A MESSAGE FROM DR DAN

Community values and a sense of pride

At SIS-PIK we want students to achieve their very best, and to shape these young people into mature leaders of the future. One of the ways we create an environment where students understand key values such as respect and responsibility is by having a school uniform. Uniforms allow students to take pride in their appearance, a pride in being a member of the community. Uniforms bring everyone together with a shared purpose, as a team. Furthermore, academic research shows a strong link between school discipline, uniform and academic achievement (see “School Discipline, School Uniforms and Academic Performance” Baumann, Chris; Krskova, Hana. International Journal of Educational Management, 2016).

Earlier this term I wrote to all parents of Secondary and JC students to highlight two small changes to our uniform policy. The first is that students will not be allowed to wear hoodies, sweaters or jackets around school. This is because there is little point to a uniform if it can be covered by a multitude of different articles of clothing of any colour. Our students look wonderful in their batik shirts, and the crisp white professional shirts of the JC. We want them to show off how smart they look, and give them the academic benefit which comes with wearing a uniform.

In the JC, we are asking all students to wear smart business shoes to school, rather than training shoes. They can be black, brown/tan or navy blue. There is no set design, the general rule being that they should be smart enough to be worn in a professional working business environment. Students will need to own such a pair of shoes when they attend interviews, and this helps prepare them for the adult world beyond school.

As I get to the end of my first term here at SIS-PIK, I want to say what a pleasure it has been to meet so many parents. I really appreciate your support in continuing to take our school ‘Towards Greater Heights’.