PARTNERSHIP, COMMUNITY AND LIFELONG LEARNING
DulwichCollege Singapore Stephen Honey
I t did not take long for us to hear of the success of the inaugural Junior School Symposium in London back in 2016, and we were honoured to be invited to share the same theme for our first symposium in March 2017, which was Pattern and Chaos, since when we have held our second symposium, on the theme of Time. Whole school collaboration has been important to us in launching both of our symposia in order to help create a buzz of excitement about the day. At both events we have begun the day with an exciting opening assembly, which last year included watching a group of highly trained Kung Fu performers. This year, students marvelled at an exciting drumming performance and were also intellectually stimulated by a thought-provoking teachers’ debate on why time is so important to their subject. Students enjoyed seeing a video welcome message from Dr Toby Griffiths, which helped to highlight the links between our two schools. Following the opening assembly, both of our symposia have moved from the theatre into a whole Junior School collaborative activity outside on the rugby field. In our first symposium, Pattern and Chaos, every Junior School student participated in a large-scale Kung Fu routine and mass spelling of the school initials DCSG with the children wearing their house kits. A drone was used to film the pattern and chaos of this spectacle taking place, and was highly
memorable for all involved. This year, a highlight from the beginning of our Time themed symposium was having the students join together to form a giant collaborative clock on the school field with the use of drama techniques to act out elements from their Dulwich day as the clock hands reached certain hours. This, too, was filmed. Activities are led by teachers from across the Junior School and selected Senior School staff. At our Pattern and Chaos symposium, 30 activities were on offer, ranging from assessing ancient Roman army battle techniques to layering patterns in a test tube and exploring the Physics behind a catapult. This year, with the growth of our Junior School to around 820 students, there were nearly 40 enriching sessions on offer, which were carefully crafted to extend and deepen student learning beyond the curriculum. Highlights included composing and performing timed orchestral pieces, and constructing digital clocks powered by fruit and vegetables. Both of our symposia have ended with an assembly to celebrate the events of the day. Last year this included a staged debate by students from our Senior School, and this year we watched an energetic Junior School gymnastics routine. At both closing assemblies a video of the day’s activities has been a wonderful reminder of a day of varied and inspirational learning.
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