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ELEMENTARY TIMES Universal American School Dubai

January 2015

Universal American School provides a challenging, inquiry-based American and international education that empowers students to be caring individuals, critical thinkers, and responsible global citizens.

Notes from the Principal’s Office By Eric Webb

Inspections

Even though last week was my 6th experience with school inspections in Dubai, I continue to find the entire inspection culture fascinating. The closest experience I had in the USA (in 24 years as a school principal) to Dubai’s annual inspections were accreditation team visits, which were neither mandatory for public schools, nor annual. I understand that the model for Dubai’s inspections comes from England, as do many of the inspectors. Fascinating.

We learned just before the Winter Break that the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB), a part of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), would send a team to UAS January 12-15. We involved over 30 teachers and administrators in preparing a 40 page self-evaluation. In it we answered the questions, primarily regarding student learning and school supports for students, posed by the KHDA. Preparing that document, gathering the data that answered the KHDA questions, gathering student work samples, and preparing the meeting schedules were some of the tasks that were done quickly during the three weeks (schools receive three weeks’ notice) before the inspections.

One of the biggest inspection challenges for UAS is advising teachers of the particular kinds of schedules, plans, and other information that the inspectors would need to see to understand their work. As an IB-PYP school and as an American school, we find that most of the inspectors have little background or experience with either. A big part of what we do during inspections is inform inspectors about the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), about the IB’s Primary Years Program (PYP), and about the vocabulary, priorities, and procedures common to American schools.

Every inspection team is different, and each year the KHDA has new procedures and priorities for inspectors and schools. Last week’s seven-person inspection team spent most of the first day visiting classrooms. There were 16 classroom observations in the Elementary on the first day (and a total of almost 50 by the end of the week). Not every teacher is observed, but more than half are. On the other three days of the inspection, there were a mixture of meetings (most with teachers and administrators with one inspector) and observations. Each inspector is charged with evaluating one of the several broad categories of the inspection. On the last day, the inspectors report on their findings and conclusions regarding the categories they investigated.

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Notes from the Principal’s Office Cont…

Until the final report comes out (probably late April or May), the rating of

“unacceptable, acceptable, good, or outstanding” for each category is considered

confidential. The general findings of strengths and areas for development, though, are

understood from the many conversations we had with the inspectors. Usually the

inspectors and educators at UAS agree on most of the list of strengths and the list of

recommended areas for development. Some of the areas praised highly by the inspectors

last week included the positive relationships between students and teachers, the strong

parent support for the school, the cleanliness and safety of the facilities, the resources

available to the faculty and staff to complete their work, and the positive, open and friendly

environment of the school. It was great to hear, also, praise for the work of the Elementary

Arabic Team.

The recommended areas for development included further efforts to unify the

Elementary and Secondary faculties through K-12 coordination of curriculum and support

services, a focusing and clear articulation of school priorities and goals, further

development of a broad-based school and community support for the UAE’s National

Education Agenda, and further development of instructional supports for students with

Special Educational Needs (SEN). The school leadership teams are already looking at

planning timelines to pursue those recommendations.

I may have given you more than you ever wanted to know about school inspections,

or about our inspection last week, but my motives are good, to help you know more about

your child’s school!

January 2015

20 T ASA Registration opens for Elementary at 5:00 5:30 Parent Information Night for 6th Grade Camp

26 M 8:00 PTO Coffee Morning in the Elementary Faculty Room 29 Th Dress for Dream Job Spirit Day

End of 1st Semester

February

2 M Start of ASA II 5 Th Expected date for posting of 1st Semester Reports 18-19 W-Th 4th Grade at Camp 19 Th Grade 2 Musical, 8:05 in MPH 22-24 S-T 6th Grade at Camp 26 Th School Holiday (classes will be held on Wednesday the 25th)

Calendar

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January 2014

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

11 Questions that Will Make Your Child Happier

- Mrs. Stone Earlier this month Ms. Kim, educated parents on the benefits of mindfulness for our own well-being and

as a way to strengthen our relationships with our children. As parents we are always looking for ways to

make our children happy and one way to do this is by making a habit of being intentional about our

thoughts and actions. While some of our happiness is biologically determined, the field of positive

psychology suggests there are many things we can do to make ourselves happier and that our kids can do

too!

These 11 questions focus your children on how to make themselves happy. Over time, the goal is for your

children to internalize these questions and ask them in their own heads. You will be happier by giving

your kids the gift of happiness. A true win-win!

1. What was your favorite part of today?

This is a good question to ask at bedtime, to help your child feel content and happy before sleep. It also

instills a habit of focusing on the best thing that happened in any given day rather than the worst. If you

make this part of your bedtime routine, it will become second nature.

2. What are you grateful for?

This is a good question for the dinner table. Every family member can take a turn saying what he or she

is grateful for that day. There is a strong correlation between happiness and gratitude, so this one is very

powerful.

3. What are you going to do about that?

When a child comes to you with a problem, ask this question in a warm and curious tone. Don't just

jump in and solve their problem; how does that help them in the long run? At least give them a chance to

work it out on their own, and give them the gift of your confidence in them, which is evident by this

question that implies that they can think of solutions to their own issues. This is what we try to do in our

counseling sessions with students, too. If your child says "I don't know," you can say, "I am not sure

either, let's try to figure it out together." Happy people are people who think of problems as

surmountable, and think of themselves as effective problem solvers.

4. How did that make you feel?

As counselors we believe an essential part of happiness is being able to notice and express your own

emotions. If you can verbalize what you're feeling, you can make sense of it, you can process it, and you

can obtain support from others.

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11 Questions that Will Make Your Child Happier Cont.…

4. How did that make you feel?

As counselors we believe an essential part of happiness is being able to notice and express your own

emotions. If you can verbalize what you're feeling, you can make sense of it, you can process it, and you

can obtain support from others. This is a great question to ask when your child comes to you with

something "bad" that happened, instead of either dismissing it ("that wasn't that bad") or fixing it ("let

mommy get you some ice!"). It trains your child to be aware of his feelings, and to use that information

effectively.

5. What do you think he/she feels?

In any situation, you can cultivate empathy by asking your child to wonder about what someone else

feels. Empathy will make your child a happier person; he or she will have stronger interpersonal

relationships, feel better about himself for thinking of (and then, often, helping) others, and derive more

meaning from life.

6. How can we look on the bright side?

In any situation, you can teach your child that there are positives. With preteens or teenagers, this

question may be way too corny, but little kids will like it. You can also teach them the expression "making

lemonade out of a lemon" and ask them how you can make lemonade out of a bad situation, like, "You

fell and hurt yourself, so that's a lemon, but you got a Hello Kitty band aid, and that's lemonade! Now

you tell me one."

7. What part of that can we learn more about?

In any TV show, book, trip outside the house, basically any situation at all, there is something to learn

more about. Since you already have your smartphone handy, use this time and tool for teaching your

child that life is full of learning opportunities. Happy people are people who are curious and always

learning. So when you watch TV and someone says "Bonjour," you can look up pictures of France or a

YouTube song sung in French. When your child realizes that this question means that you're going to

whip out your phone and show them something new and special, they will ask it to you all the time. This

can lead to great information adventures to places you would never expect!

8. What do you want to do on the weekend?

Research shows that anticipation of positive experiences brings more happiness than the experiences

themselves. Once your child is old enough to realize that tomorrow is not today, start instilling a habit of

positive anticipation of small pleasures. A child who is excited all week to get frozen yogurt on the

weekend is a happy child, just as an adult who plans a vacation six months in advance is happier during

those six months.

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11 Questions that Will Make Your Child Happier Cont.…

9. What can we do to help/to make someone happy? Bringing your child along to visit a sick relative, or someone recovering from surgery, or to volunteer in some capacity is a wonderful gift that you can give to your child. Your child will feel even more proud of his behavior if he is the one to think up the nice thing that can be done (e.g., baking cookies to deliver, drawing a card). Research shows that giving even releases oxytocin and endorphins, so it's like a high that your child can become addicted to. Also, involve your child in your charitable activities, as giving charity is a form of altruism that is also linked directly to happiness (and just to being a good person, which you also want for your child).Incorporate a spirit of generosity into your child's daily life. Whenever you're out, buy something little for someone else. When you color, make a picture for someone else. Giving things to others makes people happier than buying things for themselves, and enriches interpersonal relationships.

10. What do you want to do outside today?

Getting outside and engaging in physical activities alongside your child is a wonderful way to get him

or her in the habit of not just sitting around. Exercise releases endorphins and is as effective at

treating depression as medications. And the most powerful way that you can teach your child about

exercise is to do it yourself. Children whose mothers exercise are more likely to exercise themselves.

Sunlight can also help boost mood and regulate circadian rhythms, which means better sleep for your

kids, which makes everyone happier.

11. When do you feel happiest?

If you direct your children's attention to the experiences that they most enjoy, they will start to realize

that they can choose to proactively increase their time spent in activities that make them feel best

about themselves. According to researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, "flow" is the state where people

find an activity so enjoyable and rewarding that they become completely immersed in it, losing all

sense of time and feeling completely in the moment. If your child is lucky enough to have found an

activity that makes him feel a sense of "flow," it is helpful for you to point this out and allow your child

enough time to attain this state. The best case scenario is for your child to find a career that puts him

into "flow," since then, as the saying goes, he will never "work" a day in his life. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-rodman-phd/11-questions-that-will-make-your-child-happier_b_6401788.html

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DID YOU KNOW???

Absence from school is often the greatest single cause of poor performance and

achievement.

Students can fall behind if they miss a day or two every few weeks.

Learning is a progressive activity; each lesson builds upon lessons from previous days.

Daily interactive and investigative learning activities such as classroom discussions,

demonstrations, experiments and participation cannot be made up.

Absences can affect the entire class. The teacher must spend time re-teaching and

reviewing for the students who were absent. Tests and other important activities may

need to be postponed until all students are present.

WHAT CAN YOU DO???

Demonstrate your commitment to school attendance!!! Your child will understand that

education is a priority for your family. Help them develop an “on the job” attitude

toward school.

Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick. Avoid medical appointments,

family trips and holiday celebrations when school is in session.

Promote good health by making sure your child eats a balanced diet, has opportunities

for physical exercise every day, and gets enough quality sleep.

Stay involved by showing an interest in your child’s daily school experiences. Make it a

point to meet your child’s teacher and friends.

If your child seems anxious or reluctant to go to school, schedule an appointment with

their teacher or school counselor to discuss the situation.

In accordance with the UAS general school philosophy, we believe that daily, regular attendance

is a must in that our classes are based on active classroom learning. Students must be present in

order to participate in interactive and investigative activities; otherwise, they will not reap the full

benefits from our program. (UAS Parent/Student Handbook page 39)

In an effort to keep parents informed and to ensure that our attendance records are accurate, a

letter will be sent to the parents of all students who have been absent 10 or more days during

the first semester.

Attendance Notice from Ms. Beverly

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READING WITH THOUGHT BUBBLES!

Elementary ASA registration is scheduled to open Tuesday, January 20 at 5PM.

There are 39 activities (25 are available to enrolled students/14 have an additional fee).

From all the teachers in the elementary:

9 teachers participating are with the FABC- Broadway,

9 teachers are coaching, 3 teachers have opted for LUNCH RECESS activities

and the REST of the faculty will be providing and organizing the ASA program.

Thank you for your interest and support!

Ms. Donna

Ms. Steen's Class - First Grade

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Check out the Elementary School Blog! Amanda Torris, IT Coordinator

During parent presentations at school throughout the year, we have been referring to the

Elementary School Blog, which is accessible through the parent portal. We have been

populating the blog with “just in time”

information for our community and invite all

parents to visit this space. It’s a place for us to

share student learning through the Scorpion

Weekly News podcasts, a place for us to give you

information about upcoming parent presentations,

and a place for us to share upcoming events that

are important for you and your child’s life here at

UAS.

Please visit the blog for up to date information about our incredible elementary school.

You can visit blog posts and calendars of upcoming events. You are welcome to

subscribe as well so that posts are automatically delivered to your inbox. Come celebrate

the beauty of learning at UAS with us by visiting the Elementary School Blog at:

http://sites.uasdubai.ae/uasdubaies/

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Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding

-Mr. Shutsa

When we returned from the Winter Holiday, all the Grade 1 classes went to

the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. They learned of

Emirati traditions, the lifestyle and celebrations. They also visited the

Bastakiah Mosque. They saw older Emirati homes and ate dates! The trip

was very informative and Grade 1 had SO MUCH FUN!

SIXTH GRADE CAMP REMINDER!

There is a parent information night about 6th Grade

Camp on Tuesday, January 20that 5:30 pm

in the Secondary Library.

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WED. JAN 28, 2015 UAS PARENT WORKSHOP:

GIVING YOUR CHILD THE

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL ADVANTAGE Based on well-established research, training in socio-emotional skills

give children an advantage not only in developing healthy

relationships with peers, but also in their academic and personal

growth. Combined strengths in areas such as Confidence,

Cooperation, Communication, Coping Strategies, Self-Awareness,

and Problem-Solving, are predictive of success across life

development. However, the parent’s role is a key factor in how well a

child applies learned skills to their daily functioning. Join us for an

interactive session where parents can start implementing some

strategies themselves!

Learn About the Parent’s Role in Building a Child’s

Socio-Emotional IQ

And why increased socio-emotional skills are linked to academic and personal growth

Location: UAS Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH)

Time: 8:15-9:00 AM

Presenter:

Dr. Jessica

Rios-Habib,

Clinical Psychologist

Miss Kim Siwiec UAS Elementary School Counselor ksiwiec@uasdubai.ae

For more information contact:

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Ceramics Unit in Art

Miss Jones’ Upper Elementary Students are getting their hands

dirty! The fourth grade students are learning about Native

American pottery design and they are in the process of constructing

pinch pots. The fifth graders are learning about creating different

textures with found objects and the sixth grade students are making

coil pots and studying Egyptian and Greek ceramics.

Lots of learning and hands on fun! We should be wrapping up the

unit at the end of February. Keep

your eyes peeled for some beautiful

works of art!