Community Times - April Edition

2

COMMUNITY TOGETHER

during Ramadan for a family potluck iftar organised by parents

7

MEET THE UNBEATABLES

and learn how the U14 gIrls Netball Team rose to the top

8

GOODBYE ASCS

swimmer to move to Sri Lanka after receiving 3 scholarships

CommunityTimes APRIL 2023 | Al Salam Community School

Lessons from

Ramadan As the beloved holy month of Ramadan slowly but surely comes to an end, we approach the time we'll have to say goodbye to it. Despite this, the lessons it taught us should not be bid farewell to and must instead be followed as we continue our lives.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 4

VOL NO. 2 • Established 2023

2 | APRIL 2023

PAGE 2

Study Smarter, Not Harder A comprehensive guide to effective study strategies Hana Shabad STAFF + EDITORIAL WRITER

Now, more than ever, with the rise of increasingly challenging curriculums and rigorous academic responsibilities, effective study techniques are vital to us reaching our finest potential.

Additionally, university and career requirements are much more demanding than in the past, and students must enhance their study habits accordingly.

Despite this, effective study techniques don't come in a "onesize-fits-all" manner. Encountering the strategy that works for you may entail trial and error, but it is ultimately worth it.

With that said, ahead is a selection of strategies to work smarter, not harder:

1

Space out your study sessions

"Distributed practice" (spacing out your study across multiple brief periods over several days and weeks) is one of the most effective learning techniques. Spreading out your study time enables your mind to create connections between concepts and expand on the knowledge that can be quickly and readily remembered in the future.

While this might seem difficult in practice, allocating 10 minutes each day a week for a particular subject proves to be significantly more worthwhile as opposed to a 1-hour study session. It has been found that learners who chose spaced repetition had an adjusted mean exam score of 70%, whereas those who preferred massed repetition had an adjusted mean exam score of 64%.

2

Reading, re-reading and highlighting are forms of self-sabotage

Re-reading books and notes is like flogging a dead horse, as these are all passive learning methods and facilitate rapid forgetfulness.

Highlighting is also a prevalent study method. Unfortunately, research suggests highlighting is also futile, as highlighting reduces our capacity to draw conclusions from the material. It emphasises the memorisation of facts rather than concepts. Instead, incorporating active learning strategies has proven to be of notable benefit towards many students. Active engagement is the process of deriving connections and meaning from the content. It has been revealed in a study that students who used active recall were able to remember about 80% of the new terms compared to 34%

for the control group who passively went back through a series of cards until they learned everything again.

Ways to study actively include: Diagrams and mind maps Flashcards Retrieval quizzing

3

Learn from the experts

Thankfully, we live in a time where professionals have found the most convenient and beneficial study techniques.

Some of these are: The Feynman Technique The Pomodoro Technique SQ3R

As to be expected, there is an abundance of study methods not covered in this article. Because research is never comprehensive, the 'best' approach to learning will continually evolve, and our study methods must adapt accordingly. Regardless, encountering the strategy that works for you will require trial and error and rigorous experimentation, as different methods work for different people.

CURRENT EVENTS

APRIL 2023

NEWS BRIEFS

Chess Tournament

ASCS RATED "OUSTANDING" IN ISLAMIC VALUES

Omar Mohammed

In early April, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) released its inspection report for ASCS. The report is a result of the KHDA's visit to ASCS in March. Overall, ASCS achieved an overall rating of "Good", with a rating of "Very Good" in some categories and "Acceptable" in other areas. Despite achieving the same rating as last year, ASCS performed better in most categories than in last year's report. Let's see if ASCS can get an even better rating next year!

IAAC QUALIFICATION ROUND The qualification round of the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition (IAAC) is open until Friday 21st April. Participants can complete this round by filling in the PDF on the official IAAC website that contains university-level questions.

IAAC gives students the unique opportunity to apply their skills to complete challenging problems and compete for the opportunity to receive certificates, awards, cash prizes, global recognition, and, the ability to represent ASCS.

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To take place in early Term 3 STAFF WRITER

Over the past few months, chess has skyrocketed in popularity not only at ASCS, but throughout the globe. In response to this surge in popularity, the secondary Student Leadership Team has decided to host its very own chess tournament. The debut of said chess tournament will allow students to face off against each other, showcase their chess skills, and compete for the title of ASCS’s Chess Master. Additionally, organisers have hinted at the

possibility of providing the winners with exciting prizes; however, that is yet to be fully confirmed.

Since the release of the google form on the bulletin, over 60 sign ups were received for the tournament: proof of how long-awaited such a competition is at ASCS. The tournament’s preliminaries will take place during lunch times in April, with the finals being held in May. Additionally, chess.com has been unblocked to allow students to practise for the tournament.

We hope to see all of the students reading this at the tournament, and best of luck to all!

Community Iftar is an outstanding success

PACKED SEATS A picture taken during the event as guests wait to break their fast.

Haya Shahid STAFF WRITER

SAVE THE DATE

APRIL 19 The Longest Chain of Coins 20 Start of Eid Al Fitr Break 24 End of Eid Al Fitr Break 24 World Book Day 24 Y10 & 11 Geography Field Trip 24 Earth Day 26 Shakespeare's Birthday 28 Y13 Farewell

On the Wednesday 12th April, ASCS came together for a family iftar, a fantastic event organised by the parent-led Friends of Al Salam Committee. As to be expected, the event was exceptionally successful and everyone who attended it was extremely satisfied with how it turned out.

Parents and students of all ages joined the potluck iftar, bringing their own dishes to contribute.

This resulted in a range of extremely different, yet delicious, foods that ranged from pizza to biryani to even sushi. The Prophet

(PBUH) is reported to have said that "whoever feeds a fasting person will earn the same reward as him without diminishing in any way the reward of the fasting person”. Subhanallah! Seeing this, imagine all the rewards the people who joined and organised the event received on that special day.

Additionally, the event highlighted the beauty of Ramadan as it wonderfully brought the community together.

The event featured a guest speaker, who was none other than Muhammad Tim Humble. Ustadh Tim gave a beautiful speech about how all of us need to pass from the school of Ramadan with flying

colours. He told us how what we learn and implement in Ramadan alone should be the way of life for us for all the eleven other months as well. This speech was truly a very inspirational one for all of us attendees of the wonderful event.

Once everyone broke their fast, the community came together to pray in congregation. Afterwards, everyone socialised with each other and bonded over their shared gratitude and love for Allah for the rest of the night. Overall, the event was one to remember and I can confidently say that I look forward to more events like this that can entertain, teach and most importantly, inspire.

4 | APRIL 2023

COVER STORY

Lessons from

Ramadan Arfa Vaquas STAFF WRITER

As the beloved holy month of Ramadan slowly but surely comes to an end, we approach the time we'll have to say goodbye to it. Despite this, the lessons it taught us should not be bid farewell to and must instead be followed as we continue our lives.

The lessons referred to in this article are 3 main areas of positive virtues, although not everyone may experience these as subtly or greatly as someone else.

1

Self Control

The aspect of self-control, and, to be specific, holding oneself back from eating/drinking for a certain amount of time is not easy. It can not be easy as many of us have our own routines of when to eat which does make it difficult, however, this is exactly what self-control is. Not only does it teach patience and to refrain from acting upon natural human urges, it helps us as humans to gain control over our emotions and tolerate the difficulty that we face even if for a somewhat short amount of time.

Through this, not only are we learning to fast during this month, we are also able to apply this self-control in different areas of our lives such as

wanting more when we already have more than enough.

2

Discipline

Although wrongful desires should be prevented as much as possible in our daily lives, in Ramadan, we strive to be even more disciplined as much as we can and to improve. This comes additionally with the feeling of empathy and gratitude towards what we have at this moment as well as entirely focusing on self-discipline as a whole, not only prioritising ourselves but giving as much support as possible to the ones around us. As Ramadan comes to an end, it's inevitable that the self-discipline we have learnt during this time is taken with us even afterwards and carried out as we move forward. By doing so, not only will the lives that we live be somewhat easier as we behave positively but we will surely be rewarded with the feeling of confidence in ourselves, in achieving something such as goals that we would've once found impossible.

3

Sense of Community

The sense of being part of a community plays an undeniably huge role in our lives, particularly in Ramadan. The unity that ties many of

us together tends to strengthen our friendships and family, bringing us closer as one. It restricts us from fighting with one another and helps us to understand each other’s perspectives and, although it is not necessary to agree, that there must be a neutral ground in which both sides leave the topic at hand and focus on something else positive. This aids in preventing conflicts that may appear and strengthening synergy as a whole. Additionally, it is a given to donate to charity which is strongly encouraged as the community comes together to give to causes and people who are in need and to find awareness of their surroundings and their personal life and feel gratitude once more.

Aspects like these and for example, reading the holy Quran on a regular basis must not come to an end when the holy month does. It is the month of ‘Ramadan’ that we are saying goodbye to and not the attitude we maintained during the holy month, an attitude that must be carried forward for the rest of our lives.

With that said, let us collectively say goodbye to the holy month of Ramadan, and not the lessons it taught us.

COVER STORY

APRIL 2023

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6 | APRIL 2023

OPINION

EDITORIAL

OVERHYPED. PRETTY DUMB

Aly Kotb EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Since its release in late November of 2022, ChatGPT took the world by storm with its seemingly endless capabilities and limitless potential.

For those who’ve been living under a rock for the past 6 months, ChatGPT is a large language model that was designed by OpenAI to generate human-like responses to natural language inputs such as questions or statements. Much like having a conversation with someone, you can talk to ChatGPT. Yet upon having a conversation or two with it, one may quickly realise that ChatGPT is not as amazing as many percieve it to be.

The development of such language models is considered by many to be a significant breakthrough in the field of AI, with the potential to revolutionise the way we interact with machines. In fact, we can already see the impact of ChatGPT with companies like Khan Academy and Duolingo implementing the technology in their services.

Due to ChatGPT’s seemingly useful perks, it is alarmingly easy to be fooled into thinking that the AI system performs without any trouble. However, in the months following its release, people across the world began to uncover many of ChatGPT’s fatal flaws.

The first and arguably biggest of these flaws is that ChatGPT often blatantly generates wrong answers. ChatGPT fails at everything from basic maths to simple logic questions. This lack of credibility is a result of the language model being based on patterns rather than facts and data.

Additionally, ChatGPT has been reported to fabricate information.

While playing around with it myself, I found that ChatGPT has a tendency to provide non-existent sources when asked for them. This is a result of ChatGPT constructing sentences word by word, selecting the most logical word that should come next. In other words, ChatGPT reaches an answer by making a series of guesses. Even OpenAI’s chief technology officer has acknowledged ChatGPT “may

WHAT STUDENTS THINK ABOUT

CHATGPT

Students have a mixed opinion about large language models like ChatGPT. Some view it as a game-changing technology that will greatly impact how we live our everyday lives, while others see it as the downfall of originality and creativity. Regardless, such technologies are here to stay.

So, we asked students, as a student,

how do you feel about ChatGPT?

make up facts”. This issue is not only an inconvenience when using ChatGPT for research purposes, but can be extremely dangerous when using the language model for things such as medical advice.

Another major concern many have expressed with ChatGPT is that it has been shown to exhibit alarming bias on various topics.

This is greatly due to the fact that ChatGPT’s so-called intelligence is nothing more than a chain of algorithms and statistical models, with much of its data being all sorts of sources from across the globe, it reflects the biases of the writers of these sources.

Additionally, the use of ChatGPT has raised various legal and ethical issues related to copyright, privacy, misuse, bias and transparency. This has caused various discussions within governments, with Italy even banning ChatGPT in March due to concerns over protection of data and safety of minors.

the capabilities of new technologies and their impact on society. This is also the case with ChatGPT, which has not and will not revolutionise how we live our everyday lives. One could compare this trend to the widespread thought in 2008 that electric cars would make a resurgence, only for them to still be getting started 15 years later. Similarly, ChatGPT won’t fully take off, as popular as it is, for a while.

Yet despite its various flaws and limitations, ChatGPT does hold great potential. This is especially true with the release of GPT-4, which can use both text and image inputs. As much as I hate to admit it, ChatGPT does come in handy in some situations. Regardless, next time you use ChatGPT, do keep in mind that it is MUCH dumber and more limited than you think.

Overall, people tend to exaggerate

Adam Hossam Y10 Student

Zara Waheed Y10 Student

"I find it to be a useful tool for getting information and assistance with various tasks. I also dig how quick and spot-on ChatGPT’s responses are to my questions. From my personal experience with it, it may be positive or negative depending on how well it’ll meet your needs and expectations."

"ChatGPT is good, it's really helpful to a lot of students, especially when they are doing work or want to find out more about a topic. However the disadvantage of it is that it makes you more lazy because it doesn't really make you put any effort into what you are writing. It’s also a huge disadvantage to teachers."

ATHLETICS

Meet the

APRIL 2023

| 7

UNBEATABLES

Learn how the U14 Girls Netball Team rose to the top

Haya Shahid STAFF WRITER

“The Unbeatables”: that’s what they’re known as. Over the past few months, the U14 Netball Team accomplished more than they could have ever dreamt of, crushing all those they faced against. The talent-filled team was assembled in Term 1, with a single tryout that determined whether the team’s current members would join to form such a fantastic team or not. The girls gave their best and then looked hopefully upon the results of the tryouts.

Miss Chirine, the biggest inspiration for the team, has supported these young girls at every step of their journey, and was the one to finalise the team and pick its captain. The team's captain, Kendal, time and time again proves to be a brilliant GA and an even better leader who strives to inspire her netball team every single day. Being the outstanding leader she is, Kendal leads the team with utmost positivity and constantly motivates them to give their absolute best.

Of course, no successful team is complete without its players, and

the Netball Team is no exception.

With Haya and Maria as its swift and steady centres who are always ready to do all they can, success is always within sight. You can always count on Laila and Nikita as they will skillfully play wing attack, supporting their fellow teammates in countless ways every single game. Then, there’s the skilful gameplay displayed by Lina and Nadia as they play wing defence, which is always breathtaking. Miral and Bayan as the goal keepers and Fatimah as the team’s goal defence provides the best defence imaginable, as they all maintain a strong will and positive attitude. Last but absolutely not least, there’s Mehr and Amara as the team’s goal shooters, always scoring and increasing the team’s points during any game and making their teammates proud. With such an incredible squad, I can assure you that the fabulous netball team will continue to destroy all competition coming their way.

As to be expected, many sports require a strong will and much practise. In that regard, the Netball Team has proven itself time and

time again as the squad pours immense amounts of effort towards playing netball better and better everyday. Qualities like outstanding punctuality and a strong will to succeed strongly contribute towards the team’s excellent performance, all of which the squad has kept in mind.

What really makes the team triumph, however, is the quality of teamwork and the strong friendship between the squad’s members. This is especially applaudable, and well evident in

all of their games, as they make their way towards victory.

Just like every single other sports team out there, the Netball Team has had their “up” moments, but has also had various downs accompanying them. The team did indeed face challenges such as injured players or the occasional lack of confidence, but they tried their best to defeat all challenges coming their way and together, they succeeded in doing so!

So far, the commendable U14 Netball Team has won the entire EISSA League and is second in the DASSA League. It is no exaggeration to say that ASCS is exceptionally proud of the hardworking squad which have devoted so much time and effort towards making sure ASCS is always on top.

Our team practices like they never won, but play like they never lost.

Team Captain Kendal

8 | APRIL 2023

LIFESTYLE

ASCS Swimmer Gets Sport Scholarships for 3 Sri Lankan High Schools

Goodbye

Aly Kotb EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Imagine having to leave your friends, family and entire life for a new beginning elsewhere. This is the reality for Saadh Basri, a Year 10 student and accomplished goldmedal competitive swimmer, who recently received the opportunity for a sport scholarship from three different high schools in Sri Lanka, and is to move to Sri Lanka by the end of April.

While it hasn't been revealed which high school Saadh will be attending, his first choice is one of the oldest and most prestigious high schools in Sri Lanka which is known for its strong swimming program, which would further develop his swimming skills. This program involves daily morning and afternoon training, along with a set of dedicated coaches and staff even including a nutritionist. In Saadh’s own words, “they’ll help me progress to the next level and make me a better swimmer”.

“Initially I was sad because I had to leave everybody and say goodbye and all that, but at the end of the

ASCS

day it was expected [because] it was part of the plan”. Saadh also spoke about how his friends reacted to the news, recalling that “Initially it was disbelief. They thought I was playing a joke [and]

CELEBRATING SUCCESS Saadh with his recently won medals and Mr McGuire.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Saadh is the transition itself, as it has not been clear whether he will transition to an international school with a British curriculum or a school with a different system.

I would want them to remember me as a fellow student who put in the effort. I hope to inspire everyone to do the same. not many people believed me”.

Despite the hardships of having to leave his life in the UAE, Saadh focused on the bright side, finding that “I’m mostly looking forward to meeting my grandparents, spending time with my cousins and other family since I haven’t been to Sri Lanka since the pandemic”.

Having joined in Year 6, Saadh has been part of Al Salam for 5 years, an experience which he found to be “overall, very positive” as Saadh found that “I made great friends, I met great teachers”. As to be expected, leaving ASCS and in turn the UAE is a huge challenge for Saadh as he spoke about how “I am sad [to be] leaving all of my friends

and some of my family here".

Despite this, Saadh remains optimistic, commenting that “I look forward to make the most out of whatever opportunity I have”.

When asked how he would like to be remembered at ASCS, Saadh answered that “I would want them to remember me as a fellow student who put in the effort doing something he likes, which created a greater opportunity for himself”, adding that “I hope to inspire everyone to do the same”.

“I plan to make the most of what has come through and accomplish the things that will inspire my family and friends and others around me, make the most of my situation”. Let us wish Saadh the very best and bid him fair-well.

A Taste of the University of Birmingham, Dubai

Shahd Marwan STAFF WRITER

On the 1st and 2nd of February, myself along with various Year 12 and 13 students had the thrilling opportunity to experience life in the University of Birmingham, Dubai.

The university welcomed us with open hands, giving us a taste of life on campus as well as a tour of the vast campus. The tour featured numerous science labs, computer labs, lecture halls, the student common room and the university’s

impressive library. Personally, I found that the campus’s delightful modern architecture and refreshing interior design truly assisted the university’s learning environment.

Al Salam students attending the taster week experienced lectures briefing the programs provided by the university. This included Biomedicine, Engineering, Economics, Psychology, Biomedicine, Computer Science, Accounting and Finance. What made these lectures so interesting was how the professors linked

INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT A picture of a lecture hall in the university.

them to everyday jobs, products and situations. For instance, who would have ever guessed that the person who invented bubblegum had studied Economics? Despite always thinking that the choices we make in university will greatly affect our lives moving forward, the taster week helped students realise that the choices we make are quite flexible and a chosen program does not by any means define one’s entire future.

Additionally, students attending the taster week had the opportunity to meet students attending UOBD, as the university provided a Q&A session where the university’s students introduced themselves and spoke about their achievements and experiences at the university.

Overall, a 10/10 experience.

ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 2023

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9

Why Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

is a MUST WATCH in 2023 Sarah Al Qaq

STAFF WRITER

"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" is an animated adventure film that continues the story of the beloved feline character from the "Shrek" franchise. Directed by Joel Crawford and produced by DreamWorks Animation, this movie follows Puss in Boots on a thrilling quest to find the Fountain of Youth and save his friend, Dulcinea.

The film's story takes place in the mythical land of San Lorenzo, where Puss in Boots has settled down as the town's hero and protector. However, when Dulcinea falls ill, Puss sets off on a dangerous journey to find the Fountain of Youth, which is said to have the power to cure any sickness. Along the way, Puss is joined by his old friends, Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws, and they must face various obstacles and enemies, including a group of bandits led by the notorious Jack and Jill.

The characters are all beautifully designed and outlined, and the environments are rich and mesmerising. The action sequences are also well-choreographed and exciting, with Puss in Boots showcasing his impressive swordfighting skills in several memorable scenes.

Another positive aspect of the movies is how well the characters are written.

Especially the villains. Death, also known as the Wolf, is the anatagonist of the film.

He is, like his name suggests, the physical embodiment of Death, who takes the form of a white wolf in a black hooded cloak. During the events of the film, Death is intent on killing the legendary Puss in Boots once and for all as punishment for carelessly wasting eight of his nine lives. What is really hypnotising about this character is his witty and sarcastic remarks throughout the movie,

Secrets of Divine Love A. Helwa

Dive into the spiritual secrets of the Qur'an and more to help reignite your faith and deepen your connection with God.

and the personality he adopts while being a villain.

Despite this, the movie still has its flaws. “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish” ’s plot, while entertaining, does not reach the level of depth and complexity as other DreamWorks animations, such as “How To Train Your Dragon” or “Kung fu Panda”. The plot is simple and quite straightforward, some may even say predictable, and the theme of friendship and redemption are simply standard.

Hey, I never do this, but can I get your autograph? Been following you for a loooong time.

(Points to the word "dead" on a wanted poster of Puss in Boots) Sign right there.

Now, one of the movie's strengths is its INCREDIBLE animation; it is heavily detailed with amazing visuals.

read

(Yes, we're serious)

Overall, “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.” is a fun and engaging animated adventure that can be enjoyed by kids and adults.

listen

play

Tell Them, I Am

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

An interview podcast about the small moments that define who we are and who we are not, featuring all Muslim voices and stories.

This third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game is the longawaited sequel to "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order", and is set to release on April 28.

Misha Euceph

Electronic Arts

eat Umm Ali

Egyptian Dessert

Umm Ali is a traditional Egyptian dessert, made up of bread pudding layered with puff pastry, milk, and cream, and sprinkled with lots of nuts, raisins and coconut.

SO DELICIOUS!

10 | APRIL 2023

PUZZLES

500+ House Points are up for grabs!

Are you up for the challenge?

Word Wheel

5+HP

Maze

Spot The Diff

150 HP

100HP

+ Bonus Challenge

Solve all 3 for an additional 100 HP

*Rewards not available after Wednesday 26th of April.

To claim rewards, email 6829@ascsdubai.ae with proof of completion before due date.

Word Wheel How many words of four letters or more can you make using the given letters?

In making a word:

I A

Each letter may be used once only.

Each word must include the centre letter.

5 House Points

10 Words

10 House Points

15 Words

25 House Points

20 (or more) Words

Spot The Difference Can you spot all 5 differences in these two photos?

100 House Points

1st to find all 5 differences

D T S C R

Crossover Maze

K Y

Do you think you have what it takes to solve this incredibly difficult crossover maze?

150 House Points

1st to complete maze

100 House Points

2nd to complete maze

50 House Points

3rd to complete maze