round square news-june 2012

Round Square News June 2012 - Issue 11

INSIDE • Conference 2012

• RSIS Project News

• Executive Director Report

• Regional News

‐ Americas

‐ Australasia

‐ South Asia & Gulf

‐ Europe

‐ Africa

• Up Close

• General News

‐ Kurt Hahn Prize

‐ Improving the branding

‐ Governance Matters

‐ Round Square Global Forum

View the conference video at: http://bit.ly/OvqWom

Penryn College looks forward to welcoming the Global Round Square family to Africa in September (26th September ‐ 2nd October 2012) For more information please visit the conference website http://www.round‐square.co.za/

The April Conference in Kenya was another amazing celebration for Round Square. John O’Connor and the staff and students of Brookhouse School delivered and unforgettable conference. Certainly, it was an occasion that delegates will find unforgettable and continues to underscore the huge impact the organisation has on young men and women. This was the first of our split conferences for 2012 and we are looking forward to the second conference which will be held at Penryn College at the end of September.

It was inspiring and an excellent opportunity to participate in Kenyan culture.

“No existence

without

coexistence”

International Round Square Conference at Brookhouse School, Kenya

RSIC 2012 AFRICA

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Be the Hummingbird... CONFERENCE 2012

During the opening ceremony of the RS International Conference at Brookhouse School everyone watched a video story told by Kenyan Nobel Laureate, the late Professor Wangari Maathai, in which a tiny hummingbird proves the importance of trying to ‘do the best that you can’. Throughout the week of the conference delegates from 41 schools around the globe did just that, and the result was a conference experience to cherish...

Arrivals Day In Africa it is said that it ‘takes a village to raise a child’ so Brookhouse welcomed delegates to the conference by creating a traditional African village, with huts dedicated to each RS region. Delegates learned Maasai dancing, played ‘street soccer’, had their hair braided African style and sampled traditional African tea. That evening, Kenya’s favourite musical son Eric Wainaina gave a magical performance that had students dancing on stage to the Afro‐fusion beat.

Opening Ceremony Day Dressed in colourful Swahili garb, the Brookhouse choir, orchestra and band energised the Opening Ceremony with great performances of Oh Africa and African Flava (the conference theme song). A drama piece on development projects in Africa reflected the conference theme of no existence without coexistence. King Constantine raised a traditional African flywhisk high in the air to signal the opening of the conference, and the majestic music from Adiemus welcomed the Round Square flag ceremony. Later that day two key note panels focussed on governance issues and leadership challenges in Africa, with panel members including South Africa’s

Professor Albie Sachs, photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi, environmentalist Dr Paula Kahumbu and presidential aspirant Hon. Peter Kenneth. In these interactive sessions, student delegates posed challenging questions to each of the panellists.

Adventure Days After an inspirational key note from Paralympics athlete Henry Wanyoike (‘I have lost my sight but I haven’t lost my vision’), delegates travelled in groups away from the bustle of Nairobi to experience a diversity of outdoor challenges: white‐water rafting on the Tana River; conservation education at the William Holden Centre on the slopes of Mount Kenya; or a game walk amongst giraffe, zebra and antelope on Crescent Island at Lake Naivasha. The next day, following some team building exercises, delegates returned to Nairobi for a student‐led Democracy Forum, where they were given a leadership crisis scenario akin to those proposed in Model United Nations gatherings.

Service Day Each of the nine service project had three goals: to engage the delegates in physical ‘doing’; to allow them to interact meaningfully with the local community; and to tell delegates something of the life story of the community they were working with. From the responses of the delegates these goals were achieved as they helped build a library in the middle of Kuwinda slum, constructed a play‐ground for HiV+ babies at New Life Home or built furniture for the children at Barnardo’s Orphanage. For each delegate the Hahnian commitment to service gained new meaning and depth.

That evening everyone came together to celebrate African culture in dance and song under clear African skies for the Maasai Market Carnival, which featured music from the Kenya Boys Choir, Sauti Sol and Camp Mulla. The carnival atmosphere was enhanced by acrobats, dancers and (for the very brave) camel rides!

Closing Ceremony Day In the morning there were group visits to several local animal centres: the Giraffe Sanctuary, the Elephant Orphanage and the Nairobi Park Safari Walk; whilst a group of fortunate delegates dined in the middle of the African bush for the annual Prince Alexander Fund Lunch, accompanied by former Vice President of Kenya, Hon Dr Moody Awori.

After lunch, the closing ceremony was graced by His Excellency Hon Kalonzo Musyoka, Vice President of Kenya, who spoke of the importance of empowering the youth. The ceremony featured haunting performances of Hallelujah and The Time of Our Lives, and reminded us all of how moving and rewarding a week we had experienced through the barazas, rikas and activities.

Thank you Such a thoughtful and engaging week would not have been possible without the untiring efforts of the conference organising committee at Brookhouse, students and staff, who demonstrated the very best of African hospitality. To all the members of the Brookhouse community we say a huge ‘asante sana´ (thank you) for the wonderful opportunity you provided for everyone to engage, reflect and unite around ‘coexistence’. The conference reaffirmed the sense that Round Square is about a global family, facing the challenges and responsibilities of the 21st Century together as we try to ‘do the best that we can’.

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Projects in July/August ‐ An Update! RSIS PROJECT NEWS

If you’re reading this in a nice cosy room, feet up, coffee in hand and well rested; consider this: Ina few weeks time, four large teams of students will be out on RSIS Projects in South Africa, Ladakh, Peru and Canada! Some will be toiling in the high altitude of the Andes and Himalayas to build greenhouses and school dormitories; some will be laying dozens of courses of bricks to build a huge classroom in an African township – while others will be clearing a trail to a massive glacier in a remote park in British Columbia! So why not read on, and be an armchair explorer for the day…

PERU This year we have 21 students and 4 adults plus 1 Project Manager! That’s an awful lot of people to get around the Andes! The students have come from the USA, Germany, Denmark, UK, Canada, India, France, Thailand, Peru and South Africa and the adults from the UK, USA, Singapore and Peru!

Starting off in Lima, the team’s going to do a day’s service in one of the shanty towns in the city. They will then all fly to Cuzco, and after a day of via ferrata climbing, and some pan‐pipe lessons, will head off up into the wild mountains to Quishuarani, where they will build one big, and 4 family greenhouses. Half way through the trip they’re heading off to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, and at the end of the trip – have a hectic schedule of archaeological sites, salsa dancing lessons and market shopping to complete!

LADAKH We’re very much looking forward to sending our team back to the fantastic Himalayan community of Thiksey again this year! 24 students from Germany, USA, Switzerland, Canada, Thailand and India will travel up to Leh to build dormitories for students of the Lamdom School. They’ll have lots of chance to visit local families, do archery and have dancing lessons from the community and totally immerse themselves in daily life! After a few weeks working at high altitude, the team will then hopefully be very well acclimatised and ready to face

the huge challenge that is the 5‐day trek, with 3 passes over 5,000m! After a well‐earned rest, the international team say goodbye to their new Indian friends, and head off to Agra for a quick visit to the Taj Mahal before heading off home from Delhi.

SOUTH AFRICA Another really exciting year for the team going to South Africa as they start work on a totally new Project – building a big classroom for the Masoyi Special Care Centre, in a township near White River. This centre could not be in more need of help – they receive very little help from the government, and instead have to rely on the kind hearts of

the local community, and the Rotary Club and other sponsors for donations. There’s a lot of brick‐laying and cement mixing to be done, and the group will be joined periodically by groups of students from local schools and youth groups who are keen to join in. After the Project work is finished, the team heads off to a 5‐day wilderness camp in a private reserve bordering the Kruger National Park. They’ll spend their days learning about the flora and fauna in the area, learning animal‐tracking techniques, spend nights in the tented camps and one night under the stars with a star‐gazer and local guides! It’ll be a truly special experience!

CANADA We are so excited about the Canada trip as it’s a first, and it’s lining up to be a fantastic itinerary! After one night in Vancouver, the team (from Australia, USA, France, Germany, Peru, India, Canada, UK and Thailand) flies on up to northern British Columbia where they are then taken to the Soaring Spirits Camp and welcomed in an official ceremony by the Chiefs of the First Nations communities they’ll be working with. Along with Parks Canada guides, and local First Nations youth, the team will cut a hiking trail through Seven Sisters Provincial Park, up to a glacier. After a mid‐project break to watch Grizzlies catch salmon in Alaska, the team heads to the Kitwanga communities to work with their new local friends to build a salmon smoke‐house for them to use in future. They then head off with local guides in two 12‐man traditional canoes to do a 3 day journey on the Skeena River. Night‐time will see the team fish for their supper and listen to stories of old from their guides.

RSIS PROJECT NEWS cont’d.


Liz Gray

RSIS Projects Manager

Round Square Bath, U.K.

“Want to get out of your armchair and join a RSIS Project in December 2012? Read on...”

We will have a full update on these Projects in the next RSIS newsletter, but here is a summary.

INDIA We’re really pleased to be heading back to the lovely community of Katapathar where our team worked in 2011. This village receives help throughout the year from regional schools, and this year our team is going to help with various smaller tasks around the village which will be determined shortly when our Project Manager is on his next visit. The team will also be visiting local sites, and in the mid‐Project break will be helping out at a Sikh temple; doing a day‐trek up one of the peaks near Mussourie, then go rafting on the Ganges! After all the Project work is over, the international team had off to Agra and Jaipur to see all the amazing sites of Rajasthan, and go for an elephant ride on Christmas Day!

HONDURAS This will be our last year working with SAN in Honduras, and we’re making it an extra special trip! The team will be working with local communities to build smokeless stoves for families in need. These are done to a specific design which will mean the groups will be doing some brick‐laying, cement mixing, then fixing the metal piping onto the stoves to get the fumes out of the house.

After the work is done, there will be lots of activities with the local children, and a fiesta and then a trip out to the fantastic beaches and national parks on the coast. We’re doing a special feature on this Project in the RSIS newsletter so you’ll be able to find out more detail then!

THAILAND We are running our second parent/student Project in Thailand this year, after the huge success of last year’s trip! Our group this year will be heading further into the mountains to help another needy Karen hill‐tribe community and will be building two new water tanks, as well as doing other jobs for local families. Then they get to spend a day at an elephant conservation project before heading home in time for Christmas!

KENYA We’re really excited about taking our team back to Riandira Primary School near Sagana again this year. The team will be building another classroom for the school to ease chronic over‐crowding, and will stay at the beautiful Savage Campsite during their Project. They’ll be off rafting in the mid‐Project break, and after the work is done – heading off to the Masai Mara for a safari over Christmas!

CAMBODIA Another team heads back to Cambodia in December to build a community centre next door to the little school our 2011 team built! This will act as a care centre, helping families with medical problems, social issues, even acting as an overnight place of rest and safety for some. This is part of a whole complex of buildings that will gradually be constructed to offer the only community resources available in a huge area. The team has plenty of chance to see some of the cultural highlights of the country including Angkor Wat, the beautiful beaches at Sihanoukville and some of the rich cultural heritage in Phnom Penh.

RSIS Website update The new RSIS website is nearly finished, and is being given a trial run as I write! At the moment it contains all the information on Projects, including slide‐shows, films, downloads and plenty of links. It’s a stand‐alone site, which will link to the main RS website and we hope in future to develop on‐line application forms; password protected areas for school staff; parents; students and RSIS Leaders. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting there. We will let you all know once it’s “live” and look forward to your feedback!


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT

REGIONAL NEWS - AMERICAS

Friends Beyond Borders Students from Westtown School in Pennsylvania created a new group this year that seeks to connect with youth around the world using social media and other virtual technologies to drive trans‐cultural projects.

The mission of Friends Beyond Borders is to create a movement of young people in celebration of connected collaboration, creativity and innovation across cultures, and to harness the power of global youth to grow awareness and meet the challenges of the 21stCentury.

WHO? Students from schools around the world

WHAT? Our inaugural global project: "Through Our Eyes: Snapshots of our Lives from Around the World" On the 21st of May, students who chose to participate documented their lives as they live them, the things they

care about, the things they see every day, their hopes and dreams and passions. When the day was over and photographs submitted, they compiled the project to create a documentary of life around the world across cultures. They intend to create a viewing space on the internet and publish a book of selected images.

For more information, details, please contact the “Through Our Eyes” Project:

Hilary Briggs, Student Leader [email protected]

Tess Cavalieri, Student Leader [email protected]

Official FBB Submissions [email protected]

Steve Compton, Faculty Advisor [email protected] www.westtown.edu

Follow on Twitter: @FriendsBBorders http://www.facebook.com/groups/283913438309321/ https://www.youtube.com/user/FriendsBBorders

RSIC It is my pleasure to provide a brief update on the last few months. The International Conference in Kenya, at Brookhouse was sensational, John O’Connor, Willie Ng’ang’a, the staff and students were the most generous and welcoming hosts. The final preparations are falling into place for the second of the 2012 conference split. Greg Theron, Allison Hay and the staff and students of Penryn College, in Nelspruit, South Africa are looking forward to welcoming the delegates to their conference. Will Mosely, the new interim Head at Saint Andrews and Nic Dorn are in the advanced planning stages for the 2013 conference which promises to be another memorable gathering for us. At the recent Board meeting in Kenya it was agreed that we begin the task of developing a set of best practice protocols for our international conferences. Jane Howison, the business manager has put together a task team to address this and developed comprehensive set of terms of reference for this group. It is envisaged that in the coming months, that they

will develop a set of clear guidelines and protocols for future conferences. I wish them well in this project.

RSIS The midyear RSIS Projects are all on track and we look forward to another series of worthwhile and unforgettable experiences in our project venues across the globe (see page 3 & 4 for more project news). Thanks again to Liz and Clare for keeping the wheels turning so smoothly in this department. We will shortly be launching a RSIS website, linked to our Round Square site, full of interesting and informative information. RSGF John Nordquist reports that there is healthy support for the pilot Round Square Global Forum (see page 17 for more information). Jennifer Klein and John have worked together to develop the procedures for operating the forum and designing the set up. They have set up the RS virtual classroom which will provided a variety of online resources for participants to use and about 20 teachers from Chadwick (USA & Korea),

Athenian, Herlufsholm, Markham, Regent's, Beau Soleil, and Appleby have signed up for the program.

In closing, I look forward to meeting up with the rest of our members and indeed welcoming some new members and observer schools at the Penryn Conference later this year.


REGIONAL NEWS - AMERICAS

After many meetings and planning for the Let’s Do It Thailand, the day arrived and at 9am on Sunday 20th May the bus left Regent’s School en route to Ban Chang. We were met there by 43 Camilian centre children and 5 of their staff. With the large Camilian Center group and the Regent’s team, we had just short of one hundred participants.

Before we could get started we needed to split up the large number and some fun ice breakers were in order. Everyone was divided into four

REGIONAL NEWS - AUSTRALASIA

Radford College in Bruce had some 45 students (with an amazing 20 boys!!) apply to go on National Exchange.

Interviews were conducted, placements sought and still they were immersed in e‐mails and the process of ‘matching’ students. Undoubtedly the word has ‘got around’ about the wonderful opportunity and benefits of going on exchange from both the student and schools’ perspective. They are looking forward to the

feedback from our first group who journey off early July.

Students from Radford College

apply for National Exchange

Let’s Do It Thailand ‐ Regent’s School, Pattaya

colour groups who rotated around doing fun games and activities and cleaning the beach and surrounding areas. The team leaders ran various ice breakers from the human knot to hot potato. During the activity times, the children played football and cooled off in the sea, some of them learning how to swim from our older students. Soon lunchtime came and Krumz, our year 7 young enterprise group, had prepared sandwiches, juice boxes, cookies and bananas for the Camilian centre children which was sponsored through Round Square and everyone else headed to the local food vendors and seafood restaurants. Since we were

at the beach and it was such a hot day, it seemed a perfect opportunity for an ice cream! The Let’s Do It! Thailand group sponsored each Camilian child an ice cream which went down very well. Then it was back into our groups to continue with the cleaning and the fun, however, more fun was had than just cleaning, the sea was just too tempting in the heat of the day.

The day came to an end too soon, with a huge amount of bags filled with rubbish from the beach and a great group photo opportunity. It was an awesome day and we can’t wait until the next one.

By Charlotte Thornbery

Teaming up makes beautiful beaches tidy!

My Flag Documentary by Brian Ryu Director/Producer aged 13 and co‐director Danielle Jacobs aged 13 wins best short film prize at the Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival (DOCUTAH). They created this award winning film around discussions about hanging the Tibetan flag that took place during the 2010‐11 school year. According to the film’s synopsis from the DOCUTAH, Brian’s treatment of the

educational, political, and emotional issues surrounding Tibet and its relationship to China, as well as the dynamics in the prep school, are handled with intelligence and restraint. The film won Best Short Film in the student film category.

To view film visit: http://bit.ly/I9YGSw



The Junior Round Square Conference was co‐hosted by The Armidale School and New England Girls School

There was nothing new around the thinking that water is a very important factor in life around the world – at The Armidale School we hosted over 150 students and staff delegates from 18 schools across the Australasian region, India and Bangladesh from 10‐15 April for the Australasian and South East Asian Junior Round Square Conference. With the theme ‘Out of the Blue: Water Changes Everything’, our aim was to provide an insight to the world’s needs in relation to water and the environment in developing nations.

Keynote speakers included Sharon Crean, CEO of BeyondWater whose organisation fundraises to provide clean drinking water systems in African villages, and Ian Kiernan, the founder of Clean up Australia and Clean Up the World, who shared his passion and enthusiasm about caring for our environment.

Our program was based on experiential learning and most days were full of ‘hands on’ activities designed to support the main theme. This included considering how much water and fuel (firewood) an average family of five would require each day, then setting about collecting the wood and water and boiling a litre of it to then calculate how much time it would take each day to satisfy the needs of a family ‐ both ‘safe’ water for consumption and growing crops. This task incorporated a small amount of adventure in canoeing and hiking to location. Associated activities that required similar calculations involved grinding wheat, gathering the flour and making small Johnny cakes on a hot plate, and collecting clay, water and dry grass to construct mud bricks.

Service activities involved working in community areas in the town of Armidale and included tree planting to

provide secure riverbanks, regeneration of a wooded area by removal of undesirable species and learning how best to keep waterways clean through selective planting of appropriate species.

With Ian Kiernan present it was appropriate for Barraza groups to engage in a ‘Clean Up the Creeklands’ of Armidale session. Consistent with registered Clean Up Australia sites, rubbish collected was classified into recyclables and landfill and this

information passed back to the organisation as a post‐activity report. Delegates were suitably shocked at how much rubbish was collected in a relatively small area, including three pushbikes and half a dozen shopping trolleys.

Student leaders from TAS and NEGS guided, very effectively, the Barazza groups through a thought process which culminated in a three minute plenary enacted by each group in the closing ceremony. Integral to the success of these presentations was Justin Bedard, the energy behind the ‘Jump!’ organisation. In a series of meetings he empowered delegates to realise what mattered to them throughout the week and gave them the confidence and tools to bring their ideas together at the end of the conference.

Hopefully each student will take these skills home with a feeling of each becoming environmental caretakers in their own communities and leading others around them to take on the same responsibility.

Out of the Blue: Water Changes Everything Australasian & South East Asian ‐ Junior Round Square Conference ‐ 2012



RELAY FOR LIFE 2012 Friends of Round Square Australia

(inc Alumni)

10.30am on 28th April saw “Team Round Square”

of over 30 runners and walkers from several Australian Round Square schools covering over 128km for 24 hours to raise money for a

great cause. “We had fun in the rain, talking,

walking, zumba‐ing, but knowing our target of $1,000.00 for the Cancer Council of Australia will help cancer patients undergoing treatment.” said Christina Graham, Alumni Scotch

Oakburn College, Tas So far they have raised an amazing $945 with donations still coming in. They are hoping to make this an

annual, indeed national event with RS teams participating, not just in Melbourne but also right across Australia in the spirit of Round

Square.

It's not too late to donate.

Follow the link to the relay team page:

http://bit.ly/L1tERm

Guinness World Record Breaking Attempt by UKS2

Six painstaking hours of Tunnel Ball; this was the Regent’s Primary School’s attempt at breaking a Guinness World Record.

On May 3rd 125 students from Years 4, 5 and 6 took part in “The Amazing Tunnel Ball Challenge” in order to break the previous record of 120 set by St. Columba’s School in Australia.

Students from the Primary School must take credit for organising the event. It took many hours of preparation to get the players prepared, the location ready, local media outlets notified and food and entertainment available for the attempt to happen.

This all happened during Round Square Week 2012 and 23 students from Mr. Ingram and Mr. Rowan’s Round Square Week activity did all the hard work.

Although the game is a playground favourite, to enter the Guinness Book of World Records a strict procedure must be followed to prove the event was successful. The school also needed to have individuals from the local

community present to verify the attempt had been successful. The pupils and staff at the Regent’s will have to wait for up to 8 weeks until they find out whether or not the attempt has been successful and whether they can claim their place in the history of World Records.

Mr Colm Rowan, Y4 teacher

Radford College sent a delegation of six enthusiastic students and the unstoppable Brenda Lander as supporting staff to the Junior Conference in Armidale.

Daily reports quickly established that the Conference was ‘truly awesome’ and ‘heaps fun’. With a focus upon water and environment, students engaged in a wonderful range of hands‐on activities, actively participated in Barazza groups and returned to Radford

with stories, enthusiasm to set some of their learnings into practice here, and reflections of an ever‐widening circle of friends from both local and International schools in attendance.

Radford College attended the Junior Conference in Armidale, Northern NSW


REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF

The year 2012 heralds a momentous occasion in the history of the United Kingdom, as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commemorates her diamond jubilee at the throne. To mark this accomplishment and to strengthen the growing relationship between India and the UK, His Royal Highness, Prince Andrew, The Duke of York is was on a 7‐day visit to India in April. Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai was one of the few institutions that The Duke visited as part of this programme. This is also a very special year as the city of London opens its gates to the international sporting community for the widely anticipated Olympic Games.

The meeting with The Duke truly was like none other, as the students got the rare opportunity to present Indian culture and traditions, and to showcase their own school with pride. The Head Boy & Head Girl were among the first to greet the Duke to the school, who instantly connected with them by discussing their plans for higher education, especially in the UK. He then met with Mrs. Nita Ambani the Founder and Chairperson of the school along with the school leadership team to understand how its vision has been realized in a short span of nine years. The Year 11 students who he met with were truly inspired by His Royal Highness’ invaluable advice. He encouraged the students to follow their aspirations and to embody perseverance and dedication. The Duke also had lively interactions with the Kindergarten students and answered the children’s curious questions with warmth.

Following this interaction, the students presented various aspects of their school and highlighted how the school has succeeded in taking learning beyond the classroom. The presentation commenced with the Shri Ganesh vandana, a prayer performed at the beginning of auspicious occasions to invoke God’s blessings. This was followed by a medley of two traditional Indian dance forms, Odissi and Bharatanatyam. The dance depicted a mythological legend about the victory of good over evil. This aptly displayed the school’s strong Indian roots. The students also discussed how, by participating in international youth programs like Round Square, MUN, international exchanges and adventure trips they are developing a well‐rounded personality.

The Duke was appreciative of our school’s focus on such experiential learning so that the students of today would be the visionaries of tomorrow. The Duke of York’s passion to enable the youth to fulfill their potential was infectious. In addition to hosting the first MUN conference for Round Square schools, the school has undertaken several exchange programmes to countries like France, Spain and the Czech Republic. The students of DAIS also put forth their unrelenting commitment to give back to society as much as they could in a multitude of ways. These ranged from volunteering at NGOs the school works with, to participating in the DAIS‐initiated activities including the Village Empowerment initiative.

The meeting with His Royal Highness was one that the students will cherish forever. In his address The Duke acknowledged the school’s emphasis on all‐round development of children saying “there is much more to being a human being and understanding the human condition”. Commenting on the school’s accomplishments, His Royal Highness said, “It seems to me from what I have learnt and heard today, the school is well on its way to be able to deliver world class citizens, not just for India but for the whole globe”.

Thanking His Royal Highness Mrs Ambani said, “We are delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of York has taken the time to visit our young School.”

The students of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School put forth their gracious thanks to His Royal Highness for his advice and inspiration as they truly aim to exemplify the school’s motto; “Dare to dream, Learn to excel.”

Aditi Bhandari, Year 11 Dhirubhai Ambani International School

Mumbai

His Royal Highness, The Duke of York’s visit to Dhirubhai Ambani International School


REGIONAL NEWS - SOUTH ASIA & GULF

For Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) this is what the past few months have been all about – working and learning together.

Apart from enhanced appreciation of different cultures that student exchange programmes boost, DAIS students collaborated with their French, Portuguese and Czech friends in the Empowering Rural India project. The need for CO‐sharing our Earth was also emphasized in the Earth Day Celebrations.

Social Service Collaborative Project DAIS invited students from St. Dominic’s International School, Portugal, Ermitage International, Paris and The Open Gate School, Prague for a Social Service Collaborative project in the villages of Hassachipatti and Kumbhargarh, Maharashtra. Continuing the “legacy” of our “predecessors” (the Core Team of Empowering Rural India) who had already initiated work under the 3 pillars of Education, Infrastructure and Empowerment in these villages, our international friends joined us for executing the next level of the project. While our Portuguese friends collaborated in this project in the month of October 2011 with the signature passion and joy of a calling, the French and Czech students toiled under extreme heat conditions in the month of March 2012 to achieve the set targets.

CO is the future: CO‐llaborating, CO‐learning, CO‐creating and CO‐sharing

In Hassachipatti students worked on the village path, the walls of the Computer Lab and the Rainwater Harvesting pit. They cut steps into the steep, winding, mud path leading to the village and concretized it so that the villagers have a more comfortable access road throughout the year.

In Kumbhargarh we finished building the toilet block and laying the foundations of a house and in the process learnt the actual process of readying the mixture for the walls: Two parts red sand, one part grey sand and one part gravel with 3 liters of water.

Earth Day Celebration We have always maintained at DAIS we believe that Every day is Earth day. This year too we looked at a combination of activities that help us maintain the interest and involvement of children on Earth day as well as ensure that they can be pursued Every day of the year.

The Primary School children put together a poster announcing the Earth Day. This poster was 5 x 5 feet and was entirely made by using ‘Recycled” sheets of paper. The poster adorns a proud position in the schools atrium as a reminder of the 3R’s.

To build awareness of the beauty in nature, Classes III & IV created beautiful artwork by assembling things found in nature (twigs, leaves, grass, plants) around the school campus. None of these were uprooted or plucked.

The Secondary School initiated the Earth day activities by taking forward the ongoing 3R Paper Project. They painted the cartons, ensured all the classes had the Recycle Bins and made posters and slogans highlighting the Ideals of RS. Students were shown an inspiring film portraying the dreams that can be changed into reality, in lines with our school motto – Dare to Dream, Learn to Excel.


REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE

Twitter is embraced by Box Hill School

The students at Box Hill School will be utilising Twitter this year whilst carrying out their annual Round Square service project to South Africa. The students will be travelling to Philippolis, a small community in the Free State, which the school has supported for the last six years, with students building classrooms, renovating existing buildings and working with local children.

The expedition will be reporting back primarily through Twitter

@boxhillschool, using the hash tag #safrica

We believe these live reports will be of interest to a wide range

of people, due to both the subject matter and the innovative nature of the reporting medium used.

489 students from Salem ran just over 3 km and raised 13,928 Euros to support the ‘Peterhof’ in St. Petersburg, Russia. Peterhof is a home for handicapped people of all ages and disabilities where Salem students go and work every year on a service project.

Big Charity Run at Salem School in Germany

Six Grade 9 Round Square students from ICS Zurich travelled to the Second Chance Education Centre (SCEC) in Tanzania. Second Chance is just that – a place for students who have failed in the Tanzanian school system or cannot afford to go to a state school, to get a second chance completing high school. In July 2010, First Chance Kindergarten was established on the same site.

This is the 8th year of ICS’s involvement and in that time we have seen approximately 70 students and 23 teachers travel to Tanzania to contribute to the building and education programmes of SCEC and First Chance Kindergarten.

For the April 2012 trip, ICS students focussed on raising money to improve the dormitory of SCEC and create better facilities for First Chance Kindergarten. Although money is the best way to help the school as we buy local products and use local labour, the students were also pleased to be able to take over clothes, stationery and sporting goods which are always gratefully accepted.

After much accounting and planning from the students, the money that was raised went to purchase new gates for the school and the girls’ dormitory and a new playground for the children in the First Chance kindergarten. ICS students planned and designed a slide, sand‐pit, swing set, see saw and a merry‐go‐round. The money was also used to refurbish a new classroom for the kindergarten students, including a ceiling, partition wall, painting, a new whiteboard, aprons and stationery for the students.

The School’s Director, Mama Lucy Renju was again emotional and extremely grateful for the support of the ICS community and wishes to pass on her sincere thanks for keeping both the First Chance Kindergarten and Second Chance schools going.

Second Chance in Tanzania Adventure, as one of the pillars of Round Square, can take many forms. It is not always about extreme mountain climbing or kayaking‐ And to emphasise this Box Hill School in UK wanted to bring this pillar into our curriculum more and not have it as a ‘stand‐alone’ activity. Their library team ran an ‘Adventure night’ with a comic book super hero theme to promote the genre and engage students with their reading. This took place as an interactive story, with students coming dressed up as their own superhero and then taking part in a series of tasks and activities woven into a story. It was clear from the way that they engaged enthusiastically with the theme that the staff enjoyed dressing up more than the students!

Superheroes at Box Hill


REGIONAL NEWS - EUROPE

Over the weekend of 11th‐13th May 8 teams of year 9 and 10 students travelled to Borrowdale in the Lake District to compete in the 7th annual Adventure Race.

The teams came from six schools from all over the country Gordonstoun, Abbotsholme, Box Hill, Westfield, Windermere and St Christopher and had mixed teams of 6 students (apart from Westfield with an all‐girls team).

The event started on the Friday evening when all the schools had arrived from varying lengths of journey, with an introduction and a briefing of the weekend’s activities to all staff and teams alike.

Saturday morning started with a 7.00am wakeup call and the judging of the Food and camp craft section of the competition and the realisation that they would not be able to relax till 10.30pm that evening.

At 9.00am all the teams were briefed on the day’s events. Each team would start at separate activity and move in a circuit from activity to activity till all 8 had been completed by 5.30 pm.

The activities were Rock climbing, Abseiling, Compass Navigation, River Crossing, Canoeing, Mountain Biking, Puzzle Building and Map reference Navigation and the teams were given 50 minutes for each event.

The emphasis of the whole weekend was Teamwork and having fun and the teams could gain extra points for operating as a team while potentially loosing points for operating in an unsafe manner.

The evening saw more camp craft and food judging before heading into Whinlatter Forest for the night navigation exercise. A relatively simple orienteering course made more difficult by the onset of darkness and fatigue. Everybody was back in camp by 10.30pm and in bed by 11.00pm

Sunday started even earlier with a 6.30am wakeup call, breakfast and a briefing for the Mountain Challenge. All teams were given a map at 9.00am and had to navigate along the 9km route climbing 400m over a ridge into the next valley and a sprint finish for those who could still muster it.

All credit goes to the students who all competed with maturity and put everything they had into the

weekend. Thanks must also go to all the Staff who marshalled all the events so well, but most of all we must thank the great Lake District weather for behaving itself for the weekend.

The top 3 in the Adventure Race 2012 were:

1st Gordonstoun 2nd Windermere 2 3rd Windermere 1

7th Annual Adventure Race in the Lake District


REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA

Africa Day celebrated at St Cyprian’s School Every year, St Cyprian’s High School girls unite in celebrating our beautiful continent: Africa! It is a day that is always anticipated and never seems to disappoint. Teachers and students all dress up in colourful African style clothing, to show their pride, as they dance together and laugh with joy.

The aim of Africa Day is simple. Its main purpose is to celebrate Africa and all of the beautiful people living in it. But it is

also a day of sharing. We share our knowledge about the many African countries, by decorating posters as classes of our assigned countries and making food structures that represent the countries out of collected food items. The collected food comes from the students who willingly donate these non‐perishable goods that go to community organisations such as Scalabrini Centre for refugees, Carel du Toit Centre for hearing‐impaired children from poor homes, and two children’s homes, Sakhumzi and Emasithandani.

To celebrate this day of African culture, we come together in our school’s quad to sing and dance and eat cake! Our wonderful Debby Smith, who runs the tuck shop and kitchen, bakes a gigantic cake in the shape of Africa and we all get to share it while dancing to the African music that is

played by the high school marimba band. Africa Day is a tradition that will remain in our school for a very long time, and although it may have only just happened, I know that everybody is already thinking about next year’s Africa Day.

By Lauren Lazo Student leader of Round Square at St. Cyprian’s School

Africa Day Cake

The winning food structure: a gecko representing Burkina Faso

Frik Landman’s observation report on the Round Square Conference at Bridge House School ‐ Article from USB Executive Development Ltd (University of Stellenbosch Business School) dated 8th June 2012.

I recently occupied the role of a ‘side‐line observer’ at the conference held at Bridge House School, Franschhoek. The high school delegates went through the usual ‘ritual sniffing’ during the first encounters, assessing who is who, filtering their observations through the existing stereotyping.

By day two, they were hugging each other before and after sessions as if they were old friends very glad to see one another and glad to be in each other’s company. They came from all over Africa. In my mind’s eye I could see them, 15 to 20 years from now, meeting each other in the different areas of the African marketplace, shaking hands, exchanging greetings, doing business, sharing stories of success, empathising with each other’s

tribulations, offering advice or help. All of this without regard to race, gender or creed. All of them nurturing Africa, the Tree of Life.

During the conference, at certain moments, they sang songs and also, in the background, they played a particular song, specially written for the occasion, Youth Rhapsody. The lyrics were written and the music arranged by a talented young composer, teaching at the school. The words were hopeful and inspiring. The first verse was partly a call for engagement:

Let us engage, create a better world; Our many minds, Our one belief, To conquer fear of past mistakes and chains; Seeking wisdom and courage To shed the false remains.

I thought of the words of Joyce Banda who became Malawi’s first female vice‐president:

“My life mission is to assist women and youth to get political

empowerment through education and business”.

Words that resonate with this call for engagement. This is an African youth rapidly expanding: 64% under the age of 24 and 40% under the age of 15. In certain regions like East Africa the children and youth represent 80% of the population!

What do they want? A better world, a world where they do not repeat the mistakes of the past, mistakes mostly emanating from the results of the leaders and followers of the generations before them. They have a legitimate desire to realise their full potential, yet have to achieve this in a context of food insecurity, of adverse climate change, of high youth unemployment, and of other challenges like the economic crisis, which exacerbates the pressure on resources and increases volatility.

In the chorus of this song, these youths sing, to rhythmic African drumbeats, with an attitude of expectation:

African Youth Rhapsody - Responsible leadership

Continued on next page...


REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA

“Sing, our youth! We shall prevail; so we might forge a world, sustaining life for all; Sing, our youth!This age of grace, Freedom embraced; together we shall lead the way; So sing our youth.”

Melodiously they express a positive mind‐set, anticipating and visualising a positive picture of the future. So, how do we as their leaders, as their role models assist them in this quest, this anticipation? How do we respond so that we can reap the dividend from this yearning population; how can we create the environment for opportunities for our African youth?

Hearing them sing and seeing them interacting with energy and respect, I have a deep understanding that all of them have a basic need to feel good about themselves; to have the window of hope on a decent life in which they will know how and be allowed to relate in an ethical way; that they will have the skills to ‘forge a world sustaining life for all’.

There is, of course, no simple solution. We should not focus on changing unscrupulous politicians, whose aim it is to transform our youth into voting fodder, keeping them poor and ignorant in order to do so. Rather, we

ought to harness possible synergies between education and business to facilitate this youthful energy and ambition.

We can start by getting our education system to complement the abilities of our youth, opening the avenues that will equip for the workplace, ensuring that they have the basic competencies to enter the workplace with confidence. We can identify their aptitudes and preferences early, and create structured contact with the labour market. In doing so, we create very necessary networks early in their lives, building the kind of confidence needed when they venture into life.

Before they repeat the chorus for the last time, I hear them singing the second verse:

“Young as we are, Our reach can be far; The vision clear: Compassion for our world, No hunger feared.Compelled to care and link Youth’s energy, To forge this dream.”

The youth’s sense of urgency (our reach can be far) should not be underestimated. They see themselves as leaders and they want to be part of something much bigger than we currently may think. We should not

doubt their belief that they can make a difference (no hunger feared) to the world around them. The Arab spring is testimony to this. This, however, is not how one would like to see the energy channeled. As sensible, mature and responsible leaders in Africa we would like our youth to have integrity (a moral code that has compassion for our world), to have a strong sense and experience of achievement (compelled to care); to show responsibility and, above all, the courage to live a life of integrity, with courage to achieve in the face adversity, courage to be responsible for the consequences of their actions. We, representatives of business and education, need to come together and creatively deliberate on ways to achieve this. Then they may develop the wisdom to sustain (to forge this dream) this new world and pass the flame to the next generation; a flame that, in the place of arson and destruction, promises light and insight.

Frik Landman CEO

USB Executive Development South Africa

...continued from previous page

As a leader at St Cyprian's School I was asked along with a few of the other matric leaders to help with and lead the baraza groups of the Young Round Square Conference that was hosted by our school in March. I know I speak for all of us when I say that the conference was exciting, informative and the delegates were all great to work with. Being on a previous conference as a delegate is much different to being involved in the running of a conference. This opportunity exposed us as leaders to situations where we had to think on the spot, take responsibility and bring forth our own ideas involving Round Square and its IDEALS. A highlight for me was to see how involved the young

delegates became in what is a slightly new initiative to them and it made me really happy to know that Round Square was finally going to be established more firmly within younger grades.

I am so grateful for this opportunity as I know my fellow leaders are too. Every day we miss the kids, their bright personalities and the huge smiles on their faces. I wish everybody could experience their joy and their ideas. I have no doubt that they will make great future leaders within Round Square.

By Lauren Lazo, student leader for Round Square at St Cyprian’s

Young Round Square Conference

front of a red and white striped Pitts Special S2C bi‐plane being flown by my boyfriend!!

Do you have a packing philosophy? Always take a sarong (it can be a towel, skirt, shirt, picnic rug, hammock or curtain!); always take a spare change of clothes in your hand‐luggage and take photos of home to show locals – it always breaks the ice!

What will we find in your carry on? Spare change of clothes!

And if we were to listen to your iPod what would we hear? Rachmaninov, Bach, Mozart, Shostakovich, Delius, Tavener, Scissor Sisters, Georffrey Gurrumul, John Martyn, Lemon Jelly, Buena Vista Social Club, St Germain, Diana Krall, Ella Fiztgerald, Eva Cassidy, Faithless, Geoffrey Oryema, Groove Armada, Nina Simone, Pink Floyd, The Pogues, Red Hot Chillies, Rufus Wainwright, Tom Jones, U2…..and oh so many more!

During your time at Round Square what have you had to learn on the fly? UN‐level diplomacy! Also, learning to adapt my style of business to the different nations and cultures I have contact with daily.

What do you do when you are not working for Round Square? I play viola with two semi‐professional orchestras here in Bath and nearby Bristol. I play in 8‐10 concerts per year! I always have some kind of creative


UP CLOSE

Up Close with Liz Gray, RSIS Projects Manager Have you ever wondered what makes the Round Square employees tick? Find out more with my exclusive interview with Liz Gray

Interview by Suzanne Bookless, Editor of RS News

Starting out in working life as a freelance natural history and medical illustrator, Liz then went on to be an expedition artist for Raleigh International for 4 years overseas, before working as an expedition manager, and leader for several UK‐based youth expedition companies. Liz joined Round Square at the start of July 2008. As the Projects Manager Liz is reshaping the future of Round Square International Service Projects with new destinations, challenging construction and environmental service Projects, opportunities for wider groups (e.g. younger students, parents and potential leaders) and more experiences closely linked to the IDEALS that Round Square is based upon.

You have been with Round Square since 2008, what’s the biggest change you have seen in the organisation? Huge growth in membership (I believe around 30 new global members have come on board since I joined!) and I’ve seen the organisation become more professional in how it relates to it’s membership and the outside world.

What are the biggest challenges in your role at Projects Manager? I’d say the two biggest challenges are: 1. Sleeping easy at night knowing I’ve done absolutely all that I am legally, and ethically required to do to ensure the safety of all our participants. 2. Ensuring that all my leaders are briefed properly, and fully understand all the safety protocols, logistics and soft‐skills that are needed to run the Project properly.

Working on International Service Projects for Round Square has taken you to many places around the world, what’s your favourite destination? I never know how to answer this question as so many parts of the world mean so much to me for so many different reasons! I’ve adored working in Cambodia with our leader team last year; loved being in Peru mixing mud at over 4000m with our RSIS team in 2010; driving all over southern Chile in a Land Rover in the mid‐1990’s; riding horses in northern Mongolia in 2001; trekking in New Zealand in 2006; being confused with HM Queen Elizabeth in Fiji in 2009; kissing giraffes in Kenya at the RS conference this year….and so many more...

When flying, window or aisle? It depends what I’m flying in. If it’s a regular jumbo‐jet, then window for night flights, aisle for day flights. However, my favourite seat is in the

project on the go (once an artist, always an artist!) and thanks to the boyfriend, do spend quite some time at various freezing airfields watching him compete in aerobatic flying competitions!

What’s your favourite funny story about yourself? All in one day, I flooded my boyfriends flat, destroying the ceiling of the flat below; then walked into town with my skirt tucked into my pants, and that night – went to super‐glue a broken cup back together, and accidentally glued one hand to the cup, the other hand to the worktop, and mysteriously – both feet to the floor. Took quite a while to get out of that one...

Do you have a nickname? Yes, but a girl’s got to have her secrets…

If you were a biscuit what would you be and why? A Ginger Nut. Slightly ginger, definitely nutty and doesn’t crumble when dunked in hot liquid!

If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be? Dead: Leonardo da Vinci Alive: Julie Walters, HRH Prince of Wales and Billy Crystal…..all for supper round at my house!

What would your first thought be if you found out you had won the lottery? Is this a blessing or a curse?

What would you do if you had a time machine? Go forwards to a time when regular people can go into space…….

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? I’d be an author, a doctor or a giraffe‐keeper at the zoo.


KURT HAHN PRIZE

Improving the Round Square branding at your When you enter the campus of a Round Square school how do you know it’s a member? The Athenian School is planning to improve how we do this and so investigated to see what other schools have in place.

Many schools feature the Round Square flag. A few schools have three centrally‐located flagpoles with the national flag, school flag, and RS flag. Gordonstoun has the RS flag flying by itself atop the tallest building on campus. Regents has two each of the national, school and RS flag atop an 8’ high wall saying ‘A Round Square School since 2001.’

The Round Square pillars are showcased at many schools. Scotch Oakburn has the logo and the pillars in paving plaques of a walkway on campus.

ICS in Zurich has a two‐story tall wall featuring the RS IDEALS. Ivanhoe Grammar has a glass mosaic featuring the IDEALS. Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School has some six tall outdoor signs, one for each pillar. Several schools have a world map with a pin identifying the location of each RS school. Several schools have honour boards for students that have gone on

exchange. And some schools creative representations: a display of ties from different schools, plaques/shields from each RS school, or a big photograph of

Note: Contact Suzanne Bookless for hi‐res RS logo files and the details for the correct pantone colours for printing. If you need help with the production of RS branded material or products e.g. flags, posters,

banners etc. please get in touch. Email: [email protected]

At Athenian we have the Round Square flag, school flag, and rainbow flag atop a diversity monument. The surrounding courtyard is paved with tiles decorated by delegates to some of the Round Square Conferences that Athenian has hosted. By Mark Friedman, Athenian School

The Kurt Hahn Prize Committee has endorsed the awarding of the Kurt Hahn Prize to Ella McAuliffe from The UWCSEA. Ella is 11 years old and

has fund raised to build classrooms for needy communities. She raised $26000 through bike sales, the sale of pot plants, homemade popsicles and other fundraising activities. This money was raised specifically to build a school in

the Svay Rieng Province of Cambodia. The school is for 222 children all under the age of 8 years old. Ella is a striking example for others to realize that age is not necessarily a barrier to people who want to make a difference!

“Ella epitomizes what student action can achieve at UWCSEA. She believes that participating in the schools Global Concern’s programme is the best part of her education, because it gives

Ella McAuliffe is awarded the Kurt Hahn Prize

her the opportunity to address issues of poverty head on.” Ella has now embarked on raising funds for the next school.

GENERAL NEWS


GENERAL NEWS

Governance Matters

Rod Fraser Chairman Round Square Board of Directors

The RSGF is taking off! We are pleased to announce the launch of the RSGF pilot project, an online platform to support academic collaboration among member schools. The idea was discussed at the Board meeting at the International Conference at Wellington and has been further discussed at the Americas Regional Conference and again at Brookhouse.

Thus far approximately 20 teachers from 10 schools have joined the forum. All participants have completed Jennifer Klein's foundational e‐course, Project Based Learning for Global Citizenship. Over the next months teachers will form project teams that will work with Jennifer to develop shared online lessons. Additional sections of the e‐course will be offered in September and October for those wishing to join the forum. Any teacher may sign up for the forum now, with the understanding that they will enroll in the e‐course for the September or October sessions. An update on the project will be presented at Penryn. The pilot will be evaluated at the March meeting of the Board and decisions about future directions will be made at that time. Schools that were unable to participate in the Americas,

and Kenyan workshops will be offered the opportunity to explore the project and to participate if they wish.

Herewith are the steps to become involved in the pilot:

Present the RS Global Forum to your faculty/academic staff.

To participate, a school must agree to and support the following: ‐ Designate a minimum two teachers to participate. ‐ Enroll the teachers in the TIGed Project Based Learning for Global Citizenship c‐Course (Tuition is a discounted rate of $200/teacher. Instructions for enrolling will be given upon registration in the RS Global Forum)

If your school decides to participate, fill out the online registration form. A link is available on the Round Square website.

We have appointed John Nordquist of Chadwick School to be Director of the RSGF. John's role will be to oversee and coordinate the development of the RSGF in partnership with Jennifer Klein, Taking IT Global for Educators and World Leadership School. John will be sending out more information in the near future.

We are pleased at the prospect of adding a respected academic component to the value that the organisation brings to its members.

John Nordquist said “I am very excited to be part of the newly established Round Square Global Forum (RSGF). The potential to enrich the academic program of our students through global, online collaboration is tremendous. While there are many platforms already available on the Internet that allow for diverse interaction, the Forum provides the added value of a secure environment for student work as well as professional development and ongoing support for teachers interested in developing collaborative opportunities for their students. Round Square will be partnering with Jennifer Klein, a global education consultant working with the World Leadership School http://www.worldleadershipschool.com and Taking IT Global for Educators (visit their support page of their website at http://www.tigweb.org/tiged/help.html in a pilot program.”

If you are interested and would like to discuss the RSGF further, please contact John Nordquist [email protected]

Round Square Global Forum (RSGF)

Following the recent Round Square International Conference hosted by Brookhouse School in Nairobi, and the Board of Directors meeting I write to provide you with a brief update:

Suffice to say the International Conference hosted by Brookhouse School was a stunning success and congratulations go to the School’s Director, John O’Connor, Conference Convenor Willie Ng’ang’a and the Students and Staff of Brookhouse School for their incredible efforts in making the Conference delegates experience thoroughly memorable.

The Board of Directors Meeting was held prior to the conference and key aspects discussed were:

Conferences – the Board resolved to establish a Task Force, to be convened

by the Business Manager, Jane Howison, to establish ‘best practice’ for Conferences given their importance and in the context of the Organisation moving to the probability of multiple conferences each year in the future.

The Board considered the growing role of Regions and Regional Directors – and how they can be supported whilst ensuring an element of commonality and clarity of purpose across the globe.

Discussion regarding how best to track and engage Alumni of Round Square Schools, Conferences and Projects was covered and decisions taken to engage some Young Alumni Coordinators in Regions around the world in order to move this initiative forward.

Discussion regarding the fundraising activities of the Organisation, current and potential, was again centered upon. The role of the Friends of Round

Square, Fellows and the potential to increase philanthropic efforts in support of Round Square through projects (and directly from major donors) gained much discussion. This, I have no doubt, will remain a discussion point over the next 12 months.

I hope this brief update provides for you some sense of the work of the Board, in support of the Secretariat.

It was a great pleasure to see many of you in Kenya and I look forward to seeing many more s at the Conference in South Africa in September this year.

round square news-june 2012

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