Vice Principal Secondary - Half Term update February 2022

Thank you to everyone who has helped us to fulfil the requirement of the various Ministries each Sunday morning. At this stage, in school, we just go with the (lateral) flow and trust that things are getting better.

Over the past four weeks, we have seen a significant number of Unconditional and Conditional University offers coming in for our Y13 students. It is very rewarding to see our first graduating class being given real offers from excellent Universities across the world. I will not steal the thunder from the next Newsletter issue because it will detail University offers. However, suffice to say that our Graduates are heading for some very exciting places, all over the world and their hard work is really starting to pay off. Watch this space!

Our applicants for Universities in the USA are supported by College Board and the school is now a registered centre for applications through this American wide process. Our current Year 13s applying to Colleges in the USA are presently engaged with this.

Mr. Sidat has published the schedule for Y11, Y12 and Y13 February / March mocks. This is to allow everyone to start preparing. For students in Years 11, 12 and 13 this means gathering evidence in case Centre Assessed Grades are re-established for the third year running. However, I am growing increasingly confident that examinations, possibly in truncated form, will take place this summer and so these imminent Mocks are possibly only that - exam practice. However, it is advisable to 'hope for the best and prepare for the worst'. So, all Year 11, Y12 and Y13 students are encouraged to treat the Mocks with the same seriousness as earlier assessments.

Tests in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be scheduled as well. Mr Sidat will publish timetables for these year groups later this week.

School photographs (socially distanced) will take place following the half-term holiday. Here is the schedule.

• Monday 14 February - Year 13 and Year 7
• Tuesday 15 February - Year 12 and Year 8
• Wednesday 16 February - Year 11 and Year 9
• Thursday 17 February - Year 10

We are grateful for your help in ensuring that the children look smart, the full uniform is worn (blazers for 6^th Form) and that girls' skirts are below the knee (black tights are allowed).

This weekend the Year 7 and Year 8 girls' football teams had a significant milestone. They participated in a tournament organised by Qatar Foundation at Education City. It was the first event, sporting or otherwise, for nearly two years. In March 2020 we won the Badminton tournament and we won the Qatar Schools Choir of the Year, and we were really starting to make our mark across Qatar. Now, we have to reinvent ourselves and begin the work of re-establishing our school in all those areas, and more. With our wonderful young people, it is more than possible.

I hope you all manage to enjoy some rest over the forthcoming holiday. We will all be waiting for the next update on how schools will proceed through February with bated breath.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Ken Haggarty