It has been a particularly busy week for the College and I am pleased to share news of recent updates and field trips, as well as exciting upcoming events.
Tailored learning to strengths and interests
One of the many benefits of studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) is that it allows students to tailor their learning to their strengths and interests. Recently, our Year 12 Science students have been completing their Internal Assessments (IAs), which provide them with the opportunity to conduct research into a topic of their choice and carry out an experiment. The IAs are a fundamental part of IB Science courses and enable our students to work independently, which helps to strengthen their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Earlier this year, a number of our Environmental Systems and Societies students visited Long Meadow to collect ecological data while others have been investigating topics such as how acid rain affects seed germinations and how changing the angle of a hydrofoil affects lift.
Year 12 Theory of Knowledge exhibition
One of the attributes that the IB develops in our students is the ability to think critically. As a part of their IB Diploma Programme (DP) studies, our Year 12 Sixth Form students are required to creatively demonstrate their understanding of the philosophy of critical thinking through a Theory of Knowledge exhibition. The event challenges students to curate a creative exhibition of three objects that explain how knowledge is created, disseminated and received in the real world.
You are invited to join us for the Year 12 Theory of Knowledge exhibition on 14 July from 9:00am – 11:00am. Secure your free place now.
Fostering a love of Mathematics? It’s as easy as pi
Last week, our Year 10 Mathematicians enjoyed attending the Eureka event at the Centre of Mathematical Sciences at The University of Cambridge. During the visit, students explored mathematical mysteries with star of Numberphile, Ben Sparks, Â took part in a number of Mathematics and Physics-based quizzes and collaborated with their classmates to solve challenging problems.
Glaston-who?
Festival season is well and truly upon us and I am delighted to share that on 12 July, we will be hosting our own Performing Arts Festival, celebrating culture and international-mindedness. The main show will begin at 6:00pm and will feature students from Years 7 to 13 showcasing some of their most impressive performances. Our talented Performance School students have been working incredibly hard and I know they are looking forward to sharing their talents with you. Secure your ticket to iFest 2023.
Lets dance!
I am incredibly proud of the Performing Arts programme we have developed at the College, and recently, I was pleased to welcome instructors from 4D Dance to the College. The local dance school delivered an exciting and engaging Commercial Hip Hop dance workshop for our Year 7 and 8 students. The students worked incredibly hard during the session and clearly enjoyed learning more about a particular style of dance. Thank you to the team at 4D Dance for helping to inspire our students.
A Premiership partnership
I strongly believe that we offer one of the best student rugby programmes in the region and I am so pleased to share that we have further bolstered our position by partnering with the Premiership team, Northampton Saints. The partnership will see professional coaches visit the College to deliver coaching sessions as well as visits from Saints players to help inspire our students. Our partnership commences from September and I cannot wait for our students to be able to reap the benefits of an even stronger rugby programme.
Guten Tag, Berlin
In March, the College welcomed students from our partner school, Kopernikus Gymnasium in Berlin, Germany. Last week, a number of our students took part in the return trip, completing this year’s German exchange programme. The students relished the opportunity to hone their German language skills and to experience living and learning in Berlin. During the exchange, the students enjoyed visiting the zoo, exploring the historic Reichstag Building, and trying the German delicacy, Flammkuchen.
Uniting young people to protect our planet
Studying the IB fosters a sense of responsibility for the local community and this extends to making positive changes to protect our environment. Many of our students are passionate about combatting climate change and, with this in mind, I am pleased to share that we will be applying for status as an Eco-School. The pupil-led initiative aims to unite young people to create positive impacts to protect our planet. Earlier this week, we began the work to form our first Eco-Committee who will meet regularly throughout the academic year to plan and deliver College-wide environmental initiatives. I look forward to providing further updates shortly.
June 30, 2023
