As you are well aware, we are a young High School seeking to make a difference to the lives of our students, to engage with issues of global importance in whatever capacity we can, and to create leaders who can turn ideas into action. We are still inventing our own culture, traditions, norms and practices, and we are developing many strands to support our aims. It can be difficult to manage all the projects at once, and I am therefore delighted when I see several of these strands come together in a coherent way – obviously for reasons of efficiency and simplicity, but perhaps more importantly because it shows that what we are doing coheres and aligns.
Three things, this week, have caught my attention in this regard.
- The first was the final assembly for our Year10s who are leaving for public exams. The assembly had the usual messages from me and other teachers, but what struck me most was the sense of fun, the sense of perspective, and the abundant creativity shown musically, in film-making and in performance. At a time when exam-fever might be expected to dominate all else, I saw balance, creativity and collaboration.
- The second thing was a grade 10 student asking me how she and the others could thank one of her teachers for whom she had an especially high regard. She wanted to lead some celebration. Again, at a time when one might have understandably expected students to narrow their focus to themselves, I saw concern, commitment and a desire to act on principle.
- Thirdly, and most strikingly, I saw the steps taken towards organising a cross-campus event – the I am a Young Hero Family Fun Run. Initially disappointed not to be able to compete alongside teachers in the gruelling Urbanathalon to raise funds for Focus Africa Global Concern, some grade 11 students determined to set up their own event, conscious of the fund-raising and broader school-values that might be embodied in such an process. A couple of months on, the event is taking place around Bedok Resevoir; and advertising, buses, first-aid, local licenses and refreshments have all been arranged.
These are not insignificant processes to be on top of, and that the event is taking place is a clear sign of resilience, critical thinking and problem solving. Here’s what one of the key organisers has to say:
Coming from a public school in America that centers around football, football and more football, the UWC philosophy of turning ideas into action was a whole new concept for me at the start of the year. At first, being told the world is your oyster is relatively intimidating to say the least. Nevertheless, roughly five months ago the Focus Africa Global Concerns Group challenged its members with the task of organizing an event to fundraise for an AIDS charity in Swaziland and promote awareness of needs and the often-overlooked charms of Africa. Inspired by the opportunity, I proposed the idea of a family fun run involving both school campuses, which soon grew into “I Am a Young Hero.”
Over the course of the last few months, our newly formed group has developed the dynamics of teamwork along with communication and management skills while committing to reach our goal. This experience has not only allowed me to develop as a leader and push myself to new limits, but also discover the power in taking an active role to pursue change. The run is open to all members of our UWCSEA community, aspiring to create a sense of unity and accomplishment as a whole, while merging together as a new school. This allows our college to unite and make an impact while taking a step towards shaping a better environment. With the hope of making this run a yearly event while igniting a UWCSEA tradition, our community will thrive with a new sense of spirit and achievement.
Jackie Dolski Grade 11
Whether we are talking about this Fun Run, the recently produced student-driven Economeast (you are buying a copy aren’t you?), the Holi celebration, the assemblies hosted by students, or a hundred other initiatives, the key thing is that these are not just great events, but that they emerge from the students, and they show our aspirations as a school. They both reflect and embed our Profile and Learning Principles and also speak to the alignment I mentioned at the start. So while we do not yet have a highly established school culture, our current students are making the most of the very special opportunity to create it, by seeing what needs to be done and then stepping up to do it. We are so very proud of them.
1 Response
this is a great article, thank you Nick