One Rising Star

Salam everyone! Every end of June, I ask my students to reflect on their school year. I ask them to speak about their highs, lows, what they have learned and what their goals are for the future. With just 1 week left, I think it’s only fair that I too reflect on my latest school year. Let me start by saying that the past 10 months have been filled with ups and downs. I have learned so much about myself and the people who surround me here in Dubai. I remember how excited I was when I moved to Dubai back in August. I was truly looking forward to my new adventure. Unfortunately, once work began, I encountered many obstacles. I struggled with how different things were in my new work environment; the position, the program, the people… Nonetheless, I was not going to let these things stop me from enjoying this great opportunity. After just a few weeks of school, I decided to apply for a new position; the Foreign Language Department Coordinator. I thought it was the ...

Since I've moved to Dubai, I have been working on becoming a more flexible person. Most of the time, I am a planner, an organizer, and a perfectionist; however, I am beginning to learn that sometimes not having a plan can be the best plan of all! A few weeks ago, we found out we were set to have a 3-day weekend in June. Obviously, I wanted to take full advantage of this situation and go somewhere for a few days. I spoke with a few friends and it was decided that we would do something together. Paintballing, Jet skiing, Hiking, Road trip...lots of ideas came up. Unfortunately, the weekend came faster than expected, we hadn't planned anything and all the hotels around the UAE were booked up. I was truly upset, thinking I wasn't going to do anything fun on my last long weekend of the school year. Nevertheless, my one friend and I decided that we would go on a road trip together no matter what and we were going to have fun!  Yesterday (June 6th), my fri...

In the last 6 weeks, I have been privileged enough to witness the wonders of the G5 Exhibition in the PYP. What is the G5 Exhibition you wonder? The exhibition Students aged 10 to 12 who are in their final year of the primary years programme are expected to carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry project, known as the exhibition, under the guidance of their teachers. The exhibition represents a significant event in the life of both the school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the programme and sharing them with the whole school community. It is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the student profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the programme. It is a culminating experience marking the transition from the PYP to the Middle Years Programme (MYP). Schools are given considerable flexibility in their choice of the real-life issues or problems to be explored and investigated in the exhibition. First...

I can now confirm that a Desert Safari is a must-do when visiting Dubai! Here are a few highlights from my first ever Desert Safari. 1. Dune bashing through the desert. 2. Picture perfect scenery. 3. Camel ride. 4. Sand boarding. 5. Henna painting. 6. Dinner and entertainment. 

When I decided to go to Sri Lanka for my spring break this year, I truly did not have too many expectations. I did not know much about the small country located just under India. Approximately a week before I left, I purchased a Lonely Planet guide book to begin finding information about my destination. I instantly found out that there was lots to discover: beaches, tea plantations, national parks, forts, temples… Unfortunately,   I knew right away that I would not be able to see everything Sri Lanka had to offer during my short stay. After landing in Colombo on Saturday, March 23 rd 2013, I was headed straight to the Southern part of the country where I was set to stay at The Three by TPV, a wonderful boutique hotel. This classy place was just perfect; lovely staff, nice pool, good food, beautiful view of the Indian Ocean… On Sunday, March 24th 2013, I went to Galle to get a look at the   beloved Fort, a quiet old town filled with little shops an...

After another crazy week, and a terrible nights rest,  today I proved to myself once again that I can do anything I put my mind to! I was set to run a 10km race this morning, but quite honestly,  I did not feel like I had trained enough for it.  I had not really gone for a proper run since my last 6km race mid-February. Last race, I did 6 kms averaging at about 5 mins a km.  Today, I did 10 kms, again, averaging at about 5 mins a km.  I was amazed to know that I could finish 10 kms under 1 hour  (even with the small hills that seemed to kill my speed and energy). So here are my results: Time: 51:46  119 th out of 348 runners (males and females of all ages) 61 st out of 205 (adults 18-39) 20 th out of 134 (females of all ages) 12 th out of 86 (females 18-39) It has now been 2 months since I began paying more attention to my fitness levels  and setting fitness goals for myself.  Jus...

On March 7th 2013, my school celebrated International Day. It's a day where students and parents are able to expose the countries they come from with traditional apparel, music, dance, food and other products. A lot of work goes into this celebration and it is all well worth it!  As I watched the parade of nations and I walked around checking out all the booths, it was quite evident that I loved the feel of working in an international school with people from all over the world. In particular, there were a few special booths that caught my attention: 1. The booth from Canada. Seeing the Canadian flag, the Québec flag, hockey jerseys and Tim Hortons products made me feel at home for a short moment! 2. The cluster of booths from Latin America. Everyone knows part of my heart lies in the Spanish World. Hearing the people speak Spanish is always music to my ears! 3. The booth from Brazil. Definitely one of the best places I have ever visited. Seeing the Braz...