Clocking off…
In almost every one of my many years in education, people have suggested to me, usually sometime in June, that I must be looking forward to ‘winding down’ in the summer term. Every teacher knows that the ‘End of Summer Term Wind Down’ is an urban myth…….it never happens!
One of the happier reasons for that is because at the end of a school year there is always so much to celebrate. Everyone wants to have a party of some sort, whether it is a celebration of our BISAD Diploma, an awards assembly, a farewell party or a class picnic, nobody wants to sit idly watching the clock tick towards clocking off time.
In a school like ours that is doubly true. The teachers care very deeply about the young people in our school and they know that marking the end of a school year matters. Looking back on the year is an important step towards growing into the new one. Young people grow up so fast that it is vital we take a moment to pause and reflect on what has been achieved, what they have learnt and how they have changed since we gathered together in September.
And the final few weeks of term, we are not just looking back but also looking forward to next term when we will gather again to open our doors to the world, to welcome so many of you back and to greet our new charges, fresh from the airport, ready for their Abu Dhabi adventure. Our school is an ever-changing beast but also a steady, durable one, reliable and filled with fortitude. Our values and our core beliefs remain the same, year after year – a place of honesty, respect, kindness, and a place for hard work and academic success. We change and we stay the same.
Wherever you find yourself in the coming weeks, have fun and stay safe. And on behalf of everyone in the Secondary School, thank you for your support and kindness this year. See you in September!
Chris Lowe
Head of Secondary
The British International School Abu Dhabi
