Preparing Your Child for Boarding School
As Northern Hemisphere schools return to a new academic year in a variety of different formats, Southern Hemisphere schools would usually be finalising plans for their school’s 2021-enrolled Boarders’ Orientation. COVID-19 means many schools are unable to provide their usual on-site orientation programs and are looking for new ways of equipping boarders and families as they prepare for boarding school life. With this in mind and in response to requests from clients, Danielle Pringle and I will facilitate a virtual workshop specifically designed for parents preparing their child for a successful transition to boarding school. Read the full story…
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When Moving Season Arrives
Moving Season. It’s when globally mobile families and individuals across the world experience a shift in their community. Some are being left behind, others are moving to a new location, several are returning ‘home’, a few are preparing for the boarding school experience and all involve goodbyes. Here are some blog posts you or someone you know may find helpful at this time. Read the full story…
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures: Cross-Cultural Childhood Losses and Identity Development
Maria Lombart stood before an audience of over 200 people in The Hague, Netherlands. It was two years ago at the Families in Global Transition (FIGT) Conference but her dynamic presentation has continued to resonate with me ever since. It’s a personal story of loss and identity development with similarities to many cross-cultural students I have encountered and you may well know. Ultimately, it is a story of peace and belonging which I believe deserves sharing. Read the full story…
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Globally Mobile Children: One Tribe or Many? Part One
Have you noticed the number of social media posts questioning the terminology around children who live a life that takes them across and among cultures and worlds? As one term resonates with a certain individual, that same term repels another. To bring some clarity to this conversation, I have created a two part series drawing on the wisdom of Dr Ann Baker Cottrell as she raises questions about our 21st century use of terminology describing globally mobile kids. Read the full story…
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Globally Mobile Children: One Tribe or Many? Part Two
How do you feel when you hear the term ‘Third Culture Kid’ or ‘TCK’? Does it fill you with a warm fuzzy glow or a cold hard dread? Do you feel a sense of belonging or does it reinforce your feelings of the in-between? Do you identify with other associated terms such as globally mobile kid, Cross-Cultural Kid (CCK), expat brat, missionary kid, military brat or global nomad? With a myriad of terms strewn across research, books, social media and day-to-day conversations, it is little wonder that questions arise around the terminology for children who live a life that takes them across and among cultures and worlds. This is Part Two in the series drawing on the wisdom of Dr Ann Baker Cottrell. Read the full story…
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Transitions 101 Webinar Series
Calling all International School Educators, Counsellors and Leadership. Does your school resemble a revolving door – students, families and staff constantly leaving and arriving? Would you like to do more to support your students, parents and colleagues as they navigate the triumphs and trials associated with global transition? This webinar series is for you! Registration closes November 13 so book now as places are limited. Read the full story…
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Top 10 Questions Asked by Students Starting at a New School [I Am A Triangle]
Starting at a new school can be both exciting and terrifying for any student. Whether it’s your child’s first, fourth or fifteenth move, switching to a new school is never easy. With so many unknowns, silent questions play on the minds of new students in the lead up to that first day. For Third Culture Kids* (TCK) moving from one culture to another, there is often the added unknown of cultural differences and expectations, which can shake their self-confidence and make walking into the new school even more daunting… The questions asked by students vary from those on the minds of their parents. Students rarely ask about subjects offered or how many kids are in a class nor the facilities provided or location of the school. Curious to know what they do ask? Read the full story…
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6 Steps Towards Being a Successful Stayer in an International School [The International Educator]
The front door flew open, the school bag dropped to the floor, and fast, furious footsteps stormed up the stairs. The bedroom door slammed. Silence. We had been living in Singapore less than four months the first time I witnessed this chain of events unfold. My six-year-old son came home devastated because his new school friend was leaving. It became a familiar scenario. Read the full story…
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What I Wish My (International School) Teacher Knew About Me [International School Magazine]
Dear Teacher, Like most of the students in your classroom, I am a globally mobile kid… Did you know that whilst living a globally mobile life comes with many benefits, it can also impact my learning? Please let me tell you about it and what you can do to support me, so that mobility does not inhibit my learning but enhance it. Read the full story…
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3 Tips for Supporting Your TCK in a New School Environment
Stop! Listen. Do you hear that sound? With the exception of the Cicadas singing their Summertime chorus in the trees outside my window, I can hear it…Silence. For the first time in 8 weeks, Silence reigns in my house and my office because the Summer holidays are over and today marks the beginning of the new school year for most students here in Australia. How different this “first day of the year” is from last year. Read the full story…
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European Enlightenment: Lesson 2 – The Importance of Goodbye 
Do you feel this year is flying by? Depending on which hemisphere you reside, schools are returning from their Spring Break or gearing up for Autumn Break. Students are either preparing for the final run into the end of the academic year followed by a long Summer vacation or for mid-year assessments followed by a shorter Winter holiday. If they are students in an International School or a school with high mobility, they are also preparing for something else at this time of year. Goodbye. Read the full story…
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European Enlightenment: Lesson 1 – Empathy
This blog post has taken shape in the Paediatric Ward of our local hospital. To my right, through the salt splashed window panes, the powerful Pacific Ocean waves crash heavily upon the sand (I do find it intriguing that hospitals and cemeteries so often have the best views!). To my left, amidst the rhythmical beeps and colourful wires of medical instruments, lies my sleeping teenage son, who, through an unfortunate schoolyard accident (boys will be boys!) is the reason I am here. Read the full story…
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The Most Powerful Stakeholder in a Globally Mobile Child’s Education 
Last week, I had the privilege of working with, what we in the Education World consider to be, the three key stakeholders in a child’s education. I have presented to, collaborated with and advised staff, parents and students who live and work amongst our domestically and globally mobile population. As I listened to life stories of those who move from city to city and country to country, a theme was repeated over and over again and it reaffirmed my strong belief that for those who live this mobile life, there is a fourth and very powerful key stakeholder in a child’s education – The Company. Read the full story…
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The Legacy of a Globally Mobile Childhood
Having recently repatriated, our family embarked on a road trip to explore Australia’s Capital City. At every turn I was reminded of the legacy of a globally mobile childhood. Read the full story…
Globally Grounded 