PARENT ANNOUNCEMENT (13)
NOVEMBER 20, 2025
SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE
ISG LEADERSHIP UPDATE
Dear ISG Parents,
We shared changes for the 2026-27 school year ISG leadership for several ISG campuses this week. We are sharing a summary of these leadership updates now and appreciate your understanding that we wanted to share with staff on these campuses in person before we shared with all of ISG staff and parents.
American School Dhahran
ASD will be moving forward with a two-principal structure as noted below:
Principal, K–Grade 8 (ES and MS)
Principal, Grades 9–12 (HS)
The new ES/MS Principal position will be advertised this week. This position will collaborate with our existing Assistant Principals supporting students and staff at these grade levels.
Brent Wingers will move into the role of HS Principal (Grades 9-12) and will collaborate with a leadership team supporting students and staff at these grade levels. Interviews for the HS Assistant Principal position are underway and will continue. In addition, we are considering a Dean of Students position. Final realignment of leadership for ASD will be communicated shortly.
ASD will continue as one campus with a new leadership team structure. We are excited about this opportunity to enhance our ability to serve every ASD student while also best supporting the staff teams. We have shared a survey for ASD staff, parent and student feedback as we consider the ASD leadership team.
Sara Village School (SVS) and British School Dhahran (BSD)
At SVS you would have seen in recent communications, Richard Charlesworth, current BSD Interim Principal and SVS Principal, will be moving into a Schoolwide Learning Leadership role where his primary roles will be in supporting the British curriculum and schoolwide Professional Learning for all campuses (currently a vacant position).
As previously shared, Simon Fowler will be the new BSD and SVS Principal starting in August 2026. We will create a process that includes feedback from staff and parents to determine additional leadership needs at SVS starting August 2026.
Schoolwide and Jubail
Sarah Dugan, current Head of Student Support Services, has resigned and will be leaving ISG as of the start of the winter break. Dr. Jamie Martin, current ISG Jubail Principal, will be moving into a Schoolwide Learning Leadership role with primary responsibility being student support services for all ISG students and campuses which is Sarah’s current responsibility.
As of December 1, 2025, and for the remainder of this school year, ISG has engaged a consultant to facilitate the work of the student support services team alongside Jamie’s high level leadership to ensure our students continue to receive the support they need during this transition.
We will be advertising the ISG Jubail Principal position this week with a start date of August 2026. We have shared a survey for ISG Jubail staff for feedback to be considered as ISG assesses and interviews candidates for this position.
Jana Barnhouse, current Assistant Superintendent, Michelle Alzamora, incoming Assistant Superintendent and I in my Superintendent role will collaborate closely with one another and all of ISG leaders focused on strategic, deliberate and detailed transitions for all positions. We will share any further updates when or if they occur.
ISG INTERNAL TRANSFER DEADLINES
General ISG admissions to the 2026-27 school year will open on December 1. Please see the updated admissions page on the ISG website.
We would like to remind our families of the upcoming ISG internal transfer priority timelines for the 2026-27 school year.
Internal transfer applications for Grades 3–12/Years 4–12 will be due by January 15, 2026, followed by
Internal transfer applications for KG1-Grade 2/FS2-Year 3 will be due by February 12, 2026.
We encourage families considering a transfer to submit their forms early to ensure priority review within the designated rounds. If you have any questions, our Admissions team admissions@isg.edu.sa is ready to support you.
2026-27 TUITION FEEDBACK
Thank you to all parents who shared their feedback and questions regarding the 2026–27 tuition. We value your engagement and appreciate the thoughtful perspectives you bring to this important annual process.
To support clarity and transparency, we encourage you to watch the video shared with our community in October, titled The ISG Budget Process, which explains the process in detail and addresses many of the questions raised by our community.
Your partnership ensures we continue to make informed decisions that best support our students and schools.
BSD 2025 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE EXAM RESULTS
I am delighted to share and celebrate the exceptional achievements of our BSD students in this year’s Cambridge International GCSE and A level examinations. These accomplishments reflect not only the students’ dedication and perseverance, but also the academic excellence that defines our ISG community.
We proudly recognize:
Iman – Top in Saudi Arabia, Psychology, Cambridge International A Level
Callista – High Achievement, Music, Cambridge IGCSE
Thomas – Top in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Economics, Cambridge IGCSE
Reema – Top in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Geography, Cambridge IGCSE
Doyoon – Top in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Physical Education, Cambridge IGCSE
Each of these students has demonstrated exemplary commitment to their learning and represents the very best of our schools. They are an inspiration to their peers, their teachers and their families.
Congratulations to all on these outstanding achievements. We are incredibly proud of you.
DIGITAL LITERACY PEP FOLLOW RESOURCES
Following our recent PEP session on digital citizenship, I am pleased to share a presentation and set of resources designed to support you in continuing these conversations at home.
As our students navigate an increasingly complex digital world, we remain committed to partnering with families to promote safe, responsible and balanced online behavior.
I hope you find these tools helpful as we work together to guide our children in making thoughtful and informed choices online.
NESAC SWIMMING COMPETITION RESULTS
I am pleased to share an update from the recent NESAC Swimming Competition, held on November 7–8 in Abu Dhabi and hosted by GEMS Academy.
Our ISG swim team earned a total of 6 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. We also proudly placed 3rd in both the Junior Varsity Girls and Varsity Girls divisions, 4th in Varsity Boys and 6th in Junior Varsity Boys.
Their coaches reported that what stood out the most was the determination, sportsmanship and growth demonstrated by our swimmers.
Several new athletes represented ISG for the first time with confidence and pride, and many students achieved personal bests, reflecting the hard work they have invested throughout the season.
We are tremendously proud of each member of the swim team and grateful to our coaches and families for their continued support.
LEARNING AT ISG
CLASS SPOTLIGHT
This week, our spotlight is on Grade 1 and Year 2 across ISG.
Each week, we’re shining a spotlight on learning across ISG by featuring a different grade level from our schools. Through these weekly highlights, we’ll take you inside our classrooms to show how learning comes to life, from hands-on projects and critical thinking to collaboration and creativity.
Our goal is to celebrate our students’ curiosity and hard work while giving parents a closer look at the value of an ISG education, where every lesson, discussion and experience is designed to inspire growth, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
ISG LEARNS 2025 RECAP
The ISG Learns 2025 conference brought our entire faculty together for a dynamic day of professional learning focused on elevating teaching, deepening expertise and strengthening the learning experience for every student. Through hands-on workshops, collaboration with colleagues and sessions led by internal and external experts, our teachers engaged in meaningful reflection and gained new tools to bring directly into their classrooms.
This annual event is one of the many ways we invest in continuous professional growth across all ISG schools. Parents can feel confident knowing that our educators are committed to staying at the forefront of best practice, continually refining their craft and working together to ensure exceptional learning for all students.
ISG Learns reinforces our shared culture of professional excellence—one that directly benefits our students every day.
Watch a recap of the event here.
ISG COMMUNITY
ISG ALUMNUS RECOGNITION
We are immensely proud of our ISG alumnus Osama Dabbousi for being awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. He will begin his graduate studies in England in October of next year, a tremendous achievement that reflects his academic excellence, leadership, character and commitment to service.
The Rhodes Scholarship is widely regarded as the world’s oldest and most distinguished graduate fellowship, established at the University of Oxford in 1902. His selection is a profound honor and a testament to the caliber of our students and the strength of the ISG community.
Congratulations to Osama, and we look forward to seeing the incredible impact he will make as a Rhodes Scholar.
Read the full article on Arab News.
REMINDER: PEP SESSION
RAISING RESILIENT FAMILIES
Our next Parent Engagement Series session will be titled Raising Resilient Families, in January 2026.
Session 1: Dhahran Campus, January 19
Session 2: ISG Jubail Campus, January 26
We will share more information on this session after the winter break.
REMINDER: KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED
In order to ensure families have valuable and timely information, please ensure that your personal contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts, is up to date with ISG. Having accurate information allows us to communicate with you effectively and reach out to you timely for your children in the event of an emergency.
With the change to using personal email addresses as of August 1, you may need to provide contact updates to ISG. If so, please make any updates by reaching out to the campus office for your child at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
DATES TO REMEMBER
SAVE THE DATES
November 27: Half day for students and staff
SCHOOL UPDATES
Please see campus updates below.
You can also visit the campus social media pages to learn about the student experiences at ISG.
American School Dhahran
ASD Students Share Joy and Creativity in Best Buddies November Activities.
ASD’s High School Leadership Students Mentor Early Learners Through Weekly Partnership.
ASD Middle School Students Showcase Creativity Through Country Design Project.
ASD Faculty Come Together for Professional Growth at ISG Learns 2025.
ASD’s Superintendent Student Advisory Council Shares Pulse Survey Findings.
ISG Jubail
Building Spaghetti Bridges and Stronger Connections at ISG Jubail.
ISG Jubail Strengthens Learning Through Feedback Conversations with Tom Schimmer.
Exploring the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at ISG Jubail.
Beaver Computing Challenge Inspires Creativity and Logic at ISG Jubail.
ISG Jubail SSAC Student Representatives Bring Ideas to Life.
SVS GREEN FLAG CERTIFICATION
I am very pleased to share that Sara Village School has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award, a globally recognized distinction given to schools that demonstrate excellence in Education for Sustainable Development and a long-term commitment to improving sustainability across both the school and the wider community.
This is an exceptional achievement. Sara Village School is one of only two schools in Saudi Arabia, and just 19 international schools worldwide, to hold this award. This recognition speaks to the school’s deep dedication to environmental stewardship and meaningful student-led action.
I would like to express my gratitude to Lisa White for her leadership and unwavering commitment throughout this journey. From developing the school garden and guiding eco initiatives, to working with students to set eco goals, drafting the Eco Action Plan, preparing the award application and leading last week’s inspection, Lisa has been instrumental in every step of this process.
In addition to Lisa and the whole staff team, I would also like to give special recognition to Agnieszka Curran and Leah Smith for their long-standing support and contributions to SVS’s sustainability and wellbeing initiatives.
This accomplishment is also a testament to the collective effort of the entire SVS staff. Thank you for the many ways each of you has contributed over the years to a culture of sustainability and wellbeing on campus.
Congratulations to everyone at Sara Village School on this remarkable milestone.
