The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

A note from the Coordinator:

Just a week before the new Academic Year started, two groups of students went on their qualifying journeys to the Knuckles Mountain range on a trekking and camping trip. Below this message, you may read a reflection on the experience by one of the students.

We are excited to recruit new entrants to the Award for Year 2016-2017 and I encourage both parents and students to set the following dates in your diaries. Do attend the meetings if you are invited.

Tuesday 6^th September 2016 – 3:00 PM – First meeting for entrants and their Award Leaders

Wednesday 7^th September 2016 – 3:00 PM – Meeting for Parents about the Award offered at the British School in Colombo.

I congratulate all Award entrants who worked hard to complete the various sections of their Award in the past year and look forward to hearing about the Award Winners.

A Reflection by Lusyan Dayalan

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Qualifying Adventurous Journey

Journey to the Knuckles Mountain Range

I cannot capture everything that had taken place in Knuckles in a single word, but as God is my witness, I will present my experience in much detail through the course of this reflection. I did not have any sleep the night before our journey and I had no sleep on the night we returned. Adrenaline pumped through my body every other moment, and everything that took place on the trip, made me realize how fortunate I was to be a part of this program.

Unlike last time I took a slightly different approach to improving my fitness. Whereas before I was more focused on physically improving my health, this time I chose to focus on improving my diet. I had observed that a large proportion of my diet consisted of high-calorie junk food, and lacked several nutritious components. Today my diet consists of oats and eggs for breakfast, a rice-based meal for lunch, and grilled chicken for dinner. The end result was surprising, as my stamina had improved greatly, and I was generally more alert and aware of my surroundings.

I was familiar with the Knuckles area as it my father’s home town, however I had also researched on the topology of the area which gave me great insight as to whether I should focus more on strength or stamina during my training for the journey.

The final outcome of the journey was satisfactory. My body did not give in to the difficulties of the trek, and I was able to go on the journey with moderate ease unlike before. I was personally very pleased with the team dynamics. Nobody in the team complained, everybody did what they were supposed to do, and gave their 100% through the course of the entire journey.

We began our journey at 0430 in the morning and we travelled by bus from our school (in Colombo) to the campsite (in Knuckles), which we reached at around 1220. During our journey by bus we made a short stop at Kurunegala to grab a quick bite to eat, and we completed 1km of our journey on foot before reaching the campsite, as the bus couldn’t carry the weight of the group on the steep declining terrain.

The campsite is located near the Heel Oya River reaching the crest of a short hill. The campsite was originally intended to be a survivalist type zone, with minimal lodging; however, for our comfort we had to pitch tents along the rim of the hill. The apex of the hill is considered a spiritual area, where we were allowed to meditate and have some peace and quiet. It is also where the sky opened and we were able to see the mountain range in all its glory. Further down from the tents there was a dining area, and below that there was a very minimalistic washroom for our sanitary needs.

On the day of arriving at the campsite we were welcomed by Mr. Mohan, who gave us a bag of useful amenities and warmly welcomed us into his campsite. There was no luxury of extra space in the tents we had to pitch, as each tent had to hold 6 people including their belongings, which was any claustrophobic person’s nightmare; but sharing a tent allowed us to get closer as a team. As soon as we pitched our tents, we had lunch and quickly set off on our first expedition to the bridge. It was initially disorienting as it was my first time following a map with minimal aid, however I finally got the hang of it, and found the way to reach the bridge we were heading towards. The trip was very daunting as I did not expect the difficult shift between planning the map and actually putting theory into practice. At the end of the trip, Major Ruwan was concerned, as we had taken a lot more time in our journey and had attributed it to our lack of focus and complacency

The day of the main trek was upon us. We had planned a 14km trip to Corbett’s gap and back, this is what we had prepared for from day one. We left the campsite at 1025 after breakfast. The journey was relatively easy as the path taken to the destination was relatively straightforward. Nearing the end of the trek, the mist had begun to lie down on the mountains and there was a slight drizzle, adding some difficulty to the trek as it impaired our vision, and wearing raincoats increased the weight we had to carry. During the trek, we had encountered a rolling dung beetle as well as a kangaroo lizard. The view from Corbett’s gap was spectacular as we could clearly see the dynamic topology in the Knuckles region, and how the gap, forms a crevice from either side, and so gaining its name. At the gap we learned about trigonometrical stations which are important in locating all objects within a given area, as well as being an indicator of elevation. We had made excellent time on the long journey, and Major Ruwan had commended us on receiving the criticism effectively and putting it into action. When we came back to camp we had a surprise inspection of how well we have prepared for the journey. It was quite a disappointing investigation, as very few people had all the basic requirements, and many of us fell short in some way. It was alarming, but as a team we had all the necessities to push through in our journey. At night, many of us helped out with dinner making the barbeque; although the food wasn’t top class, it was wholesome and the experience of making the barbeque itself couldn’t be bought.

On our final day, we made an early trek to the naughty waterfalls. The waterfall was absolutely stunning hidden between the crevices of the mountain side. The air grew lighter and everybody was more light-hearted and energetic. After a quick survey of the waterfall we returned to the campsite. We cleaned the tents. We packed up. We had to leave. I was especially grateful of those present at the campsite who catered for us, and their presence will be forever cherished. The climb back to the bus was torture, as we had to carry our belongings all the way up the mountain. Before reaching the bus, we stopped at the stream near the campsite, and took a final, memorable dip. The water was cold, crisp, and rejuvenating, and by the end, even those who were reluctant of taking a dip had their clothes wet. It was a moment that gracefully wrapped up the trip. We got changed. We said our goodbyes. We got into the bus. We got back home.

My focus project was very successful. From the moment we got down, I whipped out my camera and started snapping away. However; there was a slight problem before the journey. My canon 350D had broken; as the battery had needed replacement, and the screen did not work. I had to settle for the camera on my phone which Major Ruwan wasn’t very pleased with, however I could not ditch my focus project, and instead worked very hard on taking photos of the highest quality on my trip. My venture was quite success as several of my teammates reached out to me, as they needed the photos and videos I had taken for their own focus projects which I was delighted with.

In the end, the journey was not convenient, I had to put a lot of hard work both before and during the trip to compensate for unexpected downfalls and things I simply could not prepare for my camera breaking, or leeches on my stomach, but I pulled through, because you just have to. You just have to pull through, and I’m grateful I did.

Lustan Dayalan, Year 13D

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Dear Parents,

This year the Junior School Book Week will be from 13th to 15th September.

Our theme for Book week is ‘Reading with Grandparents’. We would like to invite any grandparents who are able to spend some time with our pupils to come into school and read to the children. Please do inform your child’s class teacher if they are able to do this.

The dates and the times of activities allocated to each respective year group will be informed in due course.

Our Book Week this year also coincides with what would have been the 100th birthday of Roald Dahl and we will be having activities linking to this too.

On Thursday 15th September there will be the Book Week parade. Children can come dressed as a Grandparent or as a Roald Dahl character.

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The BSC MUN Society has worked tirelessly throughout the previous Academic Year and continued on with their endeavours even during the Summer break!

Our Society has achieved so much, and we ended the 2015-2016 session with amazing achievements which must be mentioned within the individual conferences, both domestic and international.

IIMUN Sri Lanka:

The British School in Colombo were proud to host Sri Lanka’s first ever international Model United Nations Conference, the Indian International MUN, this past month from the 8^th-10 of July!

Our Organising Council were selected by Dr. John Scarth and consisted of the following dedicated and hardworking students: Ravini Gunasekera, Sandun Bambarandage, Uzair Kidwai, Anneka Alok-Mathur, Saanya Subasinghe, Mahika Panditha, Anjaana Prabagar, Chanya Gajanaike, Aquilah Latiff, Oneyli Dandeniya, Kishori Opatha, Oneli Siribaddana, Monika Saleh, Avantha Jayasinghe, Saskia Wijewardene, Eefa Hassan, Ashwini Wijeweera, Kshaniah Aluwihare, Nabeel Nooramith, Patrick de Kretser and Dhewni Dias.

These students went above and beyond the call of duty to work every single day from the 1^st till the 10^th of July, to ensure that this inaugural Conference was a massive success, and left all 480 delegates feeling as though they had experienced MUN Magic!

The Chief Guests for the Opening Ceremony included the Indian High Commissioner as well the Deputy Minister for Health, and for the Closing Ceremony we had the newly appointed Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, gracing the occasion!

Our Society Office Bearers, Ravini Gunasekera and Uzair Kidwai led from the front and received a plaque of appreciation from the IIMUN Team in recognition of BSC’s successful organisation of the conference, and both did a phenomenal job in leading our young people to organise an event of this magnitude and scale.

Our BSC delegation also did us very proud, as is becoming the norm! We had five award Winners including Prisha Satwani, Talaayah Gunaaydin, Avantha Jayasinghe, Nikita Advani and Hussein Esufally who all did a stellar job representing their school in each of their respective committees.

Our BSC Chairs also did a splendid job and continue to impress with their charisma and intelligence at every Conference!

All in all, this Conference and our inaugural experience with hosting an MUN was the perfect way to end such a successful year’s run. Our students truly learned a lot from the experience and look forward to future endeavours of a similar nature!

IIMUN USA:

After such a successful endeavour at BSC, our school was invited to represent themselves and Sri Lanka at the IIMUN USA Conference! IIMUN is the world’s first youth conference to host an MUN at the actual United Nations Headquarters in New York, and students from the British School in Colombo were fortunate enough to be in attendance as a result of their exemplary contributions to the arena of MUN in Sri Lanka, by introducing another MUN to the existing mix of Conferences in the country.

Having invited over 450 students for Sri Lanka’s inaugural International MUN Conference in July, the BSC Delegation then extensively prepared themselves and travelled to the UN Headquarters in New York to represent China and Canada at the prestigious United Nations Security Council, and it is of immense pride and importance that students from Sri Lanka raised their school and country’s flag high whilst representing world leaders on a world forum.

Saskia Wijewardene, Oneli Sirribaddana and Monika Saleh did a stellar job, and Ms. Manjula Dharmasiri did so much to ensure this trip was a massive success and accompanied our students on this fabulous and memorable journey!

The National Youth MUN Conference, Sri Lanka:

The first National Youth Model UN was held at the BMICH from the 20^th-21^st of August with Uzair Kidwai having been appointed as the Deputy Head of Logistics and Event Management, and worked hard as a part of the Organising committee to ensure that he represented his school in a wonderful light. Past students such as Mohammed Mahamoor and Roma Vedamuttu were Chairing at this Youth Conference and Avantha Jayasinghe and Lahiru Rajapakse took it upon themselves to represent our school as delegates and did exceptionally well! The Chief guests at this Conference included high profile government officials such as Mr. Eran Wickremeratne and Mrs. Rosy Senanayake.

We must thank our Principal Dr. John Scarth for always believing in us to take the school to new heights in the realm of public speaking, and also Mr. Simon Harwood for cheering us on through it all.

The Society now looks forward to beginning this academic year with as enthusiastic an attitude in accomplishing even greater things!

Mahum Kidwai

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A group of Commerce students from BSC participated in the National University of Singapore Economics and Business Summer Camp, from the 27^th of June to the 01^st of July 2016. Here are the views of some of our participants, on their Summer Camp experience.

Malika Sugathapala – Year 13 C

The NUS Economics and Business Summer Camp unlocked doors I didn’t know were possible to open in these fields. Initially engaged in a variety of lectures in Economics and Business, I ended up gaining a vigorous knowledge on how Economics works and operates in the real world. 

Apart from the immense knowledge I obtained, I gained insight to the reality of University life. Unlike at home, there was no one to make sure you had breakfast or got yourself to classes on time. There was a definite sense of independence. In addition, lectures were of high academic level, as new theories and ideas were sprouting from every corner; from environmental economics to Game Theory. Moreover, I expanded my relations with various ethnicities from Holland to Indonesia. It was incredible how well we were able to cooperate and present our ideas by integrating our own personal backgrounds. My communication skills were harnessed to cater to reach even the quietest of students. Hearing their stories from their own country, fueled my desire in international relations. 

Overall, the Halls of NUS will remain in my memory forever as the place where cultural differences act as an essential pillar in education and prosperity.

Sebastian Oligard – Year 11D

During the week at NUS Summer Camp with my fellow colleges and teachers we learnt a range of aspects of the disciplines of Business Studies and Economics. We were given the opportunity to discover what university life was like, especially at such a top, well known University also known to be one of the highest ranking ones in the world.

The trip also provided various opportunities for us in Singapore, almost every day. During the afternoon of the first day, the NUS coordinators took us on a tour to see the entire Singapore city, and explained to us how it came to be where it is today. Over the days that followed they took us to see many different places such as Madame Tussaud’s wax museum and the Singapore Stock Exchange, but everyone’s most favorite place was ‘Sentosa Island’ where we were finally allowed to unwind and have fun. Overall, I believe the trip was a tremendous experience, and I would gladly recommend it to everyone; who is interested in going to university to see what it is like first hand.

Safdar Jafferjee – Year 11 B

NUS Economics and Business Summer Camp gave me the opportunity to be independent and also gave me a better insight of Economics and Commerce. It was a great way to experience University life and having my own dorm room as well as meeting people from all over the world was most exciting. Overall, it was an enriching experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.   

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We arrived in Changi airport on the 3^rd of June, and drove to the NUS University Town accompanied by Ms. Cryshanthi and Mr. Indika. We stayed in separate dorms, each dorm consisting of 6 bedrooms, a common area, and shared bathroom. UTown has its own restaurants and shops so that students can have easy access to living essentials on campus.

Our experiences were mostly divided between lectures and workshops, and each one focused on a different and exciting exploration of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.

Firstly, within the broad topic of science and technology, we received a lecture on systems thinking – the basis upon which engineering and scientific models are created and how we can simulate real-life scenarios with simple variables and data points. This lecture was especially relevant to A-level students as it is the basis upon which A-level science is performed; an understanding of how systems work is sure to help any science student as they can think about their learning material in a different way.

­­­Under the scope of Biology, we took part in a general forensic science workshop that dealt with the use of scientific analysis in crime scene investigations. To add on to this there was a DNA in forensic science workshop where we carried out agarose gel electrophoresis on makeshift DNA samples to simulate the famous O.J Simpson case; based on our analysis of the DNA during electrophoresis we were able to come to a (wrong) conclusion of the verdict of the case based on DNA evidence at the many crime scenes. This showed us a useful application of molecular biology in the real world.

In the Biology Lab, we conducted several experiments on microorganisms and got to see some interesting phenomena, such as bioluminescence of sea fireflies, regeneration of living tissue in planarians, and cnidocytes (stinging cells) of hydra. We were able to use a scanning electron microscope to gain high-resolution images of insects and plants. This was an especially intriguing workshop as it allowed us to use technology that is highly advanced in the field of microbiology; we wouldn’t have had this chance without going to a top research institute like NUS.

We also had a field day in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, were we saw skeletons of sauropod dinosaurs and a sperm whale, as well hundreds of other well-preserved specimens of animals and plants. Here we took part in a highly difficult animal classification workshop, where we had to predict the classes of organism simply based on their specimens.

Under Chemistry, we firstly had a lecture on nanotechnology by Professor Haur of the department of Physics at NUS. He gave us an engaging lecture on the fundamentals and applications of nanotechnology, from creating glassware to treating cancer. We observed a sample of colloidal gold – gold that shines a deep red colour instead of gold, merely because of a change in its structure.  Perhaps most surprising was when we attempted to break a piece of ice with wet tissue paper inside it and found it impossible; this demonstration of 2 weak objects coming together to become very strong is an aspect of nanotechnology used in modern science when creating materials suitable for structures like buildings and houses.

Another application of chemistry was in the gastronomy workshop, where we learnt the differences between ice cream and sorbet and the chemical reasons for why they form differently, which ended with us creating (and eating) quite a lot of both.

Finally, the Physics Lab brought to light some phenomena we could observe macroscopically, with a workshop on diffraction of light using diffraction grating. We also saw the vibrant colours of gas lamps, and listened to a brief but well-explained run-down of the quantum physics concepts that created the patterns of colours we saw. We created microscopes that used our smartphone cameras to magnify objects, which yielded surprisingly well-defined images of tiny plant and animal structures. We also used a Wimhurst machine to create visible static charges, and super cooled a conductor with liquid nitrogen, turning it into a superconductor, which was then able to levitate on magnetic tracks.

Overall, we were exposed to a myriad of technologies and scientific concepts we had never seen before in Sri Lanka, and were privileged enough to interact with and gain an in-depth understanding of how these things worked. The knowledge we gained from this trip will certainly be useful in our academic future as a lot of it pertains to the same concepts we learn for our science courses in school. Not only did we learn new things about science, but we observed practical applications for existing concepts that we only knew about previously in textbooks.

The NUS trip was highly enjoyable for all of us and we would highly recommend it to any students of science at BSC – this programme will not only pique your curiosity for the world around you and give you the knowledge to gain excellence when you study these concepts later on, but it will also give you an experience that you and your peers will never forget.

NUS SCIENCE CAMP TEAM 2015/2016

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We have just begun an incredible year filled with excitement, fun, adventure and learning. Year 1 has dynamic and enthusiastic learners, truly vibrant and talented. It’s filled with Einsteins, Leonardo da Vincis, Beethovens, Will Smiths and many more. Although the year group is filled with different talents and abilities, the children enjoy working together.

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On Wednesday 7th of September the British School in Colombo hosted UK and Australian university fairs, where students in Years 12 and 13 had the opportunity to meet with representatives of 15 top British Universities and 9 excellent Australian Universities. Among others, from the UK were the universities of Loughborough, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds, London, Southampton and Warwick.

From the southern hemisphere came universities including Melbourne, Sydney, New South Wales, Queensland, Adelaide, and Western Australia. Attending the events gave students the chance to speak one-on-one with advisors to find out how life would be if they were to study at these universities – and of course to find out how to get accepted into such prestigious institutions. The representatives were very impressed with the caliber of students in the 6th Form, commenting on their academic achievements, manners and the sensible and practical questions they were asking. We wish all our students best of luck in their applications over the coming months.

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Voting for the class pupil councillor took place on Wednesday 7^th September. Years 3 -6 participated in the voting session. The pupil council members for the academic year 2016-2017 will be announced at the KS2 assembly on Monday 19^th September. The first meeting will be on Tuesday 20^th September from 1.30pm-2.00pm.

Pupil Council is a student-based organisation designed to help promote school spirit and leadership among students. The pupil councillor will work together with the teacher and other students to maintain a happy classroom environment, promote good relationships between classmates, be a ‘buddy’ if a classmate has no friend, promote healthy eating, monitor canteen clean up and ensure that school facilities are used well by all students. The pupil council will also alert the class teacher and other adults on classroom or playground incidents or concerns. Our pupil council will always demonstrate the following: be friendly, helpful, a team player, a leader, good manners and effort into class work.

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It was an exciting and unforgettable experience for the five students representing the British School in Colombo at the Pentathlon that took place at Stein Studios in Ratmalana on 8^th September 2016. The Pentathlon is conducted by TV1 in affiliation to the Ministry of Education. Only 20 schools in the Colombo District are selected – The British School in Colombo being one.

Anjanaa Prabaga, Janek De Silva, Theruni Hettithanthrige, Ana Nazim and Pabasha Nanayakkara performed superbly against our opposition Devi Balika Vidyalaya. Although being the underdogs at the match, our students were undeterred. With very little preparation done in comparison to the opponents, the students were confident, responsible and above all – each individual contributed towards the team’s effort in true BSC style.

At the end of the 2^nd round, Devi Balika Vidyalaya was leading ahead of BSC marginally. However, rounds 3, 4 and 5 were challenging for both teams and each did their best to compete with determination; never giving up no matter what the questions was.

Our “cheering squad” comprised of 18 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 and their chants and cheering did make the atmosphere at the studio even more competitive! Waving the BSC flag and cheering their friends and team mates on, certainly boosted our students’ morale.

By round 4, BSC now was 5 points ahead of Devi Balika Vidyalaya and the final “buzzer round” made all the difference between the teams. BSC gained momentum. Answered all questions correctly and never gained any minus points. Leading the team to victory Anjanaa could certainly be relieved at this point!

With a month left to prepare for LEVEL 2, our students are even more excited and determined to do their very best no matter what the opposition is. We wish our five contestants the very best for the next match and hope to see them applying everything they have in them to accomplish their dreams and goals.

Let’s go, BSC!

Ms. Sylvana & Mr. Toefl

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In Y2 this week we have been learning how to count larger numbers by arranging them in 2s, 5s, or 10s. We had a lot of fun with the colourful counters and we learned all about how to turn large numbers into more manageable groups. What could be better than learning through enjoyment?

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It was 9As turn to do the assembly last week. With all the excitement and panic we managed to complete a successful assembly on the topic: The Game Show”.  We proved that year 9A was simple and unique. With very little practice, with not scripts, or costumes. Each and everyone contributed to their level best in making it a success.

The game show was a quiz on “Harry Potter and Star Wars”.

There were 3 judges Steffan , Priyanka and Sara  and the hosts were Aritha, Neyara Shanelle and Revan  who asked the questions from two students from each grade. Everyone else contributed in other various ways.

We managed to start off with one practice in the morning  which got the whole class excited and nervous. As usual the assembly began with the school song, and then it all began….6 student from all 3 year groups were called to come on stage. From year 9 Theruni and Rojith,Year 8  Kiyam and pethara and finaly from year 7 Shezard and Neha volunteered.

The question were based on Harry Potter and Star Wars and the question were hard and the scores were very close.

So it when it came to the end of the assembly the judges had to reveal the scores for the audience.

The deserving winners were year 7 and year 8. We must thank our Form tutor Mr Tofel for guiding us and helping us to accomplish our mission.

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Where would you ever meet……….

A pilot with an extraordinary tendency to fly into buildings?

A notorious thief known as the Bengal Bandit?

A promiscuous woman called Lily?

Her hapless suitor, Charles?

A mysterious woman called Mabel?

A priest who starts off by collecting for the Home for the Aged and ends up trussed up like a turkey and wearing a ski mask?

A man known as ‘Papa’?

Two crazy Indian servants?

A man-eating tiger?

A rather dim-witted Police Chief?

and

An enraged mahout?

………All on the same night?

(Only in the wacky world of Bengal Bungalow, of course!)

Set in Bengal in the late 1930s, Bengal Bungalow is a fast-paced situation comedy written in the genre of British farcical theatre with mistaken identities, sensational characters and situations as well as cunning twists. The plot revolves around a British family residing in India whose home (Bengal Bungalow) turns into a bizarre circus when a British pilot accidently crashes his plane through their newly-refurbished guestroom. The pilot loses his memory as a result of the crash and this helps to set into motion a series of comic misunderstandings when more crazy characters, both British and Indian make an appearance. The play eventually skyrockets to a hilarious climax.

The play Bengal Bungalow was written and directed by Jehan Aloysius, founder of Centre Stage Productions and was staged at the Lionel Wendt on September 9th and 10th

It played to a full house on both nights and received rave reviews.

Annabella Brochard (a past pupil of the British School) played the voluptuous Lily while Patrick de Kretser (a pupil in Year 13D) played the role of Charles. The other members of the incredibly talented cast were: Michael Jayawardana, Prabhath Dhevindra, Shehan Wijemanne, Julian Anderson, Roshane Jayampathy, Nandun Dissanayke, Jordan Bryan, Tayhani Kannangara and Reihan Stephen.

The proceeds of the play will be used to fund Centre Stage Productions’ theatre-based humanitarian projects.

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Children are engaged in discriminating pulse, beat, tempo, rhythm and improvisation

Junior School choir celebrating Founder’s day

Enjoying the recorder time with peers.

Accompanying the songs while singing.

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The British School in Colombo achieves their very first International Karate -do award at The Traditional International Karate-do Championship & Seminar which was held on July 23rd and 24th 2016 at Soka University, California.

Nikita Shuhumar achieved an outstanding 2nd place for Kumite and participated in Itosukai kata and open kata event. Ashan Samarasuriya and Kamelesh Vigneshwaran advanced to top 8 in Kumite and Kata. Bokang Modiba, Laleendesh Vigneshwaran and Hamdaan Jawahir participated in the itosukai kata, open kumite and open kata.

The competitors from the British School in Colombo have returned with excellent experience from their very first International Karate-do Championship in which much more advanced competitors from around the world including Canada, Japan, Ireland, USA, Germany and Sri Lanka competed.

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On Monday Key Stage 2 had a very special assembly from 6A. They had been studying the Islamic festival of Hajj. They explained all about the festival using drama and dance. There were some fantastic traditional dances and the assembly was very informative. Thanks 6A.

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The standard of debating at the British School in Colombo has grown considerably over the years, and with our recent victory in the novice category at the “Lillian Nixon Debating Shield” hosted at Ladies’ College, we are a school who have established ourselves firmly within the Sri Lankan realm of public speaking.

This has in turn trickled down to our younger students and made our Inter House competition such a pleasure to witness. Our Key Stage 3 debaters shone at their semi-final rounds where they debated about whether or not animals should be used in entertainment and sport, and our Key Stage 4 debaters blew everyone out of the water with their impressive speeches tackling the issue of whether 16 year olds should be given the right to vote. I am almost certain that our Key Stage 5 debaters will provide the icing on the cake with their exceptional debating prowess on display when they tackle the tough issue of whether or not election promises should be binding on political parties after an election.

This Inter House event has provided students with an opportunity to perfect their debating ability, while others have surprised everyone with their newfound passion for public speaking.

I must sincerely thank Ms. Nelonie for her wonderful support and help with the organization of such a successful event, as well as Ms. Janet De Kretser for her constant enthusiasm and guidance as my fellow debating teacher-in-charge. Ms. Tania Bartlett and the English department have also supported the Houses wonderfully with their preparations, as have the House Heads themselves, and I am very grateful to our Principal and SMT for judging our fabulous debates.

I very much look forward to this legacy of debating being carried forward by our school Society and House teams in the years to come.

Ms. Mahum Kidwai

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Tuesday September 21st was World Peace Day. Children in Year 5 have been studying this day, what it means and how it affects people around the world.
Class 5A performed their class assembly on this subject on Monday afternoon. They used drama and music to put their message across to Key Stage 2 children.
They performed superbly explaining the meaning of ‘world peace’ and how this can affect people throughout the world.

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Our Annual Computer Science week will take place from the 10th to the 14th of October. This week will allow us to embrace the new era of technology and learn about the importance of Computer Science in our day to day lives. During this week we have planned a variety of activities ranging from competitions to quizzes, allowing students from all grades to take part and work together.

The competition of Movie Making and Digital Art will also be continued this year. Students have been given the wide topic of “Awareness” where their content should show a clear set of morals from any activities relevant to recent news. These activities would be spread throughout the week and prizes will be presented to those with the best content in their category, so we encourage everyone to take part!

This year we would be piloting a new competition of Graphical Editing, which allows students to demonstrate their skills in photo editing and photography. We will also be putting student’s capabilities in their programming languages and logical thinking, to the test. Furthermore, we look forward to inviting a prestigious guest speaker who would speak on the developing world of technology.

This years Computer Science week is set to be the best; we hope that this week allows you to learn and enjoy the benefits of Computer Science.

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