Bahrain ES History
Opened: 2011
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Bahrain Elementary School is located on Bahrain, a small but very important island nation in the Arabian Gulf. Over the past two decades the country has evolved from a bustling gulf state to an international banking and business center. The school began in Awali, Bahrain, in August 1968, as the Bahrain American Elementary School. The Department of Defense School staff included one teaching principal and three teachers. There were forty students in grades one through eight. By 1970, the school began accepting English-speaking Bahraini students and other non–Department of Defense sponsored students. With the addition of these students, the school grew rapidly until, by January 1972, the enrollment was approximately 200 elementary and correspondence course secondary students. In January 1972, in expectation of even further expansion, the school moved from Awali to its current twenty-four-acre campus in Juffair. At the end of the 2010-11 school year, what was by now the Bahrain School was divided into Bahrain Elementary School and Bahrain Middle/High School.
According to the first yearbook for the new elementary school, “The 2011-2012 school year started with a whole new beginning as Bahrain Elementary School was given the opportunity to recreate a new identity as it split from Bahrain Middle/High School.” Students were asked to “look back and re-live the memories of a fresh start”. The students and staff voted a rascally eagle, Shamaal, as their mascot. The school colors are red, white, and blue. Later, the school mascot was changed to the Falcon, and the colors are now purple and gold.
Bahrain Elementary follows a United States curriculum, with all classes taught in English. The school has a highly diverse, international student body. The Community School Complex is sponsored in part by the Bahrain International School Association.
The parents of Bahrain School students have originated from over forty nations, are well educated, and hold positions of high responsibility in local, American, and international firms, government, and organizations.
Bahrain Elementary meets College and Career Ready Standards and evaluates student achievement using The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers testing. In addition, Bahrain Elementary offers a range of special programs and enrichment courses.
In the 2012 yearbook, it was stated that:
The Bahrain learning community is just that, a community of students and adults who create unity through appreciating scholarship and celebrating diversity. The collective efforts of our PTSO, B.E.S.T. Student Leaders, teachers, and administration create partnerships that expand the learning process into amazing directions! From starting the day with our inspiring Morning Meetings to participating in in-school and after-school activities, our community truly lives up to its motto, B.E.S.T. Celebrates Learning!
The school has always provided opportunities for the students to learn about the Host Nation and participate in local customs. Students celebrate Bahraini National Day, Bahraini Mother’s Day, and take field trips to Al Areen Park and the National Museum. During the 2019-20 school year, Bahrain Elementary students participated with other island schools in a National Sports Day, the Bahrain School Expo, and the Bahrain Garden Show. The school has an annual International Day to celebrate the cultures of the school’s many nationalities.
Other annual events include Red Ribbon Week, the Month of the Military Child, National Geography Bee, National Spelling Bee, Math Olympiads, Bully Prevention, and Unity Day. Many extracurricular opportunities are available to the students. Some of the school’s clubs are Digital Citizens, projects and games, science, drama, swimming, Zumba, and cheer and tumbling. An after-school homework club has volunteers from the Navy base.
The first principal of the new elementary school was Christy Blevins. Penelope Miller-Smith became the principal for the 2018-19 school year and remained principal through the 2023-24 school year. The school has kindergarten through fifth grade. It opened with 240 students, reached a peak of 380 students for the 2019-20 school year, and currently has an enrollment of 250 students.
A second-grade teacher, Ms. Lachanda Garrison, was the 2021 DoDEA Teacher of the Year.
Information from official DoD website and school yearbooks