JEDDAH — Pakistan International School Jeddah, English Section (PISJ-ES) held its annual award ceremony for the students grades Y1-Y12, 2016 at the school's Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Auditorium. Saeed Sarwer, deputy consul general Pakistan, was chief guest. He presented the awards and certificates to the students in CIE outstanding learners, academic, students performance and special PISJ-ES star categories. Outstanding teachers including Shaista Shahid, Riswana Sattar, Murrium Zeeshan, Talat Khursheed, Nadia Noaman, Sharifa Shams, Erum Toufiq, Dr. Shaista Khalid, Quratul Ain Imran, Nazia Sultana, Mohammed Siddique, Nouman Ashraf, Mohsin Naqvi and Shoib Sarwer also received awards. Adnan Nasir principal PISJ-ES welcomed distinguished guests, parents, teachers and students. In his speech, he said, "I feel immense pleasure to share with all of you here the joy and achievements of our outstanding and talented students at the Annual Awards Ceremony 2016." He added, "PISJ-ES' commitment is to provide an environment where every student is important and equal and, it trusts the strength of every learner with the belief that each child can learn and achieve success. And in order to accomplish this mission, the faculty, leadership and management work very hard each day." Nasir said, "Today is one the most important events on the school calendar because it is an occasion where we openly recognize that success. We acknowledge through awards and student performance, academic achievement, citizenship, student potential and commitment to excellence. "I feel it mandatory to mention here that the awards have been extended to different categories, recognizing students who have not only excelled in their academic pursuits but also developed all-round skills and attained remarkable achievements in the domains they have a strong passion for or are talented at. "Among the winners, some are outstanding at sports, some excel in languages, science and mathematics, some are always willing to volunteer, while some are the most disciplined ones who respect the school policies and abide by its rules. Though every individual is unique and possesses some distinctive qualities which can never go unnoticed, nonetheless, life is all about competition and in this circle of life; the one who reaches the summit of success is the most adaptable, committed, hard worker and strong willed." He said all the finalists sitting here today have gone through strict series of checks and balances in assessments, based on a set of comprehensive evaluation criteria. Apart from an eminent track record of academic and non-academic achievements, we look for qualities of an active learner such as independent and reflective thinking, initiative and creativity; we look for signs of a responsible citizen such as positive values, public spirit and commitment; we also look for attributes of a capable leader such as vision, confidence and collaborative skills. Regardless of their talents and interests, the selected ones have something in common — they are the role models for all the students at PISJ-ES. "I am deeply thankful to the parents and teachers for the strenuous efforts and support in enhancing the whole-person development of the young talents here today, in grooming them for future leadership, and most of all, in raising these fine young persons with a benevolent mind and caring heart. "I congratulate all the award winners on their outstanding achievements and incredible personal development. I read it somewhere that stars are rare creatures, and not everyone can be one. But there isn't anyone on earth — not you, not me, not anyone sitting next to you or residing next door — who wouldn't like to be a star adorned with a medal or holding up a shield at an acknowledged platform. So, this success should be the beginning of unfolding the innumerable victories and I have no ambiguity saying that every one of you will excel in your future roles and contribute to the well-being of society, our nation and the world at large, but do always bear in mind that the key to success in life is not to get ahead of other people, but to get ahead of ourselves, so keep reflecting back on your mistakes and make your tomorrow better than today," he said. He thanked all the teachers, deputy heads, coordinators, administration and supporting staff for organizing such meaningful and successful event. Earlier, the program began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur'an by Yahiya Abdul Qayyum followed by the national anthem of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
