Cranford Review 2016

14
It
has been quite a year for our continued special
relationship with the US Embassy. In the past year
alone, many students met the US Ambassador
when he visited Cranford Community College, but also at
the embassy and in his home. Staff and students attended
a celebrity-packed reception for the US rugby team at the
US Ambassador’s residence plus numerous diplomatic
events at the US Embassy with other ambassadors from
across the world, worked with Matthew Barzun, US
Ambassador to develop his ‘Schools Talk’ programme
and one of Cranford’s star students gained the prestigious
Fulbright scholarship following
intense international competition.
It started in October 2015 with the
reception at the Ambassador’s residence
Winfield House for the USA rugby team
followed by other highlights including
private screenings and discussions at the
US Embassy on documentaries including
“My name is Malala”, talks at the school
by noted experts, discussion groups with
the US Ambassador, Matthew Barzun and
of course five of our students meeting President Obama. It
was also the US Embassy which asked us if we would like
to represent the UK at International Space Camp. The year
ended how it started when Ms Yousaf and myself were
invited to the Ambassador’s Independence Day
party at his residence. It was quite a party with
A list celebrities including Pharrell Williams,
senior politicians and royalty. The theme for the
party was a music festival with big name bands
like Squeeze and Bastille performing.
Ambassador Barzan’s term of office ends with
President Obama’s in January 2017 and he will
be missed by Cranford to whom he has been a
great friend and we were delighted to receive
the letter and certificate in recognition of this fact.
Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher added:
“Our partnership with the US Embassy has generated
some truly amazing experiences and opportunities
for Cranford students but, I suspect, it will be hard
to beat this impressive and rare event. In particular,
these opportunities are so important in helping young
people develop vital modern life skills like networking,
integrity, political awareness, civic engagement and selfconfidence,
all of which I believe are essential to succeed
in a dynamic world and global economy”.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher –Community)
Cranford Young leaders
meet US President
Barack Obama
On
Saturday 23rd April 2016,
five very fortunate year
12 students were chosen to represent
Cranford Community College among a
select audience of 55 young people at
the historical address at Westminster
Town hall by visiting US
President Barack Obama.
Cranford was invited by
the US ambassador to
select five of its young
leaders for the privilege
of a private meeting with
the president because
of the school’s ‘special
relationship’ with the US
which has seen students
given the chance to meet the ambassador
at the embassy, in his home and during a
visit to the school.
This event received global media coverage
as the US President took time to
talk about world
issues and engage
in a question and
answer dialogue with
young people from
across West London.
Navneet Arura, Zahra
Butt, Ali Aweis, Ubaid
Rizvi and Nabila
Hiyati were seated in
the front row as the president delivered
his message. The President urged young
people to reject pessimism and cynicism,
to believe that progress is always possible
and that difficult problems can be solved
but that sometimes it is necessary to take
a longer view of history and be satisfied
with moving something forward so that
others can take it further. He warned that if
you only spend time with people who just
agree with you, you become even more
extreme in your convictions, suggesting