Dear Parents,
Hope this email finds you well. This is my last email as we sign off for the summer, and I leave the school at the end of my tenure at XLIS. I want to take this opportunity to profoundly thank you for your suggestions, support and collaboration to make the division better and ensure that the students get opportunities to develop. It is a bittersweet moment to say goodbyes to some of our lovely students and staff who are leaving the school this year. We wish them the best in their future endeavors and hope that our paths cross in the future.
I want to reiterate that home-school communication is of prime importance if we want to get our children to the heights that they can achieve and become the adults that they can become. When I had taken this position a couple of years ago, I had committed to improving communication with you and I hope I have delivered on this. Over the year, we have grown as a community with your involvement in the sports, parent workshops and deeper involvement in academic matters.
I thank you for the parent surveys and you can be rest assured that these are taken seriously as we continually reflect on improving the division.
Natasha doll-Recently, there have been social media videos surfacing of a ‘stress reliever’ doll, called a “Natasha Doll”, which influencers are videoing themselves being very violent against. Unlike your normal “squishy” toy, it is being punched, mutilated, and thrown against walls, etc. Although the toy is available in 4 ‘colours’, the dark-skinned one seems to be used the most. Due to the online promotion of violence against infants and possibly people of colour, we are strictly prohibiting students from bringing such toys to school. I don’t believe any of our students would think of using the toy in this way, or understand the ways it is being promoted online, but we do not want to contribute to its popularity.
I would appreciate it if parents could refrain from purchasing this toy for their child. If they already have one, please remind your child that they should not bring any toys to school, especially this particular doll. If a teacher sees a student with one, they will just keep it to the end of the day, return it to the child and remind them to keep it at home.
As we head into the summer, I encourage you to take this time to relax, recharge, and explore new interests. I would encourage you to get your children to detox digitally, get active physically, relax mentally but more importantly be on this journey with you collaboratively. Summer can be a crucial time for building on the skills developed during the year, and one of the best ways to do this is through reading. We would encourage your child to engage in reading during the summer as it consolidates the reading skills and improves the knowledge base. Parents modeling this is the best way for children to learn. Hence, we encourage you to read too.
Every child at XLIS is valued, loved and cared for by recognizing their unique attributes and diverse needs. At this point of time, I would also like to share an article to support you on how boundaries are created and gratitude can be explored.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-parenting-playbook/202409/ending-the-entitled-generation
Have a great summer ahead!
regards,
Shameek
