Student News
THE DRUM @WOODFORD Issue 11, 20th October 2023
Woodford International School
HEY ALL! Half of Term 4 has gone by…Wow how fast time flies! Upcoming next would be the HS Formals and exams in week 5 and 6 for MS and HS. Mufti will be on week 5 friday so dress up in the corresponding theme and we can’t wait to see everyones outfits!
Welcome back, Robotics team! By Idamali Wickham
(You guys look amazing!)
Coming home from the First Global Competition, we have Mr. Lerric Tito, Mrs. Katie Pyle, Aiden Kenilorea, Del Taneko, Makaio Biukoto, LangYing Zhu and Tashli Toito’ona!
Breaking the records of previous Solomon Islands rankings, this year’s 3-day-built bot reached 91st place out of 191 countries, successfully landing Solo in the top 100! In this exciting competition, our bot started out with the rank of #147 then went all the way up to #87, then due to unfortunate circumstances, they dropped down to #137. After a boost they were back up in the top 100, their final rank being #91, beating six big teams, USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and France!
They went to the competition with a robot that had been built within three To feed your curiosity, our previous days! With some technical difficulties highest ranks were 2018 - #95 and 2019 - #96. Both years had just and accidentally building the wrong things, they set off to represent the below 191 countries participating Solomon Islands in the competition (183-189). after our absence of four years.
While the team was hard at work in the competition, they had a little bit of time where they could go out and do things like, sightseeing, shopping, eating, and overall enjoying their stay in Singapore.
(Del and Makaio having a deep convo)
Student News
My Singapore Experience! By Tashli Toito’ona On the afternoon of the day we arrived in Singapore, we took a 45-minute walk to the Esplanade where we managed to find a good spot with a picturesque view of the bay’s attractions - Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the Merlion (which was undergoing maintenance), and the Singapore Flyer. During our walk we got to see Singapore’s unique architecture evident in the buildings and the creativity showcased along the walls of the esplanade. On Sunday night, First Global organized a cultural dinner at the Gardens by the Bay where we got to see its breath-taking attractions.
The first attraction we visited was the Flower Dome where we got to see a multitude of attractive flowers and trees. The second attraction we went to was the Cloud Forest that consisted of an indoor waterfall, sky bridge, the Avatar Experience, and a tall mountain structure that held plants from around the world. (Slay guys! - Idamali) (Turns out they were lost and in a separate exit to the rest of the team - Idamali)
After the cloud forest it was time for the famous light show. With iridescent lights and blaring music to accompany them, that was a scene that would be embedded in our memories forever. One of the best things about the First Global Challenge is that you get to see and meet people from around the world gathered in one place, which you don’t really see often. Overall, it was an amazing event and trip, it was a great experience that taught us both educational and practical lessons.
YEAR 5 IB PYP EXHIBITION By Alicia Barsby-Peters Last week on Thursday the 12th of October, the year 5s presented to the parents, teachers and students of Woodford, their thrilling exhibition journey with the transdisciplinary theme of ‘Sharing the Planet’. The central idea was “Empowering Communities for Sustainable Future Resources Through Responsible Choices”. The year 5s presented to us the different topics that were chosen from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These topics include, conservation and ecosystems, health and well-being, infrastructure and development, employment and economic growth, education and climate change. These young students embarked on an exciting journey of inquiry, exploring a range of complex matters and searching for suitable solutions while clinging onto the PYP principles: inquiry, action, and reflection. So let’s take the time to thank our dedicated year 5 students and their teachers for the amazing effort that was put forth till the very end, and everyone else that participated in bringing this event to a successful conclusion.
Student News
Current affairs By Hudson Preece
War in Israel
SI - Aus Mini Rugby 7’s tournament By Idamali Wickham
visiting schools and a mini rugby tournament! The collaboration of the Burra Rays and the S.I National Women’s team is the result of a long standing support of Australian Government programs like the PacificAus Sports program which supports the partnership between SIRUF and RugbyAU!
On Thursday there was a mini Rugby tournament at Townground where the Burra Rays Women’s Rugby Club from Sydney had played against S.I National 7s and Honiara select 1 and 2! The Solomon Islands national side and visiting team both won a match each at the end of the competition. The Burra Rays arrived here on the 16th of October, Monday this week. The weeks’ events for them included a high performance training that went for 3 days,
The Burra Ray’s tour to Solomon Islands is part of the Solomon Islands national women’s rugby teams preparation for the 2023 Pacific Games.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a missile barrage of over 3000 missiles. This event sparked the ongoing conflict in southern Israel and the Gaza strip. As of October 19, over 3000 Palestinians have died from ongoing retaliatory missile strikes by Israel and over 1400 Israelis have died since the initial attack. With plans in motion for Israel to begin a ground offensive, the outcome of this war is and will continue to be unknown, with some saying little of it and some calling it the beginning of the end.
Australian voice referendum
On October 14 the Australian government held a referendum to change the constitution to recognise the ‘aboriginal and Torres strait Islanders voice’. The results were clear as to which side Australia supported with all but one state/territory voting ‘No’ to the referendum, at the light of these events the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese expressed his disappointment and pledged to make sure that this decision would not create a rift in the government.
Student News
MS & HS Exams By LangYing Zhu
Exams for Middle school and High School are around the corner! Middle school exams will be on Monday the 30th and Tuesday the 31st of October, while High school exams begin on Thursday the 26th of October until Tuesday the 31st of October. Be prepared and make sure to study for your exams! Plan out what you need to study, write out notes, study by yourself or in study groups! Make sure to get plenty of rest and bring all the right tools you need on the right exam! Good luck!
Voting Registration By Chasign Ng
Over the two week break, a couple of Woodfords senior students who were soon to be or had just turned 18 years of age, took part in the national registration which commenced on the 4th of September, 2023. Although registration is not compulsory, it is significant in giving young youths the legal entitlement to vote and take part in experiencing how the country’s government system is run.
Students that traveled to their respective provinces would stand in long lines and fill out identification forms, as well as taking id pictures which would be added into the system as identification. Being involved in such activities allows the students to get a taste of young adulthood and independence.
Sua, a year 12 Woodford student, explained why he registered and why others his age should also consider doing so:
"I registered because it was my choice, and also because it is common to start doing so around ages 18-19 in my family. However, mainly, it's because I wanted to take part in the election of members and vote. I think that other young people like me should also register so that we can be more involved in shaping this country and its future. Instead of doing nothing much worthwhile, we can contribute to making a
Solo’s Chocolate Factory! By Idamali Wickham
Cathliro Solomon Islands very own chocolate factory! A locally owned chocolate business Cathliro sources, processes cocoa beans from local farmers to export and make their own chocolate.
Cathliro’s chocolate shop is based at the Honiara Hotel in Chinatown. They produce high quality chocolate for cooking, eating and drinking! They package chocolate in all shapes and sizes. Cathliro uses all parts of the cocoa, packaging cocoa nibs, the husk for teas and cocoa powder. A great example of sustainable business practices.
difference."
For more WIS student news, check us out online: www.wis.edu.sb/thedrum