"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers." — Charles William Eliot
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to term 3! We have started the term with a focus on one of the most important aspects of education and learning - books! Reading is one of the best ways to improve one’s literacy in any language. There is a direct correlation between reading habits and "word wealth”. The more words you have the better you can express yourself both orally and also in written form.
A rich vocabulary also provides you with the ability to express your emotions and communicate with others, developing your interpersonal skills and building relationships. Higher literacy levels are also consistently linked to better career opportunities and higher confidence in public speaking.
Reading also helps to extend and develop our attention span. Frequent scrolling on social media can reduce concentration and attention but reading a novel really helps to reverse this process.
Reading also helps us to acquire knowledge, other people’s perspectives, information and also exposes us to creativity, ideas and imagination in written form. This can help us to understand other cultures, different approaches to life and therefore assist us in navigating the complexities of daily life as a global citizen. Indeed, reading any sort of fiction is a masterclass in emotional intelligence.
Finally, reading also helps our wellbeing. It allows us to manage stress. Believe it or not, reading can be more relaxing than listening to music or going for a walk. Research from the University of Sussex found that just six minutes of silent reading can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. Escaping into a book allows your muscles to relax and your heart rate to steady as you enter a state of deep immersion. This is known in positive psychology as The "Flow State".
This week, International Book Day took place on Friday 24th April and students were encouraged to dress as their favourite book character. We asked them to think about their favourite book and character in that book. During the day children were encouraged to DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) on two occasions.
Children in primary school have regular guided reading lessons where they explore and read a book as a group. Children also have access to a wide array of books on BugClub platform. Our libraries in both primary and secondary offer children a variety of books to match different interests and in a number of languages including English, Greek, Russian, Hebrew , Ukrainian, French and Spanish.
On Wednesday it was Earth Day. https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/ Students in secondary school were encouraged to reflect on environmental issues and the importance of custodianship of our planet. In Grades 6 and 8, Earth Day was used as an opportunity to connect classroom learning with real environmental issues and student action. Grade 8 students linked the day to their previous ecology unit and their current study of electricity, reflecting on how energy use affects the planet. Many students were also able to connect this discussion to their own community projects, especially beach clean-ups. This made the lesson a valuable reflection on work they had already done and helped them see that their local actions are part of a much bigger global movement. Students explored the history of Earth Day through an interactive quiz and discussed practical ways to save energy and raise awareness, while also recognising that environmental action is supported worldwide, including by organisations such as the United Nations.
For Grade 6, Earth Day will introduce ideas that connect directly to their new energy unit, helping students begin to think about where electricity comes from, how this affects the environment, and what small actions they can take to help.
We often think of Earth Day only in connection with litter, pollution, or saving energy. However, Earth Day is also about understanding our planet as a dynamic system. This links especially well to our current topic of waves, because seismic waves are a real example of how wave behavior helps us explain natural processes inside the Earth. By studying earthquakes and seismic waves, students learn how scientific models, evidence, and monitoring are used to understand Earth systems, respond to real-world hazards, reduce risk, and support safer, more resilient communities. Indeed many projects and topics in all phases and programmes are focussed on sustainability and teaching about stewardship of the earth.
Today is the armenia Genocide memoral day. In a Grade 10 history class, students commemorated the Armenian Genocide through a brief but meaningful activity centered on reflection and historical accounts. By engaging with different perspectives and personal testimonies, they developed a deeper understanding of how worldview shapes the way people interpret and respond to historical events. This experience helped students recognize the impact of perspective on memory, empathy, and global awareness.
This week Pre-Primary 2 went to Apesia Donkey Farm and PYP 2 visited Wood Wizards as part of their unit of inquiry on materials. Waldorf class 5 went to Limassol Marina to film their song for the Schoolovision competition. We wish them every success with that!
We also had a visit from our friends from a Waldorf School in Latvia. Students from this school shared a traditional Latvian dance with our students and teachers and everyone got involved!
So we had a busy first week! It was also the last week of lessons for DP2 as they prepare to go on study leave and start their final DP examinations in a week's time.They paraded through the school so the school community could celebrate their completion of the DP programme and their time at The Island School. As our first set of graduates we wish them every success in the coming exams and their future careers. Many of them are sitting on some great university offers and we are certain they will go from strength to strength. Good luck to the class of 26!
Finally I am pleased to announce that this week we received notification that we have been approved to be a member of the Council of International Schools. Thank you to all students and parents who helped us in the initial accreditation visit before the spring break. This is an acknowledgement of the successes in our school, our commitment to high quality pedagogy and global citizenship. We will now continue to prepare for the full accreditation by ensuring we meet all the standards required by CIS and set targets to improve all aspects of our provision ready for the final accreditation in the coming years.
I wish you a wonderful weekend, either curled up with your favourite book or caring for the planet!