Pupils from The English College Dubai got an unexpected knock at their door last week as school staff dropped by to congratulate them on their graduation. On June 10, Ephrald Samuel got a surprise visit by his teachers along with a hand delivered gift bag as they wished him all the best for the future. The 18-year-old, who has been at the school for three years, was one of 62 Year 13 pupils who graduated this year. With the Covid-19 outbreak putting a dampener on the usual end of school celebrations, he said it was a "thoughtful" way to mark the end of his days as a school senior. "It was late morning and I was just laying on my bed when I got a call from my principal out of the blue," he told <em>The National.</em> "She told me to go outside of my house and I saw my teachers standing there, it was a complete shock but a lovely gesture. "I was dressed so casually, I think I was wearing a vest, so I definitely was not expecting a house call." Mr Samuel said he still cannot get to grips with the fact that "school is over" as it has been an unusual few months, but he hopes to head off to university in Singapore later in the year to study psychology. Osman Idris and Mike Edmonds, the head and deputy head of the school's senior section, said they wanted to go the “extra mile” to make the 2020 graduation a day to remember. Over one week, the duo travelled the length and breadth of Dubai to greet their pupils face-to-face, especially after an abrupt end to their school journey. “We have not seen [our pupils] physically since March and it has been hard on us as teachers," said Mr Edmonds. “Being able to at least see them for a little while before they leave for good has been one of the happiest moments of the past few months.” With some of the graduates enrolled at the school since they were young children, Mr Idris said the door-to-door goodbyes were a bitter sweet moment. And the pupils had no idea it was happening. "We were told something might be happening to mark the end of school but I had no clue whatsoever it would be a personal home visit," 19-year-old Zoe Toby said. "My dad answered the door, said it was for me and for a split second I was confused. "Then I looked out and saw my teachers, it was a really sweet touch." Studying at the school since she was 12, Ms Toby said it was sad to leave her school days behind but she was looking forward to heading to the UK to study at the University of Brighton. During the visit, each of the pupils received a “sanitised goodie bag” with a branded medical face mask, water flask and a personalised ‘Graduation 2020’ certificate, which was partially illustrated by, Hatty Pedder, a Dubai-based artist and illustrator. The English College team has also planned a virtual graduation ceremony on June 24.
