Hello and welcome to the April Around the Grounds update!
We know this is a very busy time for many of you, both at uni and in terms of seminar delivery, so we’ll keep the intro short and sweet this month.
But while you’re here, take a five-minute break from your studying or seminar prep and have a read of what the Elevate global teams have been up to in April.
Team Aus
It may have only been 4 weeks since we last caught up with the Aus team, but April appears to have been an incredibly eventful month...
Term 2 has just begun, and already we’ve had spider bites, rogue sheep, poetry masterclasses, and of course, some standout performances in our presenting and coaching teams.
Let’s get stuck in!
Aus Presenter of the Month
Bhakti
Our presenter of the Month for Team Aus is Bhakti! It's been a quiet month with school holidays, but Bhakti has been jumping on seminars, looking after Team WA, and also ran her first training - which she knocked out of the park! The Aus team praises her fantastic comms and proactiveness in constantly looking at how she can help improve support the team.
Amazing work, Bhakti, thanks for going above and beyond!
Aus Coach of the Month
Cheng
Our Aus Coach of the Month for April is Cheng. Renowned across the team for her diligence and hard work, Cheng is always on hand to help when diagnostic swaps are needed. Looking back over April, she ran 30% of the diagnostics in Aus – which is pretty impressive stuff!
Here’s what motivates Cheng to keep up her dedication to coaching:
‘I love knowing that I’m making a real difference in students’ and families’ lives. Even though I’m based in Victoria and have never met the team, everyone is so supportive - always up to encourage one another and share insights. It’s so interesting meeting different families and listening to their stories. It's a great feeling knowing that the insight I give is valuable and that I can make a change in this student’s skillset. Elevate’s values definitely vibe with mine, all about empowering one another and especially the students! I can work anywhere and have gained lots of new experiences and skills, couldn’t ask for a cooler job!’
Standout Presenter Feedback
Isabella
‘Issy was fantastic. Kids really engaged. Thanks for a fantastic session!’
Darius
‘Darius was engaging and gave some really helpful and applicable advice, which students appreciated.’
Brittany
'Excellent presentation. Brittany is very engaging and the information is extremely useful.'
Standout Coach Feedback
Lizzy
‘Lizzy was amazing. She is so sweet, amazing and helpful!’
Jasmin
‘Jasmin communicates really well, she's really good and listens to my daughter and helps her with her study skills.’
Slack Channel Highlights
Team QLD
Team QLD kicked off April with an EOT drinks flashback shared by Jemma; a photo from Simeon of his week in Cairns presenting with Matthew; two start of term sem pics from Rahil and Lucas; and a post-large-group snap from Kiara (126 students!!)
Team VIC
Amongst some other gems in VIC, we have: a mid-munch snap of Isaac; a photo of an usual-looking dog that Oscar took on his wanderings between sems; and a Singapore selfie from Nelson. But that’s not all we have from Nelson’s time overseas...he also immortalised the trip in the form of a poem:
In security at the Tulla, with a passport in my pocket
Qantas, not Jetstar - where’s the Elevate budget?
Touchdown in Changi, no other way that I’d want it
Cause we here to HTK and make students skyrocket
Marina Bay and a hotel with a pool
Pull on the trusty polo, that’s navy blue
32 and humid, searching for a room that’s still cool
Ah it’s aight, got AC at Aus International School
First sessions TM
Follow it up with MM
And at the end of the day got a parents session
6 sems to present
Always hit with questions
Like are you the lord? Or the sensei? Or Josh Hutcherson?
Back to back twice - q1 I got hundies
But for the nines, not the tens? Man, that’s tomfoolery.
8 hours speaking, getting a little bit hungry
So I head to Little India and have the best lamb biryani
Cloud forest and a skywalk, man these gardens have everything
Visit Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, do some worshipping
Marina Sands at the top, waiter asks “Do ya want anything?”
And that's how I walked back on the plane holding a Singapore sling.
Thanks, Nelson, for sharing – a man of many talents it would seem. Is anyone up to the challenge of rivalling this lyrical masterpiece for next month’s update?
Team NSW
A very wholesome collection of images from team NSW this week, including not one, but two painting meet-up pics shared by Bethany and Amy. We also have a very rainy team photo from Alyssa, which we’ve included to make the UK team feel somewhat better about the very British ‘Summer’ they’re experiencing at the moment.
Team WA
Team WA have come through with some crackers this month; two group photos from Antigone and Zephyr; a newbie welcome from Bhakti; a photo of Alex living up to his EOT award for ‘Never caught smiling on Slack’ (fantastic hoodie, Kerr); and a photo of the team paying homage to Kerr’s spider bite during a sem – I don’t think the Aus tourism board will be using this any time soon.
But that’s not all, while team VIC has been utilising the written word to reflect on their month, Hannah from team NSW has raised the bar and created a vlog depicting her trip to Hong Kong:
Team South Africa
The month got off to a great start for the South African team, with EOT drinks providing the perfect opportunity to reflect on the first 3 months of the school year. Team members were recognised with awards and leadership promotions across the states, setting up the team for a strong start to Term 2.
South African Presenter of the Month
Tumelo
Tumelo is our very worthy South African Presenter of the Month for April! The team has recognised her for truly setting the bar high as a presenter and consistently delivering excellence. From spearheading CSI initiatives for both Capitec and Toyota schools to facilitating online ABSA sessions and leading Team Gauteng, her dedication and hard work do not go unappreciated. Tumelo embodies the Elevate values of #HelptheKids, Build the Team, and Bring Solutions, Not Problems.
Her feedback for the past term speaks volumes, with an impressive 98.97% across 26 sessions. This is a testament to her expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to making a difference. Awesome work, Tumelo, thank you for charging so hard in Term 1!
Standout Presenter Feedback
Keith
‘Keith was energetic and engaging for our young learners.’
Lara
‘This was a great workshop. The students were engaged in the content and the presenter was very enthusiastic. Thank you.’
Candice
‘The facilitators were engaging and connected well with the learners. Please can we book the same presenters for our Term 3 workshop please- especially Candice.’
South African Coach of the Month
Khanyisa
And it's Khanyisa who is our South African Coach of the Month! The coaching team has recognised her for being extremely helpful and accommodating with her coaching clients, as well as receiving an average feedback of 9/10 for her sessions. She works hard to build a great rapport with her students and goes above and beyond to ensure they are getting the most out of their coaching sessions.
Great stuff, Khanyisa, keep it up!
Team Photos
It was a busy month indeed for the team in April - and we have the photos to prove it. Have a browse below of some photos from EOT drinks and awards, sems, and team meet-ups.
Team UK
The sun might not be shining in the UK just yet, but that hasn’t been stopping our presenters and coaches from delivering some fantastic sessions after the Easter break. As schools and students turn their attention to impending A-levels and GCSEs, our team’s study skills advice is more crucial than ever.
So who’s been delivering some grade-changing support to students in April?
UK Presenter of the Month
Jithin
Our UK Presenter of the Month, Jithin from team North West, has been recognised by the UK office for consistently great stats, awesome teacher feedback and his fantastic attitude towards presenting and leadership – hence his upcoming promotion to 2iC. Congrats Jithin!
Standout Presenter Feedback
Molly
‘Molly was a very confident presenter and managed to move students between discussion time and listening time superbly.’
Duke
‘Duke was amazing...... he was engaging and motivating to the students. I'd highly recommend him.’
Evie
‘Evie was excellent and a number of parents praised her input. Thank you!’
UK Coach of the Month
Alfian
Congrats Alfian! You're our UK Coach of the Month!
Alfian has had great feedback from both students and parents across April and has been having a real impact on student confidence as exams approach:
Student feedback: ‘The sessions are very well put together - Alfie was very relatable and such a nice guy, I'd be happy to do this often to be honest.’
Parent feedback: ‘Alfie is such a delight, I can see that he could get on with anyone. So excited for [my son] to continue the programme with him as he is so engaged!’
Afian is a great example of how Elevate coaches can really help transform approaches to learning - stellar work!
Standout Coach Feedback
Anushka
‘This will help me get out of the vicious cycle of stress and procrastination. Very helpful session.’
Imogen
‘Thank you so much Imogen these sessions have been so helpful!!’
Riazul
‘Great guy, great session, very helpful.’
Slack Channel Highlights
From the UK Slack channel, we have; a team selfie from David; a photo from Johnston on his trip to a sem on Gosport Ferry; a couple of photos from Hasnain showcasing his trip to Liverpool; and a photo of the Shambles in York from Anna, from her own trip up North.
Team US
April has certainly been an eventful month over in the US – the team has been through solar eclipses, earthquakes, and Mario Kart play-off finals. Spring break has now been and gone, and so the team are now also ramping up for end of year exams, helping students build those essential study skills in the final weeks before assessments.
US Presenter of the Month
John
John has been recognised by the US team this month for his energy and enthusiasm when delivering sems. His dedication to helping the kids means he gets consistently great feedback from teachers, students, and parents while also supporting his fellow presenters. Congrats John, you’re our US Presenter of the Month!
Here’s how John ensures that his sessions are always engaging and transformative for students:
'Embrace your authenticity, ignite your passion, and mentor like your younger self is listening, because it is. You possess the power to transform lives with a single idea. Seize that opportunity every single time.'
Standout Presenter Feedback
Samantha
‘The presenter does such a phenomenal job. The students really, really love the course. The students all seem to be approaching the AP exams with a different mindset which is exactly the goal of bringing you guys on.’
Sam
‘The workshop with Sam was great!’
Slack Channel Highlights
From the US team Slack channel, we have: an action shot of the team Mario Kart play-off, with a photo of the winner (Jason) and his pit crew (Pedro and Maya); a Tik-Tok team photo from Martina; and an unexpected observer captured by John during a recent sem.
And that’s it from Around the Grounds this month!
Thanks to all who shared photos and another huge shoutout to all our coaches and presenters of the month for April.
Whilst you’re here, don’t forget to check out our full-time role vacancies on the Working at Elevate page, and our Meet the Team with Global Head of Marketing and Communications, Tyler.
Comments