SHREWSBURY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL ’ S HIGHLIGHTS PRINCIPAL ’ S END OF TERM LETTER — TERM 1
Cooperation , respect , courage and humour have been the four values of the four months of Term 1 at Shrewsbury International , Riverside .
In arriving at the school I could feel that cooperation had also been a constant theme of 2016-17 as pupils gained quite superb examination results in late August . Those were again celebrated at the Cambridge International Education ( CIE ) awards in late November as 38 of our pupils were recognised as top achievers in their subjects . Of the twelve pupils in Thailand who achieved ‘ Top in the World ’ awards , eight were from our school . As I have remarked on a number of occasions , these results are the pupil ’ s achievements and it is right that they are on stage receiving certificates .
However , I agree completely with Ben Schmidt , the Regional Director ( Southeast Asia & Pacific ) when in speaking at the awards event he drew attention to cooperation needed to achieve such results . Parents and staff work together to help young people achieve their potential . During Term 1 , we launched our Ready to Learn programme which we hope will assist all in cooperating to ensure young people have the resource and support at their disposal to navigate their teenage years . Mr Loudon continues to provide resources for staff , pupils and parents through the website , and this cooperation between school and home will continue and strengthen in years to come .
There have also been times this term when we have simply watched pupils deliver excellence alone . The TEDx event was one such occasion when pupils took the initiative , and had the courage not only to organise a significant regional event but also in speaking openly about challenging topics . They rightly earned our respect , and reinforced the notion that respect is to be gained by delivering something tangible . King Bhumibhol Aduldayej had delivered support and guidance to the nation over many years and I was pleased that the school halted it ’ s busy schedule to remember him . We also paid our annual respects to those who have fought and died in armed conflict across the world , on Remembrance Day . This remembrance and respect was heartfelt and beautifully observed , but the school also found a way to turn this remembrance into celebration through World Peace Day . On that day we danced together to draw attention to the cause of providing young people in areas of conflict just one day of peace , and we found a moment of optimism and celebration of what the human race can do when cooperating .
In my final assemblies I drew attention to Oskar Schindler . In November Ryw and Pino had played the theme from Schindler ’ s List so beautifully that it evoked memories of the Jews massacred in holocaust but the Schindler story is also one of celebration that in that terrible time , Oskar Schindler managed to rescue over 1,500 jews by using his factory as refuge . Descendants of those Jews live on today and celebrate daily the power of cooperation and courage .
There was much more for us to celebrate in Term 1 . The Last Night of the Proms concert was a marvel . Mr Place , our new Director of Music and Mr Moore from Shrewsbury School UK , cooperated to produce a magnificent programme . The pupils played beautifully and the support staff transformed our school into a sparkling venue for five hundred guests . Music is thriving at Shrewsbury Riverside and the weekly concerts in the latter part of the term are evidence of this . And more evidence that the creative arts are heading in the right direction was the first performance on stage from the Year 1s this term , simply marvellous .
Sport is also thriving ! More teams , more competitions , more successes than ever before . Fitter , better , more courageous , respectful when not winning , and finding humour in losing , our sports teams have encapsulated the values of the term and represented our community superbly . The potential in this area is enormous and Mr Rotheram and I are working closely to redefine the sporting landscape for Shrewsbury Riverside , more of which we will be communicating as the year unfolds .
PAGE 2