At the Halfway Point of Our Academic Year

When I consider that we have arrived at the end of the first semester, I am amazed at how quickly the last several months have gone by! Wasn’t it just the other day that we were all still soaked from the daily downpours of the monsoon? Wasn’t it just a short time ago that our youngest students were still reluctant to leave the embrace of Mom and Dad during morning arrival?

My sense of time, I find, gets easily confused. I do believe that the older we get, the faster time moves. I also get tripped up by those climatic clues:  In the northeastern US (where I spent the first 30 years of my life), December means short days and bitterly cold weather. In Mumbai, by contrast, the weather is always summer-like. So the fact that I went out to lunch last Sunday, December 15, in shorts and a t-shirt amazes me because it feels like August or September at home...but here it is December. No wonder I am shocked that winter break is upon us!
In any event, at the halfway point of our academic year, we as a school community have much about which to be joyful. From a program perspective, we have more good news to share from PYP, MYP, and DP: 

1. In late November, we had a very successful PYP verification visit, and we are closing in on the date by which we expect to receive word from IB about authorization.
2.  We filed our application for DP authorization several weeks back, and we are now in contact with IB regarding a verification visit soon after we return from winter break. 
3.  Just last week, our MYP consultant visited our campus over the course of two days, and it was clear that she was very impressed with what is happening in our Secondary School. We are in the process of determining when we will apply for authorization.

So just during this semester, four IB visitors have visited our school and have all shared the following:

• Having spoken with our students at all levels, the visitors have been impressed with how well our kids are able to articulate their learning journey and how keenly they are taking ownership of their learning.

• Having spoken with our parents at all levels, the visitors have been surprised by parents’ depth of understanding of both the OIS and IB philosophies and their steadfast support for the work we are doing with their children.

• And, of course, having spoken with our faculty and staff, the visitors have been deeply impressed with the quality of instruction taking place in our classrooms and our progress toward meeting (and exceeding) the IB standards and practices for each program.

Spoiler alert: Our school is not perfect, but it is also true that each of us is so enmeshed in the ups and downs of our daily lives that we often are unable to pull back and look at the larger picture.  

And the larger picture is this: Since August, several outside observers have visited our school. These observers know an awful lot, from all angles, about what IB schools should look and sound and feel like. These observers have fed back to us that many, many good--no, great--things are happening in our school.  And so we all can take a great deal of pride in the many wonderful things that are happening at OIS - JVLR!

While I love outlining our progress with regard to our programs, there is so much more going on at our school. But I have limited space to work with, and you surely have other things to do.  I will end this with something I hope will bring a smile to your face. Earlier this week, a group of our Secondary School students published the first issue of the Leopard Gazette. Brace yourselves...it is 31 pages long and is a very funny, very interesting read! This is a labor of love for this group:  It is not a requirement, they do not receive a grade for their work...they do it because they love to write, they love to take photos, they love to design and edit.
I make a cameo appearance at the end: “36 Questions with The Boss.”  Without spoiling the fun, I need to make a few things clear for anyone who might be tempted to interpret this literally (I’m looking at you, WhatsApp groups): 

• I do not nap in my office…
• I have to ask permission to ride the Swingo…
• I do not get any freebies from the coffeeshop.

I have the best job in the world, because I get to work with kids. And because I get to work with kids, my days are filled with fun and laughter. None of us can ever have too much fun and laughter in our lives.
I wish you and your family a safe, healthy, restful winter break. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Stephen Augeri
Head of School
Oberoi International School - JVLR Campus