BSK celebrates Festival of Achievement and Graduation 2017
Maya Taha The British School of Kuwait (BSK) celebrated thirty nine years at the forefront of British education, when parents and dignitaries gathered in the magnificent splendour of the Futouh Ballroom at the Regency Hotel to laud the many wonderful achievements which the past academic year has brought. BSK was privileged to welcome Guest of Honour HE Sheikh Mubarak Fahad Al Salem Al Sabah as well as Guest Speakers Dr Khaled Al Rasheed and Her Majesty’s Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mr Matthew Lodge to this most glittering occasion in the school calendar.
The VIP guests officiated at the Year 11, 12 and 13 Graduation, presented the Council of International
Photos from the event School’s Award (CIS) to Deputy Head Boy Saad Zahoor and the much coveted Founder’s Medal of Honour to Head Girl Meral Al-Shair.
New this year were the prestigious Council of British International Schools (COBIS) Student Achievement Awards which went to Year 11 student Saja Awida for her extracurricular accomplishments, to Year 12 student Rodina Gad for service to the school and to Senior Prefect Manan Madhok for consistent academic excellence.
BSK Principal, Paul Shropshire, delivered his annual address, briefing the audience on the re-accreditation as a British School Overseas in which the school received the highest possible judgement on a school “outstanding” and was described as “a very, very special school” by the lead inspector.
In her address, BSK Founder Madame Vera Al Mutawa MBE reminded all those present that “it is a tremendous pleasure to be able to bring parents and students with such diverse cultures together into one large family” and thanked the students, parents and teachers for their combined efforts.
The ambassadors of Germany, United Kingdom, Greece and Egypt presented language awards. HE the Ambassador of the United States of America presented the Leadership Award to Saad Zahoor while HE Sheikh Mubarak presented the Creative Arts Award to Zane Margolis Able.
Guests were treated to a series of musical treats from the BSK String Orchestra including the Grenadier’s March while ensemble group La Camerata winners of the Young Musician of the Gulf competition in Bahrain delighted with Jose White’s La Bella Cubana. The overall winner of the Young Musician of the Gulf, Hei Wei Li stole everyone’s heart with his rendition of Thousands of Birds paying Homage to the Phoenix.
Head students Meral Al-Shair and Alexander White brought the evening to a close with a tribute on behalf of the student body and the Festival of Achievement and Graduation Ceremony 2017 came to a rousing finale with a salute to the parents and staff of Kuwait’s premier school, The British School of Kuwait.