Young Minds, Deep Questions
Wenona parents, grandparents, and friends joined us this week to witness a powerful demonstration of the benefits of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP).
The annual Year 6 Exhibition is the culmination of the girls’ learning over the course of their primary years. In preparation, the students explored, documented, and conducted in-depth inquiries into pertinent real-life issues. The result was a vast exploration of what it is to be human.
The process starts with a learning ‘provocation’ intended to provoke through ideas and actions. It is designed as an open-ended exploration that stimulates students thinking and evokes deep reflection discussions.
The IB Mission Statement is ‘To develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better more peaceful world.’ In 2024, our Year 6 students chose to exemplify it by asking themselves some deeply human questions such as:
- How do humans adapt to loss? (Serena)
- How do our passions contribute to our sense of belonging? (Siena)
- What happens to the mental state of humans who kill in war? (Shreya)
Kathryn investigated social media's impact on teenage life. Through careful research and peer surveys, she uncovered the delicate balance between digital connection and authentic belonging.
Ellie explored the age-old question: "Are we who we are or who others shape us to be?", by looking at the influence of media, stereotypes, and trends. Her research led her to the revelation that finding purpose in our communities can free us from the constant mirror of self-reflection.
Shae asked, “How do communities come together in different ways?”, taking the central idea that human beings all crave belonging. For her ‘action’, she worked to build a website to help people who are finding it difficult to identify a community to belong to.
As parents and friends wove their way among the stands, the Exhibition space buzzed with the girls’ enthusiasm in sharing their newfound knowledge. They spoke articulately about their research and their suggested solutions to the issues they had explored. It was a demonstration of the way Wenona is preparing them to become active participants in shaping the communities they wish to see.
One student’s grandmother commented to our PYP Coordinator, Ms Cameron, that despite often worrying about the world’s future, she is leaving the Exhibition with renewed hope and faith in the capacity of the next generation to shape our world for good.
Overall, the event provided a wonderful demonstration of the way Wenona is preparing young people to become active participants in shaping the communities they wish to see.