ISG Superintendent's Message
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EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCESS
In light of the expected adverse weather conditions, I would like to take a moment to remind all of our families of our process for emergency school closures and what communications they can expect to receive from our leadership teams.
The main type of school closure we experience is adverse weather. In this situation, ISG will usually receive an official closure notice from the Ministry of Education (MOE). In addition to receiving this official notice, our teams also monitor the situation at our various campus locations in person. Once we receive the notice, or we determine an adverse condition, our leadership team then immediately communicates with our families that we will be moving to virtual school. Many of you may be familiar with our messaging system, where parents receive first an email from my office, then the school principal, followed by an emergency notification via SMS.
We always aim to keep our campuses open for student learning. However, there may be other situations where there are circumstances that present a health and safety risk on, or getting to, our campuses, necessitating that we need to temporarily move to virtual school. Beyond weather, other situations may include interruptions to the local water supply, or electricity outages. Similar to an adverse weather closure, parents can expect to receive an email from my office, then principal of the school and an emergency SMS message.
We always strive to give parents as much notice as possible of school closures. However, in some circumstances we are not able to determine closures with substantial advance notice. I would like to reassure you that our leadership teams are in close contact with the MOE and monitor local media channels when adverse weather is expected, or where there are any other situations where our school operations may be affected.
The safety of our students and staff is paramount and we thank you for your understanding and patience when this occurs.
MSA ACCREDITATION UPDATE
As our teams have concluded their engagement to gather feedback from ISG stakeholders, ISG is assimilating the information into the most recent draft of our MSA report. The timeline for completion and approval is January - March 2025 with our visit occuring the last week in April 2025.
Engaging in the accreditation self-study process is vital to ensuring our schools stay focused on delivering a high-quality learning experience for our students while maintaining efficient and effective operational support for education.
REMINDER: ADMISSIONS OPEN DAY EVENTS AT ASD & ISG DAMMAM
I would like to share that ISG Dammam and ASD will be holding Open Day events in December, and links to register are below:
- ISG Dammam - All School Open Day - December 4, 2024
- ASD - Elementary and Middle School Open Day - December 9, 2024
These are opportunities for new families interested in joining ISG to come for a tour of our campuses and learn more about the learning experiences, including curriculum and activities, at each campus. Please share this information with your family and friends as well as others you know in your community whose children would benefit from ISG’s educational environment.
DR. SEAN TRUMAN VISITS ISG
ISG was honored to host Dr. Sean Truman, a renowned clinical psychologist and co-founder of the internationally recognized Truman Group, from November 23 to 25. The Truman Group specializes in providing psychological counseling for a wide range of mental health concerns, particularly for expatriate adolescents and adults.
During his visit, Dr. Truman delivered the keynote address at the annual ISG Learns professional development event on November 23, inspiring all ISG staff with his expertise and insights into mental health and wellbeing. Dr. Truman has extensive experience in working with international schools around the world allowing him to make excellent connections that can support our students in the ISG community.
Over the following two days, Dr. Truman met with parents at each campus, offering valuable insights on how to support students facing distress. During these sessions, he shared findings from a study conducted by the Truman Group, highlighting key factors linked to improved wellbeing. These included adequate sleep, regular physical activity—such as playing on the playground or participating in sports—and sharing family meals. The data showed that children who engaged in these practices were at a significantly lower risk of developing depression and anxiety. Dr. Truman also emphasized the importance of fostering resilience in children by encouraging them to embrace discomfort and develop inner strength.
On the third day of his visit, Dr. Truman conducted training sessions for all district counselors and learning support teachers, focusing on adopting a clinical perspective to better understand and support students’ needs within the school environment. He demonstrated effective techniques for presenting students’ needs to administrators, emphasizing the importance of structured information, precise language and efficient delivery methods to ensure students are properly and effectively represented and supported.
ISG is fortunate to have created this partnership with the Truman Group and look forward to engaging in the future in their resources to support our students and school community.
ISG LEARNS RECAP
On November 23, ISG held ISG Learns 2024. The theme for this year’s conference continued to be compassionate action through acceptance, inclusion and respect, and presentations and discussions provided opportunities for staff to build on ideas and strategies to enhance the learning experiences and support for their students.
ISG was also fortunate to have guest speakers, Dr. Sean Truman, from the Truman Group, Superintendent, Rhonda Norris and ISG Jubail Principal, Sarah Dugan, present at our plenary session.
Best practices in education indicate that effective professional development supports improved learning for students through a deeper understanding, enhanced knowledge and extended skills. In addition, best practice indicates that professional development is most effective when there is continuous learning and reflection.
At ISG, we incorporate these best practices through our twice a year full day sessions, our minimum days and engagement with experts and consultants in focused professional development. Events like the ISG Learns conference offer invaluable opportunities for our teachers and staff to engage with one another and experts in the field, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation while also supporting individual professional growth. These conferences ensure educators are engaged in relevant teaching methodologies for student engagement and growth ensuring our teams stay at the forefront of education and in providing the optimal learning environment. This year, in addition to our plenary session, our campus leadership presented on supporting all students in their learning and we were fortunate to have 23 staff deliver 23 workshops.
ISG BUSINESS STUDIES CAREER EXPLORATION DAY
Students taking the IB business course in ASD and ISG Jubail, and students taking business in BSD and ISG Dammam attended a full day workshop at the central office on November 26.
During the workshop they listened to central office leaders speak about their roles in the operations, HR, finance and marketing departments. They each provided information on their team’s structure, their daily responsibilities and the education and skills needed for their roles.
Later in the day, students attended a panel discussion with HR, finance and marketing and communications experts from Aramco, PWC and KBR. These experts also provided our students with valuable insights, encouraged our students to make mistakes they can learn from and emphasized that the skills they learned on their professional journeys allowed them to find themselves in roles and professions they never planned to be in, yet were very satisfied and passionate about the work they do now.
The speakers’ passion for their work was evident and inspiring, and the insights they provided not only deepened students’ understanding of their fields but also offered practical tips to help them navigate their own futures.
SAVE THE DATES
Important Dates:
- December 10, Minimum Day
- December 18 - January 4, Winter Break
College and University Visits:
We are pleased to provide support for our students in a range of counseling services including college and university. You can see the latest information here.
ISG UNIVERSITY PLANNING SESSIONS: SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY SEARCH AND APPLICATION PROCESS
This week, University Planning Information Sessions for students and families of the Class of 2026 provided insights and tools to support the university search and application process.
Some of the topics included are:
- How to search for a university: Tips and strategies for identifying institutions that align with students' academic, personal and career goals.
- Factors to consider to find a ‘best fit’ university including location, size, program offerings, extracurricular opportunities and financial considerations.
- Staying organized. Students were advised to create a spreadsheet to input important details on each university they plan to apply to with items such as application deadlines, admission requirements, testing policy, tuition costs and other key information.
- Understanding application deadlines: The different types of deadlines that students may find as options depending on the universities they apply to, such as Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions.
The session also covered the components of a university application, ensuring students understand a university’s admissions requirements and how to start preparing for these components.
At ISG, we are fortunate to have internal expertise to support our students. More student and parent sessions will be held in the spring along with individual and group meetings with students to continue supporting them throughout the process.
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY VISITS IN NOVEMBER
At ISG, we are proud that our high school and senior school programs across all campuses provide robust support for students as they navigate their post-graduation pathways. Through individualized guidance and specialized resources, our dedicated school counselors and 6th form head run the University Preparatory Program, a unique initiative at ISG that equips students with the tools they need for university applications, career exploration and informed decision-making for life after high school.
Our counselors work diligently to organize university visits and information sessions for each of our campuses. This month, ISG hosted college clinics for students and university planning sessions for students and parents. We also welcomed several colleges and universities, where during the visits, students were able to learn about scholarship opportunities.
The following is a list of university information sessions held either virtually or in-person in November 2024:
- Bard College Berlin
- Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
- University of British Columbia
- National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Georgetown University - Qatar
- University of Amsterdam (series of online informational sessions)
- Syracuse University
- Queen Mary University of London, Malta Campus
- Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia
- Canadian University Fair
- Alexander College
- Algoma University
- Douglas College
- George Brown College
- New York Institute of Technology - Vancouver Campus
- OSA Private School
- Queen's University
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic
- Trent University
- University of Regina
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Alberta International
- Vancouver Island University
Please continue to check the ISG Hub for upcoming university visits.
SCHOOL UPDATES
American School Dhahran
Dr. Sean Truman Leads Insightful Workshops for ASD Community.
Moms and Muffins: A Heartwarming Event for Our Elementary Families.
The Rube Goldberg Project - Innovating Education for Future Leaders.
British School Dhahran
ISG Dammam
KG2 Reading Cafe Encourages Students to Make Writing and Reading a Part of their Daily Lives.
High School Business Studies Students Learn from Local Business Leaders.
ISG Jubail