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ISSUE 8 | Spring 2022

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Fueling Futures

As Esol Education celebrates 45 years of excellence, we chart the organization's achievements with our founder, Mr. Walid Abushakra, to discover a life dedicated to improving futures through education.


WELCOME TO STRIDES

Adjusting the Sails

Welcome to the latest edition of STRIDES, bringing you news and achievements from Esol Education and our schools around the world!

Like every school across the world, Esol Education school communities have experienced a sea change over the past year, with both temporary and long-term disruptions to the ebb and flow of normal school life. Rising above challenges, we are proud to say that the 2020-2021 year has brought with it some wins, expected and unexpected, both within and beyond classroom walls. Read on to discover our exciting announcements, learn more about remarkable student and teacher accomplishments this year, and gain insights into some of the most topical issues on the minds of educators everywhere.

 


SPOTLIGHT

Fueling Features 

Mr. Walid Abushakra, CEO, Esol Education

This year as Esol Education celebrates 45 years, the organization’s story is very much the story of its founder, Chairman and Superintendent, Mr. Walid Abushakra. For the STRIDES anniversary issue, we asked him to reflect on his journey and achievements, and his inspiration for continuous progress.


FEATURES

One-to-One

The award-winning educator and best-selling author, and founder of the non-profit Green Bronx Machine, Stephen Ritz,

A man on a mission, award-winning educator and best-selling author, and founder of the non-profit Green Bronx Machine, Stephen Ritz, has inspired thousands with his work in sustainability education.

Get Wired

Metaverse

Just like previous centuries were marked by the industrial revolution and the advent of the Internet, the twenty-first century may be remembered for the inception of a new world, or “metaverse” offering an immersive virtual experience unlike any other to date.

Meeting Minds

Mr. Jeff Smith, Dunecrest American School director

Returning to the Esol Education family, Jeff Smith took over the reins as Director at Dunecrest American School at the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year.

Unexplored

Camel rides

Whether you live in the UAE or are just visiting, an endless panorama of sand and sky awaits a within a few hours drive to the edge of the world’s largest continuous desert, whose unearthly landscape served as the backdrop to movies such as Dune and Star Wars VII, as well as the upcoming Tom Cruise-starrer, Mission Impossible 7.

Last Word

Teacher pointing at the glass with blue liquid during science class.

As I write this it will be 675 days since the start of the spread of Covid. If what the scientists are telling us is true that the threat from this pandemic is receding, is this the opportunity to reflect on what positive lessons in education we have learned from this painful and incredibly disruptive experience? What is the legacy for schools?


IN CLASS

Learning Anywhere thumbnail

While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online learning, the case for having a flexible K-12 learning option has long been building over the past decade.

Sustainable STEM

A move towards sustainability is often seen as a move back to an idealised grassroots community and a move away from our reliance on technology.

AISA student swimming in the pool full of floating plastic bottles

A recent provocation introduced students to their Sustainability unit by plunging them deep into an unthinkable but very plausible future scenario.


THE BRIEF

From Hong Kong to Egypt, catch up on news and happenings from Esol Education schools.


Esol Education Logo

 

New Leadership Team at Esol Education

The Esol Education team is pleased to welcome new (and returning) members of our educational family, collectively bringing over 100 years of educational leadership experience to our schools.

Dr. Bradley J. Cook

The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) welcomes Dr. Bradley J. Cook as its next President, starting in the summer of 2022 and succeeding Dr. Susan E. Saxton. Dr. Cook joins AUBH with more than thirty years of distinguished international and regional experience in higher education across the U.S. and the Middle East.


Tinker, Tailor, Reader, Writer!

Author Celebrations are an important commemoration of learning at AISA. At the end of every unit, students publish their own books that exemplify their hard work and passion for creating literary masterpieces.

Ready, Steady, Innovate!

Each week students at AISA take on the important roles of engineers to solve complex, real world problems!  The Design and Innovation class is often the highlight of their day.

Explorations

As educators, we see the value of ‘voice and choice.’ We use it as a learning strategy in our classrooms and students have more freedom in what and how they learn because of it. At AISA, we’ve taken the concept a step further.


Students In Charge!

Grade 5 students in Carrie Zimmer’s class at Dunecrest American School have changed the way they’ve been studying math.


Impact Inclusivity Run

Students from Fairgreen were selected to partake in the Impact Inclusivity 50km Run, organized by Team Angel Wolf (TAW)

Wear it with Pride

Fairgreen was approached by Kapes, a homegrown Dubai-based brand that helped the school in reducing its environmental impact by switching to a sustainable solution.


Smiles for Everyone

For the 5th year running, American School Hong Kong participated in the Box of Hope charity project.


World Art Forum

AISE’s own Middle School Art teacher, Mrs. Shereen Badr, was CEO and Curator of the recent World Art Forum in Cairo, Egypt’s first and largest international contemporary art event held at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

The Power of Words

In Early Childhood at AISE, students are elevated and encouraged to realize their endless potential by teachers changing the way in which they speak to them.

Holy Guacamole

AISE alum, Nabil Attalla is making delicious waves with his own taco food truck in the North Coast of Egypt, with thousands of clients hungry for more of his delicious Mexican food.


The Code Game

Tarek Baghdady, in Grade 7, had always wanted to design a video game, but when he tried to do so by himself, he couldn’t understand a thing, till he joined the Video Game Design elective!

Middle School Takes the Lead

Here at AIS Egypt (West), we are part of a team of Middle School students who are committed to community service – both within our school community and the greater Cairo community.

Thin slice presentation

According to Dr. Stephanie Affinito, author of the “The Coaching Sketchnote Book,” thin-slicing is a way to pare down information so “we can make quick, yet meaningful, decisions about a set of data in front of us.”


CES Achievers

The cohort of 2021 set new heights as a whole, but within those students some shone brightest.

Science Champions

Cairo English School placed first at the International Science Championships last year.

Business for a Cause

At CES we believe in the importance of exposing students to real-life situations in order for them to be engaged. In October, CES students organized a campaign for breast cancer awareness month raising 75,000LE to support the cause.


“America's Favorite Teacher” Visit ASB

ASB was pleased to have author, educator, innovator, and urban-farming advocat, Mr. Stephen Ritz, spend one week at the school where he offered students an inspiring learning experience.

ASB Trunk or Treat!

As a community builder and sweet treat for all staff and families, the school hosted its inaugural Trunk-or-Treat over the Halloween holiday.


American University of Bahrain Logo

important as exam scores, and they want all their students to have a well-rounded university experience, that is on a par with experiences abroad.

Under the motto, “One Team, One Run”, the American University of Bahrain (AUBH) endorses this symbolic, youth-oriented annual event marking the beginning of every academic year.


World With|Out Walls

During this year’s annual International Day at the American International School in Cyprus (AISC), celebrated in honor of Universal Children’s Day and students explored the theme of a “World with|out Walls”.


Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

Walter Day, UCA’s founding director, established a distributive leadership model that has led the way for continued strong leadership at the school.