The Student Voice Billabong High EPS International School Secondary Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014 BHIS School Captains 2014 Becoming School Captain is probably one of the highlights of my school life. As a child, I never even thought that one day I would become a School Captain but here we are; I am a Captain alongside Dhafy. I will try my best to be the best School Captain I can be. Sometimes it gets a little stressful and tough but I know that I can handle it. Before I was School Captain, I was the Peace House Captain, so I would say that I have some experience in leadership. All in all, I want 2014 to be the best year BHIS has seen yet! Markin Marouf 12A Hello everyone! Welcome to the year 2014! Markin and I are very honoured to be your Captains for the year. We’ve all started this year fresh, with big goals to achieve and dreams to hunt; as individuals, as a team and as one big school community, and we hope everyone continues working at a similar pace for the rest of the year. Apart from working hard in your academics I strongly urge everyone to take more initiative in cocurricular activities and to contribute to giving school a pleasant atmosphere. I also call upon the students to a) make the school a bully free environment and b) make the school greener. Thank you! Dhafeena Hassan 12A
First of all, I will take this opportunity to WELCOME you all to the new academic year for. It is my hope that this year will take our school to the next level in its academics and other cocurricular activities. I am very happy that we started this year with a well organised academic and events calendar, which was communicated to parents during November 2013. This will help all of us; students, teachers and parents, to be more prepared for all the coming events well in advance. At this point it is worth reminding everyone that all our programs are designed to ensure that a well-rounded education is provided at our school, so that our Billabong High family will continue to widen its impact on the community and to redefine education in the Maldives. I am very grateful to my dedicated team of teachers for all their support and initiatives to make our school a better place for students to be. At the same time, it is also the cooperation extended to us by our Student Council, all students and the parents that makes us successful in all our programs! Thank you all, I look forward to working with you all for an excellent year ahead! Ibrahim Shaheeq - Vice Principal
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Student Council Elections 2014 On the 23rd of January, we had our Student Council Elections. We held the investiture ceremony on the 26th of January. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Dr. Abdulla Nazeer, Minister of State for Education as the chief guest.
Student Council School Captains Boy: Markin Mauroof Ahmed Girl: Dhafeena Hassan Ibrahim Deputy School Captains Boy: Daniel Shakeer Griffith Girl: Aishath Lamha Imthiyaz Sports Captains Boy: Mohamed Ahnaf Ibrahim Girl: Mariyam Afsha Mohamed Jameel
Class Representatives 6A
Mohamed Aik Neesham
6B
Aishath Noorain Jiyad
6C
Aik Abdulla Rifau
7A
Ahmed Akif Maaz Shareef
7B
Ahmed Shauban Ibrahim
8A
Fathimath Lisa Shuhad
8B
Humaam Ahmed Mujah
11A
Mohamed Miz-aan Hussain
12A
Sara Abdul Ghanee
Freedom House Captain: Zuha Abdulla Zubair Ahmed Vice-Captain: Mohamed Khalis Abdul Khaleel Equality House Captain: Ali Edhan Jaleel Vice-Captain: Fathmath Zuhura Ismail Peace House Captain: Mariyam Hanani Aslam Vice-Captain: Yaeesh Naseem Unity House Captain: Aminath Shadhfa Isaam Vice-Captain: Ahmed Saraau Saeed
Congratulations to the elected students. I am confident that you will fulfill your duties to the best of your abilities, setting new benchmarks in leadership that are motivating and inspiring for the rest of the students. Miss Nalurath
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Founder’s Founder’sDay Day Fun FunFair Fair2014 2014 The Founder’s Day Fun Fair was one of the greatest events our school has ever organised. It had so many fun stalls that were directed by our valiant students and teachers. From 9:00am to 3:00pm our groups were creating great stalls featuring different games and awards. Yaeesh (Grade 9), Shadhfa (Grade 10), Mr. Odon and I, made an AWESOME space themed stall, which was truly a star among the crowd. It was not only our stalls that made the day special… The great talents shown by the students also made our fair cool; encouraging people nearby to flock to the Artificial Beach to find the source of the fun and noise. There was a great new performance from the Impact Crew, leaving the crowd cheering for more, and some wonderful songs from the Choir, backed up by the musically talented Miz-aan (Grade 11), Ahnaf (Grade 10) and Alwan (Grade 8). It was hard work and tiring, but in the end we left everyone who participated with smiles. Mohamed Khalis Abdul Khaleel Grade 9
9th of February – the most awaited day of the Billabong High International School year; as we all know that this year it was the fifth Founder’s Day. This year, we celebrated our Founder’s Day at the weekend, on the 7th of February, with great pomp and show. The event was held at the Artificial Beach from 4pm to 10pm. Many stalls were put up; games stalls, food stalls and event stalls such as the Haunted House, the History Hotties stall, the art stall and many many more. Some students celebrated Founder’s Day by showcasing dances and performances; such as The Impact Crew, the school choir, and the Kangaroo Kids dancers. During the night, there was an outstanding live performance by a Boduberu group (Habeys), which had everyone jumping and dancing along. All the parents and students had a great time with the cheerful and helpful staff and management of Billabong High. We all appreciated the excellent support from the teachers and school management, which made all this possible.
Raba Ismail Asif and Fathimath Eafa Rameez Grade 7
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Ms. Shaahunaz
Ms. Nalurath is the new School Counselor.
is from Male’ and she is 22 years old. She has a Bachelor’s in Teaching Secondary (Biology and Chemistry) and currently teaches Physics and Chemistry to Grade 6, Biology to Grade 7 and Chemistry to Grade 8. She says Biology was her favourite subject at school and when she started college she was given a chance to take Chemistry along with Biology. Among her hobbies are reading and writing stories, watching tv and learning Japanese. Her favourite thing about the subjects she teaches is doing experiments. If she hadn’t become a teacher, Ms. Shaahunaz would’ve liked to be an author.
and she is twenty four years old. She studied Psychology in HELP University in Malaysia. She chose her subject in order to contribute to the creation of a better society. Her hobbies are reading and playing badminton. Her favourite subjects are Environmental Studies, Life Skills and Cognitive Psychology. She says that if she hadn’t chosen teaching, she would have been a human right’s worker.
She is from Male’
New Teachers 2014 Ms. Jalaja teaches ICT to 6
th
graders. She is 28 years old and she is from Kochin, India. She studied M.Sc Electronics and M.Ed IT in Mahatma Gandhi University. Her hobbies include listening to music and dancing. She likes hardware and software topics the most about ICT. She chose to teach ICT because she used to get high scores in it.
Ms. Eda is the grade 6 English teacher. She is from Turkey and she is 24 years old. She studied English Language and Literature in Turkey and English Philology in Poland. She chose English because of its universality and because it was her favourite subject at school. If she hadn’t become a teacher, she would’ve liked to be a journalist or a writer. Her hobbies include reading, watching movies and snorkeling. Profiles compiled by 6A & Miss Eda
Ms. Azra
Mr. Khalid
is from
India. He is thirty one years old. He studied Chemistry in Kunnar University in Kerala. His hobbies are playing cricket and reading. His favourite part of Chemistry is organic Chemistry. If he wasn’t a teacher, he would be a social activist.
is the new Mathematics teacher
for grades 6 and 9. She is from Sri Lanka and has a Bachelor’s degree in Maths. She chose her subject because she finds it to be fun, challenging and interesting. Reading and cooking are among her hobbies. She thinks she would have been a counselor if she hadn’t got the chance to become a teacher.
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Malaysia, Vietnam & Singapore
Geography Educational Tour to North INDIA (Explore the Real World) It has always been our pleasure to provide our students with the best of education in order to motivate and encourage them towards their subject, and to explore the real world. This Geography educational tour focuses on the Cambridge syllabus. By visiting India students will experience the local culture, historical background and geographical features knowledge with an understanding of flora & fauna, industrial system, different types of weather etc. A student not only bears the burden of the school bag, but also the responsibilities towards tomorrow, which are more weighing. To face the challenges of the future, the students must be well versed in their physical, as well as, mental stamina. Geography is dedicated to the creation of such an environment under which: Students learn how to develop their leadership skills (team building, team leadership etc). Students learn the building the trust for better approach. Students can overcome their fear by specially designed jungle trekking, river crossing, rappelling and many more. Students learn survival techniques. Apart from these skills students get the face to face interactions with a natural scientist, a wildlife specialist, an ecology specialist, scholars and professors. Mr. Suresh
A group of thirty one students from grade 9 to 12, along with a parent representative and five staff members, have planned to visit Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam from March 21 to 28, 2014, during the mid-term holidays. The theme of this trip is to: EDUCATE, EXPOSE, EXPERIENCE & ENJOY. The students will be visiting mega industries, world class business centres, historical and heritage sites and higher education providers. They will also be covering other international organisations, theme parks and mega shopping malls. The group will split from Malaysia- one group will go to Vietnam whilst the other group goes to Singapore. Group 1 will be visiting leading car manufacturing and electronics manufacturing plants and a farming industry in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia in addition to visiting a university, IB International School and Sentosa, Singapore. Interactive sessions with entrepreneurs and scientists will be arranged. Group 2 will visit many historical sites linked to the war of the 1960s and 1970s. They will meet veterans of that war and enter the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. There will also be opportunities to visit cultural sites harking back to the French colonial era and to experience modern Vietnam by climbing the Bitexco Tower. The two groups together will then be doing a tour of KL, visiting a leading university, and the Maldives High Commission in Malaysia. One full day will be spent at the Genting Highlands, which includes a world class hotel. The trip includes a city tour, sightseeing and shopping in Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. Latest update: Tickets by Sri Lankan Air Lines have been purchased and a three star hotel booking has been made. Mr. James, Miss Fortune & Mr. Johnson
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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SANDWICH MAKING ACTIVITY FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS This activity is organised for grade 9 business students to understand the concept of “value added” in business. Students brought the ingredients, such as: bread, cheese and canned tuna. They took the guidance of Jailam, the proprietor of the school canteen. Students took up different tasks, thereby related to previous lesson-division of labour and specialization. The sandwiches they prepared were delicious. Some of them were healthier with the brown bread. They calculated the cost of ingredients, excluding the cost of other services and priced the sandwiches. The difference was the value added. It was fun for them to learn a difficult concept through real experience together. They suggest for a similar activity and sell to make a profit. “Well this is what basically business is.” said one of them as they enjoyed the sandwiches they made – Mr Johnson (HoD Business & Economics)
Department of Science – Biology Guest Lecturer Series
GUEST LECTURE BY DR. MOHAMED SHAFIU – NEPHROLOGIST On 3rd February, 2014, we invited a guest lecturer Dr. Mohamed Shafiu from Texas, USA. He is a Nephrologist. Grade 10, 11 and 12 students attended the lecture along with Mr.Shaheeq, Vice-Principal and Mr.Mehaboob, HoD Science.
He explained to the students how he became a doctor and a professor. He briefed the students with information on general health, immunity, disease, kidney dialysis, kidney transplant and urine analysis. All these topics are in the curriculum of all the 3 grades. Students asked questions on different topics and Dr.Shafiu clarified them. Ms.Dhafeena, school captain gave a vote of thanks.
Dr. Dharmesh R. Bhatti – Senior Consultant – Gynaecology – ADK Hospital. In a series of guest lectures, the second one was held on 18th February, 2014. It was delivered by Dr. Dharmesh R. Bhatti, Senior consultant, ADK hospital. Grade 10, 11 and 12 students participated in this lecture, along with Mr. Shaheeq, our Vice-Principal, Mr.Mehaboob – HoD and Ms.Hana – Bio teacher. Dr.Bhatti explained to the students why he wanted to be a doctor and how he became a doctor. He asked the students why they want to be doctors and why some of them do not want to be doctors. He explained male and female reproductive systems, gametes production. He gave details regarding menstrual problems and why some girls feel pain and others don’t. He also explained about oral hygiene, the importance of reproductive health, nutrition and child bearing age for females. Finally during question hour, he clarified the doubts of few students, mainly girls, and the session came to an end with Ms. Dhafeena’s vote of thanks.
Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
S.Mehaboob (HoD – Science)
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Planning the grade 11 assembly was the best few days of the year so far. Shavi, Miz-aan, Daniel and I dedicated a week’s worth of hard work to making our presentation on the Maldives. With Amana as a guest star, Rahil, Miz-aan, Aineez and Daniel starred in a short video we filmed. During the weekend, I spent a few hours interviewing tourists with a couple of friends and we got to know what they thought about our country. Overall, I’m really thankful to everyone that contributed to making this assembly, and also to Fooz, who helped to prepare our PowerPoint presentation. Lubaba 11A
The 12th graders hosted the assembly on 16th February, Sunday. The theme for the assembly was Social Justice. As usual, we started off with the recitation of the holy Qur’an and the school song was sung. To give the audience a little preview of our theme, we showed a little ‘stop motion’ video that seemed to interest everyone. After explaining parts of the video that confused people, we went ahead with the presentation. Since Social justice was a broad topic, we mainly focused on racism, gender, bullying and labour laws. Despite the long presentation and video, we seemed to have the attention of the students more than half of the time. Sara 12A
Does smoking really kill us? The answer to this question was clarified after a short presentation held in the school assembly on January 26th. We had quite a whale of a time during this presentation and it made us youngsters more aware about this situation. The presentation mainly consisted of the dangers we would face if we started smoking. It could even lead to death. However, as was stated in the presentation, a smoker that stops smoking before it becomes lethal has a chance of regaining 100% of their health. This was illustrated by a short video. Overall, the presentation really helped us and surely we all will avoid such dangers in life. Rafaal 11A
Assemblies Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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Letter to the Editor
Visit to the Airport (Metrological Department)
The intentions for having sports at that time are good and there are valid arguments for not having it in the afternoon. However, last Thursday, we had a session with Y exercise from TFG and the instructors informed us that about 4 hours after exercise, our body temperature drops below the average temperature, which in turn makes us sleepy. This would seem true as half the students who go to sports in the morning come back all peppy, then half way through the day they look like they could drop dead any minute. “Many teens who sleep less than 8-9 hours suffer from irritability, mood swings and depression. Sleep deprivation with poor health and social withdrawal."
All of us met at the Hulhule’ Airport Ferry at 10am on Saturday 18th. When we got to the airport, we were received by one of the executives of the Metrological Department. At the Department, we were shown many of the instruments that are used on a daily basis to measure and analyze the climate and weather. Some of the instruments include the rain gauge and Stevenson screen. In the main office, we saw many instruments that are no longer used as they have been replaced with more efficient, electronic devices such as a barometer (used to measure pressure), which is now replaced by a digital pressure recorder that records and updates pressure records. After a few minutes of discussion about the instruments, we were taken up to the weather studio. The studio was one aspect of the whole visit that I think many of us enjoyed very much. The studio is the place where all the daily weather reports are recorded. These reports are recorded using a very high quality “colour filter” camera. The video is recorded in front of a green screen as the camera does not record the colour green. The recording is later edited to give the viewers a map and further details. The trip ended with a delicious meal from Burger King. After the meal, we took a ferry ride back to Male’ at around 1:30 pm; ending a very educational, fun and successful trip. Mohamed Ahnaf Ibrahim 10A
Exercise is important but so is sleep. Most of us don't get enough sleep at night as we prefer to study at that time and however much we try to sleep early and wake up early, it doesn't work. Also for those who like to study early in the morning, that time is stolen from them as they have to attend sports. So we need almost as much time as we can to sleep in late.
Edited by Sharon Alvey
Studies show that late afternoon is the best time for exercise. Research shows that the optimal time to exercise is when our body temperature is at its highest, which, for most people is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (body temperature is at its lowest just before waking). Strength and endurance is also greatest in the late afternoon. However, despite these early morning challenges I personally feel that if the school were to provide a program similar to what they did in the Y Exercise, I would happily wake up at 5 in the morning. Concerned Student Billabong High EPS International School Newsletter, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 2014
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email responses, comments & contributions to sharon@billabonghigh.mv
This year started off with a drastic change in timing for sports. We shifted from having it in the late afternoon to sports in the early morning.