Amazing Videos from each GAIL School complete the Online Conference
As mentioned in the previous news article below, the GAIL Conference for 2020 had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic. Instead, many students from each school have been busy working on some superb videos. As David Albano, GAIL Champ at Scotch College writes:
"Under the leadership of Dr Newton and the GAIL Champions each GAIL School has had an intrepid group of students put together a compilation about their school and their cultures. This is a fabulous opportunity to use these resources in your classroom to generate a conversation about other people and places."
Please pick the following links to see the different videos and learn more about the GAIL schools. CHECK THEM OUT!!!
Scotch College, Australia - https://vimeo.com/458021599/24b11cae79
WISS, China - Intro - https://vimeo.com/459996143/d52f1496d7
WISS, China & Woodstock, India – https://vimeo.com/459997336/47498ababe
Newton College, Peru - https://vimeo.com/459996313/0ca7a7cafe and https://vimeo.com/459999709/12ce366649
Kristin School, New Zealand - https://vimeo.com/459996212/e0a49dcde3 and https://vimeo.com/459999527/8baf0fadaf
Robert Gordon College, Scotland - https://vimeo.com/459996340/4a2e7a1bab and https://vimeo.com/459998784/c18a2852b4
Prestige College, South Africa - https://vimeo.com/459996156/56c49f05b4 and https://vimeo.com/460006731/b0f84b2058
Kimball Union Academy, USA - https://vimeo.com/461547260 and https://vimeo.com/465180893/85fcfbba93
As mentioned in the previous news article below, the GAIL Conference for 2020 had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic. Instead, many students from each school have been busy working on some superb videos. As David Albano, GAIL Champ at Scotch College writes:
"Under the leadership of Dr Newton and the GAIL Champions each GAIL School has had an intrepid group of students put together a compilation about their school and their cultures. This is a fabulous opportunity to use these resources in your classroom to generate a conversation about other people and places."
Please pick the following links to see the different videos and learn more about the GAIL schools. CHECK THEM OUT!!!
Scotch College, Australia - https://vimeo.com/458021599/24b11cae79
WISS, China - Intro - https://vimeo.com/459996143/d52f1496d7
WISS, China & Woodstock, India – https://vimeo.com/459997336/47498ababe
Newton College, Peru - https://vimeo.com/459996313/0ca7a7cafe and https://vimeo.com/459999709/12ce366649
Kristin School, New Zealand - https://vimeo.com/459996212/e0a49dcde3 and https://vimeo.com/459999527/8baf0fadaf
Robert Gordon College, Scotland - https://vimeo.com/459996340/4a2e7a1bab and https://vimeo.com/459998784/c18a2852b4
Prestige College, South Africa - https://vimeo.com/459996156/56c49f05b4 and https://vimeo.com/460006731/b0f84b2058
Kimball Union Academy, USA - https://vimeo.com/461547260 and https://vimeo.com/465180893/85fcfbba93
We also have an interesting interview with the Honorable Simon John Birmingham, an Australian politician who has served as a Senator for South Australia since 2007. He is a member of the Liberal Party and has been Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Morrison Government since 2018.
He is interviewed by Dr John Newton, Head of Scotch College, Adelaide and the topic is Leadership in the time of Covid. Please click this link: https://vimeo.com/461260715
He is interviewed by Dr John Newton, Head of Scotch College, Adelaide and the topic is Leadership in the time of Covid. Please click this link: https://vimeo.com/461260715
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Student Zoom Meeting to Plan Online Event
The postponement of the annual student GAIL convention has been a bit of a blow and there has been serious concern that some momentum would be lost. To avoid that John Newton, Head of Scotch College in Adelaide, offered to host a Zoom meeting of students from each of the 8 GAIL schools to plan an online event . Well the initial meeting was a great success with lots of ideas about how to reach out between the schools, possible themes, etc. The 18 students who signed into the Zoom meeting made some great contributions and are excited about what this event may look like. The plan is to have this event online before the end of 2020 with a large attendance and a range of activities. Watch this space! |
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GAIL Annual Student Convention Postponed
How often have we recently read an article that starts with "We are living through unprecedented times". I'd like to avoid writing the same old thing, but it is unavoidable. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives, not just in the short term, but I'm sure the long-term impact is yet to be fully realised. Well, in the short-term the lock-down around the world has forced GAIL to postpone the student convention by a year. Much of the planning was underway and many bookings have had to be cancelled.
Thank you to the team at Kristin School in Auckland for all the effort they have put into the planning so far. Fortunately, this is not wasted as the conference will now be in October 2021. It is a shame that some of the students who had been selected to come may miss out due to the postponement.
How often have we recently read an article that starts with "We are living through unprecedented times". I'd like to avoid writing the same old thing, but it is unavoidable. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives, not just in the short term, but I'm sure the long-term impact is yet to be fully realised. Well, in the short-term the lock-down around the world has forced GAIL to postpone the student convention by a year. Much of the planning was underway and many bookings have had to be cancelled.
Thank you to the team at Kristin School in Auckland for all the effort they have put into the planning so far. Fortunately, this is not wasted as the conference will now be in October 2021. It is a shame that some of the students who had been selected to come may miss out due to the postponement.
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Student Video about WISS Conference
Kalsang Yangchen, a student from Woodstock School, was one of the delegates who was fortunate enough to attend the annual GAIL conference this year. The Western International School of Shanghai hosted an amazing week of learning and activities, which made a huge impression of Kalsang. For a personal project, she made a very cool video about GAIL and her experience in China. Well done, Kalsang! Enjoy. |
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IB Blog about GAIL
It's encouraging to see that the International Baccalaureate folk have noticed what an amazing organisation GAIL is. Have a look at the file attached below to see what they say:
It's encouraging to see that the International Baccalaureate folk have noticed what an amazing organisation GAIL is. Have a look at the file attached below to see what they say:
| when_great_minds_come_together_ideas_come_to_life___ib_community_blog.pdf |
Excellent Summary of WISS Conference
In their regular newsletter to parents and other stakeholders, WISS recently published a story about the conference that they hosted in Shanghai in July this year. It includes a wonderful video summarising the many activities of the student conference. It also includes a link to the news story that was on TV in China.
Click this LINK
In their regular newsletter to parents and other stakeholders, WISS recently published a story about the conference that they hosted in Shanghai in July this year. It includes a wonderful video summarising the many activities of the student conference. It also includes a link to the news story that was on TV in China.
Click this LINK
Newton College Promotional Video
Having only recently joined GAIL, Newton College will be pretty much unknown to many of the staff and students at the other GAIL schools. Below is a video of the school covering the many aspects of the wonderfully rounded education that is offered.
Having only recently joined GAIL, Newton College will be pretty much unknown to many of the staff and students at the other GAIL schools. Below is a video of the school covering the many aspects of the wonderfully rounded education that is offered.
WISS produces Conference Video
The following video will bring back a whole range of wonderful memories for the fortunate delegates. Make sure you watch until the very end!
Click the following link to open the video in a new browser window:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX-oazJXYtI&list=PL43I-sCc0ugNQuuDdMmC5xU26UxD4HwIm
The following video will bring back a whole range of wonderful memories for the fortunate delegates. Make sure you watch until the very end!
Click the following link to open the video in a new browser window:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX-oazJXYtI&list=PL43I-sCc0ugNQuuDdMmC5xU26UxD4HwIm
Another Wonderful Collaborative Video from GAIL Schools
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The theme for this year's GAIL conference was "A Balanced Life" so students from the different schools put together a video showing how the many activities at their school help them to live a more balanced life. Very cool!
(Make sure you maximise the video once it starts playing to get the most from it.) |
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2019 Conference hosted by WISS a wonderful experience!
It was great to see how quickly the students made friends and got actively involed in all the activities.The Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) pulled out all the stops and an amazing week was experienced by the delegates and adults. Dr Greg Brunton, Director of the school assembled a large team of organisers and helpers to ensure that everything was ready in time for the conference, which ran over the first week of July. WISS, founded in 2006, has wonderful facilities and some great staff who willingly participated as workshop leaders.
This year the theme was "Living a Balanced Life" which was very relevant, timely and extremely helpful to many of the students. To support the theme, the conference had a great balance between fun outside activities and inside workshops. It was great to see how quickly the delegates made friends and got stuck into the many activities in the busy timetable.
This was the first conference where we had the Heads and some delegates from Newton College, Peru attend. They were welcomed with open arms.
CONGRATULATIONS to WISS and the team for a superb conference!!!
Have a look under the Conference tab to see some more photos of the students' activities at the conference.
This year the theme was "Living a Balanced Life" which was very relevant, timely and extremely helpful to many of the students. To support the theme, the conference had a great balance between fun outside activities and inside workshops. It was great to see how quickly the delegates made friends and got stuck into the many activities in the busy timetable.
This was the first conference where we had the Heads and some delegates from Newton College, Peru attend. They were welcomed with open arms.
CONGRATULATIONS to WISS and the team for a superb conference!!!
Have a look under the Conference tab to see some more photos of the students' activities at the conference.
Heads Celebrate Newton College joining GAIL
John Newton from Scotch College in Adelaide, Australia writes:
We warmly welcome Newton College to GAIL because it is a school with similar enlightened and ambitious aims to transform the lives of its students. I am delighted that the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning can now make an even stronger claim to be truly global, and representative of a broad sweep of cultures and countries around the globe. We are richer today as a family of schools and the experiences our students will enjoy and share will be even greater due to Newton College’s arrival among us.
Jonathan Long from Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India adds his enthusiastic welcome:
Woodstock School is delighted to celebrate Newton College’s membership of our important global alliance. When like-minded schools collaborate in a common cause rooted in our shared humanity and the pursuit of peace in the world, great things can be achieved! We welcome Newton College’s membership enthusiastically and look forward to many years of fruitful partnership!
Simon Mills from Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, Scotland also posts his warm welcome:
Hola ! Robert Gordon’s College are absolutely delighted to see Newton College joining the GAIL fellowship of schools in an even stronger global educational partnership. We look forward to welcoming and working with the staff and students at Newton College very much indeed.
READ BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT NEWTON COLLEGE...
Newton College joins GAIL as 8th School !
Amazon Jungle Lodge Lake
The GAIL group of schools is very excited about welcoming Newton College to the alliance. By way of introduction, Head Andy Cino writes about the school:
Newton College was founded in 1979, inspired by the traditions of the British private school system and driven by the innovations of the International Baccalaureate curriculum. From its outset it has always believed that education must be transformative and lead to a more caring and just world.
In 1986 it became the first school in Peru to deliver the IB Diploma Programme and since then Newton students have continued their studies in the best universities in Peru and throughout the world. It adopted the inquiry-based IB Primary Years Programme in 2003 and will be authorized to teach the IB Middle Years Programme in 2019.
At Newton we inspire our students to explore, question, learn from their mistakes, think creatively and critically, analyse from different perspectives, evaluate rationally and ethically, apply their knowledge and understanding to different contexts. We nurture their emotional and social growth, fostering our school values – respect, integrity, commitment and empathy – in a safe and secure environment.
Our mission is to help students fulfil their potential and to this extent we offer a very broad and balanced curriculum where all subjects have equal status. We teach all three arts (theatre arts, visual art and music) and pupils learn to play a musical instrument from the age of five. The Physical and Health Education course is reinforced by the wide range of extra-curricular sports activities. The Model United Nations, debating and dance are other very popular and successful activities.
We have a beautiful campus next to a lake with state-of-the-art facilities. However, the jewel in our crown is our large plot of land in the Amazon Rainforest where we have built a study centre for secondary and university student research. We are strongly committed to the principles of sustainable development and empower our students to become agents of social and environmental change.
Through our membership of the IB and the Latin American Heads Conference (www.lahc.net) we offer our students the opportunity to interact with peers from different parts of the Americas. Through our membership of GAIL (www.gailschools.org ) our students may interact with peers from different continents and cultures.
Our ultimate aim is to prepare our students to become successful citizens who actively contribute to the well-being of society and the environment. Our former student, Kerstin Forsberg, who has just been nominated one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Greatest World Leaders (http://fortune.com/worlds-greatest-leaders/) for educating and empowering coastal communities to sustainably manage their marine resources, is an excellent example of our educational goal.
Newton College was founded in 1979, inspired by the traditions of the British private school system and driven by the innovations of the International Baccalaureate curriculum. From its outset it has always believed that education must be transformative and lead to a more caring and just world.
In 1986 it became the first school in Peru to deliver the IB Diploma Programme and since then Newton students have continued their studies in the best universities in Peru and throughout the world. It adopted the inquiry-based IB Primary Years Programme in 2003 and will be authorized to teach the IB Middle Years Programme in 2019.
At Newton we inspire our students to explore, question, learn from their mistakes, think creatively and critically, analyse from different perspectives, evaluate rationally and ethically, apply their knowledge and understanding to different contexts. We nurture their emotional and social growth, fostering our school values – respect, integrity, commitment and empathy – in a safe and secure environment.
Our mission is to help students fulfil their potential and to this extent we offer a very broad and balanced curriculum where all subjects have equal status. We teach all three arts (theatre arts, visual art and music) and pupils learn to play a musical instrument from the age of five. The Physical and Health Education course is reinforced by the wide range of extra-curricular sports activities. The Model United Nations, debating and dance are other very popular and successful activities.
We have a beautiful campus next to a lake with state-of-the-art facilities. However, the jewel in our crown is our large plot of land in the Amazon Rainforest where we have built a study centre for secondary and university student research. We are strongly committed to the principles of sustainable development and empower our students to become agents of social and environmental change.
Through our membership of the IB and the Latin American Heads Conference (www.lahc.net) we offer our students the opportunity to interact with peers from different parts of the Americas. Through our membership of GAIL (www.gailschools.org ) our students may interact with peers from different continents and cultures.
Our ultimate aim is to prepare our students to become successful citizens who actively contribute to the well-being of society and the environment. Our former student, Kerstin Forsberg, who has just been nominated one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Greatest World Leaders (http://fortune.com/worlds-greatest-leaders/) for educating and empowering coastal communities to sustainably manage their marine resources, is an excellent example of our educational goal.
Newton College's Graduating Class of 2016
Dance Festival at Newton College
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Two year old Scientist
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One of Newton College's Music Ensembles
Newton College's wonderful Sporting Facilities
New Research Reports Uploaded
Over recent months there has been some interesting research undertaken by two different teachers from Kristin School.
Kate Denman from Kristin School in New Zealand spent sometime visiting Prestige College in South Africa to look at how they are promoting student wellbeing through their sports programme. Kate writes :
"There is currently an international wellbeing crisis amongst teenage students especially where stress, expectation and pressures to conform, lead to ever increasing cases of anxiety, depression and self-harm.
There are strong links between participation in sport and desirable personality traits such as perseverance, confidence and determination. By increasing a student’s participation in sporting activities, the school is able to nurture a more resilient character with greater self-esteem who is therefore prepared for difficult situations and occurrences."
Over recent months there has been some interesting research undertaken by two different teachers from Kristin School.
Kate Denman from Kristin School in New Zealand spent sometime visiting Prestige College in South Africa to look at how they are promoting student wellbeing through their sports programme. Kate writes :
"There is currently an international wellbeing crisis amongst teenage students especially where stress, expectation and pressures to conform, lead to ever increasing cases of anxiety, depression and self-harm.
There are strong links between participation in sport and desirable personality traits such as perseverance, confidence and determination. By increasing a student’s participation in sporting activities, the school is able to nurture a more resilient character with greater self-esteem who is therefore prepared for difficult situations and occurrences."
Dianne Scoones, also from Kristin was hosted by the Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) to look at how their Early Years Education Centre fosters and prepares the young students for a smooth transition to school. As Dianne says below, there are some interesting synergies that the schools share:
"WISS and Kristin have similar demographics. At WISS, more Chinese families are choosing to enrol their children in the Early Years. Likewise, Kristin has a growing Chinese community, particularly in the Kindergarten and lower levels of the Junior School, as more families immigrate and move into the area. Researching the EAL support at WISS in the Early Years and in Grade 1 was therefore a key area of my research, as we have an increased number of children who require ESOL."
"WISS and Kristin have similar demographics. At WISS, more Chinese families are choosing to enrol their children in the Early Years. Likewise, Kristin has a growing Chinese community, particularly in the Kindergarten and lower levels of the Junior School, as more families immigrate and move into the area. Researching the EAL support at WISS in the Early Years and in Grade 1 was therefore a key area of my research, as we have an increased number of children who require ESOL."
Student Summarises the KUA Conference Wonderfully Well
In the Woodstock School student paper, Archita Aggarwal, has written up a story about the amazing experience the Woodstock delegates had while at the GAIL Conference at Kimball Union Academy:
The Global Alliance for Innovative Learning (GAIL) is a program offered by Woodstock that doesn’t just unite seven different nations but also brings together people with different ideas, opinions, and cultures from around the world.
Every year, Woodstock takes a group of students to a different school that organizes the conference.
Following the tradition, this year, a group of ten students went to Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, United States, to represent India.
While spending two weeks in the United States, the participants didn’t just undergo many unexpected events but also relished their time building relationships with other students from around the globe. All of them brought back many memories.
GAIL is a challenge that these students took up without knowing what to expect. Some signed up simply because they love traveling, while the others wanted to get out of their comfort zone by trying something new. In either case, it seemed to have positive results.
Aviva Balani, Class of 2021 said, “I’d do GAIL over and over again for the rest of my life.”
Many students who went this year believed that GAIL is an experience that helped shape their personalities.
Mr. Luukkonen, GAIL Champ and Exchange Coordinator said, “Watching students grow during these conferences is out of this world. I see one person enter and an entirely new and improved version of themselves leave. Ninety percent of all GAIL students, not only Woodstock, arrive at the conference not as confident and outgoing as they do when they leave!”
When GAIL was first introduced five years ago, very few applications were received. However this year the program has taken a turn. With seventy-two applications, shortlisting twelve will be a tough task for both Mr. Luukkonen and the interns who are working towards selecting the finest students to represent the Woodstock community in 2019.
This conference allows students to get to know things about the culture and traditions of various countries.
Kristin School, New Zealand, portrayed its cultural ethnicity by performing and teaching the Haka dance. This is a war cry which consists of aggressive dance moves and loud singing. The locals usually perform this before a rugby game.
On the other hand, Scotch College, Australia, brought local games and some cereal which they used to create an outline of the nation. Woodstock spread the Indian culture by hosting a Diyapainting session and making chaat for their peers on the cultural night. To bring the night to an end, Woodstock students taught everyone else some dance steps to an Indian song. Anchal Agrawal, Class of 2021 said, “During the one week we also taught people a few Hindi words and we told them a lot about the various events Woodstock hosts.”
Along with all the fun came the time for goodbyes. After building such strong relationships, wishing farewell was merely the hardest thing for each and every person.
Mr. Luukkonen said, “The most effective aspect I love about GAIL is the community you build throughout a one-week journey. I know a Woodstock student, GAIL alumni from 3 years ago, who is still very close with a group of GAIL students from all over the world. It brings this world together and makes it more united.”Above all, GAIL is an intense programme which requires a lot of planning. The seven schools often face conflicts while deciding the dates of the conference as the calendars never match. However, the event never portrays any such disadvantages and provides the students with a global understanding of various ideas and cultures.
Jia Loomba, Class of 2020 said, “I believe that everybody has a story to tell and there is always something to learn from it. Even I had a story to tell, so did all the others.”
Photos by Anchal Agrawal and Kuhu Singh.
Edited by Janvi Poddar.
In the Woodstock School student paper, Archita Aggarwal, has written up a story about the amazing experience the Woodstock delegates had while at the GAIL Conference at Kimball Union Academy:
The Global Alliance for Innovative Learning (GAIL) is a program offered by Woodstock that doesn’t just unite seven different nations but also brings together people with different ideas, opinions, and cultures from around the world.
Every year, Woodstock takes a group of students to a different school that organizes the conference.
Following the tradition, this year, a group of ten students went to Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, United States, to represent India.
While spending two weeks in the United States, the participants didn’t just undergo many unexpected events but also relished their time building relationships with other students from around the globe. All of them brought back many memories.
GAIL is a challenge that these students took up without knowing what to expect. Some signed up simply because they love traveling, while the others wanted to get out of their comfort zone by trying something new. In either case, it seemed to have positive results.
Aviva Balani, Class of 2021 said, “I’d do GAIL over and over again for the rest of my life.”
Many students who went this year believed that GAIL is an experience that helped shape their personalities.
Mr. Luukkonen, GAIL Champ and Exchange Coordinator said, “Watching students grow during these conferences is out of this world. I see one person enter and an entirely new and improved version of themselves leave. Ninety percent of all GAIL students, not only Woodstock, arrive at the conference not as confident and outgoing as they do when they leave!”
When GAIL was first introduced five years ago, very few applications were received. However this year the program has taken a turn. With seventy-two applications, shortlisting twelve will be a tough task for both Mr. Luukkonen and the interns who are working towards selecting the finest students to represent the Woodstock community in 2019.
This conference allows students to get to know things about the culture and traditions of various countries.
Kristin School, New Zealand, portrayed its cultural ethnicity by performing and teaching the Haka dance. This is a war cry which consists of aggressive dance moves and loud singing. The locals usually perform this before a rugby game.
On the other hand, Scotch College, Australia, brought local games and some cereal which they used to create an outline of the nation. Woodstock spread the Indian culture by hosting a Diyapainting session and making chaat for their peers on the cultural night. To bring the night to an end, Woodstock students taught everyone else some dance steps to an Indian song. Anchal Agrawal, Class of 2021 said, “During the one week we also taught people a few Hindi words and we told them a lot about the various events Woodstock hosts.”
Along with all the fun came the time for goodbyes. After building such strong relationships, wishing farewell was merely the hardest thing for each and every person.
Mr. Luukkonen said, “The most effective aspect I love about GAIL is the community you build throughout a one-week journey. I know a Woodstock student, GAIL alumni from 3 years ago, who is still very close with a group of GAIL students from all over the world. It brings this world together and makes it more united.”Above all, GAIL is an intense programme which requires a lot of planning. The seven schools often face conflicts while deciding the dates of the conference as the calendars never match. However, the event never portrays any such disadvantages and provides the students with a global understanding of various ideas and cultures.
Jia Loomba, Class of 2020 said, “I believe that everybody has a story to tell and there is always something to learn from it. Even I had a story to tell, so did all the others.”
Photos by Anchal Agrawal and Kuhu Singh.
Edited by Janvi Poddar.
New GAIL Champions On Board
Some of the GAIL Schools have a policy of rotating the role of Champion between well-deserving staff members. Other schools like to have the continuity of having a champion in position for a longer time. In the last year or so, GAIL has welcomed several new folk as Champions.
David A has picked up the reins at Scotch College:
Some of the GAIL Schools have a policy of rotating the role of Champion between well-deserving staff members. Other schools like to have the continuity of having a champion in position for a longer time. In the last year or so, GAIL has welcomed several new folk as Champions.
David A has picked up the reins at Scotch College:
Deb and Vanessa have recently taken over as co-Champions at WISS with the extra responsibility of planning for the 2019 GAIL Conference:
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At Prestige College, in South Africa, we have two new Champions who have just started and will be coming up to speed over the next few months. It will be great to have Manus and Zelia at the next conference:
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Although Steve will be the Champion at Woodstock School for some time still, he will be slowly handing over the work to Tara:
Collaborative Video - What makes GAIL so great?
This fun video is a compilation of 7 different videos, one from each school. Each of the GAIL schools shows a few aspects of the school that makes them so unique and great. Enjoy!
This fun video is a compilation of 7 different videos, one from each school. Each of the GAIL schools shows a few aspects of the school that makes them so unique and great. Enjoy!
Fantastically Awesomely Great Conference Hosted by KUA
Kimball Union Academy did themselves proud by hosting an amazing conference at their beautiful campus in Meriden, New Hampshire. The theme was "Leadership and Ethical Decision Making". Seven schools from different continents sent their delegates to learn, interact and grow with students from many diverse backgrounds. To view the video that was produced by KUA's very capable media team, click here.
To view all the photos taken please look at the albums that KUA is hosting right here.
The GAIL Champions and chaperones got together in their conference T-shirts for a group shot:
Kimball Union Academy did themselves proud by hosting an amazing conference at their beautiful campus in Meriden, New Hampshire. The theme was "Leadership and Ethical Decision Making". Seven schools from different continents sent their delegates to learn, interact and grow with students from many diverse backgrounds. To view the video that was produced by KUA's very capable media team, click here.
To view all the photos taken please look at the albums that KUA is hosting right here.
The GAIL Champions and chaperones got together in their conference T-shirts for a group shot:
A Day in the Life of WISS
Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) has produced a great video of a typical day at the school. In 2019, WISS will be hosting the next GAIL Conference - it looks like an amazing venue with lots to do! Check out the video:
Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) has produced a great video of a typical day at the school. In 2019, WISS will be hosting the next GAIL Conference - it looks like an amazing venue with lots to do! Check out the video:
Kimball Union Academy tours New Zealand with a Musical
Livvy Sewell was one of the Year 8 students from Kristin School, in Auckland who thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
She describes the musical:
'The Putnam County Spelling Bee' was about a group of vastly different students from different states who shared a love for one thing: spelling. They each hoped to win the 25th Annual Bee and win $500 that would go towards their education.
This was an extremely enjoyable performance because the performers interacted with the audience in a highly amusing way. Four of our Year 8 students also got to be part of the performance on stage and pretend to be spelling enthusiasts, with their fellow classmates cheering them on!
The songs were catchy and fun to sing along to; the entire year group was singing by the end of the show.
There were LED bouncy balls, sweet treats galore, neon lights and much more, that made the performance extra spectacular.
The characters were very relatable, funny and enormously talented. Some were only 14 years old and it made our smiles all the more
brighter.
Overall, 'The Putnam County Spelling Bee' was a fantastic show that made Year 8 groove, sing and watch in admiration at the talent we saw before our eyes. It was great to be able to ask questions to the cast at the end, and the round of applause said it all.
See the student-made video of KUA's visit to Kristin School...
Livvy Sewell was one of the Year 8 students from Kristin School, in Auckland who thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
She describes the musical:
'The Putnam County Spelling Bee' was about a group of vastly different students from different states who shared a love for one thing: spelling. They each hoped to win the 25th Annual Bee and win $500 that would go towards their education.
This was an extremely enjoyable performance because the performers interacted with the audience in a highly amusing way. Four of our Year 8 students also got to be part of the performance on stage and pretend to be spelling enthusiasts, with their fellow classmates cheering them on!
The songs were catchy and fun to sing along to; the entire year group was singing by the end of the show.
There were LED bouncy balls, sweet treats galore, neon lights and much more, that made the performance extra spectacular.
The characters were very relatable, funny and enormously talented. Some were only 14 years old and it made our smiles all the more
brighter.
Overall, 'The Putnam County Spelling Bee' was a fantastic show that made Year 8 groove, sing and watch in admiration at the talent we saw before our eyes. It was great to be able to ask questions to the cast at the end, and the round of applause said it all.
See the student-made video of KUA's visit to Kristin School...
GAIL Student Exchanges between Kristin and Woodstock Schools
Sarah Wakeford, GAIL Champion at Kristin School introduces some of the recent exchange students and invites them to share their amazing experiences:
Personal reflections of Amer and Jinju’s GAIL exchange to New Zealand - February 2018
At the start of this year we had two lovely students Woodstock School in India, one of our GAIL partnership schools. They stayed for five weeks and experienced life at Kristin, school camp and living in Devonport with wonderful homestay families. Here are their final thoughts…
Written by Amer Beri, GAIL exchange student
Hello, my name is Amer Beri. I go to Woodstock School which is located in the Himalayas in Northern India. When I heard about the opportunity to go for a GAIL exchange overseas, I did not think twice because I knew it was going to be a wonderful experience. When I heard that I was going to New Zealand, I was extremely excited because I love going to new places, exploring new things and meeting new people. I have enjoyed every single thing that I have done in New Zealand especially going to a local island with my host family’s own boat. The family I stayed with were very nice and provided me with everything I need and I experienced everything I’ve wanted to do.
For camp week, I went to one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand, Great Barrier Island. Experiencing a place like that is a dream. I just loved every second of being on camp and the feeling of swimming in the clear water of the sea was fantastic. Something that was challenging on camp was the weather. A few tents collapsed because of the heavy wind, thankfully not ours. I really enjoyed spending time with so many new people and being on Great Barrier Island was a pleasure.
If any GAIL exchange is available for any student, they should definitely grab the opportunity with both hands and come experience this wonderful country and live with some extraordinary people. I have had some good times here that I will never forget and met people that I hope I always stay in touch with. I loved being at Kristin and I hope they liked having me as well.
Written by Jinju Park, GAIL exchange student
Hello, my name is Jinju from Korea. I go to a boarding school in India called ‘Woodstock School’. The reason why I came to New Zealand is mostly because of the huge culture difference compared to India. I felt like New Zealand is somewhere that can be very different from India, not only because of day school system, but also because of atmosphere surrounding.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed is getting to know many new friends. It was very interesting to see people coming from different backgrounds and how they interact with people. On the other hand, something I’ve found very different from my culture would be making my lunches as well as making all the meals during the camp week. It was challenging to work as a team but something that is very valuable and memorable. Additionally, I had a cyclone during the camp which literally destroyed my tent. This was something I will remember even when I grow up, in a positive way of course!
This entire experience was absolutely amazing, valuable, productive and stunning. If you ever get chance to go on exchange, it is something you DON’T want to miss out, because it is just amazing. I want to give a really big thank you to all the teachers who made this possible and supported us! Also my homestay family who took care of me. Thank you so much and I’m really going to miss everyone.
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Video Sharing between GAIL Schools, RGC and WISS
Robert Gordon's College pupils, in Aberdeen, have been collaborating with students from the Western International School of Shanghai. They have made a series of videos to share with the other school about topics such as Climate Change, culture and school life. |
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Winter GAIL Exchange to Kimball Union Academy
Santenay Jordan from Kristin School in Auckland, New Zealand had the amazing opportunity to go on a student exchange to Kimball Union Academy in the USA. She writes about her experiences:
These summer holidays, I have been on a GAIL exchange to Kimball Union Academy (KUA) in Meriden, New Hampshire, USA, about 2 hours drive north of Boston. KUA is one of the oldest schools in the US, founded in 1813, and is set in a rural campus where 75% of the students board.
I am lucky enough to be living with the Beaupre family at their home close to school and experience what it is like to live in the small town of Meriden. Waking up in the morning and looking outside at the winter wonderland that is my host family’s backyard, I soon fell in love with this place. My time as a KUA day student began with me trying not to slip on the icy driveway, eating the multiple choices of food in the Dining Hall for breakfast and then heading off to class.
Finding my classes at the start was challenging, but every time I asked someone for help they were so kind and understanding. That’s one main aspect that I have enjoyed and appreciated so much here. Because it is a small school with only 350 students everyone knows each other and the environment is so caring. Teachers and students would come up to me in the Dining Hall and introduce themselves, making me feel very welcome in this wonderful school.
Classes are very different with small groups, and oval tables that everyone sits around. They also have a variety of choices, so I took advantage of that and chose to do a ceramics class, introduction to architecture, American history, an English class taught by my exchange Dad, and a dance class. Just from being here a few weeks, I have learnt a vast amount, from how to make a vase to designing an information kiosk, and learning about the leadership of Thomas Jefferson.
In the winter, classes finish earlier than usual due to the shorter days, and every student heads to their activity. I chose to do recreational skiing, and shortly found out that I would be skiing with an Australian from Brisbane who I then bonded with over the differences of America; for her not having marmite or vegemite in the Dining Hall. During the week we went to three different ski fields, and when we arrived at the field we had freedom of what we wanted to do, making the evenings my favourite part of the day.
One part of KUA that I have really found amazing, as did Lily Wigglesworth (last year’s exchange student from Kristin), is how international the school is. I met so many people who were from all around the world; Mexico, Pakistan, Germany, and then people from all over the United States, I felt very included in the variety of accents.
After skiing, I would walk up the hill in temperature typically in the minus 10 - 20 degrees. It was dark by then we and would be able to check the games of the week to find that a varsity hockey game is on, so we would support the KUA Wildcats. I had never watched ice hockey before, and the atmosphere was amazing, many people would come and support and it was always a great time.
The whole experience has been amazing, and I recommend this GAIL exchange to anyone considering it. It is a great opportunity where I have learnt a huge amount, been welcomed into a very cool family, and become part of the KUA community.
Santenay Jordan from Kristin School in Auckland, New Zealand had the amazing opportunity to go on a student exchange to Kimball Union Academy in the USA. She writes about her experiences:
These summer holidays, I have been on a GAIL exchange to Kimball Union Academy (KUA) in Meriden, New Hampshire, USA, about 2 hours drive north of Boston. KUA is one of the oldest schools in the US, founded in 1813, and is set in a rural campus where 75% of the students board.
I am lucky enough to be living with the Beaupre family at their home close to school and experience what it is like to live in the small town of Meriden. Waking up in the morning and looking outside at the winter wonderland that is my host family’s backyard, I soon fell in love with this place. My time as a KUA day student began with me trying not to slip on the icy driveway, eating the multiple choices of food in the Dining Hall for breakfast and then heading off to class.
Finding my classes at the start was challenging, but every time I asked someone for help they were so kind and understanding. That’s one main aspect that I have enjoyed and appreciated so much here. Because it is a small school with only 350 students everyone knows each other and the environment is so caring. Teachers and students would come up to me in the Dining Hall and introduce themselves, making me feel very welcome in this wonderful school.
Classes are very different with small groups, and oval tables that everyone sits around. They also have a variety of choices, so I took advantage of that and chose to do a ceramics class, introduction to architecture, American history, an English class taught by my exchange Dad, and a dance class. Just from being here a few weeks, I have learnt a vast amount, from how to make a vase to designing an information kiosk, and learning about the leadership of Thomas Jefferson.
In the winter, classes finish earlier than usual due to the shorter days, and every student heads to their activity. I chose to do recreational skiing, and shortly found out that I would be skiing with an Australian from Brisbane who I then bonded with over the differences of America; for her not having marmite or vegemite in the Dining Hall. During the week we went to three different ski fields, and when we arrived at the field we had freedom of what we wanted to do, making the evenings my favourite part of the day.
One part of KUA that I have really found amazing, as did Lily Wigglesworth (last year’s exchange student from Kristin), is how international the school is. I met so many people who were from all around the world; Mexico, Pakistan, Germany, and then people from all over the United States, I felt very included in the variety of accents.
After skiing, I would walk up the hill in temperature typically in the minus 10 - 20 degrees. It was dark by then we and would be able to check the games of the week to find that a varsity hockey game is on, so we would support the KUA Wildcats. I had never watched ice hockey before, and the atmosphere was amazing, many people would come and support and it was always a great time.
The whole experience has been amazing, and I recommend this GAIL exchange to anyone considering it. It is a great opportunity where I have learnt a huge amount, been welcomed into a very cool family, and become part of the KUA community.
Water Project - Collaboration between Kristin School and Woodstock School
The supply of clean water is becoming a huge issue in many countries around the world. Students from the GAIL school in New Zealand and India explored the situation in these two countries.
Joshua Daken, a Yr 12 Kristin student, writes about the project:
A GAIL project has emerged, that stemmed within Kristin Science club and our discussions about sustainability and water as a resource. We initially spoke about how people’s perspective could impact upon their behaviour and attitude toward water and the issue of sustainability as a whole. Dr. Loughton initiated a collaboration with fellow GAIL school, Woodstock School in India. We started by introducing ourselves via a Skype session. We have also had email conversations with students and staff. Our project has focused on student attitude towards store-bought bottled water and tap water and the use of it in their daily lives. We have collaborated to produce a survey that has been distributed to the students of Woodstock and Kristin. It aims to assess how many students bring store-bought bottled water to school and their perception of the cleanliness of tap water. There are already some interesting results and we will share our ideas over the coming weeks.
Our club have also been involved in mapping out the school water fountains, monitoring their use and the amount of water wastage with each use. They are currently collecting data for this project with a view to assessing whether Kristin can take action to reduce their water wastage in this regard and monitoring the quality of water. We aim to work with Woodstock to help improve the water quality in our communities together. We hope this connection will be a sustainable one that we continue to build on into the future.
(The photo above shows the lovely gully and stream that flows through Kristin School's campus)
The supply of clean water is becoming a huge issue in many countries around the world. Students from the GAIL school in New Zealand and India explored the situation in these two countries.
Joshua Daken, a Yr 12 Kristin student, writes about the project:
A GAIL project has emerged, that stemmed within Kristin Science club and our discussions about sustainability and water as a resource. We initially spoke about how people’s perspective could impact upon their behaviour and attitude toward water and the issue of sustainability as a whole. Dr. Loughton initiated a collaboration with fellow GAIL school, Woodstock School in India. We started by introducing ourselves via a Skype session. We have also had email conversations with students and staff. Our project has focused on student attitude towards store-bought bottled water and tap water and the use of it in their daily lives. We have collaborated to produce a survey that has been distributed to the students of Woodstock and Kristin. It aims to assess how many students bring store-bought bottled water to school and their perception of the cleanliness of tap water. There are already some interesting results and we will share our ideas over the coming weeks.
Our club have also been involved in mapping out the school water fountains, monitoring their use and the amount of water wastage with each use. They are currently collecting data for this project with a view to assessing whether Kristin can take action to reduce their water wastage in this regard and monitoring the quality of water. We aim to work with Woodstock to help improve the water quality in our communities together. We hope this connection will be a sustainable one that we continue to build on into the future.
(The photo above shows the lovely gully and stream that flows through Kristin School's campus)
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Kristin School, New Zealand is Collaborating with other GAIL Schools
Sarah Wakeford, the GAIL Champion for Kristin School is very enthusiastic about the amazing opportunity that GAIL offers. Seven other schools with the same educational philosophy are a great resource for her and her students. She has a couple new collaborative projects in the pipeline, to be completed before the end of 2017. She writes:
"This term we are working on connecting two classes (Scotch College in Adelaide's Yr 4's and Kristin School's Yr 10's) who have expertise in topics we are studying - but they are different topics! Using Google presentation Kristin Yr 10 students have made a Powerpoint slide presentation summarising the special celebrations we have in NZ. The Scotch students can then ask us some questions (using video) and find out more about NZ celebrations using ideas from the slide presentation. In return, Kristin Yr 10 students are studying tourism and in particular what natural and culture features make tourism attractions. Using video my students have asked Yr 4 students in Scotch what the best places to visit are in Australia... we can't wait to find out their answers!
Plus - later in Term 4 (in December) - I am going to be working with Lyn a teacher at Kimball Union Academy in the USA - we are getting our students to explore our unique cultures and to have an exchange of ideas about what makes our cultures cool and not so cool - i.e. things we like and dislike about our cultures."
Coping with Stress
The Champions from each of the GAIL schools have started thinking about how they can learn from each other regarding stress management. Sure, teaching is hard work with many demands pulling you in every direction, but students around the world are starting to have more and more stress-related issues too. Soon the Champs will be Skyping to brainstorm some ideas of what can be done to help students cope better with the pressure of performing in exams, relationships, media overload, etc.
Watch this space...
The Champions from each of the GAIL schools have started thinking about how they can learn from each other regarding stress management. Sure, teaching is hard work with many demands pulling you in every direction, but students around the world are starting to have more and more stress-related issues too. Soon the Champs will be Skyping to brainstorm some ideas of what can be done to help students cope better with the pressure of performing in exams, relationships, media overload, etc.
Watch this space...
Woodstock School releases a new video
The video is all about the school's vision and educational philosophy. It gives a good idea of the amazing location, in the foothills of Himalaya in North India. Have a look!
The video is all about the school's vision and educational philosophy. It gives a good idea of the amazing location, in the foothills of Himalaya in North India. Have a look!
Kristin School releases official video of GAIL Conference
The video gives a great overview of what a student delegate can expect to experience at a GAIL Conference. The next conference in 2018 is being hosted by Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, USA!
The video gives a great overview of what a student delegate can expect to experience at a GAIL Conference. The next conference in 2018 is being hosted by Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, USA!
Woodstock School has its second successful
GAIL Student Exchange Fair
Taken from the weekly newsletter put out by Dr Jonathan Long, Principal:
Enlightening, Exciting, Exchange!!
Woodstock is an international school, not just because of the hugely diverse make-up of our community, but also because of our links with other progressive schools globally. Our exchange programme enables students to spend part of their education at schools around the world. Today's exchange fair was an opportunity for students who are interested in taking part in the exchange programme or attending the GAIL Conference to be inspired by the incredible experiences of others who have already returned or are currently here on exchange representing their schools
GAIL Student Exchange Fair
Taken from the weekly newsletter put out by Dr Jonathan Long, Principal:
Enlightening, Exciting, Exchange!!
Woodstock is an international school, not just because of the hugely diverse make-up of our community, but also because of our links with other progressive schools globally. Our exchange programme enables students to spend part of their education at schools around the world. Today's exchange fair was an opportunity for students who are interested in taking part in the exchange programme or attending the GAIL Conference to be inspired by the incredible experiences of others who have already returned or are currently here on exchange representing their schools
Scotch College hosts Kristin School sports teams
Andre Van Den Bergh reports:
On 5 June this year we took a group of 16 students (10 girls and 16 boys) to play sport against Scotch College, Adelaide. We played football (soccer), netball, basketball and hockey.
The visit also involved a cultural programme organised by Scotch College and on the Saturday, our students were entertained by their host families.
We returned home on 11 June after a very well organised and success trip.
Next year Scotch College will visit us at a date still to be determined.
Andre Van Den Bergh reports:
On 5 June this year we took a group of 16 students (10 girls and 16 boys) to play sport against Scotch College, Adelaide. We played football (soccer), netball, basketball and hockey.
The visit also involved a cultural programme organised by Scotch College and on the Saturday, our students were entertained by their host families.
We returned home on 11 June after a very well organised and success trip.
Next year Scotch College will visit us at a date still to be determined.
Robert Gordon's College sends a teacher to Kristin School
This term, Kristin has the pleasure of hosting Nicola Stephen, a middle school teacher from Robert Gordon's College (a GAIL school in Aberdeen, Scotland) who is exploring the transition students make as they move from the junior to the senior school. Her research fellowship will involve interviewing and surveying students in Year 7 and Year 10, to learn more about their experiences. She will be comparing our processes and support programmes with other GAIL schools and her findings will be available for all to see.
This term, Kristin has the pleasure of hosting Nicola Stephen, a middle school teacher from Robert Gordon's College (a GAIL school in Aberdeen, Scotland) who is exploring the transition students make as they move from the junior to the senior school. Her research fellowship will involve interviewing and surveying students in Year 7 and Year 10, to learn more about their experiences. She will be comparing our processes and support programmes with other GAIL schools and her findings will be available for all to see.
GAIL Conference report from Kristin School
Emily Stewart (Year 12) writes:
The recent GAIL trip to South Africa was an incredible experience, and made a huge impact on all ten students from Kristin (and two teachers) that participated. After twenty hours of flying we arrived in Johannesburg, then the next day it was off to the GAIL 5-day conference at Prestige College. GAIL, or the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning, is an opportunity to collaborate with people from schools all around the world.
This year the focus was Ubuntu, which essentially means connectedness. Some of the conference highlights included going to Maropeng – the Cradle of Humankind, the group projects, learning about other cultures, and getting to know everyone! After a week at Prestige College, we sadly had to say goodbye to everyone and headed off to Kruger National Park for a 3-day safari. We were lucky enough to see more than just impalas - we were chased by elephants and saw a variety of other animals including giraffes, rhinos, and zebras! For the final leg of the trip, we flew down to Cape Town, visiting Table Mountain, Robben Island, and projects helping township communities.
This trip was honestly life-changing, and expanded my world view and appreciation of other cultures. It was an amazing opportunity, and I highly recommend signing up for next year’s conference at Kimball Union Academy if you’re currently in Year 10 or 11.
Emily Stewart (Year 12) writes:
The recent GAIL trip to South Africa was an incredible experience, and made a huge impact on all ten students from Kristin (and two teachers) that participated. After twenty hours of flying we arrived in Johannesburg, then the next day it was off to the GAIL 5-day conference at Prestige College. GAIL, or the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning, is an opportunity to collaborate with people from schools all around the world.
This year the focus was Ubuntu, which essentially means connectedness. Some of the conference highlights included going to Maropeng – the Cradle of Humankind, the group projects, learning about other cultures, and getting to know everyone! After a week at Prestige College, we sadly had to say goodbye to everyone and headed off to Kruger National Park for a 3-day safari. We were lucky enough to see more than just impalas - we were chased by elephants and saw a variety of other animals including giraffes, rhinos, and zebras! For the final leg of the trip, we flew down to Cape Town, visiting Table Mountain, Robben Island, and projects helping township communities.
This trip was honestly life-changing, and expanded my world view and appreciation of other cultures. It was an amazing opportunity, and I highly recommend signing up for next year’s conference at Kimball Union Academy if you’re currently in Year 10 or 11.
4th GAIL Conference is a Huge Success
How do you measure the success of a conference? Well, based on the GAIL value of changing young lives for the better, it is clear that the conference was a huge success. The students and staff from Kristin School reflected on their week at Prestige School and here are some quotes:
"The experiences we were exposed to at Prestige College challenged my thinking and what I have learnt through the process of learning and bonding is that this international community has changed me forever."
"Honestly the whole experience of travelling to South Africa was something that has changed my perspective on life."
"GAIL has been the best experience of my life so far."
"One of the main highlights of the trip for me was being immersed in such a different culture to what I’m used to, and learning about it. I absolutely fell in love with South Africa’s people, culture, and landscape which I encountered at the conference, and during the rest of the trip."
"I have learned how such diverse cultures can come together and bond so strongly in a short amount of time. GAIL was definitely a once in a life time experience that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life."
The full list of reflections as well as some photos can be seen under the Conference tab. Have a look!
How do you measure the success of a conference? Well, based on the GAIL value of changing young lives for the better, it is clear that the conference was a huge success. The students and staff from Kristin School reflected on their week at Prestige School and here are some quotes:
"The experiences we were exposed to at Prestige College challenged my thinking and what I have learnt through the process of learning and bonding is that this international community has changed me forever."
"Honestly the whole experience of travelling to South Africa was something that has changed my perspective on life."
"GAIL has been the best experience of my life so far."
"One of the main highlights of the trip for me was being immersed in such a different culture to what I’m used to, and learning about it. I absolutely fell in love with South Africa’s people, culture, and landscape which I encountered at the conference, and during the rest of the trip."
"I have learned how such diverse cultures can come together and bond so strongly in a short amount of time. GAIL was definitely a once in a life time experience that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life."
The full list of reflections as well as some photos can be seen under the Conference tab. Have a look!
GAIL Schools Collaborate to make "A Day in the Life" Video
In the last few months, each of the GAIL schools have put together short snippets of some aspects of school life. This has been edited to make a video that goes around the world, starting with Kristin School in New Zealand, the first school to see the new day.
At the recent GAIL conference, students met with Kristin School's Gail Champion, Sarah Wakeford to plan next year's collaborative video.
Have a look at the video below:
In the last few months, each of the GAIL schools have put together short snippets of some aspects of school life. This has been edited to make a video that goes around the world, starting with Kristin School in New Zealand, the first school to see the new day.
At the recent GAIL conference, students met with Kristin School's Gail Champion, Sarah Wakeford to plan next year's collaborative video.
Have a look at the video below:
Another Wonderful Conference is over. Thank you to Prestige College and South Africa!
A week long conference with the theme of UBUNTU was hosted by Prestige College in South Africa. What an amazing place and friendly people. Besides the many presentations, debates and projects related to the theme, the delegates enjoyed a game drive in a local game reserve and an visit to the Cradle of Humanity. The media team from the school did a superb job with recording all the many activities as videos as well as daily recaps of the previous day's activities. See the photos below.
A week long conference with the theme of UBUNTU was hosted by Prestige College in South Africa. What an amazing place and friendly people. Besides the many presentations, debates and projects related to the theme, the delegates enjoyed a game drive in a local game reserve and an visit to the Cradle of Humanity. The media team from the school did a superb job with recording all the many activities as videos as well as daily recaps of the previous day's activities. See the photos below.
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Students of Prestige College Produce a video to welcome delegates to the GAIL conference
Robert Gordon's College learns about the Chinese Valentine story through an art project with the Western International School of Shanghai
This art project is another great way in which GAIL schools are looking to collaborate. The students from both schools benefit so much when they can work with students from a totally different culture. In this case the students at WISS were able to share their local story with the students at RGC, who had no exposure to this story. The students were introduced to some new skills including some needlework. To read more about this traditional story from China and understand the artwork shown below, have a look here.
The final product - a Magpie Bridge
This art project is another great way in which GAIL schools are looking to collaborate. The students from both schools benefit so much when they can work with students from a totally different culture. In this case the students at WISS were able to share their local story with the students at RGC, who had no exposure to this story. The students were introduced to some new skills including some needlework. To read more about this traditional story from China and understand the artwork shown below, have a look here.
The final product - a Magpie Bridge
WISS produces an amazing multi-disciplined play called Auld Croovie
Unplugged and Upbeat! - An initiative from Woodstock
“What! Give up my devices for a whole week???” Middle Year students walked into Unplugged week feeling apprehensive about letting go of their electronic gadgets, not sure how they would fill their time without being connected to the outside world! However, it didn’t take long for them to discover that their freedom from the confines of a screen held endless possibilities!
Over the course of the next 7 days, Grades 5-8 engaged in numerous independent and group activities. Games of Four-Square spouted up, basketball competitions were spontaneously organized, girls learned how to make their own scrap books (from scratch), class meals were had and there was even a day of hiking in and around Mussoorie, and much much more ensued.
Student Quotes
“I was excited to bring back the fun things we used to do in grade 6 (before we had gadgets)”
“I started to make and do things which I would never have done otherwise”
“We spend much more time talking to each other now”
The week was filled with a number of very positive experiences. Students who don’t usually spend time together began to talk; students (thinking they were in the grip of boredom!) remembered the small things they once loved to do and began to create once again. Relationships got much stronger as well. This wasn’t just a ‘valuable experience’ for students, but something where adults also became much more aware of the role of technology in their lives!
Naturally, when the week ended the students were excited to get their hands on their gadgets once again. However, since then we have noticed that the projects, conversations, and love of sport have continued despite their reunion with the world of technology.
Overall, the Unplugged week was a great success and planted many-a-seed in the minds of our young people about how they can chose to fill their idle time. They have realized, through experience, that boredom does not have to always be medicated with a screen, but can instead be explored and embraced with the people around you. More importantly, they are learning that they have the power to make educated decisions about their use of time and that technology can positively co-exist with other things like relationships, creativity, and enjoying the outdoors.
“What! Give up my devices for a whole week???” Middle Year students walked into Unplugged week feeling apprehensive about letting go of their electronic gadgets, not sure how they would fill their time without being connected to the outside world! However, it didn’t take long for them to discover that their freedom from the confines of a screen held endless possibilities!
Over the course of the next 7 days, Grades 5-8 engaged in numerous independent and group activities. Games of Four-Square spouted up, basketball competitions were spontaneously organized, girls learned how to make their own scrap books (from scratch), class meals were had and there was even a day of hiking in and around Mussoorie, and much much more ensued.
Student Quotes
“I was excited to bring back the fun things we used to do in grade 6 (before we had gadgets)”
“I started to make and do things which I would never have done otherwise”
“We spend much more time talking to each other now”
The week was filled with a number of very positive experiences. Students who don’t usually spend time together began to talk; students (thinking they were in the grip of boredom!) remembered the small things they once loved to do and began to create once again. Relationships got much stronger as well. This wasn’t just a ‘valuable experience’ for students, but something where adults also became much more aware of the role of technology in their lives!
Naturally, when the week ended the students were excited to get their hands on their gadgets once again. However, since then we have noticed that the projects, conversations, and love of sport have continued despite their reunion with the world of technology.
Overall, the Unplugged week was a great success and planted many-a-seed in the minds of our young people about how they can chose to fill their idle time. They have realized, through experience, that boredom does not have to always be medicated with a screen, but can instead be explored and embraced with the people around you. More importantly, they are learning that they have the power to make educated decisions about their use of time and that technology can positively co-exist with other things like relationships, creativity, and enjoying the outdoors.
Scotch heads to Philippines for Service Project
Service Learning at Scotch is taking a leap and heading overseas. Conversations about facilitating a Global Service Trip were initiated by students last year, and have now eventuated into an exciting plan to travel to the Philippines in January 2018.
This trip will provide students with the opportunity to delve deeper into issues of inequality, social justice and cultural diversity. A small number of students will be selected to participate in this program which will involve multiple workshops, fundraising and the experience of a lifetime overseas including: teaching English and games to young Filipino children, cultural exchange with elementary school students, hands on projects such as typhoon relief, planting fruit bearing trees and the opportunity to engage in genuine community development.
Service Learning at Scotch is taking a leap and heading overseas. Conversations about facilitating a Global Service Trip were initiated by students last year, and have now eventuated into an exciting plan to travel to the Philippines in January 2018.
This trip will provide students with the opportunity to delve deeper into issues of inequality, social justice and cultural diversity. A small number of students will be selected to participate in this program which will involve multiple workshops, fundraising and the experience of a lifetime overseas including: teaching English and games to young Filipino children, cultural exchange with elementary school students, hands on projects such as typhoon relief, planting fruit bearing trees and the opportunity to engage in genuine community development.
GAIL Student Exchanges - Kristin hosts 4 Scotch students
Recently Scotch College sent 4 students to Kristin on GAIL student exchanges. Two of them summarise their experience below.
Summary by Annabel Montes
I had a very enjoyable experience at the GAIL trip. One of the highlights was camp at Cooks Beach where we went mountain biking, kayaking, surf lifesaving and hiking. We also got to take part in their sports day which was a very enjoyable day.
School at Scotch is different to Kristin as they do a lot more of their work online using a program called Education Perfect. They also have longer periods so instead of 8 periods in a day they have 6x 1 hour periods. In their French classes the teachers speak French the whole lesson and we are not allowed to speak English. I initially found this challenging but I did find it improved my conversational French.
Activities I did with my host family included going up the Sky Tower in the Auckland CBD and visiting the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves.
For the next part of GAIL, in two weeks the students that hosted us will be coming back to Adelaide for three weeks. They will get to stay with us and experience coming to Scotch. On the weekend we will show them around Adelaide and we are looking at going to Glenelg, the Adelaide Hills and they will join us on our Year 8 camp.
I recommend this opportunity to all year 7s as I have enjoyed experiencing something new and stepping out of my comfort zone. I would encourage everyone to give it a go.
GAIL reflection by Patrick Wilson
Highlights and activities.
The GAIL exchange held many highlights for me.
Living with my host family was very different from my home life in Adelaide.
I became the fourth boy in the house as my exchange buddy Sean had two brothers; Max, 10 and Jack 14. The house also came with Sylvie the cat.
The exchange held a few firsts for me. I travelled to school by bus. I did my first paper-round and jet-skied in Murray’s Bay, not at the same time! I went zip-lining in a New Zealand forest at Waiheke Island, tree adventuring at Woodhill where I tight-roped between the trees, it was a bit scary as it was a long drop to the ground!
Our exchange included the Y9 Outdoor Ed Camp to The Coromandel. The journey took 2 and a half hours from Kristin School by bus. For Camp, we were split into tutor groups, each group was allocated a different place to stay; Hot Water Beach, Cook’s Beach or Hahei.
I went to Hahei Resort which was 100 metres from the beach front. On arrival, we pitched our tents and unpacked. Everyone was expected to help each other and help the staff. One difference from Scotch was that parent volunteers came along. Saxon’s buddies father was the Camp doctor.
Whilst on camp we went on a 5 and a half, hour tramp (Kiwi for hiking), sea kayaking, mountain biking, rafting and surfing. I had an awesome time and met lots of friendly New Zealanders.
Kristin vs Scotch
The campus is much bigger than Scotch as there is over 1500 students. Instead of Mentor they had Tutor Groups and they discussed upcoming events and other important information.
Kristin has a House system but they have only four Houses. They had a space theme and were named after either planets or space programs – Apollo, Saturn, Mariner and Jupiter. I was placed in Jupiter as that was Sean’s House Group.
There was a tuck-shop which unlike Scotch’s canteen was small and sold only a small amount of food.
The subject choices were different from Scotch; I went to my first Spanish lessons and English, Geography and History were combined together as Humanities.
Recommendation.
I would recommend this experience for students who are willing to do something different and experience what it is like to go to a new school and live with a family you have never met before. It is a great opportunity and if you ‘go with the flow’ you will have an unforgettable experience. I certainly did!
Buddies at Scotch.
Sean and the other exchange students are arriving at the end of this month. They will stay with our families for three weeks and will take part in our Y8 Outdoor Ed Camps. I’ve planned to take Sean to a footy match as they don’t have AFL in New Zealand; they are mad for rugby. All four host families are hoping to meet up at Cleland National Park to show them some Aussie animals, hopefully no-one gets pecked by an Emu!
I hope they will have as much fun as we did in New Zealand.
Recently Scotch College sent 4 students to Kristin on GAIL student exchanges. Two of them summarise their experience below.
Summary by Annabel Montes
I had a very enjoyable experience at the GAIL trip. One of the highlights was camp at Cooks Beach where we went mountain biking, kayaking, surf lifesaving and hiking. We also got to take part in their sports day which was a very enjoyable day.
School at Scotch is different to Kristin as they do a lot more of their work online using a program called Education Perfect. They also have longer periods so instead of 8 periods in a day they have 6x 1 hour periods. In their French classes the teachers speak French the whole lesson and we are not allowed to speak English. I initially found this challenging but I did find it improved my conversational French.
Activities I did with my host family included going up the Sky Tower in the Auckland CBD and visiting the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves.
For the next part of GAIL, in two weeks the students that hosted us will be coming back to Adelaide for three weeks. They will get to stay with us and experience coming to Scotch. On the weekend we will show them around Adelaide and we are looking at going to Glenelg, the Adelaide Hills and they will join us on our Year 8 camp.
I recommend this opportunity to all year 7s as I have enjoyed experiencing something new and stepping out of my comfort zone. I would encourage everyone to give it a go.
GAIL reflection by Patrick Wilson
Highlights and activities.
The GAIL exchange held many highlights for me.
Living with my host family was very different from my home life in Adelaide.
I became the fourth boy in the house as my exchange buddy Sean had two brothers; Max, 10 and Jack 14. The house also came with Sylvie the cat.
The exchange held a few firsts for me. I travelled to school by bus. I did my first paper-round and jet-skied in Murray’s Bay, not at the same time! I went zip-lining in a New Zealand forest at Waiheke Island, tree adventuring at Woodhill where I tight-roped between the trees, it was a bit scary as it was a long drop to the ground!
Our exchange included the Y9 Outdoor Ed Camp to The Coromandel. The journey took 2 and a half hours from Kristin School by bus. For Camp, we were split into tutor groups, each group was allocated a different place to stay; Hot Water Beach, Cook’s Beach or Hahei.
I went to Hahei Resort which was 100 metres from the beach front. On arrival, we pitched our tents and unpacked. Everyone was expected to help each other and help the staff. One difference from Scotch was that parent volunteers came along. Saxon’s buddies father was the Camp doctor.
Whilst on camp we went on a 5 and a half, hour tramp (Kiwi for hiking), sea kayaking, mountain biking, rafting and surfing. I had an awesome time and met lots of friendly New Zealanders.
Kristin vs Scotch
The campus is much bigger than Scotch as there is over 1500 students. Instead of Mentor they had Tutor Groups and they discussed upcoming events and other important information.
Kristin has a House system but they have only four Houses. They had a space theme and were named after either planets or space programs – Apollo, Saturn, Mariner and Jupiter. I was placed in Jupiter as that was Sean’s House Group.
There was a tuck-shop which unlike Scotch’s canteen was small and sold only a small amount of food.
The subject choices were different from Scotch; I went to my first Spanish lessons and English, Geography and History were combined together as Humanities.
Recommendation.
I would recommend this experience for students who are willing to do something different and experience what it is like to go to a new school and live with a family you have never met before. It is a great opportunity and if you ‘go with the flow’ you will have an unforgettable experience. I certainly did!
Buddies at Scotch.
Sean and the other exchange students are arriving at the end of this month. They will stay with our families for three weeks and will take part in our Y8 Outdoor Ed Camps. I’ve planned to take Sean to a footy match as they don’t have AFL in New Zealand; they are mad for rugby. All four host families are hoping to meet up at Cleland National Park to show them some Aussie animals, hopefully no-one gets pecked by an Emu!
I hope they will have as much fun as we did in New Zealand.
NEWS from KUA - Lilly Wigglesworth and Dhamey Norgay
Lilly Wigglesworth, an exchange student from Kristin, has been at Kimball Union for a term. By clicking on the following link you can see her short address to the school about her time with us.
Following this is a photo presentation and talk by KUA graduate, Dhamey Norgay, son of Tensing Norgay Sherpa who, with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, were the first climbers to summit Mt Everest. Dhamey attended both Woodstock School and KUA. Dhamey currently has a son at KUA and a younger son at Woodstock.
The last few moments of Dhamey's remarks show a quote from Tensing that is a great motto for GAIL student leaders:
Be great. Make others great.
https://livestream.com/accounts/11006305/events/4772025/videos/146634953
Lily's talk starts at 7:10
Dhamey Norgay's talk starts at 9:30
Lilly Wigglesworth, an exchange student from Kristin, has been at Kimball Union for a term. By clicking on the following link you can see her short address to the school about her time with us.
Following this is a photo presentation and talk by KUA graduate, Dhamey Norgay, son of Tensing Norgay Sherpa who, with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, were the first climbers to summit Mt Everest. Dhamey attended both Woodstock School and KUA. Dhamey currently has a son at KUA and a younger son at Woodstock.
The last few moments of Dhamey's remarks show a quote from Tensing that is a great motto for GAIL student leaders:
Be great. Make others great.
https://livestream.com/accounts/11006305/events/4772025/videos/146634953
Lily's talk starts at 7:10
Dhamey Norgay's talk starts at 9:30
GAIL schools exchange national games for PE class.
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Ki-o-Rahi - a game from New Zealand is now being played in India. This yet another way in which GAIL schools are collaborating!
Many GAIL students will remember playing Kabadi at the conference in India. |
WISS Video on YouTube
WISS make a great video about GAIL and the recent Conference in Aberdeen. Check it out:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbbIO-2ySco
WISS make a great video about GAIL and the recent Conference in Aberdeen. Check it out:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbbIO-2ySco
G A I L D A Y
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We had our First Annual EGRS [Exchanges / GAIL / Round Square] Fair today at lunch time and it was fantastic!!! There were so many 8/9th grade (12-14 year olds) students walking around asking questions to former EGRS participants it was REALLY fun to see!!! Students designed their own booths, set-up their own presentations, and had some answers ready to go for questions they thought would probably be asked!!:) A special shout out to Ronell or “Mam Jacobs” as my student Kelzang calls her, who made a guest appearance today during the fair!! That was awesome and thank you for that and ESPECIALLY thank you for allowing Kelzang to log on!!!:)
Now let me hit you with the EXCITING stuff!! Numbers!!!:)
46 = Number of students who signed up for EXCHANGE or at least want to know more about it!!!
17 = Number of students who signed up to apply for GAIL (in addition to the 14 we already have signed up)!!!!
7 = Number of students who blindly signed up to apply for next year’s Round Square Conference (which the info hasn’t even been released yet)!!
70 students in all took to the sign-up sheets wanting to know more about Exchange, GAIL, or Round Square!!!!:)
Now let me hit you with the EXCITING stuff!! Numbers!!!:)
46 = Number of students who signed up for EXCHANGE or at least want to know more about it!!!
17 = Number of students who signed up to apply for GAIL (in addition to the 14 we already have signed up)!!!!
7 = Number of students who blindly signed up to apply for next year’s Round Square Conference (which the info hasn’t even been released yet)!!
70 students in all took to the sign-up sheets wanting to know more about Exchange, GAIL, or Round Square!!!!:)
