Ceremony

Stepping Up

Sifat Siddique and Abreshmi Adiba Haque

"It was a lifetime of happiness. It was wonderful being a part of Maple Leaf International School. Thank you for giving me some of the most wonderful memories of my life. It is an honour to call myself a Maple Leaf graduate,” spoke Maisha Maliha, one among the 200 graduates from the batch of 2010. Maple Leaf International School has been regularly holding a Graduation Ceremony for its outgoing students. This year it was held on November 13. The event was held in the spacious Nawab Ali Auditorium of the school, which looked simply amazing that night. Thanks to the tireless work of the Students Council, the event was a memorable one. One guardian even said, “I feel happy and honoured too, to see what the school has arranged for my child.”

The ceremony gave the graduates the last chance to meet their teachers from the junior years.

The ceremony kicked off with a recitation from the Holy Quran. The National Anthem was sung next, followed by a few words from some graduates, and the honourable principal, Mrs. Zeba Ali. Then came the special moment of presenting the awards to the graduates. Along with medals and certificates, each of the 200 graduates received crests, which bore their individual names. Some the graduates spoke of their memories in school, the love and support they received from the teachers, the classroom pranks and the role of the institution behind their success. Their speeches were touching, and a few managed to stir tears of nostalgia among the listeners. “It is a priviledge to be graduating from the best school in the country,” smiled Nabila Tabassum, one of the scholarship-winning graduates.

Maple Leaf International School Writer's Club came up with the latest edition of the school newsletter The Grapevine. “Grapevine has always been amazing and I hope it remains that way,” said Raida Kifait Reza. The Maple Leaf International School Drama Club presented a drama, which had characters inspired by some of the graduates. It was well executed and entertaining, especially for the 'read between the lines' moments. The stunning performance by the Maple Leaf International School Music Club members was, without a doubt, the highlight of the evening.

The school made sure the graduates received a warm farewell. The departing students wrote about their memories in the school diary before signing their names.

The ceremony gave the graduates the last chance to meet their teachers from the junior years. “Having had a long association with them, both as a teacher and as coordinating their extra-curricular activities, I have seen these students grow into amazing individuals,” said Ms. Shaheen Khan, a teacher and an advisor of the Student Council. The graduates will surely remember this last school event of their lives, clicking countless photos teachers and friends and received blessings, before embarking upon the next phase of their lives.

(The writers are A' Level students of Maple Leaf International School and members of the Maple Leaf International School Writer's Club)