Date: 30th July 2020
Dawood Public School
Pre Primary (both shifts) to O level
Ref.No: STD/AC/20/212
Subject: A glimpse through session 2019-20
Dear Parents,
As we close one of the most challenging academic session the School has faced, we thank you for being the support that you were and pray that collectively we can continue to overcome the remaining uncertainties of the future.
The academic session 2019-20 began with celebrations of excellence. The CAIE results announced Umaima Sohail to have received a World Distinction for O Level Economics and Misbah Jehangir a Regional Distinction for O Level Pakistan Studies. The festive beginning continued into Independence Day celebrations before moving into the study phase for the session.
Upholding the vision that ‘every student of Dawood Public School will be nurtured to explore and cultivate her aptitudes, interests, and skills, we proudly initiated several ‘firsts’ this year. The coveted Science Film Festival organized by the Goethe-Institute Pakistan was held on our campus and featured some of the best short films and documentaries that provided valuable insights into the world of natural, physical, chemical, and digital sciences.
Another ‘first’ was our participation in the prestigious Oxford Summer Program. Our students from Grade X Maha Sheikhani and Zoha Qadeer Khan experienced the opportunity of a lifetime as they interacted with students from all around the globe. Selecting to study Art and Creative Writing from a list of 32 subjects, the girls worked hard as DPS ambassadors and enjoyed two weeks of rich culture at the Oxford University Campus and explored the heritage of England.
Yet another pioneering proud moment was when WHO Geneva Art Gallery selected the artwork of Mariam Ali Lakhani of Grade X. Competing with thousands of entries, her creative submission for “people caring about people” was also featured in the Gallery handbook that was distributed electronically all over the world.
Zoha Ghazi of Grade X was proudly welcomed back from the coveted IEARN YES Youth Exchange and Study Program 2019-20. A prestigious program the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA), Zoha was placed in a Private High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Apart from a rich school environment, she experienced working with the community in local voluntary projects as an honorable ambassador for DPS in particular, and Pakistan in general.
Collaborating with international institutions has always been a benchmark for DPS. This year we were honored to work with UNICEF as the organization launched ‘Girl Rising’ across several developing nations. As an all-girls school in Pakistan, we were brought into the folds of this beautiful venture where stories of success under strife were shared with an aim to develop empathy and compassion towards the struggles of the girl child. Our students served as compassionate learners in this program, offering valuable contributions for an international audience.
As always, DPS students were celebrating literary ventures throughout the year. Mahnum Ahmed of Grade IX won a second position at the Young Author’s Award for her short story titled ‘Life of a Buzzard’, in the annual competition organized by Children’s Literature Festival. In similar literary ventures, DPS Public Speaking maestros went forth to participate in several MUN conferences winning laurels for the School on each forum. The most coveted participation was that for LUMUN and MUNIK towards the end of the first term. Besides these national-level achievements, our students maintained the School’s reputation as one of the best in the city by proving their mettle in various Inter-School public speaking platforms.
Internally too, students continued to pursue developmental activities in co-curricular and extra-curricular programs. The inter-class spelling bee and the elocution competition at the Primary Section brought out the potential of many talented students. Similarly, the tough Inter-class declamation and DPS singing sensation coupled with the club and society memberships offered students at the Secondary Section a myriad of opportunities to exercise leadership, experience confidence, and learn about the values of teamwork. Even the toddlers at our Pre-Primary Section stayed busy all year with their Enrichment Program amidst a plethora of fun and interactive learning avenues.
On the sports field, the 6th inter-school sports gala hosted at our campus invited a total of 27 schools of Karachi for a series of thrilling competitions. DPS offered throw ball as the signature competition sport, whereas ring ball on the field and chess as an indoor sport were introduced at the Gala. Internally too, the series of Annual Sports at the end of the first term was as colorful and entertaining as ever.
Keeping up traditions of providing international exposure, the School arranged a learning and adventure trip to Azerbaijan. Utilizing the winter break effectively, an enthusiastic group of nine students was chaperoned by school staff; they experienced traditions, culture, food, and language of the country, thoroughly enjoying the unique opportunity.
As the final term began, our students participated in the pilot run of a computer simulation game designed by SEED Venture for this year’s much-awaited business competition, Enterprise Challenge Pakistan (ECP) organized by the British Council. DPS also launched ‘Connecting Classrooms’, a British Council based program that aimed to create interaction opportunities for our students with their counterparts in schools across the world. The objective was to weave into curricula, the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals designed by the United Nations as essential learning for students as they grow to become a responsible and more environmentally committed generation.
This year the traditional mega event for the session was the DPS Science Festival held exclusively for parents. The fantastic displays of working projects developed by the students showcased their confident presentation skills and in-depth understanding as they spread across the campus to proudly participate in a one-day interactive exhibition. Featuring the hard work of all students from Pre-Primary to O Level the festival was the last of normal school life before we faced the unfortunate pandemic.
March onwards the School transformed into a virtual learning hub. We faced the challenges of lockdown and crippling conditions with resilience, grit, and an enhanced sense of duty. Our teachers equipped themselves almost overnight to ensure continuity in learning, reaching out to all students across virtual mediums. Uphill as it was, the journey laced with remarkable unity in the DPS family, strengthening the bonds with our parent community.
As we bid farewell to a tumultuous, yet rewarding academic session 2019-20, it is with the confidence that together, as a family of teachers, parents, and students, we can overcome all challenges.
Wishing you a Happy Eid, we look forward to brighter, better, and safer tomorrow.
Warm Regards,
Mahvash Roshani
Principal