For Christmas 2009
One of the most prominent figures in 20th century art was exceptionally prolific throughout his long lifetime. The total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at 50,000, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly 12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs.
His drive for excellence he attributed to his mother’s powerful exhortation: “If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general; if you become a monk, you’ll end up as the Pope” And so he added, “I became a painter and wound up as Picasso”. Yes, Pablo Picasso, the outstanding Spanish painter whose work Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts particularly on innocent civilians. Guernica has become an anti-war symbol and an embodiment of peace.
His success undoubtedly came from an overpowering faithfulness to his calling as a painter, sculptor, and draughtsman. He was aware of his career identity and lived it well.
Picasso may not be the best of the great achievers from whom we can draw inspiration as we reflect on our vision of becoming an exemplary international school. But the powerful words by which he lived and pursued his career can also serve us well in avoiding mediocrity and in doing our work excellently. Thus, our slogan can be aptly re-phrased plainly as “DO THE EXTRAORDINARY!”
The challenge is on each one of us – administrators, teachers, staff members, students, and parents. This means not putting a limit to what we can learn, do, and become. This means nurturing the spirit of innovation and stretching our capacity to create.
For teachers, responding to the challenge can mean more time spent for planning and preparation of lessons, evaluating works of students, becoming available for consultations, doing committee work, etc. For students, this means spending long hours at home for reading, researching, problem solving, writing essays, doing art work, etc.
The call for excellence, however, goes beyond the material outputs of our hands. More importantly, we are called “to go forth and bear fruit”, to work for international understanding and peace. For this mandate, our entire community is enjoined to build and sustain a culture of caring and respect, without any traces of prejudice and selfishness. This culture, which we have enshrined in our written philosophy of education, vision, mission, and ESLRs engages us now to proclaim in more pronounced ways a distinct lifestyle that communicates clearly to the world how we do things at MITIS.
Let us then look at our individual and collective labor and be happy at the thought that all our efforts shall lead to a better world for ourselves and for others, to a world of progress, peace and goodwill.
In this spirit, kindly accept my warmest felicitations and best wishes for a blessed Christmas season and a bountiful New Year!
