Reflections on 2009 - 10

DBS finished the school year in some style during the last week of June. Both Primary and Secondary schools held their annual Awards Assembly, at which achievement, effort and commitment throughout the year were recognised. I am very grateful to National Bonds for their support of our annual awards, and for including DBS as one of the six schools in National Bonds School Achievement scheme. During the assemblies, it was also nice to thank some of the parents who have done so much to support the school, especially the outgoing committee of the Parents and Friends Association (PFA). We reflected on a highly successful year, in which we were accredited by the Council of International Schools, and were praised for aspects of our innovative approaches to learning and the quality of our teaching by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau in their report following the inspectorial visit in October.

Back to that last week. There was also lots of tidying up, and in the process a number of our students started to build their awareness of environmental issues, as we separated paper from plastic and other materials. As a school, we are now, on average, already sending one fewer large skips a week for conventional disposal in landfills after we began really serious recycling in Term 3. Last year we also reduced our water consumption by a staggering 55%, by paying attention to simple systems that prevent wastage. This was an achievement which was recognised by DEWA at a special awards morning held at the Grand Hyatt in May.

Our final assembly on the last day of term is always a happy occasion. There is always a sense of anticipation in the air as everyone looks forward to a good break after a really busy year. I would like to wish all our leavers the very best of luck, and I look forward to seeing out returning and new students back in school in September. The new school year is scheduled to start on September 12, though this might be delayed by one day depending on the final declaration of the Eid holiday. Keep watching the website for more details!

Best wishes for the summer holidays,

Andrew Homden, Principal.