Friday´s news from OPEN GATE
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Graduates and Friends of Open Gate,
Another Friday and we are a week older, whether we are wiser too all depends upon how much we took for ourselves out of that week gone by. Rest assured that we at open Gate tried our best to ensure that some wisdom rubbed itself off on everyone.
The whole week has been accompanied by exceptionally clear skies and near tropical temperatures. Perhaps with the exception of Monday, which in truth was a trifle overcast, but no matter we were all in the Sports Hall for our traditional whole school welcome assembly. Thankfully we have a hall large enough to accommodate us all for with teaching staff and the student body we numbered upwards of 280 people in all. The words and message of wisdom (!) came from the Headmaster who even ventured to sing a few lines from the bye-gone hit song “Happy Thoughts.” I promise I will not subject the school to such an experience again! Following on from this the new Prima classes were invited on to the stage to introduce themselves in a few words and many of them too were awarded with their Cambridge Certificates of merit in PET examinations which they had successfully sat whilst in fifth grade of OG Primary school, some even gaining level B2. Then it was the turn of our new students, from Sekunda through to Septima, who have come from schools from all quarters of the republic to be with us. May I wish all new students a happy and profitable time during their stay at the OG family. Do take a look at the web site to see how well-turned out they all were.
The family atmosphere continued throughout the week with many of our past graduates returning to OG to share their experiences with us and to re-live memories of their time spent here. But this was no ordinary return – would your friends prior to your “stag night” take you to your old school haunts as a surprise gift? This is exactly what happened. Ondrej is getting married on Sunday to his OG sweetheart Dessi, they met here many years ago and have stayed true to each other. Wonderful. Ondrej’s friends brought him here so that they could remind themselves of happy times, to take part in a floorball competition just as they regularly did whilst at OG. They even enjoyed a school dinner followed by wedding cake which they had ordered in. Incredible moments which neither they nor we will ever forget.
That young people are often positively influenced by their teachers and mentors was underlined this week at a rather special gathering – the Forum of the Hospodarskych novin v Praze. The guest speaker was none other than the now eighty year old business man and owner of food chain Mr Arend Oetker. His story involved his recognition of a key moment in his life – a special teacher who showed him the key to success.
And I firmly believe that in each of our classrooms there will be such key moments influencing for the good the future paths and directions of our students’ career choices.
There will have been opportunities for such moments in plenty during the past week’s lessons; Tuesday’s project SMARTIES for our new Prima pupils just one case in point in a week in which all subject disciplines hit the ground running, the first appearances on MB of work set, projects to be undertaken, tests, presentations, essays, and of course the first grades have already been entered. Do follow the progress of your child on MB and keep up to date with all that is happening in their social and scholastic life. It should bring a smile to your face.
With all best wishes for a wonderful weekend. Peter Nitsche.
