Many of the children reminded me at the gate this morning that the weekend has arrived! I can hardly believe another week has flown past. I am sure there is a different speed of life here in the Kingdom… time just flies. It must be all the fun we’re having, as the term is now fully underway. Here are just a few highlights!
- It’s been just over a month since my husband, my dog, and I landed in Riyadh – which seems like a long time ago now. So much has happened, and we genuinely feel like part of the community here. Our Saudi neighbours and colleagues have been very quick to help teach us about the customs and culture of this beautiful country, and we are loving exploring and learning more. Crumb finds the call to prayer fascinating – he has yet to work out where the call is coming from! Our international friends come from a myriad of places around the world, and are all here to help realise Saudi Vision 2030 – from architects and car designers to educators and entrepreneurs, we are all here to be part of one of the most exciting and dynamic projects in the world.
- Teaching Grade 3 this week has reminded me just how hard teachers work, and just how joyful a vocation it is! We have had great fun exploring English – our favourite part was reading Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. The children were clearly enthralled by this funny tale, and it reminded me that we are never too old to get lost in a story, silly voices and all!
- Getting my planning hat on with Ms Julia, preparing for a very special conference that we are hosting at the school next month! More details to follow, but we will be blessed to host a whole variety of international educational experts – all of whom are so excited to be visiting this inclusive and innovative school. We are so proud to have been asked, and I cannot wait to share more details with you soon
- Introducing Crumb to our children has been such a delight to watch. He plays with KG, high-fives the Senior boys, and even goes for little walks around the perimeter to check we are all safe and happy. Dogs are very unusual here in Saudi Arabia, and he is often stopped on the street for a selfie! I get asked by parents on a daily basis to make sure he is in tomorrow, and I just hope we can keep his ego in check over the coming months! Humility is everything!
- Finally, an amusing reminder that children really do say the funniest things! Children who speak dual languages can find writing in English a challenge – and understandably so! When finding a piece of work particularly tricky, the boy I was working with lamented that he was ‘So tired.’ I told him I had complete faith in him, and that he should go for it, and he replied with a straight face, ‘But Ms Clemmie… my blood has run out of batteries!’
And with that, I wish you a peaceful and restorative weekend, and may you return next week full of those batteries!
Clemmie Stewart,
Executive Principal
