Change is the only constant in life.
– Heraclitus
Never has this quote been so poignant as in the present.
Little did I know that I would not be the only one learning from home when I organized myself in preparation for the few weeks ahead with my foot up recovering from surgery.
I had the privilege of pre-planning and preparing for this time at home, however, you as parents, our teachers, our support staff and our wider community did not have that luxury. Therefore, I would like to congratulate you all on how you have embraced this challenge. Your success shines through in the way you have both supported and facilitated the learning for your children during this time.
As we all navigate this new ‘normal’, the other Principals and I have had the privilege of getting an overview of the remote learning taking place at the FIS. From this, I have observed many things that make me so proud to be part of this FIS community.
I have noticed:
- The strong bond of trust and care between teachers and students
- The strong bond of trust between teachers and families
- The strong bond within families
- The huge variety and range of learning opportunities our teachers offer
- The huge variety and range of learning responses from our students to those learning opportunities
- The incredible ability for all of the FIS community to adapt to change
- The remarkable resilience that the FIS community has shown and continues to show under these challenging circumstances
- The willingness of both teachers and families to open up their homes to keep connections meaningful and supportive
- The willingness for all to accept that this is new learning for us all and that we are all learning as we go
This overview, also affirms my belief that when we return, we will be an even stronger community that values each other and the caring and cooperative bonds we have built.
Patricia Appel
Elementary School Principal
