Mr. James’ Weekly Reflection – 4 December

Dear Nadeen Family,

What a wonderful and busy week it has been across our school community. 

I would like to begin by congratulating Leana.  In the presence and under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a ceremony was held at Khalifa Sports City Sports Hall to celebrate the national effort that ensured the recent outstanding success of the Bahrain Youth Asia Games. The Bahrain Youth Asia Games reflected the spirit of one team and the high commitment from the people of Bahrain to make the event a success. Out of over 3,000 volunteers, Leana was awarded as the youngest volunteer at the Bahrain Youth Asia Games.   Well done, Leana, and to all of the volunteers, organisers, and athletes who contributed to this wonderful sporting event! 

Our festive season is now in full swing. It’s that magical time of year when our learners’ singing is so joyful even the Christmas trees might be tempted to join in. This week, our learners have been sharing their singing across a number of venues, from school and the British Embassy, to upcoming performances at The Address Hotel (Thursday) and The Art Hotel (Saturday). These performances beautifully demonstrate our creativity and that level of confidence that always tugs at the heartstrings. I warmly encourage families to come and support our learners in action. 

A special mention goes to Danial in Year 10, who achieved 6th place out of 65 participants in his year group and 3rd place in the Bahraini Talents Championship at the Ministry of Education Chess Tournament. 

We also celebrate our learners’ outstanding performance at the Brainobrain 7th National Abacus Competition:

• Gold Toppers: Hridaan Vinay Shetty, Kiaan Das
• Silver Toppers: Ridhi Shetty, Yusuf Ameen, Zoya Farrukh, Fatima Sujat Ameen, Jeevika Gouri Surjit, Muhammed Bilal Farrukh

In Primary, learning has been alive with creativity and curiosity:

• Year 3’s Celebration of Learning transported us back to Ancient Egypt with immersive activities for families, showcasing creativity, reflection, and curiosity.
• Year 6 celebrated sustainable art, with parents engaging in creating artwork inspired by Frederick Hundertwasser, highlighting collaboration and critical thinking, 

Sporting achievements continue to impress:

Primary Sports League

• Girls U11 Football – Winners
• Boys U11 Football – Runners-Up

Senior Sports League

• U13 Girls Volleyball – Runners-Up
• U13 Boys Volleyball – Runners-Up
• U15 Girls Volleyball – 4th Place
• U15 Boys Volleyball – 3rd Place
• U19 Girls Volleyball – 5th Place

U15 BSME Games

• Girls Netball – 8th Place
• Girls Football – 9th Place
• Boys Volleyball – 10th Place
• Boys Football – 11th Place
• Athletics – 9th Place (including 1 Silver Medal)

Swimming

• ASB Swim Meet (Y4–Y11): 21 Gold, 18 Silver, 16 Bronze
• St Christopher’s Meet: Numerous personal bests and top-10 finishes

The Secondary Assembly today was, as always, fantastic. It prompted me to reflect on the journey we have been on since I joined last year. I am genuinely proud of our community and of being part of it. During the assembly, Mr Jack reminded me of the importance of staying true to our Vision and Mission, and the notion that “small improvements over time lead to big achievements.”

As the motivational speaker Robin Sharma says:

“Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.”

This idea is backed by research on deliberate practice, which shows that consistent, focused, and purposeful practice, even in small increments, leads to mastery and long term success. Our learners demonstrate this daily through their commitment to academics, sports, music, and the arts, proving that incremental effort compounds into extraordinary achievement.

Looking ahead, our calendar remains full and exciting:

• Secondary Festive Concert 7th December
• Primary Festive Singing: 8th and 9th December
• Hosting a BSME event for the first time
• U13 BSME Games in Abu Dhabi
• U11 BSME Games in Muscat
• Launch of our new Post-16 brochure
• Year 11 mock exams preparation and revision over the festive break

Finally, thank you to our families who joined Ms. Shanee exploring the rich cultural activities across Bahrain. The souq walk this week was lovely from what I hear, Bab Al Bahrain, material and spice souqs, and buying clothes for Bahrain Day and this is available to join again on Sunday. Please can I encourage you to visit the many activities across Bahrain including Muharraq Nights (https://www.instagram.com/pearlingpath/) and other activities found on the official Bahrain calendar (https://www.instagram.com/calendar.bh/) including the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, the Heritage Village, and Hawa Al Manama

Thank you, as always, for your continued support, energy, and community spirit. 

#GrowTogetherThriveAsOne #FestiveSinging #Community

Kind regards,