Hello again my dear Parents,
I am back this Monday with a snippet from the closing week of school in April.
As we wrapped up the fi rst month of the school year and stepped into summer break, I chose to spend the fi nal week of April doing something that may not appear in a principal’s handbook, but feels deeply important to me as a school leader.
I met every new student who joined GGIS this year from Grades 1 to 10. Many of them sat with me over lunch. We spoke about school, friends, fears, favourite subjects, sibling fi ghts, lunchboxes, teachers, hobbies, and life in general. We laughed a lot too.
And honestly, those conversations reminded me why relationships matter so much in education.
Children listen differently when they feel connected.
They receive correction differently when they know they are cared for.
And during difficult moments because every child eventually faces them while growing up — they don’t reach fi rst for rules or systems.
They reach for anchors. For people who feel safe. Familiar. Human.
That is why I believe so deeply in breaking the ice with authority early.
There is something quietly powerful about sharing a meal with children. Lunch dissolves hierarchy faster than any assembly speech ever can. When a child has eaten with you, you stop becoming just “the principal” to them. You become someone approachable. Someone real.
As educators, we often speak about discipline, accountability, and excellence. All of those matter deeply.
But I have always believed that the strongest form of leadership is to care personally and challenge directly.
Children rise best when they feel both supported and respected.
What stayed with me most from these conversations was hearing what children themselves appreciate most about GGIS. Their answers were simple, but incredibly profound:
At first glance, these may sound like small things.
But they are not small at all. To children, these are signals of dignity. Something we can provide so easily yet many schools choose not to.
Hands free means: “I am trusted.”
Free play means: “I have agency.”
No shouting means: “I am respected.”
And children who feel dignifi ed often learn to behave with dignity.
Schools are not just places where children learn subjects. They are places where children slowly shape their understanding of themselves, relationships, confi dence, authority, belonging, and voice.
The lunches, conversations, eye contact, stories, and laughter from this past week reminded me once again that the most important work we do in schools is deeply human work.
Thank you for trusting us with your children. It is a responsibility we carry with immense care every single day.
