2021-22 Secondary End of Year Celebrations
Before the conclusion of our academic calendar, the ISF community gathered at various ceremonial venues on campus to celebrate a year of accomplishments attained by our Secondary students.
At the Grade 10 Middle Years Programme (MYP) End of Year Celebration on June 9, students proudly received their diploma from Dr. Malcolm Pritchard, Head of School, to mark the formal completion of their IB MYP. In the Class of 2024 Graduation Poem, one of the lines reads, “This is a rite of passage, a time to celebrate”. Indeed, this year’s cohort have met challenges unimaginably difficult and it is with that same degree of resilience that students surmounted arguably the most arduous two years of their learning passage at ISF.
Besides subject awards, this milestone event presented entertaining band performance by talented and musical students, followed by a melodious vocal duet and a remarkably choreographed dance show. The Auditorium was not only filled with the sound of music, but also applause from proud parents and words of encouragement from Grade 10 Tutors. After the summer, these students will embark on yet another pivotal undertaking – the IB Diploma Programme. We have strong faith that no challenge will be too big for them.
On June 13, Grade Assemblies were held in the Auditorium to conclude the year for Grade 6 – 8 students, and in the Exhibition Foyer for Grade 9 and 11 students respectively. Distinguished students were conferred awards and certificates. In Grade 11, head students, prefects and house captains were recognized for excellent leadership and academic achievements in the past year. Student Well-being Ambassadors were named for their contribution and commitment in raising awareness in the ISF community.
The annual Secondary Year-End Awards presentation ceremony took place in the Yidan Chinese Cultural Center. In addition to scholarships and notable awards including The ISF Academy Founder’s Cup, The ISF Academy Principal’s Award, and The ISF Academy Spirit Prize, students proudly received book prizes and certificates in commitment to community service, sportsmanship, and a wide range of academic excellence. The list of awardees will be published in the 2021-22 issue of Virtuosos.
One of the most anticipated and monumental celebrations must be the Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony on June 10. As Dr. Pritchard addressed, it was “almost miraculous for us to come together in-person to celebrate” the Class of 2022. It was an honor, privilege and blessing for important and respectable members of the ISF community to witness the 60 members of the senior class complete a historically challenging year.
Dr. Pritchard dedicated his final message for the Class of 2022 to “time”. Quoting the famous philosophical verse from Chapter 64 of Tao Te Ching written by Laozi: the accumulation of small things leads to great outcomes (千里之行，始於足下), but time is of the essence. How do we deal with or make good use of time to shape favorable results? Time is a force driving you into the future regardless of your management. Dr. Pritchard challenged the cohort with a new sustainable goal “cherish time” in addition to the 17 goals published by the United Nations. Time is a precious resource to be used with care and wisdom as “there is no present like the time”.
Resonating the opening address, Mr. Nicholas Forde, Secondary Principal, encouraged the graduating class to be good stewards with the limited time and resources available, living and making choices intentionally with care for those around, just as they have all learned during the days at ISF. Mr. Forde was delighted to see greater successes and waning disappointments as students grow, learn and weather all adversities together as a strong body.
Congratulations to the two Valedictorians declared in a tie over all possible highest academic results that can be statistically determined across all subjects of the entire DP journey, truly unprecedented in the history of ISF.
The ceremony concluded with a richly symbolic “rite of passage” – the Graduation Gate. As students passed through the gate, they transitioned from graduands to graduates, transported from the present to the future, to face all forms of transformation. The world awaiting on the other side of the gate may be unknown, but we know for sure that ISF students will always remain a student and continue to learn.
There is too much to say, remember and miss about our exceptional Class of 2022. Our warmest wishes, enduring ISF values and spirit will accompany their journey to tertiary education.
At the end of ceremony reception, the Alumni Office offered each graduate a special gift package to commemorate this milestone. The graduates will remain close to our heart and be warmly welcome to the ISF family as official members of the ISF Alumni Association.
