to have shaved my hair off in honour of my own mother, who died from cancer, and my grandfather who is suffering from it, and all the other people out there who are suffering from such a horrible disease,” says Joshua Tandon, Grade 9, a participant and GC vice-chair. The event raised approximately $6,000 for the GC. Cancer Awareness East supports Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), an NGO that works for the welfare of cancer patients in India. The money raised will help to provide chemotherapy for patients who cannot afford their treatment. Hair loss is an extremely sensitive issue, and for our students to be brave enough to shave it all off, was beyond overwhelming. The event wouldn’t have been such a big success without the help of all the students and teachers involved. I’m so happy to be part of such an amazing community, where students are supported every step of the way. We are definitely going to make this an annual UWCSEA East event.
Supporting St. Baldrick’s By Jennifer Chadam Parent UWCSEA East students in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 7 recently helped to raise S$148, 811 for cancer research through the third annual charity drive organised by NetApp Singapore, a storage and data management solutions company. Aidan (G7) and Colman (G5) Chadam took part in the event last year and were determined that they wanted a UWCSEA team this year. Along with their dad, they organised some friends for a team of 12 students, including 2 very brave girls, to participate in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation event. According to Simon Green, vice president and general manager of NetApp Asia Pacific, the proceeds raised will go to the Duke-NUS Pediatric Cancer Research Fund. As a member of the crowd, it was wonderful to watch them come together as a team and present themselves with not only school pride,
Personal action for Phi Phi “Phi Phi GC was started in September 2011 by Grade 12 students inspired by working on the Laem Thong Community Centre Project as their Project Week Initiative. This Centre is a follow-up RoundSquare project, begun by the Regent’s School, Pattaya, after an initial post-tsunami project on Koh Phi Phi. It aims to empower the marginalised sea gypsies through ensuring a sustainable fresh water supply, and developing English language, ICT and craft skills within the community so that they can generate sustainable income.” Barry Daniels, Phi Phi GC Coordinator By David Widder, Grade 11, Dover Over the Chinese New Year holiday, my family and I went to Phi Phi Island. We wanted to enjoy the beaches, as well as sample Thailand’s excellent cuisine, but we also wanted to do something for the local community.
but also empathy for cancer patients and self-possession well beyond their years. The UWCSEA students were amazing! Several of the fathers in the audience were persuaded to join in to boost the fund raising. “On 15 March, I shaved my head to support cancer awareness. It was a big decision because I had never done this sort of thing before. It is very different to having hair, but I am used to it now, and I like it. When I went to Cambodia on the football trip, the air hostess called me a boy, twice! The organisation that I did it with is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. It tries to find a cure for children’s cancer. My friend Olivia and I were the only girls who did it, but I’m proud of it. After you shave your head you might look different for a while, and people might stare at you but you should remember that you have done something really great for a really good cause!” Nayana Jain, Grade 5, East
We did not know how to help until I asked Phi Phi Global Concern, here at UWCSEA, what I could do to help, suggesting something along the lines of me bringing technology equipment. They told me that there was a community centre being built and that it would be great if I could bring a computer with me. This was perfect, as fixing computers has been a passion of mine for a long time. I fixed one up and made a box that I hoped would be budget airline-
proof. I stuck its screen, keyboard and mouse into a suitcase, and off we went to Phi Phi. I had arranged by email to have the person in charge of the community centre, the generous Kuhn Poo, meet us at our hotel so that she could lead us to a restaurant that has close connections to the community centre being built. The next day, I went to see the centre, in order to better understand its purpose and its state. I found that it aims to give volunteers English teachers a place to stay, provides kitchen facilities for the nearby school, as well as providing many other amenities such as Internet access to the local fishing sea-gypsy village. I really enjoyed my stay in Phi Phi. It was great to hear the excitement in Kuhn Poo’s voice when she was talking about the community centre and how long she has waited to begin building it. It was heartwarming to think of the kids whose lives will be touched by this community centre and the possibilities it holds for improving their future. The frame of the centre is complete, but walls, plumbing and painting are yet to be done, pending funds. If you would like to help build the community centre, consider supporting the cause through Phi Phi Global Concern (phiphi@uwcsea.edu.sg) or by contacting Barry Daniels at bda@uwcsea.edu.sg.
24 Hour Swim fights malaria On the waveless island of Singapore, UWCSEA East hosted the 24 Hour Swim Challenge supported by Quiksilver on Friday, 16 and Saturday, 17 March. During the 24-hour period, over 650 swimmers jumped in the water and did their bit for SurfAid. Funds raised will be donated to SurfAid’s ‘Malaria still Sucks’ programme to deliver malaria education and long lasting mosquito nets to communities in need in the Mentawai Islands, Sumatra, Indonesia.
For expanded coverage of the 24 Hour Swim, please visit: www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia 21
Pastoral care
Generation Safe fosters digital citizenship By Karen Cockburn MS Vice Principal (Pastoral) – Dover As part of the iLearn initiative, we have been working with the Generation Safe programme to support our students in understanding their responsibilities as digital citizens. Generation Safe helps schools navigate the digital environment and integrate technology into existing whole-school initiatives. Because experiences online affect school climate, the programme teaches schools how to build a network of support for all stakeholders—teachers, administrators, school counsellors, network administrators, technology and media specialists, parents and students. Generation Safe is an umbrella programme which helps the College to explore all the issues related to the introduction of a 21st Century learning programme such as iLearn. UWCSEA’s engagement with Generation Safe started in March 2011 when members of the Senior Leadership teams from both campuses spent two days working with Robyn Treyvaud, an online safety educator advising schools, communities, media, industry and government across Australia, the US and the Asia Pacific region. UWCSEA has joined the Generation Safe pilot programme in Southeast Asia, and Robyn has been working closely with the College during implementation, with a focus on developing approaches to eSafety, in order to build capacity and sustainability in communities. A number of initiatives were launched during the first two terms of this year to support our community. Lessons for students range from password safety and Million Dollar footprint, to learning how to use tools such as Self-Control or i-Procrastinate to improve study skills. The Digital Literacy coaches work closely with teachers to enhance students’ ability to manage digital 22
devices. During Term 2 they also offered a number of parent workshops; read about them on their blog (highlights are featured on the next page of this Dunia). Dover Campus was fortunate to have both Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Robyn Treyvaud visit during Term 2 to support our digital citizenship programme. Dr Carr-Gregg is a well-known expert on adolescent development and is a founding member of the Australian National Centre against bullying. He spoke to parents and worked with teachers and students. His talk to Grade 8 students on their digital footprint was very powerful and a number were surprised at what they found when they followed one of his tips and Googled their name. Robyn Treyvaud was very busy during a two-day visit on Dover Campus in early March. As part of the THINKB4U week, she spoke to students in Grades 6, 7, 9 and 11. She also worked in small groups with teachers from Infants to Grade 12. Her parent talk provoked lots of discussion about managing the parenting challenges related to use of digital devices, and she also shared some perspectives on cyber behaviour in a presentation to staff. Next term, we will continue our digital citizenship programme, and a number of parent workshops are being planned, with topics such as use of Skype, Getting to Grips with Great Video Games, Living with Laptops, Growing up Digital, Back Up!, iPhoto Projects, Setting up Parental Controls at Home (Mac) and Supporting Research at Home.
The Digital Literacy team maintain an iLearn information website for parents. For more information on iLearn, please visit www.uwcsea.edu.sg/iLearn
Digital Literacy resources for parents The College’s team of Digital Literacy Coaches (DLCs) support classroom and subject teachers to use technology to cement learning in the classrooms in innovative ways. They also work with staff to help them explore and develop ways to use technology as an enhancement to teaching and learning in their classrooms. Recognising that the active involvement of their parents is a key plank in the success of a child at school, the Digital Literacy Coaches have been facilitating some learning opportunities for parents since the start of the academic year via coffee mornings, workshops and active blogs based on their work.
Dover’s DLC Digital Literacy Blog
Great Techxpectations (East DLC blog)
• Finding Balance—iLearn Parent Workshop summary • Video Games and Violence ... • Skype for Students • Passwords—are y0urs awes0me or awfu1? • Parental Controls on the Mac • THINKB4U—Digital Citizenship in the Infants and in Grade 2
• Readers Adapt Their Strategies for Reading Online • Dealing with distraction, 5 tools to help you get things done • 5 Minutes to Safer Searching and Viewing • Safety Online in the Early Years • Publishing on the Web • The Ups and Downs of Social Networks
The blogs provide a platform for the Digital Literacy coaches to follow up the parent workshops, and for the community to gain a deeper understanding of some of the learning strategies around digital citizenship and online behaviour that are covered in the pastoral programmes in each school. Following is a summary of some of the blog posts from Terms 1 and 2 that highlight the wealth of information available there—and more content is posted every week.
Want more? Visit the blogs. Dover http://doverdlc.blogspot.com East http://eastech.blogspot.com Sign up online for the Term 3 workshops.
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Outdoor Education
Taking the high (and low) rope By Chris Newman Outdoor Education Department Grade 5, 6, 7 and 8 enjoyed a great season of Ropes Course training and discovery in Term 2. The students learned about safety equipment, tying knots and care of rope. Next comes how to belay and complete exciting physical challenges while nurturing skills of encouragement support, communication and planning. This year was also time to unveil the brand new Low Ropes adventure training area, which the Grade 5 students got onto first! “I’m very scared of heights, and low ropes really helped to prepare me for the high ropes. My favourite was the Trust Fall because I had to believe in my class to keep me safe.” Soraya, Grade 5 “It was very hard to stand on the pole. I don’t think I could have done it without the support of my class below.” Pallavi, Grade 7 “It was an interesting mental and physical challenge much different to previous years; we had to find solutions for ourselves.” Bradley, Grade 8 For a roundup of all grade level adventures on the rope courses, please visit eDunia.
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Community
Community Fair—Beat the drums By Lydia Astill Chair, PA Dover On Saturday, 11 February the Dover Campus was alive with all the sights and sounds of the Community Fair. This year’s theme of Beat the Drum was brought to life by a variety of talented musicians from the student body and our community friends. Drums punctuated the action of the day as the event warmed up; the Music Department’s new Drumline, sponsored by the PA Dover, was put to good use all day as the drummers roved throughout campus to make a noise. With clear skies and a steady stream of visitors, the fair was all about delicious homemade cakes, great international food, circus hoopla, shopping, watery fun, endless games and attractions and bouncing. Lots and lots of bouncing. And, it was about UWCSEA’s Global Concerns. The Dover Parents’ Association stages the Community Fair each year in order to assist more than 50 Global Concerns
projects with their fund raising goals. We have so many parents to thank as well as our generous sponsors and all the students and staff who worked so hard to make the day a great success. I would like to extend a special thanks to the Sodexo team for their unsung and endless support on the day. When the counting was done, we realised $46,000 for Global Concerns. And we really did beat the drums. “Overall, this year’s Community Fair was both the first and a very successful one for Phi Phi Global Concern. The GC was only set up a few months ago, and we look forward to having this much success in the future. We set up a tie-dye stall, which the whole team helped to organise. In order to advertise our GC and encourage students and parents to come by, we made shirts for ourselves and wore them on the day of the stall. We all had so much fun and look forward to being a part of the fair next year!” Phi Phi Global Concern
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East Family Picnic and Treasure Hunt builds community The PA East Family Picnic and Treasure Hunt was held on Friday, 23 March. Open to the whole of East Campus, this was the biggest event the PA East has organised to date this academic year, and the Plaza was humming with excitement as crowds gathered to enjoy a number of performances by student bands. There were three treasure hunts running simultaneously, catering to different age groups. Almost everyone who came (including the adults!) was actively involved in looking for the treasure hunt clues, which were dotted around the campus. High School Student Council did an amazing job in organising games for Middle and High School students on the field, and the sausage sizzle proved to be a hot seller. The Treasures of the World buffet consisted of 53 dishes representing 20 different countries. The enthusiasm with which the students, parents and staff sampled the buffet was a clear indication of just how much our community enjoys its diversity. The overall atmosphere was fantastic, and it was evident that friendship and community spirit rule the East! “The picnic was the best thing that has happened on this campus all year. Thank you! It was indeed a community event where people relaxed and talked and laughed, and it was a great atmosphere. I think the fact that the black clouds went around us and rained everywhere on the island but on Avenue 10 was divine intervention proving the importance of the evening for us at East!� Parent, East Campus
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Meet our new Governors
Anna Lord
Katherine Davies
The Board of Governors welcomed four new members in Term 2. Following an election facilitated by PA East, Anna Lord and Katherine Davies were elected as the East Campus Parent
Alexander Krefft
Representative Governors. We would like to extend our thanks to all the nominees for their time and effort.
Doris Sohmen-Pao Read their biographies on the Board of Governors page on our website: www.uwcsea.edu.sg
Alexander Krefft and Doris Sohmen-Pao also joined the Board as Ad Personam governors.
Careers Fair 2012 helps students explore their future By Lydia Astill Chair, PA Dover Saturday, 11 March saw the first collaborative event between the two campuses’ PAs. The annual Careers Fair has been organised by the Dover PA for several years; this year the day welcomed both students and volunteers from the East Campus community for the first time. Over 60 volunteers (parents and other community
contacts) gave up their Saturday to provide students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 with real-life career advice and assist them with academic decision-making.
interesting and entertaining sessions useful and feedback from volunteers, presenters and students attending the event was very positive.
The fair was supplemented by short talks and question and answer sessions on half a dozen professional areas that are traditionally of great interest to our students, from such diverse fields as Advertising 2.0 to Women in Law. The students and their parents found the
Next academic year, the PA East will host the event. The success of this event highlighted how close cooperation and coordination across staff and Parents’ Associations at both campuses can produce worthwhile benefits for all the students.
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Living the mission
Farrier Mora Jordy Ranseth, Grade 11, Dover, takes part in UWC Day on Dover Campus.
Dunia is published by UWC South East Asia. Reproduction in any manner in English or any other language is prohibited without written consent. Please send feedback to dunia@uwcsea.edu.sg Editors: Sinéad Collins, Kate Woodford and Courtney Carlson Design: Gregory Parker 064COM-1112
Printed on 100% recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks. UWCSEA Dover is registered by the CPE. CPE Registration No. 197000825H CPE Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 Charity Registration No. 00142 UWCSEA East is registered by the CPE. CPE Registration No. 200801795N CPE Registration Period 10 March 2011–9 March 2017 Charity Registration No. 002104 MICA (P) 210/04/2012