Admissions are now open for 2025/2026
Contact our Admissions Team today!
May I begin by wishing Ramadan Kareem to all members of the BIS Abu Dhabi community. A school like ours frequently welcomes new families as they arrive in Abu Dhabi, so we know for some of you this will be your first experience of Ramadan, and perhaps your first experience of international education too.
It is wonderful to be part of an international community such as ours, and also to be part of a country and society such as the one here in the UAE. The values that are held and practised as part of Ramadan are an ideal example for all our students, wherever they may be from.
Within our school we emphasise the values of Kindness, Honesty and Respect. In addition to this, Ramadan is a time for reflection and community, and very much for tolerance and consideration of others. This all fits in very closely with the aims that we all have for how our children grow up, and the kind of people we wish them to become.
My thanks to all parents and students for adapting so well to the new school timings which began today. Even though the hours are shorter we will continue to make the best of each day for our academic learning, and for the personal values and consideration which are so important throughout the Holy Month.
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.
.jpg?h=2953&iar=0&w=4430&rev=1639baab60684355860a6031bd2f4274&hash=BFFA420FEFF4CB88D98A155541FB02EE)
.jpg?h=3723&iar=0&w=5584&rev=8eac03bc3fbb4516b0c80a2618ee5eb8&hash=CD74C9E72284B395151C53385E14FEE4)
.jpg?h=4160&iar=0&w=6240&rev=3a6f2141dddc472fb958169bb826c0d8&hash=73AB5BCB0D6782A16236413B7A9C7618)
.png?rev=1619813b30a347d9bc71977e2cfe09d2&hash=66B98CDC659BBF07EB36660B4381E1E7)
