Welcome back...again!

I hope you each enjoyed a lovely Eid holiday. What a nice surprise to get a whole week off!  Now, let's see how we all do getting back into the school routine, once more...

Just by way of reminder, tomorrow (Sunday) is Day 3, so the students will have PE. Also, please remember that students will not have school on Tuesday, as it will be one of our first Professional Learning Day (for staff).  To find out what we are learning in 3LN this week, click here. 

Also, we will be having our individual class pictures on Wednesday, Sept. 21, so kindly remember to have your child wear his/her formal uniform (not PE), including the tie. I can't wait to see how crisp and cute the students each look. I always smile when I see their hair extra slick and sleek when they waltz in the classroom on Picture Day morning.

If your child is interested in joining an after school activity, please refer to my last post regarding the registration. There are some terrific activities being offered this trimester!

Our class will be choosing a Student Council Rep on Wednesday, so if your child is interested in this leadership opportunity, please be sure to return the application by Monday (Sept. 19) and have your darling prepare a little speech, which he/she will present to our class on Wednesday.

As an FYI, I will be attending a growth mindset conference in Bangkok, Thailand, from Sept. 22-25, so I will not be at school on Thursday and Sunday. Not to worry, though. Your child will be well cared for and well taught in my absence. I'm already looking forward to imparting what I'll learn in our classroom!

Lastly, on a personal note, below you'll find some pictures of a very last minute trip to Norway with my mom and sister, Julie. (Dad stayed home with the dogs, so it was just us girls.) We met in Oslo last Saturday and I just flew back to Dubai today (Saturday). It was a wonderful trip in every way as we relished in each other's company, laughed, learned new things, met new and old friends, explored, breathed in the cool, clean mountain air, ate interesting local food, like brown goat cheese, reindeer, whale, and moose. We made about a thousand new happy memories to treasure for a long time to come. I hope you will enjoy the pictures. :)

So thrilled to meet in the Oslo Airport! I had to wait a couple of hours for them to arrive, but time passed quickly with a pumpkin spice latte, reading, and people watching. 

While we were in Oslo, we were able to see Lauren Williams, who some of you may know as our former ES art teacher. She moved to Norway in August, so it was fun and interesting to hear about her new life there. She's doing great! 

We loved the cooler temperatures. (The Royal Palace is behind us.) 

Ha! Mom sneaked this candid of me reading. So enjoying this good book! 

We took in all of the gorgeous scenery while riding the Flam Railway. 

Somewhere near Finse...

The cultural museum in Oslo was so interesting. This church dates back to the year 1200! 

A must-do if you're ever in Norway. 

I was so happy to see a true autumn after so many years. 

We were surprised to see a glacier! 

Norway is so stunning and we feel so grateful to have had the time off and opportunity to visit such a beautiful country. My mother's side of the family is actually from Larvik, Norway, so it was special to learn about my heritage firsthand. I have about a thousand more pictures, but I'll spare you. (Plus, I'm just a little tired.)  I'm looking forward to hearing all about your child's week off, as well!