British Airways supports Lower School class project
British Airways staff visited ACS Egham International School to talk to six and seven year olds about their role in the community and how people are connected, as part of the Primary Years curriculum.
At ACS Egham, Lower School pupils follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme which encourages them to think for themselves and explore local and global issues across traditional subject areas.
The two visiting BA employees spoke about their role as flight attendants, and how their main responsibility is to care for the safety of the passengers on board the plane. They helped the youngsters think about how to care for other people and communities, and think about their needs while travelling, while the children also had fun trying on uniforms and giving in-flight demonstrations.
As an international school, students come from all over the world to join the community, and many will have experienced air travel from an early age. From a career and business perspective, it was important for the children to learn about the aviation industry as a vital part of the UK economy, supporting over 961,000 jobs.
ACS Hillingdon's iBook boosts classroom technology
After the success of ACS Hillingdon’s first iBook in 2016, staff in the Lower School have published their second entitled ‘Continuous Innovation’, which highlights the importance and use of technology in the classroom.
The iBook documents the school’s use of Apple products and apps, enabling students to extend their learning beyond the classroom and collaborate with other students, whether in class, a different grade level, in the wider community or around the world.
As well as teaching students to use it responsibly and respectfully, staff design relevant, meaningful activities to encourage students to use technology to develop their voice, explore their identity, and think critically and imaginatively to find solutions to problems.
The Lower School at ACS Hillingdon has been an Apple Distinguished School since 2016, reserved for schools that meet criteria for innovation, leadership and educational excellence and demonstrate Apple’s vision of exemplary learning environments. The iBook ‘Continuous Innovation’ is available to download via the Apple iBooks app or online.
ACS Doha and Al Jaber Group build a 2,470-student campus in Qatar
ACS Doha has announced a partnership with Al Jaber Group to build a brand new, state-of-the-art student campus in Doha, opening in August 2020.
Mr Ajay Sharma, British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, was present to witness the official signing of the partnership at a special ceremony. Mr Tim Cagney, Chief Executive of ACS International Schools, and Mr Mohammed Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman of Al Jaber Group, acted as signatories for the partnership agreement.
The 60,000 square metre site – over five times the size of ACS Doha’s present campus – has been secured in Al Kheesa. Construction on the site has begun and is progressing quickly.
Mr Robert Cody, Head of School at ACS Doha, added: “Our fantastic new campus will ensure that we can best prepare students in Doha for unrivalled academic success, gaining entry to some of the best colleges and universities around the world.”
Lottie doll sparks interest at ACS Cobham
In support of ‘Tomorrow’s Engineers Week’, lower and high school students and teachers at ACS Cobham International School have recently taken part in ‘Women’s Engineering Society takes Lottie on an Engineering Tour’.
The project uses a STEM-inspired ‘Barbie-like’ doll, Lottie, to engage primary school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The goal of the project, run by the Women’s Engineering Society, is to foster a lifelong love of STEM subjects from a young age to help increase the number of women taking up careers in the engineering and scientific sectors. Students at ACS Cobham invited Lottie into their classrooms, taking photos of her participating in everyday STEM activities such as science experiments, computer programming and the building of Lego bridges.