FOREWORD
HEADMASTER’S FOREWORD 2022 Did you know that the word school comes from the Greek word σχολή (scholē) meaning leisure time, or an activity, for example a learned discussion or a lecture, for which leisure time was required? I am not sure I know anyone who would describe life at DC as leisurely, but I certainly cannot imagine anywhere I would rather be spending my time than at the school. During this academic year we have managed to restore much of what makes life at Dubai College so special. Our sports teams have played competitive fixtures against our friends and rivals for the first time in 18 months, ably supported by the excellent extra additions to our rugby and netball coaching team, Epeli Davetawalu and Kenny Kgasi. As with any sporting season our students have met with both victory and defeat at the highest levels of competition and have grown in stature as a result. Our U19 boys narrowly missed out on clinching a second successive victory at the Dubai Rugby 7s this year but should be applauded for their runner up position in what was one of the most competitive competitions for a while. This year, however, was the year in which our U19 girls deservedly took the limelight emerging victorious in the Dubai Netball 7s tournament for the first time. Congratulations not only to our students for their performance in our flagship sports of rugby and netball, but to every student who participated in basketball, football, athletics, tennis, swimming, cricket and rounders both at house and inter-school levels. Fundraising initiatives have also restarted in earnest this year, with students continuing to support our school in the Jaisthok region of Nepal, through the renascent Music, Charity, Love concert as well as countless non-uniform days which also raised awareness for issues as diverse as autism, women’s rights and the contribution of the UAE’s labourers to the city in which we live and learn. Our continued ambition to the teach the unreached has also taken another step forward this year. We have now received approval from International Humanitarian City to construct a new school in partnership with the Pahar Trust Nepal (PTN) in
Tanahun, which is approximately 2 hours’ drive from Pokhara. Our new school will be more accessible to Dubai College students, staff and parents and will, we hope, allow us to raise even greater awareness about our commitment to UN Sustainable Goal 4: Global Education. Great credit must go to the student-led Charity Committee, as well Miss Shah, our Charities Coordinator, Mr Dennis, Director of Extracurricular Activities and Mrs Parker, whose administrative support has allowed us to navigate labyrinthine bureaucracy and raise funds legally in the UAE. Our young musicians have also been able to provide us with the soundtrack to our lives once more. While we have missed Mr Lane’s creative and entertaining online concerts, it has been a real joy to hear live music reverberating around the auditorium again. For those of you who have enjoyed and endured music practice in your homes, you will know that these concerts are months in the making and each performance is a significant accomplishment for your children and their music teachers. The fact that Miss Lee-Foster and team have orchestrated not one but two renditions of this year’s concerts to accommodate as many audience members as possible is testament to their commitment to your enjoyment as well as your children’s opportunity. This commitment manifested itself with a roof raising rendition of O Fortuna on a steamy weekend at the Dubai Rugby 7s in December as well as through the five finalists and four individual category winners at the Young Musicians of the Gulf in January. At the time of writing, however, the creative year is not yet over as we eagerly anticipate our first
Mr Edward Quinlan, Chairman of the Board of Governors
school production since Little Shop of Horrors with a performance of Emile and the Detectives and of course the final summer concert. Academically Dubai College students have also continued to tackle their studies with characteristic conscientiousness and creativity. With competition for university places at an all-time high due to the COVID backlog, our leavers have continued to secure themselves offers from their firstchoice universities, conservatoires, and art schools, while grappling with public examinations for the first time in three years. Our younger students have taken every opportunity to throw themselves into school life with a staggering 99% of Year 7 students participating in an average of 3.6 extracurricular activities a week. We also now explicitly offer around 40 different academic enrichment ECAs each week. These range from Astronomy to Psychology, via Creative Writing and Debating Societies. We have also encouraged departments to see ECAs as a vehicle to promote and supplement their academic subjects. This has proven to be a significant success, and these activities are often very well attended, indicating our students’ passion to learn more about their academic interests. With such conscientious, committed, and creative students as we have in college, the future is looking bright. On that note I would like to wish you all some well-earned leisure time and a relaxing and restorative summer holiday.
Mr Michael Lambert, Headmaster, Dubai College SHAMAL 2022
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