The secondary par tnership sept 2012

AL YASMINA SCHOOL

CONNeCtBLOOMGrOwLeArNNurturePLAY

ABu DHABI ISSue 12012/2013

AL YASMINA SCHOOL STRIVES TO BE AN OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL, MAXIMISING THE LEARNING POTENTIAL OF ALL

PARTNERSHIPTHE SECONDARY

CONteNtSweLCOMe frOM tHe SeCONDArY PrINCIPAL, Mr GALe 3

OutStANDING GCSe reSuLtS fOr AL YASMINA StuDeNtS 4

tHe OLDeSt AND tHe YOuNGeSt StuDeNtS 6

fOCuS ON eNGLISH 7

BOOKwOrMS eAGer fOr reADING PrOGrAMMe tO BeGIN 9

ACHIeVeMeNt CeNtre OfferS SuPPOrt fOr ALL SeCONDArY StuDeNtS 10

wHO DO YOu CALL? 10

fOCuS ON SPANISH 11

wOrLD CHALLeNGe 12

MAGAZINe INterNSHIP 14

POSt-16 teAM BuILDING At AL fOrSAN 15

CANteeN HItS tHe MArK wItH New MeNu 16

BuSY YeAr AHeAD fOr fOY 17

StuDeNtS Of tHe MONtH 17

New AL YASMINA SPOrtS weBSIte 18

Welcome to the first issue of The Secondary PArtNERSHIP for the 2012/2013 academic year. The Secondary PARTnership is the official newsletter of Al Yasmina's secondary school. It is published eight times a year. The Secondary PArtNERSHIP keeps you up-to-date with student activities across the secondary department.

It also gives Al Yasmina School the chance to celebrate progress and achievement and provide more in depth information to parents on a wide variety of subjects.

We welcome your feedback. [email protected]

The Secondary PARTNERSHIP Topics, trends, updates, views and news from the Al Yasmina Secondary Department

weLCOMe

Pictured on the cover: Mila Jabsheh and Reece Hillier 2

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AL YAsMiNA sCHOOL NeWsLeTTeR

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The first issue of the Secondary PARTnership for the year introduces the youngest and oldest students at Al Yasmina, Mila Jabsheh and Reece Hillier. They are pictured walking through a doorway in the school, the youngest student taking the first steps in her educational journey and the older student looking ahead towards a pathway to higher education and ultimately a rewarding career.

It’s a symbolic image; walking through the doorway signifies a fresh start, entering unknown territory and new opportunities. The door represents hope, new prospects, the start of a new and exciting journey. For those who pause on the threshold, it’s an opportunity to look back and reflect before taking that giant step forward. Our Year 13 students will be doing exactly that in nine months’ time, stopping to look over their shoulders before closing the door on their secondary school education. Many of these young adults were amongst the group of 904 foundation students who joined the school when it opened its doors in September 2008. A lot has changed since then - and so have they. Student numbers at Yasmina have increased rapidly each year, increasing to 1149 in 2009 and jumping to 1419 the following year. In 2011, the roll peaked at 1445. As we go to print, the 1563rd student has joined the school. A total of 1009 students are in the primary school and there are 554 secondary students. Although the school has always been able to accommodate a full contingent of students, for the first time we are operating at near capacity with classes from FS1 through to Year 13. We have added another FS1 class, another two science labs, and occupied all the teaching spaces on the second floor.

We are truly an international community school, with students from 71 different countries. Most are from the UK, with the next biggest group from the UAE and then Australia. Forty six per cent are girls, 54 per cent are boys. We have sole representatives from Finland, El Salvador, Moldova, Mexico, Bangladesh, Romania, Iran and Tunisia. Having a full contingent of students makes me think about how we can prepare students like Mila, who will retire in around 2077, for the working world. How can we predict what the future will be like for Mila and her fellow classmates? Many of the jobs they will do haven’t been invented yet. It is up to us to give them the skills they will need to become successful, global citizens and to ensure they have a lifelong love of learning and that they are happy, confident achievers.

"There are many doors to be opened at Al Yasmina School with a world of opportunities behind each one."

We opened our doors after the summer break with a large cohort of new teachers and a new management structure. Instead of the traditional pyramid, we have introduced a flatter structure and have broken key areas of responsibility into three, linked to the school’s development plan priority.

• curriculum data and assessment• care, guidance and support of students, and • teaching, learning and professional development of staff.

These areas are managed by three Assistant Head Teachers. Their appointments enable us to hone in on key areas and effectively manage them. The establishment of an Achievement Centre (see article, page 10) adds another exciting dimension to the school. As always, there is a lot going on in our school community. I urge you to check our website regularly. An exciting development is the addition of designated website for information on sporting fixtures and results. You’ll find the link on the homepage of the school’s website and more information on page 18.

Finally, thanks to everyone of you for the patience you have displayed over the construction works taking place in our school carpark. It has been an immensely frustrating exercise for everybody. But now, with the end in sight, we will have a carpark with speed bumps, signs and flashing lights. But it will only ever be as safe as the motorists who drive in it. Please, consider others when you enter the carpark. Student safety is our priority.

There are many doors to be opened at Al Yasmina School with a world of opportunities behind each one. I urge everyone of our students to open the door, look inside and embrace the challenges awaiting them inside. Welcome back. Let’s make this year the best ever.

FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL AND HEAD OF SCHOOL, MR GALE

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UK National statistics 2011

Al Yasmina School results 2011

UK National Statistics 2012

Al Yasmina School results 2012

Five A* - G 98.8% 100% Not yet available

100%

Any five A* - C grades 74.8% 98% 98%

Five A* - C, incl maths and English 54% 89%(+35%)

91%(+37%)

Five A* - B grades 44.9% 64%(19.1%)

75%(30.1%)

Five A* - A grades 23.2% 29%(+6.2%)

36%(13.2%)

Nine or more A*- A grades 28%

Average added value (from CATs data)

1.3 grades (raw score 4.4 to 5.7)

1.25 grades (raw score 4.95 to 6.20)

OUTSTANDING GCSE RESULTS FOR AL YASMINA STUDENTS Al Yasmina School has recorded exceptional GCSE results, with the majority of students convincingly surpassing their UK counterparts, beating their predicted grades and achieving an impressive rate of progress in core subjects. The results also came out tops when compared to other established British curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi.

Assistant Head Teacher of Curriculum, Data and Assessment, Mr Commons, describes the results as “outstanding. The results are first and foremost due to the hard work of the students themselves. This is coupled with high quality teaching and effective intervention strategies to support students to stretch themselves further,” he says. “Last, but not least, the success is due to the support from parents in ensuring students are working hard, both at home and in school.”

the Bottom Line

• 100% of Al Yasmina Students successfully passed five or more GCSe subjects with 98% of this group achieving the expected benchmark of five GCSe subjects with marks between A* - C • 91 % achieved five or more GCSe subjects with marks from A* - C, including Maths and english • 75 % achieved five or more GCSe subjects with marks from A* - B in any subject • 36 % achieved five or more GCSe subjects with marks from A* - A in any subject • 28 % achieved nine or more GCSe subjects, with marks from A* - A in any subject

The percentage of students attaining A*-B grades has risen significantly (+11%) from 2011 to 2012 and is significantly above the UK national averages (+30.1%). This is can be directly attributed to well-targeted intervention, modifying assessment and challenging targets. The outstanding attainment of 28% of students who attained 9 or more A*/A grades further underpins the impact of key actions outlined in the school’s secondary improvement plan.

COMPARING AL YASMINA RESULTS TO UK NATIONAL AVERAGES

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English 2008 UK Published Results(DFES)

2009 2010 2011 2012

4+ 100% 100% 100% 100%

5+ 76% 97% 98% 91% 85%

6+ 38% 38% 62% 46% 58%

7+ 9% 0 28% 4% 12%

8 NA NA NA NA NA

Maths 2009 2010 2011 2012

4+ 100% 100% 100% 100%

5+ 79% 91% 100% 100% 100%

6+ 56% 64% 87% 72% 92%

7+ 28% 41% 57% 56% 73%

8 NA 0 16% 24% 23%

Science 2009 2010 2011 2012

4+ 100% 100% 100% 100%

5+ 76% 97% 98% 98% 100%

6+ 43% 39% 64% 61% 88%

7+ 14% 0 9% 28% 38%

8 NA NA NA NA NA

KEY STAGE 3The figures in the chart below show that by the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9), Al Yasmina students are consistently outperforming their counterparts in the UK, with marks well above the UK national averages in the core areas of English, maths and science. This trend is exhibited over a four-year period.

YEAR 10 GCSE MODULE RESULTS

AS Results: Thirteen courses were studied at AS level. There was a 100% pass rate in 12 of the subjects with an average of 56% A*-C grades.

A* - A A* - B A* - C A* - C

GCSE Science Completed GCSEBiologyChemistryPhysics

61%66%60%53%

80%78%77%78%

94%88%95%91%

100%100%100%100%

History Module 1 47% 68% 85% 100%

Geography Module 2 57% 82% 89% 100%

Maths Module 1 47% 80% 89% 100%

Business Studies Module 1 39% 89% 100% 100%

From 2010-12, Al Yasmina’s focus has been on challenging the more able learners and improving the quality of learning for all. The impact of this is reflected in improved standards of attainment in the core subjects. (2012: Level 6+ 58% in English, 92% in maths, 88% in science of students at the end of Key Stage 3 were at least 3 sub levels higher - which is more than one whole level - than the UK national averages.)

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THE OLDEST AND THE YOUNGEST

Little Mila Jabsheh observed Year 13 student Reece Hillier carefully, looking at him with enormous eyes as he bent down to ask her name. She was too shy to answer, but watched him with interest as our photographer started taking snaps of the FS1 and Year 13 students, who represent the oldest and youngest students at Al Yasmina School. Reece, who was born on 19 September, is 19-years-old, while Mila, who has just turned three, celebrated her birthday the day before. A little overwhelmed by all the attention, Mila remained silent but curious, and was happy to give Reece a high five, then a low five, before returning to her FS1 classroom.

OFF TO A GREAT START: New teachers who joined Al Yasmina School this term are: standing, from left: Mr Wood (Curriculum Team Leader, Design and Technology), Mr McNaught (Science teacher), Mr Harwood (Science teacher), Mrs Eaves (ICT teacher), Mr Donald (Curriculum Team Leader, Science).

Sitting , from left: Mr Atkinson (Maths teacher), Miss Natschowny (History teacher), Ms Crighton (Teacher of Learning Support), Mrs Gale (Examination Officer), Miss Greenwood (DT Teacher), Miss Harrison (English teacher), Mrs Cuven (Modern Foreign Languages teacher), Mrs Dunn (ICT/Business teacher), Mrs Wood (History teacher), Mrs Alley (Assistant Head Teacher- Learning and Teaching/Continuing Professional Development), Mrs Hodgson (Subject Leader, History)

Not pictured: (Mr Smith – Director of Sport), Mr Dube (Curriculum Teacher Leader, ICT & Business Enterprises), Mrs Hewitt (Psychology teacher), Mr Davies (Curriculum Team Leader, Modern Foreign Languages), Mrs Prestwood (Learning Support Assistant), Mrs Jeannie Munro (Learning Support Assistant).

OLDEST AND THE YOUNGEST: Mila Jabsheh and Reece Hillier

NEW STAFF

TOP GCSE ENGLISH RESULTS FOR AL YASMINA STUDENTWith an A* for English language and an A for English literature, Year 12 student Priyanka Iyer was one of the cohort of top attainers in Al Yasmina's GCSE English results. Priyanka says she was pleasantly surprised by the A* as she felt her strength was more in English literature. "I enjoyed English literature because I enjoy reading books and analysing text and I also enjoy creative writing," she says. The class studied the John Steinbeck novel "Of Mice and Men" and the play "View from a Bridge" by Arthur Miller, analysing the characters and themes.

Priyanka is heading for a career in medicine so has opted for physics over English literature this year but says she is leaving English behind with some regret. "It's definitely something I enjoy."

"I enjoyed English literature because I enjoy reading books and analysing text and I also enjoy creative writing."

OUTSTANDING PROGRESS IN ENGLISH FOR A LEVEL STUDENTReece Hillier thought his eyes were deceiving him when he opened his AS exam results. His predicted grade for English was a D, and the Year 13 student was fully expecting to see his a mark around that level on his exam results. But instead, a grade B leapt out at him. "Deep down I thought I would do better than what I'd been predicted to do," he says. "I put in the hours, I did the work - I enjoy my subjects. But when I opened that envelope, I thought what?"

Reece attributes his success to his teachers, who he said constantly encouraged him, urging him to keep studying and providing ongoing assistance. "They worked with me constantly. I studied practice essays and improved my writing style." Despite his preparation, Reece says he was shaking before I went into the exam. Now, with a 'B' under his belt, he has changed his A2 options. "I was going to drop English and take physics. I got a good grade, it would be a shame to waste it."

He has chosen the two books he will study for the year - A Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, and George Orwell's 1984.

"I put in the hours, I did the work - I enjoy my subjects. But when I opened that envelope, I thought what?"

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TOP MARK: Priyanka Iyer scored an A* in English language and an A for English literature

IGCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RESULTS98% of learners achieved A* - C84% of learners achieved A* - B37% of learners achieved A* - A

IGCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE RESULTS91% of learners achieved A* - C82% of learners achieved A* - B39% of learners achieved A* - A

IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS: Reece Hillier received a B for his English exams

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A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE CHOICE FOR FUTURE LAW STUDENTYear 12 student Shahmir Khan believes English literature will help him reach his future career goal of becoming a lawyer. Shahmir says he really enjoyed English in Year 11 and received an A* for the subject in his GCSE exam. “I have decided to do English literature because I want to study law in the future and it’s about having a broad range of subjects, and I thought English would fit into that category.

“It also appeals because at A level it’s about opinion and how you identify with the text and how you can relate to it. That’s what you write about in the exam - it’s really personal. It’s not something like maths, which is black and white, there is one right answer and the rest is wrong. You are given a lot more freedom of thought and that appeals. Like history, it is open to interpretation, so I thought history and English would go well together.”

Shahmir will study two pieces of prose - Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen and The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and two plays by Shakespeare, Othello and King Lear. Shamir and his fellow English literature classmates will be taught by two teachers, Ms Magee and Ms Stephenson, and will have six periods of English a week.

A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE A GREAT CHOICE FOR BOYSAl Yasmina’s English teachers want to encourage more boys to take English literature for A levels. Curriculum Team Leader for English, Ms Banks says English is optional at Year 12 and 13 and is seen by many boys as “a girls’ subject.”

“I would like to convince boys to reconsider by saying that it is an academic subject and it is very well respected by universities worldwide,” Ms Banks says. “It develops communication skills and is a subject that will definitely open doors.”

BOYS ALLOWED: English literature for Shahmir Khan

She says Al Yasmina’s English teachers make a concerted effort to choose text that will appeal to boys and to adopt a style of teaching that will appeal to male students.

Deciding what novels to study during Year 12 is a consultative process. “In Year 12 we look at Gothic literature so we get the students’ input, give them the choices of the novels that we can study and let them go away and do some research and tell us which ones they would like to learn.

“We study Shakespeare and we teach it in quite an interactive way, so they are not just sitting behind a desk. We also look for theatre productions so they can experience a live performance.” Ms Banks says in Year 13 students are able to choose the two novels they would like to study and they complete a portfolio of coursework.

FOSTERING A LOVE FOR READINGA peer mentor scheme aimed at turning Year 7 boys into enthusiastic readers will be launched after half-term break. The scheme will involve pairing up male students in Years 11-13 who love reading with Year 7 boys to read with them, talk to them about books, foster a love of reading and encourage them not to give up reading. Curriculum Team Leader for English, Ms Banks, says Year 7 is a pivotal year for boys, with many abandoning their books. “They often see reading as boring and would rather play on computer games than pick up a book. But when they do start reading, they enjoy it.”

Boys often put down their books when they became independent readers and no longer had the routine of reading with their parents. There is considerable evidence which showed that non readers are often weak in English and a lot of reluctant readers are boys, Ms Banks says. Many Year 7 parents have approached the school, saying that their sons were good readers at primary school but aren’t any more, and asking what they could do to encourage them to read again. The peer reading partners will join the Year 7 boys once a week, during morning break in the secondary library.

“The Year 7 boys will look up to the older students and if the younger boys see them as enjoying reading and benefitting from it, doing well at school then hopefully it will encourage them to read too,” Ms Banks says.

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READ TO SUCCEEDAround 400 secondary students crowded into Al Yasmina’s atrium last week - and you could have heard a pin drop. The only sound was the rustling of pages being turned as the students, from Years 7-9 settled into the atrium, quietly absorbed in their books. The reading event was staged by the secondary school’s English Department to introduce its new Accelerated Reader Programme, which is aimed at improving the reading abilities of students and promoting a lifelong love of reading. Year 7 students are the first to take part in the scheme, which will be rolled out to other secondary Year groups next year.

Assistant Curriculum Leader, Miss Walsh says Accelerated Reader is a tracking and monitoring tool used to encourage students to read and is based on students’ individual ability. They are tested on their basic language and literacy skills and the results are used to put together a range of books for them to choose from. After finishing each book, students take part in a quiz to test their comprehension level. Points are awarded to students each time they win a quiz and these points are exchanged for prizes. Miss Walsh says the Accelerated Reader Programme is research-based and is the most successful reading product of all time. RELAXING WITH A BOOK: Key Stage 3 students kick off

the Accelerated Reading Programme with a mass reading session

There are three main advantages to the programme:

• it motivates students to practice their reading on a regular basis at a level showed to increase their reading proficiency• teachers are able to personalise book choice for each student’s needs and adequately monitor their reading progress• students set goals and these are reinforced through immediate feedback and incentives, which encourages them to become responsible for their own achievement.

“Everybody knows that reading is important; it transports students to wondrous realms of limitless possibilities and determines success, not only in the classroom, but in life,” Miss Walsh says. “This programme will foster a love of reading and an understanding by students that if they read, they will succeed.”http://www.renlearn.com/ar/

Natasha says she loves reading. “I’ve read the Percy Jackson series about five times, I’ve read the Young Bond books and I’ve just finished Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series.” There was some debate about Harry Potter - a definite yes from Natasha, but Kayan wasn’t as big a fan. Alex Rider didn’t rate as highly with the girls either - too boyish, they say. But they all unanimous in their support for the Accelerated Reader Programme. “I think the programme is a good idea as it rewards you if you do well in your reading and if you don’t like reading it might get you into it a little more,” Natasha says.

Natasha Callow, Kayan Khraisheh, Matthew Pretorius and Miles Wright can’t wait for the Accelerated Reading Programme to get underway. The Year 7 students are all avid readers, keen to talk about their favourite books - Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games and the Twilight series. They all read for pleasure and Miles says how much he reads depends on how thick the book is. He just polished one off over the weekend “and that was a thick one, but I read it in a day.” The boys both describe reading as a hobby and something they love to do.

BOOKWORMS EAGER FOR READING PROGRAMME TO BEGIN

HERE TO HELP: Teacher of Learning Support - Achievement Centre, Ms Crighton (centre) with Learning Support Assistants, Mrs Munro (left) and Mrs Prestwood.

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ACHIEVEMENT CENTRE OFFERS SUPPORT FOR ALL SECONDARY STUDENTS ACROSS THE ABILITY RANGE

The team works with the school’s Able, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Ms Magee, to make sure that provision is there for more able learners and they are identified, are being challenged and have an enrichment opportunity to explore their area of strength, whether it is English, DT, Science or across the curriculum, Ms Crighton says.

“This could be changing the task they do in the lessons, differentiating the curriculum, posing more challenging questions or by providing alternative pathways for exploration to ensure their talents are being nurtured.”

While the team will provide assistance for students throughout the secondary school, support tends to taper off as students reach Post-16. For Year 12 and 13 support is offered on a more tailored basis. Ms Crighton says she might work with an older student after school or at lunchtime, reviewing work they had completed, proof reading it with the student, making suggestions for improvement and helping with revision, study skills and organisation.

“Specific learning difficulties, like dyslexia, present challenges that some students will need to deal with throughout their life, therefore it is essential we encourage these students to develop strategies to overcome these challenges and take ownership of them,” Ms Crighton says. “Our aim is to work with student to encourage, inspire and promote independent learning and thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives.”

Supporting students to reach their potential is the focus of Al Yasmina’s new Achievement Centre, which provides assistance for students having difficulty accessing the mainstream curriculum and offers extension opportunities for gifted and talented learners.

The centre is a new initiative and was established this term. Teacher of Learning Support, Ms Crighton and two Learning Support Assistants, Mrs Prestwood and Mrs Munro, work with students who need support to enhance their learning and achieve their potential. The Achievement Centre team offers support for students in the classroom, working with the specialist subject teacher to tailor provision for those who may need tasks differentiating further in order to address a specific need. This can be for a variety of reasons, ranging from a specific learning difficulty through to issues relating to English as a second or additional language.

The team’s current focus is collecting data, accurately identifying students’ needs, looking through work samples and discussing this information with subject teachers. Ms Crighton says in secondary education, it is important that the student stays within the mainstream classroom, with the subject specialist.

“For this reason much of the provision is targeted at supporting students in class,” she says. “This reduces the need for the student to catch up on any missed work and promotes inclusion. The team can operate most effectively if they are working with the subject specialist in monitoring and tracking student progress and also referring any students whose progress is causing concern.

“In secondary education it is also vital that any support offered is sensitive to the student’s academic and social needs, therefore we try to circulate amongst a variety of students while at the same time ensuring that those that need support most get it without feeling in any way marginalised from their peers.”Under the direction of the teacher, Achievement Centre staff may also question some able and talented students, providing an avenue or stimulus for exploration.

WHO DO YOU CALL?Need to talk to a secondary staff member, but not sure who to approach?

Academic queryBegin by contacting your child’s subject teacher.Next step: Talk to your child’s Curriculum Team Leader.And finally: If you feel the situation is still unresolved, contact the Assistant Secondary Head responsible for curriculum, data and assessment, Mr Commons.

Pastoral queryBegin by contacting your child’s Learning Mentor.Next step: Talk to your child’s Year Leader.And finally: If you feel the situation is still unresolved, contact the Assistant Secondary Head responsible for students, Mrs Peacock.

KeY CONtACtS

AcademicAssistant Secondary Head - Curriculum, Data and Assessment,Mr Commons - [email protected]

PastoralAssistant Secondary Head - Students.Mrs Peacock - [email protected]

examsExamination OfficerMrs Gale - [email protected]

Post-16Post-16 Learning and Progress LeaderMs Fenning - [email protected]

For a complete list of Curriculum Team Leaders, Year Leaders, Learning Mentors and subject teachers, see our website.Still confused? Don’t let the terminology trip you up. Learning Mentors were previously known as Tutor Group Leaders, and Curriculum Team Leaders were formerly called Heads of Department.

HOLA: Lead teacher of Spanish, Mr Rodic

SPANISH ENTHUSIASTS: Hannah Green (top)Juan Serrano, (middle) andFalah Al Rashedi

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SPANISH TAKES A HIGHER PROFILE AT AL YASMINASpanish at Al Yasmina School is advancing in leaps and bounds, with Year 8 students entering their second year of lessons and the arrival of two new Spanish speaking teachers. The Curriculum Team Leader for Modern Foreign Languages, Mr Davies, and languages teachers Mrs Cuven have joined Lead Teacher of Spanish, Mr Rodic, who taught Spanish to the first cohort of Year 7 classes last year. Spanish has also been available as an extracurricular activity for the past two years. The language is compulsory for Year 7 and 8 students and, next year, for students in Year 9 as well. Mr Rodic says the Spanish Embassy has indicated that the number of students taking Spanish at Al Yasmina makes it one of the biggest provider of Spanish language lessons in the UAE. Spanish is one of the most commonly taught languages in the UK and it is predicted by 2030 more than half of Americans will be Spanish speakers.

“There are going to be many opportunities for Spanish speakers so it is our goal to get the students speaking it now so by the time they get to a working age they will be able to take advantage of the many employment opportunities which will be on offer,” Mr Rodic says. He says because Spanish is phonetic it is relatively easy to learn. Many students already have an ear for the language thanks to an unlikely source - MTV. “The kids pick it up quite quickly because there is a lot of Spanish on MTV, so they are used to hearing it,” Mr Rodic says. The students have one lesson of Spanish a week and move through the curriculum relatively quickly.

Culture is an important part of the curriculum and students learn about Machu Picchu (a 15th century Inca site in Peru) and the Nazca lines, also in Peru, along with Latin American folklore. There is plenty of scope for creativity in the lessons. “Students have produced videos, created models and one student brought a guitar in and composed a song,” Mr Rodic says. Spanish is taught interactively, with many students providing support to other students through the socio-educational website Edmodo which helps students find links and get help with homework. Parent codes to the site are available, enabling parents to help their children with their homework. Two other websites - Zondle, which helps students prepare for tests, and Quizlet, which helps with vocabulary, are also used at school and at home. A number of native speaking students from other Year groups in the secondary school are also receiving Spanish lessons. These students will hopefully complete their GCSE and A level Spanish early.

Juan Serrano wasn’t sure what to expect when the native Spanish speaker found out it was compulsory for him to take the language from Year 7. “Initially I didn’t think it would be particularly challenging, but I came to the UAE when I was six-years-old, so although I can speak the language, my reading and writing skills are not as strong,” says Juan, who is from Colombia. These skills are now improving rapidly, and Juan is working his way through mock GCSE papers. “The reading and comprehension sheets mean my skills are really improving,” he says. “My parents are really happy that I’m developing this side of the language.”

Emirati student Falah Al Rashedi is a big fan of the Spanish classes. His older brothers speak some Spanish and he had developed an ear for the language. He says he likes the accents, the vocabulary and the music of the language and says he finds similarities with the Arabic language in many of the words. Hannah Green says learning Spanish is fun. “There are lots of games, it’s interactive and Mr Rodic makes it fun for us all,” she says. “I can speak enough Spanish now to introduce myself to someone if I met them and have a basic conversation.” Hannah says she also enjoys learning about Spanish culture. All three of the students say they plan to take Spanish for GCSE.

SPANISH ON GCSE LIST FOR STUDENTS

tHe MOSt COMMONLY SPOKeN LANGuAGeS IN tHe wOrLD (fIGureS frOM uNeSCO)

1. Mandarin 2. english 3. Spanish 4. Hindi 5. Arabic

Miss StephensonThe World Challenge expedition to Uganda in June was an opportunity for students in Year 12 to experience something more than a holiday to another country. The programme and itinerary were designed to allow students to challenge themselves by camping, cooking for themselves and finding their way around Uganda for the 16 day trip.

The trip was split into three parts: a week at a rural school helping to teach the children and make use of their practical skills with bricklaying, mixing concrete and painting around the school; four days in the Rwenzori mountains trekking through mountain villages enjoying the hospitality of the local people and absorbing the culture of the area; two days on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park appreciating the diversity of the plants and animals of the country.

The 11 students spent months preparing for the trip with fundraising activities, fitness training and a practice weekend camping in the desert. During the 16 days, students were self-sufficient; having to budget for and buy their own food, find accommodation and transport and camp, cook and clean for themselves. The expedition leaders were simply there to facilitate the trip, while the students ran their own itinerary. As the school leader, I felt an enormous sense of pride watching the students develop skills in an unfamiliar environment. They coped admirably with all the difficulties of the trip and have returned as more confident and able young adults. They were a credit to the school and to their families.

Challengers: Chloe Moss, Nicole Crighton, Jessica Vickery, emily Prest, Stefan Bennett, Nick Bryant, rafeh Safdar, Khalifa Saleh, Daniel Brundan, Jon Alexander, Liam troup

WORLD CHALLENGE

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"This experience has definitely made me appreciate the things I have a lot more."

Chloe MossMy experience in Uganda was a once in a lifetime opportunity which I thoroughly enjoyed. The world Challenge Uganda expedition was definitely challenging and it did make me feel completely out of my comfort zone at times. However at the end of the 16 days I felt completely at ease with my surroundings.

One of the moments of the expedition I will remember the most is when we arrived at Jjezza School for the first time and as soon as we got off the bus the children ran towards us with big smiles on their faces. The children were so excited to see us and were amazed by my blonde hair as they probably have never seen my colour hair before and just loved playing with it. The children also loved having their photograph taken on my camera and always giggled when they saw their faces on my camera screen.

The experience has definitely made me appreciate the things I have a lot more as the children I met in Uganda had barely anything yet they were so happy and appreciative of everything they had. The children were just so happy that we had come to visit them to spend time with them and make improvements to their school. Jjezza School definitely opened my eyes a lot more as the school only had a few desks with a chalk board and no windows and we usually complain when the school’s AC is too cold or the computers have stopped working… Uganda was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that challenged me and made me more appreciative. I will never forget the people I met in Uganda and hopefully I will see them again when I go back to Uganda in the future.

"The expedition definitely changed my outlook on life."

Liam TroupThe World Challenge expedition was an eye-opening and emotionally moving adventure through Uganda. I was so excited to go, but I had no idea what to expect when we arrived. The people have virtually nothing, not many people have cars or phones but they are the happiest people in the world! The culture is so amazing, you have to be polite to everyone you meet, the children would bring us different items such as food, water or tools and would bow at our feet. It was the most unusual thing I had ever seen, they looked to us as idols, so we tried our best to be great role models.

During our time in Africa we had to learn to listen to each other and work together, which you can imagine was pretty hard for us. It took days of arguing before we got bored and just got on with things. By the time we got to the mountains for our trek, we were all the best of friends. We were all just happy to get out in the fresh country air and move on to the next challenge.

The expedition definitely changed my outlook on life. I’ve learned to respect things that most take for granted and how to manage my expenses! I’ve gained great friends from our travels and the memories are those I’ll never forget.

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YOUNG SCRIBES: Laura Tibi (left), Wynona Bautista and Shahmir Khan

While her friends relaxed over the summer holidays, Year 11 student Laura Tibi spent three weeks working as an intern for student magazine One8One. Laura is one of a number of Al Yasmina’s secondary students who have had work printed in the magazine, which is written by young people, for young people. Other successful Al Yasmina contributors include Wynona Bautista, Niamh Griffiths, Shahmir Khan and Ramya Iyer.

Laura joined a group of interns who were picked to work for the Dubai-based magazine, where they honed their skills under the guidance of Editor Maria Rousan. Interns were able to choose stories that interested them from a circulated list, or pursue their own ideas. One of Laura’s ideas was to visit a vintage clothing shop which she did - going on the job with a photographer, conducting the interview and writing the story, which will be published in a future issue. Despite her love of writing, Laura says it will remain a hobby and her future career is likely to be in the science field.

Shahmir Khan, who was also offered an internship over the summer, was unable to accept but has had several pieces published in separate issues of the magazine, several of which discuss issues in teenage society. He also contributed stories on the changing face of music and another discussing how people choose to live in a ‘bubble society’. Wynona Bautista’s contribution on the video Kony 2012 was also published by One8One. Wynona says she write the piece after viewing the video online, writing quickly and from the heart. The students’ connection with the magazine developed after Editor Maria Rousan visited Al Yasmina, outlining to interested students what was involved in becoming a contributor.

Chicago, the musical based in the 1920’s around the jazz scene in the mid-western American city, is coming to the stage at Al Yasmina - and it will be the secondary school’s most ambitious production to date. It will have a much bigger cast than previous productions and will also feature a live jazz band. The show will be staged in February 2013, with a matinee and night performance on February 10 and evening performances only on February 11 and 12. Auditions were completed last week and Head of Drama, Mrs Hetherington, says singing, acting and dancing roles will be announced this week. There are still opportunities for students who prefer to get involved helping backstage and also for students keen for a technical role. Chicago is the biggest show the secondary school has tackled so far, and it will involve a considerable commitment from those who are successful in the audition process.

“Students will sign a contract with their parents to honour their commitment to the show so everyone knows what their obligations will be,” she says. Rehearsals will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2.30pm - 3.30pm until the end of term, and will increase in regularity next term. “This will be an even bigger production for Al Yasmina than West Side Story,” Mrs Hetherington says. “We want to challenge both our students and the audience with our choice of the play and the issues raised in it, as well as providing a professional show full of entertainment.”

Chicago is a satire about the corruption in the administration of criminal justice and focuses on the concept of the celebrity criminal. It follows the lives of Velma, an established jazz singer who goes on trial for murder, and Roxie, a young starlet desperate for fame who winds up in jail after also being accused of murder. The musical focuses on how their lives intertwine along the way.

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MAGAZINE INTERNSHIP “NEVER FELT LIKE WORK”

CHICAGO - FAME, FORTUNE, RAZZLE DAZZLE AND ALL THAT JAZZ

POST-16 TEAM BUILDING AT AL FORSAN

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Alistair Mains

It was an exhilarating day at Al Forsan and the activities surpassed all expectations. Following a short briefing on health and safety, team A - the ‘A’ team - headed out to the track first, whilst Team B, ‘The Expendables ‘, sat in anticipation as they heard the sounds of the go karts racing around the track.

Daniel Brundan set the pace, completing his first lap in just 85 seconds, with an astonishing 6 second gap between himself and second place. Daniel did not fail to impress with his impeccable driving skills as he managed to stay on top of the leader board throughout the duration of the go karting. With a final time of 82.8 seconds, Daniel was victorious, beating off stiff competition from Stefan Bennett, who came close to Daniel with a final lap time of 84.42 and his brother Josh Brundan, who took the lead for the first part of the race. Daniel commented on his victory: “It felt good to win, especially against my brother.” First round winners: the ‘A’ team.

Paintball was the second activity. It was fun to watch. Students running in all directions, trying to dodge the bullets, although quite a few people adopted the ‘hide at the back and shoot only from a safe distance’ approach! ‘The ‘A’ team’ won the first game, ‘the Expendables’ the second. Tension ran high as temperatures soared and the desire to win drove the game on. Richard Samuels said “Adrenaline was pumping. It was great”. Nevertheless, by the end of the second game the scores were even.

All in all, it was a great day out with Post-16. It is the first time students in Year 12 and 13 have together for such an event. While the competition was close the ‘A’ team were the overall winners of the day. Congratulations to all those who took part in the event. It pushed some students out of their comfort zone, but it was great to see some overcome their fears. While Chelsea Lawson compared herself to Lewis Hamilton, Emily Prest said, “I really got into the paintballing. I felt like Lara Croft!”

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MR RICHARDS’S MATHEMATICAL CHALLENGENo one provided a correct solution for The magic W in the last newsletter, however I imagine we were all hopefully enjoying some holiday and time with our families.

Here is an example of a correct solution is where it adds up to 13

3 4 5

9 8 7 6

1 2This month’s challenge is hopefully a little more straightforward. Which number should replace the ? in the table? Why?

1 3 3 5 4

5 6 8 7 ?

4 3 5 2 1

Please email your answers to [email protected] solution and the person who solved it correctly will be published next month.

Nuggets - a popular choice with many students - are now baked, not fried. Ingredients are listed on all prepackaged food, such as sandwiches and salads, along with the expiry date. Instead of being wrapped in plastic wrap, sandwiches are now in sealed plastic. The range of pre-packaged salads has been expanded to include Caesar salad, a green salad with tuna and egg and a baked chicken garden salad. Other new items include strawberry milk, a muesli and yoghurt mix, ANZAC cookies and different types of muffins, including blueberry, cinnamon, bran and vanilla. Meat rolls are another new and popular choice. The number of fruit salads provided each day has doubled.

Rice is a staple each day, but now potatoes and pasta are also on offer, along with croissants and bread rolls. As always, hot food is disposed of after four hours and cold food after six hours. Mr Fernando, who is the Location Manager for Kelvins, the school caterers, says they have attempted to achieve a balance between what students have asked for, the wishes of Student Voice and the school’s desire for healthy food to be made available. Mr Fernando is philosophical when it comes to the students’ acceptance of the new menu choices. “I think we are pleasing most people,” he says.

“The new items brought into the canteen are a big hit. The addition of meat rolls was a really good idea and the variety of hot meals is superb.” Year 10 student

“The food is much better. I like the new salads and the different kinds of muffins you can get now.” Year 13 student

CANTEEN HITS THE MARK WITH NEW MENUWhen it comes to the food preferences of Al Yasmina’s students, Mr Fernando is an expert. He is in charge of the school’s canteen, and has an ear to the ground when it comes to students’ culinary likes and dislikes. Mr Fernando has used the feedback provided to him personally and input from Student Voice to make some changes to the food on offer in the school canteen. There have been several new additions to the menu and some changes to existing items.

AIM TO PLEASE: Mr Fernando in the school’s canteen

Friends of Al Yasmina (FOY) is coordinating a busy schedule of events over the next few months, ranging from discos for the primary and secondary schools through to carols by candlelight and a festive fair in December. The group, which organises projects to support the school, kicked off the academic year with a picnic at the school last week which provided an opportunity for new and existing school families to get to know each other. Key dates:

• 8 October secondary disco • 31 October Halloween bake sale • 5 December carols by candlelight • 8 December festive fayre

FOY will also offer support for school events being held to celebrate International Day on November 20 and National Day on December 2 and 3. The committee is looking for volunteers to help organise the festive fayre, and will form an organising committee when it meets tonight (October 1) at 6.30pm in the old uniform shop on the ground floor. Volunteers are needed to organise stalls, food and games. FOY is particularly keen to hear from secondary students who have ideas about stalls and who are keen to help out on the day. FOY is hoping to attract new members to its ranks and in particular would like to find a parent who would like to fill the role of secretary. Need more information? See the FOY pages on our website. New additions to the site include the organisation’s constitution, minutes from meetings, secondhand uniform prices and a photo gallery which showcases events organised by the group. Committee members: Janine Loftus (Chair), Mahra Fares and Justine Hughes (joint Vice Chairs), Lisa Wall (Treasurer).

DISCO FEVERA live DJ, Year 11 student Mitch Bryant, will provide the latest music and remixes for the school’s discos next week. Year 11 student Mitch has around 4000 songs on his computer so can comply with most requests, but says he’ll begin by sticking with new music. The secondary disco kicks off 5.30pm and finishes at 7.30pm and is for students in Years 7, 8 and 9.

BUSY YEAR FOR FOY

Congratulations to our students of the month for September. What a fantastic start to the academic year!

Sitting from left to right: Fadwa Qadan (UAE Social Studies), Mr Gale (Head of School), Chelsea Lawson (French)

Standing middle: Diala Nasser (Science), Hannah Green (Music)

Standing back: Max Moffat (DT), Mitchell Bryant (Mathematics), Jared Wolfaardt (History), Jordan Mather (Geography), Abdullah Al Armouti (Spanish)

Not pictured: Kenan Saleh Basha (Islamic Studies - native), Areebuddin Ansari (Islamic Studies - non-native), Sally Zeidan (Arabic native), Jordan Youlten (Arabic - non-native), Adam Mather (Art & PE), Faiqa Hamid (Business & Economics), Lina Mohamed (Drama), Khalifa AL Nuaimi (English), Ahmad Elyass (ICT), Priyanka Iyer (Psychology)

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

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PICNIC IN THE SUN: A welcome picnic has kicked off FOY activities for the year

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NEW AL YASMINA SPORTS WEBSITE A WINNERAl Yasmina’s new sports website is a one stop shop for all sports teams, providing details on all fixtures and also match reports.

The site, which is accessible via the school’s website (look for the ‘sports fixtures’ icon on the home page) provides details on all Abu Dhabi netball, swimming, rugby and football fixtures for the season. Details on Dubai games will be added over the next couple of weeks. Director of Sport, Mr Smith, says the website will also include match results and reports, videos of the game and action shots, details on the referees for each game, contact details for coaches and even links through to Google Maps to make sure everyone can find the venues. Cancellations will also be listed on the site.

Mr Smith says the website will be updated by the PE teachers responsible for individual teams. “Information will be loaded on in advance of games, so students will be able to easily find out where they need to be, and when. It’s going to make things hugely easier for all families who are involved in the school’s sports squads.”

http://www.schoolssports.com/school/default.asp?Id=27412

SPORTING SCHEDULE UNDERWAYHundreds of secondary students took to the pitch, pool and court last week to try out for the school’s rugby, swimming and netball squads. Members of the squads, who play in competitive events, will train on Sundays while students taking part in recreational support will play on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays.

The teams train under the school’s club structure, which also offers a range of music, art and drama clubs. The rugby squad will receive some expert help from Harlequins coach Chris Davies, who will help prepare the team for the under 18 competition at the Dubai Sevens in late November and early December. Football and cricket squads begin next term. Sailing will also be introduced for Years 7 and 8 from January.

MEASURING FITNESS LEVELSFitness testing is underway in the secondary school. The baseline assessments, which are being completed during PE lessons, also measure students’ hang eye coordination, agility and speed. Testing is carried out again at the end of each unit of work and results compared with the original data.

A passion for rugby which began on Al Yasmina’s sports fields has led to a promising rugby career in South Africa for a former student. Foundation student Alex Little returned to South Africa with his parents in 2011. He was recently selected as the captain for the KwaZulu Natal U13 (Sharks) rugby team that played at the South African schools rugby week.

Alex played in the trials wearing his Al Yasmina rugby jersey. “Being selected for this team is a big honour and Alex lead his side well and scored the opening try of the tournament,” says his father Grant. “It’s a big change from playing in Abu Dhabi temperatures to the Highveld winter where there is often an icy layer on the grass at kick off.” Alex has also been selected for the provincial club under 13 team to play in Johannesburg in early October and for the KwaZulu Natal Sharks U13 seven aside provincial squad which will compete in the national tournament in Pretoria.

GOOD PASS: The school’s squads and recreational sports club are underway

TRY LINE IN SIGHT: Alex Little in action during a game for the KwaZulu Natal Sharks versus the Free State Cheetahs

FORMER AL YASMINA STUDENT A STAR ON SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY FIELDS

Documents

The secondary par tnership sept 2012