From The Principal #145

From time to time, it’s important to reflect on where we are, what we have achieved, and where we are going. This time last year, the educational landscape was a very different place as it was difficult to ascertain what to do next as we battled with challenges that the pandemic threw at us. It all seems very different now as the school continues to be a vibrant and happy place to live, learn, work and play and the fine weather helps! This week we have seen the whole school come together after nearly two years to have an assembly in the Atrium where we talked about fairy tales coming true and how we need to bounce back despite the adversity. Our students were excellent and embodied our school values of tolerance, respect and kindness as we came together as a community, as a family, to welcome our new staff who joined us earlier this year.

We also had our Parents’ Coffee Morning this week, and it was wonderful to see so many parents come together – again, something we haven’t been able to do for a long time. It’s incredible how we have taken such things for granted in the past, and such occasions when we come together are special, and I hope we all value that sense of community. We will come together again at the beginning of the new summer term (Monday, 25 April), when we will welcome the new Student Council for 2022/23 and bid farewell to the outgoing Student Council of 2021/22. That will be a special moment as the outgoing Student Council has dealt with unprecedented challenges over the past year yet still managed to keep the school community together. They are truly remarkable, and they will leave behind a compelling legacy.

And speaking of legacy, we welcomed the return of live theatre to school as the DLD Drama Club reinvented Shakespeare like never before. We watched in awe as our brilliant students gave virtuoso performances of Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth right before our eyes. The students were amazing, and their resilience and passion shone through as they were directed by our hugely talented Head of Drama, Mark Johnson. My congratulations to the cast and crew and all those who supported the production – students, teachers, parents and guardians. Thank you.

The Easter holidays will be a time of reflection and an opportunity to refresh, recharge and recuperate after a long term. It’s also a time to look forward. We have come a long way together; let’s keep going.

Best wishes,
Irfan Latif
Principal