Head of School's Blogs
My Best Day of the Year
by Dr. GERRITZ 29 July, 2010
At 6:50 AM on Monday, August 9, I will walk to ISB's front gate to welcome our students to a new school year. I will greet hundreds of children arriving on foot, on bikes, or in vehicles. My grin will be the biggest of the year for I love this day. The school has been empty and sad since I returned from Colorado two weeks ago. Now the buildings will fill with excited and sometimes anxious students, eager to commence their new learning. I know what awaits them - their teachers, their friends, their learning opportunities - and I am proud to be part of this school.
I will be thinking about the teachers who are returning to ISB. I have visited their classrooms, talked with their students, and know of their excellent teaching. I will also be anticipating visits to the classrooms of our 21 new teachers. Each year more than 2, 000 teachers apply to work at ISB. We picked these 21 very carefully. I am a bit like a kid at Christmas wondering what delights are in the packages under the tree as I think about visiting their classrooms.
But this year will be a bit different. Our returning students are in for some pleasant surprises. A new six story building and athletic fields awaits them. The Cultural Center adds 25 percent more space to the school. They will be captivated as they roam its 31 learning spaces, including a theater, huge music and dance rooms, and high school classrooms. ISB students love their school and want to take great pride in it. Many are also passionate about saving the environment. Their pride will expand when they learn that the Cultural Center is the first building in Thailand to be given the U.S. Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environment Gold Award.
They may think that somehow the school grounds have grown more expansive. They have not. But when they see our new elementary school playground, running track, Field A, and Field D, somehow it all seems bigger. Field D will even has artificial turf. In a sense I suppose they are bigger. Not in square meters, but because all are now "rain proof", they will be usable for many more days during the year. They may also be proud when they learn that ours will be the only Class1 Track in Thailand certified by the International Athletic Federation. It is literally the best space in Thailand to learn track and field skills.
The day will not be perfect though. I will miss the students and adults who left last year. But even that sadness can be tempered. This week, a 2010 graduate stopped by my office on his way to college in Massachusetts. He came to ask me to help get his seven year old cousin into ISB. He told me how wonderful his learning experiences had been at ISB and how thankful he was. He cares deeply about his cousin and wanted him to have the same opportunities. Moments like these make me really proud to be a part of ISB.
Bill
Read more post from the Head of School's BlogsAbout the Author
Bill received his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. He has written over 20 journal articles and has an abiding interest in learning improvement. Prior to ISB, Bill headed schools in Holland and South America. He and his wife Marcia have 3 sons.
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