THE DRUM @WOODFORD
Issue 28, 21st February
Robotics and AI
By Idamali Wickham
As part of the education day 2025, the robotics team and two middle school representatives went to King George school to represent Woodford International school by displaying our robot and showing different ways to use AI in maths(Games)
Many students and adults came by to ask questions and watch the presentation
Woodford International School
Week 4 completed!
This week has been eventful with the usual extra curriculars, but also the newly embedded classes such as tourism and grammar
Hopefully, you’ve all had a lovely week and enjoyed your endeavours!
Showing off the robots abilities gathered a large crowd and the AI generated Math game got many players working together with both our two middle school students and their own school mates.
There were other stalls such as a New Zealand education scholarship community, and the WITSI –Women in IT Solomon Islands –beside ours, promoting and presenting their own information
The list of students representing were: Yr 11
- LangYing Zhu
- Hudson Preece
- Chris Toni
- Sanjaiya Kalamendi
- Idamali Wickham (Me)
Middle-school
- Attli Tomadek
- Sarrita Fa'amauri
Promoting students' mental health!
By Idamali Wickham
Stress and burnout are two very real risks to anyone and their Mental Health, if one works too hard and pushes their limits.
Woodford has a new school counselor who will work three days a week in all areas to help our students through the anxious struggles of their piles of assignments and the endless upcoming tests
Ms. Rebecca, a licensed individual in the field of community services will be the one to help us throughout this year.
(This picture is of a promotion for mental health celebrated in Australia This year it will be held on the 11th of September)
Whether you want to sit in her office, go for a walk, or sit outside and talk, you are welcome to pay her a visit if you feel the need to lift some weight off of your shoulders.
With her help you can practice self-care, and with that you’ll see improvements with your sleep, concentration, and even your studies!
And if you aren’t prepared to do individual sessions, she has an offer to take in groups at a time for the comfort of the students
Parents are also welcome to visit her and have a talk! Maybe to understand your child a little more, and connect better.
As of next week, she will be based in the main office next to Mr. Dan.
Final recruitment
By Idamali Wickham
After some thought, the drum - or just me - has decided that in order to make the drum more interesting to those who would like to join, there has been discussions about possible advantages.
I am in the process of sending out emails to selected individuals, but anyone is welcome.
Hopefully, by the next issue, there will be new names to add under the articles to reveal our newest members
In memory of Ms. Monroe Pio
By Idamali Wickham
After receiving information from Ms. Cherolyn Tasa, this is what was said:
“Ms Monroe Pio dedicated over 20 years of her life to Woodford, shaping young minds with warmth, strength, and a deep passion for teaching An expert in Early Childhood Education, she was more than a teacher, she was a mentor, a motherly figure, and a source of joy for both colleagues and students.
Her laughter and kindness filled the WISE room, and her ability to comfort and settle the youngest learners made her a trusted presence for parents Even in her absence, teachers visited her, holding onto hope for her recovery.
Though we grieve, we find strength in knowing she made a lasting impact.
Ms. Pio’s legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched, and her memory will forever be cherished.
Rest in peace, Ms Pio You will be deeply missed”
Her years here were long, but her personality itself shone through, leaving an unforgettable impact on not just her peers, but the entirety of the school.
Current affairs
By Idamali Wickham
The Super Bowl Exposed the Brutality of America’s Class Divide
The Super Bowl, now a massive commercial event, brought 100,000 tourists and $66.5 million in stadium ticket sales to New Orleans, highlighting extreme wealth and inequality. While some profited from the spectacle, others faced displacement and harsh treatment, revealing the stark divide in American society.
Hong Kong’s main opposition party announces plan to dissolve!
Hong Kong's Democratic Party is set to vote on dissolving after struggling under China's crackdown on dissent following the 2019 protests. The party’s decline was accelerated by the 2021 "patriots law," which barred opposition figures from elections, and many of its leaders have faced legal repercussions or exile
New game
By Idamali Wickham
Promoting our students' plans!
By Idamali Wickham
A group of year 7 students: - Panelle - Jema - Andrea - Tauren - Ralph - Sean - Keyno
The Action Club is a community service-driven program dedicated to making a positive impact in our society.
Their mission? To share what we have to uplift and support our community, no matter how small our shares are.
At the Action Club, they truly believe that inside each and everyone of us is the power to encourage and inspire our friends, colleagues, and anyone around us that we can all work together to make a meaningful impact and show a spirit of generosity and service to others and to ourselves
Reaching out to all parents, teachers, and students who read the newsletter; please make an effort to donate something – a singular book, an old pair of shorts, or some board games and puzzles you no longer use. Anything would be accepted.
If we all contribute a little something, it’ll be more than enough in the end, so please help out our students in the Action club!
Random facts
By Idamali Wickham
- The human nose can detect over 1 trillion different scents.
- The longest hiccuping spree lasted 68 years. Charles Osborne of the U.S. suffered from continuous hiccups from 1922 until 1990
- There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the Earth’s beaches combined
- You can’t hum while holding your nose. Try it, and you’ll find that humming requires airflow through your nose.
- The word "nerd" was first coined by Dr. Seuss in "If I Ran the Zoo” in 1950.
- A leap year occurs every 4 years to keep our calendar in alignment with Earth's revolutions around the sun.
- A group of flamingos is called a "flamboyance"
- A single strand of human hair can hold about 100 grams (3 5 ounces) of weight
- A typical cloud weighs about 1 million pounds
- The longest hiccuping episode on record lasted 68 years, set by Charles Osborne of the United States.
