2016 -17
HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 14 March 2017
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S NEWSLETTER NO. 8 Dear Parents, Warm greetings to you all as we fast approach half-term and Spring Break. At this time, March is a very ‘free’ month as we are conducting examinations until the 17th March with our DP2, 10 MYP & IGCSE students and the Spring Break will take up the 3rd week of March 20 – 24 March included. The school offices will, however be open at that time and a number of teachers and exam students are making arrangements to meet during this period. Owing to the present security situation, we have had to seriously revise our security strategies at this time and have done our best under difficult situations, although we have realized the need to further streamline these emergency situations as they arise to ensure complete safety of your children and delivery of your children to you when that need does arise. So too, the present situation disrupted our normal school programme of weekly assemblies and field / sports trips and we have cleared March of all such happenings other than the exams and the 2 Urdu Mother Tongue Days on 30th March at DHA and 31st March at Gulberg. The first week of April 3 – 8 will see 4 French events happening at the 2 schools in a worldwide Francophonic Language and Culture week. I am sure you are all well-aware that TNS is Pakistan’s largest French language school where all students Nursery to Year 12 are taught French by a group of 8 teachers who are themselves, Pakistanis / French expatriates and / or have a French background. This situation has made for a great upsurge of competency in the language. To celebrate that competency our French Days on 3rd April at DHA and 4th April at Gulberg and a National Schools’ French event sponsored by the French Centre, in Lahore on Saturday, 8th April at our DHA Hall speaks volumes about our school’s commitment to the teaching of French. So too, during that week on Monday, 3rd April we will be holding a Parents’ Seminar to advertise our intention to stage another French Language and Cultural trip to Paris for 12 – 18 year olds in early August. This will be a wonderful opportunity to improve your child’s spoken and written French.
2016 -17
HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 14 March 2017
On the 5th (practice) & 6th April (final) we will be staging the last of our school’s Sports Days for Years 6 to 11 at the Beaconhouse Sports Complex at Bedian Road. Students are practising for this athletics event at this time. An invitation for you to attend will follow after the Spring Break. Parents, may I remind you that our summer uniform will come into use from Monday, 27th march and stocks will be in our Uniform Shop and at Paperclip as of 15th March. We do not allow mobiles to any group of students other than our DP students and laptops are permissible only to students in Years 8 to 12. Junk food will be confiscated and returned. Swimming is mandatory for all students unless a formal Medical Certificate is provided. Decent behaviour and politeness is expected at TNS. We are proud of the fact that our students are renowned for their mostly good behaviour and pleasant manners although we have seen some unthinking classroom vandalism in Years 6 – 8 recently and parents are warned that any such wanton destruction of school property will be charged to them. Bullying does raise its ugly head and recently isolated cases of very unpleasant threatening behaviour both cyber and verbal have been identified. We take a very dim view of this and will react strongly against such uncivilized and harmful behaviour. TNS is a happy, safe and civilized school and that is no exaggeration because we all work hard at ensuring that perception. I know all of you send your children to our 2 branches because you believe that we offer that sanctuary of decency and we will continue to work hard to sustain that image and reality. Please continue to report any cases / concerns that you have to the contrary. We have experienced enormous success with our Sports Days, ‘School Annual Play’, our truly outstanding MYP Project Presentations with our Year 10 contributors creating and executing projects of a maturity well beyond their years and we have earned kudos by emerging as Champions in MUN contests and French, Art and Sporting competitions. A spur of the moment desire to clean their school a day ago saw our MYP students take up that task with extraordinary vigour and success. A singular moment indeed indicating our students’ pride in their surroundings.
2016 -17
HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 14 March 2017
My more intense involvement with our DP2 students this year has given me insight into their thoughtful, capable but unique personalities and we as Coordinators, teachers, mentors are driving them towards their final goal of genuine success in their upcoming Diploma examinations in May and their successful entry into universities of their choices. It is this final crafted TNS product which is our aim and in many cases in the not too distant future after 15 years of grooming and educating will stand testimony to the fact TNS is a quality and caring place of all-round education. Warm good wishes to you and your children for a safe and happy Spring Holiday next week.
_________________ Clive R. Barnes Head of School