1 May 2015

May 1, 2015

The dreadful news from Nepal put a different emphasis on the visit from Jeevnath Aryal, Headteacher of our partner school Shining Stars.

Our school has a big heart and staff and students have already raised over a thousand pounds ahead of a week of further fundraising events.

Friendship is perhaps defined during sadness.

You can read more later in this Blog.

Three generations of Headteacher gathered at the main entrance to the school this afternoon. Past, present and future.

A representation of the school’s traditions being embedded in the future.

Ms Ball, our International Links Co-ordinator has written about Jeevnath’s visit.

On Monday DHSB welcomed Jeevnath Aryal, the Headteacher of our partner school Shining Stars in Kathmandu, Nepal. This partnership has been running since 2013 and allows students at both schools to learn more about life and learning in another country.

Students and staff work on projects together to exchange drawings, articles, posters and letters to share information on how we live and how we view the world. During his visit Jeevnath met with several students involved in the projects and shared work his students had made, as well as collecting work to take back with him.

Although the visit was enjoyable in many ways, it was also a very difficult time for Jeevnath. He was at Kathmandu airport on the plane when the earthquake struck on Saturday morning, He had to wait several hours before being able to contact his family and ensure they were all safe, which fortunately they all were.

Shining Stars has some minor structural damage but all students and staff have been accounted for over the past few days. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for a large proportion of people living in the city and the surrounding countryside.

Food and water supplies are running low, and sanitation is becoming a major issue. Jeevnath is returning to Kathmandu on Saturday and is understandingly apprehensive and fearful of what he will see and experience. DHSB has developed close links with Shining Stars and so this major natural disaster has had a big impact on staff, students and the school community.

On Wednesday we held a whole school assembly to highlight the current issues and to introduce the school to Jeevnath who spoke about the situation. Jeevnath also met with Peter Reid from Shelterbox to discuss the consequences for his school and city, and how DHSB and the wider community are supporting the cause. To help students see what their money will be supporting, we will have a Shelterbox package and tent pitched next to reception all day on Tuesday.

More about the Masterchef fundraising event in my Blog next week

You can read more international news here

Rotary Young Photographer Competition

Schools were invited to make a photographic response on the theme of “Light” and DHSB photography club had twelve photographs accepted for the exhibition at Brittany Ferries.

Jaydon Weston 7N, Cavan Lewis 7N, Elias Klockars 7N and Tommy Woodward 7N were invited with their families to the open evening last weekend to receive certificates of merit.

The public were asked to vote on their favourite photograph and we are keenly waiting to hear the results.