ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22
The previous academic year saw the students, staff, and parents of OSC face challenging experiences ranging from the debilitating effects of the pandemic and lockdowns to political and economic upheaval. In addition to the possibility of detrimental learning loss, we saw that there was a clear need to focus on the physical, emotional, and social needs of our student body. We believe that all of us at OSC adapted to these difficult circumstances, through flexibility that allowed us to balance an understanding of the effects of these demanding life experiences along with resilience that allowed us to transition between face-to-face learning and distance learning with relative ease.
“Resilience” has long been an important aspect of the OSC community. To us, resilience goes beyond strength or hardiness to include flexibility and agility. To be resilient is to acknowledge hardship and adapt, to bend but not break, and ultimately, to bounce back into shape. Thanks to the relationship that our Head of School and her leadership team fostered with our community through open, clear, and often speedy communication, OSC was able to navigate the ever-changing landscape that surrounded us. We focused on making learning enjoyable for our students, keeping in mind that social and emotional aspects were integral to our programmes.
“The Return of the Geckos”
Making sure our students were excited to come back to school was a priority. Each student was welcomed back with a gift that nurtured community spirit: a baseball cap triumphantly emblazoned with the words “Return of the Geckos”. The day was reserved for celebration, with music, bubble machines, and opportunities to take photographs that would serve as lasting memories of the special day.
In addition, we also made it our goal to facilitate adaptability in the long run by adding social time into our schedule, allowing students to ease themselves into their learning and social environments. We welcomed new students with special breakfasts and lunches to instill a sense of belonging. To make the transition back to in-person teaching easier, we introduced our after-school activities and athletics programmes gradually to ensure they were safely in place by January 2022. This provided students an opportunity to engage in activities that aid their physical health as well as an opportunity to interact with their fellow schoolmates.
Ensuring the Physical and Mental Well-being of our Community
Academics are an important aspect of education, however, we always prioritise our students’ overall well-being, knowing that a sound body and a sound mind are essential to make learning enjoyable. This was increasingly important during the pandemic, as we made community-wide efforts to address the emotional welfare of our students, staff, and parents in order to facilitate an ideal and safe educational environment for all. Our highly experienced and capable counselling team is crucial to ensuring wellness and remains our priority for students, parents, and staff alike.
Rising to the Challenge
We have numerous programmes that allow our students to express themselves, providing opportunities for them to build one another up as they experience working together. These programmes also give them leadership opportunities and the chance to be involved in planning and taking action for their communities.
The morning meeting is one such endeavour. This is an engaging way to begin each day, build a strong sense of community, and set our students up for success socially and academically. Each morning, students and teachers gather together in a circle for twenty to thirty minutes to interact with one another. They greet each other and share their thoughts, setting a positive intention for the day. The meetings also help students work on empathy, decision-making, and responsibility.
The Primary Student Government Association (PSGA) is our student- based civic organisation formed to promote the OSC spirit and extend opportunities for leadership among students. Members are elected by their classmates and the meetings are held weekly throughout the school year. Some activities include bake sales to raise money for service groups, as well as variety shows and book week.
Advisory in the MYP consists of meeting for 90 minutes, three times every eight-day cycle to rebuild students’ social skills. This includes team-building activities, a focus on digital citizenship, identity building and awareness, as well as Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) that highlights rights, responsibilities, and respect The MYP also has service groups that meet every Thursday and provide a framework for students to collaborate and take action and connect with the community.
Overall, OSC considers the well-being of the community to be of utmost importance.
Noteworthy Events of the Year
Despite our 2021/22 school year being fraught with uncertainty and challenges, the school had a calendar overflowing with events as our students and staff enjoyed their return to school. Various programmes fostered a strong community spirit, letting our “resilient Geckos” know that their friends and teachers would always be beside them.
Book Character Parade – Kids enjoyed dressing up as their favourite characters from books they love, at our annual Book Character Parade.
Book Week Closing Assembly – A programme was held to commemorate the end of Book Week, an endeavour that encourages children to read.
Bringing Back the Joy – We welcomed back our students with hearts full of joy, celebrating with music, bubble machines, and opportunities to take lots of photographs!
Grade 12 Last Day Assembly – We bid farewell to our Grade 12 students on their last school day, wishing them success in their journey through life.
Halloween – Halloween was an exciting opportunity for our kids to don amusing and quirky outfits and have fun with their friends.
IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition Opening Ceremony – The IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition 2022 illustrated the journey and artistic growth of nine of our Grade 12 students, showcasing their creativity and unique style.
Independence Day – Our students came in traditional attire to celebrate the rich history of Sri Lanka on its Independence Day.
International Mother Language Day – Story books in different languages lined the tables as our students absorbed the beauty of each other’s mother tongues.
Mini Winter Gala – Secondary students had the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience for the first time in two years, and we also celebrated the opening of our new Gecko Coffee Shop at the Mini Winter Gala.
MYP Personal Project Exhibition – MYP students proudly displayed their personal projects ranging from custom mechanical keyboards and electronic music, to works of art such as poetry books and photographs printed as postcards.
Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony, New Front Entrance Project – OSC held a foundation stone laying ceremony for the New Front Entrance Project, a brand-new security/entrance building, on 2 December 2021.
PSGA Year-End Variety Show – The PSGA year-end variety show featured our students displaying their amazing talents.
PYP Art Exhibition – A wonderful opportunity for our PYP students to showcase their creativity, the PYP art exhibition featured colourful works of art as well as various musical performances.
PYP Exhibition and Promotion Ceremony – Our PYP students presented their personal projects, the culmination of much hard work and research.
Secondary Year End Assembly – With artificial snow floating down from the sky, there was a true sense of fellowship at the secondary year end assembly.
Sinhala and Tamil New Year – A testament to the power of sunshine, our students came dressed in bright yellow renditions of traditional Sinhala and Tamil attire to celebrate this quintessential Lankan festival.
Sporting Events – OSC saw success in the realm of football and volleyball as our students enjoyed getting back onto the field after the pandemic.
Spring Gala – The Spring Gala is one of the many ways our school demonstrates the value we place on the Arts.
Thai Pongal – Celebrating this festival included making decorative and colourful patterns (or kolam) on the floor.
UN Day – Our students celebrated our community by waving flags, and showcasing unity in diversity.