PARENT ANNOUNCEMENT (20)
JANUARY 22, 2026
SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE
2026-27 ISG JUBAIL LEADERSHIP UPDATE
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ms. Kristin Kappelmann as the new Principal of ISG Jubail, effective August 1, 2026. Kristin’s selection is the result of an extensive global search where ISG received strong interest from highly qualified candidates. Please read the full announcement here.
2026-27 ASD LEADERSHIP UPDATE
We are pleased to share that Mr. Ewan Hunt will be taking on a multi-campus role as an Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator, as of August 1, 2026. Please read the full announcement here.
2026-27 INCOMING LEADERSHIP PLANNING
As a number of new leaders will be joining ISG in the 2026-27 school year, ISG has planned for them to visit in mid-May 2026. These new leaders will attend welcome and transition meetings with our current leadership team and visit our campuses.
During this time, we will be planning for the end of 2025-26 and the start of the 2026-27 school year, as well as organising a number of onboarding activities with the community.
We look forward to welcoming the new leaders to our campuses.
RECRUITMENT UPDATE
In December and during the winter break, we attended three international recruiting fairs. Two early and smaller fairs in the States and the larger international fair in Bangkok in January.
During these fairs, we are able to connect with candidates from around the world who are a good match for our openings. These candidates express interest in a position and we are able to interview them in person on the same day. In addition, we continued to recruit virtually during the winter break, except for a few days around Christmas. We have been pleased with the strong interest that we have seen in becoming a part of the ISG team.
At ISG, we pride ourselves on attracting, developing and retaining a highly skilled workforce that meets the diverse needs of our students and our unique learning environment. Our recruitment strategy is centered on hiring qualified international staff, highly skilled dependent-hire staff and uniquely experienced and local hired staff to ensure that we maintain the highest standard learning environment across our schools.
ISG approaches recruiting through multiple strategies balancing hiring between international and local talent. The annual cycle of educator recruiting usually begins early Fall with international recruitment, where we seek out dedicated and experienced teachers from around the world who are passionate about engaging and contributing to a top-tier and unique learning environment. We engage in rigorous selection procedures for the recruiting of all positions, benchmarking ISG locally across the education sector as well as regionally using regional international school benchmarking as a guide to ensure competitive global standards.
Through this comprehensive approach, ISG ensures that our schools are staffed with educators and professionals who are not only qualified but also deeply committed to delivering an exceptional learning experience for our students.
Please see the current ISG postings. ISG welcomes the interest of high quality educators.
SAUDI & DEPENDENT HIRES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Our commitment is to recruit top talent. For ISG, we are fortunate to have highly-skilled dependent-hire and local Saudi staff as a part of our team. ISG recognizes and values the contributions that are made by these staff members who often possess unique qualifications and bring specialized skills to our school. At international schools like ISG, the goal is to bring together individuals who complement one another further enhancing the school experience for our students.
By hiring educators and support staff who bring not only qualifications but also a wealth of international and culturally diverse experiences, we enrich our learning environment with diverse perspectives and teaching methods. In our hiring, we are seeking to bring rich diversity and perspectives.
If you or someone you know is interested in working at ISG, we encourage you to apply through our website. Please see the current ISG postings. ISG welcomes the interest of high quality educators. If you have any questions, please contact hrsupport@isg.edu.sa.
ISG PARENT COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
At ISG, we are committed to maintaining a culture of integrity, transparency and trust across all our schools.
To ensure that every member of our community has opportunities to be heard and supported, we have established clear approaches outlining a fair process for communicating and raising concerns.
For communication, we are re-sharing our flowchart for parent communication.
We kindly request that parents submit any questions, concerns or feedback to their teacher, who can then forward the message as needed.
UPCOMING ALUMNI REUNION EVENTS
We’re excited to invite our ISG community to two alumni reunion events.
Thursday, May 21, London (registration link coming soon)
These special gatherings welcome graduates, former staff and anyone who has studied or worked at ISG to reconnect and celebrate the shared experiences that have shaped our community.
Please share the registration links above with former staff and students. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
FOOD SERVICES SURVEY FEEDBACK
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback through our recent food services survey. A separate email has been shared with each of our campuses summarizing the feedback we received. Your input has helped us better understand what is working well across our campuses and where we can continue to improve.
We will continue to incorporate feedback and explore more environmentally friendly lunch packaging options to reduce our environmental footprint. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting food services at ISG.
LEARNING AT ISG
ON-CAMPUS WOW WEEK RECAP
Please watch this video recap highlighting moments from the on-campus WOW Week experiences from ASD, ISG Dammam and ISG Jubail.
Week Without Walls offered students on these campuses a shift from the regular schedule and an opportunity to learn in new, engaging ways.
Through hands-on experiences, collaborative activities and creative challenges, students explored new interests and strengthened connections with friends and teachers.
These experiences encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and try something new, which supports confidence, independence and personal growth.
We look forward to sharing the experiences and photos from our off-campus WOW Week activities next week.
British School Dhahran’s Week Without Walls will take place in February.
CLASS SPOTLIGHT ON GRADE 7 & YEAR 8 AT ISG
This week our spotlight is on Grade 7 and Year 8 at ISG. Please see this presentation for an exciting glimpse into our English classrooms on each campus.
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 COMMUNITY
RESILIENT PARENTING WORKSHOP RECORDING
Thank you to the parents who joined us for the session Empowering Parents: A Workshop on Resilient Parenting.
For those who were unable to attend or who would like to revisit the content, a recording of the presentation is available here.
We hope you found the workshop meaningful and that you walked away with practical tools, insights and ideas you can apply within your own family. Your engagement and thoughtful participation are an important part of building a strong school–home partnership that supports student wellbeing.
This session will also be repeated next week for the ISG Jubail community, and we look forward to continuing these important conversations together.
Session 2: ISG Jubail Campus, January 26. Please use this form to register.
GRADUATION DATES REMINDER
Please mark your calendars and save the dates:
June 4 - ASD Graduation
June 6 - BSD Graduation
June 8 - ISG Jubail Graduation
June 9 - BSD Leavers Ceremony
June 11 - ISG Dammam Graduation
June 11 - SVS Leavers Ceremony
RAMADAN HOURS AT ISG
ISG will transition to Ramadan working hours beginning February 17, in alignment with the Kingdom-wide schedule adjustment observed during the holy month of Ramadan. School and workday hours will be as follows:
Staff: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Students: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
This change reflects national guidance and supports the wellbeing of our community during this important time. Further details, including confirmed dates and adjusted schedules for schools will be shared closer to the start of Ramadan.
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.
If you think you have missed any of these weekly communications this school year due to changing contact information, please click here for the archive of these communications.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
DATES TO REMEMBER
SAVE THE DATES
February 9: Minimum day
February 17: Ramadan hours begin
February 22: Founding day holiday
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’s Middle School Students Take on Marshmallow Tower Challenge During Week Without Walls.
ASD Runners Shine at Annual Cross Country Seaside Invitational.
ASD’s Middle School Variety Show Highlights Creativity During Week Without Walls.
WOW Week LEGO Challenge Brings Compassionate Action to Life at ASD.
ASD Middle School Students Explore Culture and History On AlHasa WOW Trip.
SVS LAUNCHES MY HAPPYMIND
We are pleased to share that SVS recently launched myHappymind, a new student wellbeing program being implemented across the school. This program supports children in developing positive mental health habits, resilience and healthy self-esteem, all skills that are essential for both learning and life.
To strengthen the home–school partnership, parents have access to the myHappymind Parent App and an online platform designed to help them understand what their child is learning and to offer simple, practical activities they can explore together at home.
