Andy Gleadhill is a renowned percussionist, educator, and ethnomusicologist with extensive experience in leading drumming workshops around the world. At Nexus International School, his drumming workshops provide students with a unique opportunity to explore the rhythms and techniques of world percussion. With a focus on African and Latin drumming, Andy's sessions are designed to enhance musical skills, encourage teamwork, and build confidence. His engaging teaching style and deep knowledge of global musical traditions make the workshops both educational and fun, offering students an unforgettable hands-on learning experience.

We were lucky to have Andy as "Artist in Residence" this week working our Y3, Y5, Y10, Y11 and Y12 learners. Andy led them through hands on practical experiences drawing their knowledge and understanding of topics recently covered in class. The learners had so much fun drumming away, making noise and being rhythmically insync!!!

What a fantastic way to showcase the Year 2 learners' understanding of the Who we are unit of inquiry with our Mini Exhibition last week. The learners proudly shared their knowledge, skills and attitudes by showing their families some of the learning engagements they participated in. For example, the traffic light reflection encouraged learners to consider emotional, social and physical health choices they will stop making, continue making and start making, and the balanced bento boxes, made from modelling clay, displayed their understanding of balanced nutrition. Thank you to the families for taking the time to celebrate your child’s learning journey with them. We look forward to more events involving parents as the year continues. 

The Year 12 Learners visited the Lion City Fair last week where they met with over 150 universities from around the world including the UK, US, Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia. They were particularly excited to engage with universities such as the University of Glasgow, Imperial College London, Boston College, Queen's University (Canada), Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, ESSEC and the University of Hong Kong to name just a few! The learners learned about university programmes, admissions requirements, scholarhship opportunities and so much more. During our Wednesday morning reflection time, the learners shared an overview of their findings. Here's what they had to say:

"I learned more about the subject requirements for certain courses in different universities. For example in the University of Sheffield you need around 38 points to be applicable for an engineering course, however you need over 40 for universities such as Imperial College, needed practically a perfect score to be applicable for a scholarship."

"I learned about what is the grades I need to achieve my goals I also felt motivated to dedicate myself more in my studies."

"Some universities requirements are of an overall IB score not just individual courses."

"While some universities are able to do this, other unis would rather not defer for 2 whole years due to NS requirements. In a lot of unis admission is based on you as a candidate in comparison/relative to your cohort of applicants, and so places in a different cohort may not be guaranteed. Therefore these unis recommend that you shift your timeline to apply during or after NS, where you can join with the rest of your applicant pool."

"HL math is often required for economics courses in the UK."

"Art schools require portfolios that show both processes and skill."

"I learned about short courses at LASALLE I can take to prepare for the university course I want to take."

Confident communicators and eager to engage with the university reps, our Year 12 learners did an exceptional job at representing Nexus at both fairs. Well done to everyone involved!

At Nexus, we understand that navigating university applications can be challenging, and we are committed to streamlining the process for our learners and their families. We recently hosted a parent workshop with our Careers and University Guidance Counsellor, Ms Aine. During the workshop, Aine provided valuable insights into admissions trends and requirements, finance matters, the university admissions process, timelines, and Unifrog. She also celebrated the past university destinations of our learners, including institutions such as Imperial College London and Monash University. Aine also shared practical advice for parents on how to guide their children through this important journey. She remarked, “Meeting with the Year 13 families this morning to talk about all things careers and university was a great way to start my day. I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity to connect with the community next term.” Thank you to everyone who attended! Stay tuned for more workshops ahead.

We are thrilled to share the incredible highlights from our first MYP Mini Exhibition led by Individuals and Societies, where our Year 7 learners showcased the amazing skills they developed while investigating Ötzi the Iceman! This dynamic unit was an exciting opportunity for learners to develop their investigation and critical thinking abilities, with a focus on formal report writing and the art of crafting PEEL paragraphs to draw well-reasoned conclusions backed by solid evidence.

Diving into the roles of archaeologists, pathologists, and climatologists, our learners embarked on a thrilling journey to unravel the mystery of Ötzi’s death over 5,000 years ago. As budding archaeologists, they explored recreated artifacts found at the scene of Ötzi's demise, gaining fascinating insights into his life and times. The experience was enhanced with cutting-edge augmented reality technology, allowing them to recreate Ötzi and snap selfies in the breathtaking setting of the Ötztal Alps!

Through the lens of Pathologists, our learners examined the intriguing contents of Ötzi's stomach and conducted pollen analysis to piece together the final hours of his life. They closely inspected the wounds and mysterious tattoos on his mummified body using a state-of-the-art body scanner. Additionally, as Climatologists they investigated glacier structures to understand how Ötzi’s body was so well-preserved and how glacial retreat led to its remarkable discovery.

Through this exhibition, learners demonstrated the key IB Learner Attributes, of inquirers and thinkers, as they posed questions and sought evidence to deepen their understanding. They also exhibited the attributes of being knowledgeable and reflective, connecting their findings to real-world implications.

The excitement was palpable as our Year 7 learners shared their newfound knowledge with younger peers, providing a captivating glimpse into what learning looks like in Secondary School. It was a heartwarming moment to see them reconnect with their Year 6 teachers, impressing them with their depth of understanding and enthusiasm.

This exhibition not only highlighted the remarkable growth of our learners but also fostered a strong sense of community within our school, aligning perfectly with our Nexus RECIPE values of Passion and Excellence. 

A huge thank you to everyone who supported this experience.