With Gratitude: A Farewell to 2023

Dec 15, 2023

For some, it is customary at the closing of the year, as we joyfully embrace the comfort of cooler weather and anticipate the series of seasonal celebrations that will brighten our days from now until Spring Festival in February, to spare a moment for reflection and perhaps experience a sense of gratitude, no matter how fleeting, for all that has happened since the start of the year. While this is not something I can mandate or impose on others, with the passing of the years, I personally treasure the opportunity to recall the important events of the year and to think back to those who have touched our lives in some significant way. I like to think about the things I have learned in the course of the year, the people I have come to know in a more meaningful way, the tasks completed that have given back a sense of achievement, and the challenges as yet unmet that await greater effort and attention in the new year. I also like to think about the most important people in my life and give thanks for their loyal support, their generosity of spirit, their fearless guidance, and their simple presence during the year.

There are times when such expressions of gratitude don’t come easily – to any of us. In our isolated islands of individuality, surrounded by the ceaseless ebb and flow of social interaction, we can at times become overly focused on self, at the expense of the feelings and perceptions of those around us. As a ‘tree’, it is all too easy to lose sight of the ‘forest’. A year-end reality check is a perfect opportunity to step out of ourselves, look beyond the ‘me’ of our daily routines, and to truly ‘see’ and appreciate the richness of our community: the breadth and depth, the nuance and complexity of the ‘we’ in which we are immersed. Choosing gratitude in such a moment is a healthy and affirming way of finishing one year, and sets in motion the positivity that can shape the year to come.

At this point in our own history, I am deeply grateful for the chance to join with other members of the ISF family to celebrate 20 years of learning and living together. We are partway through our milestone year and there is so much for which we can be truly grateful: the remarkable growth and development of our children, our shared pursuit of knowledge and excellence, the rich and endlessly variable experience of learning together, and the glow of satisfaction we all feel as our graduates embark on the next part of their life journey beyond school. I am grateful to our parents who choose our school. I am grateful to the cheerful, energetic, and engaged students who enter our classrooms each day. I am also grateful to the teachers and staff who serve our community with loyalty and commitment in different capacities. I am also grateful to our volunteer governors who are so generous in their gift of time and wisdom as they guide me and the ISF community through times of trial and testing. While our first 20 years have been ‘exciting’ in many ways, full of the unanticipated, the unexpected, the unforeseeable, they have also been full of joy and hope. For all of these things, I remain grateful.

Regardless of family plans or personal arrangements over the next few weeks, I wish to take this final opportunity at the end of 2023 to thank each member of the ISF community for their trust, support, faith, and participation this year. For those travelling, I wish for an uneventful journey and a safe return home; for those remaining behind, I wish for a restorative and restful break.

Enjoy the holidays! See you all in 2024!

With gratitude,

Dr. Malcolm Pritchard
Head of School

The celebration of our 20th anniversary continues in 2024. Please note the following events and dates and mark them on your calendars!