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US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Visit to the American School of Bahrain

Highlights U.S. Technology in the Education Sector

As part of Discover America Week 2020, U.S. Embassy Bahrain Chargé d’Affaires Margaret Nardi visited the American School of Bahrain (ASB) and was welcomed by the school’s Founding Director, Dave McMaster, who took her on a tour of the new school building and its state-of-the-art-facilities.

“At the U.S. Embassy we support American style education on the island for K-12, along with continued education at universities in the United States. I look forward to supporting your school as part of that process,” said CDA Margaret Nardi.

ASB Principal McMaster remarked: “We were honored to host Chargé d’Affaires Margaret Nardi at American School of Bahrain. Staff and students were excited to be part of Discover America Week 2020 and it was a pleasure to show Chargé Nardi our campus and have her experience the incredible sense of warmth at the school. We look forward to future opportunities involving the American and international community of Bahrain and the leadership and experience of the US Embassy."

During the visit, Chargé Nardi congratulated ASB on the inauguration of the school’s first academic year.

ASB OPENS WITH COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES

American School of Bahrain is leading the way with precautionary measures taken to reopen schools this September, ensuring campus health and safety for students to continue their education. The school opened its doors on September 13, 2020, operating in accordance with instructions from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. With technology-enabled classrooms, cutting-edge pedagogy and a cross-curricular advanced learning approach, ASB aims to maintain the educational standards they provide whilst prioritizing its students’ wellbeing.

“A collective and unified effort has never been more important than it is today. We are confident that the American School of Bahrain community will start our inaugural school year positively and successfully, and face our challenges with determination as we embark together on our journey of educational excellence,” said Founding Director, Dave McMaster.

Day-to-day protocol at ASB, for maintaining a COVID-19 safe school day, includes masks being worn and 1.5 meter social distancing being maintained at all times. ASB has also placed social distancing stickers around the school, to indicate safe distances between individuals. All classrooms, equipment, and toilets are disinfected after each use, and the school is focusing on the use of technology to minimize contact through paper. All students, staff and visitors must also undergo mandatory temperature screening before entering any buildings, classrooms or buses. Any individual showing signs of symptoms or temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius will not be permitted entry into the building or buses and will follow ASB COVID-19 Exposure Protocol.

American School of Bahrain has also taken further safety precautions to ensure a safe learning environment, including electronically tracking student and staff attendance. This enables the system to trace student classes and teacher contact to maintain safe conditions. The student body will also be divided in four groups during entrance and exit procedures to ensure minimal student traffic and contact. Students will then be divided into small groups or classroom pods, and will not interact with other pods, to ensure safe conditions.

In efforts to maintain a safe environment with minimized physical contact, without compromising educational standards, ASB uses a variety of applications including Zoom and PowerSchool to ensure that parents stay updated on their child’s academic progress. Moreover, during these unprecedented times, ASB understands the toll the current situation can take on parent and student wellbeing and therefore offers appropriate emotional support through counsellors, the principal and teachers.

Aside from day-to-day operations and safety protocol, ASB is also thoroughly prepared to implement its COVID-19 Exposure protocol, which has been shared with parents, in the event of exposure or mandatory quarantine. Students and teachers will use applications such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Seesaw, Google Suite and PowerSchool to complete assessments, assign work and also attend classes via live broadcasts. 

“It is crucial, now more than ever, to ensure that health and safety is not compromised in efforts to continue daily life. Although this generation of children are experiencing unprecedented times and have faced many challenges as a result, American School of Bahrain is committed to providing a sense of ‘normal’ in the safest way possible. With the MOE and MOH guidelines coupled with the protocol implemented at ASB, the school is dedicated to successfully and safely providing students an exceptional education without putting them at a disadvantage due to the pandemic,” said Mr. McMaster.
 

The ASB team is pleased to announce that our founding families can now enroll their children in Grade 9 as well!

Due to popular demand, we have added a Grade 9 (UK Year 10) cohort starting September 2020. We are now welcoming applications for students from Pre-KG to Grade 9. To learn more or apply, please visit our application page, contact our admissions team on +973 1721 1800 or email us on admissions@asb.bh.

How to Apply

Esol Education’s American School of Bahrain (ASB) has commenced enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year, offering children in Bahrain a top-tier international education within its state-of-the-art campus.

With an expansive 60,000 square meter campus catering to 1200 students, ASB will be home to one of the most advanced learning environments in Bahrain. Located in Wadi Al Buhair, near the Bahrain National Stadium, the premium K-12 American preparatory school is set to open its doors in September 2020 with a challenging standards-based US curriculum, leading to the option of an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in Grades 11 and 12, designed to meet the highest standards of international education,

ASB is a joint venture between Esol Education and Elm Education Fund (Elm), a Bahrain-based education platform, established by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Elm establishes and co-invests in world-class educational institutions in partnership with leading global operators.

‘Local demand for high quality education continues to rise with private school enrolment growing at almost twice the rate of public school enrolment in recent years,’ explained HE Khalid Al Rumaihi, Mumtalakat CEO.

‘The American School of Bahrain is a promising venture for Elm and Mumtalakat as it addresses the changing needs of an ever-changing world, from the skills for tomorrow to quality academic and vocational education,’ he added.

ASB will be the newest addition to the Esol Education global family of schools, leveraging its 43-year track record of establishing and operating leading international schools, serving 10,000+ students.  

“American School of Bahrain will follow Esol Education’s longstanding tradition of providing an exceptional, holistic and challenging education. With the multiple pathways of the IB Diploma and American High School Diploma, our graduates are welcomed at leading universities around the globe, including Oxford, MIT, Harvard, NYU as well as the University of Toronto and McGill University. We look forward to providing these outstanding opportunities to the students of Bahrain,” said Dave McMaster, ASB’s Founding Director.

ASB is designed to facilitate innovation, academic excellence, international mindedness and happiness, fostering students who will be leaders within their communities and beyond. The school’s facilities include technology-enabled classrooms, STEAM Labs (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and maker spaces. A multi-level library, equipped with the latest digital resources, will serve as a research space and learning hub, while art studios, music rooms and performance spaces build visual and performing arts skills. ASB’s sizeable athletics complex boasts excellent sporting facilities, with a swimming pool, large indoor gymnasium, basketball courts, regulation-sized soccer field and a 400-meter track.

“Over the past forty-three years we have built a strong reputation of educational excellence in the world of international education. The Esol Education schools enjoy the benefit of our longstanding relationships with accreditation partners, top universities, and teacher development and recruitment organizations,” shared Walid Abushakra, Esol Education’s Chairman and Superintendent.

“These connections, together with our experienced leadership teams, empower Esol schools to become leading centers of education in their communities, equipping our students with the essential skills they need to excel at top universities worldwide and in their chosen careers,” he added.

Established in 1976, Esol Education currently operates nine schools across five countries, and is the largest operator of international American schools in the world. The planned opening of the new school in Bahrain will be a major milestone for the organization, following closely after its entry into East Asia in 2016 with the opening of American School of Hong Kong (ASHK), as well as Dunecrest American School and Fairgreen International School in Dubai in 2018. Each Esol Education school is a close-knit community, bringing families together with the values of multiculturalism and dedication to helping students discover their individual talents.