As the weather in Qatar cools down, people flock to the open-air recreation centres. Those bright and sunny family fun days and schools also make a return. 
GEMS Wellington School Qatar recently organised its annual Winter Fair at its sprawling campus in Al Wakrah, with lush green lawns sporting inflatable games and tents selling handicrafts.
Organised by the parents’ association of the school, the Winter Fair is not just another fun-filled day for children. It is a unique opportunity for parents of the children to not just connect with their children after a busy week at work but to also socialise and network with other parents.  
Witnessing a great turnout, the fair offered something for everyone. While children engaged in sporting activities, parents found time to interact with each other.    
“We find that many parents coming into Qatar joined our school first up, so it is a great opportunity for the school to be a network and community hub for them to get to know each other and to set up network and business contacts,” Jonathan Dey, Principal and CEO of GEMS Wellington School Qatar, tells Community at the fair.
“It is a lovely family day. One of the aims we try to do at GEMS Wellington School is to be a community hub. The fair is a wonderful community event. It is being run by our community association which is our school’s parents’ association,” says the principal.
Children accompanied by their parents kept coming for the 4-hour-long fair and entertained themselves with some lovely food on offer, a range of bouncy castles, climbing walls, and archery, golf and football competitions. 
There were bouncy castles for all age groups, from little tots to teenagers. 
There were also stalls where people were selling handicrafts. “There were some wonderful gifts on offer,” says Dey.
“My daughters loved the bubbles, the jumping castles and they were really happy for the whole thing. I have been here in Qatar for one year so it was my first time coming here,” Robert Sifuna, one of the parents at the fair, tells Community.  
“I think it is a great opportunity for children to interact with their peers outside of their classrooms. It helps them develop social skills. They are able to play and interact with adults too. The school is good because the children are doing good and they are happy. As long as they are happy, I am happy,” he adds.
Shahid Abdus Salam, who has two children enrolled at the school, is also having a great time; however, he finds the weather “still a little hot” for a day activity.
“I was here last year as well. We thought it was a bit hard to be here between 1 am to 2pm but it is okay. Last year, [the event was] from 11am till evening and they had a movie night. That was a bit more relaxing. I think it is a bit too hot even now to be out,” says Salam, flanked by his children.
For Madhura Doshi, however, the weather is just “perfect.”
“The weather is perfect. The children are enjoying the magic show, which has been the highlight really. My son has just started school so this is my first experience to be at the fair,” says Doshi.
Such activities, she says, contribute in a “big way” to help children develop and sharpen their social skills.
“They mingle with other children and [find the courage] to play; otherwise it has always been that the children of same age socialise more. This is a good thing that they get a chance to socialise with children who are older than them,” says the mother of one.
Mohamed Elalaily and his wife Engy Fathy agree with Doshi. It was their second such event at the school and Elalaily says the event is getting bigger and better.
“Last year we came to the Spring Fair so this is the second time and I think this one is even bigger and better organised. The children had fun and even the parents got to know each other. It is good not only for the children but for the whole community,” says Elalaily.
His wife, Fathy, says all the children’s activities were very interesting and they had a real good time. She particularly liked the sports park.
“It is lovely to have a day that unites the parents with the children. We come to school and they have fun. The children feel connected with the homes and the school and we get to know other parents,” says Fathy.
Principal Jonathan Dey praises the parents’ association for putting on an “incredible event” with games, activity and stalls – all for the community of Al Wakrah, Wellington and the American Academy next door.
“If you look around, all our teachers and administration staff are here and they are helping and supporting with the running of the stalls, and working with the community,” says the school principal.
He says the school hosts a number of such events throughout the year. This was their second fair this year and the parents’ association keeps putting on several other events during the course of the year.
The school is part of the GEMS group, which is one of the largest private education companies in the world. They are presently in more than 23 countries and have 57 schools.
“We opened in Qatar three years ago. The first school that we opened was the American Academy, which is next door but on the same campus. The GEMS Wellington, a British School, has been open for one academic year, and is in its second year currently,” says principal Dey.
The school, he says, offers high quality British education for students from Foundation Stage I, which is age 3, and presently goes up to Year 8. But next year they are open to Year 9, and will open a new class every year until they get to Year 13. The school will eventually have a capacity for 2,600 students. At present it has 500 students.