Empathy has been very much the buzz word of this week. Discussions in the Year 7 and 8’s form time have explored the ways in which we can all try and be more empathetic towards others, by placing ourselves in the ‘shoes’ of others. The children have reflected on how as well as in class, in the playground or on the football pitch, this can also extend to home life, our local communities and our place in the wider global community. Watching the news and keeping up with current affairs can help us be more mindful, and gain greater awareness of the issues facing people across the world. Sharing empathy, and being empathetic, has led naturally onto conversations about equality and equity. The question posed has been: does being fair mean treating everyone equally? Or to flip this question another way: does treating people differently mean that everyone else is being treated unfairly?
In the classroom this week... Well done to all Upper School groups who have successfully completed the first part of the Baccalaureate Food Challenge. The teachers have now been tasked with shopping for, preparing and cooking the pupils’ recipes. Will it meet their bespoke requirements? Will there be a new cooking craze/ stand out recipe? But most importantly, how well have the children worked together as a team? We look forward to the teachers’ honest and open feedback!
With only a week to go until the Year 7 Poetry Recital, the heat is on for all lines to be learnt off by heart! All children have had the opportunity to rehearse on stage, and have been busy perfecting their performance, focusing on body language, expression, intonation, eye contact and volume of voice. Good luck to all with your final preparations!
In Geography, Year 7 have been exploring earthquakes this week. We have introduced several new key words such as ‘epicentre’, ‘focus’ and ‘Richter scale’ which they should be able to talk you through. We looked at photographs from different earthquake episodes and discussed their impacts and how they might differ due to variables such as location, development and population size and density. The children have all got a prep to research the Haiti 2010 earthquake which to this day leaves its mark. The Year 8s are looking at settlement. Having discussed and reviewed the ideal settlement ‘shopping list’ the children were tasked with creating their own wish list. I have even received some virtual settlements thanks to their love of gaming and Minecraft. If you were to create your ideal city / town / village / hamlet or dwelling, what would you choose?
Creative Arts Don't forget to check out the Creative Arts section to see all the fantastic things Upper School have been up to in Music, Art and Drama.