By: Karl Wilkinson (ISS Headteacher) - 05/01/2014

 

Whilst enthralled by the show during the Junior Christmas Performance, I was struck by the thought that if a group of affable aliens was to break down on Earth, they’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of an ‘International’ community than ISS. My next thought was “but what do we mean by ‘International’?”

 

There are a number of different definitions for ‘International’, and in our case, the most apt is probably “of, or relating to, two or more nations”, as nearly forty nations are represented by students and staff at ISS. However, I don’t think this really gives us the full picture: I believe that we take ‘International’ to a whole deeper level, and our Christmas Concerts are a great example of this.

 

Christmas is, of course, a religious festival: a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and so one of the most important events in the Christian calendar. In the Seychelles, where majority of the population is Christian Catholic, it is celebrated as in many other countries around the world. At ISS, though, many members of our community are not Christian, but all of our younger children were involved in the Junior Christmas Performance.

 

Christmas is also said to be a time of joy, a time of peace, a time for sharing and caring, a time for thinking about others. This is what many call “the true meaning of Christmas”, and it is this that our children celebrated on stage that night. I will never forget the array of smiles, each other’s support, the singing and acting – and I’m sure the children themselves will forever remember the fun they had on stage with 200 or-so of their classmates and friends from other year groups.

 

The more I’ve thought about it, and talked with some of these delightful young people, I’ve realised that the strength of ‘International’ among them is not the simple acceptance of the cultural, linguistic and religious differences between them. It is the fact that these differences actually hold no significance to them. The children will celebrate any festival, learn about and share each other’s cultures, beliefs and faiths, while still recognising that their friends are simply that … their friends.

 

And this, I think, is where ISS proves the greater depth to the definition of ‘International’. Our children have their own identities, they celebrate their own cultures and faiths, but are open and accepting of all, without prejudice, disrespect, or any hesitation. This tolerance is so innate, so real, that it is easy for us to overlook it. However, it is hugely noticeable to anyone from a different environment, like Thursday night’s aliens. The joy they possess is through their shared experiences and their friendships, far beyond the bare definition of ‘International’ as ‘relating to a number of nations’ would suggest.

 

For now, whatever country you may come from, whatever beliefs and religions you hold in your hearts, I hope that the spirit of Christmas has been with you at this time; full of peace, joy, sharing and caring. And in the weeks and years ahead, let’s all draw inspiration from the wonderful children at ISS who show this spirit, as true ‘Internationals’, all year through.