JEDDAH — The Pakistan International School Jeddah, English Section (PISJ-ES) held its annual end-of-year awards ceremony on Tuesday for the 2011-2012 academic year. High-scoring students in grades 3 to 12 were honored during the ceremony. Khaled Almaeena, Editor-in-Chief of the Saudi Gazette, Ali Saeed Doman, Education Supervisor at the Ministry of Education, and Qamar Siddique Raja, link officer, were among a panel of guests who honored deserving students with prizes for scoring first, second and third place respectively during final examinations. Also honored were the top achievers of this year's Cambridge International Examinations and other students for various achievements. In her welcome speech, PISJ-ES principal Sehar Kamran said, “I am proud that students of PISJ-ES are constantly breaking records both in the school and in external examinations. It's a rewarding day for them.” While addressing the students, Almaeena advised them to have faith in God, their parents and themselves and meet challenges head-on. “I am here because of my love for Pakistan. I have been always associated with Pakistan and I am grateful to the people of Pakistan who have made contributions to the Kingdom by coming here and participating in my country's development for several decades now. We are also bound by geopolitical and strategic links and it is important that these two countries understand each other,” he said. “The manner in which the students sang patriotic songs… I really believe there will be a better future for Pakistan as the people will overcome existing problems and forge ahead to be the country envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam, insha'Allah,” added Almaeena while telling the students that they will be the force behind a successful Pakistan and wished them success. Doman from the Ministry of Education added, “I am also proud to be here and I share your happiness. I congratulate all of you and hope you will have a great future.” The awards ceremony was followed by a performance by 9th grade students of the Shakespearean play, Macbeth, that was well-received with resounding applauses. The school's band also captivated the audience with patriotic melodies such as “Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai.” Special awards were also presented to students who achieved top scores in the 2011 IGCSE and A-level examinations. The student council body was also recognized and students were awarded for their roles.
