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5,258 characters, exactly as storedI am delighted with the progress our boys have made in this half year and grateful to parents for their role in keeping boys positive and at school throughout a difficult and lengthy period of unusual challenges. We learn from this that boys love being at school and most definitely enjoy their environment. Perhaps because of the peculiar challenges we have faced, boys have made special efforts to get along and make the best use of their time. College Prefects have visited Prep and Junior boys to form good bonds between different age groups. This vertical relationship is crucial in building a positive school, free from bullying and harassment and focussed on leadership as a supportive and encouraging authority. We plan to continue this exchange in January. The assessment period is a chance to determine where each boy is placed with his studies. However, it is not and never will be a holistic judgment of any boy, especially younger boys. My advice to parents is to be patient and reassuring. This is a Test match and not a One Day fixture! Without doubt, learning how to prepare and cope with examinations affects boys in different ways, at different ages. Sometimes, it will require a growth in maturity to handle disappointment or minor setbacks. If so, that is all it is. Embrace it. Based on our IGCSE/O Level results over the past six years, we are confident that our boys will cope very well on entering senior school. Younger parents, trust the journey. We have resources, support and intervention strategies for those who underperform or need additional support. Junior boys have found the incorporation of SNC a very comfortable benchmark. Aitchison has gone about this transition calmly and professionally. Our approaches reflect a thinking school reinforcing the essential place of discovery and not mere rote learning. I will not allow Aitchison to drop its historical standards and responsibilities. My observations are that Urdu has improved and English has not faltered. Mathematics has gained, while boys are still engaging in modern technologies, expressing themselves in art and other creative pursuits and enjoying the physical programme. The world has not come to an end. We have maintained our modern pedagogy and spiraling curriculum approach, while offering a range of stimulating resources. Throughout the year, I have met with teachers and Heads of Department to ensure that Aitchison remains 'top class.' Classes are always engaging and challenging. Boys are beaming! Across the world, Prep-aged boys are usually set in 'fast forward'. We expect Prep boys to be occasionally rowdier, more challenging, sometimes questioning authority, here and there prone to acting before they think, and elevating physical prowess at the head of identity formation. These are normal traits in young, 'invincible' teenage boys. Talking about positive identity and redirecting these 'energies' are the keys to successful 'middle schooling', as are classrooms that engage deeper concepts and free-ranging discussion. Prep boys are beginning to seek proof and are prepared to argue and query, although they most relish approval from their peer group. Group identity is a strong force. Now more than ever influenced by social media, we need to engage boys in the practice (and reward) of good values: honesty, fairness, healthy habits, respect for rules and concern for the well-being of others. We need to emphasize what it means to be a good individual when it counts. We need to inculcate what good friendships mean. This is what lies behind the rationale of our dynamic Prep School. Seniors quickly learn that upper Cambridge expectations demand an unusually consistent and organised approach in order to successfully balance sports and co-curricular activities. This challenge is more difficult in senior years as the pressure of school work mounts. Yet, assuming a heavy load of responsibilities helps boys mature, expands friendships via shared experiences at a crucial time, and builds eye-catching resumes for university applications. Please do not consign your son to an 'academic factory' or fall into the mistake of replacing school with external tutoring! Such pressures most often come from parents and result in a boy's isolation from school processes and vital information. Sadly, it can also lead to bad habits. Teachers at Aitchison have proven repeatedly that the best grades come from forming the best connections with your school. All senior boys can be leaders and we consistently stress this journey begins with leading oneself. School is not an end, it is a beginning. A final comment on Whatsapp. It is a very useful tool, but it should not be employed, as I believe it is in some schools, as a selective forum whereby a student may feel that student friendships at school are determined by parental membership of a particular Whatsapp group. If so, this is acting against what good schools are trying to establish -namely, inclusion. School is predominantly a world for boys and what they make of it. We are there to straighten and enlarge as the situation requires. I wish all boys every success in the Half Yearly examinations, as I also extend my best wishes to all families for a safe and happy Winter Break.