A New Paradigm of Expression

Words play such a significant role in our lives. We express our emotions, our ideas, or strong opinions using words. It is evident that language is the most plausible means of communicating our dreams, desires and aspirations. In moments of joy we convey our delight and euphoria using words of felicity. On the contrary, when heart-broken we share our misery and gloom engaging elements of speech exhibiting melancholy and sorrow.
This freedom of expression that we possess as autonomous individuals is often taken for granted or compromised when we begin to believe either of the two notions; ‘no other voice matters but mine’ or ‘my vote is inept’. In this process, we tend to disregard the convenience with which we undermine the naturally gifted metacognitive skills that help us draw these conclusions.

This realization came through when I embarked on a short journey, returning home after a hectic vacation in Pakistan. The holiday was a challenging one. One that brings with it lots of questions and is crowded with expectations. The struggle was to finally get through the airport rituals and get back home. All through the process of loading suitcases and monitoring the kids, the mind remained jumbled up with thoughts that kept the senses engaged in a conflict and strong dialogue.

While I followed the trolley with the luggage, many questions popped up. Why can’t people just move on in life? Why is it such a task to just accept people as they are? Oh why do people shout to win arguments?

The children dragged themselves towards the ticket counter. “Stop running will you!” I shouted at my younger son who never sits still. He looked at me wondering what had gotten into me. My husband seemed annoyed with the crowded space and the anxiety of our subject to load seats filled him up. He signalled me to find a place to sit as it would take some time.

I sat across the hall in the waiting area. Our sour moods had transferred to our children and there was continuous bickering. I scolded them off and on. The body had given in to the exhaustion of the mind. I saw some couples enjoying the waiting while some seemed hassled with the uncertainty. The events of the seven days had completely drained my energy.

Finally, we received the boarding passes. In usual circumstances, that would have been accompanied with a victory dance, but not that day. “The seats are randomly placed. So, you can sit with the youngest and I’ll manage the other two.” My husband informed me while he strapped the tags on. I was rather glad to have been detached from the scenario that demanded conversation and discussion.

We boarded the plane and separated as the seats were far apart. I settled in with my youngest son who immediately started to play with the control panel that managed the inflight entertainment. I buckled him up and allowed him that little freedom to remain busy.

Normally I would worry about my children being placed independently without any help. But somehow, I just wanted to close my eyes and follow the departure of the plane leaving the baggage behind. The flight took off and I opened my eyes. That’s when I heard him groan. I looked to my side.

It was difficult to calculate his age. He seemed like a teenager. His mouth remained open with the groans becoming louder. He had a blanket covering his legs but I could see the deformation quite clearly. My thoughts came to a full stop. He had his parents sitting right next to him. I was looking at him intently but he seemed oblivious of that attention. The pressure in the cabin would incite him and he would begin to groan even louder showing his annoyance. The mother simply held his arm firmly and shushed him.

I placed my head to the back rest and felt deep helplessness. He could not move his arms or legs. His eyes were fixed on the table tray opposite him. They did not look around to observe the people or admire their energies. He could not stand up and take a step to feel a sense of achievement. His arms could not embrace the arrival of a new day. He had no words.

The food was served. I tried to get myself busy with feeding my son who happily picked up his delicious buttered bun and started to enjoy it.

The hostess had left a tray for the disabled boy and moved on. There was no motion. He sat gazing at the seat in front of him. His mother got closer to him. She held a towel in one hand and started to feed him. It was the most hurting spectacle and I have never been able to erase it from my memory. His mouth remained open. There was no understanding of closing it with the food in. His saliva dropped along with food particles and very little went in. He didn’t know how to gulp it in and the mother kept on cleaning his mouth and filling it. She fed him everything that was on his tray. Most of it ended up on his napkin on the lap but nevertheless, she wanted him to taste it all. He didn’t have any words to express joy or dislike, wanting more or having had enough. His mother gently nudged him on the chin and gave a slight push to close his mouth indicating the end of the food session.

By now, I had completely forgotten about my holidays. The trays were collected and lights were dimmed for people to relax for a while. I looked at the family. The parents were busy talking to each other, communicating about routine events. The boy was still staring at the seat. Then suddenly, there was a ‘chuckle’! His mother turned towards him and laughed at the sudden outburst. She placed her hand over his shoulder to give recognition to his emotion of happiness. I felt tears in my eyes. And I felt so ashamed.

My problems appeared petty in this young boy’s presence. My fears for my children suddenly felt un-necessary. My anger and frustration over a seemingly beautiful life just became meaningless. Did I even qualify to have any grudges? Life could have been just a groan or a chuckle with no words in between. No agreements, disagreements, no opinions. And then, would there have been complaints?

Our lives are valuable but our voice truly defines our individual identities. Though we explore through our childhood, discover the pains of being a teenager, observe the determination of being achievers and witness the blessings of living a worthy life, yet we haven’t really learnt what it is to be alive.

The patience with which his mother fed him, the desire with which she helped him taste each and every food ingredient, the recognition that she gave him for his groans and his chuckles through her calm and serene gestures, truly set a new paradigm of expression for me.

Logical Expression Published at MY VOICE UNHEARD

http://myvoiceunheard.com/logical-expression/

Education, upholds the fundamental belief that all children are born with the ability to interpret ideas and information depending upon their exposure to a limited or extended horizon. They hold distinct views and opinions and often hold strong conviction when provided with a platform to express. Sadly however, this journey of self-discovery is more than often curtailed owing to ‘authoritative attitudes’ and the ignorant logic of ‘obedience’.

Thinking is a skill that needs to be developed in the early years to establish the child as a Thinking Individual. Children need to be taught to value their capacity to think and use it as a successful tool in their journey to self-actualization. To reach their complete potential and be able to unfurl their learning using reason and logic as supreme.

To make this possible, they need to explore their thoughts frequently, understand the relevance of words to communicate these thoughts effectively and be able to justify their strong stance or views. Self-expression is a combination of the many soft skills such as critical observation, communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, persistence, negotiation skills etc.

Children, who are nurtured in a tolerant and opinion friendly environment, grow up to become confident and whole people. Their ability to express their choices and likes and dislikes defines them as healthy and positive spirits. On the contrary, regulating the child’s thought process based on set notions and accepted norms can lead to a starkly unfulfilled and unproductive life.

The skill to reason is primary to learning and logical expression. Therefore it is extremely important to inculcate the right attitudes that lead to a sound base. The most important attribute to reason is undoubtedly “Curiosity”. The urge to find out. The excitement to embark upon a new adventure. Curiosity must be accommodated with an open minded dialogue and by providing a platform to examine the diversity of thought. Here, the freedom to explore possibilities is crucial to building up a claim. The autonomy to share their profound proposals and designs without the fear of being ridiculed and rejected.

Once the mind starts to investigate, it leads up to the next level of reason that is “Respect for Evidence”. Here children meet up with the lessons of acceptance and logical progression in arguments. At this point, it is most important to communicate without losing the focus. All the space that is required for a fair and comprehensive study and interaction should be provided to the children maintaining the facts and realities. This will develop their ability to differentiate between argument and discussion. The tact of listening as much as speaking. The need to validate propositions.

Sometimes, while in the process to make sense, the road to success meets up with a dead end. It creates uncertainty and leaves the child with many clues but no confirmation of the truth. This can be a very frustrating and demotivating process. In this scenario, it is important to create a ladder of achievement that indicates a percentage of success attained with each step. The belief that success lies in the journey and it is important to applaud any amount of growth. The value of contribution made to the dialogue to reach a certain conclusion is an integral part of the process and in the end, every voice matters.

Expression is simpler when children are little toddlers imbibing pictures from their familiar environment and surroundings. They accept them to be the only facts and as soon as they experience a different perspective, they fall into an internal conflict. A significant aspect of their social development, conflict is the catalyst that triggers and enhances the mental capacity to reason and develop a dialogue. The argument can however leave them empty and disillusioned if not handled with sensitivity and the tools of reflection with honesty. Critical analysis or reflection is a character building tool that boosts the thinking power of an individual. It indicates a celebration of the sound mental growth.

Perseverance is yet another key to the kingdom of success. It encompasses the positive energies of a child to the faith in finding out the unknown. Here again, the significance of the teacher, parent or society is unmatched. The support that pushes the child forward in the forest of discovery can very well absorb the patience and determination needed to come to some conclusion. The fear of failure can easily take over the power of rationale and any miscalculation in these attitudes can hinder the growth of a child as a thinking individual. There is fear of developing a quitter. Here again, the absence of a platform to express disappointment and distress can lead to unhealthy perceptions of self and low self-esteem. To keep the operation in action, we need to release our fears, our sense of loss and inner turmoil to be able to replenish our faith and sense of optimism.

Reason is monumental in nature. It can be very animated or at the same time completely apathetic. In both cases, it is up to the child to use his/her imagination to help others understand the evolving logic. This is a creative process that surprisingly leads to many undiscovered paths and can lay down the foundation for a complete new standpoint. It is considered to be the only true potential that can help strengthen the quality of thinking or rather the ability to think beyond the facts. The debate that leads to infinite possibilities is fundamental to self-expression.

Teachers, often come across children in the classroom who amaze them with their capacity to think differently or in a unique manner. The lessons are much more fun, when they challenge the idea presented. There are no set formulas in a thinking classroom. There are no decided conclusions in a logical debate. The idea is to explore every abstraction and listen to all intentions without holding any judgements.

I read an interesting story in a book titled, “Teaching Children to Think” by Robert Fisher where one of the parent was telling a teacher:

“My son was almost two and we were on the street for a walk. As we stood round the corner, a man wearing a soldier’s costume appeared on the road seated quite proudly on his trotting horse. My son got really excited and shouted, ‘look daddy, there’s a big dog!’ I immediately responded, ‘It’s not a dog son, it’s a horse.’ And to this day I regret having jumped to that conclusion. I wish that I had investigated his thoughts a little more to get a glimpse of his world inside that had lead him to believe the animal to be a dog. I had encroached his space to share his beliefs and hypothesis.”

It is indeed a great lesson to have been shared. Often as teachers and parents, we jump to conclusions closing budding questions and probabilities to new inventions. We find it convenient as it saves us time and wins us some pattern of obedience. Our responses mostly highlight authority and rigidity. We categorize the vividly imaginative mind to be dull and washed out. The plethora of possibilities is left unexplored and the sprouting speculations are silenced.

Thinking or making reason is linked to some form of emotion at the core. The motivation to learn comes from striking a balance between the logic and the emotional drive to prove the claim right or wrong. The gravity and value of transferring these ‘thinking skills’ to our children, can at no point be undermined. Autonomous thinkers are logical orators. They are emotionally and socially optimistic and self-assured. Self-expression is every child’s right and it greatly determines his/her well-being and representation as a complete individual asserting his individuality with respect for diverse perspectives.

Second Chances

For some of my colleagues, I come across completely alien. Someone who is ridiculously imaginative and childishly believing. When they see me worrying over children who aren’t performing or behaving indifferently, they find me overly engaged and question my level of commitment. Their argument revolves around “lines of commitment”. They believe I cross lines and my involvement in my students’ lives is not a set expectation in the profession.

“If their parents don’t care and aren’t ready to work at home, it’s not my problem. He doesn’t do his homework, holds no focus through the lessons and frankly is a gone case when it comes to making logic.” This is the general reaction to any questions raised concerning a problematic child and any possibility of finding a solution.

Well, if the parents cared, the child wouldn’t have been a matter of concern anyways, so I find it hard to digest that logic which implies an ideal situation where we would have a classroom filled with conscientious learners, supportive parents and set agendas.

Unfortunately though, that is not only impossible to achieve but also unrealistic to imagine. Yes, even to my wildly imaginative mind!

Therefore, it is really a matter of asking ourselves one important and relevant question: Does this child deserve a second chance in life or not? Clearly, he/she isn’t responsible for the circumstances in his/her life. A child is pure in spirit and adapts to his surroundings accepting that as the only definition of life and relationships until he walks into a classroom.

In the absence of schools, children would not have the exposure to diverse perspectives and variations in life. There would be no conflict of beliefs and need to determine independent choices. No support system that promises friendships and possibilities. The school paves the way to reason and the need to ask questions.

My blog today is dedicated to a student in my middle school class. I have been teaching him English for the past 2.5 years. He comes from a troubled family and a turbulent academic and behavioural graph. In these 2.5 years, I have never seen his parents in school for any Parent Teacher meetings. He has no tutors at home and each time he digs a trench, he is suspended or placed on the detention roll.

Initially, when I started teaching him, I helped him a lot through completion of work and found him intelligent with his answers. He had very little exposure to English language and often used broken phrases translating Arabic to English. He never studied for his spelling tests or any exams. Once I caught hold of the young girl who accompanied his younger brother who was a special needs child with speech difficulties. I asked her if he had a study routine at home. She left me in tears informing me that his parents never made it home together and were at odds with each other.

The boy used to sleep through the afternoon and late evening, so he could remain awake through the night to meet his mother who followed her own regime of friends and hobbies till the early morning hours. There were days when he would come to school with just an hour of sleep. The father had no expectations and was abusive playing the blame game with the wife. He had no one to ask him about homework, or push him to do well. He had no goals, and no encouraging words to dwell upon.

I approached the counsellor who knew of his situation and she too struggled in her department trying to call in the parents who stated they were too busy. An uncle would sometimes show up in dire situations where the children would be at a risk of being kicked out for outrageous behaviour. He would plead on the grounds that they wouldn’t find admission based on their poor scores in the report card. Strict measures would be set out with a line of counselling sessions and detentions. It worked for a week and then revert to the same patterns.

I decided to talk to him off and on encouraging him to try his best. I sat with him through classes and made him complete his work. I saw that he wrote very fast and often skipped words in the process, continuously looking at the clock. I scolded him, “What is the rush? Why don’t you write neatly with focus?” He smiled innocently and retorted, “Ms. the period will be over and I won’t be able to finish it.” He had such heart-breaking fears. Completing a task meant a lot to him. He knew that would give him a better chance to score. He wanted to please someone. He was in a rush, running out of time. I felt his desperation and put my arms around him. “It’s alright. We can complete it tomorrow. I will help you through this.” He became close to me. I would never talk about his home, but would make him aware of how to manage things alone. How to set expectations for himself. I framed my own expectations related to his behaviour and everyone could see a visible change.

But not all pieces fell in place. He remained consistently in trouble in other classes and lessons. He behaved for me, did work for me and listened to me. I tried to use my strong influence and shared my disappointment each time he made a wrong choice. He couldn’t understand my hurt. He was not accustomed to people holding expectations. His expressions through our private sessions were of confusion. I knew it would take time. I further aided him by helping him complete his homework in school. This raised his performance and he made some close friends who acted as my secret agents supporting him through lessons. The first year ended with some sweet and sour experiences.

This year, something changed again. He returned to me, angrier and more committed to trouble. Every day, he would leave earlier for home using one reason or another. There was no track of his work which was always incomplete and difficult to follow through due to his irregularity. The vicious cycle led to failing grades in English. He would leave all questions unanswered. He wouldn’t touch revision sheets I would plan for him to help him catch up.

Soon I found him jeopardizing his friend’s performance and he too started losing on his grades. I felt drained with all the effort gone to a loss. In a moment of disappointment I separated him from the group. He read my loss and didn’t challenge me on my decision. He tried to talk to his friend, who had been my closest ally in the whole plan. He remained faithful and refused to cooperate in any way, understanding my concern on his grades.

It was a tough few days witnessing him alone, struggling and losing. Each time, I wanted to jump in and help him out but decided to let it be. He became quiet and there were days when I wouldn’t feel his entry and exit. It was too quiet.

And then one day, I asked the class to write a letter to someone who had inspired them to do their best. That is when he wrote this beautiful, heartfelt and emotionally rich piece to his best friend:

He clearly had learned to value relationships. The significance of acknowledging efforts made. A lesson he needed to learn the hard way. He learned to express his gratitude well. Complain, argue and reflect on self. I sat with him after I read his letter and told him how proud I was of his thought process which reflected maturity and understanding. I reassured him of his strengths and that he was responsible for his actions and accountable for his choices. I got him back into the group and hugged his friend for being such great inspiration to his pal.

Before he sat for his English exam last week, I told him not to leave any questions. He sat an hour above time to complete each and every question and managed to score a 50% on his own without any help. The joy made me go through corridors informing every one of his efforts. Yes, I’m ridiculously childish when it comes to little things in life. Something tells me that my journey with him isn’t over yet. There will be bigger challenges and each time he’ll look for someone to mark some expectations for him. I hope and pray that I’m there for him when he needs me but I know that will not be the case always. Therefore, I need to come up with a new plan for next year to help him become more self-reliant and motivated.

Yes, every child deserves a second chance because the failure or success of the journey must be to his/her credit. It isn’t fair to label a child for choices he didn’t make, for problems he didn’t create or circumstances he was born with.

There are no lines when you see a river of possibilities. There should be no roof to contain your imagination. And without expectations, there is no possibility of human relationships.

 

 

Building Tolerant Relationships

As a teacher, I have been blessed with a strong intuition that helps and guides me through my day at school. Often when I am occupied in my mind, planning some idea or concept to be taught, I feel my urge to understand it better opens lots of windows to learn. I tend to view everything happening around me as a stage set up to direct my quest for learning.

Just recently, I took a vote in my Grade 6 classroom related to projects that they would like to do through the final term. The criteria set was “Projects Building Life Skills”. A group of students came up with the Project, “Building Tolerant Relationships”. Therefore since last week, my eyes have been in search of clues on human interaction and what helps build relationships. Even though as an adult, educationalist and simply being a woman, I could answer that easily with so many references and examples, the idea is to pick up something that the children have experienced and could relate to at their level.

And so, as blessed as all teachers are, I was cornered in my own classroom by the strong principles and beliefs of a young boy (I’ll call him Saeed), who identified himself through the last project on ‘Leadership’ as an ‘Affiliation’ kind of leader who likes to hold harmony as a priority through leading his team.

At school, the students are given a 15 minute Zuhar prayer break and classes resume at 1:00 pm sharp. As I walked into my classroom, I found all students ready for the lesson except Saeed. “Where is Saeed?” I asked the class. “Miss he went for the Zuhar prayer. This is the second time he is late.” I started my lesson and saw him walk past the classroom over to the floor supervisor who gave him a few lines to write about returning to class on time. He was given a warning and this clearly shook his sensibilities.

As he entered the classroom, he ignored my presence, occupied in his own conflict and as soon as he sat down, he put up a strong argument in Arabic with his group mates. I sensed his frustration and tried to lighten him up by asking, “How long does it take to pray Zuhar?” He wasn’t amused and replied with authority, “Miss my prayers take time. That’s a rule. We have to pray taking our time and not rushing through them.” I could see his visible annoyance. “Well, I agree and understand your point, but I suppose since you are in school, and there is a set time to get back to class, you should be flexible and probably adapt to the environment that you’re in.”

He gave me a blunt look. “No Miss. There is no such flexibility in prayers. If it takes more time, then it takes more time. I cannot change the rule.”

I saw that his classmates were ready to side with his viewpoint as they nodded violently and supported his argument. I tried to side with logic saying, “When our Creator is so flexible that he allows you to do Wudhoo with sand if you can’t find water, then isn’t this indicative that in unsuitable conditions, we are allowed to adapt and show flexibility?”

They all remained silent.

I carried on with my train of thought. “For sure you should pray with focus and take your time, but you could easily do that at 2:30 when school gets off or simply in the comfort of your home or mosque. In a work place, your rigidity can cause inconvenience to others.”

Saeed’s facial expressions reflected strong internal conflict. I wanted to ease his mind, so I asked the class, “Do all of you feel that 15 minutes isn’t enough time to pray during break?” They all raised their hands.

“How many of you pray Zuhar in school?” I asked formulating a solution in my mind.

Few hands went up, some confused, some just enjoying the episode. “Please understand that the Creator we pray to, is watching you now. So be honest.” Suddenly all hands went down leaving Saeed as the only one with the complaint.

My intuition told me, this was the stage that I had been looking for and what will follow, will remain in our hearts for a long time.

“Well, the way I see it, even if we have just one person in class who needs to be accommodated, we should give it a serious thought. How many of you are ready to support him in this situation?” As expected, the whole class, Muslim, Non-Muslim raised their hands.

I smiled at how beautifully the events had unfolded so naturally to help me identify what helps bridge differences.

“Alright then. We are going to write a plea to the school as a class requesting for a 5 minute extension to the break so that Saeed does not feel the pressure through his prayers and the school rules aren’t violated either. Is that fair Saeed?” I asked him with a smile.

“Yes, he smiled back”, feeling relieved. The class felt a sense of achievement as well. But I felt, the message had still not been anchored and so I looked at him in the eyes and said, “So Saeed, how does it feel to have compassionate, understanding people around you?” He smiled enthusiastically and replied, “It feels great Miss. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome my dear. Now I hope that when someone will approach you in your life with a problem, you will not say that ‘Sorry. There is no such thing as flexibility and I cannot change the rules. I hope that you will accommodate his/her needs, make space by finding a solution and not be rigid and judgemental. Also remember, numbers don’t matter. Even if it’s a minority of people with a problem, your compassion and understanding will help build strong and tolerant relationships.”

And though the decision on the 5 minute extension is still pending, the entire experience left deep positive impressions on all of us. #BuildingTolerantRelationships will definitely turn out to be a successful project and once again, my intuition didn’t fail my desire to learn and grow.

 

The International Day Spirit at Mirdif Private School Dubai

The International Day at MPS runs parallel to the School's Mission of Character Development and Lifetime Learning. It is a celebration of diversity. Students engage in activities to cover a wider perspective on globalism and spreading awareness. It is a culmination of 45 nationalities and their aspirations that reside in our school. It is a day when we exercise tolerance, acceptance and make space for our differences.

To help students absorb the very spirit of being an inspiring International Student, a Peace Parade was arranged from Grades 1-5 and students happily engaged in creating their own posters and perspectives on peace in their Literacy Classes. They followed the concept of peace understanding the importance of making peace, the process of finding harmony and the necessity of spreading good will. Students envisioned a world with no war, a world of opportunities.

Grades 6-9 followed the theme “We are the Change”. It was an effort and initiative to develop self-awareness and the power of conviction. The faith that ‘A Little Can Change A Lot’ and that ‘One Voice’ can inspire many to help bring about a change. Students of Grade 6 indulged in scripting and role playing concepts such as Child Labour, Eradication of Poverty, Saying No To Prejudice and Holding Gratitude. The students of Grade 7 came up with heartfelt poetry on ‘Standing Together’, ‘Being One World’ and ‘Being One’. These were verses of hope and inspiration.

Grade 8 students presented a project on the UAE as an exemplary picture of diversity and internationalism. With more than 200 nationalities, living in peace and understanding. It was followed by the Grade 9 NEWSWATCH presentation. These ambassadors of change, taught their school mates the significance of ‘Following News Today, To Help Change Tomorrow.

Special Assemblies were held through the week to share this spirit of Internationalism and being one big Global Family. The consistent debates on ‘Being Different Yet Alike’ created an air of tolerance and students developed the ability to listen to diverse perspectives. This led to the grand and cardinal event, “The International Day” which was a reflection of all learning and awareness that was spread through the activities of the week and the learning through the Character Development Programme where students in all grade levels wrote essays on 'Respect, Compassion, Acceptance, and Integrity'.

 

The day was marked by setting up different country stands exhibiting their distinct taste of food, cultural and traditional way of dressing, dances, music and aspirations. There were stands from the UAE, Ireland, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Iraq, Spain, South Africa and many more. Teachers and parents proudly displayed their heritage and future ambitions to help make better connections across the globe.

 

The Lebanese stand was all about sharing and there was a variety of home cooked specialties like, Maghrabia, Shankleesh, Kibbeh, Mutabbal and Waraq Inab. There was a colourful folklore Dabkeh dance performance by a professional Lebanese group which set the stage for many others as the Liwa band, and the captivating African band that was pure celebration of beats on the drums. Students participated happily in playing drums and singing out loud.

 

The Pakistan Stand was a proud celebration of its youth and women in particular who are excelling in different fields of education and technology, health and medicine and breaking myths through hard work and achieving celebrated success in the field of aviation, engineering, sports and business by owning, up and running entrepreneurs. The theme being “Youth Promises Change”.

At the South African Stand, representatives were teachers who spoke about great national leaders as Nelson Mandela and shared interesting facts on holding 11 different languages within South Africa itself. There was talk of the happening Cricket World Cup 2015 and the aspiration to win it this year.

Parents were invited and students not only enjoyed the “Celebration of Colours”, in the form of exchanging ideas and participating in each other’s dances, but also visited each stand to complete a survey and questionnaire to complete compare and contrast activities planned through the next week lessons to draw intelligent conclusions and reflections.

This entire experience at MPS aims at developing not just virtues as tolerance, acceptance and compassion, but also the realization of what each one of them has to offer the world today and tomorrow and how taking ownership of one’s actions can lead to positive change and transformation of society. MPS students are aspiring International Spirits that we are all very proud of.