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Students in Year 13 have a lot on their minds just now. As well as coping splendidly with a global pandemic, they are entering the final few months of their International Baccalaureate course, a course rightly regarded as a challenging one but also one which serves as the finest preparation for undergraduate study that a school can provide. And on top of that, they are also making some very big decisions about the future, namely what their undergraduate studies should be and where in the world should they do them…!?
Some parents reading this might be thinking ‘my little one is only 5 years old – I don’t need to worry about university!’ Time passes quickly though and in what can seem like the blink of an eye, personal statements, references, Oxbridge, UCAS, and Ivy League become the vocabulary of home discussions. As our students make their way through our school, we always have a keen eye on the places that our students will be going to, where they will truly begin their adult life and where they will develop into the specialists and experts that will take knowledge and understanding forward in their chosen fields.
The word ‘university’ comes from the Latin ‘universitas’, meaning ‘a whole’ and it grew to mean a ‘community of teachers and scholars’. A university is where our students truly become ‘whole’, it is where they listen, learn, argue, debate and forensically examine the roots of the knowledge that humans have built thus far. And it is where they will go to add more building blocks. We wish our year 13 students and their families ‘good luck’ as they look to their next academic steps and we remind all of our other students – and their families – that your turn will come!
Chris Lowe
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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