“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were big things.”

– Robert Brault

 

It’s a beautiful Friday, and we’re heading into a 3-day weekend. How lucky we are!

On Wednesday, I joined class 2A (Ms. Lizette’s class) for their end of the day routine. The class sat in a circle on the rug, and shared celebrations of their classmates–things their friends had done during the school day that they appreciated. One student shared that she appreciated her friend for always being a good friend. Another shared that she was grateful that her friend was not angry with her after she had promised to play with her at recess, but then played with someone else instead (being flexible). Another shared that he appreciated it when his group (on a class assignment) were ok trying new ways of doing things instead having to do it a certain way (being flexible again).

This morning I asked some students, parents, and AAS staff what they are celebrating after the first 8 days of the 2026-27 school year. Many shared the obvious: “it’s Friday and we’ve got a 3-day weekend!”

Below are some of their other responses.

 

Elementary School Students

• Seeing their friends again after summer (many students at all grade levels said this)
• Friends to talk to
• I like every day at school because I don’t live near any of my friends. They’re all at school.
• Playing on the new playground (grade 2 student who moved from the Kindergarten and Grade 1 playground to the bigger playground this year)

Middle School Students

• Reconnecting with friends 
• The freedom in grade 6
• Math class
• Homework (and he was serious)
• Friday Features

High School Students

• Friends
• Theatre elective
• Seeing my classmates–not just my best friends
• Getting back into a routine
• Being back on campus
• NCAA Football (American) starts this weekend–Roll Tide!
• Cultural Trips are coming soon
• Surviving (the first 8 days of school)

Parents

• It’s easy for my daughter to wake up in the morning because she is excited about coming to school
• New city, new culture, new life (just moved to Sofia)
• The community
• Having my child in a great class and watching her grow and learn
• My kids are so happy to be back at school
• All of the opportunities my kid has at AAS

Faculty/Staff

• How students are curious about so many things
• All the new students in my class
• Having students this year as grade 11 students who I had as grade 9 students too–they’ve grown so much
• Starting my second year as a teacher at AAS (smoother start than year 1)
• On the first day of school, I put a dictionary on each desk, and already the students use them regularly (to check spelling and vocabulary)
• The grade 6 students are getting lost a lot less than last week

 

For me, there is a lot to celebrate. The one thing I’ll celebrate now is kids dancing to the music that plays outside the Elementary School every Friday morning.

There is one more thing I’ll celebrate. Yesterday I was in a meeting with about 75 international school directors from all over the world. They are all good people and they are a part of good schools and communities. And, many are facing a variety of challenges. I celebrate being at AAS-Sofia. Of course, we have things we want to get better at, and sometimes we have a bad day. But AAS is the best place to have a bad day.

Whether you will travel to the Black Sea coast, the Bulgarian mountains, Greece, elsewhere, or stay in Sofia, I hope you have a wonderful long weekend. 

 

“Joy comes to us in moments–ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.”

– Brené Brown