Dear Parents and Students
It has been another exciting week with Book Week taking place across the entire school and the Under 13 BSME Games being held at Aspire Park this weekend. I am typing this week’s article from Prague where I have been a part of the Nord Anglia Regional Conference where the theme has been Full Steam Ahead. This weekend has been one of those special times in my career where I have been even more inspired about education and our future at NAISAK.
The opening keynote speaker was Apple’s Mark Benno who discussed how technology can be used to best prepare students for life in our dynamic world. This was followed by a number of exceptional workshops over two days that were related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) education. I was able to attend a workshop from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Carole Urbano who is responsible for the MIT collaboration with Nord Anglia Education. I could not be more enthused about NAISAK becoming part of the partnership later this academic year, where we will be sending students and staff to MIT to learn about how their culture involves instilling a ‘playful spirit of student-led passion’.
I was particularly proud of the NAISAK staff that led some fantastic workshops, which were very well received. Thank you and congratulations to our Deputy Head of Primary, Elizabeth Westwood, and our Year 1 teacher, Victoria Maclean, who delivered an engaging workshop on Project-Based Learning Across the Primary School. I am also very grateful to our iSAMS Coordinator, Joseph Westwood, who delivered a thought-provoking workshop related to Artificial Intelligence and the Way We Teach.
This March, more than 200 international educators from 15 countries around the globe will descend on Hanoi, Vietnam to innovate, problem solve and brainstorm at one of the world’s largest academic conferences.
Year 10 NAISAK students participated in this special expedition that collaborated with our partner charity in Tanzania (Seeway) on sustainable programs, improving health and prospects for children and families. This included connecting with many local partners supporting in Educational facilities, sports coaching and sustainable agriculture.
Launched in January 2024, the YEY! Award (Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award) is a unique award developed by staff at NAISAK and is intended to enable NAISAK students to gather their brilliant entrepreneurial ideas and work with mentors to help communicate their ideas to others. The award is open for students from year 5-13.
