Dear Parents,

How time has flown since I last wrote to you! November moved in the blink of an eye and we are almost at the threshold of ushering in a new year!

November brought in with it the much-anticipated Annual Day – we welcomed it with trepidation and thudding of our hearts, worrying if we’ll be able to pull it off or whether we have lost touch because of a forced break of almost two years.

Deciding on the theme posed a serious threat and after much deliberation, we chose Space Odyssey as the theme – in honour of the dazzling minds who enlighten us and work relentlessly to unravel the secrets of the universe, with a recent addition being the James Webb telescope. Far comes near and reveals itself before us through this telescope.

With this germ of an idea in place, we started working – meticulous planning, diligent training, practices, and rehearsals – all happened while regular classes and Cyclic Tests were on. A nearly impossible feat – but we managed. That’s the power of collective thoughts – to push through, no matter what.

And the result was before your eyes – scintillating, awesome, stunning, incredible – to list just a few adjectives – the testimonials have come from you – the parents who witnessed the show. It was the coming together of fantastic and dedicated minds of teachers and students alike who just poured in their last ounce of love to make this a fantastic success. And the ‘stars’ aligned! Thank you, dear parents, for entrusting us with your belief and faith – we can move mountains if you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us. Keep expecting from us and we’ll rise up – time and again. We are as strong as the people around us.

November also saw us celebrating Children’s Day – a day we renew our vows to let them be anything they want to be in life. What greater freedom can we give our children than to endorse their dreams and support them in their journeys to achieving them? What better advice can we give them than to assure them not to put their aspirations within brackets and then stand back to see them reap the rewards of their independent and industrious thinking, resolute will, and grueling toil that got them there. May we continue to raise strong children who can stand up for themselves and for the people around them.

Other achievements we should go around brandishing in happiness and rightfully so, are the feats of our badminton and cricket teams. Our badminton team rocked the scene with their gentle yet steely determination through their performance at the Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools (ACSIS). Their match winning strategies and endurance saw them through all the matches. Please join hands in encouraging and motivating them as they continue with their winning streak.  

Our under-14 cricket team pummeled all the reputed cricket-playing schools of Singapore in a remarkable display of skills to register an all-win record and clinch the first position. Kudos team on this extraordinary feat. The bar has been raised and may the team continue to push the boundaries farther.

And finally, our efforts to establish GIIS EC as an Eco-School have come to fruition as we have been awarded The Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. Organised by the WWF, Eco-Schools programme is ‘built on the energy and drive of both educators and students’. The award aims to recognise the ‘efforts made by the entire school community in championing a sustainable future’. We are proud of ‘integrating sustainability into our philosophy and pedagogy, and are able to effectively monitor and evaluate the impact of their environmental efforts’. I laud the students and the teacher mentors on their incredible feat to raise morally conscious students to give back to Mother Earth.

Let our jar of happiness overflow as we get ready to usher in the long-awaited holiday season.

Thank you!
CVK Sastry
Principal, East Coast Campus