And all of a sudden we are at the long weekend break for Ascension Day with the IB exams complete, the ISST Sports tournaments complete and the end of the school year fast approaching. It is good to be sitting in my garden, with the morning sunshine, coffee at hand and an opportunity to relax and reflect. As I look back at the last fortnight, I do feel as though I am in danger of exhausting my use of superlatives, such a phenomenal few weeks we are experiencing at St John’s. 

 Last week was for most parts of Western Europe the week that will go down in history as the week that Theresa May announced her resignation as UK Prime Minister. But for me, and probably several hundred parents, grandparents, family, friends, staff and students, it was the week of Annie, a Middle School Musical like no other I have seen; utterly polished, exquisitely costumed, beautifully acted, creatively staged, full of musicality, expressive movement and fun. High pace, high energy, sheer entertainment. It really was very hard to believe that the oldest students on stage were only 14 and many were only 11 or 12. The St John‘s recipe for performing arts brilliance strikes again!

 This week, we have absolutely aced the ISST end of season tournaments in athletics, golf, tennis and softball, bringing home a cache of individual medals and winning team results. PB’s, School Records and ISST Records have tumbled! I felt incredibly proud of our teams who showed such incredible spirit, camaraderie and commitment in the run-up to and during the tournaments. Our coaches have been brilliant and as well as developing each individual’s technical skills, they have nurtured in these teams the belief in themselves and a real growth mindset. The results speak for themselves.

 And for the school, receiving the confirmation of our CIS re-accreditation was also a cause for celebration. The Council of International Schools is a gold standard evaluating body for international schools, so their endorsement of our programmes, as well as our direction of travel, is much valued.

 So, with barely three weeks remaining until the summer break, I am looking forward with a real sense of optimism. We have achieved so much as a school this year on so many levels, from becoming an all-through IB Continuum School and the successful CIS Accreditation, to the phenomenal individual and group successes in the fields of sport, visual and performing arts and academics. There is much to look back on and appreciate as well as great things to come. The journey continues!