Dear Ash Mount Community,
What a lovely week it has been.
One of the highlights was undoubtedly our Choir in an Hour event. It was wonderful to see children, parents, and staff coming together, many meeting for the first time, and sharing an experience that was full of laughter, encouragement, and a surprising amount of singing talent!
A particular thank you to Selin, who performed for us on the violin. It was a beautiful performance and a lovely reminder of the talents that already exist within our growing Ash Mount community.
As I looked around the room, I found myself thinking about how far we have come since our very first Coffee and Connect sessions. Back then, many families knew very few people. Now, each event feels a little more like a school community gathering. Children recognise one another, parents stop to chat, and friendships are beginning to form. Long before we open our doors, Ash Mount is already starting to feel like a community.
This month our blog focus is Local Heart, Global Mind.
When people hear the phrase “international education”, they often think about the global part. The different cultures, languages, perspectives, and opportunities that children experience.
Whilst those things are incredibly important, we believe something else comes first.
Before children can confidently engage with the wider world, they need to feel that they belong.
They need to know who they are, where they come from, and the communities that surround them.
This is one of the reasons we deliberately chose the phrase Local Heart, Global Mind.
At Ash Mount, we want children to develop a genuine connection to Dubai, the UAE, and the local communities in which they live. We want them to understand the history, culture, values, and ambitions of the country they are growing up in. At the same time, we want them to develop curiosity about the wider world and learn how to engage respectfully with people whose experiences may be different from their own.
This approach aligns closely with both our vision and the philosophy of the IB. International mindedness is not about becoming detached from your own identity. It is about understanding yourself well enough to appreciate and learn from others.
One of the questions I often ask parents is:
“What do you hope your child remembers about their childhood in Dubai?”
Usually, the answers are not about grades or examinations.
Parents talk about friendships.
They talk about experiences.
They talk about the incredible diversity of people their children meet.
They talk about growing up in a place where children learn that the world is much bigger than their own immediate experiences.
These are powerful gifts.
Families can support this at home in simple ways:
- explore different areas of Dubai and the UAE together
- visit museums, cultural sites, and community events
- encourage children to learn a few words from different languages spoken by friends
- talk about family traditions and learn about the traditions of others
- encourage curiosity when children ask questions about different cultures and ways of life
Some of the most meaningful learning happens during everyday family conversations.
Behind the scenes, it has also been a very exciting week at Ash Mount.
We have been finalising student timetables for opening.
This may sound like a small thing, but for a founding school it is a significant milestone. After months of curriculum planning, staffing discussions, and educational design, we are now bringing together the daily experiences that our students will have when they walk through the doors in August.
As always, we have been asking ourselves important questions:
How do we create balance?
How do we protect wellbeing?
How do we ensure strong academic foundations whilst creating opportunities for creativity, inquiry, sport, languages, music, and leadership?
Every timetable decision reflects our belief that education should be both ambitious and balanced.
We are also very much looking forward to our New Parent Event next Sunday.
This will be an important milestone as we begin introducing families to our Pre-Opening Parent Handbook. The handbook contains practical information to help families prepare for opening and answers many of the questions that naturally arise as August gets closer.
Most importantly, it gives us another opportunity to spend time together, answer questions, and continue building relationships with our families.
June is moving incredibly quickly, and every week seems to bring another reminder that opening day is getting closer.
Thank you, as always, for your support, encouragement, and belief in what we are building together.
We look forward to seeing many of you next Sunday.
Warm wishes,
Abigail Fishbourne
Founding Principal
Ash Mount School
