Senior School Principal

Graduation Day

Shakespeare, the master wordsmith, in one of his many beautiful sonnets, had written, “Like as waves make towards the pebbled shore, so do our minutes hasten to their end, each changing place

with that which goes before."     And this is indeed the very nature 

of time and life itself.
        Rizwan Jaffar - Life Long Learner Award           

So quietly and yet swiftly did the journey we started together as students and teachers come to an end! The occasion of graduation evokes mixed feelings- there is indeed a sense of pride that our students have so successfully accomplished their academic goals, an overwhelming emotion of happiness of having forged a wonderful relationship with each of them, and of course there is a sense of nostalgia. And so, I must say our experience of being with these children has been very rewarding both personally and professionally. They have been brilliant! Congratulations on their graduation!

Srishti Mehrotra - Global Citizenship Award/Salutatorian Award for excellence in Academics

But you must know graduation is not the end, it is in fact the beginning- of the next phase in life, of newer challenges ahead, of scaling greater heights and discovering and learning more about oneself. While it is a cause for celebration, I also think it is an important opportunity to pause, reflect and decide how they want to carve their future. I would like to quote another line from Shakespeare here, “And since you cannot see yourself so well, I, your Reflection, will modestly discover to yourself, that of yourself, which you yet know not of.” This sums the importance of introspection- of seeing how your time has been spent, your learning curve, your strengths, predilections, your dreams and ambitions, for these will be your guiding forces and   light in the sea of the unknown and un-ventured.

As a Principal who has been with the students for two years, I too did reflect, about each of them. Every individual child here has charted his/her own learning path and direction. Their interests are different from each other’s, their curiosity,amicability,zeal and

Ishita Beniwal - Best Overall Participation  

their drive to excel. I sometimes thought it is a paradox; but when I took time to understand, I realized that this is in truth the philosophy of our education taking shape on the ground, in that the IB learner profiles were emerging and slowly getting established.   And this is the only yardstick I used to measure my students’ success. They all have so effortlessly imbibed and absorbed the school’s and IB philosophy that it is a way of life- and this is the promise we made to you. The teachers have tirelessly worked on building, developing and shaping their each individual person, to make them prepared and ready for life ahead, that today as I see them poised to forge forward with great maturity, it no longer is work in progress. Congratulations teachers too, for such a splendid job! I recall here what our first Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru said, “Time is not measured by the passing of years, but by what one does, what one feels and what one achieves.” Therefore it is not about just the two years, but the joy of being rewarded by such students as you.  We are a proud faculty today to witness how yours  and our efforts together has made you  all individuals with such great potential Thus, I am in no doubt that our  children today will in their own right  taste sweet success in their lives ahead waiting to embrace them!

The Graduation was also the perfect occasion for celebrating the best in our students, the values that we believe in. And we did that through the various awards that we presented to them.
 
Saurabh Mittal - Valedictorian Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement


Srishti Mehrotra too bagged many awards- Global Citizenship Award, the Subject Proficiency Awards for English Higher Level, Computer Science, Visual Arts and Theory of Knowledge. Ashika Jaffar won the Outreach Award for excellence in community service and Subject Proficiency Awards for Geography and Biology. The Life Long Learner Award and the Subject Proficiency Award for Business and Management were conferred on Rizwan Jaffar. Ishita Beniwal won the Best Overall Participation Award. Congratulations once again. 

Ashika Jaffar - Outreach Award for excellence in Community Service

As we celebrate their school journey culminating in graduation, I cannot resist sharing with you some of my deepest, dearest and inspiring thoughts. I have always encouraged my children to dream, and believe in those ambitions with conviction and courage, moving ahead with a singularity of purpose.  Commitment is one of the many important ingredients of making your dreams a reality. As Roosevelt once famously said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams!” And in chasing those dreams and ambitions, there will be many challenges and snags which we need to turn to opportunities to learn and rise, and not allow these difficulties to deter us from our goals. Always remember, “What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Go on dear students, your life beckons you!

The world is a place for you to live in peace, harmony and love. It is a world full of opportunities and formidable learning for everyone.... as John Updike sums it beautifully, “You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it.”

Wishing my graduating class the very best in every endeavour in their lives.

Umar Jaffar

Principal Senior School