Welcome back to all our families returning after the holidays, I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing break. There are many smiling faces around the campus as students return to their classes and see their teachers and their friends again.
I would also like to offer a special welcome to all the new families joining BIS Abu Dhabi this term. It can be a daunting time for students joining a new school but I know everyone in our community will offer them and their parents a warm welcome as always.
A few key items to flag up at this stage of term. Firstly, please note the accompanying article within this newsletter regarding term dates for next academic year. Click here to view the article. We know how important it is for families to be able to plan travel arrangements so we are publishing the draft term dates today. ADEK will not be officially approving school calendars until May but we are not expecting the start and end dates of term to change.
All parents will have received our re-enrolment forms for next academic year. Places at BISAD are inevitably oversubscribed but we do of course give priority to existing families. Please do return the form as soon as you can so we can guarantee your children places for next year and ensure the classes and teachers are planned accordingly.
Every term is focused on enabling students to maximise their learning and build further on everything they have achieved so far. Within this final term there are end-of-year examinations and assessments for many year groups. Our advice for all students is to start early in reviewing their learning from the year and not leave everything until the last minute.
And finally, related to examinations, a particular mention for our Year 11 and Year 13 students who will undertake their IGCSE and IB examinations this term. Academics are always the major focus, and for these students the upcoming examinations are a culmination of several years hard work. We wish them all the best for the term ahead and a have great confidence that they will match and exceed the outstanding results and success of their BIS Abu Dhabi predecessors.
Patrick Horne, Principal
A few weeks ago, as part of our IB DP Language programme, Year 12 students in the French Ab Initio and French B classes united to celebrate Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday). Originally a catholic event welcoming the ritual fasting of Lent, Mardi Gras is celebrated in France with festive parades and sumptuous public celebrations.
At BIS Abu Dhabi, students came together to not only recognize the festivity but rejoice at the opportunity to share and learn about the international traditions fostered within our community. With the help of Monsieur Depose and Mademoiselle Merchadier, the French DP classes baked tasty treats, including crepes, waffles, brownies, and traditional beignets!
As a teacher at BIS Abu Dhabi, I have the privilege of watching students grow — not just academically, but as young people finding their path in a complex world. One thing I’ve learned time and again is this: success doesn’t come from rare moments of brilliance — it comes from the quiet power of habits.
Research tells us that up to 40% of what we do each day is driven by habit, not active decision-making. That means the routines our students form — the way they begin their morning, how they handle a setback, whether they choose to read or scroll — are shaping who they become.
I was really touched by Áine’s newsletter piece last week, posing the question: ‘What would I tell my younger self?’
I spent some time afterwards thinking about my own parenting journey, and what it’s all been about, now that my two are adults and have ‘flown the nest’. Parenting isn’t easy for any of us, and that’s true even if you’re an experienced school leader – at home, I’m just Dad.
You might have seen the trend going around - “If I could tell my younger self one thing…” - a moment to reflect, to offer advice we wish we’d heard earlier, or to remind ourselves of what truly matters.
As students prepare to cross some of the biggest milestones in school life, it feels like the perfect time to pause and join in that conversation. But it’s not just our students who are preparing — so are we, as parents. These milestones don’t just belong to them. We’re living every part of it too: the anticipation, the pride, the nerves, and the quiet hopes. Sometimes, it’s the hardest thing in the world — to watch them take these big steps, to stay strong when they wobble, to let go just a little more. It’s a milestone for us as much as it is for them — and we’re walking it together.
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