Merry Christmas! Farewell to 2022!

Dec 9, 2022

With remarkable symmetry, 2022 followed a pattern that mimicked the previous two years. With the arrival of the ‘Fifth Wave’ in January, we experienced an extended period of class suspension that lasted from Spring Festival all the way through to the final weeks of the academic year. We adapted, innovated, and reworked our educational programs to ensure that our students continued learning, despite the challenges.

Summer brought a welcome respite and the relaxation of travel restrictions at that time meant that most families were able to travel during July. The summer brought teams of workers on campus to finish the next phase of our much anticipated ‘ISF Gallery Project’ that was completed on schedule to a very high standard.

The first half of the 2022-23 Academic Year has been remarkable for being unremarkable! Since August, we have enjoyed full days of face to face teaching, the resumption of many co-curricular activities, the return of inter-school sporting competitions, the relaunch of experiential learning, and the revival of community events, most notably the return of our beloved ‘Jam’, which saw over 3,000 students, parents, and staff gather for a celebration of food, fashion and fun.

All in all, it has been an eventful year, but one in which our confidence has grown, our hopes have risen, and remarkable learning has been experienced. The year has been one in which we have seen great achievements and stirring victories, from record-breaking IB Diploma results and extraordinary college placements, to sporting accolades in netball, basketball, squash, swimming and Wushu. We finish the year with ISF students presenting and competing at international level in sports and sciences! Looking back now, we can marvel at what an amazing year it has been!

The end is now in sight. Christmas decorations adorn the campus, winter concerts resonate in our performance spaces, and the annual year-end book fair is upon us. As we reach the end of 2022, take a moment to reflect on your own journey this year, with its achievements and challenges. I am sure there is much of great value to be found in these precious memories!

I wish to take this opportunity to wish each and every member of the ISF community the very best for the coming holiday break and the new year that awaits beyond!

Please accept my best wishes for a restful and restorative holiday break!

Dr. Malcolm Pritchard

Head of School