Dear VERSO Community,
I hope that this message finds you all well. We seem to be hurtling towards the end of the school year, and while that may be the case, there are still lots of exciting things to look forward to before the end of the year.
G12 Learner Prim's VERTEX Project: SOS! Save Our Sponges!
The Neptune's Cup sponges are critically endangered and need your help in conservation. I am working with Thai Ocean Academy, collecting GPS coordinates of each sponge, attaining growth measurements, and collecting ecological data that will support the sponges' conservation.
However, these come with costs for the manpower and boat. If you believe in repopulating a rare species whose highest population density is right here in our home of Thailand like we do, then please consider sponsoring a sponge: https://forms.gle/
You'll get to earn e-certificates personalized with your name and chosen sponge, sponge sticker sheets, keychains, and holographic sticker sheets depending on the amount you donate!
- Prim
VERSO Ignite
Last week, Rusydi Khairul from Reactor School Singapore was here to work with our Middle and Upper Loop learners on a variety of topics. On Friday, some of our learners had the opportunity to pitch their projects to Rusydi to gain valuable feedback on their projects and on giving pitches to an audience. Our Upper Loop learners also had the opportunity to work with him on their Learning Lab projects, gaining insights into targeting customers and launching their products.
On Saturday, Rusydi worked with VERSO learners and outside guests on entrepreneurial skills, and the language of entrepreneurship and innovation. We look forward to having him back soon to work with our learners and enhance our programs.
EARCOS Weekend Workshop
Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Head of School Institute sponsored by EARCOS on the topic of Artificial Intelligence. There were many key takeaways from the institute, but there are a few I would like to mention.
Our learners, more than ever, are growing up in a VUCA world - volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Teaching essential skills and competencies is crucial in today's rapidly changing landscape. Additionally, the pace of technological change is exponentially increasing, making the future unpredictable.
What I can say is that VERSO is well-positioned to handle these challenges. We are already having discussions with our learners regarding AI, and examining tools that will assist our learners as well as our Learning Designers. We have already had parent sessions on this topic, and will continue to do so in the future.
Coaching with Jennifer Abrams
This week Jennifer Abrams, an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools, universities and non-profits, was at our campus to work with the Leadership and Upper Loop teams. Jennifer specializes in coaching around communication, collaboration, self and team improvement. She specifically worked with our teams on suspending our certainty and thinking with greater complexity and openness, and taking in increased responsibility for our language and communications. The workshops were a great success and we hope to have her back next school year.
Next week 6-7 May are student holidays with no school in session. On 7 May we will be having our final Professional Learning Day of this school year. We are welcoming back Colleen Ackford from Erin Kent Consulting to work with our Learning Design Team on our literacy program.
Finally, thank you to families for completing the Re-Enrollment Form to register for the next school year. If you have not already done so, please fill out the form here.
Enjoy your long weekend.
Best regards,
Ryan Persaud
Head of School
Important Dates
- 7-8 May: Student Holidays
- 17 May: All Loops ConVERSOs
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