Principal’s End of Year Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,

Another school year approaches its climax in a flurry of examinations, trips, graduation ceremonies, and Field Days. Such is the annual life of a school. It begins with apprehension and hope, follows a steady path of academic endeavour and developmental activity, and ends with a number of moments of truth which allow us to recalibrate and prepare for the next cycle after a well-earned break, with everyone a year older and, we hope, wiser.

This year the students have, perhaps for the first time since the pandemic, been able to focus seriously on their futures, absorb the work ethic and set ambitious targets for themselves while playing a full part in the extra-curricular life of the school. Recent International Examinations in the IB, “A” level and IGCSE have gone smoothly and passed largely without incident while school finals are currently taking place and the Lebanese Baccalaureate is yet to come at the end of the month. The overall feel of the year has been one of purposeful activity and of staff and students tackling challenges, in and out of the classroom, of an academic nature as well as of personal development. For sure it has been a year of revelation, for some of steady progress, for some of readjustment. The lessons we learn from this year will be applied in the year ahead and reinforced in improvements in our approach next year. Similarly, our students should look for ways in which they can improve and so build on current success. Everyone should have a good summer holiday and all students need a period of rest before they return in September.

There are a number of practical points which I would like to bring to your attention:

Adha Holiday:

School and offices will be closed for the Adha holiday on Monday 17^th, Tuesday 18^th and Wednesday 19^th of June.

Policies:

Key school policies are posted prominently on our school website. These are:

• E-Learning and IT Policies:
  Eco Friendly and ICT Policy
  E-Learning Policy

• Pastoral and Child Protection Policies:
  Child Protection Policy
  BHS Counselling Policy
  Pastoral Policy Statement
  Pastoral Discipline Policy Statement
  Anti-Bullying Policy
  Policy on the Taking and Use of Photos and Videos of Students
  Social Media Policy
  Accident and Medical Emergency Procedures

• Trips Policies:
  Trips Policy – One Day School Visits
  Residential and Overseas Trips Policy

• Other Policies:
  Admissions Policy
  Assessment Policy
  Language Policy
  Laptops Loans Policy
  Promotions Policy February 2020
  School Calendar Policy
  Staff Professional Review and Development
  Sun Smart Policy
  Bus Transport
  Lost Property Procedures
  Tutoring Policy
  External Private Tutoring

They are there for you to refer to when you might wish to do so.

Parents’ App:

After many false starts the parents app does now work and we shall be sending you a great deal of information, from accounting matters to parental notes via the App. However, in order to receive information from school you need to download the parents app. If you have not done so, search for Brummana High School on your App Store to download the App so that you can receive essential information from school.

Contacting staff:

All staff have an office hour and you are welcome to contact my colleagues for a meeting at that time. You may wish to email my colleagues too, but I would ask you to limit your correspondence or other form of communication to office hours.  My colleagues do not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night by calls concerning non-essential or non-urgent matters.

P.E. Kit:

All students from G1-G12 will be required to wear formal P.E. kit next year (2024-2025). This will consist of a top in the House colours and two pairs of shorts. The P.E. wear will be available from the school bookshop but also from suppliers. We shall shortly provide you with more information about it. The kit will be of good quality.

Book Sale:

This year’s book sale will follow a familiar pattern but after extensive discussion we hope it will be pain free and smooth this year. You will be receiving an e-mail soon from your child’s Head of Section about the book sale. There will be two extra dedicated telephone lines provided by the school this year specifically for the purpose of booking appointments and answering your questions, and Heads of Section will provide you with the relevant numbers.

Girls’ Basketball:

Both Varsity and Junior Girls’ Basketball teams have been enormously successful this year. The varsity team are the champions for the whole of Lebanon, and they will be playing their final match of the season on the 14^th of June. For those who would like to see the match it is being broadcast live on LBCI TV at 4:00 PM and is against IC Beirut.

Telephone System:

A lightning strike in the spring brought forward our plans to replace our rather antiquated telephone system. It is currently being replaced with a digital model which should make the business of phoning the school easier and for calls internally to be made more effectively. We shall provide you with more information about this once the system is fully established. To contact the school via the switchboard please phone 24-960430/1/2/3

Football Field:

The football field has become an increasingly popular location for children to exercise their sporting skills after school. If there are no school sporting fixtures or practices, there is no problem, providing the children are in the company of a parent or responsible adult. If there are groups of children who wish to play football then a paid booking should be made at the accounts office in the usual way. Parents should note that there is no access to the football field after 7:30 p.m. in summer (1^st April until 31^st October) and after 5:00 p.m. in the winter (1^st November until 31^st March). Please note that official school sports practices and matches always take priority.

Gala Dinner:

We were to have held a super-duper bonanza Gala Dinner to coincide with the school’s 150^th anniversary in 2023 but events beyond our control prevented us from realising this exciting event.

It has not however been forgotten and will take place at the school outdoors in a balmy atmosphere, we hope, at the start of September. We hope that many parents will take tables for what promises to be a very special evening. Keep your diaries free. More news with precise timings and details will follow soon.

All proceeds of the dinner will go to the “I Serve” endowment fund.

Finally, I shall be writing again soon with a reflection on the progress of our 2023/2024 Development Plan and with a statement of the school’s Development Plan for 2024/2025. Apart from that, however, I would like to wish all parents a pleasant June and happy summer holidays in anticipation and thank you for your support throughout the year.

Yours sincerely,

David Gray
(Principal)