I’m not a superstitious person, but I still hope I’m not tempting fate if I say that the state of ��ѻ��ý in 2026 is good! With more than 75 students, the school is growing and thriving — with our fair share of challenges, of course. Here is what’s on my mind during our 4th school year:

Clubs. In the early days, a nascent school like ��ѻ��ý inevitably lacked clubs compared to larger, more established schools. This year I feel like we’ve flipped a switch: when I try to introduce a new club, students tell me they’d love to but they’re already involved in too many! New clubs this year include public speaking, debate, poetry, entrepreneurship, textiles, , , and our first sports team. Robotics in particular has taken the school by a storm with over 25 students participating in some capacity and outstanding student leadership. Come by the school at 5:30 or even 6pm on a Monday or Thursday and you’ll find a hive of activity. At this hour you may also encounter some existing clubs continuing from last year, including machine shop, maker lab, , and a much-expanded music club.

Grading system. In last year’s letter I flagged systemic grade inflation as a challenge for all schools, including ��ѻ��ý. One of the biggest successes this year, in my opinion, has been implementing our in which students receive internal ��ѻ��ý grades (on a 7-point scale) in addition to their regular percentage grades mandated by the Ministry of Education. This system allows us to maintain standard reporting practices while at the same time communicating realistic feedback to students and families, a duo that I believe is no longer possible under one system. 

Quest Board. We recently launched a new “Quest Board” initiative, in which students can complete “quests” such as brushing their teeth twice a day for 100 days, or hosting a social gathering, or trying a new sport. The whole system is optional, but quests can be cashed in for rewards, often benefitting the whole community. Example rewards include a school celebration, or donuts for the whole class (at least they’ve been brushing their teeth, right?). We’re at the early stages here, but I’m excited to see where this goes in promoting a more holistic educational structure beyond courses and grades.

Continuing initiatives. Other points in last year’s letter include the phone ban, which continues this year with strong results, as well as a guide on ��ѻ��ý courses, which is now public via its own blog post. Fundraising also continues to be a priority and we remain blessed with generous donors who believe in the value of ��ѻ��ý’s rigorous STEM education and . Of all the school’s pie in the sky ideas, the success of the tuition model is what surprises me the most, and it really does seem to be working. Thank you, donors! 

Challenges: school size. A current challenge on my mind is the size of the school. We’re rapidly approaching our steady state size of 100 students, 20 per grade. Being a small school is incredibly powerful in our ability to get to know students, our sense of community, and the lack of office politics and bureaucracy. Personally as the principal, ��ѻ��ý’s small size means I can teach too, which is both the best part of my job and also very helpful in performing my Principal duties effectively. All that said, we do miss out on economies of scale enjoyed by larger schools, such as teachers preparing a lesson once and delivering it to multiple cohorts. Attending a larger school also has benefits from the student perspective, such as elective courses and a larger pool of social contacts. My gut feeling is that one day we might double our size. That said, we’re fully occupying our current building and just the thought of moving is the stuff of my nightmares! Nonetheless, I believe it helps to keep in mind our current tradeoff when making day-to-day decisions, big and small.

Thank you. Overall, heading into 2026, I am feeling optimistic. I have a bit more time now for long-term investments as opposed to addressing immediate situations, which is satisfying and a good sign. I am especially looking forward to our first ever graduation ceremony in June, which is undoubtedly a key milestone of the entire project. As always, thank you to everyone on this journey with us, from casual blog readers to donors, staff, students, parents, and all our other supporters. Happy 2026!