The Sri Lankan International School of Jeddah (SLISJ) recently held its annual Awards Day to recognize outstanding students and award them for their academic excellence. The event was held under the auspices of the Sri Lankan Consul General Adambawa Uthumalebbe, who was the chief guest for the evening.

In his welcome note, chairman of the school’s board of management, Mohamed Hasan Ilyas, said: “The main objective behind holding this event was to motivate the students and encourage them to become good citizens and bold leaders.”

Guest speaker, Dr. Safiullah Munsoor, division manager at the Islamic Development Bank, said the essential truth of education is the importance of setting personal goals.

“Every religion places an emphasis on education. There is no substitute for hard work however intelligent you may be. It is important to have a goal in life and persevere it,” he advised.

M.R.M. Aslam, the acting principal, who earlier presented school’s annual report, said that despite many challenges the school is facing, they were able to organize the Awards Day successfully.

Winners from each class were awarded certificates and vouchers for subject prizes and general proficiency, while students who excelled in the year’s English Day competitions were also honored at the ceremony. Special recognition was given to the IGCSE O/L batches for the academic years 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

Yasir Naleer, a former student of the SLISJ, who secured the highest position in the world for Mathematics at the June 2012 IGCSE Examination was awarded a gold medal by the school’s management. Gold medals were also awarded to former students Abdullah Niyas and Kavita Miranda, who achieved outstanding results at the IGCSE O/L Examinations for 2012 and 2013.

The school also felicitated all past board members and current staff members. The teachers and students along with the parents and guests bid farewell to the school’s caretakers, who were appreciated for running the school since its inception in 1998.

Zahwa Zaharan, head prefect of SLISJ, thanked the participants and the guest.

Some of the highlights of the evening included presentations by primary students.