The College Magazine Winter 2020

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Education and Pandemic Post-COVID-19: Is Wellbeing the Most Overused Word or the Most Under Actioned Concept? By Stephen Hurworth Since our return to school post-COVID-19, the word wellbeing has continued to dominate conversations. People’s time has become more precious and many are protecting their time more than ever before. How we are all spending our protected time is absolutely crucial. The irony is with most of the Dulwich College Beijing community, free time often blends with our schoolwork. It is almost the nature of the beast. The College is filled with ambitious, driven and highly focused students, teachers and support staff. This 100% has been a key component to the success of the College over the last 15 years. enable you to hit the ground running, fresher and more effective than ever before. After all, it’s not rocket science… Exercise “If exercise came in pill form, it would be hailed the blockbuster drug of the century…” - Spark (2010) by Dr John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman Senior School students enjoy a relaxing jam session as one of their applied wellness activities What if our protected time wasn’t spent in the midst of getting ahead of ourselves, extra classes and planning for the future? Would we lose ground on fellow students competing for top universities? Fall out of the top 2 International Schools in China? I fear that some would argue that it could commence the start of a decline in excellence. Research would say otherwise, especially when it comes to the power of the switching off. Below are some essential activities that will take your mind off the hustle and bustle of school/work life, take a step off the College treadmill and will Conducting regular exercise can have incredible benefits, not only for our physiological and psychological health but also for our performance at school. 30 Beijing.dulwich.org
Education and Pandemic Firstly, in addition to priming the state of mind (studies show that young people learn better immediately following exercise), exercise also influences learning directly (and permanently) at the cellular level. The plasticity of the brain is at the heart of this. Increased neurotransmitter activity improves attention and long-term memory, but also causes synapses to swell and make stronger connections. Exercise stimulates the production of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), the master molecule of the learning process, which increases learning by stimulating neuron growth. Rate of learning correlates positively with enhanced levels of BDNF. Activity improves stem cell production in the hippocampus, which in turn enhances memory. Applied practice: Implementing an exercise routine a day for around 30 minutes can have significant benefits to your overall health and productivity. Start simple with no equipment fitness clips. Then gradually sign up to the gym and make a lifelong commitment to including exercise into your daily routine. users are left with an ‘overabundance of dopamine’ that distracts one from the task in hand. Applied practice: Breaks such as screen-free thinking time, mindfulness, healthy snacking and moderate exercise have been proven to positively impact wellbeing, physical and psychological health, and lastly our performance. What does wellbeing look like at Dulwich College Beijing? This year the Senior School has embarked on a new outlook on what contributes to wellbeing at Dulwich College Beijing. Through conducting research, student focus groups, surveys and a continual craving to enhance the wellbeing provision, we now have a new four strand approach that are focused on a four-week rotation. Activating the switch off button We are in quite the transition period in education as technology will inevitably have a greater and more integral role to play in how we learn. In our busy daily routines, pressing the switch off button is absolutely crucial for our wellbeing and overall productivity. It is no surprise that one of the most common activities to conduct whilst participating in breaks nowadays is to scroll through social media. How much is this negatively impacting our ability to perform? Results from a recent survey by the Huffington Post found that activities like social networking can significantly increase stress levels. Further research by David Rock, Harvard Business Review contributor and author of Your Brain on Facebook stated that, when we connect with people online, we don’t tend to get the oxytocin or serotonin calming rewards that happen when interacting with people in the flesh. Furthermore, social media ❖ Systematic approach to student support ❖ Applied wellness ❖ Life skills curriculum that equips students to flourish in and out of the Dulwich College Beijing bubble ❖ Continually bolster and enhance HOUSE spirit & inter-year collegiality The College Magazine (Beijing) 31
Page 1 and 2: The Winter 2020 BEIJING COLLEGE Dul
Page 3 and 4: C O N T E N T S Head of College Mes
Page 5 and 6: Head of College Message The list go
Page 7 and 8: 15 th Anniversary Specials Dulwich
Page 9 and 10: 15 th Anniversary Specials Meet Jes
Page 11 and 12: Visual Arts 15 th Anniversary Speci
Page 13 and 14: Student Achievements Life beyond IB
Page 15 and 16: Student Achievements general develo
Page 17 and 18: Student Achievements Fourth Annual
Page 19 and 20: Student Achievements At the start o
Page 21 and 22: Visual & Performing Arts Dulwich Co
Page 23 and 24: Visual & Performing Arts IGCSE stud
Page 25 and 26: Education and Pandemic An Overview
Page 27 and 28: Education and Pandemic What is the
Page 29 and 30: Education and Pandemic Senior Schoo
Page 31: Education and Pandemic On the susta
Page 35 and 36: P i n k D a y Spotlight H a l l o w
Page 37 and 38: Make it Real A One-of-a-Kind Leanin
Page 39 and 40: Make it Real Circle time Meditation
Page 41 and 42: Make it Real Students enjoying a vi
Page 43 and 44: Make it Real Year 9 students are st
Page 45 and 46: DCI News A Community Tackling Plast
Page 47: DCI News Eat a Rainbow From Dulwich

The College Magazine Winter 2020

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?