A warm welcome

Dear families,

I am delighted to announce that, following an extensive and rigorous recruitment process, which attracted a huge number of high calibre applicants for the new Head of Secondary post, we have this week appointed Phil Brown. Mr Brown worked for many years in London, at a number of extremely high performing schools, and then moved overseas where, for the last 6 years, he has worked at the International School of the Seychelles, as an English teacher, a Head of Sixth Form and currently Deputy Head of Secondary. Mr Brown writes:

Greetings BIC staff, parents and, most importantly, students. I'm so thrilled to think that, in 5 months time, I shall be with you all as your Head of Secondary. In the coming months, I'm looking forward to working with Ms Tomlinson and Ms Colwell and learning everything I can about BIC Sa Porrassa to make sure we hit the ground running next September and make 2023 an outstanding year for BIC.

I chose BIC because I want to work somewhere which puts the wellbeing of students and staff as the highest of priorities whilst holding sky-high expectations for every member of the community. Having spent the last 6 years in another small island community, I am looking forward to getting to know all of you, finding out your passions and your goals for the future and making sure you have all the help you need from our amazing teaching team.

In my current office, where I am writing this, I have a few quotations on my wall. One of those quotations is often attributed to Sydney J. Harris in 1978, but is likely to have come from a much earlier source. It reads 'The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.' Over the years I've had many debates with friends and colleagues about what this means. To me, it means that young people are not in school to become simple reflections of whatever is on the board in front of them. Rather, like windows, they are there to let the light in from the outside world and to see just how many possibilities are out there whenever they turn to one another. When I look at my students, I don't want to see myself, but rather I want to see the world and all of its potential. I cannot wait to join you all in Mallorca later this year and be part of your learning journeys.

Phil BrownNew appointed Head of Secondary

Alison Colwell,

Principal

Baleares International College, Sa Porrassa