New month, new school year, new beginnings

September finds me back from a really fabulous holiday and back into the school routine, still with that holiday glow. While schools are not open yet, the providers are required to meet and begin planning and putting together pieces for the new school year. I'm working on the first unit for this term. We have moved from a 2 semester academic year to a trimester to align the government schools with the Emirate of Dubai and all the private schools in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Our assessment is be be more continuous and we are required to submit marks every 4 to 5 weeks. This is an attempt to stop the end of semester debacle where students are often "given" marks, and an attempt to provide students and parents with a current and up to date progressive picture of their learning. I'm genuinely excited by the new edicts to move students and teachers into formative and summative assessment to provide a picture of their learning.

Each and every country on the holiday had cameos of fantastic things and experiences. Ian sent me these 2 pictures which are two small snapshots of wonderful times. Meeting up with my cousins in Scotland after 30 years. I'm pictured here with my cousin Jean and husband Andrew, walking away from the camera close to the castle in Edinburgh. We spent the day with them in Edinburgh including the appreciating times at their festival and a trip into the castle.

I shouted Ian a tour of Paris in the evening on a segway for his birthday. I saw the trip advertised and thought wow what a cool thing. I just came along for the ride! So here I am embarking on my training before hitting the streets of Paris at a maximum speed of 9 kms an hour. There is nothing like zooming along to the Louvre on a segway, beats a broomstick any day!