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by Ed Baker
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A Year in Review: Keeping the Balance
By Robert Taylor
As ever, the EISL community has faced many challenges this year. There
have been highs and lows but importantly, the positives have prevailed.
Currently our older students are in full swing with their examinations and
I applaud their approach to this potentially stressful time in their lives.
A Cambridge Examinations Board Inspector recently arrived on our doorstep
unannounced and was pleased to remark on how calmly our pupils arrived for
their exams and that this was a credit both to them and to the school.
Ongoing staff illness has been a huge issue for us to cope with this year.
Mr. Beckett has not only had the loss of his wife to contend with but also
a hip replacement operation. Happily, he is now well on the road to
recovery and will return in September. Mrs. Holland, having undergone
successful heart surgery before Christmas, has since suffered complications
which are still ongoing. The fact that she has given tutorials from her hospital
bed is a clear indication of the commitment she has to the school and her
pupils. We wish her a full and speedy recovery.
Faced with these challenges, we have managed to the very best of our abilities
to substitute these teachers in order that classes could continue. My
thanks go to Mr. Sheard, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Cole, Dr. Bobinger, Mrs. Durham,
Mrs. Spencer, Brigitta, Ms. Moss, Mrs. Currah and Mr. Warman for stepping
in quickly where required, with little warning or knowledge of the length
of cover required. Thanks also go to the pupils concerned who have coped
extremely well with these changes and challenges.
The highlight of the year has surely been the fantastic news that all plans
for the new school have now been approved by the Loulé City Hall.
We are now in final stages of negotiations with investors in order to finance
the project and we fully expect construction to be under way within the next
few months. For many, this has been a long time in coming and the struggles
along the way have been plentiful. It is my belief that the dream of
a purpose built school for EISL will soon become a reality, providing pupils,
staff and parents with the facilities they deserve. Much of this has
been due to the many years of determination and hard work with the local authorities,
of Sr. Gama Oliveira. Thank you Gama!
Meanwhile, life continues on our present site which we are all so fiercely
proud of! Keeping the balance between securing a new school whilst still
seeking to improve our current site has been of major importance to me.
It was interesting to speak with a parent whose child left the school last
year, whilst she was visiting recently. She was very impressed
with the many physical improvements that have been made over a short space
of time. The most obvious perhaps, are the outdoor recreation spaces
for our pupils. It is great to see our younger pupils challenged physically
by new playground equipment which has given them far more choice at break
times. It is equally pleasing to notice the pride that our Years Ten and
Eleven students have taken in their newly re-vamped seating area (a lot of
work for Dougie Knowler during the Easter break!) The creation of a
basketball practice shooting court has not only created further recreational
facilities for our pupils but has also played a part in the recent success
our teams have enjoyed during local inter-school tournaments.
Small yet carefully planned changes really do lead to improvements for all.
This will continue to be the case over the next few months and I look forward
to further positive contributions from the newly formed Student Council (as
they have recently with their innovative installation of the “Buddy bench”).
Teachers will also be involved in curriculum reviews in order to make improvements
where necessary.
As I write this, there are still eight weeks to go until the end of term.
By the time you read it, the academic year will very nearly be complete.
Examinations, school trips, competitions, family barbecue, prize giving and
the daily love of learning and teaching will all soon reach a natural break
off point, enabling us all to enjoy the well-earned summer break. Whatever
your plans, whether you remain at EISL next year or move onto new pastures,
may I wish you a happy and peaceful holiday.