A Fond Farewell to 20: A Year to Remember

Jun 14, 2024

Today marks the end of the 2023-24 Academic Year at The ISF Academy and Pre-School. It is a milestone day of celebration, farewells, tears and laughter. It will not come again.

During this past anniversary year, we celebrated two decades of struggle and challenge, dedication and determination, trials and triumphs, setbacks and success. A small band of excited children, courageous parents, curious teachers, and visionary governors embarked on a journey of institutional discovery in August 2003. At year’s end, our schools (now including the ISF Pre-School) have matured and developed almost beyond recognition for those brave pioneers who launched the ISF experiment in borrowed premises in Wan Chai twenty years ago. The journey has been memorable, and worthy of the celebrations conducted this year.

Of course, the journey has not been an easy one, nor straightforward in its trajectory. Early challenges focused on the key drivers of any school: its guiding statements – the Vision, Mission, and Values. These took time to evolve and emerge from passionate debate and experimentation from within the ISF community. Today, they offer a clear and compelling vision of all that ISF stands for. Other challenges from these pioneering days included the five ‘Ts’ of school operations: time, turf, talent, tools, and targets. Getting these essential parameters right lies at the heart of any successful school. Indeed, timetabling, classrooms, teachers, resources, and learning objectives continue to feature prominently in all aspects of school operations. The key feature that resonates across this time is an indomitable school spirit and a drive to succeed and excel, often against overwhelming challenges at the time.

The Time Tunnel displayed in the ISF Gallery over the past year has been a wonderful visual celebration of our first two decades; it has been a point of intense interest for students, staff, parents, and visitors over the year. Many have gained a deeper understanding of our history and our achievements as a result. The Time Tunnel will be retired during the summer and the ISF Gallery will revert to serve its intended purpose: the display of ISF student artwork.

The many celebrations and events staged over the past year have served the purpose of bringing our community together in many different ways to explore the richly varied fabric of our school community and express our gratitude to our large army of supporters. From large-scale celebrations, such as the Jam 2023, through to smaller, more intimate events such as the Board of Governors’ unveiling of the Peter Wong Plaza plaque (so named in honor of one of our founders), the year has featured all of our constituent stakeholder groups and engaged the entirety of our community.

As our anniversary year reaches its conclusion, it is fitting once again to express to each member of the ISF community my deep gratitude for your contribution to the year and for your participation in these many events: it has been a remarkable year for us all! I hope, like me, you carry a deep sense of pride and accomplishment for your part in the ISF family.

The end of any year is always a time that offers a chance to pause and reflect. We think of both the overwhelming successes in all fields of student endeavor and the times of difficulty and sadness. The year has indeed been a time of both highs and lows. I wish to take the opportunity today to bid farewell to those who are closing the ISF chapter in their life story. I am grateful for the time we have shared together. I wish those who are moving on to other places and schools every success. It has been a privilege to serve alongside you.

For all members of our extended ISF family, I hope the summer is a time of restful reflection and energizing recuperation. Over the next two months, some will enjoy time away from work and school: I wish you safe travels and a speedy return. Others will remain in Hong Kong to enjoy the relative quiet of summer in our home. Whether staying or going, I wish you well and look forward to seeing those returning to ISF back at the start of the next academic year in mid-August. Our third decade awaits…

Dr. Malcolm Pritchard

Head of School