Challenge 21

World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated yearly on the 21 March. This year, the Senior and Junior Schools both participated in various activities in order to spread awareness of the condition and to educate people further to develop important changes within society today. Prior to the event, three students, Nicholas Scerri, 11C;  Madelyn Harrison-Mirfield 10G and Louis Mulleague 10G created a presentation with Mr Peswani to show students within assemblies from Years 5-13. The main aim of the assemblies was to firstly inform students about this condition and then to show how current perceptions of Down Syndrome are slowly changing around the world. These three students worked extremely hard to ensure that these assemblies were delivered with great enthusiasm and professionalism. Students and teachers within both schools were also able to raise money through the sale of baked goods and a T-shirts designed by Anna Schrage, 8A and Miriam Krett, 8A.

This proved extremely successful as over 900 T-shirts were sold and worn on the day. The main event on the 21st was themed around the idea of challenge. The initiative “Challeng3 21” was created to recognize the many challenges that individuals with Down Syndrome face on a daily basis and the number 21 to signify the 21st chromosome that is altered when Down Syndrome is present. Challeng3 21 asked students and teachers within the school to come up with an activity that was both challenging and incorporated the number 21. Over 21 teacher challenges took place on the day, including a 21 teacher pancake relay race, the planting of 21 sunflowers and a 21 minute rowing challenge to beat the Head Teacher, to name but a few. The atmosphere in the school was electrifying and all agreed that the event had both raised awareness and altered existing opinions on Down Syndrome. The Junior School also took part by encouraging students to take part in their own challenges throughout the day.

In total, a little over BD 1000 was raised on the day and all of the funds will go towards developing research into Down Syndrome on how to improve the lives of individuals with this condition, as well as supporting the Down Syndrome Association here in Bahrain further.