Issuu

FAMILY & FRIENDS NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 01

WELCOME

Lighthouse Hackathon 2021 Photo credit: Joan Bessem, UWCA '22

Dear friends and family, As we approach the end of this unique academic year, I am delighted to share with you the May edition of our family and friends newsletter. Hopefully it goes some way to showing you how vibrant and exciting the campus has been in the past few weeks. Our IB1 and IB2 students have been engaged in the Spring Programme that was conceived and delivered by staff and students. For our IB1 students, they have been able to take part in the afternoon activities in lieu of their normal CAS activities. For the IB2 students, this has been the entirety of their focus, immersing themselves with the varied activities that have been run by their peers. Whether it be cooking dishes supervised by our Hot to Go chefs or learning how to put up a tent, they have acquired skills to take with them for their post-UWC Atlantic lives. Congratulations to them all on completing their studies at UWC Atlantic, as they graduate on Saturday 22nd May. The end of the year has brought new academic challenges for our IB1 students. They all took their end of year exams to judge the progress they have made during their first year at the College. They have also begun working on a number of important pieces of coursework that will be submitted in the second year, including the Extended Essay, a piece of research writing, decided by themselves. These pieces of coursework really help our students develop their research and writing skills, as well as allowing them to pursue their interests. This will be complimented by our ‘Spring Forward’ programme, where we hope to offer opportunities for respite from academic work with fun sessions and walks off campus. The programme will take place in the last two weeks, after our IB2 students depart. With very best wishes, Kate Vincze Deputy Head/Vice Principal Education

NCI STATION LAUNCH

As part part of the Seafront Development Programme we are delighted to announce our launch of a National Coastwatch Institution Station here at UWC Atlantic! The objective of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) is to assist in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the United Kingdom coastline. NCI watchkeepers provide eyes and ears along the coast, monitoring radio channels and providing a listening watch in poor visibility. Comprehensive training ensure they can deal with emergencies at the highest standard.

The station known as ‘NCI St Donat’s Bay’ will be based in the BP Lab at the seafront, joining 55 other NCI stations across the UK. Currently, due to Covid restrictions, local community members will be keeping watch at the station. However, students in the NCI ‘Ways of Life’ programme have been diligently training so they are ready to join once restrictions lift. Eventually the station will be crewed by UWC Atlantic students in collaboration with members of the local community. A huge thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to ensure this exciting development became a reality; Jess and the Atlantic Experience team, carpenters Tony Evans, Richard and Shaun, electricians Richard, Gareth and Jak and the accounts department. If you would like to read more about NCI click here.

LIFE AT THE COLLEGE

FAREWELL CEREMONY

Saturday, April 17th: A day of celebration for second year students unable to stay at the College for the duration of the additional five-week Spring Programme. The day kicked off with a barbecue on the Madiba lawn, bathed in glorious Welsh sunshine! A huge thank you for the canteen staff for an impressive spread during which the ceremonial “passing down” of the leadership positions for each of the national groups on campus unfolded. In i the evening, it was the farewell ceremony in the Moondance Sports Hall recognising the contributions of departing students. Each of the groups behind our amazing conferences this year - Latinx, MENA and Afro-Caribbean - regaled with performances, offering a chance to reminisce on those memorable events. Then it was over to ACapella to entertain with a version of UWC Atlantic anthem “Dancing in the Moonlight”.

Following speeches from Vasu, representing the first years, and Micah, representing the second years, it was over to Principal Peter Howe. Head of student affairs Valentina Mindoljevic presented certificates to outgoing student council leaders in recognition of their work. Then it was canapés and “mocktails” on the top lawn to the strains of the UWC Atlantic Jazz Band before students danced the night away in the Bradenstoke Hall for their prom. A huge thank you to everyone, staff and students, who worked so hard to make the day a memorable one!

NEW4YOU

New4You (formerly the swap shop) is the student-run, staff-supervised clothing store. Students can buy used and fixed clothes for a token fee of £1, as well as bring in clothes that they no longer need - very useful for finding appropriate clothing for the UK’s seasonal changes!

New4You is particularly useful around the time of balls and formal events. There was a particularly kind donation of a large number of prom dresses. The venture also enables students in this group fulfil their service IB co-curricular requirements.

MEET OUR STANDOUTS

In this new newsletter series, we feature staff members and the ways in which they make a difference. Introducing Yordan Demirov... .

When did you join UWC Atlantic? What is your job and how has your role evolved over the years? I joined in August 2019 as a history teacher and in October 2020 I became Head of Year (class of 2022). Describe your transition from your previous place of work and/or place of residence. It was … strange. I had never worked in a boarding school before, so sharing the same living space with students was certainly new for me. What I found (and still find) most refreshing is the degree of autonomy students have at the school. I very much like the fact that we trust our students to be responsible individuals and we are there, not to tell them what to do, but to guide them and help them grow. What is your fondest memory since the day you started working at the College? My first-year students organising a support session for my second-year students at the onset of trial exams with music, a bit of dance and some comfort food. It started as a one-off event but it is turning into a tradition of sorts. This is the most vivid example but I am amazed by the various acts of kindness everyone on this campus does for the people they care about.

How do you think the College has evolved - or stayed the same - over your time here? My experience is perhaps not the most optimistic one since I have only been at the College for the 2 years marked by Covid. Still, I think over these two years the support structures we have built for students have grown and evolved. There is still a lot to be done but I certainly think the support we have has helped us get through a very difficult period. If you could implement one change at UWC Atlantic, what would it be? Make the Arts Centre a focal point for cultural events in the entire area. What is one interesting thing about the College that the alumni, supporters and friends of the College may not have heard about? With no exams this year, the College has a five-week Spring Programme in place with various activities throughout the day to keep second year students busy and engaged with the campus community. The programme is studentorganised and student-run (I cannot stress enough how impressive it is). What is your favourite spot on campus? Why? Donkey paddock. The donkeys are wonderful - they are friendly, cuddly and very sweet. I think they can help make anyone feel better. What three words come to mind when you think of UWC Atlantic? Challenge, resilience, growth.

12 The Arts Centre

SPRING PROGRAMME

With the cancellation of exams for the IB2 students, a committed group came together to devise a programme of meaningful activities to ensure those affected could engage with the College and each other during the five weeks between the end of codes and their graduation on the 22nd May. The programme began on the 19th April and has been a great success. Days are split between morning “A slots”, which are mandatory and afternoon “B slots”, which are optional and also open to first year students to fulfil their co-curricular requirements.

Activities offered are student-led and varied, providing students with the chance to teach or lead something they are passionate about. Our IB2 students have been split into five groups ensuring they get the chance to do each activity through the course of a week. The variation means completing fitness challenges in “Survival of the Fittest” one day, doing creative writing the next and undertaking a “Crash Course on the Italian Mafia” the day after that! The B slots in the afternoon are led by staff members. Again, they are varied and some are continuations of co-curricular activities from the term. For these activities, they are joined by IB1 students, who have to attend two B sessions a week for their co-curricular requirements. Activities include creative (eg mural painting), environmental (eg bee monitoring), civic (eg Welsh elections engagement) and sport (eg tennis). IB2 students have benefitted from meaningful activities distinct from those in their codes. We often say at UWC Atlantic that often the most impactful learning happens outside the classroom and the Spring Programme is a testament to that! The organising committee, consisted of second-years: Boris Milic, Carmiña Goya, Eilidh Taylor, Jubair Ahmed, Karim Ghaddar, Mahnoor Mushtaq Ahmad, Samantha Mastel-Marr, Sara Taha and Jeanne Gheeraerdts. All nine students undertook budget management, logistics, disciplinary action all the while enforcing core UWC values. The programme was widely recognised as a positive experience. For a virtual Spring Programme experience click on the short video of a 'dance crash course'!

CLICK HERE

SUPPORT US

REINVIGORATING THE SEAFRONT

An open classroom

‘Our Class of 1969 believes strongly in the importance of this project, as do many other years, and so I urge you to make an ongoing annual pledge that is consistent with your means.’ Michael Code - Alumnus UWCA ‘69

Thank you to everyone that has supported our Seafront Development Programme to date! We are delighted to announce that we are now 62% closer to reaching our goal of £428,500 for the investment of our phase 2 development and are thrilled to inform you that work has now begun on the renovation of the outdoor pool. This project will be completed by July 2021 when we hope to open the facilities to our local community ahead of the new academic year. What a splashing summer we have ahead of us! A huge thank you to the Class of 1970 who raised an admirable £50k+ to support the swimming pool renovation in just over a month! A special thanks to John Conyngham, Per Holt, Matt Hannon, John Beardsley and Tom Carpenter, all instrumental in supporting the appeal. Commitment to this important initiative has been excellent - once more our united efforts have enabled us to make huge advancements in a short time period. Please make your donation today!

WAYS OF GIVING

Photo credit: Katy Marks, UWCA ‘97

Volunteering

UNITING THE WORLD At UWC Atlantic we are proud to welcome students each year funded by the generosity of Shelby Davis and his ‘Dare to Dream’ programme. For many, it is through Shelby Davis’ generosity that they are able to fulfil dreams of going on to college in the US. The Davis UWC Scholars Program recently published their annual report entitled ‘Uniting the World’. We were, once again, proud to see the huge number of UWC Atlantic graduates featured and read about the impact of the programme. They are all doing a wonderful job of continuing the mission in their post-UWC Atlantic lives. If you would like to read the report click here.

TIME & TALENT

24 hours 9 teams 1 challenge

LIGHTHOUSE HACKATHON 2021 Saturday, April 24: Student challenge - "Create a solution to reduce food waste". With only 24 hours to work in teams of five, students overcome challenges (including the internet crashing late that night!), to emerge with a viable product or prototype. The Lighthouse Hackathon idea - collaborative problem solving - was dreamed up by Lighthouse Keepers to foster innovation and meaningful changemaking during a unique experience. Exploring the problem of food waste was followed by workshops combining design thinking, systems thinking, and psychodynamic understanding of the value of collaboration (led by Voytek Chelkowski P’21 and Sebastien Baert). A Just Dance session and roasting marshmallows around a campfire followed in the evening with the second day starting with a 7.30am HIIT session before a public speaking workshop led by two students from the “Taking a Stance - Oral Communication” Changemaker Curriculum Unit.

Photo credit: Ula Adamska

"We were presented with the huge issue of food waste that takes its toll in or outside the school and we were challenged to come up with a real-life project aimed to tackle it within 24 hours. It was quite impactful and inspirational as it was an exceptional chance to actualise our critical thinking and problem-solving skills and also challenge our time management skills. In an inclusive, collaborative environment, my team had 5 talented and thoughtful students whose great achievement is indebted to the collective teamwork and the shared enthusiasm." -Zakarya Al-Thawr ‘22 (Team A to Z) All teams had an opportunity to check in with an expert mentor to receive feedback on their projects and any advice. We are grateful to all alumni, "Many thanks for reaching out and asking me to support parents, and supporters of the College who shared their time and expertise with the lighthouse hackathon. It was such a pleasure to the students: Joseph Gridley ‘06, Patricia Matzdorf-Gobeli ‘04, Eddie Arrieta connect with the current AC-Cohort and listen to their ‘05, Roo Smith ‘16, Sara Turnbull ‘99, Cary Reid ‘99, François Lépine-Cossette ideas." -Patricia Matzdorf-Gobeli ‘04 ‘19, Sara Abou Ibrahim, and Peter Dillon P’21.

Photo credits: Joan Bessem, UWCA '22

Photo credit: Ula Adamska

The solutions addressed communities close as our UWC Atlantic campus or as far away as Bangladesh, tackling problem at farming, supermarkets, restaurants, and consumer levels. Congratulations to all teams on their hard work, honest endeavor, and creativity. All submitted full business plans, made videos to showcase projects, and prepared pitches to a judging panel on Sunday morning. Projects were evaluated on the criteria of feasibility, quality of presentation, and innovation and creativity. Teams were also awarded prizes for training at the highest intensity during the HIIT session, best memes, and the best team spirit. The winning team... ThunderThinkers (Saskia, Filip, Daniel, Greta, Isabella), created a student community food station called FoodWork. It aimed to connect the supply and demand of surplus food in the campus community. Those with surplus food donate which can be taken by those with a lack. This swap functions through a communal fridge and table, communicated through a Facebook group. Team TAPIA (Tori, Ayooluwa, Pablo, Ishikaa, Agnese) built an app to minimize food waste at the stages of production, consumption, and disposal while tackling societal stigmas through education. The app can scan purchased products' expiry date and conservation method. The app then recommends products to use on a given day and sends expiry notifications.

The winning team took the Innovation Trophy, made by Xinny Liu ‘21, one of the Lighthouse Keepers. The trophy was made in the DT Lab using scrap wood found around campus (Photo credit: Filip Maninski, UWCA '21)

TAPIA app prototype developed by the team

"Listening to wonderful project presentations, that your friends created in a limited time, demonstrate you how capable the people surrounding you are, and that a good impact can be caused if we take advantage of every minute of our lives." -Micaela Corvera Vargas ‘21 (student organiser) 2nd place was awarded jointly to teams TAPIA and Team A to Z. Team A to Z (Xinyao, Abobakar, Zakarya, Lucia, Dechen) built a software called ‘ACCUREAT’ to help school canteens to reduce food waste by tracking student foot traffic, time, weather, date, and food waste produced to estimate and prepare the appropriate number of meals. As one of the milestones, each team had to create a short video to showcase their solution. Click on the preview images to learn more about selected projects from the Lighthouse Hackathon 2021.

CLICK HERE

Subcontis

Seagulls

CLICK HERE

Team A to Z

CLICK HERE

Last Minute Thoughts

UPCOMING EVENTS

LEAVERS’ CEREMONY 2021 Saturday 22nd May, 1pm BST We would like to invite you to watch the streaming of UWC Atlantic’s annual Leavers’ Ceremony for our 2nd year students. This special and moving occasion for our departing students provides an opportunity to celebrate two transformative years at UWC Atlantic. This year’s event will be largely student-led. To access the Live Stream click here. We will also provide a recording and a highlights package. Class of 2021: Image taken by Houming (Michael) Ling, UWCA '21

HOST FAMILY OUTREACH With the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we anticipate that there will be some current first-year students who will be unable to return home for the summer holidays. These students will need to stay in the UK either for the entire summer or for a period of time only. We are reaching out to you with the request for support in offering host accommodation to one or more UWC Atlantic students. The period within which accommodation is sought is between Saturday 5th June and Friday 27th August 2021.

I CAN HELP 26

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT