Term 2 Dunia 2014/2015

April 2015

Hair for Hope Construction of diversity Annual Report highlights

The paradox of open-minded pragmatism: Lessons from Mr Lee Kuan Yew

By Chris Edwards Head of College

could make a compelling case for the last.

The death of Mr Lee Kuan Yew prompted me to ask myself a question.

It may not seem the most obvious question to have flowed from this sad and historic event, but it was: do we best fulfil our mission if our minds are empty, open or full?

My early days at UWCSEA have confirmed what I had hoped might be the case when I applied for this role: that UWCSEA does indeed aim—for the most part at least—to foster creative, conceptual thought processes that are not necessarily categorised by linear thinking. So, yes, ‘open’ comes closer than the other adjectives, and if that really is the truth of it, UWCSEA runs counter to the many national education systems in which facts still hold dominion.

Each state has its advocates. Some Buddhists might argue for the first condition; many UWC apologists would probably suggest the second is preferable; while those who burn the midnight oil cramming for examinations

Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015), then Prime Minister, opened the College in 1971.

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But I quite like facts. Except presenting anything as a ‘fact’ to a young person can be a dangerous business. When I was young, Jupiter had 12 moons, slaves built the Egyptian pyramids and diamond was the hardest substance in existence. I could go on. (I am still reeling from the recent realisation that Brontosaurus never existed.) I have had to unlearn a great many ‘facts.’

But nonetheless, you need axioms to make a start, just as you need some knowledge of a language if you are to make sense of a dictionary. Even a Zen scholar would concede that

students cannot flounder in a sea of limitless relativism for all of their formative years. However, as we lead young people down corridors of adult certainty, let us make sure we leave some doors open along the way so that students might, at the very least, take a good long look at what we are walking them past. They may want to let go of our hand, turn off and explore. Good.

I was fortunate enough recently to listen in to a conversation that took place on a Saturday night in Phnom Penh where two passionate and committed people were discussing how best UWCSEA students might help improve the circumstances of a certain group of Cambodian children. The two did not agree. One participant thought a particular stance to be self-indulgent on the part of the College and of little long-term value, the other was arguing otherwise with great cogency. As I listened, I learnt. It was more than cold thesis, antithesis and synthesis: it was an invitational debate doused in the mission and sprinkled with compassion.

While I hope I will never be crass enough to make direct comparisons between the value of moments such as this and, say, a rigorous session of computational mathematics, I do know that UWCSEA synthesises experiences like no other school I have known. This particular issue required a creative, not doctrinaire, response: the thinking needed to be flexible; minds had to be changed. And open minds adapt most quickly when circumstances change.

This links to Mr Lee and UWCSEA. Change has come to Singapore recently through loss. The loss of somebody who achieved what for almost all other politicians would have been vainglorious fantasies of nationhood.

Mr Lee was arguably the greatest nation builder of his age, and I wonder how we might best categorise his state of mind: empty, open or closed?

It would be tempting to say that from a certain point in a remarkable life, ‘closed’ best summed up the famously pragmatic mind. We know what’s needed, Mr Lee seemed to say: let’s just get on and do it. But I wonder. Resilience, perseverance and determination are all qualities we extol

at UWCSEA, and when one looks at the avalanche of influences, pressures and temptations that fell about Mr Lee throughout his life, one realises that his ability to assimilate or modify what was necessary, and to reject what was not, came from an extraordinarily capacious and enquiring mind. There was no single political template. No clumsy fix-all ‘ism’ that had to be obeyed. We at UWCSEA should all learn from that.

Mr Lee, whether one agreed or not with all his policies, was authentic, honest, and adaptive. His famous pragmatism was paradoxically born of a rejection of dogma and a creative synthesis of so many ‘isms’ that they stopped becoming ‘isms’ at all.

All this serves as a reminder that unless we are vigilant, our UWC mission can too easily be hijacked by ‘isms’: populism, solipsism, utopianism. This is a competitive world where nobody has a monopoly on social justice and compassion, least of all a movement of schools. We should neither bask in our own certainties nor hide behind lofty statements. True, we don’t want those dreaded tables, graphs and charts as the only measures of success, but if Mr Lee teaches us anything, it is surely that getting things done ultimately trumps thinking about, talking about or promising them. “The question is more important than the answer” is a leitmotif of modern education.

Sometimes. Only sometimes.

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”

American author E. B. White was correct. Therefore, as Singapore enters a new era, let us ensure this UWCSEA generation never buries itself in the seductive rhetoric rather than the challenging action of the mission.

And so our wonderful College of 90 nationalities—a College almost as old as independent Singapore itself— will continue its proud and unique relationship with its homeland. But— and for many this ‘but’ will bring a silent tear—we will do this without the man who unveiled our plaque in 1971.

Many articles in this edition have expanded content on eDunia (www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia)— look for the symbol as you read the magazine and visit eDunia for more photos, video and expanded content.

Other stories featured only on eDunia:

Primary School Dover Campus gardeners Students are working to green the campus Rob in Hood and the Sherwood Hoodies on East Campus An epic service trip to Cambodia A Grade 5 student recounts her weekend trip

Middle School Think global, plant local East Campus students create sustainable edible gardens Pi Day on Dover Campus

High School ArtTech scratchpad activity Dover Campus fuses diverse disciplines to create unique works of art East Campus Grade 11 students restore boats on Bintan TEDxUWCSEAEast Round up by student organisers

Community Alum Klára Vyhnánková (Class of 2014) Reports on her Gap Year at the Bairo Pite clinic in Dili, Timor-Leste Eco Art on East Campus Winners of the recent art competition Cover: Hair for Hope 2015 participant Vartika Garg, Grade 9, East Campus 3

Construction of diversity

By Frazer Cairns Head of Dover Campus In his 1932 essay On Modern Education and the Classics, T.S. Eliot described education as: “a subject which cannot be discussed in a void: our questions raise other questions, social, economic, financial, political. And the bearings are on more ultimate problems even than these: to know what we want in general, we must derive our theory of education from our philosophy of life.” In his view, we too often lack the fundamental philosophical basis from which to answer the question ‘what is education for?’ and so fall back on narrow, utilitarian explanations. There is, he said, a preoccupation with ‘getting on’ and perhaps this is why there is an emphasis in some education systems on getting good examination results, ensuring that one is well-placed for university entrance, preparing students for the job market and improving individuals’ material life chances.

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Related to this idea of the purpose of education, I was thinking about UWCSEA as compared to my last school and decided that in many ways they are actually very similar. They are both big, multi-campus schools set in an urban environment. They are both academically high-achieving schools.

They both benefit from intelligent, demanding, interested (and interesting) students and parents. However, and perhaps most importantly, they both see themselves as having the fundamental purpose of making the world a better place, and so the purpose of education is expressed more widely, at both an individual and a societal level.

UWCSEA and my previous school both aim to bring about change by promoting (amongst other things) intercultural sensitivity and understanding. Yet there are differences in the primary way that the two schools aim to achieve this. In my last school it was through language.

If you don’t understand another person’s

language, the thinking went, you can’t understand their culture and you can’t understand the nuance of what they are saying to you. Many conflicts have arisen from a lack of understanding of culture and nuance. At UWCSEA language is also seen as being of fundamental importance. However, the aim of mutual understanding is also reached towards another way—through the active construction of a diverse community.

Kurt Hahn is supposed to have said that putting two young people from opposite sides of a cultural divide together on a boat, perhaps in a Northeasterly gale, and having them become thoroughly seasick together, would result in something positive for international education. Perhaps less dramatically at UWCSEA, we try to engineer a situation where people with different past experiences, cultures and worldviews are put in the same classroom and asked to work together.

At first glance a school’s diversity could be taken to be a reflection of the community in which it finds itself.

After all, a school in a cosmopolitan city like Singapore has the potential to be enormously diverse. However, the idea of diversity is more difficult than it sounds.

It is not at all the case that the passport I hold defines who I am and how I view the world, and it is very possible to have a seemingly diverse group—a South American, an African and a European national, for example—who have had similar past experiences and who share similar expectations for the future. It is also perfectly possible to have two people who carry the same passport find they have lived very different lives and see the world from very different standpoints.

and new views to the community.

Such diversity is also a fundamental aim of the scholarship programme, and by bringing in individuals from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds we enhance the educational experience for all of our students. How this changes the school can be seen by considering the students from one of our primary classes studying the subject of conflict.

The teachers could have shown a video, or read from a textbook. Instead students from Timor-Leste, Rwanda and Cambodia went in and spoke to 11 yearolds about the impact that conflict had on their lives. Learning about conflict is important. Learning directly from someone who has lived through it is a very different learning experience.

This more subtle kind of diversity is a major aim of our admissions selection process. We don’t have quotas and caps but do we look to actively choose people who bring new experiences

Getting good examination results, ensuring that one is well placed for university entrance are legitimate and important purposes of education. But they can easily crowd out the more

fundamental objectives of our mission statements. The fact that, as I write this, students have been reflecting in assemblies on the horrific Pakistani school massacre that left 153 dead, and the attack in Paris on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, underlines how important it is to continue to make intercultural understanding one of the primary aims of education.

UWCSEA—and UWC schools and colleges in general—are not the only schools in the world to have a vision of education that goes beyond the individual. However, given the world desperately needs young people with the type of understanding and experience that can transform intercultural relationships, thank goodness we have that vision and are actively realising it in our practices.

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Asian Arts and Culture Week The development of intercultural understanding is central to the mission of the UWC movement and at UWCSEA there is an enormous variety of ways in which we work towards this goal. The cultivation of open minds and flexible thinking (see page 2), deliberate construction of a diverse community (see page 4), and strong awareness of the importance of both mother tongue and acquired language are just some examples of ways the College ‘solves for’ the development of intercultural understanding.

Alongside these and other approaches are opportunities for students to engage with the arts and culture of a particular country. This happens naturally through the English, Humanities, Music, Dance, Drama and Languages curricula and through parts of the Service programme, but from time to time we facilitate an in-depth cultural focus, allowing the whole community the opportunity to both experience the arts and reflect on how they contribute to a cultural identity.

Based on the premise that a deeper understanding of the arts and culture of a nation leads to a deeper appreciation of that nation, the East Campus holds Asian Arts and Culture Week each February. In keeping with Singapore’s 50th anniversary year (SG50), the second annual Asian Arts and Culture Week (9–13 February) celebrated the diverse culture of Singapore.

Students engaged in a range of performing arts workshops including Beijing Opera and Dikir Barat and had the opportunity to visit the Singaporean ‘village’ built by parents in the plaza, which represented Chinese, Indian, Malay and Peranakan cultures. In the Primary School library, well-known children’s authors visited during the week to speak about their books and answer student questions.

Grade 6 student Nadia Coutts says, “As a Singaporean I feel happy and proud that my school is celebrating the country I was born in, and I am proud that my country is celebrating its golden jubilee. Preparing for SG50 has been very educational as I had to research Singapore’s history and find out about the founders of modern Singapore.”

Connections to Singapore were reinforced by a visit from Tampines Member of Parliament, Mr Baey Yam Keng, and UWCSEA was honoured to host the Singapore Portraits Exhibition, on loan from the National Heritage Board.

Teacher Anna Parr who organised the week said, “In today’s fast-paced society, it is easy to miss the more subtle sides of Singapore’s heritage and this week allowed us to share and celebrate our host country’s beautiful arts and cultural diversity with the UWCSEA community.”

Links to the academic curriculum were made through displays in the library focused on Singapore case studies that High School Geography students completed as part of their course (see page 8) and through the Music and Drama curricula. Students also had the chance to participate in serving a Chinese New Year lunch to more than 200 members of local organisations.

During the week students were talking not just about Asian Arts and Culture Week but also about the importance of taking time to mark all that Singapore has achieved in 50 years as an independent nation. Students also reflected on how Singapore’s culture plays a part in their own personal culture: whether they are here for just a few years, long-term residents, or Singaporean citizens, the country is part of their identity.

Immersing themselves in her unique heritage has brought them to greater understanding of Singapore and of themselves.

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Before River restoration in Bishan­—Singapore restores the Kallang River and uses natural methods to reduce flood risk.

Singapore inspires High School Geography curriculum Case studies on Singapore’s management of the Kallang River, urban growth, resources, birth rate and immigration have featured in Geography courses on East Campus this year.

By Ellie Alchin Head of High School Humanities East Campus The announcement of Singapore as the theme for this year’s Asian Arts and Culture Week was just the catalyst the High School Geography department needed to raise the profile of Singapore case studies within the curriculum. Case studies are a key part of Geography learning and therefore the potential to use Singapore as a focus of study was obvious, and while Singapore did feature in a number of our units, we felt there was scope for a more ambitious and contemporary approach.

In Grade 9 the students study rivers and we thus chose the management of the Kallang River as a case study. The Kallang is a fascinating example because

“Something that I found particularly interesting is the many ways in which Singapore manages its water to prevent flooding. Who would have thought that the pavements which we walk on in fact absorb the excess surface water!”

Pula Prakash, Grade 9

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After Photos by Jan, https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhecking/9241481644/in/photolist- CC BY-SA 4.0

it highlights the contrasting range of approaches to river management here in Singapore including: hard engineering and canalisation to cope with floods in the lower course; the construction of the iconic Marina Barrage at its mouth; and the inspired river restoration project in Bishan, in which the concrete sides were dismantled and the river has been allowed to freely meander once again (pictured above).

In Grade 10 a new unit on the pattern and pace of urban growth in Singapore was introduced. Tracing the expansion of the city from its origins around Boat Quay to its current layout, using historical maps, students were tasked with mapping the growth of the city and interviewing local Singaporeans about their responses to the changes. The unit culminated in the creation of individual infographics in which students presented the results of their enquiry.

The Singapore government’s support of a higher birthrate through their population policy has been the focus of study for our IBDP students. With one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world, Singapore, like many developed nations, has been grappling with the dilemma of balancing the need to increase the population in order to sustain economic growth, and cope with the challenges of an aging population, while dealing with resistance to rapid immigration

“One of the most interesting things I learned about Singapore was how influential such a small country can be.

Its net exports are the largest component of its GDP, and its Foreign Direct Investment inflow is around US$65 billion a year. Further taking into consideration the extremely busy port that Singapore has, it is no wonder that it’s the 5th most globalised country in the world!”

Julia Cselotei, Grade 12 from some Singaporean citizens. Our students in Grade 11 have been exploring and evaluating the strategies used to boost the birth rate, while in Grade 12, students are examining the measures to control immigration.

Aidana Orynbassar in Grade 12 shared, “According to the KOF index of globalisation 2014, Singapore is ranked fifth as the most globalised country. It is no surprise why migration is one of the hot topics to discuss when studying its history and the economic background.

Even my Extended Essay was focused on it! Looking at how the growing inflow of migrants into Singapore brings both positive and negative effects is what I found very interesting to learn in our Geography classes.”

During Asian Arts and Culture Week our Grade 11 students were lucky enough to have a visit from Ju Shen Lee (Class of 1988), a UWCSEA alumna who now works in environmental management in Singapore. She was able to answer questions on topics as wide ranging as ecological footprints and waste management, to the benefits of a UWC education for a career in environmental sustainability. Timed as it was, immediately after our students had completed their iMovies and videoscribe cartoons on the management of waste in Singapore, they were full of questions for Ju Shen, but were also delighted when she shared local contacts and inspired ideas for their Extended Essay topics.

Though small in size, Singapore offers tremendous examples and lessons around development and management of resources and population for our Geography students.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By Ethan Swift Grade 12 IB Theatre student and Assistant Director Dover Campus On the evening of 10 March, the cast of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ took their final bows as the two-night production came to an end. More than three months of intensive rehearsal by the performers, and countless hours of laborious technical work by members of the crew, made it both a successful performance and a fantastic learning experience for over 50 students. The final transient performance was simply one element of the overall process; a culmination of hours of memories that will remain with students long after their time at UWCSEA has drawn to a close.

For the past four years, I have been fortunate enough to perform in many productions, and even to direct one, providing some of the greatest lessons I have learnt at school. The art of collaboration, patience and perseverance are life skills that can never be fully taught in a classroom. Many subscribe to

a myth that theatre does not pave a road to a success in many careers. However, areas of expertise like creative problem solving, confidence with public speaking and advanced people skills, all developed through work in the theatre, form the foundation of any thriving individual.

At UWCSEA, it is so encouraging to see how many opportunities to enrich character and expand an individual’s understanding of others are afforded to students. The climax of my High School theatre career was the chance to work alongside a veteran director to develop this performance delivered by Grade 9 and 10 students. I can’t think of many other schools that would allow a student to help direct younger peers and in turn receive mentorship from an individual with such a vast amount of experience in the field.

The one piece of advice I have for anyone even remotely considering signing up to audition or work behind the scenes for a production is this: take the leap. Do something that scares you. You won’t regret it.

Director’s note

By Karen Balthazaar Head of Grade 9 Teacher of Drama and Theatre Dover Campus Both cast and crew have been enthusiastic about exploring new ideas and have worked hard to overcome challenges during the rehearsal process.

This kind of learning takes us way beyond the classroom in terms of being brave and taking risks and this is exactly why the Arts are so important not just as an extra curricular activity but as an integral part of an ‘intelligent’ education for our children. The world needs creative, intelligent, original thinkers. To quote Ken Robinson in his TED talk ‘How Schools Kill Creativity,’ “We know three things about intelligence. One, it’s diverse. We think about the world in all the ways that we experience it. We think visually, we Photos by Grade 10 student Marina Zilliacus

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think in sound, we think kinesthetically … In fact, creativity—which I define as the process of having original ideas that have value—more often than not comes about through the interaction of different disciplinary ways of seeing things.”

The ensemble nature of theatre is what is most important to me and this includes enjoyment of the creative processes as well as the cohesive spirit of collaboration amongst cast and crew.

These are the makings of a successful production. My personal wish for every one of the students involved, both the actors and those who worked behind the scenes, is that there is pride and personal achievement in being a part of the ‘magic’ we created on stage for approximately two hours on 9 and 10 March.

Visual expression in the Infant classrooms

Beth Saez facilitates an Art activity at the Student Led Conferences.

The importance of an education that allows students to develop their creativity and express their learning in visual as well as written ways, is becoming more evident in an increasingly visually-oriented world.

A foundation to help develop this starts with providing a rich artistic environment and an early childhood programme that encourages the development of creativity and visual communication skills.

In late 2014, the Infant School on Dover Campus employed Beth Saez as a specialist Art Coach for the rest of this academic year—meaning Infant students are being exposed to more tailored opportunities for creativity and innovation. This programme instils essential skills and greatly benefits the children’s intellectual development.

Across all Infant grades ‘provocations’ are launched by the Art Coach during Discovery Time. Under the guidance of

the Art Coach, and with increased access to a range of different materials, these provide students with the opportunity and freedom to explore, try out new ideas and learn from their mistakes.

This increased emphasis on the Arts has supplemented what is already happening during class-based art activities. It allows the students to further develop skills in interpretation of concepts, and find new ways to create visual expressions of their ideas. The introduction of additional art elements into the children’s curriculum enriches the learning process while expanding their appreciation for the Arts.

Importantly, it also helps to develop key skills, which are aspects of the UWCSEA profile, such as communication and creativity.

This programme was funded in part by generous donations from the community through the Annual Fund.

On behalf of all the Infant students who have benefitted, thank you.

Photos by Joseph Tan

“Children are capable learners – full of potential, curiosity and interest in the world around them. They work on their theories using handson exploration, imaginative play, observations and research using different tools.

These languages, that they display in their learning, lead them to a surprising level of communication, symbolic skills and creativity.”

Beth Saez, Infant Art Coach Dover Campus

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“Every person counts”

UWCSEA supports Epic Arts music studio Epic Arts is an inclusive arts organisation in Kampot, Cambodia that uses the arts as a form of expression and empowerment to create a dialogue around disability issues.

Epic Arts and UWCSEA have been working together since 2011, and the relationship continues to deepen over time and involve more members of the College community. Building on the strong GC connections that were established with Grade 5 on East Campus, the Music Department has sought ways to develop collaborative, creative and performance-based opportunities. The onus is on collaboration and reciprocity of learning, which is evident in the annual shared performances on campus. These take place after a week-long process of Epic Arts and UWCSEA students learning together.

Through numerous visits by UWCSEA staff and students to Epic Arts in Cambodia, the annual visit and performances at East Campus, and

ongoing conversation between our organisations, the relationship has developed to include more direct support for Epic Arts’ evolving needs.

In conversation with the Service and Music departments last year, the Epic Arts team expressed a desire for a music studio, in order to learn how to use professional recording equipment and run a course based on music and media.

Through the course students would learn how to make radio advertisements, supporting their mission of spreading the message throughout Cambodia that every person counts, regardless of ability or disability.

The College’s IT, Service, Music and Facilities departments were keen to support the music studio project. For the Music Department, there is the potential for long-term collaboration and reciprocity. The idea is simple—if students at Epic Arts can learn to use similar equipment, software and systems to UWCSEA students, then in the future there will be opportunities for more

Kazly and Boron working to ground the Epic Arts studio and office.

profound shared learning experiences.

Students, Gap Year students and alumni could take relevant skills to Kampot; Epic Arts students could bring relevant skills to UWCSEA. Furthermore, learning to work with industry standard equipment will open up future opportunities for the Epic Arts students.

Since agreeing to the project, the Grade 5 Epic Arts GC has provided funding for the studio build. In addition, donations to Epic Arts from the IT and Music departments as well as families and teachers have included a number of computers, relevant software and hardware, several instruments and a full drum kit.

Most recently in February, Kazly Bin Kas Kazan and Ridhwan Jasni from the Facilities Department volunteered to go and help set up the Epic Arts music studio in Kampot, and to work with the staff there to ground the studio and office, so that when the musicians are using the equipment it doesn’t constantly transmit electric shocks. Over a three-day period, Kazly and Ridhwan worked with Boron, the handyman at Epic Arts. Boron is deaf and though Kazly and Ridhwan have no knowledge of Khmer sign language, the three of them successfully worked together to stabilise the wiring, making the studio and office safe for the staff and students. In the process, Boron learnt the skills behind this complex technical task, thus further developing his skill-set.

Reflecting on the experience, Kazly said, “It was an eye-opening experience for Ridhwan and myself. I admire how [the Epic Arts students and staff] persevere despite the challenges that they face in life. It’s shown me that we are all equal, that every person counts.” Another significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between UWCSEA and Epic Arts.

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Supporting children through disappointment

By Ian Moody, Jane Pyrgos and Pushpa Dasari Counsellors Dover Campus Throughout a child’s education and life in general, they will experience disappointment in various forms. It could be related to not being allowed to do or have something, sporting results or not doing as well as expected in tests or exams. Recently, the Grade 10 and 12 students on Dover Campus completed their mock exams and through the PSE programme, tutors supported students as they reflected on their exam experience. The College Counsellors also held a seminar for parents to discuss issues of concern following these exams. The main points from this discussion are highlighted here as useful guidelines to follow when supporting your child through any form of disappointment.

It is important to keep sight of the big picture: mock exams are exactly what their title is, a ‘mock’, or practice opportunity. Maintaining perspective regarding this in response to disappointing exam results (or in any other disappointment) is vital if we are to help our children do the same.

Plenty of positives can emerge from disappointments if handled carefully; a reality check, specific awareness of learning/understanding gaps, increased motivation to improve and rise to the challenge.

There is a saying taught to medical trainees arriving at the scene of any

emergency ‘check your own pulse first,’ and the same applies in helping our children cope with disappointment. We will be no help to them if we are also feeling devastated. So take a moment to check your own emotional state first. Our children learn from what we show them so if we are going to be supportive, we need to model that we can cope with the disappointment.

If the pulse is racing, you are upset, or angry, take some time out, think it through, and wait a while to talk to them.

Main principles • Soothe/reassure: if your child is very distressed or tearful, no words will be absorbed until that intensity has lowered, so comfort them. Take time over this, as often you will learn most by simply being quietly beside them.

Sometimes it might go better to wait until some time has passed—tell them that you can talk about it later when you feel calmer.

• Empathise: recognise and make explicit their feelings.

• Listen: save your own opinions for another time. Ask open-ended questions—”how do you feel about that,” “what was happening for you then” etc.

• Blood sugar level check: feed them, give them a drink—make sure they are not running on low blood sugar.

• Avoid personal judgments “you are so …”

• Be sensitive: “I told you so” about

revisions, sleep times, social life attended will be unhelpful. Allow your child to highlight the shortfalls themselves, framed as a learning opportunity.

• Learning opportunity: promote growth mindset and learning from their experience. Asking what they would do differently next time will help focus them on going forward— what they can learn from this to shape future experiences. Focus on the positive: what they did do.

• Maintain a balanced perspective between optimism and realistic expectations. Encourage your children to believe in themselves and adopt a positive mindset, but remain grounded. Let this be the platform from which they make changes as they prepare for the finals.

• Avoid platitudes like “everything will be alright” or “it will work out” until they have worked through their feelings, and are able to more rationally view their experience and consider what they may do differently next time.

• Monitor: closely observe your child for any signs of prolonged disappointment or other signs of distress and seek additional help from a counsellor, if necessary.

In summary, the three key concepts to remember in responding to your child’s disappointment include: 1. maintain the relationship 2. build resilience 3. promote learning from experience For additional resources on coping with the stress of exam results, developing resilience and general tips on keeping things in perspective through a balanced lifestyle, please refer to: http://www.headsup.ie/ examresultsfactsheet.php http://sydney.edu.au/current_ students/counselling/documents/ CAPS_Mag_Iss2.pdf 13

Annual Report highlights The UWCSEA Annual Report 2013/2014 was published in January 2015, providing up-to-date statistics on the College learning programme and operations. Charles Ormiston, Chair of the UWCSEA Board of Governors, described the areas of significant progress for the school during the 2013/2014 year, and outlined the areas of focus during 2014/2015. In his opening message, Chris Edwards paid tribute to the achievements of Julian Whiteley, Head of College, during the 2013/2014 school year and remarked that he was “thrilled beyond measure to see the breadth of achievement in these pages” and had “seldom seen such sense of purpose as I have at UWCSEA.” Included in the report are sections on student achievement in each element of the learning programme; information about our community, including the results of the survey; the business report incorporating HR, Admissions and the financial statements for the College; and a summary of the activity in College Advancement. The report includes a large number of statistics that describe the breadth and depth of the programme. A selection of those statistics is below.

Read the full report online at www.uwcsea.edu.sg/AnnualReport. If you would like a printed copy of the report, please contact Farhani Alias, Communications and Marketing Assistant (farhani.alias@uwcsea.edu.sg).

Community

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

85 5,280 Nationalities

Overall NPS

51%

Overall NPS

From parents

Students on both campuses

55%

From students

Financials Central administration – 1% Marketing and Communications – 1% Boarding salary and benefits – 1% Boarding – 3% Educational resources – 4% Depreciation – 6%

Central administration – 0.4% Marketing and Communications – 1% Boarding salary and benefits – 1% Boarding – 3% Educational resources – 4% Depreciation – 4%

Dover Campus expenditure

Administration salary and benefits – 4%

Administration salary and benefits – 6%

Maintenance and operations – 8%

Maintenance and operations – 6% Educational support salary and benefits – 9%

East Campus expenditure

Teachers salary and benefits – 64%

Educational support salary and benefits – 10%

Teachers salary and benefits – 65%

Human resources

66 3,262 Teaching jobs 14 advertised

Applications received

Student teacher ratio

10.6 Students : 1 Teacher

IB Diploma results (May 2014)

Activities Leadership

51

Students

465

Music ensembles

36.8

Academic extension

30.1

UWCSEA

160 26

Sports and fitness

Average IB Diploma Score

72

Worldwide

94

957 Total

143

Enrichment

345 66

Sports teams

Visual and performing arts

Clubs

Pass rate

99.8%

79%

UWCSEA

Worldwide

Outdoor Education

696,360+

Student hours spent overseas

IB Diploma score comparison 28.6%

40–45

6.8%

(I)GCSE results May 2014 43.2%

35–39

18.1% 23.7% 28.3%

30–34

25–29

%A* UWCSEA

4.3% 31.6%

<25 0.2%

%A* ISC†

%A* UWCSEA 36.4

46.8

%A* ISC†

32.7

%A*–A ISC

97.6 90.9

%A*–C ISC

Dover Campus UWCSEA

Worldwide

93 54 122 Local Service partners

63.2 60.6

%A*–C UWCSEA %A*–C ISC

96.5 90.9

East Campus

**ISC: Independent Schools Council

Service

College Service programmes

%A*–A ISC

60.6

%A*–C UWCSEA

15.2%

%A*–A UWCSEA

74.5

%A*–A UWCSEA

32.7

Global Concerns across the College

$1,559,678

Total money raised for Service programme across the College 15

SEASAC: a player’s perspective

By Cathal Lynam Grade 12 Dover Campus

white, and blue supporters will stay with me for a long time.

When SEASAC comes around, it’s an exciting time for any player, no matter what sport. But this year, the excitement of SEASAC Rugby was elevated by the fact that it was a home tournament. While this means you lose something in terms of ‘tour camaraderie,’ the prospect of a home crowd is incredibly appealing. And sure enough, my expectations were met.

It was unbelievable having so many people come down to watch us. This stood out from the very first game, scheduled during High School lunch and Middle School tutor group time. The image of the stands on the AYE pitch full of the College’s passionate green,

managed to get going in the final, letting Tanglin Trust School dominate for much of the game. However, the heart and passion shown by the Phoenix team was outstanding; a demonstration in never giving up, even when it seemed well over.

It was a great tournament to play innot only because of the supporters, but also because it was my last chance to play with some of my greatest friends. Things went fairly well initially; however, we knew at the end of the first day that there was still plenty of work to do. We hadn’t played to the best of our ability. It was a pretty poor way to end the day. Despite this, and another poor performance on the morning of the second day, we managed to make it to the finals. The build up was agonising, with hours to wait. It was somewhat surreal to play my last-ever game in the Phoenix colours. I was extremely nervous and excited. It was massively disappointing that we never

Although we did not perform as we would have liked for the home crowd, the crowd never stopped cheering us on. A particularly touching moment was the tunnel which the crowd formed as we walked off the pitch. I can’t accurately say how many people joined in, but it seemed to be the majority of the supporters and it was a really special moment. To see that final show of support has made UWCSEA that much harder for me to leave when I graduate in May.

Phoenix 2014/2015 SEASAC results

Dragons 2014/2015 SEASAC results

Division 1 unless stated

Division 1 unless stated

Sport

Boys

Girls

Sport

Boys

Girls

Gymnastics

Level 2 – 2nd

Level 4 – Champions

Gymnastics

Level 2 Senior – 3rd

Level 2 Junior – 3rd

Level 3 – Champions

Level 5 – 3rd

Level 3 – 5th

Level 2 Senior – 3rd

Level 6 – Champions

Level 3 Junior – 2nd Level 4 – 4th

Football

Champions

2nd

Volleyball

5th (Division 2)

5th

Rugby/Touch

2nd

Champions

Basketball

3rd

Champions

Tennis

3rd

3rd

Swimming

2nd (15 and over)

2nd (15 and over)

Softball

2nd

2nd

Badminton

3rd

2nd

Cross Country

Champions

Champions

Golf

3rd

3rd

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Level 5 – Champions Football

Champions (Division 2)

2nd (Division 2)

Volleyball

2nd (Division 2)

6th

Rugby/Touch

5th

3rd

Basketball

2nd (Division 2)

7th

Tennis

3rd (Division 2)

4th

Swimming

Champions

Champions

Softball

3rd

6th

Badminton

2nd

3rd

Cross Country

3rd

6th

Golf

7th

6th

Dedication, hard work and fun propel swimming teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success Both the East Campus boys and girls swimming teams won the 2015 SEASAC Swimming championships. For the girls team, this was their third consecutive championship, having won every year they have competed in the tournament to date. There are 360 swimmers on the Dragons Swimming team and 30 competed at SEASAC. Grade 9 student Ella Glanville (pictured above) shares her reflection on what drives the individual commitment and the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.

By Ella Glanville Grade 9 East Campus The UWCSEA East Dragons swimming team is more than just a team, it is an obsession and a family. Although swimming is a sport, we learn skills in the trainings and competitions that can be applied to all aspects of life.

The reason we show up to training twice a day is not just about pursuing an Olympic dream, but to be part of the team dynamic which has helped us attain our individual goals both in and out of the pool. These attributes will stay with us long after we graduate.

each of us could not get through the months leading up to the competition without the support of the team. Many swimmers feel a sense of loneliness in the pool, but this does not hold true for the Dragons and this is the unique factor which sets us apart from other international schools in the region.

Twenty hours of training per week can come down to a race which is finished in under thirty seconds. Although it may be counter intuitive, this pushes us to develop the discipline to train every day in order to achieve our goals. Discipline can be learned from dedication, and a deep love for swimming is needed if you wish to push your body through endless training sessions.

commitment, discipline and finding balance. I believe these attributes can shape a person and can be applied to many situations in life. By attending a school as demanding as UWCSEA, where you need to engage in all five elements of the learning programme, each student becomes adept in balancing a variety of commitments and the skills necessary to complete each one.

Head Coach, Taylor Smith, believes that the way he runs the swimming programme is how all swimming clubs should be run. The recipe is surprisingly simple: hard work and fun creates an environment for success, both in swimming and in life.

The basic skills I have learned from being part of the team are organisation, Photos supplied by Taylor Smith

Each team member has responsibilities, whether we are competing or not. For example, even if you are not picked to swim in a relay, you still have a vital role in cheering on the others, because they are swimming for the team and not themselves. There is a common misconception regarding our sport, that we race for ourselves, but this could not be farther from the truth as 17

“… but you never tell us the answers …”

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE IBDP THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE COURSE

By Nick Alchin High School Principal East Campus In light of apparent controversies like climate change: How do we know when we should trust scientists?

In light of the Charlie Hebdo affair and the subsequent news coverage: How do we know how to judge the reporting of important news events?

In light of a recent report that some 50% of the world’s wealth is owned by 1% of the population: How do we know how to balance the competing goods of freedom and equality?

In light of cultural diversity and multiple perspectives: How do we know how to hold true to our own values while remaining open-minded?

In light of the UWC mission: How do we know how to act to build a peaceful, sustainable future?

These are not easy questions to answer.

Some of them have been asked and written about since at least the Greeks and The Upanishads, and recur every generation; others are new, and reflect the challenges posed by living in the early 21st century. But these, and many other such questions, are the questions that our children face, and if we do not equip them to begin the search for the answers, then we will have failed them.

Our aim cannot be to provide answers— we have no monopoly on the truth, and 18

in any case we are not in the business of indoctrination. The next generation has to find its own answers, and to ask its own searching questions. So what should we do?

I believe that one of the most important things we can do is to ensure that students are aware of the complexity of these questions; and we have a course designed to do exactly that. The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course is the only compulsory subject in the IB Diploma Programme, and is a 100-hour exploration of the questions: What do we believe? What are the reasons we believe?

Are these good reasons?

Our premise is that we cannot know how to respond to complex challenges unless we systematically examine what we mean by know in the first place. And starting from there, there are plenty of important questions that the students can get to very quickly: Do scientists know in the same ways as economists?

Can we know ethical truths in the same ways as we know mathematical truths?

What are the similarities and differences in knowing via reason, intuition and emotion? Can we know that God exists?

Or know that he does not? Is there anything at all that we can know to be true with absolute certainty? If not, why not? And if so, what?

Addressing these questions is far less intimidating than it might seem—because all IBDP students study six subjects, they are already deeply immersed in

“Looking back I realise that Theory of Knowledge is more than just the coursework and the core points. It helps us realise the significance of what we learn in other courses as well—essentially a ‘why’ rather than a ‘what.’”

Sreeya Mukherjee, Grade 12 different and contrasting methodologies, approaches and visions of knowledge.

That means they are implicitly addressing the questions anyway—so TOK is a great place to make them explicit, and to critically engage with them without the pressures of course syllabi to follow. The students are, in addition, at that crucial stage of forming their own knowledge about themselves, and together, these academic and personal experiences form a springboard for inquiry. These questions can elicit passionate and heart-felt reactions from students; in trying to answer them they find their own voices and they take a further step in forging their own identities. In discussing their thoughts with others who hold profoundly different views with a conviction equal to their own, they also learn something about other perspectives, about the value of pluralism, and a lot about intellectual humility.

“Theory of Knowledge has the sole purpose of digging deeper and understanding ourselves and identifying our own biases. I can say … it allows us to connect with ourselves … it promotes and encourages students to view a topic from multiple points of view and aims at achieving holistic education.”

Raghav Mathur, Grade 11 Thus, I believe this is a course closely aligned with our loftiest aims as educators. And so you won’t be surprised to find that classes consist largely of carefully scaffolded and structured conversation. Philosopher Michael Oakeshott, writes that “it is not an enterprise designed to yield an extrinsic

“Theory of Knowledge … caught my attention almost immediately; it was kind of an awakening for me … [fifteen years on] managing engineering projects means that you constantly have to solve complex problems and challenge the beliefs of others, in order to obtain the best solution. Being able to understand the intricacies of a question and research into them is an engineering skill that I have had to develop; and it had its roots in TOK and IB. TOK really ignited my curiosity with the world.”

Jon Chew, Class of 2000

profit, a contest where a winner gets a prize … it is an unrehearsed intellectual adventure … its significance lies neither in winning nor in losing, but in wagering. … it is the ability to participate in this conversation … which distinguishes the human being from the animal and the civilized man from the barbarian … education, properly speaking, is an initiation into the skill and partnership of this conversation in which we learn to recognize the voices, to distinguish the proper occasions of utterance, and in which we acquire the intellectual and moral habits appropriate to conversation. And it is this conversation, which, in the end, gives place and character to every human activity and utterance.”1 The assessment of the TOK course tells us a lot. There are presentations on real life situations (which I cannot easily share) and also essays, whose titles are worth examining. Here are some examples: • “That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.

• “A skeptic is one who is willing to question any knowledge claim, asking for clarity in definition, consistency in logic and adequacy of evidence (adapted from Paul Kurtz, 1994).”

Evaluate this approach in two areas of knowledge.

• “Doubt is the key to knowledge (Persian Proverb).” To what extent is this true in two areas of knowledge?

• How important are the opinions of experts in the search for knowledge?

These questions allow students to answer with reference to their own interests, experiences, cultures and beliefs. Wikipedia will not help—this is very much about their thoughts, not the thoughts of others. We have found that it is through this sort of opportunity that students are most likely to come to the profound understanding of complexity that we wish them to develop. It’s the clear intellectual flexibility, the capacity to see different perspectives and the resourcefulness needed to shape, re-shape and create their essays that impresses me more than the ideas themselves. Their work leads me to believe our graduates will be more than capable of dealing with whatever new, different, challenging situations they come across—even ones like those I asked at the start of this article. What a great thought!

To read some recent student Theory of Knowledge essays, please visit eDunia.

Oakeshott, Michael. “The Voice of Poetry in the Conversation of Mankind.” In Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 196-98. London: Methuen, 1962.

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Shift to authentic learning in Design Technology education “Design must be an innovative, highly creative, cross-disciplinary tool responsive to the needs of men. It must be more research-oriented, and we must stop defiling the earth itself with poorly-designed objects and structures.”

Victor Papanek, Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change

By John Zobrist Head of Design Technology East Campus Design Technology (DT) means very different things to different people.

If you grew up in the 1960s it might mean practical woodworking and metalwork, which then evolved into food, electronics and needlework, and then changed again, to its current incarnation as a highly academic multidisciplinary course. We draw on these traditions, fusing them with modern technology, pedagogy and systems thinking with a tremendously exciting sense of possibility for what DT can be.

I write here to give you a sense of what’s happening in the DT Department on East Campus.

We have taken an innovative approach to the subject, and students have moved from making pre-designed products for no real purpose, to identifying clients, meeting with them and then making products that solve real and relevant problems. The clients may be friends, relatives, or younger students, and we see our students’ creativity and imagination unleashed as we push our young designers to become more aware of the fundamental principles and wider issues of design, its impact on consumers, legislation and sustainability.

Our state-of-the-art facilities include rapid prototyping capabilities with 3D printing, laser cutting and Computer-Numerically-Controlled (CNC) engineering milling and routing machines that both Middle and High School students access. Our facilities have been recognised as one of the leading set-ups in Southeast Asia, and the success of the inaugural International Design Technology Conference (IDTC) at East Campus last year is being followed by the second IDTC in Dubai, where we have been invited to present a keynote on how we are shifting the DT learning programme.

Of course learning to use these facilities is not easy, but this is a good thing; our student designers are exposed to the realities of having to modify and develop their proposals to continually refine and improve their work. In reality, it’s the process, not the product that is the real outcome here, and Samuel Beckett’s pithy “Ever tried. Ever failed.

No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better” is our motto. After all, if we are not challenging the students by their work as project managers, then they are not really learning to reach their potential.

We thus create endless opportunities for development. Engaging students in

Grade 11 DT students work alongside villagers and staff from The Island Foundation to Bintan, Indonesia to repair a fishing boat to be used for planting vegetables.

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computer-aided design (CAD) allows them to design, simulate and visualise components or whole systems in a very satisfying way; within the Systems and Control and Resistant Materials courses students create virtual products that evoke amazement from those who view them. Our recent Grade 11 trip with The Island Foundation GC to Bintan

allowed our internationally-minded DT students to develop and share their understanding of design and the technological world by facilitating our shared guardianship of the planet to create a better world. The students were able to put theory into practice by helping to restore a disused boat as a planter in a sustainable garden project.

It is an exciting time in DT, with more great opportunities on the horizon—with Junior School, working with GC and Service partners, and with alumni and parental input which can help build longterm connections with local companies around product innovation, industrial design, and sustainable systems.

The future is bright!

Honouring the educator

By James Dalziel Head of East Campus In January, John Zobrist was awarded the International Development and Support of Design and Technology award by the UK’s Trustees of the Design and Technology Association. This was in recognition for John’s outstanding work (although John would insist that the recognition goes to his DT colleagues) in developing a department that supported the promotion of Design Technology across Southeast Asia. We congratulate him for his impressive contribution to his passion— Design Technology.

Examples of students’ CAD designed major projects.

Photos by Martin Spreckley

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enthusiastic crowd gathered round the tent plaza stage to show their support and admiration for all involved. As each participant was called up to the stage and seated in front of a hairdresser, the message they wrote about why they were participating was read aloud. These moving expressions rallied and inspired the crowd. Once finished, participants beamed with pride as they stood up with their newly shaved head in honour their loved ones and cancer awareness.

Nineteen girls who had their hair shaved also donated their hair to locally-based project Recycle Your Hair which makes wigs for cancer patients in Singapore.

It’s not about the hair The 4th annual Hair for Hope event on East Campus motivated 48 brave students and staff to make ‘a bald statement’ by having their hair shaved for cancer awareness and to raise funds for the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in Mumbai, India. Organised by the Cancer Awareness Global Concern (GC) in both Middle School and High School, the event has become a perennial favourite and one that sees an outpouring of support, both emotional and financial.

Participants are required to collect sponsorship pledges and, more importantly, to take time to reflect on and share why they are taking this action for cancer awareness. One of the youngest participants this year, Morgan Radford-Gray in Grade 3, had his hair shaved in honour of his close friend in 22

the UK who is currently fighting cancer.

Like Morgan, many participate in honour of a loved one who has been affected by cancer. All commit to raising awareness of the disease and to supporting CPAA. Vartika Garg in Grade 9 has seen several family members including her grandmother impacted by cancer, but she also participated to better understand the experience of those fighting the disease. “I think I’ll be able to understand … girls my age who have to go through looking at themselves in the mirror with no hair. Or brush their hand against their head and feel nothing but bare skin. I want to try to understand what they go through, because losing all their hair is hard and it was a difficult decision for me to make as well.”

At both the Middle and High School lunch breaks on Friday, 20 March, an

The primary beneficiary of Hair for Hope, CPAA is a non-governmental organisation that provides ‘total management’ of cancer as a disease.

They raise awareness and offer education for prevention and early detection of cancer, provide a job training and rehabilitation programme for patients and family members whose livelihood has been affected by the disease, and they have an ‘Adopt-a-Cancer-Patient’ scheme, which provides post-surgical rehabilitation, transportation and accommodation during treatment and follow up, economic support for patients and families in need, and holistic support for the emotional and psychological well-being of patients and their families.

The funds raised by Hair for Hope 2015 will support 12 children through CPAA’s Adopt-a-Cancer-Patient programme as well as to screening camps around Mumbai that support early detection of cancer among high risk populations.

The final donations were still being tabulated at the time of writing but organisers estimate that over $65,000 was raised this year for CPAA, bringing the total amount raised over the past three years to more than $125,000.

In addition to the participants, thanks go to Middle School students Amelia Bartlett and Kate Elliot and to High School students Ananya Sood, Celia Van De Walle and Joshua Tandon who organised and served as the emcees for their respective events.

Coaching Cycles

By Tilson Crew Primary Mathematics Coach East Campus Planning, teaching, reflecting: this is what teachers do moment by moment, day by day, week by week and year by year. At UWCSEA, a culture of collegial collaboration is well ingrained. But what if we could go one step further?

What if teachers could plan, teach and reflect with a colleague, over a period of several weeks, on a specific studentfocused goal or a personal, professional goal as a practitioner? What if students’ learning was transformed because the learning relationship between colleagues was transformed?

Since January, teachers in the Junior School on East Campus have been doing exactly this; volunteering for one of four six-week ‘Mathematics Coaching Cycles’: a teacher-directed, one-on-one professional development opportunity whereby a classroom teacher and the Mathematics Coach collaborate closely to improve with professional skills and student learning.

This structured, in-depth study requires the teacher and coach to attend a preconference, a team teaching opportunity with video evidence and a postconference with a goal-based reflection each week for six weeks. This three-part process allows a teacher and coach to specifically analyse a particular element of their practice in order to transform classroom learning.

During the first pre-conference, the teacher and coach focus on the intended learning of the upcoming lesson or unit. A learning goal is identified and then a lesson is coplanned to help reach this goal.

The teacher and coach then move on to the second element and team-teach the lesson. This powerful component of the Coaching Cycle allows for collegial interaction focused on meeting the learning goal. By the teacher and coach

sharing components of the lesson, conferring with students, and guiding the learning together, learning is improved for all participants in the goal-focused lesson. Guiding the learning based on what students are currently showing us in a lesson, is an imperative, yet difficult part of teaching. Team-teaching allows the teacher and the coach to make deliberate guiding choices based on the evidence students are showing. Often, during a team-teaching lesson, a teacher or coach will call a ‘teacher time out’ to allow for a ‘sidebar’ discussion regarding next steps.

This short conversation allows the teacher and coach a moment to discuss next steps in learning, and also demonstrates to students how teachers intentionally collaborate to solve problems.

The third component, the postconference, involves a reflective dialogue

which takes place after the teacher and coach have viewed a video of the lesson, looking for evidence of the learning goal.

During this conversation, the teacher and coach both analyse the evidence of learning and commit to an action plan for further growth.

At UWCSEA, teachers continuously improve learning for all students by improving practice, and Coaching Cycles provide another important platform for teachers to sustain improved practice and offer the additional benefit of a colleague-supported and goal-directed process for improvement.

What if we could transform the way students learn by transforming the way teachers learn? We are doing it, together with our colleagues.

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Helping to understand and protect coral reefs through imagery – the Catlin Seaview Survey Left: SVII camera at work on Glover’s Reef, Mexico; Right: Dominic focusing the SVII camera.

The Catlin Seaview Survey is a global coral reef survey which aims to reveal the world’s coral reefs in high resolution 360° panoramic images. Dominic Bryant, Class of 2003, is currently earning his PhD as one of the Catlin Oceans Scholars at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Global Change Institute (GCI) in Australia. During his time with the Catlin Seaview Survey, he has travelled the length of the Caribbean and at the time he wrote this, was in the Coral Triangle in the Indo-Pacific. UQ is one of the leading research institutions in the world, committed to sustainability through its research and learning practices. A multi-disciplinary research institute, GCI is focused on finding solutions to the challenge of global change in four key areas: food security and land use, healthy oceans, renewable energy, and transforming policy, institutions and society.

The lead scientific partner of the Catlin Seaview Survey, GCI has the responsibility of extracting scientific ecological information on the current condition of the world’s coral reefs, in part from the images that Dominic is producing as part of his PhD work. Here, he shares the story of his work, and its global importance.

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By Dominic Bryant Class of 2003 UWCSEA 1996–2003 Despite covering less than one percent of the earth’s surface, coral reefs provide food and livelihoods for over 500 million people worldwide. They also provide protection from storms, waves and open seas for coastal communities, creating peaceful and productive lagoon environments.

However, coral reefs are currently experiencing decline at a rate faster than any ecosystem in Earth’s history, with many reefs losing 40-50% coral cover in the last 30 years.

This loss is due to various threats that cause physical damage or stress to the corals from both local causes like overfishing and storms and global warming. The cumulative effects of increased population pressure adjacent to reefs and increased carbon emissions worldwide have left reefs less resilient to recover from an impact such as a tropical storm or coral bleaching event.

If corals are unable to recover, entire colonies can die, which can have major economic impacts on the community.

Tourism, fishing, and coastal protection can disappear and without the reef, there will be a serious drop in income

from activities such as diving and snorkelling. Tourists will literally find better things to do than visit an iconic site that is meant to have lots of coral but has none. An illustration of this is the Great Barrier Reef, which attracts roughly 1.6 million visitors a year, generating over AU$5 billion a year for the Australian economy and providing 63,000 tourism-related jobs.

Perhaps more pressing, but less obvious, is what happens to the ocean’s many sources of food. Many coastal communities of the East-Asia Pacific region live below the poverty line.

Without the reef as a source of protein and income, residents within these coastal communities face starvation and/or resettlement. I have witnessed this on remote islands off the coast of Borneo, where the effects of dynamite fishing have left populated islands without a source of protein.

The importance of imagery One of the challenges facing coral reefs is that they are underwater, meaning they are ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for most people. Unfortunately less than one percent of people on Earth have the opportunity to witness the beauty and wonder of a coral reef first hand.

Many people who rely on coral reefs

Photos supplied by Dominic Bryant

do not get the opportunity to see what a coral reef is supposed to look like, let alone understand the impact these reefs have on their lives.

If you have ever spoken to people from older generations about coral reefs, you may have heard them say something along the lines of “this site was a lot better 10 years ago!” But without any proof of what a reef looked like previously, our perception of a healthy reef changes to what we see in front of us. These perceptions are often referred to as being on a shifting baseline; a healthy reef today may have been considered an unhealthy reef a decade ago. Documenting the current condition of coral reefs means we can observe in the future the changes brought about by increased environmental stresses from humaninduced climate change, natural forces and population pressure.

There is a considerable amount of time and effort in getting ‘images to the masses’. Underwater Earth is a not-forprofit organisation run by a team of exadvertising experts who are dedicated to supporting and promoting ocean science and raising global awareness of ocean issues. The imagery from the Catlin Seaview Survey is made

freely available on Google Street View, allowing anyone to have a virtual dive experience from the comfort of their own home. This outreach tool has already attracted a following of 3.5 million followers. It is an integral part of the project because it provides an avenue to raise public awareness about coral reefs, and the fact that they are in considerable danger.

Another challenge is showing the condition of the world’s reefs in a scientific manner, where methods of collecting the images are carried out under strictly standardised scientific protocols across different global locations. The Catlin Seaview Survey uses an SVII camera, which contains three digital SLR cameras inside a housing, synchronised to take pictures every three seconds. The bottom camera is positioned so it faces the reef, and the image is then cropped to create a standardised 1m2 quadrant of the bottom. Images are then annotated in an online interface called Coral Net, which rapidly processes coral reef conditions and assesses important information such as the percentage of hard coral cover or the percentage of macro algae cover. There is also ability to collect important information about how coral reefs are affected by human

disturbances, and this is what I will focus on partially for my PhD.

Citizen Science and raising awareness The images (in all their different formats) go onto the open access Catlin Global Reef Record (www. globalreefrecord.org). Teams are currently working on Citizen Science initiatives that will allow the public to be involved in analysing the images based on their own interests, whether it is looking at corals or identifying reef fish. This will provide people around the world a greater sense of ownership and understanding when it comes to protecting our coral reefs.

The whole project is designed to break the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ barrier that has obstructed marine conservation efforts in the past.

The Catlin Seaview Survey has the capacity, through the efforts of all involved, to reach an extensive range of people to encourage the conservation of our reefs for future generations.

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TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND

By Victoria Ivory Birrell, Marius Smits and Michelle Tay Grade 10 East Campus The encouraging, engaging and constructive environment of UWCSEA was crucial to our original idea of starting a technology conference, led by students, for students. Following our attendance at the StuCon tech conference in Hong Kong in 2012, we were left enriched, excited and ultimately, inspired. What struck us most was that the workshops were run by students who were, though slightly older, very much like ourselves, and also filled with fearless ambition and enthusiasm.

Initially, the concept of starting our very own conference was daunting.

However, two years ago we proved that Middle School students could achieve great things, and the first TechLIFE conference in 2013 was an exciting buzz of student workshops, field trips and keynotes. Taking place over 24 hours, participants across various time zones

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were involved, with the highlight being a 30-minute Skype Q&A with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. TechLIFE 2.0 in 2014 evolved to include handson activities such as geocaching and an array of guru workshops, involving companies including Microsoft and Google over a more manageable twoday timeframe.

Now we are in Grade 10, and our third TechLIFE Infinity conference may very well have been our magnum opus.

Renamed TechLIFE Infinity in 2015, this year’s conference reflected the infinite opportunities technology brings to our lives and our responsibility to take charge of it responsibly and sustainably.

This year’s event featured a field trip for the older delegates to the newly established Singapore University of Technology and Design where delegates were introduced to new technologies being developed there, including drones. The younger delegates took part in sharing sessions and were involved in tech debates. Workshops covering themes ranging from coding

to viral video-making were offered by gurus from organisations such as Autodesk, Google and Microsoft, in conjunction with students from both UWCSEA campuses. Numerous talks based on the wider scope of technology were given by students. Delegates were able to immerse themselves in areas of technology that they were passionate about, as well as learn new concepts.

We hope that the conference will live on after our graduation, leaving a legacy and inspiring students annually about the vast, open world of technology by continuing to fulfil its original intention of creating a platform for students to delve into their passion of technology, sharing their knowledge. Through this, we hope students will become aware of the wider scope of influence that technology has on society, as well as the multitude of career paths this can lead to in the future.

We are already beginning to formulate ideas for future conferences, learning from previous challenges and continuing to bring TechLIFE to a wider audience around the region.

OPUS 2015

By Niamh O’Reilly Grade 12, Orchestra leader and OPUS soloist Dover Campus Being leader of the orchestra for OPUS 2015 was an incredible experience, and quite an emotional one too, as it is my last OPUS after five years of being in the orchestra. This year’s event was a great conclusion to weeks of practising and rehearsals, and paid off as one of the best performances that I’ve ever been involved with. What really made it such a meaningful memory for me was how well everybody came together during the preparations, spending time getting to know each other during rehearsals and backstage waiting for our cue. I’ll miss all the great conversations and laughter I’ve shared with my friends, in both orchestra and other ensembles.

I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to play a solo on such a prestigious stage and happy to have shared it with everyone in the Senior Orchestra. I’m very grateful for the conductor Helen Rhodes and to my fellow players. I will look back on this as one of my greatest memories at UWCSEA.

Learning through the Community Fair

By Lydia Astill Vice Chair, Parents’ Association Dover Campus Saturday, 31 January saw the 9th annual Community Fair take over the Dover Campus. The event, organised by the Parents’ Association at Dover in partnership with the Global Concerns (GC) Executive, helps the 60+ GC groups achieve their fundraising goals and provides a learning experience for students.

From food to games to bouncy castles and activities, the event allows all the students to show their passion and commitment to the chosen projects.

The Community Fair is essentially a student-led activity and this was evident in the numerous merchandise, awareness and activity stalls run by different student-managed groups. Students also showed off their fantastic musical talents and their entrepreneurial and organisational skills in many ways.

Sincere thanks to all the parents, staff, alumni, parents, sponsors and students who participated in the success of the event, with a particular thanks to the Facilities and Security staff.

While this year’s Community Fair raised $48,000 for the GC programme and Initiative for Peace, the most valuable part of the day is the learning experience it provides for all the students involved.

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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, Molly Fassbender and Courtney Carlson Design: Nandita Gupta Photography: Sabrina Rech, Tom Soper and members of the UWCSEA community 064COM–1415

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 MCI (P) 086/04/2014

Around the World in 80 Days Grade 2 Arts Festival Thursday, 12 March, Roy Bennett Theatre (RBT) Phileas and Philomena Fogg led the Grade 2 students and their parents around the world in just under two hours, with stops along the way in India, Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand and Scotland. Taking in important cultural celebrations in every country they visited, Phileas and Philomena defeated the saboteurs and emerged triumphant, winning their bet.

Students created the projected digital images used in the show’s set during Art classes, and these images were printed and sold to parents as mementos. All proceeds were donated to Grade 2’s Global Concern, Tabitha. This integration of art, service and performance reinforces UWCSEA’s holistic approach to education.

A fun-filled evening of music and dance (choreographed by a professional dance teacher) gave Grade 2 students and their parents a fantastic opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity through the Arts.

Congratulations Grade 2!