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It may have escaped your notice but earlier this week, Shabab Al Ahli FC of Dubai beat Al Nasr FC in the final of the UAE’s most prestigious football knockout competition, the President’s Cup. It was a significant moment, not just because it was the tenth time Shabab Al Ahli had won the cup, but more importantly, because 10,000 supporters were allowed inside the marvellous Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain to watch this local football match, for the first time since February 2020. As I watched on the TV (my team Al Wahda were knocked out in the first round!), it was really quite moving to see the bond between the players and the supporters, reunited at last.
For many over the last few months, sport has become increasingly important. The footballers, rugby players and tennis stars may ply their trade in empty stadiums but their presence on our screens has provided a welcome source of normality and a distraction from the realities of a global pandemic. Here in Abu Dhabi, we have been lucky that our children have been able to take part in some sports since last summer and we have all become acutely aware of the importance of physical activity for young people in helping them socially and mentally, as well as physically.
In school, we are all delighted to see our students out on the fields in their PE kit and even though they can only engage in ‘light physical activity’, it is a hugely important part of their week. Sport in all its forms has always played a vital role in our school, giving students vital opportunities to try new things, to succeed, to win and lose, to aspire and to be together. We are very much hoping that in the very near future our students will be able to return to something beyond ‘light’ physical activity and that our fields and sports halls will once again be teeming with life in the hours after the school day ends. Sport is a vital part of our culture, in school and beyond, and we should cherish the highs and lows it brings to us.
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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