Community Times - February Edition

THE TEAM THE TEAM

| Al Salam Community School

All Kids Are Included An Event where

ShahdMarwan STAFF WRITER

In collaboration with ‘All Children Included’, ASCS had the pleasure of hosting the Winter Fest on January 14th. The event was a special social gathering created for the children of determination who don’t get a chance to enjoy events designed for their needs. The event allowed them to interact with one another and have fun. It was a great opportunity for both children of determination as well as all the other kids to interact with each other, allowing an experience to grow both ways.

The event had a variety of exciting activities; including a photo booth, a face painting stand, a bouncy castle and balloon art, to name a few. Families were able to take their

Polaroid pictures home, allowing them to look back anytime at the event’s success in bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

Families had a great time, and the response was immensely positive from all sides. A parent had commented that as their first-ever inclusion event, what impacted them most “apart from the obvious community and school spirit and the amazing people involved in the event, was the calmness. It felt such a safe and calm environment for their children and for them.”

The brilliant minds that worked on the project were not only able to harbour new relations, but also maintain a friendly atmosphere throughout the event. The brilliantly organised event was organised by ASCS and its Social Club, as well as ‘All Children Included’, an

apart from the obvious community and school spirit and the amazing people involved in the event, (it) was the calmness. It felt (like) such a safe and calm environment for their children and for them.”

organisation that supports parents of children of determination. Together, an opportunity to do something for our community was created and so the team worked tirelessly to ensure the event was carried out flawlessly. A big thanks to Ms Najda, Ms Aisha and Ms Magi for leading the winter fest and helping out our community when it matters most.

If this was an event that slipped past you, no worries! Although in the early stages of development, different approaches are being taken into consideration to plan the next social event. The event has certainly given the participants a great sense

of achievement and impacted everyone’s mental health positively with the idea that made a difference.

Keep in mind, if you’re curious to join future events such as this in order to give back to the community, Ms Najda will be enrolling new volunteers for anyone interested. So stay on the lookout for her in the canteen, and you might also be able to live a hands-on experience.

A special thanks to all the students and staff that helped out during the event. Without these spectacular volunteers, the event would not have gone as smoothly as it did.

Additionally, many thanks to All Children Included for collaborating with ASCS to organise this truly special event where all children were indeed included.

NEWS BRIEFS

INTERNATIONALDAYSOON

On the 9th of February, students from primary and secondary will enjoy a day full of celebrations and fun activities The event will feature stalls from various countries, live performances, food trucks as well as plenty of games for students to enjoy The event aims to provide students with an insight into various different cultures and traditions Students are advised to bring a sufficient amount of money with them in order to buy souvenirs from their favourite stalls, participate in activities as well as enjoy the many food trucks the event offers

SPORTSDAYCOMINGUP

Secondary students can look forward to a sports-filled day on February 7th This year's Sports Day will be athletics focused with events including various sprints as well as shot put and javelin throws The activities will go beyond the regular outside area with some sports events taking place in the bus parking area Students can expect a Sports Day like no previous we've had at ASCS

New arrivals

Fresh faces join faculty

OVER THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF THE TERM

secondary students

welcomed 5 new members of staff to the ever growing ASCS family. They each come from different backgrounds and various prior careers. All of them have found ASCS welcoming and described an overall positive experience in their stays so far.

Special thanks to Aafiya Mojawala for conducting the interviews.

Alexandra Axon PerformingArts/HOY7

"I enjoy making my studio a fun and creative setting in which students can build confidence, develop character and work with others and provide students with life long skills to help them lead successful lives

"I particularly enjoy Maths as a subject and I love that there is always an answer to any given problem and no matter how difficult it is, all of us will get the same answer and I love that about the subject"

Jahida Janna HeadofScience

"I chose to become a teacher as it has always been in my nature to help Teaching is one role where you can make a big difference and as a teacher you have a crucial role to play in shaping future generations"

"Teaching is my passion, those who enjoy learning can find so much joy in sharing that passion with others Teaching is a perfect outlet for educators who find learning inspirational and exciting"

"I really love and have a passion for extending my knowledge to the student and breeding an upcoming generation, for them to be able to face life challenges in the future and be independent"

Andrew Lowdon Mathematics

Bindi Jivrajani Commerce

Ezekiel Lawal Physics

The Story Behind It All: How A Concept Became A Reality

ArfaVaquas STAFF WRITER

The Journalism & Broadcasting Club, also known as the ‘JBC’, is a free ECA at ASCS. The club focuses on various projects regarding journalism and broadcasting, as suggested by the club’s name, as well as some aspects of media. Since the JBC is concerned with journalism and broadcasting, the club is able to branch out to other projects such as weekly podcasts, broadcasting school games and events, etc.

Aly Kotb of Year 10 came up with the initial concept of the JBC and began pitching it as soon as the school year started. Aly found that it would be an interesting project to work on as

Thanks to the huge deal of efforts from all sides, the JBC was quickly able to gain approval and the application process for members began in early November. During this process, over 45 students signed up over a period of three weeks, allowing the initial team of three people to quickly grow to the whopping 25 dedicated students who now make up the JBC.

Originally, the JBC planned on creating a fortnightly newsletter which was soon developed into a monthly magazine instead. The JBC consists of four distinct departments: photography, writing, journalism and art. Journalists find and collect information that is necessary for an article which is then

providing students a medium to showcase their talents and achievements, broadening students’ creative thinking, promoting reading among students as well as providing students, staff and parents a glimpse into the unique student life at ASCS.

Students can look forward to much more interesting and engaging content in upcoming editions, including intriguing interviews with special guests, sneak peaks of exciting upcoming events and much

Keyaan

Omar

Writing Department

Photography

INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR TEAM?

If you are interested in joining the team, kindly fill in the following form or email 6829@ascsdubai ae

Aly Kotb Editor in Chief

Ms. Parry Faculty Advisor Hana Shabad Assistant Editor in Chief

Daniya Tamseel Senior Photographer Lugina Ismail Senior Photographer

Ritwika Jishanth Apprentice Photographer Amaan Sheikh Apprentice Photographer

Department

Zoya Mansoor Cartoonist Berry Ramez Cartoonist

Art Department

Haya Shahid Writer Abdullah Farooq Writer

Fatima Ahmed Writer Sarah Abdulrahman Writer

Zainudeen Writer Marwan Elaghamry Writer

Mohammed Writer Batool Anayet Writer

Shahd Marwan Writer Arfa Vaquas Writer Journalism Department

Ismail Tayob Journalist Alisha Azam Journalist

Ummehani Rafil Journalist Aafiyah Mojawala Journalist

Mehreen Abid Journalist Jana Farshoukh Lead Journalist Lilya Wael Rislan Journalist

Is Your Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?

HanaShabad STAFF + EDITORIAL WRITER

We have all heard the phrase "Is the glass half-full or halfempty?"

, usually as a rhetorical question to suggest that a particular perspective may be a cause for pessimism or optimism. This idiom, which has several forms, is used so frequently that it has become cliché. It is usually seen that a "glass-half-full person" is an optimist who consistently believes that positive things will arise. A "glass half-empty person" is a pessimist who, as you might guess, always believes that awful things will happen. However, there is more to it than that. If this was the case, we would all have glasses that are ‘half-full’ some days, and glasses that are ‘half-empty’ on others.

A person who sees a glass as ‘half-full’ is not necessarily a person who does not have problems, who always has a smile on their face or who is a constant ray of sunshine. Additionally, a "glass half-empty person" is not a constantly gloomy person, complaining or anticipating the worst. This leads us to rethink our perception of what these two different outlooks truly mean, and

which type we may have thought we are.

As a society, we prefer everything to be either entirely black and white or to be as close to it as possible, with any hints of grey making us uncomfortable. In this case, the ‘black’ would be the pessimistic ‘glass halfempty' type of person, while the ‘white’ would be the optimistic ‘glass half-full’ type of person. The reality is that as humans all of us go through ups and downs and what sets us apart from each other is how we respond to them. It is not about whether the glass is half-full or half-empty, but rather about what we can do to fill it up. Instead of focusing on what is not or what is there, why do we not focus on what could be there? We cannot restrain ourselves to being either an optimist or a pessimist, because ‘people’s perspectives vary

from domain to domain’, as set forth by psychologist Julie Norem.

However, it can be argued that every individual is either a glass ‘half-full’ or a glass ‘half-empty’ person, but how can we tie ourselves to be optimists or pessimists for the rest of our lives? This is untenable in the long term. The mere presence of a half-full glass does not imply happiness. Neither does the presence of a half-empty glass imply misery. Life is filled with days of delight and bliss, and others of dejection and gloom. A single metaphor should not coerce us to adopt a certain lifelong outlook on life.

So… is your glass half-full or halfempty, or do you choose the other option?

Are Straight As Always A Good Thing?

STAFF WRITER

‘Priority, sacrifice, perfection’. Is the only way to achieve a successful life through doing precisely what is expected of you? Is the only way to live a successful life through being proficient and skilful at everything you do, even if that means you have to sacrifice the things you love the most? Is the only way to enjoy a successful life through consistently getting straight As? These are the questions and thoughts that society has embedded into many of us. These are thoughts so overwhelming that anytime one does not achieve a perfect score on an assessment, they are overtaken by an immense sense of disappointment and frustration.

Is this right? We don’t think so. Yes, straight As signify excellent

knowledge and understanding, making us feel on top of the world every time we achieve them. Arguably, they even demonstrate to others how much we are capable of, but is that the only way to prove our capabilities? Many cannot help but get addicted to such satisfaction, trapping them in a cycle of striving for perfection.

Priority. What are our priorities? Perhaps a perfect score? A pictureperfect and successful life? Undoubtedly, we have begun prioritising statistics on a paper over our skills and talents. It is imperative we understand that even though something may look so sublime and breathtaking on paper, there is much more to it than that meets the eye. Straight As may look rather phenomenal, but there is much more behind those letters than what meets the eye. Traditional exams are blind

to student's non-academic talents. For instance, one may be a terrific basketball player, yet such talent is not necessarily revealed through a written PE exam, is it? Working hard to achieve decent grades is crucial, however straight As are not necessary to prove a student’s brilliance.

Sacrifice. We let go of so many fantastic opportunities striving after a score worth receiving little praise. Rather often, we give up on and ignore the things we love the most merely to get straight As and prove ourselves. As a result, this leads us to lose time for other interests that would benefit us in many nonacademic means.

Perfection. All of us are constantly aiming for perfection. We want to be the best at everything, and oftentimes, it is what brings us down.

Instead, we can focus on performing our best academically while not missing out on other hobbies and activities we enjoy. We must all ask ourselves “is being perfect really that important or is it the mindset and the effort that counts?”. As important as good academic performance is, it simply cannot define one’s worth.

Yes, academics are vital, but at the end of the day they should not define one's worth and ability. Attaining decent grades is vital, but consistently aiming for straight As often carries grave consequences on one’s selfconfidence when they fail to achieve what they most desire: a worthless letter or symbol on a piece of paper.

HayaShahid

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Ifyou'relucky enough,youmight evenbefeaturedin thenextedition!

A Season Recapped: How The U16 Boys Against All Odds

BatoolEnayet

It is no doubt that Term 1 was an action filled term

that “our future goal is to win the DASSA League and many more (competitions) to come”. The phenomenal team has shown great progress, teamwork and determination in every second on the court. As one of the most skilled and

most reliable defence players on the court, co-captain Youssef Wael revealed that “Everyone in the team has a role and I think that there are times when some played excel more than others, but we have a lot of depth and for the U16 Boys' Basketball Team. A term filled with challenges, many wins and indeed some losses. Despite all odds, their resilience surpassed all limits and led to their overall success in the 3rd division of the DASSA League. At a glance, it can immediately be seen that this group of youthful teens are paving a legacy in the name of Al Salam. When interviewing the cocaptains of the team, teen prodigy Aman Said optimistically expressed how “the U16 team has great potential, everyone is still young and we have a whole year ahead of us”. Aman also gave tribute during the interview to the team’s victory in the EISSA League and revealed

Swimming Squad

In Upcoming Gala

MarwanElghamry STAFF WRITER

The newly established swimming team, led by Mr McGuire, is already preparing for its first challenge: a swimming gala coming up in a couple weeks' time! The swimming team is to face other talented swimmers from various schools across Dubai. Despite having only started in early January, the team seems to be quite promising thanks to the extremely talented swimmers making up the phenomenal team. It is safe to say that ASCS has this one “in the bag” as the squad will not only excel on a national level, but hopefully even

scoring”. Youssef also reflected on how “I think we need to work on communication and how to play accordingly in late game situations when we have to focus on our A Game”.

Basketball is a rather demanding sport that requires not only skill and athleticism, but teamwork, sportsmanship, resilience and great connectivity. And in every step of the way, in every nook and cranny, these young boys have persevered against all challenges. Despite this, it is unlikely that they would have reached where they are today without the wisdom and support behind the scenes, from by Mr McGuire and Mr Chen - two members of the PE staff who devoted their all into these boys and watched them grow into the best versions of themselves over the past 6 months.

prove themselves on an international level as time passes by. The pressure is at an all time high as ASCS waits for these talented teens to return victorious!

If you are interested in joining the squad, feel free to fill in the form through the QR code below or by contacting Mr Mcguire through t.mcguire@alsalamcommunity.ae

"The U16 team has great potential, everyone is still young and we have a whole year ahead of us"

You will be missed. Miss Aber Reveals All in Exclusive Interview

AlyKotb STAFF + EDITORIAL WRITER

With the end of Term 1, we said goodbye to 2022 and farewell to many staff at ASCS.

Among whom was student-favourite drama teacher Ms Aber - a teacher who had inspired and influenced many at ASCS. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and so the time had come for us to give our final goodbyes to Ms Aber.

In a never seen before interview, Ms Aber revealed how her journey of inspiring youngsters first began. Ms Aber had always enjoyed drama and dance and mentioned that “I just like being creative and thinking out of the box”. When asked to describe herself in three words, Ms Aber chose “witty, sensitive and compassionate” - three words that perfectly capture her unique personality.

According to Ms Aber, her journey began when “I was at crossroads in my life and I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was going to have an interview to work in an RTC law firm, and as we were doing the

"I was at a crossroad in my life and I didn't know what I wanted to do, my drama teacher said Ms Aber, I always imagined you being a teacher,"

Simple Lunch Recipes 2You'll fall in love with

Cooking can be difficult. To many, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of being in the kitchen is likely extreme complexity and difficulty. However, cooking does not need to be as complex or difficult as you might think. Anyone, including you, can cook opulent dishes using some of the most basic of ingredients. Afterall, food is an art and with the correct mindset you can turn any simple ingredient into a voluptuous dish that does not only taste good, but looks great as well. This month’s dishes are quick, simple yet delicious lunch recipes you’ll instantly fall in love with.

many students nowadays think ‘oh I struggle I’ll give up’. Don’t give up, wrong is something to keep going for reflecting how inspirational she truly remembered as the amazing teacher irreplaceable member of staff, who will always have a remarkable place in our hearts. We wish the best for Ms Aber and we hope she is enjoying

A student letter given to Ms Aber.

STAFF WR

Tuna Pasta

OmarMohammed

French Omelette

YOUR AD GOES HERE

Here are our picks for the Top 5 Movies

SarahAlQaq

STAFF WRITER

Are you ready for a year packed with AMAZING movies?

Well, keep on reading because here are our top 5 movies coming out this year:

Coming Out in 2023

1

Coming out on February 17th, the sequel of Ant Man And The Wasp (2018): Antman and The Wasp: Quantumania, follows the story of one Scott Lang and the adventures he undergoes after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It may have been delayed a year, but our awesome cast is ready to start again!

Another live action Disney movie we wait for ferociously: the Little Mermaid is being released as a live action on May 26th as we reminisce memories of our childhood that was filled with Ariel’s songs!

Oppenheimer

One movie I am personally excited about is Oppenheimer, another one of Christopher Nolan's astounding works about a group of scientists developing an atomic bomb, with an exceptionally talented cast that can only be seen on the July 21st.

Not so long after the fifth movie which was out in 2022, the directors announced that there would be another bone-chilling sequel to the film Watch as the sisters find themselves haunted by an old face in New York City on March 10th

listen

Dune: Part 2

Yet another sequel to an EPIC movie: Dune: Part 2, we all patiently waited to know the events after such a cliffhanger in Dune (2021) and the experience we are about to go through soon.

Antman and The Wasp: Quantumania

Scream VI

The Little Mermaid

500+ House Points are up for grabs!

Are you up for the challenge?

Word Wheel

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

In making a word:

each letter may be used once only

Each word must include the centre letter

5 House Points

10 House Points

25 House Points

10 Words

15 Words 20 (or more) Words

Crossword 80HP

*RewardsnotavailableafterThursday9thofFebruary

Sudoku 175HP

SpotTheDif

Crossword

All rows and columns have the numbers 1 to 9 appearing only once Some numbers have been shown

Fill in all the values

100 House Points 1st to complete

to complete

25 House Points

3rd to complete

Across:

1. Location

3 Tins

6 Busy flying insects

9. Not the front or back

11 Small insect; lives in colonies

12. Belonging to girl called Ida

13 Earth spins in its

14. Earth's closest star

15 In an idle manner

17 A doe is a female

20. Not west

21 You do this with a book

Down:

1. Short for submarine

2 Peg for a golf ball

4 Boxer, Mohammed

5. What you do with eyes

7 Finished

8. Disrespectful; talking back

9 Don't sit

10. What you do with a car

15 Short for "I have"

16 Angeles

18. New Year's

19 Colour of blood

Spot The Difference

Can you spot all 9 differences in these two sushi images?

250 House Points

1st to find all 9 differences

Additionally, enjoy these fun facts you didn't know about sushi:

1- Sushi did not actually originate in Japan!

While often seen as a Japanese invention, it actually originated in Southeast Asia near the Mekong River as a dish knows as rare-zushi This consisted of rice with fish wrapped around it This quickly became popular in China before reaching Japan and becoming the iconic dish we all know and love today

2- The word "sushi" refers to the rice!

This means that as long as there is vinegared rice in the roll, it does not have to contain fish for it to be considered authentic

COMIC CORNER

WE ARE LOOKING FOR WE ARE LOOKING FOR

STUDENT SUBMISSIONS STUDENT SUBMISSIONS

If you would like to see your student work featured here, contact 6829@ascsdubai.ae

We are looking for: Student art Student achievements

Short stories

Suggestions

So much more!

"The Eager Widow" by Zoya Mansoor Y10

"True Motivation" by Berry Ramez Y9