Our Student Leadership Team on their time in lockdown

Dear Parents,

I hope you and your families are all doing well.

Months have flown by as we are all homebound due to the coronavirus but that does not always mean it should necessarily be something horrible, the fact that we are at home means that there are many different ways we can focus on improving and making ourselves stronger! For example, I do many things now to help improve myself physically and mentally, like exercising and learning to do more by getting creative with new skills, like baking and cooking. We need to take it each month at a time because we do not know how long this is going to take for sure. All we can do is hope it will come to an end soon enough. We all know the quote “After every storm, there is a rainbow.” And I believe that this is that storm we all need to get to that particular rainbow! Even in this storm, there are many silver linings: which could be strengthening your family and friend connections or help savour the small moments.

I also want to thank the teachers and the rest of the faculty for everything they have done for us the past couple of months, we definitely could not have done this without all their help! It has been a struggle not only for us but all the teachers as well, even though they are struggling we can see that they tend to put our learning on the top of their list. It is all of their unique guidance and easy methods that urge all of us to excel in all that we do. We do really appreciate it a lot! We are all so grateful to be a student at the Oryx International School. Thank you for challenging us to be our best and instilling in us a passion for learning and working harder every day! We will all most definitely always remember that. Lastly, thank all of the faculty so much for all their efforts, for making us realise that we should never underestimate our abilities!

Kind regards and stay safe,

Serena Williams

Dear parents,

I hope all of you are doing well. It has been a very long time since we came across COVID-19 and are stuck at home hoping that it will all pass soon. However, while stuck at home with less social interaction, we must make sure to stay positive and improve ourselves by never stopping to learn new things that will make our lives a lot easier such as cooking, drawing or learning how to play a new game, which trust me will help you have a lot of fun.

Before I finish, I also would like to thank the teachers who always push us to do greater things and helps us learn in these difficult times, and the school for providing us with all the tools that enable us to interact with our friends and teachers from our homes.

Be safe.

Kind regards,

Ahmet Sayan

Dear Oryx friends and family,

I hope you all are well.

These past few months have been crazy. I know I am not alone when I say that my entire world has been flipped upside down. However, the fact that I am not the only one, makes it slightly more bearable. These are hard times and the best thing we can do right now is remember that no matter what…we are not alone. I am positive that each and every one of you are doing your best to get through these difficult times…at a safe distance, I hope!

In all honesty, I have learned that it is extremely hard to stay positive when so many unfathomable things are happening around the world, but what I have also realised, is that Oryx makes staying positive easy. I cannot express how thankful I am to all my classmates and teachers for going out of their way to ensure that we all remain on our individual paths to an amazing educational experience which we are so lucky to have here, even if it is on a screen for the time being.

Time and time again our teachers have never failed to show us that we are their priority. Not only do they put our education above all, but they make a continuous effort to support us in any way imaginable. Oryx makes me want to be a better version of myself every day and however difficult it may be at this point in time, it will pass and we will return to life as usual and when we do I hope that we can all come back stronger, happier and healthier than before.

Take care and stay safe.

Kindest regards,

Jodi Lynn Sequeira

Dear Parents,

Quarantine has undoubtedly been an experience. There have been many ups and downs along the way, and there are still yet more to come.

I've taken quarantine as a learning experience. It has taught me to value the day-to-day life I used to have that I sometimes complained about. I know who my real friends are and being quarantined has given me more 'me time' which has resulted in lots of personal reflection.

Since my social interaction is limited, it's me, myself and I who will have to keep myself busy and maintain my sanity through these times. I hope everyone feels similar and has taken to this time positively.

I miss all my friends and teachers and I can't wait to be physically back in classes!

Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Joshua Greave