This week has seen a global celebration of international education: a celebration that we can really get behind here at Beech Hall School Riyadh! One of the many things that makes our school so special is the unique gifts and talents that each child and adult brings to our BHSR family. I have really taken the time this week to pause and see that in action – from answers in lessons and contributions in assembly, to interactions in the hallway and the games played outside. These are just some of the moments of human kindness that make our community so special. We come from so many different countries, speak different languages, and think different things; and all of those differences serve to make us stronger and make us a truly unique global community.
My top five things from this week have been:
Planning our upcoming celebrations for Founding Day! Ms Haya and the team have had the most incredible ideas, and we can’t wait to celebrate this amazing day in the calendar as a school community. I got so excited when we had our planning meeting – I don’t want to give away too many secrets just yet, but my goodness, are we in for a Saudi Arabian treat or two on the special day!
Hearing Grade 1’s amazing suggestions for healthy meals from the cafeteria. As part of their Unit of Learning, they have been finding out about healthy, balanced meals, and we will be putting forward many of their suggestions when they meet with our caterer later this month. I am particularly excited by the lentil soup, the macaroni, and the Fattoush salad! However, I’m not sure how long I will be able to meet their suggested price points! 44 SAR for pineapple juice and 100 SAR for a croissant might be a stretch too far!
Spending time with Grade 6 this morning was also a real treat. We ended up having a superb debate about where in the world we want to travel. Some of the suggestions included riding the bullet train in Japan, eating pasta and pizza by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and snowboarding in Canada! We are so blessed to have such globally-minded and ambitious pupils here at the school. May they always have that thirst for travel and exploration.
I was very lucky to spend some time with the CEO of Chatsworth Schools and Blenheim Schools, Anita Gleave. Along with the Hobnobs and Jelly Babies she brought with her from the UK, the real highlight of meeting with her was looking at our strategy for the coming years, and really cementing Beech Hall School Riyadh’s place at the heart of inclusive and innovative education here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It’s so exciting to think about how we can grow and develop our provision here, ensuring that our current students get the very best from us, but that we can also grow and scale what we do, so that as many students and families as possible can benefit.
Seeing our friend Mr David Harkin, the CEO of 8billionideas. He hosted the most interesting breakfast talk for parents, exploring how the future is changing for our children, and how we can best prepare them for that. Thank you so much to the parents who came along – what a fantastic debate! We then toured the school and met many of our young entrepreneurs. David was blown away by their game-changing inventions, and he loved hearing more about their creative solutions to the problems they find. We talked at length about how we at BHSR are creating an enterprise and innovation curriculum for all of our children, enabling and empowering them to think big, use their imaginations, and start to adopt a business mindset when it comes to pitching, presenting and working as a team. Exciting times ahead!
We have a busy weekend ahead here in Riyadh! Formula E has arrived in town, and we can’t wait to see some of the action! It may even involve tickets to see the Backstreet Boys… Have a great weekend, whatever you might be doing!
Clemmie Stewart,
Executive Principal
