ISG Superintendent's Message
SHARE
ISG DAMMAM LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
I would like to share that ISG leadership has most recently been able to identify Ms. Ashley Barker for the ISG Dammam Interim Principal position, effective August 1, 2026-27. Please read the full announcement here.
CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL HIGH ACHIEVERS AWARDS
I am delighted to share that BSD recently had the honor of hosting the Cambridge International High Achiever Awards for the Eastern Province, celebrating outstanding academic excellence across the region. The evening showcased the remarkable achievements of our students and was made even more special by the leadership and talent of our BSD students who served as MCs, performers, reciter, and ushers.
We are especially proud of our BSD students who received Cambridge High Achiever Awards in 2025, including Top in Saudi Arabia – Psychology (Cambridge International A Level), High Achievement – Music (Cambridge IGCSE), and Top in Eastern Province – Economics, Geography, and Physical Education (Cambridge IGCSE). These awards reflect exceptional dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence.
Congratulations to our outstanding students, to their teachers, to BSD and to our families for the partnership and support that make achievements like this possible. We are incredibly proud of what our community continues to accomplish together.
ISG JUBAIL HOSTS IB PANEL SESSION
I recently had the pleasure of visiting ISG Jubail and participating in an inspiring student-led panel discussion with our IBDP Global Politics students. The panel was part of the Global Politics Political Engagement Activity, and the depth of student thinking and engagement was evident throughout.
Students posed insightful, well-researched questions on topics that matter deeply to our community, including student wellbeing, safeguarding, access to STEM opportunities for girls, teacher recruitment and the impact of policy on families living and working in the Eastern Province. Their ability to connect academic concepts to real-world contexts reflected the very best of an IB education.
I was especially impressed by the professionalism, curiosity and respect with which students led the discussion. Experiences like this bring learning to life and demonstrate how our students are developing skills, voice and confidence to engage meaningfully with the world around them.
Thank you to our Global Politics students for their leadership, to Mr. Brad Dugan for his guidance and support, and to all who contributed their time and perspectives. Moments like these reaffirm the strength of learning and community at ISG Jubail and across ISG.
BSD CAMPUS COUNCIL PARTICIPATES IN A LEARNING WALK
Parents from the BSD Campus Council recently took part in a learning walk across the school, stepping into four classrooms to see learning in action. During the walk, parents observed classroom routines, student engagement and the ways teachers support learning in authentic, meaningful ways.
This experience offered a valuable window into everyday teaching and learning and supported parents in better understanding how learning happens across year groups and subjects.
Parents shared positive feedback following the visit, expressing appreciation for the openness, the strong learning culture and the opportunity to connect more deeply with the school’s educational practices.
Thank you to the following teachers for welcoming the BSD campus council members into their classrooms:
Mr. Liam Moore, Foundation Stage 2
Ms. Sarah Charlesworth, Year 6
Mr. Andrew Hepworth, senior school mathematics
Mr. Kevin Monaghan, senior school geography
The Campus Council
Each campus at ISG has a Campus Council consisting of parents, age-appropriate students and staff. The parent portion of the Campus Council is elected and represents the campus community.
The Campus Council is provided with updates from the Principal on campus operations, learning plans and activities with opportunities for the Council members to provide feedback to the school Principal.
UPCOMING LEARNING EVENTS
At ISG, high quality learning is brought to life through purposeful learning experiences that challenge students to think deeply, apply knowledge authentically and grow as confident, capable learners. Across our campuses, students engage in rigorous, well-designed learning that connects curriculum to real-world contexts, encourages curiosity and builds essential skills for the future.
As we look ahead, our community can look forward to several upcoming learning experiences that will further enrich student learning and engagement:
MathCounts competition, Jan 31
SAN Engineering symposium, May 30
These experiences reflect ISG’s continued commitment to high-quality learning, innovative practice and meaningful opportunities that support every learner’s academic growth.
ISG LEADERS, TEACHERS & STAFF ATTEND NESA CONFERENCE
More than 40 ISG teachers, campus leaders and central office staff participated in the NESA Educators Training Institute in Riyadh from January 22–24, joining colleagues from across the region for a series of high-quality, internationally focused professional learning experiences.
The event aligned with ISG’s Strategic Priorities of wellbeing and belonging, high quality learning and professional excellence, all framed through the lens of instructional coherence.
Participants engaged in sessions focused on evidence-informed teaching practices, student wellbeing, inquiry-based learning and effective support systems — spanning across grade levels, subject areas and school operations.
ISG was also proud to be featured during the institute: ISG’s Organizational Development Lead, Uzma Ahmed, facilitated a multi-day strand tailored for administrative assistants and support staff, spotlighting ISG’s commitment to developing excellence across all roles in the organization.
OFF-CAMPUS WOW WEEK RECAP
Please watch this video recap highlighting moments from the off-campus Week Without Walls (WOW) experiences from ASD, ISG Dammam and ISG Jubail.
WOW Week offered students on these campuses a shift from the regular schedule and an opportunity to learn in new, engaging ways.
Through hands-on experiences, collaborative activities and creative challenges, students explored new interests and strengthened connections with friends and teachers.
These experiences encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and try something new, which supports confidence, independence and personal growth.
British School Dhahran’s Week Without Walls will take place in February.
CLASS SPOTLIGHT ON GRADE 8 & YEAR 9 AT ISG
This week our spotlight is on Grade 8 and Year 9 at ISG. Please click the link for an exciting glimpse into our math classrooms on each campus.
Each week, we’re shining a spotlight on learning across ISG by featuring a different grade level from our schools. Through these weekly highlights, we’ll take you inside our classrooms to show how learning comes to life, from hands-on projects and critical thinking to collaboration and creativity.
Our goal is to celebrate our students’ curiosity and hard work while giving parents a closer look at the value of an ISG education, where every lesson, discussion and experience is designed to inspire growth, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
UNIVERSITY VISITS AT ISG - JANUARY 2026
Most of our students in the Class of 2026 have submitted their applications to universities which had January deadlines or earlier deadlines in the final quarter of 2025. However, the College and Career Programs team continues to hold university sessions, visits and fairs for universities with spring deadlines for our current seniors and with future deadlines for our underclassmen, Grades 9/Year 10 - Grade 11/Year 12.
In January, ISG hosted 15 university visits on several of our campuses. These visits provide students with opportunities to have a face-to-face interaction with admissions representatives to learn about specific admissions requirements for them depending on which curriculum they are enrolled in, A Level, IBDP, AP or college prep courses. Our students also receive up-to-date information on the scholarship opportunities and new programs at each university.
The universities that visited several ISG campuses this month are:
Bahcesehir University, Turkey
Caldwell University, USA
CUNEF, Spain
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA
EU Business School, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany
IE University, Spain
Koc University, Turkey
Marist University, USA
Michigan State University, USA
Middlesex University Dubai, UAE
Royal College of Surgeon in Ireland, Bahrain
Temple University, USA
Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada
UFV Universidad Francisco De Vitoria, Spain
University of Guelph, Canada
In addition, College Clinics for the Class of 2027 have started. College Clinics will be held both in-person as well as virtually. Our ISG counselors will share all information with our students.
UPCOMING ALUMNI REUNION EVENTS
We’re excited to invite our ISG community to two alumni reunion events.
Thursday, May 21, London (registration link coming soon)
These special gatherings welcome graduates, former staff and anyone who has studied or worked at ISG to reconnect and celebrate the shared experiences that have shaped our community.
Please share the registration links above with former staff and students. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
RESILIENT PARENTING WORKSHOP RECORDING
Thank you to the parents who joined us for the session Empowering Parents: A Workshop on Resilient Parenting and the staff who supported our ongoing partnership with parents.
For those who were unable to attend or who would like to revisit the content, a recording of the presentation is available here.
We hope you found the workshop meaningful and that you walked away with practical tools, insights and ideas you can apply within your own family. Your engagement and thoughtful participation are an important part of building a strong school–home partnership that supports student wellbeing and learning.
The next PEP event will be a celebration of learning that will take place at two locations: Dhahran campus and ISG Jubail campus. Please mark your calendars and we look forward to welcoming you to these events in April.
RAMADAN HOURS AT ISG
ISG will transition to Ramadan working hours beginning February 17, in alignment with the Kingdom-wide practice of adjusting hours to observe the holy month of Ramadan. School and workday hours will be as follows:
Staff: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Students: 9:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
This change reflects national guidance and supports the wellbeing of our community during this important time.
REMINDER: KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED
In order to ensure families have valuable and timely information, please ensure that your personal contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts, is up to date with ISG. Having accurate information allows us to communicate with you effectively and reach out to you timely for your children in the event of an emergency.
With the change to using personal email addresses as of August 1, you may need to provide contact updates to ISG. If so, please make any updates by reaching out to the campus office for your child at your earliest convenience.
If you think you have missed any of these weekly communications this school year due to changing contact information, please click here for the archive of these communications.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
SCHOOL UPDATES
American School Dhahran
ASD Students Take Part in Historic ISG Arabic Speech Competition.
ASD Students Lead Hands-On Neuroscience Workshop During WOW Week.
ASD Student Athletes Sharpen Skills at U16 Badminton Jamboree.
ASD Students Expand Learning Through Global WOW Week Experiences.
ASD U14 Girls Football Team Claims Plate Title at SAIKAC Tournament.
ASD Students Connect With Global Universities Through ISG-Gulf Edutours Fair.
British School Dhahran
Nurturing Wellbeing at The British School Dhahran with New myHappymind Programme.
British School Dhahran Celebrates Outstanding Success at the U14 SAIKAC Football Tournament.
British School Dhahran Excels at the U16 Badminton Jamboree.
BSD Students Visit ACCEL for the Third Time, Taking Part in the Best Buddies Programme.
ISG Dammam
ISG Jubail
Jaguar Jump Off Brings Energy and School Spirit to ISG Jubail.
ISG Jubail Welcomes Families for Empowering Parents Workshop.
YEAR 6 TUCK SHOP OPENS AT SARA VILLAGE SCHOOL
I am pleased to share the launch of our Student Enterprise initiative, the Tuck Shop, a powerful example of learning brought to life through authentic experience. Operated and managed by members of the SVS Student Council as an after-school activity, this initiative gives the Year 6 students the opportunity to run a real business each week, from planning and budgeting to sales and customer service.
Through this experience, students are developing essential enterprise skills including financial literacy, decision-making, teamwork and leadership. They are learning responsibility, accountability and the value of giving back to their community. At the same time, students and parents who participate as customers engage in practical, hands-on learning—handling money, making change and practicing positive social interactions.
Initiatives like this reflect ISG’s belief that meaningful learning happens when students are trusted with responsibility and given opportunities to apply their learning in real and purposeful ways.