The News at Sixth
The News at Sixth 
| 22/07/2011 | Sixth Form Prom |
Sixth Formers at Kingsbridge Community College ended the year in style with a Prom at Buckland Tout Saints Hotel. 180 students and staff gathered in beautiful summer sunshine to celebrate their time at the College before going on to Higher Education and employment. The students looked stunning in tuxedos and elegant eveningwear. Principal, Roger Pope said, "It is wonderful to see staff and students celebrating 7 years of working together with such warmth and friendship. We wish them all well for the future". |
| 22/07/2011 | Broadening Minds |
As part of their broader Sixth Form curriculum this year, Year 12 students at Kingsbridge Community College spent a day doing workshops on philosophy, ethics and religion. During the philosophy conference students asked questions such as 'what is reality?' and 'Am I free?' through a number of practical activities that got them thinking and questioning the most common of everyday assumptions. They moved on to look at ethics in the 21st Century and the moral dilemmas thrown up by contemporary issues such as the right to privacy and climate change. Students also worked with local experts, Helen Sands and Steph Bradley, on the ancient origins of the labyrinth and explored its spiritual significance through a practical workshop reflecting on their lives so far and wishes for the future. Finally, having spent previous years learning about Buddhism for their RE GCSE, students spent an hour with the a Buddhist monk from Hartridge Monastery near Honiton, discussing the teachings of the Buddha, the Buddhist lifestyle and meditation all in relation to their own understanding of the world. Lorwyn Randall, Head of RE & Philosophy at Kingsbridge commented, "The aim was to broaden students’ minds and give them an opportunity to engage in some deep thinking about the big questions in life." His colleague and principal subject teacher of Ethics, Rob Crocker, said, "Seeing the level of thinking these young people are capable of is a reminder that, despite the some of the more superficial aspects of living in the 21st Century, this generation are deep thinkers asking the same profound questions man has been asking himself for centuries." |
| 08/04/2011 | A Challenging Issue |
Sixth Form students at Kingsbridge Community College were visited by a guest speaker from the local community last week, Ann David, whose work in Israel and Palestine has been displayed as an exhibition at the college’s Sixth Form Centre. The powerful exhibition, telling the stories of former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants, is a result of the collaboration between the British Charity “The Forgiveness Project” and the Palestinian/Israeli Charity “Combatants for Peace”. Both organisations are committed to achieving resolution of differences through dialogue and the honouring of difference rather than changing or converting them. The consequence of this process is one of deep respect. The exhibition formed the precursor to Ann’s visit where she presented a documentary whose narrative was illustrated through photographs and her personal experiences in the area. The film, produced by her, with the support of River King, brought together a series of powerful and moving stories focusing on peoples’ capacity to open their minds and hearts and in so doing, facilitate change. Speaking to students, Ann said, “The modelling that these Israelis and Palestinians offer us all is that the greatest courage we can show one and another, is one of compassion and that through this, resolution and reconciliation is possible.” The talk was followed by a lively debate at the Sixth Form Debating Society who debated the motion ‘This House believes dialogue alone will never solve the Arab-Israeli conflict’. Mr Randall, teacher in charge of debating and public speaking at the College, said, “The society were delighted to welcome Ann and River to the House and really seemed to engage with the issues arising from the inspirational talk they heard that morning. It’s incredible to hear young people connecting on such a level with these complex and challenging issues.” The House defeated the motion by an overwhelming majority, handing victory to opposition debaters students Thomas and Henry Tozer, who commented, “The debate proved to be very thought provoking as it gave us the opportunity to challenge the preconceptions that we held about conflict resolution. It was an immensely meaningful experience.” Roger Pope, Principal, said: “We are grateful to Ann and River for bringing these emotional stories to our students’ attention and giving them the opportunity to consider the challenging moral issues that surround conflict.” |
| 08/04/2011 | Sixth Form Careers Library Revamp |
|
Three year 12 students have updated the careers library up in the Sixth Form block located on the top floor. Myke Hingston, Elli Callard and Paige Brimson have spent the last few weeks sorting out the room that will be helping the future minds of tomorrow. All it took was a little bit of organisation, some very loud music and they got it done in a jiffy. We have organised all of the university prospectuses alphabetically and sorted out the boxes for Post-18 choices, Gap Year options, Open Days and UCAS information. If anyone is looking for specific university prospectuses or you’re not sure what you want to do after A Levels, then come to the Careers Library and check out what is on offer for you. Connexions advisers, Liz Ponsford and Josie Cuffe are also available in the Students Support block, as well as the Careers Office downstairs. Many special thanks to Miss Thomas and Mrs Arscott for all their assistance. The boards in the study area also have information about vacancies, apprenticeship opportunities as well as posters on Open Days at universities and local FE colleges. Written by Elli Callard 12JA and |
|
|
| 05/04/2011 | |
Higher Education Fair Slow Down! A Matter Of Debate Media Goes North |