Appreciating our DBF parents.

There are many famous quotations about parents but I’d like to bring this one about mothers to your attention. It was written by George Herbert and I think there is a lot of truth in what he wrote.

“One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters”.

You may think this a very dangerous or ill-considered quotation for a Principal of a school to use, but I know that no matter how hard I try, I can never be as important to any child as his or her Mother or Father.

I therefore greatly value all that parents do in preparing their children to be ready for school and this is why I like to involve parents in the assessment of their children for admission to DBF.

A child’s parents are most certainly the child’s first and most important educators. Listening to parents is not only respectful, but sensible and informative too. Since I want to know as much as possible about each child before he or she starts DBF, it is wise for me to be ‘all ears’ to what parents have to say about their children.

I also know that to get a true impression of a child, I need to do my utmost to help each child and their parents feel relaxed and secure when I meet them. If a child feels comfortable, then I can begin the process of understanding where that child is developmentally and how we can best plan for his or her arrival at school. That’s why I invite parents to stay with their child at the beginning of their assessment appointment. I learn so much from observing children as they interact with their parents.

So if you are reading this and you are already a registered DBF parent, I’d like to thank you for the role you played in supporting our admissions process. You played a crucial part in securing an offer of a place at DBF for your child. Our promise to you is that we will continue to work in partnership with you as we inspire your children to continue their learning journey. As a new school, we have our own reputation to build and we will build this on trust and excellence.

You are entrusting your child to a centre of excellence for early education, where every carefully appointed member of staff shares my views on the importance of parental involvement. Be assured therefore, that you will be kept fully informed of your child’s on-going achievements and invited into school often to view how we are supporting your child to discover their unique and almost limitless potential.

Sue Carpenter Principal Dubai British Foundation