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World Scholar’s Cup trip to Stockholm: 11th-17th July

Eight Year 8 and 9 students accompanied by their ‘coach’ Anaka M travelled to Stockholm in Sweden to take part in a Global Round of the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC).

As well as fierce debating on topics such as ‘We should build ‘halls of wisdom’ in which people can consult AI simulations of their own ancestors for advice’, students took part in a mass-quiz based on 400 pages of eclectic information which they had to learn in advance of the competition.  The Team Bowl  took place over four hours in an arena style venue with lights, music and Kahoot-style clickers 

We managed to get through airport customs with an impressive 7 trophies, 44 gold medals and 25 silver medals, as well as 8 alpacas and 5 pineapples. 

Our junior team of On-Yu, Lois and Jasmine finished a brilliant 5th overall out of 500+ teams with Lois coming 4th out of all the Champion Scholars.   Aleksija was awarded a separate individual trophy coming 2nd in collaborative writing and Daria came away with 13 medals.

The Senior team of Arjun, Sophie and Alina were competing against students aged 14-18 and did exceptionally well - they were placed 9th for the team writing and overall 4th for the young seniors.

Congratulations to all of the students who studied incredibly hard before and during the event, demonstrating character and resilience under pressure.  And thank you to Anaka for the hours of coaching and preparation.

The WSC is a global event and we had the opportunity to meet and socialise with scholars and teachers from all around the world.  Ms Spencer and Mr Branley both led multi-national scavenger hunts at Skansen, the world’s first and biggest open-air museum which included challenges such as speaking to a farm animal in as many languages as possible!

We enjoyed 18 amazing acts by students from around the world at the Scholars’ Show - a bit like a young global Britain’s Got Talent with dancers from Ethiopia and The Bahamas, a singer-song writer from Egypt and a classical pianist from China and a ventriloquist puppet singing Abba from Bulgaria - our very own Aleksija was selected from her audition tape and performed last year’s French Eurovision entry in front of an audience of 1000+ in the arena.  She was simply wonderful - what a star.

On our days off, Ms Spencer and Mr Branley led sightseeing in the beautiful (and mostly sunny!) city, taking advantage of the cheap and efficient public transport using Metro, train, bus and even ferries between the islands.  Highlights include our walking tour of historical Gamla Stan where the term bloodbath originates; the Nobel Prize museum where the awards are nominated every year; examining an astonishingly well preserved seventeenth-century war-ship which sank after 15 minutes at sea and was raised in 1961 at Vasamuseet; seeing the huge and beautiful  Medieval Codex Gigas (Devil’s Bible) at the National Library; and learning all about Viking history at the Historiska Museet.

 

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29th January

Year 8 Swimmers Make Waves at County Championships

We are delighted to announce that two of our Year 8 pupils, Sam C and Grace F, have achieved significant success in the pool, qualifying for and competing at the prestigious County Swimming Championships. Qualification for Counties is a major milestone in the swimming world. To be eligible, swimmers must achieve strict published qualifying times and rank within the top 25 competitors in their age group across the entire county. Both students have demonstrated exceptional talent to reach this elite standard. Sam has secured his place in an incredible variety of events, demonstrating his versatility across both sprints and long-distance endurance races. Representing Berkhamsted Swim Club, Sam will be competing at the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans throughout January. His comprehensive schedule includes: Freestyle: 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m Butterfly: 50m, 100m, and 200m Individual Medley: 100m, 200m, and 400m Matching this high standard of performance is Grace F, who represents the U13 age group. Grace has already secured a fantastic 9th place ranking in the county for the 100m breaststroke. Beyond this individual success, Grace is a dedicated member of Ricky Swim Club and a vital part of the SCD team, regularly representing the school in the Herts League. Reaching this level requires a sustained and high level of commitment. Over the past eight months, both swimmers have balanced intense training schedules and regular licensed galas alongside their academic studies. Their success is a testament not only to their athletic ability but also to their discipline and excellent time management. Please join us in congratulating Grace on her top10 ranking and wis