Director’s Welcome
Director’s Welcome
AHLAN WA SAHLAN!
Welcome to The KAUST School! We offer an exceptional international education for children from 3-18 within a vibrant and truly global community. Whether you’re considering a school for your child or are looking to join our passionate team of education professionals, we would love to hear from you.
Our mission is simple: to ignite curiosity, inspire creativity and investigate solutions. All our students follow the world-renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, where they develop as inquirers, thinkers, communicators and risk-takers. We have a wonderful relationship with our friends at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – better known as KAUST. And, with the support of our host country, Saudi Arabia, we’re able to deliver on this mission every day. These close relationships allow us to offer unique experiences for both our faculty and students which you won’t find in other schools around the world.
Our beautiful location on the shores of the Red Sea provides the perfect environment to learn about natural resources. It’s just one of the many opportunities for our students to learn beyond the classroom.
Our youngest of students (ages 3-5) are fortunate to learn on a dedicated Kindergarten campus in the Harbor area inspired by play-based learning. Through investigation and research, they’re able to contemplate deep questions, but always in ways that bring true joy to their learning process.
Our Elementary, Middle and High Schools are all located in the Garden District of the KAUST community. Supported by an amazing teaching team, the environment provides a balanced and innovative approach to teaching and learning with technology-equipped classrooms, science laboratories, a design and technology hub, libraries and world-class facilities for work and play. From competitive sports to performing arts and student government initiatives, our wealth of co-curricular activities provide the perfect complement to our academic curriculum.
Our dedicated team of educators regularly engage in learning and training to promote their professional growth and create even more opportunities for their students to grow and learn. When I asked a parent what they believed was an indicator of the strength of TKS, she said that their children were truly excited to go to school every day. Our teachers make learning engaging, fun and relevant for their students.
We invite our parents to be actively involved in their child’s learning, and support your family through presentations, back to school nights, student-led conferences, and student activities. As parents, you are your child’s first teacher. We look forward to nurturing this partnership to ensure your child is supported, and to help them reach their full potential.
We hope to welcome you to TKS soon!
Biography
Michelle is from the United States, and she earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish with minors in Economics and Political Science and her Master’s degree in teaching from Willamette University in Oregon. She later earned her Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Michelle has been an overseas educator since 1996, when she and her husband, Jesse, first moved to Saipan to work for the public school system in the Marianas Islands. In 1998 they moved to Venezuela, where they worked in two different international schools, Michelle began her career as an administrator, and they remained there until 2006. They moved to the Middle East, spending 13 years in the UAE working at both the American Community School of Abu Dhabi and the American School of Dubai over that period. Michelle worked as a High School Principal, Deputy Head of School, and Interim Head of School.
In 2019 Michelle became the Director for The KAUST School, and she continues to enjoy the amazing school and community here.
Michelle is married with three children. Her husband is an IB Design Teacher in secondary school. Their oldest child is attending UC Berkeley after graduating from TKS in 2021. Their other two children currently attend TKS secondary school.
Michelle enjoys traveling, reading, playing piano, and participating in almost all sports, including volleyball, tennis, basketball, and yoga. The family home is in Bigfork, Montana, where they enjoy camping, waterskiing, and hiking each summer.