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readytotravel
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 77
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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Can someone corroborate this? It is contrary to what I have heard from Uniservices and, indirectly, from new recruits who have already arrived in KSA to teach PYP at PNU. |
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 861 Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Yes. I drive my wife there every morning.
I hope this will suffice. They say the new campus will open in 6 weeks. I say ha. Bukra inshallah.
G. |
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readytotravel
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 77
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting. Word there is that the new apartments are very nice and well furnished. I wonder if the teachers are living on the new campus and commuting to the old? It would be great to hear from someone who is working/living there now. |
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 861 Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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Dear readytotravel,
I mean you no malice. But...
Have you seen trapezius's avatar?
Grendal |
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hashim99uk
Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 47 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:23 am Post subject: |
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MOD edit |
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hashim99uk
Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 47 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:26 am Post subject: |
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hashim99uk
Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 47 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Some stupid teachers judge on people and give a very fast decision or opinion regardless of the others circumstances!
All teachers know Saudi Arabia well, mismanagement and mistreatment, but they come as they desperate for jobs, no jobs in their home countries, in debt, broken, ....tens of reasons. They just make some money then leave. They can save decent amount cannot be saved in any place. This is the reason. We have to put into consideration all these and do not blame anybody for his teaching job in Saudi Arabia. People are suffering from this crisis and want to go anywhere even the hell to meet their financial needs and not to lose their families and homes. We have to be humane not to judge and say do not come!! stupid assessment and feedback!
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 861 Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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readytotravel wrote: |
Interesting. Word there is that the new apartments are very nice and well furnished. I wonder if the teachers are living on the new campus and commuting to the old? It would be great to hear from someone who is working/living there now. |
As far as I know. The campus (new or old) is separate from the compound or living accommodations.
Grendal |
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readytotravel
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 77
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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Any newly arrived teachers recruited through Uniservices care to comment? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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readytotravel wrote: |
Any newly arrived teachers recruited through Uniservices care to comment? |
Uh, you've asked this question three times in one day. If the Internet where teachers are being housed is spotty or currently nonexistent, then you'll need to hold on a bit. Besides, if you're required to live in employer-provided accommodations, then details about the housing location and quality won't be of much use anyway; you get what you get. Expect the unexpected. |
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vivianne
Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 11
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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From what I've heard around 20-30 teachers from various countries for both programs have received visas and arrived. Students without teachers are apparently sitting in their classrooms "studying" material from their other classes. As seems to be typical, who gets their visa when does not seem to have much rhyme or reason to it. By the way, Robyn is with IEG (the Nicolas are Uniservices), and she does seem to have been helpful with getting visas. How much assistance you receive from your recruiter in the visa process seems to be dependent on who your recruiter is.
One or two people have given up and purchased their own Internet service, but those using the provided service find it very limited. There is one teacher recruited by Uniservices with a blog: http://alexandriaofarabia.blogspot.com/
The apartments are sort of on campus in that the monorail to the administration building etc on the new campus does go to the apartments, but technically you are not on campus enough to not have to wear your abaya when traveling from one to the other. There is an issue with transportation. PYP teachers are scheduled for two different shifts, previously there were two shuttles to coincide with the working times. That has been decreased to only one shuttle so everyone is working extra unpaid hours. Supposedly that's going to be resolved by moving the PYP program to the new campus in Oct or Jan...someone else may remember, I feel like the PYP program was supposed to move last school year also. The current shopping shuttles being offered because the supermarket on campus is not open are apparently going to end soon, but no word on when the supermarket will open.
The apartments are new and sort of mixed bag. Various things simply don't work or have issues. It just depends on your situation if that will be an electric plug, the air conditioning, or an exploding gas oven. No one seems to have been able to make any progress yet on getting an iqama and therefore no progress on getting the promised multi entry/exit visa. Just getting a campus ID so you can leave seems to take a while. |
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juno87
Joined: 27 Jun 2011 Posts: 13
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Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:32 am Post subject: Any Canadian Teachers? |
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Hi,
I'm a Canadian Teacher still waiting for the visa. Have any Canadian teachers made it over to PNU, and if so how long was your visa wait?
Thanks. |
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vivianne
Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 11
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Juno--There's been a lot more information about the Canadian teachers and visas on the facebook page for uniservices PNU teachers. If you need more info PM me.
Other updates: the outdoor running track was 'opened' by some teachers and now administration has acquiesced for the track and outdoor sports field. The pool/gym is not open. Same as the beginning of September, administration is saying it will open in a few weeks.
The mall shopping shuttles will end next week. No information on opening the on campus grocery store and bank. Fortunately, some teachers were able to connect with a grocery store that now sends it's own shuttle every evening to the campus, so anyone who needs to can go grocery shopping for an hour.
The Internet service that is available is apparently very slow 3G. Quite a few teachers seem to have chosen to buy alternative service via a dongle or a 4G router and that is working very well for them.
No medical insurance cards yet, but some have done their medical for the iqama process. HR has said to submit receipts for medical costs teachers have paid until insurance cards arrive.
With work: Books did arrive later in September. PYP is still at the old campus. There are three programs and there appears to be mixed results with leveling students in classes for all three program with PYP being better than last year. Around 150 teachers are there now with Uniservices plus the contractors. As more teachers arrive the goal is to double the number of hours of English classes for each student, at least in the PYP program. Also the faculty handbook has been disseminated and it lists the upcoming Hajj break as the last break for teachers until the end of the school year. The previously provided academic calendar did not differentiate between student and faculty breaks. |
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go_grrrl
Joined: 27 Jun 2011 Posts: 25
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:21 am Post subject: |
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vivianne wrote: |
Juno--There's been a lot more information about the Canadian teachers and visas on the facebook page for uniservices PNU teachers. |
I'm a Canadian and am also waiting for my visa approval. It's been nearly six weeks. My recruiter from Uniservices informed the candidates that PNU had applied for an exemption from the new regulation that states English teachers must have an English degree. But my visa agent said that he doesn't know about this exemption and is following up on it.
Vivianne, could you cut and paste the info onto Dave's about Canadians and visas, pls? Or if you could also pm me. My visa application was rejected, so I'm wondering if I should just forget all about PNU altogether...such a shame about the $$$ I'd already invested in getting all my docs together.
Thank you in advance! |
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Jessiemiles
Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 49 Location: Home
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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What's happening at PNU now? Is the track still open? Has the gym been opened? How about the store? |
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