Friday, 23rd June 2017
Whole School Newsletter
Dear Parents
The news in the UK over the past few months has been very sobering. Tragic events, touching the lives of many people have been making a regular appearance in the daily news. I spoke at the Dwight Graduation in May about how we can feel safe and secure in our Dwight bubble and the need to be ready to step out of our bubble and make a difference in the world. With terrorist attacks and the horrific fire in a London tower block it seems that our bubble does not seem so secure. How can we fail to be moved by the suffering of others and how can we stand idly by when we see injustice and evil?
An important part of who we are, and an essential element of the IB programmes is the concept of action and service as integral to the learning cycle. When we learn something it should prompt action. Similarly in our quest to educate for a better world we believe in service as a way to engage with our community. That is why, despite the darkness of recent news reports, I believe Dwight London can light a candle to push back the darkness.
I was touched by requests from students to undertake action service projects in our local communities and to respond to the needs of those around us. Whilst the terrible events that have taken place in London have reached us all, I am hopeful that the next generation will be able to rise above this. I think the best antidote to extremism is to have learners from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds sitting beside each other in the playground, debating their point of view in the classroom, rubbing shoulders in the corridors and experiencing first hand that others with their differences can also be right.
I was therefore heartened to watch our students across both the Upper and Lower Schools engaging with our link school in Nepal for our recycle fashion show. This was our first combined project and marks the launching of our educational and cultural exchange. Our next joint project will also be linked with Nepal's Central zoo and will be about endangered animals. As well as being a positive opportunity for students of different ages to work together and be creative, the fashion show established our educational link with the schools in Nepal that we plan to visit in 2018, and created awareness of the importance of reducing waste and caring for our environment.
I was therefore heartened to watch our students across both the Upper and Lower Schools engaging with our link school in Nepal for our recycle fashion show. This was our first combined project and marks the launching of our educational and cultural exchange. Our next joint project will also be linked with Nepal's Central zoo and will be about endangered animals. As well as being a positive opportunity for students of different ages to work together and be creative, the fashion show established our educational link with the schools in Nepal that we plan to visit in 2018, and created awareness of the importance of reducing waste and caring for our environment.
This theme was echoed in the Year 6 IBPYP Exhibition evening. One group reminded us about the importance of considering the environment in the production of clothing and I was amazed to hear how much water goes in to the production of a single tee shirt. The Year 6 students also raised awareness of many other important issues in their exhibition. Issues of both worldwide and personal significance were explored, from human rights to the environment, through arts and politics. It was inspiring to see how committed our Year 6 students are to making a better world.
I look forward to seeing you all at our community celebration tomorrow where the Dwight Summer Fair will be a tangible example of how diversity enriches our lives.
Best wishes
Alison Cobbin
Head of School
UPCOMING EVENTS
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