First Day of School in Dubai

The kids' very first day of school here in Dubai was loooooong anticipated. Their last day of school in Katy was Dec. 1, and their first day back in 2018 was Jan. 7. That's 36 days without school, in the middle of the school year (not that I was counting or anything)! Let's just say Mom was MORE than ready for their very first day at Dubai American Academy (DAA).

Back in September, I visited Jeff here in Dubai and scheduled multiple school tours. We had chosen for the kids to attend a school with the American curriculum, and I quickly zeroed in on DAA based on feedback and reviews from other parents. After our tour in early September, I cancelled our visits to other schools because I was convinced that the kids would love DAA.

DAA moved to a new campus for the 2017-2018 school year, and the facilities are amazing. I was blown away during my tour and I couldn't wait for the kids to visit. We scheduled a tour for the kids in mid-December after we moved and adjusted to the time difference. I think they were feeling apprehensive, but by the end of the visit they were definitely feeling some excitement as well.

Side note: Did you notice the tall United Arab Emirates country flags (red, green, white, and black) draped over the buildings in the above photo? The UAE celebrates National Day each December 2, marking the union of the seven emirates. When we arrived in Dubai, the country had just celebrated its 46th birthday and there were UAE flags draped all over the city in celebration of the holiday. Quite young for a country!

Fast forward to January 7 for the kids' first day of school...the biggest change for us was the school uniform. I've mentioned before that I was excited for this part -- no more agonizing "what to wear" issues in our home! (As I type this, it has now been 2 weeks of school and I'm even more convinced that school uniforms are a Mom's best friend!)

The kids had some first day jitters, mostly over their uniforms as well as the typical feelings when starting somewhere new. But they both had great attitudes and seemed excited and enthusiastic about what the day would bring.

Side note: I didn't realize until later that the uniform shop had given me an elementary school tie for Connor instead of the full men's tie that the middle school kids wear. I was so embarrassed that he spent his entire first day in that tie, but luckily Connor doesn't care about that stuff and shrugged the whole thing off.

Upon arriving at school, I first wanted to get Kaitlynn situated in her 3rd grade classroom. We went up to the elementary school area and there were several other kiddos waiting to be taken to their rooms as well. Kaitlynn looked so cute and couldn't wait to meet her teacher and classmates.

Finally we were taken back to Kaitlynn's class. Her teacher is Ms. Jennifer (they use first names here) and is from Ireland. She had the sweetest smile and greeting for Kaitlynn, along with her precious Irish accent. I immediately loved her and I know Kaitlynn did, too!

I watched Kaitlynn walk into her classroom and she was instantly surrounded by several friends who wanted to meet her. It just warmed my heart to see the kindness of her classmates in welcoming Kaitlynn.

Next up was getting Connor settled in the middle school section. We made our way there and found many other new students were starting DAA that day as well. It turns out that 80+ new students across the school joined DAA in the new year, so Connor and Kaitlynn were in good company.

The middle schoolers were welcomed with a brief introduction in the library. We received Connor's schedule and had to make some adjustments right away, which thankfully wasn't a big deal. (He had been enrolled in choir as an elective. Anyone who knows Connor would know that taking choir would be nothing short of torture for him, ha!) The kids were given some instructions on their new schedules which are based on a 8-day block schedule. It seemed complicated at first but like anything else, the kids quickly adjust.

And then it was time for Connor to be off to class! He was escorted by the middle school ambassadors to his classes, and he even was given another tour of the school to help on his first day. When it was time for lunch, all of the new kids met the ambassadors in the library and went to lunch together so that they would have friends to sit with. I was encouraged and relieved to learn this, because isn't the lunch period always the hardest part of being at a new school?

After seeing the kids off to their classes, I stuck around the school for a while completing some additional registration tasks. I also started asking questions about sports and after school options, because we were beyond ready to get involved in additional activities.

Fun fact: DAA has an active presence on social media, and the Courtrights made an appearance on our first day. Cute!

It didn't take me long to realize that the school arrival and dismissal each day would be somewhat of a challenge. The DAA campus is located right next door to another big American school, and there is a single two-lane street that is accessible to both campuses. Thousands of families rush through that one roadway for drop-off and pick-up, making the process a bit tricky at times. Two weeks in, I'm finding that my "commute" to/from school is about 60 minutes each way, most of which is spent either waiting in a parked car or in a long line of cars trying to get out onto the main roads.

Back to the kids' first day, I made sure to visit the uniform store to pick up the correct tie for Connor. And I also managed to get a couple of hours alone for the first time in over a month, hallelujah! But soon it was time to pick up the kids, and I couldn't wait to hear all about their first day. I waited for them in the school lobby, and I was surprised to see that the place was abuzz with excited families. There is a café in the lobby area, and apparently it's commonplace for family members and friends to grab a snack or coffee and hang out while waiting for the children to be dismissed. Very different from what I've been used to!

The elementary kids are dismissed a few minutes earlier than the middle school kids, and I was greeted with a big smile from this girl of mine. She had a great day! She made several new friends, and they even asked to sit by her at lunch. Her favorite part of the day was PE where they were doing some gymnastics, so of course Kaitlynn was happy to show off her tumbling skills.

Next up was Connor. I couldn't read his expression at first which made me worry, but he rated his day as a 9 out of 10. Woohoo! I was thrilled to hear that, because we all know how tough middle school can be. Connor had nothing but positive things to say about his day, and he even met a couple of fellow Houstonians who shared a love of the Houston Astros and Los Cucos Mexican food!

I can't describe the relief I felt when the kids were both smiling and happy after their first day. I was so thankful to the DAA teachers and staff for ensuring the kids had a positive experience. Connor told me later that he was surprised by how friendly and welcoming the other students were. "Back home," he said, "when a new student shows up, everyone notices them but immediately goes back to their own groups. Here, everyone came up to me, asking me where I'm from and saying hi." I've been told that this is the norm in Dubai -- every student has experienced the transition of moving in/out of the city, so they are far more understanding and welcoming of the new kids. What a blessing!

One last note about the kids' new school in Dubai. As part of the standard curriculum, all students are required to take Arabic language classes. The teachers are experienced with managing the different levels of learning, as many kids come in with zero experience or understanding of the language. Connor and Kaitlynn were definitely feeling some trepidation about this part of their new schedule, but their teachers began working with them right away to get them started on the fundamentals. Kaitlynn came home after her first day, excited to show me her name in Arabic. Cool!