Headmaster’s welcome to the 2014 Academic Year

Welcome back to the new academic year. 

I hope everyone had a refreshing and enjoyable break. We especially welcome our new Lower 1^st cohort; and we have new members of staff as well, which always enlivens the school, bringing fresh perspectives to the classroom.  The new class teachers are Miss Kate Iacona, with Upper 1^st; and Miss Christianne Jackson and Mrs Alison Tomicki looking after 3^rd class.

During the Summer Teachers study days we concentrated on Mathematics, Computers and Technology, as well as planning and preparing for the year in other ways.

We also spent some time focusing on the fundamental principles of education, on the school’s Vision, Mission and Values, and the core reasons we teach certain special subjects like Sanskrit and Shakespeare.  It is our consistent and practical experience that teaching children these demanding subjects increases their mental strength, problem solving ability, and also gives them confidence that they live in an well-ordered world where there are dependable principles and rules.

This is, of course also true of the other core curriculum subjects such as Mathematics which tells us that the universe is orderly and lawful; English, which gives us the tools to think and communicate accurately, beautifully and helpfully; History, which tells us our place in the flow of time; and Geography which gives a sense of place; and Science which opens our inner ear to the sound that the universe makes as it goes about its lawful revolutions.

And the teachers are looking forward to the challenge of opening the hearts and minds of the children to this large vision every day.