Commitment and Determination

In the words of the famous racing driver Mario Andretti, “Desire is the key to motivation, but it is determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal -- a commitment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

As I laughed and smiled my way through the outstanding Key Stage 2 drama production of Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, I was both proud and heartened by the great success of this show. All these young people have worked so hard over the last six months to learn their lines, perfect their characterisation, master their dances and follow their stage queues.

For some, the stage is their natural home and they truly flourish as they have their moments of glory in front of an audience. For others, they have to overcome shyness and fears to gain the confidence to perform in public and this takes determination and a commitment to keep working hard, even when it is really tricky. Moreover, many of the students are performing in English which is not their first language and so have had to work exceptionally hard on mastering the correct pronunciation and intonation- not easy when you add in humour and the acoustics of a huge auditorium.

All of these young people have committed to attending a Drama ECA throughout the year, committed to attending weekend rehearsals and committed to trying their very best, as individuals and to support their drama team. This high level of commitment and determination to do their best has definitely had a positive impact, and as a result these young people were all stage stars and produced an excellent show. Well done to all involved!

This high level of commitment and determination has also been evident in our athletes who are in the final stages of their training for the Under 11 FOBISIA Games in Manila next week. They have been training four nights a week in Football, T-Ball, Athletics and Swimming and have even been coming into school for early morning swim training before school. If this was not enough, with the support of parents, they have had extra training sessions at the weekend and so are in great shape for this big sporting event. In addition to being physically fit, they have also been developing a really positive mindset that with hard work, commitment and determination, they can excel. I am confident that this hard work will pay off and that they will be great sporting ambassadors for BISS Puxi in Manila.

Although the summer break is just around the corner, we do still have a number of important weeks of school to go. We are keeping the students highly focused and committed to achieving their best in this last phase of the school year so that they can end the year knowing that, as a result of hard work, perseverance and a positive mindset, they have achieved highly in all aspects of school life.

- Niki Meehan, Head of Primary