Visitors from Argentina

On Thursday 6th February it was our absolute pleasure to welcome staff and pupils from Barker College, Buenos Aires to Monkton for a day of sport and culture.  The 68 pupils and 8 staff members were welcomed by the brilliant Monkton Jazz Band in the Bowerman Hall, who played as the students mingled and were paired with Monkton pupils who were going to bring them to lessons.  Mr Goodman, Vice Principal gave an initial address extolling the virtues and benefits of touring, as well as his personal experience of touring Argentina. He challenged our guests, including the Headmaster Mr Gonzalez, to find aspects that make Monkton unique.
 
The Barker pupils then accompanied their hosts to their lessons in English, Maths and Science, where poetry mixing the two languages, practical science experiments and snakes all formed the basis of engaging and collaborative learning.
 
The afternoon was filled with sport with a First XI girls hockey fixture, as well as Under 16 and First XV rugby matches.  The games were hard fought and the girls, missing some players and currently focussing upon netball, gave an excellent account of themselves, yet succumbed to a 0-2 reverse.  On Score Box, the Under 16s, playing some expansive, high quality rugby won 29-5. Longmead saw the two First XVs play and this resulted in a 14-12 win for Monkton in an uncompromising, attritional, yet highly engaging match.
 
A post match reception was held in the dining hall with the captains of each team delivering a speech as well as ensuring the opposition captains and players of the match were recognised and rewarded.  Cole Dugdale showed his range by conducting his in Spanish to the delight of our guests. Many gifts were exchanged and the Monkton pupils accompanied the Barker students to their buses to bid them farewell, with all plans in place to make this a regular biannual event.
 
Huge thanks and appreciation must go to Barker College for their efforts in rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in to a Monkton day.  Also to the Monkton students who played so committedly in fixtures that were out of season for their current sport. The work of the Music, Maths, Science, English, Marketing, Catering, Grounds and Sports Departments, as well as those that officiated, should rightly be highlighted as the collaboration that took place between all of these areas worked so seamlessly, and they gave their time so graciously. 
 
Mr Gonzalez, the Barker Headmaster, in his closing remarks commented upon Mr Goodman’s challenge and he stated that Monkton is simply unique, the welcome, the attitude, the endeavour and positivity that surrounds and inhabits the school is one that he had not witnessed anywhere previously.  He stated he not only looked forward to visiting again in 2022, but also extended the invitation for us to tour to Barkers as well as creating more formal educational links in the hope that the two schools, who have so many shared values, can proceed in offering the very best for all pupils. 

Flickr album: Barker College Visit | Height: 250px | Theme: Justified