Dear parents,
Our students are now into their end of year examinations and assessments … it’s difficult to believe we are that point in the school year already! It is only when we stop to look back over the year that we realise ‘time waits for no one’. During this period of Ramadan we are reminded to pause to reflect on our lives and this is something, regardless of religion or culture or custom, which we should all do more often. This is what we, in education, refer to as mindfulness : being aware of ourselves as we are currently ‘in the moment’ and how we got to that point.
This is part of our well-being and our own mental health awareness which is fundamental to us all and especially to our children. Taking exams can be stressful, but stress is an inevitable part of each of our lives and it is something children need to encounter in order to create strategies to cope, now and in the future. In school, we address the issues of self-awareness, meta-cognition, mindfulness and self-efficacy through our PSHEE programme and assemblies. As parents, you can help by reminding your children to create a balance between study and rest; to eat healthily, to sleep well, to prepare and plan for events such as exams and to remember that the only problem with ‘failing’ is the fear of failure itself. As the renowned educationalist Sir Ken Robinson said ‘If you’re not afraid to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original’. This belief that everyone can become a better version of themselves is paramount to success and overcoming failures. Only by removing this sense of ‘failure’ and instilling a strong work ethic (balanced, proportionate, mindful and supported) will we enable our students to become the future leaders in society.
Health & Safety and Security
Qatar Airways representatives from the HSS department met with Mr. Gutteridge and me last week to discuss cooperation in the areas of Health & Safety and Security. We discussed matters regarding the school environment, monitoring and reporting of our Facilities Management systems, emergency and lock down procedures, access to the school site, security protocols and liaison with Qatar Airways and the formation of a Health & Safety Committee including representation from the HSS team. This is a very welcomed collaboration which will enable us to draw upon the advice and expertise of the HSS staff. As part of this meeting we also reviewed the traffic accident which happened recently outside the school. (I am pleased to mention that the student involved is making a full recovery at home and we look forward to welcoming her back into school this week). Qatar Airways will be making requests to the municipality on the school’s behalf, to improve road safety outside the school and I hope that we will have some positive news in the near future. In the meantime, as I have reiterated again recently, please be vigilant and remind your children to take great care when crossing the road. Our security guards will endeavour to monitor children crossing the road, however, they have no jurisdiction over road users and cannot stop or influence the flow of traffic.
Eid Al -Fitr
As per our school calendar, and unless instructed otherwise, we expect to close the school on Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 June. However, as always, we are directed by the government on the actual dates and will inform the school community as soon as we can, if these dates are required to be changed. Once we return to school after the Eid closure, school timings will revert back to normal.
Iftar Invitation
As part of our support for the local customs of Qatar, I would like to invite parents, students and staff to take Iftar together on Wednesday 29th May. We will open the school canteen between 18.00 and 20.00. You are asked to provide your own food and drinks for this occasion. Please note that only members of the school community can attend and you must bring your school ID with you to gain entry to the school grounds. I hope to see many of you here.
If you wish to attend , please send an email by Wednesday morning to karen.laidlaw@oryxschool.qa
Staff leaving in the summer
The following members of staff will be leaving us in the summer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contributions to the success of our school and to wish them well in their future careers and next adventures: Nicola Murphy, Niall McGinn, Ruth Valentine, Mike Goodwin, Maurine Sudario, Jasbinder Johal, Jarlath Madine, Clare Marlow and Deborah Baldwin.
In the next newsletter, I will notify you of the new staff joining us after the summer.
PTSA Committee
I met with the PTSA Committee last week to discuss the points raised from the last meeting. I am very pleased that we are making good progress with all the issues and this will be relayed to you via Mrs Laidlaw in the next few days.
End of term Celebration Assembly for Secondary Students
To celebrate the many achievements of our secondary students, we will hold a special celebration assembly in the auditorium on Monday 24th June starting at 08.00. All secondary parents are invited to attend.
Kind regards,
Mr. Derek Laidlaw
