Mr James’ Weekly Reflection: Welcome back to term 3

Dear Nadeen Family,

Welcome back to Term 3! What an exciting journey we have ahead of us, filled with meaningful learning experiences, whole school events, and, of course, our much anticipated end of year productions. There’s a real sense of momentum as we dive into this new term, and I’m thrilled to see the enthusiasm already building across our community.

We kicked off the week with energy and purpose during our INSET day, engaging in valuable team building activities and rich professional learning. It’s always a highlight for me to work alongside such a passionate, committed team of educators. These moments of collaboration spark deep conversations about our shared vision and how we continue to enhance the learning journey for our learners. A central focus for us this term is Adaptive Teaching and Learning, as we prepare for our High Performance Learning (HPL) accreditation at the end of May. This is a big milestone, and one we are excited to pursue together. Have you explored what HPL is all about? #KeepTheMainThingTheMainThing 

I wonder if you have heard your children talk about our VAAs (Values, Attitudes and Attributes) and ACPs (Advanced Cognitive Performance Characteristics), the foundation of HPL. One of our key leadership dispositions here at Nadeen is Empathy, which goes hand in hand with attributes such as Concern for Society, Confidence, Respect, and Collaboration. These are qualities I see in abundance across our wonderful team and learners every day.

Speaking of Concern for Society, I’m incredibly proud to share that our Year 6 learner leaders participated in the Bahrain Eco Summit this week, showcasing their commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability. This inspiring event brought together young leaders from across Bahrain to tackle pressing ecological issues and explore innovative solutions. Our learners took part in engaging workshops on recycling, conservation, and renewable energy, collaborating with peers and inspiring one another to take real action within their communities. Not only did they gain valuable knowledge and leadership experience, but they also helped strengthen our collective responsibility to protect the planet. And the exciting news? Nadeen School has been selected to host next year’s Eco Summit! This is a fantastic opportunity and a reflection of our growing focus on environmental responsibility.

As always, we’ve also been active on the sports field! Our U11 boys’ badminton team took part in a tournament with 36 competitors. We were proud to see four of our boys make it through to the semi-finals, and a huge congratulations to Leo and Alex, who came away with the Bronze medal, a fantastic achievement! Our netball girls: Nikki, Larize, Lillian, and Simoné represented Nadeen at the Youth Intergulf Competition in Abu Dhabi and did brilliantly. We’re all looking forward to hearing more from them, as they’ll be sharing a video with the community on Sunday to tell us all about their amazing experience.

In our ongoing commitment to well-being and community connection, I’m pleased to share that we now have our very own No Tech Café in place. This space is designed to be a sanctuary away from screens, a place where laptops and mobile phones are put aside, and where conversation, curiosity, and connection take centre stage. Whether you want to chat about a hot topic, read quietly, play a board game, or simply sit and reflect, this space is here for you. It’s part of our mission to create a healthy ‘Blue Zone’ style environment, one that supports mental wellness and builds those all important social bonds. Please do support us in making this a success!

And don’t forget: Wellness Day is coming up on May 1st! This will be a special opportunity for us all to take a step back and focus on well-being. Activities will include a run around Dilmunia, Tai Chi (which I’m personally going to try!), healthy food options, and so much more. It’s shaping up to be a day full of energy, reflection, and joyful connection.

Here’s to a term full of joy, growth, and meaningful experiences.

#GrowTogetherThriveAsOne #MoreThanASchool #BlueZones

Warm regards,

James Batts

Principal, Nadeen School