WORDS FROM THE CEO - Futuraskolan
International Curriculum International School of Stockholm
Nov 9 2020

WORDS FROM THE CEO

Good afternoon members of the Futuraskolan community,

A gentle calm was in the air as I walked up the path to the school this week. The grass smelled freshly cut in the morning sun. Birds sang about the coming of a new day. The only thing I was missing was the sound of laughing students on their way to the bustle and hustle of learning.

We hope this note finds you relaxed and ready for an exciting year of learning following your welldeserved, family orientated summer break.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the amazing parents and teachers in our community for your outstanding efforts over the previous academic year. In the most recent published data that Skolverket released their formal statistics clearly indicate that once again your efforts and engagement have resulted in a set of impressive academic results at the hands of our fine student body.

There are different ways to measure students’ academic progress and personal growth. Still, summative results can best be viewed as a matter of fact, and not opinion. Last year our amazing grade 6 students have passed all of their subjects at an 88.8% success rate. When comparing this result to other free school organizations (Internationella Engelska Skolan’s result was 86.5%, and Acadamedia’s result was 79.7%) we can see that your dedication and diligence has resulted in an impressive set of standards achieved by the students in our care.

Furthermore, when we dig deeper and focus our attention on our 9th graders merit points we see that your efforts have led to once again an exemplary performance. Our students left grade 9 last year with a 275.2 grade point average. When compared to the previously stated free schools (Internationella Engelska Skolan’s result was 272.8, while Acadamedia’s was 244.8) we have every reason to conclude that the support members of the organization have truly made a positive impact.

These points of recognition do not begin and end with our developmental programs within our schools however. Just last June one of our preschools was featured in an article in a local news publication. Centering on their digital learning agenda and language developmental programs the column was picked up by Cambridge University who proudly shared it on their Facebook page declaring, ‘’look at what they are doing over in Sweden’’. After reading that I commented with a correction, ‘’that’s an inaccurate statement. They’re not doing this in Sweden, they are doing this at Futuraskolan.’’

They say that it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to create a culture. Parents and teachers, thank you for your dedication, your efforts and your passionate diligence in helping to guide our fine students in this personal growth process based on academic success. You stand out as amongst the most successful academic organizations in Sweden, and for that we commend you.

And I know you would all agree that our deepest respects today go out to the amazing students in our care.

Students, you have achieved a level of recognition and competence that no previous student group of students at Futuraskolan have ever achieved. You have done so in a world that is multifaceted and complex. You have done so in a world where dialogue is often replaced by rhetoric, and discord has been replaced by dissent.

Yet still you persevere. With your compassion, your creativity, your intuition and intellect, you have managed to transcend the global condition brought forth by your elders to help make this world a more conscious and caring community. For this we salute you. And please know that I am confident that I speak for all of the elders in the Futuraskolan community:

We are proud of you.

Thank you all once again for your dedicated efforts in helping make Futuraskolan the leading free school organization in Sweden.

I am honored to have my name placed beside your work.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Sincerely,

Tom Callahan