Hanukkah and Christmas Week

Dear Parents and Students,

The end of term has arrived and we have been marking the festivities of Hanukkah and Christmas across the school this week, playing music reflecting the message of peace in both of these festivals. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival to commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by the lighting of eight candles to remember the miracle whereby the one-day remaining supply of oil in the lamp of the Temple burned for eight days.

The Christian festival of Christmas is also celebrated at the end of December. This significant date in the Christian calendar is a time when worshippers remember the birth of Jesus, their saviour. In the run-up to Christmas, Christians light four candles to mark the passing of the weeks and to remember that, for them, Jesus is the light of the world who came to banish darkness and sin.

People often focus on the differences or even conflicts between religious groups, but I always like to focus on the similarities. Religious festivals are often marked by the use of light as a symbol of love, hope and goodness. They also involve opportunities for families to reunite and spend time together. Furthermore, major world religions fundamentally advocate for peace, both as an internal state of being and as a guide for ethical conduct and coexistence in society. Reflecting on peace at this time is very important for our school community, as our students recognise that the world is currently facing many conflicts.

Peace Across World Religions

“Shalom” (שָׁלוֹם) in Hebrew means an absence of conflict, but also completeness, harmony and well-being. The message of Jesus often centres on love, forgiveness and the peaceful kingdom of God. The universal greeting in Islam is “Assalamu alaikum” (“Peace be upon you”). In Hinduism, peace (Shanti) is a central concept. The pursuit of inner peace through meditation and quieting the mind is paramount in Buddhism, and peacefulness is considered a common denominator of Sikh beliefs.

Respect for Faiths in Our School Community

At The Island School, we strive to respect and honour all the faiths held by children and adults in our community. This also helps us to maintain a positive outlook on diversity and the international nature of our school. There were assemblies this week considering the similarities between Hanukkah and Christmas, while also celebrating their uniqueness.

Pre-Primary Festive Celebrations Across Programmes

In the last couple of weeks, IB, Waldorf and Montessori Pre-Primary children and teachers held a number of festive activities, including the wonderful Winter Celebration, where parents were invited to listen to the children singing Christmas songs and playing instruments.

Montessori Winter Celebrations and Community Activities

The final days before the holiday break were filled with joy and celebration in our Montessori programme. On 12 December, we held our Winter Art and Craft Celebration, where children and parents came together to create festive artwork, followed by a charming Christmas Concert.

On Wednesday, students from the Pre-Primary and Primary classrooms gathered for a picnic, enjoying time together and participating in our Secret Santa Book Exchange. On Friday, the Montessori Primary students celebrated Hanukkah with engaging presentations thoughtfully prepared by parents, bringing the holiday traditions to life. It was a wonderful week of creativity, community and festive cheer, marking a joyful end to the term.

DP TOK Educational Visit: Knowledge and Perception

Our DP2 TOK class visited the Paradox Museum and an Escape Room this week as part of their learning about knowledge in Mathematics, including the concepts of axioms, invented versus discovered mathematics, and various perspectives such as Platonism, logicism and formalism. During the trip, students considered how the brain receives and processes knowledge, and they had to use logic and calculations to escape from their challenge room.

Community Service: Grade 2 Unit of Inquiry Action

As part of their Unit of Inquiry on Community Helpers, Grade 2 students demonstrated meaningful action by wrapping presents for a community supported by ISL. This initiative brought together the Operations Team, Management Team, Grade 2 teachers and students, and members of the Local Initiative Committee. The gifts were donated through the Paramytha Local Council, highlighting the spirit of collaboration, kindness and service within our school community. We thank all colleagues involved for supporting this thoughtful initiative during the festive season.

IB PYP Parent–Teacher Conferences

IB PYP Parent–Teacher Conferences took place on 15 and 16 December. The conferences were successful, providing valuable opportunities to acknowledge students’ progress, discuss next steps in learning, and receive positive and constructive feedback from parents. We thank our teachers and families for their collaboration and support.

Secondary IB Academic Reports

On Wednesday, parents in Secondary IB received the end-of-term academic reports. Teachers have spent a great deal of time and effort preparing these reports, which are intended to record progress, successes and areas for improvement in each subject area for each student. We encourage you to discuss them with your children over the break and agree on some targets to help address areas for improvement. As we review these reports, we will be in touch if we believe intervention is needed to support your child’s progress.

Outstanding Achievement: British Physics Olympiad

We are very proud to announce the exceptional results of five of our students in the recent British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) Round 1. This is one of the most demanding academic competitions in the UK, designed to challenge the country’s top young physicists with problems that far exceed the A-level syllabus.

This year’s competition began with 9,000 students in Round 0, with only the most capable 1,811 students from 475 schools across the UK and overseas invited to sit the rigorous Round 1 paper. Against a national average mark of just 27.7%, our students achieved an impressive clean sweep of medals:

• Altair won Top Gold, placing him in the top 6% of participants. If he were a UK citizen, he would be eligible to compete for a place on the UK International Physics Team.
• Munar won Gold
• Vladyslav won Silver
• Anastassiya and Yersaiyn won Bronze

The BPhO organisers emphasise that these papers are designed to stretch even the most talented students, and such high marks are a testament to our students’ dedication, mathematical fluency and passion for the subject. Please join the Physics Department in celebrating these excellent achievements.

Winter Fair and Community Spirit

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our rearranged Winter Fair on Sunday. Thank you so much for supporting this amazing event and for bringing such a strong sense of community. I hope you all enjoyed the stalls, activities and musical performances.

We will be back in school on Wednesday 7 January, and we look forward to welcoming your children back on that day.

Whatever festival you are celebrating this December — or even if you are not — may I take this opportunity to thank you for all your ongoing support this term and wish you a peaceful, happy and wonderful holiday season with your families. If you are travelling, we wish you safe journeys and hope that reunions with loved ones or relaxing holidays are filled with joy.

Best Regards
Deborah Economou
Head of School