Director's Message:

Building Together: A Wonderful Start to the Year

It has been a genuine pleasure to welcome our students, families and staff to the beginning of a new school year at Al-Bayan International School. From the moment our students returned, the campus has felt colourful, lively and full of positive energy. Our students have been upbeat, engaged and enthusiastic, while our teachers have created wonderfully welcoming environments in which learning can flourish.

During the opening days of classes, I have had the opportunity to visit almost every classroom in the school—and, in many cases, more than once. Across all grade levels and subject areas, I have seen consistent evidence of highly effective learning and teaching. Our teachers are thoughtfully using the resources at their disposal to plan and deliver rich, purposeful and engaging educational experiences. Most importantly, our students are responding with curiosity, confidence and a genuine enthusiasm for learning.

This positive beginning reflects the tremendous preparation that took place before our students arrived.

Our preparations began with three productive days involving the school’s senior leadership team, the Administrative Council. These were followed by two dedicated days with our new staff, during which we welcomed an outstanding group of teachers and counsellors into the BIS community. They have already brought new energy, expertise and enthusiasm to our campus, enhancing the work we do and quickly becoming valued members of our school.

The following week, all staff participated in an enriching programme of professional learning. As educators, we used this time not only to prepare for the arrival of our students, but also to deepen our knowledge, strengthen our practice and build an even greater sense of togetherness across the school.

That spirit is reflected in our theme for the year: Building Together.

This theme recognises that a successful school is built through partnership. Students, families, teachers, support staff, school leaders and community partners all contribute to the culture and success of BIS. The exceptionally positive start to the year has demonstrated what is possible when we work together with a shared sense of purpose.

Introducing the Director’s Diwaniya

This year, we am delighted to introduce a new community initiative: the Director’s Diwaniya.

Each week, I will host a small group of parents on campus for an informal conversation over tea and coffee. The Diwaniya will provide an opportunity for us to spend time together, share perspectives and discuss our school and community in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

Details of the day, time and location are included in the accompanying Director’s Diwaniya banner. A link to a Google Form is also provided for parents who would like to nominate themselves to attend. To maintain the small and conversational nature of each gathering, attendance will be by invitation each week.

I look forward to these conversations and to learning more from the experiences, ideas and perspectives of our families. The Director’s Diwaniya is another important way in which we can continue Building Together.

Enhancing Our Campus

The bright and welcoming atmosphere around BIS is also the result of a great deal of work completed during the summer. I would like to acknowledge and thank our Maintenance team for their outstanding efforts in preparing and improving the campus.

New lighting has been installed throughout the school, creating brighter spaces for teaching and learning. Walls and furniture have been refreshed with new coats of paint, while additional playground equipment has been introduced across the Elementary School.

One of the most significant improvements has been made to the Level 1 playing area. This space now features a beautiful new rubberised rebound surface, line markings for football, volleyball and basketball, as well as three new basketball backboards and hoops. It is a remarkable transformation that will provide our students with greater opportunities to be active, develop their skills and enjoy playing together.

These improvements reflect the pride our maintenance staff take in our campus and their commitment to providing the best possible environment for our students. We extend our sincere thanks to every member of the team.

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Our New Community Calendar

To help families remain informed, we have developed a new BIS Community Calendar, which accompanies this newsletter.

The calendar contains the key dates our community needs to know and is populated across both semesters through to the end of the school year. Please note that the calendar has two tabs: Semester 1; and, Semester 2.

Events are colour-coded to make the calendar easier to navigate:

Green indicates an orientation day;
Dark blue indicates a day when students will not be on campus;
Light blue indicates a staff professional development day. On these days, students will learn from home and have limited morning office hours during which they may check in online with their teachers; and,
Orange indicates a day with abbreviated or shortened school hours.

The calendar is a live document and will be updated as new events are confirmed or arrangements change. Families may find it useful to print a copy for the fridge, but we strongly recommend referring regularly to the electronic version, as a printed copy will not reflect subsequent updates.

Building Together: A Wonderful Start to the Year

Our orientation days and the beginning of classes brought our community together in a wonderfully celebratory way. We are especially grateful to our Parent Teacher Association for creating such a warm and memorable welcome.

With balloons, music, bubbles, mascots and photo opportunities, the PTA filled the campus with excitement as our students arrived. They also visited students throughout the school to present each of them with a lovely welcome gift. Their enthusiasm and generosity helped make our opening days particularly special.

We are fortunate to have such an active and engaged PTA, and we sincerely thank its members for the care, time and energy they continue to contribute to our community.

Looking Ahead

Although we are only at the beginning of the year, there is already much to look forward to.

In partnership with Gulf Bank, we are preparing two special learning opportunities for our students. Our KG and Elementary students will participate in an engaging dental-health session called Dino Dentist, while our Middle and High School students will take part in financial-literacy learning on the same day.

Our Middle and High School students will undertake MAP testing during Week 3, followed by Elementary MAP testing in Week 5. These assessments provide valuable information about student learning and help our teachers identify strengths, monitor growth and plan appropriate next steps.

On 30 September at 6:00 pm, we look forward to welcoming parents to our Parent Open House. This will be an important opportunity for families to meet teachers, learn more about their children’s programmes and strengthen the partnership between home and school. Further information will be shared shortly.

Our staff will continue their own learning through a professional development day on 8 October. This dedicated time enables our educators to collaborate, reflect and further develop their knowledge and skills so that we can continue providing the strongest possible learning experiences for our students.

Before the mid-semester break, we will also commemorate Pink Day, raising awareness of breast cancer and demonstrating our support for this important cause.

These events represent only a small selection of the many educational experiences planned across subjects and grade levels throughout the semester.

Continuing to Build Together

As we begin this new school year, there is already so much for our community to celebrate. Our students have returned with enthusiasm, our teachers are creating outstanding learning experiences and our staff have worked with tremendous care to prepare a bright, welcoming and engaging campus.

Most of all, there is a palpable sense of positivity and community throughout the school.

Thank you to our students, families, PTA, teachers, counsellors, support staff, maintenance team and leadership team for everything you have contributed to this exceptional beginning. I am excited about all that lies ahead and look forward to continuing our work - Building Together.

Dates to Remember:

14 September: Gulf Bank – Dino Dentist and Financial Literacy
20–24 September: MS/HS MAP Testing
30 September: Parent Open House – 6:00–8:00 PM
4–7 October: ES MAP Testing
5 October: PTA – World Teacher Day
8 October: Staff PD Day – 7:30–8:30 AM Online Office Hours for Students
22 October: Pink Day
23 October: Mid-Semester Holiday
1 November: School Resumes; Arabic Reading Competition Begins
2 November: End of Quarter 1 & Progress Reports Sent Home
4 November: Early Dismissal; P-T Conferences – 1:00–6:00 PM; dismissal: 11:35 AM KG/ES, 11:40 AM MS/HS
5 November: P-T Conferences – 8:30–11:30 AM
26 November: Staff PD Day – 7:30–8:30 AM Online Office Hours for Students
6–10 December: MS/HS Exams; ES Computer Science Week
13–16 December: Winter Spirit Week
16 December: Winter Concert
17 December: PTA Winter Fest (Hot Choc & Film); Early Dismissal – dismissal: 11:35 AM KG/ES, 11:40 AM MS/HS
18 December–2 January: Winter Holiday

AL-BAYAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Mission Statement: At Al-Bayan International School, we nurture a supportive and diverse community where every learner is inspired to grow, empowered to reach their full potential, and prepared to contribute to the world.

Contacts:

(+965) 22052822

info@bis.edu.kw

www.bis.edu.kw