In his last vlog before Spring Break, our head of school, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, shares some thoughts about our school’s idea of rigour.
But, first, Dr Geoff has just returned from an amazing field trip to Kochi, where he, with our students from Grade 9 and teachers, explored the local culture and history. Other groups went to Jaipur, Pondicherry, and Hyderabad. Grade 6 went on a trip to Igatpuri earlier this year.
Dr Geoff reiterates the B.D. Somani belief that these trips are all about building memories, and communities, learning by doing, and experiencing the amazing things this country has to offer. It’s what makes being a student at B.D. Somani so special.
B.D. Somani is a community of lifelong learners, and we believe in educational rigour. At a recent PTA meeting, Dr Geoff talked about what this means for us and how it is woven into our curriculum and pedagogical approach. Ours is a rigorous curriculum with expert teachers and young people who develop skills by being rigorous with themselves about their own learning. That doesn’t mean we’re giving them a ton of pen-and-paper tests, though.
While these kinds of tests might prepare them for rote exams, but it doesn’t prepare them for life. We’re proud to be sending our kids to amazing universities like King’s College London, Emory, Tufts, Purdue, Georgetown and many, many more. And when it comes to math testing in primary school, our kids do exceptionally when compared with international and Indian cohorts. That’s rigour, even if it means playing with blocks and running around the classroom.
Our IB and IGCSE results speak for themselves. Dr Geoff observes that the IB diploma is widely considered the world’s most difficult secondary school program, but our students thrive. We use assessment as part of our learning curriculum, so it’s not just about grades – it’s about what they’ll remember when they grow up.
The trips, the friends, the teachers, and skills like honesty, companionship, and friendship are the things we value most.
Dr Geoff ends his vlog by wishing everyone a wonderful spring break and shares his plan to visit the IB Global conference, where IB educators from around the world are gathering to discuss new ideas and strategies.
We’re always looking for ways to improve and grow as a school community, and we’re excited to see where that takes us next.
