ALUMNI

Barry B Benson, Heyerdahl mascot 2021-22. ability to adapt, and desire to support one another has been commendable as always. Now it’s time to enjoy the summer, so rest well and get ready for another round of fun competition next year.

A huge thank you must go to my busy Heyerdahl bees: Ali, Casey, Inaaya, Dena and Erin. Thank you for you all of your hard work throughout the year. It takes many hours of dedication and determination to be a successful House Captain, and you have certainly succeeded in making the hive proud! It has been a pleasure working with you this year.

In a hive, every single bee contributes to its community by using its own specific set of skills. They are creatures who support one another and help new members of the hive to settle in and feel a sense of belonging. Bees act according to the greater good. They are part of something bigger than themselves. No bee would ever sit back and let everyone else do the work; they all want to play their part to make a successful hive. Without the teamwork of bees, the planet as we know it would not exist. Did you know that 75% of global crops depends on pollinators such as bees? Their teamwork isn’t just admirable: it’s crucial!

Apart from humans, bees are arguably the most adaptable animal on this planet. They populate almost every continent on earth (except Antarctica) and adapt to different climates by regulating the temperature and humidity in the hive. They even use their wings as highly effective fans: bee AC! Scientists have also observed that bees work even harder in the days preceding rainfall, as they are unable to fly during downpours. Bees observe, act and adapt.

After a long day of unwavering dedication and determination, bees will rest and recharge. No one can work non-stop, and bees are no different. They need down time to recover from the day-to-day slog so they can recoup and get ready for the next challenge that lies ahead.

The bee was certainly a good choice of mascot this year! Your teamwork, Mr Robert Ashby Head Of Heyerdahl House

This year has absolutely flown by, despite its ups and downs, us Heyerdahlians have pushed forward and overcome the challenges we faced with aplomb. The pandemic has not been easy for the House programme, however this year we have been fortunate for so many events to have taken place, whether it be the junior and intermediate house weeks, the HUGE variety of sports activities, quiz competitions, house music and the list goes on! I have been so pleased to see all the effort, energy and enthusiasm put in by everyone from Years 7 all the way up to 13. Personally, my highlight of the year was the return of Sports Day – it was amazing to be able to finally have the whole school on the field after two years, competing in what is probably the most tense and exciting event in the whole DC calendar! In one direction you could see Heyerdahl smashing the shot putt, in another, a discus was floating gracefully in the air (thrown by a Heyerdahlian of course), and without a doubt, we dominated on the running track, not only in the races but also with the snazziest style, thanks to our senior relay team! This year has been amazing and I’m so grateful to have been able to represent Heyerdahl as House Captain. I’d like to thank all the wonderful teachers involved in the house programme and in the organisation of the events, my superb Heyerdahl team and of course Mr Ashby, who is the best Head of House we could ever have! I wish the next House Captains the best of luck and I hope we have many more successful years! I will always be rooting for Heyerdahl! GO HEYERDAHL!

WOW! What a year it’s been. If someone had told me at the start of the year, that we’d end up here so fast, I would have laughed so hard. The end of a school year is always bittersweet – this year marking the end of my year as Heyerdahl Head of House. In all honesty, I thought moving into this role would be a breeze and I could kick my feet up and relax, but boy was I wrong (yikes)… Nonetheless, with the perpetual enthusiasm of our fellow Heyerdahlians – that pushed to the end without a morsel of complaints – I could not be more overjoyed to be this year’s Heyerdahl House Captain. Yes, I’ll admit the pandemic has thrown a spanner into the works, causing our smooth sailing annual house events to become somewhat extinct through the course of 2020-2021, therefore I couldn’t be more honoured to be a part of the reintroduction of the marvellous House Competition. Reigniting the competitive, flame that burned continually till the end, never failing to burn brighter and brighter.

Throughout the course of the year, we have grown as leaders within the house and have thoroughly enjoyed such a unique experience. From a feeling of pure terror when giving our first assembly in September to scrambling about to sort out teams for the end of year swim galas. One thing I most probably will never forget is being tossed into the staff relay on sports day at the last minute, trying to hold my lead ahead of Mr Day in the first 50m. Sports day was truly such a memorable day, I even formed a clan of Heyerdahlian warriors, initiating them with bright yellow face paint. However, the time has come for me to pass on the torch to the next set of leaders, that I’m sure will do an outstanding job as all Heyerdahl House Captains do. All I can say is good luck and never forget you’re part of the best house in the school, and thank you so much to Mr Ashby!

Casey Camball Heyerdahl House Captain 2021/22

A wintery November weekend in London and over 100 members of the esteemed Dubai College alumni had seemingly swapped Dubai Marina for Paddington Basin as we gathered for this year’s annual reunion. Teachers past and present, freshly graduated students barely in to their first term at university and nostalgic 40 somethings, who were part of DC’s first ever graduating batch, had all huddled in to a lively Paddington venue to shelter from the rain and relive fond times spent within those unforgettable maroon walls of the DC campus.

Flown in from Dubai as a special guest for the day was none other than everyone’s favourite Economics titan Mr Agent, whom excitable faces were seen gathering around for photographs and autographs. Similarly, Mr Lakiss attracted a lot of paparazzi as smiley selfies were being snapped throughout the day with many commenting on how he is ageing ever so gracefully since relocating to the UK after 18 years teaching Maths in C Block.

Many of us wondered how the teachers get selected to join on these London alumni visits and whether we might request a certain staff member to arrive as guest of honour in years to come. Which teacher would you most like to reunite with after all these years? Whose classroom made the most impact on your schooling years? Get your votes What left an indelible imprint on my mind was how immediate the connection can be, regardless of age, when you strike up a conversation with a fellow DC alumnus. That shared experience of once queuing for an icing donut at the tuck shop, being neat civil and cooperative, decorating your Sixth Form carrel space – no matter how long ago it was – binds us all. Umbrellas and push chairs at the ready, it was time to depart not for the school car park but off to the Circle Line at Paddington Station.

While some of us are already counting down the days till we reconvene on the school pitch for the annual Past v Present sports day, we owe a huge thanks to dear Debra Turpie. Thank you for yet again coordinating a memorable gathering and warming us all up in fine surroundings and company.

Sehr Sarwar Dubai College Class of 2007 CEO & Founder of S&S Strategic Comms www.sands.london