Doha College’s top achievers honoured

The Doha College yesterday honoured students for their efforts and achievements over the year. Awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Ramada Hotel. The event also provided students the opportunity to showcase their musical talents before the school community. In an address, the college principal Mark Leppard, who used a football analogy to create the picture of why the college remains an outstanding school, said that the students were being acknowledged because they deserved all the praise they would receive. “Remember to always look for the next exciting challenge, grasp the next interesting opportunity and always strive for the pinnacle, no matter how far away it may appear to be,” he urged the students. While acknowledging the role played by the parents in their children’s success, he said: “Any successful team usually builds from the back with a solid foundation. This is where I see the parents. You offer your children a platform to build security from which to venture. I genuinely believe that the Doha College parents are very ambitious for their children…thank you for your continued support for both your children and the college.” Leppard also thanked the staff for their efforts. Key Stage Three subject awards, based on students’ academic achievements, were presented to a number of students from Years 7, 8 and 9 by the college governors Ann-Michelle Burton and Debbie Algosaibi, who is also the school’s vice chair. Key Stage Three head Nick Croker presented tutor awards to a group of students, focusing on their house points, attendance, punctuality, leadership, extra-curricular activities, good service and behaviour as well as noteworthy progress made by the students for the tutor group. A group of students from Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 also received Key Stage Four subject awards while the Key Stage Four head James Conly presented some 12 students with the Key Stage Four tutor awards. Senior vice principal and secondary head Teresa Woulfe gave some seven students their awards as achievers in Sixth Form subjects. Senior post holders including head boy Mahmoud al-Shakarchi, head girl Suhara Mushtaq, deputy head boy Nasser al-Naemi and deputy head girl Leila Hudson received their senior post holders’ awards from the school principal Leppard and vice principal Douglas Briggs, who is also the Sixth Form head. Also during the event, the outstanding student award was given to Hassan Malik for obtaining full marks in seven out of 15 subjects and for scoring a total aggregate of 97.6%, while another student Alex Cottevell Pirinoli was awarded the Walton family community prize awards, for always helping others and for his outstanding contributions to the community projects as well as to charitable activities outside the college. Highlights of the evening were a number of musical performances by Akshita Srivastava on piano solo (Mignon by Nelson), David Sztankov – piano solo (Soiree Polka by Foster), Ralf Yap – violin solo (Moly on the Shore as arranged by Fritz Kreisler), Nathan al-Bahrani – acoustic guitar accompanied by Thusan Puhalendran (El Diablo by Al-Bahrani). Leppard thanked Claire Amos for organising the event, for making it a resounding success and “for building on the success of previous award evenings”.