n The ninth Junior School Symposium started the summer term with a fantastic, collaborative event between Dulwich College Junior School, James Allen’s Girls School and Dulwich Wood Primary School. This year’s theme of Tradition and Innovation allowed for lots of debate, discussions about the past and opportunities to glimpse the future. The event was opened by Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a leading British Scientist and co-presenter of the very popular show, The Sky at Night. Dame Maggie answered some of the biggest questions surrounding space in a captivating speech to the pupils and staff, including whether or not there is life somewhere and whether you are made of stardust or not! Through incredible research and sharing of some current projects, we were all taken on an extraordinary journey into our solar system and a little bit beyond. Dame Maggie shared conceptual plans to deliver pictures of Proxima Centauri B, an exoplanet orbiting our nearest star, which happens to be in the habitable zone. Dame Maggie also spoke about her experiences of having dyslexia and leaving everyone in the room with the confidence and desire to do their absolute best with the innovation that they pursue in their life and careers. After such a rousing opening assembly, the children had the chance to explore different sessions through different academic lenses, from exploring DNA to the traditional art of paper quilling to the Tradition Remix session, where children remixed a traditional song with a modern twist through Garage Band. We were also joined by Jessica Barker, who kindly ran a design session on clothing design that would help a person survive and thrive (in a fair amount of style) in some extreme environments. Jessica utilised her industry experience to demonstrate some of the smart materials currently used in the construction industry and the impact that these are making. Jessica presented a brilliant session and helped the children to understand that design ‘builds on the past, imagines the future, but also needs to look sideways at times too!’ We are all so grateful for her contributions to the event. In the afternoon, we were also joined by Teddy Keen, an adventurer who has edited a series of books called the Unknown Adventurer. This shows traditional survival techniques, and Teddy also talked through a recent expedition where he battled piranhas to find the source of a river in the Amazon. Everyone had a great day, and the 9th Symposium definitely allowed for lots of exploration and challenge!
GRANDMA’S UNDERWEAR AND SURVIVING SPACE
PAPER QUILLING
PAINTING AND SHAKING IT UP
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