Week at a glance - See our Head of School's weekly reflection
2026-06-19 09:41
"The geometry of space translates to a reoccurring theme in my creations: the tessellation. Where other mathematicians used notebooks, I preferred to use a canvas." — M.C. Escher
Dear Colleagues
This week our students have been exploring the captivating world of tessellations and mathematics.
A tessellation occurs when a geometric shape (or a repetition of shapes) covers a plane entirely. From the ancient mosaics of Pompeii to the breathtaking Islamic architecture of the Alhambra, and into the modern artistic masterpieces of M.C. Escher, tessellations sit at the perfect intersection of mathematics, art, and nature. They remind us that the universe is not a collection of chaotic fragments, but a beautifully ordered system of patterns.
As an educational community, this exploration provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on why mathematics is so central to our mission, and how it weaves beautifully through the distinct educational philosophies that inform our approach: the International Baccalaureate (IB), Waldorf, and Montessori traditions.
While these three pedagogies have different methods, they share a profound respect for mathematics as a tool for human development.
In the Montessori approach, Mathematics is initially met through the senses. Dr. Maria Montessori famously spoke of the "mathematical mind," noting that human beings are naturally born with a tendency to organise, classify, and measure their environment. Through concrete, beautifully crafted materials, our youngest learners literally hold geometric shapes in their hands, discovering the physical properties of space and pattern long before they abstract them into formulas.
In the Waldorf tradition, Mathematics is approached as an artistic, somatic, and deeply human endeavour. Students don’t just memorize multiplication tables; they step them out in rhythmic movement, experience the beauty of numbers through form drawing, and observe geometric proofs in the growth patterns of flowers and shells. Maths is taught not just to inform the intellect, but to stir the imagination and connect the human spirit to the rhythms of the cosmos.
In the International Baccalaureate, Mathematics serves as a universal language for inquiry and critical thinking. The IB framework challenges students to ask why maths matters in a global context. Whether modeling climate data, analyzing economic trends, or exploring the ethno-mathematics of different cultures, IB students use mathematics as a tool for international-mindedness, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making in an increasingly complex world.
Why do we dedicate such passion to teaching mathematics? It is not merely so our students can pass exams or solve equations on a whiteboard. We teach mathematics because it is a fundamental preparation for life.
Like the shapes in a tessellation, the skills learned in mathematics interlock to form the foundation of a resilient, capable human being.
This week, MYP students participated in a series of mathematical reasoning challenges for our Maths Extravaganza. In teams, students worked through digital escape rooms, logic puzzles, codebreaking, tangens puzzles, and more. Successful teams were able to get a Golden Ticket and receive a reward. All in all, it was wonderful to see students working together, sometimes frustrated, but with resilience and perseverance, able to succeed. Many thanks to Sora, Selena and all the maths team for putting thai together and inspiring students so late in the term.
Additionally, our PYP campus came alive with mathematical excitement during our Maths World Week celebrations! Students across Grades 1–4 stepped outside the classroom to tackle the Master Mathematician Quest, an interactive playground scavenger hunt. Working in collaborative teams, our young learners investigated real-world geometry, angles, and tessellation patterns hidden all around the school, combining physical exploration with digital problem-solving to unlock their final rewards. It was incredibly inspiring to see such vibrant energy, teamwork, and critical thinking on display, proving just how joyfully connected math is to our everyday world. Thank you so much to Zoom for leading on this and all the teachers who helped.
This week has been so busy, with so many events! We have celebrated the graduations of a number of year groups. Pre-Primary IB Graduation was an amazing event with lots of wonderful and confident performances linked to sharing the planet and animals in the jungle. This was followed by the awarding of the certificates as the children make this significant transition to begin their new life in primary school in September. Thankyou to Peter, Iro, Andria, Despina, Stacie, Jennie and Megan and also to our amazing communications team Boyana and Anna for making this so special.
Similarly, the IB Grade 5 PYP graduation began with a drama and musical performance of an adaptation of The Jungle Book which also focussed on the message of stewardship of the planet. Their certificates were then awarded as they moved through this rite of passage to their secondary education in MYP. It was so amazing to be supported by proud parents, grandparents and teachers at these wonderful events.Thank you to Tetvik, Leylii, Andre, Iro, Vasia and the communications team once again for their support. And for both events thanks to Andros and Vasia for additional technical support. PYP 5 will be enjoying a water park visit today so good luck with that!
It was also the turn of Waldorf Class 6 to leave behind their primary years and a celebration of their learning journey so far took place this morning. Thank you to Matthew for leading on this and for the Waldorf colleagues in support.
This evening we will be holding our annual Celebration of Achievement ceremony in secondary awarding children from both MYP and DP and CP 1 for their outstanding achievements and their progress in their different subjects this year. We will also hear from the faculty leaders about the overall progress made in each of the subject areas over the year. Thank you to Grajina, Sharmistha and all the Faculty leaders in secondary for arranging this event to celebrate academic progress.
Class 1 Waldorf presented their play to parents and other classes this week and it was a truly magical occasion with lots of memorable performances. Thanks to Chloe and Katerina for leading this beautiful performance.
From 15th–19th June, our school community enjoyed a fun-filled and memorable week packed with meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. Students had many opportunities to develop collaboration and social skills while strengthening relationships with peers and teachers.
One of the activities was the wellbeing and mindfulness session, followed by a refreshing yoga session, where students explored the importance of active mindfulness, balance, and wellbeing. Students also enjoyed participating in the school basketball tournaments, MUN debates and global citizenship activities making the most of an opportunity that the busy academic schedule had not allowed earlier in the year.
Educational and enjoyable field trips organised by the Individuals & Societies, Science, and Greek faculties provided students with valuable real-world learning experiences beyond the classroom. To end the week on a joyful note, students enjoyed exciting water activities to beat the heat, relax, and create lasting memories with their friends and teachers.
Overall, the week was all about learning, laughter, wellbeing, and building healthy relationships — a wonderful celebration of community spirit and student growth.
Activities week in secondary trips were as follows:
MYP 1 Aphrodites rock
MYP 2 Paradox museum and Pharmacy museum
MYP 3 Larnaca and Fosaki Pottery
MYP 4 CVAR and Venetian walls Nicosia
MYP 5 Cybherbia Botanical Park
Many thanks to all the hard work of our secondary colleagues to put together such an amazing array of events which provided a very different learning environment to our normal classroom scenario.Thank you to Sharmistha, Grajina, Jason, Nicholas and all other teachers who volunteered to lead activities and supported.
On Thursday classes met up with their teachers for next year (where possible) or found out about the new programme in an induction eg DP/CP in our ‘bump up’ day. Waldorf began the physical movement of all resources and work books to their new classrooms and they had their traditional ‘sweep out’ of the children at the end of the year. Thanks to Jenny for organising this along with programme leaders.
Montessori graduates going up to our brand new Upper Primary class next year enjoyed an excursion to Dasoudi beach. Thank you to Maria, Andreas, Eleanor and Myria for supporting this lovely trip. Montessori community will also enjoy their end of year picnic this evening. We wish them well with this event.
This week,at a whole primary assembly, the Student Council proudly introduced our new Friendship Benches. These special benches are designed to support any student who may be feeling lonely, left out, or unsure of who to play with during break times. Students who would like help finding a friend, joining a game, or becoming part of a group can sit on a Friendship Bench. Other students are encouraged to show kindness by inviting them to play or helping them connect with others. To ensure the benches are always available for their intended purpose, students are asked not to use them for sitting with friends or for eating snacks and lunch. Student Council members will be wearing rainbow lanyards and will regularly check the Friendship Benches to offer support when needed. The Friendship Benches are a reminder that kindness, inclusion, and looking out for one another are important values in our school community. Together, we can help make sure that no one feels alone. Thank you to Jenny, Amdreea and the student council for instigating this important initiative.
We have three more days of school next week and we look forward to welcoming your children for more excursions and fun end of term activities. Class 5 Waldorf will embark on their journey to the Waldorf Olympics event in London, UK and the TLF students will be heading out to an entrepreneurship camp in Barcelona. We wish them safe and happy travels. We would also like to welcome you to our farewell lunch on Wednesday at 1pm with parents to say goodbye to the children. Please note that Wednesday will be a half day and there will be no extracurricular activities.
Wishing you all a wonderful, patterned, and joyful weekend ahead.