"ARIS has undergone amazing change! I have seen ARIS right from the very beginning, in the initial stages. I even went to the Opening Ceremony in 2003, which was in Dzorwulu.
ARIS had just started as a small Montessori school, then. Two years later, they had started off with the Primary 1 and 2, with the British National Curriculum.
When I joined ARIS in 2006, I was impressed to see the school growing, but it was still a small school. There were about 10 students or less in a class. ARIS was just 3 years old.
It was a great experience to see the school develop into what it is now; to see the transformation! There were times when we were successful in reaching our goals and there were times when we were going down, as students left the school, and our classroom sizes decreased, so, we had to market the school. There were ups and downs.
When Dr. Fatma came and joined the school almost 8 years ago, everything started climbing. From the British National Curriculum to the Cambridge. We decided to go further than that and meet the International Standards. For us to evolve and be a 21st Century Institution meeting these standards, it was best to apply for the IB Authorization.
It was extremely challenging and overwhelming at first, and it still is challenging. But it's so rewarding and amazing, all the same!
I personally see the school as our baby. Now, I see it thriving, and hopefully, we get even more and more successful!
We are no longer that small school in Dzorwulu. Now, when we speak of ARIS in the Global Platform, people know what ARIS is, where it is and what we stand for. Even when we go to Conferences around the world and talk about our school, there's instant recognition; people say "Oh! You're from ARIS, we've heard so much about you! We have seen your posts and videos and heard about your Director, Dr. Fatma! She's an amazing visionary and so innovative."
I think what brought us this far is our great leadership. Dr. Fatma's vision has led us all to believe that it's always possible to reach newer heights and challenge ourselves to do better. I think, as we reach the 15th Anniversary, we have proven that impossible achievements, isn't in our vocabulary!"
- Ms. Dania Sadek, Head of School, ARIS Primary Campus (PYP)