Connecting communities
Building Bridges to Bali
iLearn programme
JUMP! builds community
December 2011
Staying connected
in times of change
They must often change, who would
be constant in happiness or wisdom.
Confucius
Over the past six years, our school
has been through an extraordinary
process of change. Much of my
conversation since joining as Head
of College in 2005 has been about
recognising change, understanding
change and managing change. As I
reflect on the modifications, such as
new course offerings for IB Diploma,
the transformations, such as our new
Admissions Policy, and the small
revolutions, such as the opening
of our East Campus in Tampines,
I am astounded by the size and
rate of change that our community
has experienced.
And yet. As we analyse this complex
and sometimes unpredictable
change process, what we discover is a
reassuring continuity. Like all human
systems, our school is dependent
on our path, and our path is clearly
defined by our mission to make
education a force to unite people,
nations and cultures for peace and a
sustainable future. More importantly,
our path is forged by our students and
they, above all, provide us with stability
and constancy, as they embrace
challenge and take responsibility for
shaping a better world.
This edition of Dunia is focused on
community. The stories show us how
we connect to one another, to other
cultures and to communities outside
of our own; the stories that make
our community special, providing
us with continuity in times of great
change. From service learning on East
Campus, to UN Night on Dover, from
the Grade 6 trip to Tioman to the visit
from the Bali Bridges Foundation, from
the holiday shopping fair on Dover to
the Black & White Ball on East—these
provide a small snapshot of the special
activities that build community and, in
so doing, make our community great.
This edition also includes a special
focus on the iLearn programme,
showcasing some of the uses of
technology that are supporting
teaching and learning in the College.
Don’t forget to go online to see
the newly-launched eDunia
www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
Julian Whiteley
Head of College
Let the
media
e multi-
a begin
Primary School
Grade 1
Watch three videos of
the Grade 1 students on
East Campus, focusing
on the community Unit
of Inquiry, the Outdoor
Education programme and
explorations in sound …
Middle School
iLearn
Read how the iLearn
programme closes the
digital divide by helping
Global Concerns to build
a school for students in
Cambodia …
High School
Toccata and Fugue
Hear the concert
performances from the
intermediate and senior
ensembles, including
Symphonic Band, Jazz
Band, Concert Strings and
High School Percussion ensemble …
Community
Scholars in East
Boarding community
Get to know one of
our scholars, Kirkha
from Aceh, who spoke
at the Black & White
Masquerade Ball about
his experience so far
at UWCSEA …
IB Heads Conference
Read about the Centre for
International Education
on East Campus, its first
conference, the IB Heads
Conference, and exciting
plans for the future …
Activities
Sports Round-up
Find the highlights of the
sports seasons, including
match results and photos
in the Activities section …
Four to One
View work from Dover
Campus art students as
part of a professional
exhibition “Four to One”
at One East Artspace …
Top story
UWC Day
See highlights of this
most special of days on
Dover campus, which
celebrates UWCSEA’s
part in the wider UWC
movement and is an
opportunity for the
whole College to focus
on our values.
www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
eDunia allows us to publish our
stories through video, audio podcasts
and photo imagery, as well as through
the written word. Through eDunia, we
can celebrate achievements and share
stories in a timely way that reflects
the vibrancy of the UWC South East
Asia experience. Plus, it means our
print Dunia can be smaller and focus
on particular themes, reducing our
paper usage and helping towards our
goal of a sustainable future.
Here is a snapshot of some of the
eDunia stories.
All of us are familiar with the idea
that we are educating students for an
unknown and unpredictable future.
Our current K1 class will graduate from
the College in June 2026 and, if they
attend a higher education institution,
will likely join the workforce sometime
in 2030. How can we ensure learning
experiences that will prepare our
students for success in 2030?
At the same time, we all recognise
that our students are immersed in
21st century media culture; they are
digital learners, spending on average
more than six hours a day connected
to electronic media (The Global
Achievement Gap, Wagner, 2009). How
can we ensure a learning experience
that is relevant and familiar to them?
At UWCSEA, part of our answer to
both of these questions is the iLearn
initiative. iLearn, launched in August
2010, seeks to improve learning and
develop skills, providing students with
an enhanced learning experience and
preparing them for success after school.
For parents, the most obvious evidence
of the iLearn initiative is the laptop
computers that many students now use
in their daily work. However, while a
central component of the initiative is to
increase student access to computers
and other digital devices, the main
focus is to enhance key skills such as
collaboration, critical thinking and
innovation. The programme also allows
for flexible progression, giving students
the chance to review or extend their
learning according to individual need. In
fact, a measure of the success of iLearn
will be that the programme is no longer
visible in the school, either managed by
teachers or experienced by students;
the integration of technology and
associated skills will be so complete,
nobody will notice them anymore.
So, what does this mean in practice?
Digital literacy coaches have been
working with teachers to support them
in integrating technology into their
daily practice. As Jeff Plaman, Digital
Literacy Coach on East Campus says,
“Teachers want to know how to use
the technology for learning, not just
learning the technology,” so a series
of ‘Show Me the Learning’ training
sessions for teachers focus on which
tools can move students further along
the path towards the learning goal. It
might be using video technology to
ensure students can explain a complex
idea in simple terms in IB Chemistry
(see further article in this issue and
video on eDunia). It might be using
Brushes App on an iPad so that K1
students can create their own ‘Blackout
Poetry’ (see further article in this issue).
It might be using blogging as a tool
to support Middle School students in
reflecting on their work. It might be
helping students to research effectively
using Google searches. It might be
using iPads in PE to record students
performing particular movements
before and after skills training to
enable individualised feedback on
details of their performance. These
are just some of the ways that the
digital tools are enhancing learning
outcomes for students.
Following are some examples of
iLearn in action. Please visit eDunia on
www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia for more.
Educate me for my
future, not your past
iLearn
By Jeff Plaman, Digital Literacy Coach
As part of the iLearn initiative and
Generation Safe, the UWCSEA East
Digital Literacy Coaches (DLCs)
have been taking a comprehensive
approach to educating all members
of the school community on digital
learning, citizenship and safety topics.
They have engaged with teaching staff
during a recent professional learning
meeting focused on Generation Safe,
and continue to develop curriculum
across all divisions of the school to help
students learn how to interact safely
and appropriately with digital media.
Conversations with the parent
community are particularly important
as we move forward with iLearn. The
DLCs have organised three parent
other students and receive feedback
from teachers and peers. The children
completed a rough paper draft, and
then typed their draft into a Google
Doc. This encouraged the students
to make large scale revisions as they
reconsidered their content during the
transfer process. The use of Google
Docs allowed conferring to take place
through the comments feature. This
tool facilitated effective teacher and
peer feedback and motivated the
students to read and respond to each
others’ work.
We look forward to further integration
of technology within Writing Workshop.
Please visit eDunia to see a video
of Grade 4 students talking about
using Google Docs for writing.
Exploring the use of technology
in Writing Workshop
education events so far: a parent coffee
session on social networks, a hands-
on session for Facebook security and
Twitter, and a parent coffee session
on classroom blogs. Parents attending
the social network session in particular
found it useful to have students present,
who could explain how they use social
networks for personal communication
as well as for learning. Students showed
the parents how they actively manage
their online digital tattoo by posting to
different audiences, and how they deal
with distraction by using apps to limit
their own access to certain sites and
software. Many parents commented
that they were surprised at the level
of maturity the students showed in
managing their interactions online.
iLearning across the whole community
The DLCs, along with the school
counsellors, are planning a session for
early in the new year about screen time
and maintaining an appropriate balance.
Please watch the eBrief for details and
join in the conversation.
Writing workshop as a model of writing
instruction was launched in Term 1
across K–5 at Dover Primary. Based on
current research, Writing Workshop
aims to help students develop the
capacity to write effectively with
confidence and clarity.
During Workshop, teachers provide
explicit instruction in a particular skill.
Independent, sustained writing time
is the cornerstone of each lesson.
Conferring between writing partners
and between teachers and students
ensures all students get regular
feedback and support to continually
develop their craft as writers.
Recently, Grades 3–5 Literacy Coach,
Helen Gamble explored the use
of Google Docs to help students
collaborate, comment on the work of
Poet and cartoonist Austin Kleon used
newspaper and permanent marker
to create a new artform: Newspaper
Blackout poetry. By eliminating all
but a few carefully chosen words from
newspaper pages, he creates thought-
provoking poems:
www.austinkleon.com
So how can our youngest students
use this technique to create their
own poems? And how can technology
be used to make it happen? Louise
Phinney, Digital Literacy Coach on
East Campus, explains.
“The K1 children were wrapping up
a Unit of Inquiry called Splish Splash
Splosh. I took 11 iPads with me to work
with the children in small groups. This is
what we did:
• The children opened Safari on
the iPads.
• In the search box, they typed “Rain
Poems Children.” The fourth or fifth
entry on the page was Mother Goose
Caboose (after the first group, it came
up instantly as soon as we opened
Safari, making things a little easier).
• I read a few poems to them and then
I asked them to read through all the
poems and find their favourite. It was
interesting to see how favourites were
chosen. Some were chosen by text
colour. Some were chosen because
they were at the top or the bottom of
the page. Some were chosen because
they were familiar.
• After finding a favourite, the children
took a screen shot of their poem.
• Using the search function on the
iPads, the children found and opened
the Brushes App.
• After starting a new picture, we
imported the screen shot into
Brushes.
• Children then chose their favourite
colour, circled all their favourite
words and blacked out the rest
(which I think was the most fun of
the whole project!)
Here are some samples of what we did:
With the K2s, we followed the same
steps. Their Unit of Inquiry was Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle so we used the website
CanTeach for our inspirational poems.
How do teachers know that students
are learning, that they understand key
concepts? One of the ways learning
is assessed is by asking students to
produce evidence of understanding.
Traditionally, students produce written
evidence of their understanding,
sometimes in the form of an essay
on a particular topic, sometimes in
writing answers to specific questions
in an exam context. There are multiple
approaches, and teachers are always
seeking new ways to document
evidence of understanding. In the
Middle and High School on Dover,
technology is being used by students
to demonstrate their understanding.
In IB Chemistry, Simon Dean asked
students to explain a complicated
concept in simple terms, by producing
a visual presentation that, crucially,
contained oral narration. It is in the oral
narration that student understanding is
best demonstrated. Written reports are
easily accessed through books and the
Internet, and students can sometimes
bypass true conceptual understanding
through a written demonstration.
Requiring them to record an oral
explanation of a concept, accompanied
by visual cues they have generated
Using technology to
demonstrate understanding
themselves, can help to assess if their
understanding is complete. Through
the process of creating the explanation
and finding ways to present it visually
and orally, the concept is reinforced.
Please go to eDunia to see a video
demonstration of the class and a
reflection on the technique.
In English classes, the introduction
of graphic novels to the IB Literature
course gave teacher Stuart MacAlpine
the opportunity to use student
produced audio-visual recordings for
deep analysis. In one particular session,
students explored motifs of caves and
snow, in the acclaimed graphic novel
Blankets by Craig Thompson, in order
to understand his use of allusions to
Plato’s allegory of the cave and offer
interpretations of particular instances
of these motifs. Laptop cameras and
a simple programme called Skitch,
enabled students to annotate and edit
screenshots of the novel. Instead of
putting ideas on paper and referring to
the images from the novel, or perhaps
using photocopies, students could
annotate directly onto the screenshots.
They could also place disparate parts
of the text next to each other on the
same slide to draw out recurring tropes,
juxtaposing their use at different key
moments of the narrative. This was
then consolidated by students recording
an oral commentary over the top of
the visual presentation. The narration
supported their oral presentation skills,
which were being assessed separately
at the end of the unit. Please refer to
eDunia for some examples of student
work in this class.
By Jeff Plaman, Digital Literacy Coach
As an international school, we are
always keen to take opportunities to
explore the perspective of students
in other parts of the world. Grade 7
Humanities students in Mr. Beasley
and Mr. Starzynski’s classes recently
participated in a live Skype video chat
with students from Mt Scopus College
in Melbourne. The Australian students
have been reaching out via Twitter,
looking for partner schools around the
globe who would be willing to answer
their questions about life and culture in
other parts of the world.
UWCSEA students were able to
explain what life was like for them in
Singapore. The Australian students
were particularly interested in the social
Technology connects UWCSEA students to Australia
status of domestic workers that live
with many of our UWCSEA families,
as this is not common for them. They
were also keen to hear about the many
foreign workers in Singapore and how
this diversity makes Singapore unique.
“I thought doing a Skype session with
an international school in Singapore
was very interesting because they
were close to our age, and they were
able to answer all the questions we
asked them. I loved it,” said Oliver from
Melbourne. Our students capitalised
on the opportunity as well, to get the
insider’s perspective on Judaism, as part
of their studies on the Middle East.
Being able to connect with other
schools using live video chat makes the
conversation more ‘real’ and engaging
because you can hear the accents and
see the expressions and surroundings of
the classroom. We are already thinking
of more opportunities to add global
perspectives to our lessons using Skype
to connect students.
Primary School
Bali Bridges
By Anu Singh, parent
Bali Bridges is probably one of the
best-known Global Concerns at
UWCSEA. Currently celebrating its fifth
anniversary, it was set up as a College
initiative to partner with the Widyah
Asih Foundation in Bali. The group cares
for a large number of orphans, with
centres dotted around Bali.
I was fortunate to meet with one of Bali
Bridge’s Founders, Craig Coutts, Principal
of East Campus Primary School. Craig
explained some of the projects that
UWCSEA staff and students undertake
in Bali, and highlighted the importance
of the project to the College. Far from
it being a one-sided experience, the
benefits are mutual, if not tilted in favour
of the College.
A key experience for UWCSEA families
is the opportunity to travel to Bali, and
working at the orphanages. A recent
trip saw teachers and their families
working to create murals that covered
the walls of two buildings. When asked
why murals, Craig explained that the
murals had a visible impact on the
children’s psyches, both with respect
to their surroundings and their faith
in the commitment of the UWCSEA
volunteers. A similar trip over the
Easter break for Grade 4 students,
accompanied by a parent, also has them
visiting one of the orphanages. Such
trips act as great bonding experiences,
and hopefully leave our children with a
greater appreciation of how fortunate
they are to have parents—even
hopelessly out of date or otherwise
embarrassing ones!
Subsequent to the October Bali trip
is the biennial visit of some of the
orphans to Singapore. The children are
instructed in Balinese fine arts, such as
the gamelan, and are invited to perform
at numerous venues in Singapore. Craig
described the learning these children
go through on these trips—from taking
their first plane ride to being in a
high-rise building for the first time.
These children, when visited later
in Bali, are clearly leaders in their
community, and have had their
horizons broadened in a way many
of us cannot begin to imagine.
However, the College community also
learns so much from these children
that it is no wonder that Bali Bridges
has captured the hearts of many
students and parents. As Craig puts it,
“Community spirit is natural to these
children, and is not an ethos that is
imposed from above.” He relates how
much and how well these children look
after each other.
We wish Bali Bridges a very happy fifth
anniversary, and are confident that the
partnership will continue to flourish,
and be beloved of more UWCSEA
community members. None of this
would have been possible without the
support from the College, and Craig
notes that it is this generosity of spirit
that has made all the good work done
over the past five years possible.
For more on Bali Bridges, see eDunia at
www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
By Denise Parker, Grade 1 teacher
We arrived at the orphanage in Bali and
were welcomed with a line of smiling
faces and proper greetings. Somehow,
with just a shake of a hand or maybe
it was a glance into each other’s eyes
followed by a mischievous grin, a
connection was made and the two boys
had instantly decided they’d make a
good team. A friendship was formed.
No words were necessary. One of them
runs, and the other follows, both smile
and laugh. Sometimes they had a ball
to kick, a toy to play with, or bubbles
to blow, but most of the time that was
not even necessary. “Just spending time
with my new friend,” was all I heard.
Later in the day, a walk around the
village, along narrow roads lined with
banana and mango trees, was a treat
for all. The new friends stuck close
together and made the walk more of
a game than a stroll, as little boys do.
They pointed out the different fruit and
every once in a while, picked a nice juicy
mango to nibble on while walking. They
would sprint ahead or drop way behind,
sometimes even walking sideways or
in circles. When the pleasant drizzle
turned into a proper rainstorm, the boys
kept going, not really bothered by the
wet—just a quick pause to collect the
largest banana leaf they could find and
then gather up a group of more friends
to huddle underneath.
As the week went on, more
friendships grew. The Balinese kids
and their teachers shared the music
of the gamelan—showing us how to
concentrate on using the hammer on
the correct bars while at the same time
silencing the notes that had already
passed. We were treated to a concert
with the boys creating the music and
the girls dancing. The music followed us
into the dining area, where each meal
began with a song, with nothing more
than rhythmic clapping to accompany
the children’s voices.
There was a lot of time and hard work
put into painting the murals on the
walls outside the bedrooms. But before
the children headed off in different
directions to do their chores, there was
time to play. We were always invited
to join in the games—from badminton
to beading—but some of us found
the Jenga game the most interesting.
The players were thoughtful before
making their moves, not taking the
Building friendships
on the Bali Bridges trip
easiest, most obvious moves, but rather
strategic ones. It wasn’t so much a
competition, but a group effort to keep
the game going as long as possible.
It made me wonder if this was a
reflection of how the children looked
after each other in their everyday life.
But when the inevitable final piece
caused the tower to crash, it was always
accompanied by a chorus of “ahhhs”
and a good laugh.
The goodbyes were difficult as is always
the case. It took a long time to hug
everyone, causing a human traffic jam
on the way to the bus. But the little
boys were lifted up and carried on the
shoulders of the bigger boys, all the way
to the door of the bus where we waved
to each other until we drove out of sight.
10
UN Day is an opportunity for the
College community to celebrate our
cultural diversity. Taking place over
several days and in different ways
throughout each campus, UN Day gives
students the opportunity to learn more
about each other’s culture through
music and dance performances and
international food fairs. From a parade
of nations and singing in the Infant
School to a full evening performance
organised and choreographed by
students in the High School, UN
Day is an outpouring of energy and
enthusiasm. Above all, it is a reminder
that our diversity is one of the things
that binds our community together.
Chris Fensom, Infant School Principal
(Dover), had this to say about the
celebration in November this year.
“The Infant UN Day celebrations began
with classroom-based activities, which
saw parents and children working
together to produce diverse creative
products such as a Loy Krathong from
Thailand and a psychedelic peace rock.
Participating in traditional folk dances
was an option in the music room and
the Grade 1 students and their parents
also had the opportunity to take part in
some collaborative games.
The event was a great success thanks to
the support and hard work of parents,
teachers, teacher assistants; Infant
music specialist Susanne Khalek; the
Facilities team led by Sebastian; Joseph
and Alfred the photographers; and,
last but by no means least, technical
assistants Nicholas and Anuar.
The culmination of the morning was
a parade of nations and a grand finale
of songs from the massed voices of all
290 Infant students. It was particularly
lovely to hear so many languages
spoken by the children during the class
UN Day celebrations
introductions and when they were
singing the songs. I left the hall with
Sasa Sayang going round and round
in my head.”
For more perspectives on UN
Night, including videos of the
performances, see eDunia at
www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
Photos by Chris Fensom
11
By Marla, Grade 5 student
An exchange trip for students and their
parents, the Colours of Cambodia visits
each of the East Campus linked NGOs
in Cambodia that are supported via the
Global Concerns programme. The week
sees the students and their parents
visiting children who work on the dumps
in Phnom Penh, enjoying workshops
with the physically disabled students
at Epic Arts and building houses in the
Cambodia province of Kep.
It is an unforgettable experience.
The following are some excerpts from
Grade 5 student Marla’s diary.
Day 2
We arrived at BSDA where we dropped
off boxes and then continued our short
journey to a small village.
I found this village the most emotional
because we saw children with no
clothing and barely enough food a day.
Every family (about seven members)
lived in a teensy tiny wooden or leaf
house. Mrs. Margot told me that we
support those children and families.
I started playing a clapping game with
the little boys and girls. After a short
while we went back to BSDA which
is a Buddhist Centre who set up a
school, IT labs and arts centre which
UWCSEA sponsors.
Day 3
We watched the graduation of the deaf
and dumb students at Epic Arts who
were found on the streets … they have
studied really hard to learn how to use
sign language and to communicate with
each other. I was crying when I saw all
the handicapped little children being
carried in or being in a wheelchair and
wheeled into the hall, and that’s when
I told my mom I am definitely coming
back next year!
Day 5
The parents went house building while
we had lots of fun with the Epic Arts
students. Even though today was a bit
more tiring than the day before, we
still did lots of fun games. We split up
into three groups mixed with deaf and
dumb graduated students, handicapped
students and ourselves. Our task was to
make up a show in our group out of sign
language and soft movement, maybe
mime and jumping.
Read Marla’s full account of her
experience in Cambodia by viewing
eDunia at: www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
Colours of Cambodia
12
Challenges and community
building in Tioman
Middle School
“I really enjoyed the Tioman trip
because it had a range of new activities
such as sailing, snorkeling and canoeing.
My favourite activity was sailing …
What was really cool about sailing
was the fact that we had one of the
biggest winds Tioman has experienced
in a few years so the sails really caught
the wind and sped along. At first, I
was very bad and couldn’t control the
rudder, but after about half an hour I
managed to keep control of the boat
and keep in sync when the wind changed
direction. It was really hilarious when
we capsized the boat because it was so
hard to get back up, and when Aidan and
I managed to get the boat the right way
up it would start moving, meaning we
had to chase it.” – Lucas
Another very successful and enjoyable
season of Grade 6 Tioman expeditions
for 2011, with both students and staff
enjoying a wide variety of fun and
challenging outdoor activities.
The waterfall walk went particularly
well this year with the introduction of
rock based activities in the dry riverbed.
This would finish with a swim and an
occasional ‘bit of fishing’ in the waterfall
pool. The students thoroughly enjoyed
the challenge of scrambling up and
over and in between the large boulders,
supporting one another in the process.
The weather played an important
role this year with far more rain than
usual. It didn’t dampen the spirits. Both
students and staff ploughed on through
activities, relishing the additional
“I think the trip was very successful
because there were good activities and
they were very thought out. I especially
loved the sailing because I have been
sailing for many years. I also liked the
turtle hatchery because I got to make
the food for the turtles. I was called the
Turtle caterer!” – Hugo
The Juara Turtle project has seen
a lot of development over the last
year. There are many new interactive
information boards around the site and
the garden is maturing nicely. There
was a nice ‘buzz’ about the place with
many volunteers staying and working at
the project. All of these developments
in turn benefitted this year’s Grade 6
students in providing them with an even
more interesting and engaging visit.
“My favourite part was kayaking
because Chris did a few eskimo rolls
and then failed on his last one, and
that was pretty funny.” – Shubh
“Tioman was an amazing experience and
it taught you a lot of life skills. The best
part of the Tioman experience was jetty
jumping. The best skill I learnt was how to
sail.” – Sohil
challenge and the coolness of the wet
weather, and appreciating the sun when
it came back out. Larger swells signaling
the approaching monsoon hit the beach
during the final weeks leading to some
exciting sessions playing in the surf.
“My favourite part of the trip was
snorkeling because I overcame my fear
of deep water. I saw lots of fish and coral
and I also saw a sea cucumber and a sea
star. I also liked sailing because it was so
much fun and I actually liked falling into
the water.” – Elliot
13
JUMP!
Building community
on East Campus
It is never enough to open a building.
The real work begins with the building
of community. This year, half of the
Middle School and all of the High
School students on East Campus were
new to UWCSEA. In the third week of
school, they all participated in JUMP!
Community Enrichment Programme,
a series of activities aimed at bringing
students and staff together to help
them to understand what it means
to be an effective community. The
day before the programme began,
High School students from East and
Dover campuses were given several
hours of training by JUMP! trainers,
so that they could facilitate sessions
for other students over the following
days. At the end of the programme,
trainer Jacqueline Aldrovandi remarked
“The caliber of facilitation of the High
School junior facilitators was beyond
impressive; the dedication and interest
they showed in their tasks set a
wonderful example for their peers.”
The day’s activities included a
session on trust, a session on personal
discovery and a session on community
building. By the end of the sessions,
students had learned more about
themselves and about each other.
One of the Grade 7 students said
“I believe that many valuable skills were
learned that will help us become strong,
cooperative leaders, people that can
make an impact,” while another said
“I learnt what it is like to be part of a
community who cares and looks out for
each other, how important trust is, and
how everyone is unique and valuable.
I can now use these experiences and
incorporate them into other situations.”
Our students on East Campus will
continue to learn these lessons as
they grow together into an even more
vibrant and united community.
14
High School
than everything else, I was still shocked
at the colours—broadcast through the
various goods, traditional tools, flags
and best of all: the food.
The second most outstanding sense I
processed—and being a hungry teenage
boy, appreciated—were the fantastic
fragrances. The smell of all the varied
food blended together (literally) to form
the true scent of internationalism. You
would be surprised how much one can
learn about a country just by the food;
not only does it give you the product of
generations of experience, it also gives
insight into the history and the culture
of the place.
UN Night was a fantastic experience for
me, as I’m sure it was for everyone who
was there, and I look forward to being a
part of more in the future.
For more perspectives on UN Night,
plus a video of the performances, see
eDunia at: www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
Colourful UN Night
By Aditya Krishnan, Grade 9 student
On Thursday, 13 October, the UWCSEA
community was prepared to enjoy
the cultural diversity presented by
students in United Nations Night on
Dover. A major part of UN night was
the UN show; a group of performances
presented by students representing
many countries.
The shows were fantastic, and a great
memory for everyone who watched
them, but the real highlight of UN
Night was what was going on outside
the Main Hall. All over the rest of
the campus, there were celebrations;
celebrations to rejoice the coming
together of all the cultures, in one place.
Stalls selling GC merchandise helping
charities around the world mingled
with stalls from many countries selling
indigenous food. Although I had
been watching the stalls set up over
the preceding few days, the overall
impact when I saw the completely set
up stands was made by the colour.
Understanding that light travels faster
15
By Kathleen Guan, Grade 10 student
Service connects our students to
communities outside their own in a
very particular way. As part of the
introduction of the scope of Service
programme to students new to
UWCSEA on the East Campus, speakers
from NGOs and student Service
Leaders from the Dover Campus
were invited to speak to, challenge,
stimulate and inspire our students. By
the end of the day, all students had a
clearer understanding of why Service is
emphasised at UWCSEA and how they
can turn their ideals into action.
– Anthony Skillicorn
“Life’s most urgent question is:
What are you doing for others?”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I remember being absolutely
overwhelmed during the welcome
assembly as the Vice Principal spoke
of the five elements of an UWCSEA
education: Service, Outdoor Education,
Academics, Pastoral and Activities.
Already struggling to be academically
on top of everything and balance my
social life, now so many other things
were being thrown at me. My usual
confident self suddenly felt a wave of
fear and anxiety.
Whether it was due to my lack of
experience, or simply the idea of
unintentionally disappointing others,
I didn’t truly understand what the
meaning of service was until Service
Day on Friday, 2 September. The
day started with a presentation by
Peter Dalglish, founder of Street Kids
International, a non-profit organisation
dedicated to helping street kids. As I
listened, I began to realise just how
fortunate we are as not only students of
a school like UWCSEA, but as residents
in a country as safe as Singapore. As the
personal testimony involving people
whose lives he touched unfolded,
I realised how many people there are
that could succeed if only they were
given opportunities. Our second guest
speaker was Emily Teng, founder of
Blessings in a Bag, a project dedicated
to supporting the underprivileged
across Asia.
What really spoke to me was that
they were busy and successful people
and yet they gave up their own time
to make a difference in other people’s
lives. As my friend and I walked back to
our classrooms after the presentation
for a tutor group discussion, we spoke
of our interest in dedicating a couple
of weeks in our summer to go abroad
and volunteer together—a conversation
which I had never had, or thought of
having, ever before.
The rest of Service Day included short
sessions and discussion on different
services and ways that UWCSEA students
can get involved, and a presentation on
our green campus. Inspired by the day,
every student then wrote dedications
and goals for the year ahead.
Hopefully we will be able to remember
everything that we absorbed on Service
Day and apply it to our own actions.
Instilling service
on the East Campus
16
Trip
It has been wonderful to see the rapid
transformation from impressive but
empty facilities to a vibrant, busy and
often successful, sports programme.
Across the ACSIS league, 24 teams were
run in Season 1, starting just one week
after everyone walked into school for
the first time. Eight weeks later, the first
medals were being won—all four Junior
School basketball teams medalled in
their leagues as did Middle School girls
badminton and High School girls Cross
Country. However, the real success
was that over 350 students played
with passion and commitment—ACSIS
certainly knows that we have arrived!
– Hugh Richards
Boys High School Football
Twenty-one highly enthusiastic boys
quickly gelled together to form one
of the first competitive teams at the
East Campus. They started the ACSIS
league with two impresses draws
with Nexus International School and
UWCSEA Dover. With Captain Calvin
Lobo establishing his dominance in
the middle of the pitch, the team was
shortly celebrating back-to-back wins
against the German European School.
After a few injuries and closely
fought games, the boys eventually
finished 4th in the ACSIS league,
which was great effort.
Congratulations to all the boys for
making this a highly enjoyable season—
there is no doubt that this team will be
back next year looking to improve on
their results.
Coaches: Matthew Taylor
and Lawrence Lee
High School Girls Volleyball
We went from initially having four girls
show up to try-outs to having twenty-
two committed team members. For
many, this was their first time playing in
a volleyball team. From ace servers like
Hannah He and Maddie Mak, to Alexis
DeCampo and Katherine Kuncewicz
helping to organise the team on-court,
the girls pulled together. One of our
season highlights was beating arch rival
Tanglin Trust in their gym for our first
victory. Through their hard work and
dedication, the girls laid the foundation
for a strong East volleyball programme
for the years to come.
Coaches: Roxanne Walker
and Philip Meehan
Sport kicks off
at East Campus
17
Cultural immersion
in China
This year, UWCSEA Dover’s Chinese
Language Department brought a group
of students to Cheng Du, the capital of
Sichuan Province, otherwise known as
the City of Hibiscus. Not only was this
my first time on the China trip but also
my first time ever in China!
While we were there, we visited many
museums and temples such as the
Wuhou Memorial Temple in order to
learn more about China’s fascinating
history. We also explored a wide variety
of markets, giving us an opportunity
to gain a deeper understanding of the
ways of Cheng Du locals—and also
practice our Chinese. Visiting local
schools, where we played games and
did arts and crafts with the students,
also provided us a chance to practise
the language.
We journeyed to the top of Mt. Emei
by cable car where it was a refreshing
4°C at the summit, quite a change from
Singapore. We also took a boat to see
the mind blowing Giant Buddha statue
in Leshan. Although I think almost
everyone’s most memorable experience
was seeing the pandas at the Panda
Breeding and Research Centre.
I enjoyed the China trip immensely,
and strongly recommend it to anyone
interested in boosting their spoken
Chinese. It’s a great trip, big thanks
to Yan lao shi, and I can’t wait to go
next year!
– Bailey McKittrick, Grade 9 student
The Middle School students went to
a local primary school for three days.
We got to watch the flag raise, sit in
the classes, join in on the morning
exercises, make dumplings and even
learn some Kung Fu! The students were
all very friendly—they waved when
we passed in the hallways, gave us
many gifts and were eager to exchange
email addresses. Despite the fact that I
knew little Chinese compared to them,
language wasn’t a barrier as they were
very patient and helpful. We also had
special classes where we got to learn
Chinese calligraphy and papermaking,
which were both very interesting.
– Lilian Armstrong, Grade 8 student
Photos supplied by Pei Yee Loh
to Cheng Du
18
Community
By David Kainey, PYP Coordinator
The Masquerade Ball on Saturday,
19 November was organised to
commemorate the opening of the
UWCSEA East Campus.
The Tent Plaza was transformed into
a cocktail lounge before guests were
ushered by Drama students to the
elegantly decorated Main Hall. The
attention to detail, in line with the
theme of the evening, with “oohs,”
“aahs” and “wows” as ball goers entered
the ballroom. The ladies were dressed
stunningly and the men resplendent—
many of them maintaining anonymity
behind their creative masks.
Hosted by UWCSEA East parent (and BBC
journalist) Rico Hizon, guests were treated
to a charming performance of gamelan
and dance by our visitors from Bali
Bridges and were entertained in the plaza
and the Main Hall by ‘10. seconds’ while
enjoying a gourmet three course meal.
The event was coordinated by Angela
Coutts, with support from Anna Lord,
Anna English, Viv Carter, Karen Morgan,
Tracy Wegner, Tanya Kennedy, Gill Lulu
and Petra Melka. Please take a bow for a
job well done!
To the many UWCSEA families and staff
that attended the 2011 Masquerade
Ball, thank you for contributing to the
success of this gala event. What a night!
Black & White Masquerade Ball
Jackson English is Head of Grade 2 on
the East Campus. He is also a SurfAid
International Ambassador. In early
November, he travelled to the United
States to continue to spread the word of
SurfAid International and the work they
do before competing in the Island to
Island Waterman Relay—a 28 nautical
mile paddleboard race between Santa
Barbera Island and Catalina Island off
the California coastline. While there,
he also made time to speak to students
at a number of schools about his work
with SurfAid and UWCSEA.
“To be able to share my stories
about surfing and paddling to the
students involved in SurfAid’s Schools
Programme in California has been great.
Everyone needs to have a passion. I
hope that some will develop the passion
I have and take some kind of action that
raises awareness of the importance of
being a global citizen who is willing to
help people that really need it.”
Since 2006, the UWCSEA community
has raised over $400,000 for SurfAid
International to support the people
of the Mentawai Islands. Now that
the paddling season is over, Jackson
and Grade 2 students on the East
Campus will continue to raise funds and
awareness for SurfAid International. The
recent Quicksilver Beach Clean Up was
one such event; Jackson’s upcoming 24
Hour Swim in its new home on the East
Campus will be another.
SurfAid
Ambassador
On Saturday, 26 November the Parents’
Association held its Annual Holiday
Shopping Fair. Vendors were eager to
sign up this year to take advantage of
a keen pre-Christmas shopping crowd.
On the day, we had over 55 vendors
in the Main Hall, charity vendors and
Global Concerns in the Tent Plaza and
the always popular Bookaburra Book
Sale in the Junior Library to attract the
shoppers. The beneficiary of our profits
for the event is Initiative for Peace,
a GC that focuses on post conflict
development. Thanks to the generosity
of our sponsors Asian Tigers, Expat
Living, AAM Advisory, Singapore Fairs
and to all who donated their time and
efforts for this event, Initiative for Peace
can expect around $8,000 to help fund
their next conference. Special thanks to
parent Grace Swallow for her fantastic
work with this event.
Holiday Shopping Fair
19
Lamdon Music Project update
the programme and also assisted in
establishing the recording studio. They
also taught music software to Lamdon
School teachers and students.
Despite a difficult year in Ladakh
following the floods of August 2010,
all but one of the students that began
playing brass instruments in July 2010
had continued to play and had made
steady progress. The enthusiasm
and support for the project from the
Lamdon School Principal, Eshey Tundup,
has provided the impetus for the
students to keep practising.
During this visit, as well as preparing
the ‘A’ Band for two performances,
the UWCSEA volunteers established
a ‘B’ Band comprising of 25 younger
secondary-aged students. Much of
the work with the ‘B’ Band involved
teaching them the basics of brass
playing and the essential rudiments
of music. This was supplemented
by training the ‘A’ Band students in
methods of teaching brass to the
younger students, with the aim
of providing sustainability to the
programme.
The ‘A’ Band made great progress and
moved from playing largely unison
pieces to more challenging pieces of
music. The first performance during
the visit was a multicultural event given
for the students on the Ladakh trip
from UWCSEA Dover. This included
traditional Ladakhi dances, solos by
Georgina, Ross and Tim and five pieces
by the Lamdon School Brass (‘A’ Band).
The second concert, held on the last
day of the trip to the Lamdon School,
saw the debut performance of the ‘B’
Band who played a number of simple
tunes and our favourite beginner band
piece (familiar to all UWCSEA Dover
Grade 5 students) Rock Bottom. The
Lamdon School Brass also played the
new repertoire developed during the
visit, which included Brass Tango and
an arrangement of the Indian National
Anthem by Adrian.
To get the project off the ground, the
UWCSEA Music Department, UWCSEA
Global Concerns and the Hill family
have donated the majority of the
musical equipment. We hope that the
Lamdon Music Project will continue to
develop and are keen to hear from any
members of our school community
who would like to contribute, either by
visiting Ladakh to offer their musical
expertise to the students at Lamdon
School or by donations of equipment
or financial support.
Please refer to eDunia for video of
students performing.
By Adrian and Lisa Hill
UWCSEA Dover has been supporting the
Lamdon School in Ladakh for around 18
years. Numerous community members
have been involved in supporting the
school and its community through
projects including the Ladakh GC (now
on both campuses), ‘Trees for Travellers,’
Gap Year student placements and annual
visits by students on the Upper School
Ladakh trip. In addition, UWCSEA has
helped them with both building projects
and IT programmes as well as supporting
dental health initiatives. Lisa Hill
describes the Lamdon Music Project:
During the summer break, the Hill
family—Adrian (Head of Music,
Dover), Lisa (Head of Junior Music) and
their daughters Charlotte (Grade 6),
Georgina (Grade 4) and Jessica (age
4)—travelled to Leh, in Ladakh, India
to continue work they started last year
in establishing a music programme at
Lamdon School.
Dover Campus Music teachers Adrian
and Lisa Hill were instrumental (pardon
the pun) in establishing a brass band,
as well as a recording facility and
providing expertise and resources for
general classroom music teaching.
This year, two UWCSEA Gap Year
students, Ross Robertson and Tim
Seeger, added guitar teaching to
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: Sinead Collins and Kate Woodford
Design: Gregory Parker
053COM-1112
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
I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Kirkha Kaharsyah, I’m a
UWCSEA scholar from Banda Aceh,
Indonesia.
Right now I’m incredibly nervous. This is
the first time I have ever spoken to such
a large group of adults. It is also the first
time that I’m wearing a suit. My heart is
pounding so fast, I’m sweating but I’m
very excited to be here.
I’m from a small village called Gampong
Pande. Gampong Pande in English
means smart village. Although I don’t
live in my village of Gampong Pande
anymore, I feel that UWCSEA is one big
gampong pande which has helped me
feel right at home.
For me be able to study at UWCSEA
is a dream come true. Before coming
to here, I always dreamt that someday
I could study overseas. Last March,
I was given the amazing news that I
will become a UWC scholar. I could
not believe it. I never thought I would
be lucky enough to get a scholarship
because I have many friends who also
wanted to be scholars that smarter
than me. Their English is better than
mine and their grades were always
amazing. That is why being chosen to
come here over all the others is such an
honour. I knew that by coming here, I
would be able to find out about myself,
explore the world, making friends with
people from other countries and be a
successful person into the future.
When I got the scholarship I was so
grateful. My parents put big hopes into
to me, so that I will become a successful
person into future. I don’t want to let
them down. Now that I’m at UWCSEA I
don’t want to let my new family down,
and most importantly I don’t want to
let myself down.
When I finish with my study, I want
to go home and make a change. Since
2004, after the tsunami hit Aceh, many
people lost their families and homes.
I lost my Grandma, Uncle and many,
many friends. The city and our lives
were destroyed.
After tsunami, many things changed.
People began behaving differently. Their
values of started to fade away. This is
very sad. With everything that I will
get from my study at UWCSEA, I want
to make Aceh the place I remember as
a young child. Being at UWCSEA and
learning what it is like to be a global
citizen who can help others.
Selamat malam dan
apa kabar semuanya.
Good evening and
how are you?
I look forward to making
that change to the people
and the country I love.
Assalamualaikum,
Thank you and good night.
Scholars are a very important part of
our College community. The following
speech was given by our scholar from
Aceh at the Black & White Ball on
East Campus, describing what being a
scholar at UWCSEA means to him.
Lion costume donated by
Bali Bridges Foundation