Welcome Letter (Academic Year 2021 - 2022)

Dear Parents,

Greetings from Pathways World School, Gurgaon!

Hope you have had a rejuvenated break from the routine of managing your work & supervising your children’s online Classes all at one time while being at home. The summer break would have also given you ample opportunity of spending quality family time together. Among many revelations that the pandemic has shown us, one major teaching has been self-reflection & being self-reliant. While I do understand that the fear of the unknown must not have let most of you travel on relaxing exotic family vacations, but you would agree that this has given each one of us plenty of time to look ‘within’. As Rumi very rightly said, “This Universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are”. A forced slow-paced life has shown us how to value the non-materialistic things around us & more importantly focus on our life, the most precious but least valued gift.

A new Academic Year brings with it many new developments, apprising the Stakeholders of which is imperative. I am delighted to share with you the IBDP Results of the Class of 2021. Students of our Class of 2021 have done us extremely proud with stupendous results with 2 Valedictorians, Vedika Giridhar Mandapati & Aryavrat Gupta, having scored a Perfect 45…a hattrick of a perfect score at PWS. Another laurel this year is that out of 129 Students who registered for the Diploma, 27 Students have achieved 40 points & above…an all-time high number. I would like to make a special mention of the untiring effort put in by the Senior School Principal & the IBDP Coordinator, in guiding the Team & steering it through this very difficult & unique year. The DP Team’s support & determination in putting their best foot forward definitely encouraged the Students to reciprocate the same by giving us their best, yielding in extraordinary results.

Healthy attrition in any Organization is an acceptable norm that gives an opportunity to explore & hire fresh Candidates who bring with them vibrant ideas & diverse experience. I am glad to share with you that our Team has become even more dynamic with 17 new Staff Members who have joined us, across all the 3 Programs as well as in Administration, from this new Academic Year..

A new year also brings with it prospects to improvise & enhance the existing systems that give a direction to the Team thereby accomplishing the larger goals of Brand Pathways. As equal Partners in the 3-way handshake, I am happy to share this year’s New Initiatives across the School:

PYP

• Explicit & implicit reinforcement of ATLs for online learning & teaching.
• Social Entrepreneurship to take greater visibility across Grades (PYP 2 to 5).
• Greater thrust & focus towards non-academic areas through curriculum enhancements.
• Increased agency in assessments through a focussed approach to - ‘Assessments as learning’
• Greater involvement of students as guest speakers for younger Grades & peer tutoring/ mentoring through wonder workshops.
• Refinement of the awards criteria by incorporating students’ voice.
• Increased intrusions from real world through global news reviews by the students (from PYP1 to PYP5).

MYP

• Subject scheduling for MYP1 & MYP2.
• Assessments for MYP1 & MYP2.
• Introduce ‘Passion Project’ for Students from MYP1 to MYP3.
• Interdisciplinary teaching & learning.
• Focus on new-age careers.
• Introduction of DELF & DELE Exams.
• Bootcamp for Parents & Students of MYP1 to MYP3.

DP

• TOK Conference 2021.
• Delving further into Understanding the IBCP (IB Careers Program): a Workshop for Teachers.
• Predicted Grade Policy (PG Policy): Revealing the PG to Students & Parents and taking Students & Parents in understanding its process.
• Pathways High School Diploma.
• Secondary School Student Council.

We did have a Pathways Parent Partnership (PPP) at PWS that was primarily focused on the Primary School. We believe that it is equally important for the Parents with children in the Secondary School to also have a representation in the PPP. A fresh format of the PPP will be ready soon.

To bring in a certain level of discipline in the online Classes, the School expects Students to wear the School T-shirt during online Classes also. Once physical School starts, Students attending physical School will also be expected to be attired in proper School uniform.

We thank you for your continued support & belief in the School. We hope & pray that the pandemic now passes through, giving us the opportunity of greeting our Students back on Campus in the physical space, even though through a staggered schedule. We look forward to a new beginning & an eventful and most importantly a successful Academic Year!

Warm regards,
Sonya Ghandy Mehta
School Director