Dear students (and parents) of GTS mentor group,

Dear GTS mentor group,

It's 1:45 pm.
309 days, 17 hours and 45 minutes since this mentor group first entered our classroom on the fifth floor on this far-away island of Singapore. Many of you do not realise this but the changes in you since then are unbelievable. I thank you again for your kind words that you left for me on this last day of school. I still treasure the small little booklet you bought me in Chiang Mai. Something about growth mindset, if I remember correctly. I am very proud of all of your accomplishments this year and the type of person you are continuing to develop into.

As I prepare to leave my classroom, I think back fondly on my year with GTS. You were unique in many ways, but all of you have one thing that is an essential ingredient for success - every one of you have a motivation to do well. I've worked at many schools before UWCSEA and this, I assure you, was not always the case. You can thank yourselves and your parents for that. We bonded as a class and I got a chance to know many of you better through our trip to Chiang Mai as well as our filmmaking project.
Hopefully, you learnt something about yourself over the year, and I don't just mean Math. All of you have talent, whether it's in academics, singing, gymnastics, sports, cooking, or music. Always remember that. Learning is a life-long journey and skills can always be improved, but it is the kind of person you are that others will remember most about you. Occasionally, you may have your "conflicts", but the important thing is how to resolve them and I think many of you have come a long way in handling that this year. And yes, I will definitely miss you. Hopefully, some of you will still say hi when you see me in the hallways next year and not giggle and run away. For those leaving, Gaby and Bilal, I can say with confidence that you will succeed wherever you go. Many of my former students have stayed in touch, and they are now doctors, lawyers, pilot, chefs, teachers, charity workers, or married with children of their own. They have grown to be caring, confident, and responsible global citizens and so will you.

Our GTS mentor film this year was a huge success and the longest film I have made since coming to UWCSEA. I hope you will remember your experiences in making this film as you watch it - how you persevered and collaborated to overcome all the obstacles and discomforts in this monumental task. It was truly the "Learner's Profile" in action. It just goes to show what you are capable of accomplishing when you put your mind to it. I am hoping the experience of working on this film project has given you insight on to handle large projects and how you can work towards achieving your future goals in any element.