It is with much sadness that we learned last week of the passing of Mike Collett, who was such an important member of the ISP community for over 35 years. Mike was a teacher, first and foremost, in PE when he arrived in the 1980's, and then for many years in Maths, where he inspired, motivated and encouraged decades of ISP students to do their very best, and become what Mike would always call 'a true product of ISP.'

Mike's passion was to engage those students who didn't like Maths, and those who thought they weren't good at it. With his kind manner, certain charm and gentle sense of humour, Mike always brought these students to a point where they were more than happy to go to class, and enjoying themselves enough to do well. He was adored by his students, and they loved being in his class, the highest tribute a teacher can receive.

As a colleague, Mike played many other roles in his time in the school, being senior teacher for almost 20 years, and a member of the leadership team for a period as well. Those were his formal roles, but as a storyteller, Mike was also the guardian of the memory of ISP, and many staff members past and present will this week will be thinking of him fondly, remembering his many (and sometimes slightly exaggerated!) tales of the narrowly avoided catastrophes, unexpected triumphs, and hilarious mishaps that inevitably take place in any school over a period of decades.

Mike is survived by his two sons who both graduated from ISP: Greg, Class of 2003 and Jean-Christophe (Tito), Class of 2006.

In memory of Mike, we are inviting people to consider a donation to a memorial fund collection in his name. All donations will go directly to Institut Curie, a leading cancer research institution based in France.

You can view the Mike Collett Memorial Fund donation site here - http://www.leetchi.com/c/mike-collett

About Institut Curie - Over 100 years of leading research in France

Institut Curie was born out of the determination of one woman, Marie Curie, and one important cause: the fight against cancer.

A recognized public interest foundation since 1921, Institut Curie has worked to fulfil its three missions since its founding by Marie Curie, namely research, care and the preservation and transfer of knowledge. This multi-disciplinary approach, part of the bylaws of the foundation, is the DNA of Institut Curie.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 - WORKING TOGETHER TO BEAT CANCER

In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought with it lockdowns - in France and throughout the world - as well as the slowdown of many organizations, Institut Curie demonstrated unwavering commitment to its patients, to research and to the fight against cancer.