What a strange start to the quarter, with 3 shortened weeks in a row! Teachers, students, and parents may be struggling to get back into routines after the long break. My suggestion is to take those unusual mid-week days off and keep yourself to a routine, waking up at the same time, eating, resting, playing, and working as you would if you were in school – almost!
The campus is changing, as is normal at this time of year. The weather is cooler and wetter, and our Secondary cohort gets smaller and smaller. The D2s are now finished classes and are into exams – we rarely see them anymore. The M5s finished this week to head into their study break in preparation for their eAssessments. Breaks and play times need to be quieter as we all support the M5s and D2s in their exams. Share time and assemblies will also look different as the Performance Area is unavailable for the next month.
But, the important things, like our values, remain the same.
Value #8 – A shared responsibility and collective duty of care for ourselves, each other, and the environment
Our expanded recycling centers in the secondary area have made a real impact on what goes into the trash. If you haven’t been to the Bomas recently, you should see all the different bins and the efforts they are making to properly sort and recycle! (see image above)
Value #3 – A holistic and diverse portfolio of learning experiences
Value #7 – Opportunities to engage with the culture and nature of East Africa.
If you’re a PYP parent, I’m sure you’ve seen the information about all of the great field trips happening this quarter, giving our youngest students some real-world learning in different areas. This busy Quarter also sees an OP or class trip nearly every weekend, including the Duke of Edinburgh trip which departed on Friday afternoon. CCAs begin once again on Monday with a great variety of activities for kids in all age groups and the D1s head out for their annual Bio/Ess fieldwork adventure.
Value #6 – The ambition of students to demonstrate initiative and take on leadership roles
As graduation nears, the D1 graduation committee has taken over the work started by the D2s. Plans are coming together and with the assistance of the local D2 parents I’m sure the celebration will be worthy of these wonderful students – but first, they have to finish exams! Graduation will take place on Friday, May 20th in the Performance Area.
Finally, I’d like to mention our brothers and sisters at UWC USA. The staff and students in New Mexico were evacuated this weekend due to devastating fires in the area. I can’t imagine how stressful and frightening this must be, particularly for the D2 students who should be focused on their exams. I wish them a safe return to their home away from home and an end to the devastation of these fires.
Have a great holiday and Eid Mubarak to those who observe.
Have a great weekend,
Ms. Christy
