Preparations

During the summer holidays we were told that all students would come back to campus for the new school year, in one way or another. We never really expected full time, there was talk about different hybrid models, like every other week, or every other day etc. We would find out closer to school starting.
Unfortunately just two weeks before the school start we got completely different news than what we were hoping for - only primary students would go back to school and all secondary students in Abu Dhabi would continue with e-learning for the first four weeks of term. (Only here, in Dubai all students went back to school from the start. Same country, different regulations.) Super disappointing. 

Anyway, this week the four weeks were finally up and we eagerly awaited more information. Again, not really happy news - "Secondary students should continue with e-learning", and this time "until further notice"... Argh!
But as you know things change quickly around here, and already the day after it was announced that at least the DP students, the kids in Grade 11 and 12, would be welcome back to campus. So for us this means at least one of our two will be able to start school again next week and we had to get him ready. That meant getting a PCR-test, obligatory for all students returning to school:

And going to get the new DP uniform. They wear special shirts once they reach this high grades, so we needed to purchase those; but also, the old ones wouldn't have fit anymore anyway after nearly seven months out of school...

Today we are hitting the mall to get black trousers and fresh black shoes, and then he should be ready to go! Hopefully nothing will change again between now and Tuesday, which is supposed to be his first day back at campus. He is kind of excited to finally see his friends again, and get back to a more normal routine.