High School: Celebrating international week

We are world citizens and members of the global community.

The last line of our What Makes a Great St Andrews Community? document is “We are world citizens and members of the global community”, and we have seen a lot of this in the last week, with four events that have highlighted our International, global community in the last six days.

Last Wednesday was Languages Day, which included some fantastic karaoke performances, including Ms Simone and Ms Jessica (pictured below).

This was followed by our first International Day in the new High School last Friday, when the students worked together to create both Sustainable Fashion, using a range of recycled items that they were provided with, and International Fashion, as we challenged the students to really think about what they wear on the day, and how it represents their country, region or culture. You can see both the variety of clothes worn by the students and a great example of their ingenuity and creativity in putting together such fantastic outfits.

Of course International Day would not have been the same without the traditional amazing International Food Hall at lunchtime, and I would like to thank all the parents who contributed to “the best International Food Hall ever”, our Estates Team for all their help setting up and for transforming the Atrium for the day, and our Indian, Filipino and Salsa Dancers who entertained the crowds at break and lunchtime.

On Saturday, our Great International Community week continued, with the first STA Community Sports Day held at the new High School.

And finally, this morning, we celebrated World Children’s Day with students from other NAE schools around the world. We were sent a question by students from NAE schools in China and Singapore at 10 am (“If you were to start your own country, how could you ensure gender equality from the start?”) and later, after lots of interviews and discussions, we created a video of both our answers and our question for the schools in the Middle East.

Unfortunately I missed the first three of these events, as I was at the British International School in Ho Chi Minh City, attending the NAE South-East Asia Child Protection and Safeguarding Conference.

On Friday of this week, I will be flying to Qatar to spend a week as a member of a CIS Team Evaluation at Al Khor International School. As an educator, it is always a privilege, and a very enjoyable and thought-provoking experience, to be able to immerse yourself in another school for a week. I am sure that the week will give me plenty to think about and this experience, much like my participation in the NAE South-East Asia Child Protection and Safeguarding Conference, continues with the theme of being a world citizen and a members of the global community.

Before then, I look forward to seeing many of you both on Wednesday, at the first PTG Meeting to be held at the new High School, and on Thursday at a special High School Grade Reports: Parents' Information Evening that we have planned for any new parents, or parents who would like more information about the new High School Grade Reports format or Effort Grades Criteria, before Year 7, 8 and 9 Grade Reports are published this Friday.

If you plan on attending this special Parents' Information Evening, please click on and complete this Google Form, so that we can arrange an appropriate venue and catering.

Roo Stenning
Head of High School

The full High School Calendar is available on the school’s website.