+First Aid Week+

This, of the many things that are done different in AC and the other UWCs, is something that I believe should be done throughout every educational institution for both safety reasons and for life skills that will be necessary for many situations. For one week in November, all of the First years do not have codes, but have a mass first-aid training week, which is known simply as “First Aid Week”. It’s so that everyone in the school is qualified in First Aid in order to assure safety throughout the students, in our service programs to help the community, for our daily lives here at AC, and for our Activities that may require knowledge of First aid. So, three outside instructors ran sessions with us for four days in order to prepare us both through theory and practical assessments, which would end in a written exam to prove our qualification.

Aside from the serious part of this week, it is bursting with fun. Firstly, all but a few second years spent the entire week in London, as they do every year on the acclaimed “London Week”. They go to shows, musicals, clubs, restaurants, cultural events, and basically have tons of fun in order to celebrate the finishing of the EEs and other required coursework by the IB. Not only does this mean it’s the first time for all of my co-years to be without our second years, it meant a ton of bonding, the tradition of the blue garden party, and lots of house bonding events. Firstly, the Blue Garden Party. It has been a tradition for 15 years that the Thursday night of First Aid week a few people scramble money together to throw a party in the Blue Garden of the Castle after check-in, despite the fact that the staff knows about it every single year. So, after check in, the organizers had all the equipment out and everyone snuck down to the blue garden party, and within the first fifteen minutes, the German Houseparent, Christian, crept into the Blue Garden with a Hoodie on [with the hood over his head], walked in and said “I’m taking names” in a sly way. To put it simply, everyone dashed like pigeons and sprinted back to the houses. BUT! Us first years were tricky…instead of being defeated, the organizers just threw it again two hours later, and it wasn’t busted at all! It seems to be more of a simply non-communicated allowed party that’s part of tradition, and even the hilarious people teaching the first aid said they would have come joined if they were invited!

[Me accounting during the ordering of food...]

Dyfed also bonded a lot, mainly being two nights with ordering tons of Indian food, Kebab, Chinese food, and basically a massive feast together which was really great.


In the end, the first aid week also made us all realize how close we are to our second years, and how much we missed them. So, when they came back, it was a celebrating weekend which was tons of fun and a massive realization of how much they mean to us.

Some of my Second years from Left to Right: Rahel from Germany, Henning our Peer Listener from Norway, Harlem from Peru, and Ondra my dormmate from the Czech Republic.

:]

My love to all whom I haven't seen but will see soon,


Kirb