Al Sedra Newsletter 2019 Issue 6

3rd October 2019

Engaged Enthusiastic Energetic

YOUR WEEKLY UPDATE ON ALL THAT’S GOING ON AT THE GULF ENGLISH SCHOOL

3rd October 2019

INFANTS Infants music is off to a great start this year.

Students have been singing, playing instruments, moving and using newly arrived props such as hula hoops, scarves and bean bags in a variety of activities.

enjoyed using traffic signals to stop and start playing instruments and have recently listened to music that describes a train journey. They have also learnt pirate songs and chants, which they perform with great gusto.

Pre-School children are finding their voices and have used indoor and outdoor voices with great effect. They have learnt how to follow instructions when moving and stopping, and are learning many new songs. They have discovered that music can be slow or fast, high or low and loud or soft. Their favourite game is to walk, jump, march and run to the music, and to freeze when the music stops.

Reception children have learnt about pitch, rhythm and silences in music. They love playing ‘Ram-sam-sam’ with egg shakers, and get very excited when the song goes faster and faster.

They have also learnt about taking turns by bouncing a teddy and then passing it on.

Year 1 children are exploring various sound sources. They have used their different voices: speaking voice, shouting voice, whisper and thinking voice (making no sound) and have tried singing with a hand over their mouths. They

Year 2 children have been exploring the duration of sound. They have played a variety of instruments, and arranged them according to the duration of their sound. They have also discovered long and short sounds in various songs and used hand signals to indicate the duration of these notes. They have learnt songs in Jamaican English and some with Spanish words, which they managed very well. They have recently listened to the ‘March by of the kitchen utensils’. They performed body percussion to the music and also marched on the beat.

3rd October 2019

JUNIORS We have had a fun and exciting start in music this year, with the introduction of new topics and ideas. Year 3 have been learning about the environment and sounds around us. This has helped us become more creative when thinking about the sounds we hear every day.

Year 4 have been learning the basics in Rap and Beatboxing. They are finding it really enjoyable and exciting. The rapping aspect of the scheme was a new idea to quite a lot of the students, but they have jumped in, tried hard and enjoyed coming to music every week.

In Year 5, graphic scores have been our main focus during the first term. Everyone has exceeded expectations and put together some amazing performances which have been recorded for future use. It is a great pleasure to work with the Year 5s as they are keen and creative learners.

Year 6 students have taken their first scheme of work seriously and worked on some fantastic soundscapes. 6GG in particular have completed some extremely impressive soundscapes, representing different locations in the world e.g. the amazon rainforest.

All of the current schemes focus on creativity and freedom of expression in a safe and stimulating learning environment. The top classes each week are in with a chance of getting their picture on the class of the week wall and taking the music trophy to show off in their classroom all week.

3rd October 2019

SECONDARY Year 11 For the first six weeks of term, the students have been refining their skills, working on different elements of art, 2 & 3D shape/form, mark making/colour/tone, portrait and collage. Most students have been diligent; consistently meeting deadlines coupled with displaying impeccable behavior. We are currently moving into the study of different artists’ work, which includes the development process undertaken by the artists themselves.

After the break, students will begin their internal assessments. They will be given a topic with the expectation of incorporating all their learnt skills to create a graphic communication response.

Year 10 For the past six weeks students have been working on typography, text and image. Students have researched typography along with key words; exploring different letters, fonts and characters. Students have developed drawing skills and created their own initials using mark making and patterns, and they have then added personal characteristics. Both Year 10 groups have been a pleasure to teach, demonstrating personal enthusiasm and creative awareness.

3rd October 2019

SECONDARY On Monday 23rd September, over sixty Year 11 and 12 students participated in practice ACT and SAT exams, held by the Score Plus team, and the counseling team, at GES. This gave students the opportunity to practise for these standardised tests, which will assist them in reaching their goals for university admissions, in a safe and familiar environment. This is the second consecutive year that GES has worked in partnership with Score Plus in assisting students with these practice exams.

Standardised tests are an important factor when applying to universities within Qatar Foundation and the USA. It is imperative that students prepare by using these tests, so that they can achieve greater results when taking their official tests. One student, Mohammed Al Misned, said, “I’m so glad I took the exam, as I was really nervous, but now I know what to expect I feel more confident.”

The Princeton team will mark the tests and give the students feedback, so that they are fully prepared for the formal exams.

We wish all the students the best of luck.

The Qatar Military visits the Year 12s at GES: On the 23rd September, GES Welcomed Brigadier Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Sheeba and Brigadier Abdulrahman Majid Al Sulaiti from the Qatar Military, whom both kindly gave of their time, to give our students the opportunity to learn more about career opportunities within the military. They spoke with the Year 12 cohort and discussed the entry requirements for the military, along with the different areas of specialty that students can pursue: Marine, Aviation, Navy, Civil and Special Forces.

Brigadier Mohammed Al Sheeba also went into great depth in discussing the process of entering the National Service; including how pupils could enhance their profile for military sponsorship.

Added to this, Brigadier Abdulrahman Majid Al Sulaiti spoke to the students regarding the different educational opportunities that exist within the military, and the opportunities to further their studies at reputable universities in Qatar, USA and the UK. Towards the end of the session, students were offered the opportunity to engage in a question and answer session which proved to be both informative and helpful for our students. The students found this highly beneficial, Hilal Al Kuwari commented, “We found out so much useful information and it was very nice for the school to arrange for the military to speak to us.

This has given the Year 12 students a lot more clarity so that we can make the right decisions for the future”.

3rd October 2019

CONTACT The Gulf English School PO Box 2440, Doha, Qatar Main School: Tel: +974 44578777 Main School: Fax: +974 44861256 Infant Unit: Tel: +974 44886791/90 +974 44886201/93 Infant Unit: Fax: +974 44876821

Email: info@gulfenglishschool.com

Website: www.gulfenglishschool.com