To celebrate the joyful holiday season, our Winter in Wonderland event spread happiness and fostered a sense of togetherness among students.

Through decorating the tree and engaging with Santa Claus, we created a festive atmosphere to wish students a happy holiday and welcome the upcoming New Year with joy and positivity.”

Students gathered to decorate the tree with colorful ornaments and sparkling lights during the winter celebration. Santa Claus made a special appearance to greet the students, bringing excitement and joy to the event. The festive atmosphere was filled with laughter and cheer as students, teachers, and staff came together to celebrate. The event also included singing winter-themed songs, sharing warm wishes, and taking memorable photos. It was a delightful occasion that brought everyone closer, spreading happiness and a sense of togetherness.

Mr. Abaas (Supervisor): Winter wonderland ,It was very nice activity. It took me deep into the winter, snow and Christmas.

Yara Ahmed (Student G.4): Thank you to my school, I love everyone, and I am so happy about this wonderful celebration.

Muhammed Husam (Student G.4 ): I love the SLO department they are doing everything to make us happy.

 

To teach children the importance of cleanliness and personal hygiene in a fun and interactive way, students were taught to wash their toys, keep their belongings clean, understand the basics of proper hygiene, and develop good habits contributing to their overall health and well-being. This hands-on activity also encourages responsibility and helps build a sense of pride in caring for their possessions.

The SLO Lower School Prefects acted like dolls to make the activity more fun. They helped the younger students clean their toys and showed them how to do it properly, making learning about cleanliness easy and enjoyable for the kids. The prefects' fun approach encouraged everyone to join in and take care of their toys.

The SLO organized a delightful and educational Dental Day through an engaging play for KG students, capturing the attention of the young learners and imparting valuable dental hygiene lessons in an enjoyable way. Alongside the play, various interactive activities were arranged, promoting the importance of oral health in a fun and memorable manner.

Adding a touch of enchantment to the day, the SLO surprised the children with a visit from the Tooth Fairy herself, played by one of our dedicated SLO members. The excitement and joy on the kids' faces were priceless as they interacted with the magical character, fostering a positive association with dental care.

Overall, it was a wonderfully fun and heartwarming day that not only entertained but also instilled crucial lessons about maintaining good oral hygiene among our KG students

 

The SLO Outreach & Lower school Departments joined forces and prepared a heartfelt and heartwarming teachers' day celebration for all teachers. The event was divided into various sub-events so that each group of teachers could enjoy their time with their students.

Preschoolers & KG students gave their teachers handmade salt dough magnets, a card, and a colorful pot of flowers.

Grade 1-3 students filmed a moving video for their teachers in which they thanked each teacher individually and presented them with salt dough magnets, a card, and a colorful pot of flowers.

Grade 4-12 students cheered teachers on in the theater as they presented them with crowns, a pot of flowers, and a personalized magnet.

Our Kenyan Adventure Club visited Maasai Ostrich Farm and got to learn a lot about the big bird and even enjoyed Ostrich rides! Did you know that ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal?

“I have always known ostriches to be big birds but getting too close to them and even riding on them is a wonderful experience…those birds are really big!” _William Kamau Grade 3 Student

“ I was too afraid of riding on the ostrich…but after encouragement from my friends and teachers, I tried it and I am so happy I did” _ Aaria Mulji Grade 3 Student.

 

To celebrate Valentine’s Day and to help spread love to everyone, the SLO Lower School Department prepared a “Baked with Love” bake sale for grade 1-3 students to help raise money for the Braveheart Fund.

Students contributed to the fundraiser by donating all kinds of food items they baked at home, such as cupcakes, cakes, muffins, and brownies, or buying them.

I really loved sharing everything with all my friends! I tasted many good things like cake, waffles, and brownies. Yara Ghosn, Grade 1

I liked that there were many options, especially chicken popcorn. I also really liked seeing the cake I made there and my friends tasting it. Mia Suzanna Doueihy, Grade 2

I really liked that with the coupon we could choose the item that we wanted; the chicken popcorn was very good. Cristiano Younes, Grade 2

I loved everything about the bake sale; I got a donut and one of my own cupcakes. It was fun! Caesar Abi Shdid, Grade 3

When is the time for fun?  All the time!

The KG students gathered to have a good time with each other. They made their own milkshakes and crafts using their own photos,  danced and had fun with the prefects.

Prefects : “ It is always fun to be with KG students “

 

Who doesn’t love mosaics, especially ones they created themselves?

The Lower School prefects partnered with KG students to teach them patterns, shapes, and colors to create art. While listening to music, they focused on combining mosaic pieces and matching colors with designs. Students were proud of their creations and proudly took them home to show to their parents.

Student grade 9: “ it’s the best time of the day, having time with KG students and creating art.”

 

 

There were plenty of clubs to be enjoyed by Grades 1-2-3 Students in term 1. Among the many clubs they could choose from were:

·         Clay Sculpting Club
·         Bowling Club
·         It’s Tasty Club
·         Book Club
·         Chess Club
·         Academics Club
·         Bracelets Club
·         Football Club
·         Crafts Club
·         Hand-in-Hand Club

 

My favorite activity was when we did the Turtle Snacks, and I liked the Bubbles club as well! Elio Thoumy – Grade 1

I loved the Bowling Club, the exercise challenge, the kindness puzzle, and the Clay Sculpting Club! Dany Yazbeck- Grade 2

I loved all the clubs and every activity we did- Especially the Bracelets Club! Joya Chamoun - Grade 3

To stress the importance of sleep in a fun way, a Pajama Day was organized for grades 1 through 3.

Grades 1 through 3 were allowed to wear their favorite pajamas to school and bring a small stuffed animal that could fit into their bags, a small, cozy blanket, and some tasty snacks. During recess, a movie was shown, and popcorn was served. At the movie’s end, each student showcased their PJs and what they brought along.

Who says school is not fun?  They are wrong!

The Outreach and Lower School department joined forces to spread smiles among the lower school students on World Smile Day.

Games were planned, stickers were distributed, smiley faces were created and shared, and group pictures were taken.

“I really loved the music, the dancing, and the smiley stickers!” Thalia El Haddad - Grade 1

“I liked how we were complementing our friends!” Kelly Haddad - Grade 2

“What I loved most was writing nice letters to each other and the stickers.” Ayla Barakat - Grade 3

“Activities ranged from "Pin the Smile" to the "Human Knot Game," but the "Reason to Smile" board was our favorite interactive activity. World Smile Day really made us appreciate all the different and amazing reasons to smile.” Clara Mitri and Keane El Medawar - Grade 12

 

Who doesn't love to play with playdough?

Not only did the Lower School students play with it, but they also made it from scratch.

The Lower School prefects provided the recipe and ingredients to the students encouraging them to guess the order in which the ingredients were mixed in. Once the playdough was ready, there was no stopping the creativity of the students from creating amazing shapes.

It was really fun playing with the kids, it made me feel like a kid again. (Senior prefect of Activities under the Lower School Department) Best day ever! (KG2 student)

The Wellness department and the Lower School Department put together an event dubbed “Whacky Wednesday!”

The event aimed at promoting self-expression for its invaluable benefits in boosting children’s self-esteem and improving social life. On this day, students came to school dressed in mismatched clothes, funky hairstyles, crazy socks, and other accessories. They had a fashion show during the SL period to showcase their self-expression through fashion.

When young students express themselves, it goes beyond their words, ideas, or their fashion style. They invite others into their world and how they see it. They communicate their self-image and their place and role in their community. This is what Whacky Wednesday felt like…children being who they are and inviting us to embrace our uniqueness!”

 

The Lower School Department organized a Teddy’s Picnic for Kindergarten and Grade 1.

Students spent a relaxed afternoon with their classmates and friends, in a picnic setting. They came to school dressed in cottage core attire and each brought a Teddy Bear and a snack to share with friends. During the picnic, fun games were held with their teachers, led by the SLO Lower School prefects.

A positive school culture stems from a well-connected lower school. I believe teaching values like kindness and friendship at an early age and allowing them to experience this through such an event will have a ripple effect on the entire school as we grow together. The picnic was so much fun I wished I could be a small child again!” _Dilys Kuunyem DHP Lower school

 

The SLO decided that the students should experience winter and snow. They created a whole winter scenery and invited KG through G2 students to j oin them and enjoy it. Students were also encouraged to come to school in winter outfits for a total experience.

Lower School prefects assisted the students in making artificial snow and build snowmen with the activity ending with the traditional snowball fight.

 

It was the best day ever!  (G1 Student)

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Activities were the talk of the day at AIS - Al Wadi for the Lower School students.

The lower-grade students had great fun by playing mind games, competitions, singing, dancing and voting for the most popular songs. Who said that school is not fun?  They were proven wrong on that day.

I love this event; it was so fun having singing contests with my peers.

 

On the 10^th of December 2021, the artisan souls that are our Kindergarten to Grade 10 students, gathered in the cool and ambient-lit auditorium for a showcase of talent and works in progress.

This was an hour of nothing less than pure bliss. The Kindergarten students took to the stage in colorful holiday wear and melted our hearts with their breathtaking and exhilarating performance. Grade one students then painted our faces with the brightest smiles as they performed their skit.

Grade 2-10 students took to the brush and displayed their amazing art-works concerning the theme ‘Climate Change.’ Several ensembles and solo performances were ranging from Dance, Piano, Violin, Clarinet, Voice, Spoken Word, and Poetry, and to cream, the entire experience was the amazing SABIS^® Runda students’ choir that ushered everyone to the festive holiday season. 

We continue to celebrate our artistic students as they add more life and color to our school community and the world beyond. “The future awaits those with the courage to create it.” _Erwin Raphael McManus

While the world was on its knees the past two years, our social lives had to capitulate to the new enemy that was the COVID-19 pandemic. The normal ways of life had been replaced with burdensome routines of incessant sanitization and long hours of screen time.  But even as we were busy creating new normal and adjusting to the new world of anxiety and uncertainty, the environment was healing and blossoming due to the limited human impact, reduced pollution and our newly realized greater importance of taking care of the environment and attention to climate change.

Finally the ray of light at the end of the tunnel became as visible and as feasible as the possibility of going back to normalcy. Schools reopened and a new sense community was clearly stamped on the tablets of our hearts and minds. Students had missed in-person interaction and even the simplest of things like sitting in one classroom even though distanced for health and safety. The journey back to normalcy for us started with an overnight camp at the school campus.

Grade 3-5 students jumped into the world of the unusual, leaving behind the comfort of their warm and comfortable homes, they had one goal, to have a feel of togetherness once again in a challenging cold night under the watch of but the night sky.

The camp commenced on a high note when the students were treated to a giant inflatable water slide. This was both a test of fear and equal dose of fun and adrenaline. Just before the adrenaline rush could subside, there was a challenge of playing soccer inside a slippery inflated soccer arena. Great team work and collaboration was exhibited by the first-time campers. Bike riding at sunset was a great activity to usher in the night of pioneers, heroes and heroines. It was an evening not short of pure niceness and joy.

Pitching their tents was another activity that would train them on very important survival skills, team work and independence. The ever green fields of SABIS^® Runda were the very home for grade 3-5 campers in a night full of laughter, reminiscence of the good old days and a beginning of greater days ahead.

After two years of staying indoors and almost losing our sense of community, I am happy the kids experienced what it felt to be free and human again. The kids had a blast and cannot stop talking about the experience of having to survive away from home and how much fun they had. Grade 3 parent

At first, I thought I would not survive the night in a tent…after seeing my friends so happy and alive, I said to myself, I will be just as courageous and make it to morning…I am so glad  I came. Kiara Verma Grade 5 student

Recycling is reaching new heights at DIP. A new initiative to recycle unused and discarded bottle caps is well on its way at the school to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and the environment.

Students are encouraged to bring in bottle caps that will be used to create an art piece made of  recycled materials and bottle caps that will be on display at the school.

To stress the importance of reading, regardless of how much is read, and to improve the younger students' reading skills, the SLO organized different reading events for a whole week.

On the first day, the Lower School Department prefects went from class to class handing out beautiful SLO Themed Bookmarks to the young students. On day two the weekly book club was held with extended hours to encourage more people to join. It was also offered to even younger grades so that they could experience it first hand. This helped recruit more students to the club. On another day, sudents were asked to dress up as their favorite book character, take a picture of themselves and send it to the school in order to post it on social media.

Being confined and moving the learning online didn't stop our school to host a play.

Beauty and the Beast Virtual Play was based on the SABIS^® class reader of Grade 3. It was offered to the students during their winter break as a winter project. It was an educational experience for all the students as it provided them the opportunity to experience the plot of the story by performing in the play.

The credit also goes to the Parents who supported their children and teachers by creating all the video clips of the performers and sharing it with the teachers for the final editing process.  Every step was completed quite smoothly as the communication was conveniently managed online.

To watch the play, click on this link: Beauty and the Beast Virtual Play

“I’m really happy that my son Adam Butt from Class 3A was part of the virtual play of Beauty and the Beast. He was playing the part of the beast and he really enjoyed it. He had the support of the extremely talented teachers and the play shows an outstanding performance of all the students. I hope everyone enjoys watching the commendable efforts put together even during COVID-19. Congratulations to all the teachers, students and the parents for the brilliant job!”

                                                             Mrs. T Butt  Parent of Adam Butt from Grade 3

“My experience with the virtual play of Beauty and the Beast was amazing. I am glad that I was given the chance to perform as the Merchant in the play. My favorite part was the one when I was picking up the flowers for Beauty and the Beast roared at me. Also, my family and I had a great time filming it because this gave us a chance to spend more time together as a family. The most memorable part of the entire play was the fake moustache I managed to carry in the entire play and I just simply cannot wait to wear it again for another event. Thank you, SABIS^®  for giving me this unique opportunity during these challenging times to show my acting skills.”

                                                                                 Ibrahim Salman Student of Grade 3 

“Beauty and the Beast Virtual Play  provided students, parents, and teachers an educational and interactive platform to engage the entire community during unprecedented times. This event is one of the greatest example that shows learning never stops at SABIS^®. All the participants extremely enjoyed the entire preparation process and gained inclusive knowledge about their class reader. Kudos to all the students, parents, and teachers for making this event a huge success.”

                                                                   Mrs. Iman Farooq Grade 3 English Teacher

During the last month of 2020, a year like no other, the Student Life Organization at ISC-Choueifat organized a Winter Wonderland Drive-Through, for all students from KG1 to Grade 5.

Taking all safety measures into consideration, the prefects put together a circuit to visit 8 booths by car. Starting with the Mickey and Minnie welcoming booth accompanied by a live band,  the students could admire through the car windows  the rest of the booths, going through the photo-booth,  carnival games, to finally arrive to Santa's workshop. The joy that this spark of hope brought to our students was beyond measure.

Winter Wonderland video