Friday´s news from OPEN GATE
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Graduates and friends of Open Gate,
The start of the new school year 2016/2017 would be unthinkable without you receiving your regular dose of Friday letter news. And here it is.
At the outset I must pass on my thanks and appreciation to that body of stalwarts without whom the school year would never have been able to start. Whilst all of our teaching colleagues were enjoying their well-earned rest, the people so often behind the scenes were almost continually on site beavering away at all manner of tasks to ensure a smooth transition from one year to the next. I am of course referring to our campus colleagues responsible for cleaning, tidying, taking care of the school grounds with all that that entails. Every year sees some innovative improvements taking place on our site and this summer was no exception, so added to the campus staff’s regular hard work they had even more to contend with, with strict deadlines to adhere to so that our students’ arrival was stress free and happy. The stress however was there for our campus staff and to them goes my undying thanks and appreciation for all that they managed to do. So much was done by so many that it is impossible to name them all.
Thanks must also go to all the teaching and dormitory staff for their sterling work in these first past few hectic days. Their work and duties are unique and specific to Open Gate requiring strong nerve, patience and a wealth of humour thrown in. They all know the effort brings its own rewards as the students will now reward them with joy! Colleagues, teachers and dormitory staff, enjoy it to the full.
The school of course exists for the students and in effect belongs to them, without them none of us adults would be here. So, students, rest assured that we are prepared for you and that all you have to do now is study; make full effort, never be afraid to ask questions, get involved in everything you can, but most of all enjoy your time here.
And the same applies to all you parents, guardians and friends of Open Gate: enjoy the weeks to come with your youngsters, this day, this week, this whole school year will never come round again. Enjoy it to the full, it will be worth it!
Looking around me now at the balmy sunny start of this school year I see a school smoothly gliding into its future with grace and culture even; underlying for me the feeling that the term has been successfully begun.
Apart from the Prima classes, who had their own special adaptation programme the whole of the rest of the school began their lessons in earnest, coping well with the demands of their new timetables and subject demands. The sight of the Pima students on their orientation programme where they all got to each other informally culminating in them planting their own class tree in the school orchard is something you should all have seen. Perhaps on the web, next week.
On Monday 8.30 next week there will be an official full school assembly welcoming old and new alike. More about this next week too.
On behalf of all at Open gate may I wish you a happy weekend and new school year.
Peter Nitsche.
