A message from Dr. Michelle Remington
Community is the glue that holds us together at The KAUST School. One of our strengths is in our diversity. Our community of students, families, staff and partners represent over 70 nationalities and bring a wealth of perspectives and experience.
It’s a partnership I’m proud of and I’m immensely grateful to our community, without whose support we simply wouldn’t be able to innovate and grow.
We’ve come a long way since fall 2009, when we first opened our doors to 250 students. During our first five years of operation, TKS earned initial accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). This is a massive achievement in the life of an international school. In the first ten years, our school population grew by 1400 students. This rapid growth caused the school to change locations regularly until 2014 when each division was finally settled onto the campuses where they are today.
In September 2019, as TKS prepared for the upcoming strategic planning cycle and triple evaluation process with CIS, IBO, and the Middle States Association (MSA), we conducted a review of our Mission, Vision, and Values statements to best reflect our current position as well as chart the direction for the future vision of the organization. This work was very much a community effort, involving teachers, students, administrators, Board members, and parent representatives.
This resulted in developing three goals and 27 objectives to make up the 2020-23 Strategic Plan. Meanwhile, in March 2020, as we were crafting this ambitious plan, a global pandemic emerged and TKS moved to distance learning for the remainder of the school year and began the 2020-21 school year in August, also in distance learning mode.
COVID required great effort on the part of our whole community, and we are proud of the fact that we were the first school in Saudi Arabia to be able to offer face-to-face learning during the 2020-21 school year. We were pleased to move forward with the objectives in the plan, in spite of managing the complexities of the pandemic.
At the end of the 2021-22 school year, we are pleased to report to our community the progress that we have made, and what comes next in our plan. This publication will outline our goals, objectives, current progress, and examples of impact. I hope you take the time to enjoy this publication and celebrate the achievements TKS has had to date, as well as look forward to supporting us in our next steps for continued growth and improvement.
At TKS, we believe that we can truly be our best when we work together. Thank you for the part you play as a valued member of our community.
Our choir and ensemble put on a fantastic show at their long-awaited concert - the first since the pandemic.