Jerudong International School welcomes Royal visitors

Jerudong International School (JIS) in partnership with the British High Commission hosted a visit from Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex on Saturday, October 7. 

Their Royal Highnesses were in Brunei Darussalam to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Majesty, The Sultan of Brunei. HRH, The Earl of Wessex is Chair of Trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation. The aim of the visit to JIS was to congratulate Award participants and their Award Leaders on the progress they have made and also to publicise the holistic value of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in a Bruneian context.

During their visit TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex, accompanied by HE Richard Lindsay, British High Commissioner, interacted with Award participants and Award Leaders who are on this pathway to becoming better versions of themselves. They saw first hand how students support the wider community in Brunei Darussalam and challenge themselves to learn new skills. Escorted by the JIS Head Girl, Salsa Mazlan and Head Boy, James Brien together with the Deputy Head Girls, Renee Teo and Uma Roy Prabhakaran, TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex saw this process in action. Moving through the JIS Arts Centre, they talked to JIS students involved in lighting and rehearsals for the upcoming performance of Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The school musicians then spoke about and demonstrated their range of expertise from orchestral ensemble through to rock band!

Mr Barnaby Sandow, Principal of Jerudong International School said: “Our team was hugely excited at the prospect of this VIP visit. It was wonderful for the participants and Award Leaders of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award to meet the Chair of this excellent organisation. These life journeys have meant so much to so many members of our community that to have the chance to share these experiences with TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex was an awe inspiring prospect.”

Award students from the International School of Brunei (ISB) also showcased their community projects following which, the VIP guests moved to the swimming pool. There, the Beach Bunch, a registered local NGO with a vision of keeping Brunei's beaches safer, cleaner and more enjoyable were showcasing their community coastal cleanliness efforts including tree planting conservation, trail running races, sea turtle conservation efforts and coastal water safety efforts on a national level.

Students from JIS shared their experiences of working to help others in Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo and India. They also explained to the honoured guests about the JIS Polio Points scheme whereby students earning merits redeem these for polio vaccines. At the JIS Outdoor Discovery Centre, students explained about the student led Eco Agroforestry project - creating compost from food waste and planting herb spirals. TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex also saw Adventurous Journey training taking place with Gold Award Level students mentoring and training younger Bronze Award Level students.

The Head Girl and Head Boy led TRH, The Earl and Countess of Wessex to the recently opened Sports Complex where they saw students coaching in one of the sports halls and a life saving skill demonstration at the swimming pool. During their visit, plants were irrigated, netballs caught, notes played, lengths swum, non swimmers saved, lines enacted and families fed! Students shared their own personal journeys with the special guests – sharing how through the Award, they have deepened their self-awareness, built confidence and broadened their skills to further their growth as active, responsible citizens.

To complete the visit, His Excellency, Mr Richard Lindsay, introduced TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex to families from the British Community based in Brunei Darussalam. This included members of the Loan Service (British Armed Forces personnel seconded to the Brunei Armed Forces), the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT) whose teachers are based in local Brunei schools, members of the Britain Brunei Business Forum (BBBF), Shell Corporation and the staff and families of the British High Commission.

See a video of the Royal visit here: