Welcome Back, Families: Looking Ahead to the 2024-25 School Year

A message from our CEO, Antonello Barbaro

Good morning, everyone, and a warm welcome to all who are joining H-FARM International School.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are feeling refreshed and ready for an exciting term ahead. A special welcome goes out to our 229 new members of the school community—we are thrilled to have you join us! We look forward to the unique life experiences, cultures, and connections you will bring to enrich our students and the broader community.

Here at H-FARM, you are joining a vibrant and diverse community of more than 1160 students and over 200 educators, representing more than 52 countries. Imagine, in the very footsteps of Venice, you and your children can experience a quarter of the world’s nationalities, right here on the H-FARM campus. How amazing is it to immerse ourselves in such enriching diversity just by walking around?

Our new students and families will be guided and welcomed by over 945 returning students and community members who, year after year, trust us with their children’s education. This is one of the performance indicators I value the most, as it shows how much families appreciate the dedication of our teachers. It gives us the energy and drive to continually improve and strive to be better each year.

For those who don’t know me yet, my name is Antonello. I am the father of Sofia and Tommaso, the husband of my beloved Cristina, and the CEO of our education group, which counts over 300 colleagues. I am also the Director General of our three schools, giving me the privilege to work closely with our leadership team and to meet as many of you as possible.

I joined this community three years ago after moving from Switzerland, and since then, my mission has been to support our community members in delivering their mission while living joyfully.

At H-FARM, our mission is to empower our students to transform innovation into human progress for a better society. We believe that human development is at the centre of sustainable evolution. We believe that knowledge can harness human capability to solve complex societal challenges—many of which cannot be addressed without innovation. We believe in people, and we invest in learners. We believe in a future that is just, joyful, sustainable, and inclusive.

Being part of this community is a unique opportunity to help young learners build skills, knowledge, and motivation. It’s also a chance for us as parents and educators to connect, form new friendships, and even engage in our own personal and professional development through the many opportunities offered here.

As educators, our role is to nurture students’ curiosity, imagination, and creativity, helping them become more active learners. We aim to give students both a *voice* and a *choice*—allowing them to take ownership of what they learn and how they learn. This is more important now than ever before.

The time we are living in feels reminiscent of the 1990s in some ways—stock markets at record levels, a tech boom, and a strong US economy. But the underlying conditions today are vastly different: we face inflation, high capital costs, limited labour mobility, and geopolitical instability. At the same time, technological advancements are on the verge of revolutionizing our world, with trends like applied AI, climate technologies, new mobility solutions, and quantum computing among others.

In 10 to 15 years, the world will be significantly different from what we experienced as students. Our children will live in a rapidly changing world full of opportunities, and we must prepare them to navigate through this ocean of possibilities. To succeed, they will need not only academic skills but also judgment and wisdom to become truly global citizens who create value for society and strive to be their best selves.

Some of the educational approaches we use today may seem unfamiliar, but I encourage you to engage with our teachers and ask questions. We want to work together to ensure your child reaches their full potential, surpassing even their personal best.

This week, as our students enter the school, we greet them by name, make them feel special, and build partnerships that will last throughout their journey with us. With your support, they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. Together, we can make them feel safe, empowered, and ready to challenge the status quo. With you and us on their side, anything is possible.

This school is a place where parents and educators come together to work on the most important thing in our lives: our children.

Let me close with a quote from Christa McAuliffe, an American teacher and astronaut who tragically lost her life in the Challenger disaster. She once said, “I touch the future. I teach”.

Together, through education, we are touching the future and building a better world for all.

Thank you, and have a wonderful day and a fantastic year at H-FARM International School.