Whole School Newsletter T1 AY 2021/22

NLCS DUBAI NEWSLETTER I S S U E # 1 I D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 1

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Message from The Principal I am pleased to say that this term we have been able to celebrate in a way that has not been possible for nearly two years. It has been great to see parents back on school site enjoying these events and the chance for us all to reconnect face-to-face and enjoy our fabulous community.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Message from The Head of JS Thank you for your generous donations and for the gifts of gratitude for the support staff. I know they are

PAGE 2 l Message from The Principal

thrilled to receive them. As we look ahead to the New Year, we remain optimistic that 2022 will be a better year for everyone globally.

PAGE 4 l Message from The Head of Junior School PAGE 5 l Whole School News

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PAGE 10 l Message from The Vice Principal Pastoral Care PAGE 11 l Senior School News PAGE 22 l Junior School News

Whole School News We would like to thank all the staff and parents who worked so hard and contributed towards our National

PAGE 30 l Team NLCS

Day celebrations. Hopefully next year, we can invite all of our community into the school to celebrate with us.

Message from The Principal It has been great to see parents back on school site enjoying these events and the chance for us all to reconnect face-to-face and enjoy our fabulous community.

There will be some changes for the start of the academic year, but as yet the education community waits for official notification of any amendments to the protocols and guidelines. There are many areas where we are hopeful of a return to normal NLCS Dubai. This term has seen the reformation of the Parents’ Guild and I would like to thank all the parents that put themselves forward for this crucial part of our community. We have already met a number of times and they are well underway to organising an exciting Winter Fayre next term.

As we approach the holidays, we can reflect on an

exciting and revitalising term. A year ago, I wrote about how the students were being resilient and how the corridors were quieter than we wanted them to be. I am pleased to say that this term we have been able to celebrate in a way that has not been possible for nearly two years. We have been privileged with a wonderful production of ‘’Peter Pan’’ in the Junior School and a fantastic drama and music evening centered around the 1920s from the Grade 9 and 10 students.

National day celebrations were almost back to full force with an array of activities and shows celebrating the rich culture of the UAE. Thank you to Mr. May particularly and our Emirati families who supported the event so positively. Sports fixtures have also been a welcome return to school life with football and basketball fixtures and a number of swim meets.

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I know that they will be hoping for support from all parents as we approach a number of key community events in Term two.

I was very pleased to announce the appointment of Simon James as our new Head of Junior School from August 2022. Emma Navin will be leaving after five years of outstanding service to the school. She has been our founding Head of Junior School taking the school forward in so many ways and developing our Junior School Community.

I would like to thank her for all that she has done and look forward to two more terms of development and a smooth transition in the summer. Simon will be visiting the school at the end of this term and will begin his journey towards taking over by having a day meeting the Junior Leadership team, staff and students.

In January we have our first face-to-face inspection from our international team based in London since January 2019. This is an important part of our evaluation process and a key part of what makes our family of schools different to many others. A team will come to the school for a week and examine every aspect of the school’s educational provision. A summary report of the main findings are shared with parents later in the year. For me it is an excellent process and one which aligns closely to the ethos of all our schools. I look forward to welcoming them here on the 16th January 2022.

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I wish all of you an excellent break, do please stay safe and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Here is to a wonderful 2022.

All the best, James Monaghan Principal

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Message from The Head of Junior School The students have been involved in a rich programme of learning this term with several grades having the opportunity to visit various venues in Dubai to support their units of inquiry including Kidzania, Oli Oli, Jam Jar and Woo Hoo. Our Student Council have continued to lead initiatives across the Junior School for the benefit of all students including creating a Lego wall and a purposeful reading area on the first floor.

It has also been lovely to see you all in school again this term for key events and for parent’s evenings.

Thank you for your generous donations for the gifts of gratitude for the support staff. I know they are thrilled to receive them.

As we look ahead to the New Year, we remain optimistic that 2022 will be a better year for everyone globally.

As we come to the end of term, I just want to say

a huge thank you for your support from all of us in the Junior School.

As the restrictions have eased it has been wonderful to see the students immerse themselves fully into life at NLCS with many participating in ECAs, House events, Sports fixtures and mini exhibitions. House breakfasts have been enjoyed by all and will continue next term.

National Day celebrations provided a wonderful feel to school life especially seeing the falcon, police dog display and traditional dancing. The art work produced across the grades has been of a high quality and the students should be proud of collaboratively producing some excellent pieces that showcase their artistic skills including sketching and weaving.

It was delightful to see Pre KG and KG1 participate in their Winter themed singing. The Grade 3 production of Peter Pan was a particular highlight especially as the students were able to perform to a live audience.

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On behalf of all the Junior Team may I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday and I look forward to seeing the children back at school on 2nd January.

Enjoy the break with family and friends and please keep safe and well.

Warmest wishes, Emma Navin Head of Junior School

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Whole School News

Flag Day & National Day Celebrations

By Mr Chris May

November and December are very special months within NLCS Dubai as we celebrate and commemorate the formation of the Union, UAE Flag Day and Commemoration day. This year, flag day was marked with our Emirati students from all grades observing the raising of the flag on the field. Fatima in Grade 6 read the UAE oath beautifully and all proudly listened to the UAE National Anthem as the flag was raised high.

National Day at NLCS Dubai was celebrated on the 25th November this year with all students enjoying a range of activities and experiences relating to the country we all call home. From traditional music and dance to collaborative art works; we all got in the spirt of the occasion. This year we not only celebrate the history of the UAE but also the future as the nation celebrates its 50th birthday. Students in the Junior School dressed in traditional outfits of flag colours as is tradition but this year, as it’s the big 5-0 our senior school students came dressed for a party! We also managed to do a 50 on the field this year, in a somewhat different way than usual.

The day featured a police dog show, falcon display, local art work and some wonderful Emirati flavours.

We would like to thank all the staff and parents who worked so hard and contributed towards our celebrations.

Hopefully next year, we can invite all of our community into the school to celebrate with us.

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CHARITY

By Mrs Laura Dunn This term was full of action from the Charity Committee, with a variety of activities taking place, from fundraising events to awareness campaigns. On 14th October, in recognition of PINKtober, the committee hosted Pink Day celebrations, a long-standing tradition of the NLCS Dubai community. Students and staff across the whole school were invited to wear pink clothes and ribbons to represent hope for the future and raise awareness of breast cancer.

This event raised a staggering 17.677.50AED for the Al Jalila Foundation.

Thank you to all those who took part and donated.

On Remembrance Day, the Charity Committee distributed poppies and bracelets from The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, which were worn as a reminder of those have lost their lives in war. Next up was the Walk for Diabetes, this took place during lunchtime on 14th November.

Students of all grades in the school were encouraged to walk on a planned route around the school field. The route was decorated with infographics, posters, and fact sheets that informed students of the different types of diabetes, key statistics, and what we could do to help.

It was wonderful to see students finishing their laps of the field with a newfound awareness of diabetes. Students and staff were encouraged to donate independently.

The main event of this term was the 50 for 50th Project, a joint venture with the Emirati Committee, and the idea of giving back to the nation that we call home. All students were invited to raise 50AED by doing something meaningful for someone or their community. This could be a sponsored event or doing something for others within the home or beyond. All money raised will be donated to the Al Jalila Foundation.

Finally, on the penultimate day of term, students and staff were invited to wear a festive jumper to bring in the Winter break in style. Voluntary donations were given in aid of the Al Jalila Foundation. Every donation will help to support the Charity Committee to reach their total fundraising goal of 50,000 AED this academic year, for the Al Jalila Foundation. The Charity Committee would like to thank the whole school community for their generous donations and look forward to organising future events.

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SEASON’S GREETINGS The festive season has proven to be a joyous occasion with staff and students alike sharing their gratitude and appreciation for others as well as celebrating the term so far. We have had some key highlights with festive jumpers worn by all on the penultimate day and a rather hilarious rendition of ‘12 days of Christmas’ organised by the Sixth Form. I would like to extend my thanks to all families for the generous donations they provided for our support staff. It was wonderful to be able to give these out on the last day to thank them for all they do for us here in school.

- Ms Frances Powell This year’s celebrations have certainly crept up on us in a most wonderful and exciting manner. Unquestionably, the sounds of Carols ringing out from the Music Department was something of a starting gun to the festivities.

For the Winter Concert, there was ample opportunities to enjoy the secular Christmas Carols as a whole school, that left us with the warmth and gratitude for those around us. In addition, we continued our tradition of having our younger students singing around the Christmas Tree. Whilst there has been winter music ringing out of every corner of the school, we are so grateful that we have been able to return to the wonderful activities of communal music making, which is an essential part of our school’s ethos.

- Mr Howard Wong We were delighted to host our fifth annual winter book fair in school - while we had to opt for a virtual event last year. Our PAC entrance was decorated with a wide array of books, Students had allocated slots to visit the venue with their teachers for an opportunity to browse and select titles. We ensured that the English recommended reading lists were among the titles displayed.

Our young pupils attended read aloud sessions delivered by Early Starters representative or our own Sixth Form students. To make this event a memorable one, some students created their own bookmark or colored an ornament. Those who thought of selecting a book for their loved ones, had the option of gift-wrapping on the spot.

- Mrs Hanadi Tayfour

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EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

By Ms Nicola Woodroffe Within the new KHDA COVID permissions, our ECA programme was relaunched and a sense of excitement was injected back into the NLCS Dubai community.We welcomed back our external providers for the first time in 18 months. Students jumped at both the onsite and offsite opportunities with boundless energy and enthusiasm, clearly keen to make up for lost time. By week three, the programme was not only back but alive and buzzing, with over 300 students engaged daily. As soon as day trips were given the green light, planning commenced with excitement and certainty. We have had students across the school attending Kidzania, Dubai Frame and La Mer for a field trip to name a few.

Next term, students can look forward to visiting Expo in the cooler weather. Grade 5 and Grade 4 will also visit Umm al Quwain Marine club - just before half-term for their adventure days. A Grade 9 and Grade 10 Geography Wadi trip will study fresh water source and students will also undergo their Duke of Edinburgh expedition weekends in the mountains to complete their Bronze Award.

A busy term ahead with lots to look forward to!

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Message from The Vice Principal Pastoral Care This tied in with our Student Council anti-bullying initiatives and our Charity Committee’s awareness and support raising endeavours has created a real sense that we are all working towards the same cause – to show care and concern for those around us.

Positive three must be our National Day celebrations.

The theme of ‘glitz and glamour’ was always going to a highlight of mine and our students and staff did not disappoint. The 50th Anniversary of the UAE is such an important occasion and we really wanted to celebrate in style through the gold decorations and them, whilst also ensuring we were giving to others as is the true Emirati spirit.

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a term it has been. A sense of reinvigoration and rejuvenation has filled the corridors and classrooms. There are too many highlights to possibly mention here so I thought it would be wise to narrow this down to three positives of the term.

The 50 for 50 challenge was so successful with AED19,420 raised and some wonderful initiatives planned. On the celebratory day the police dog show was interesting as were the different cultural stations allowing our students a chance to fully appreciate and celebrate our UAE culture. the years to come, bring as we continue to grow, flourish and thrive together.

Positive one has been the revival of our House spirit.

Seeing students coming together as a team to compete with others and support each other has been heart warming. From House quiz, to football to music students have been passionate and thrown themselves into all of the events. House Music was a particular highlight with all students in all Houses participating to create a truly inclusive performance.

The new House spaces have proved to be popular with students using them to spend time with others and work with their older/younger peers highlighting our ‘family within a family’ House feeling.

Positive two is our renewed focus on wellbeing with a newly established wellbeing committee who have led various events based on kindness and self care and our Sadiq peer mentor group who have been formally trained to provide mentorship to younger students.

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I hope your children have enjoyed this term as much as we have – wishing you all the best for the Winter break!

Frances Powell Vice Principal Pastoral Care NLCS DUBAI I ISSUE 1

Senior School News HOUSE COMPETITIONS

By Mrs Georgia Ward

House Competitions have begun the year with a varied and interesting array of events and experiences. It has

been fantastic to watch competitions return in their full capacity and for students to be able to try themselves out and represent their House in sports, art, and music. Events have been challenging and competitive with students supporting their Houses and showing their true house spirit.

The year began with Mr. Tomasik hosting the annual House Quiz, which included rounds of subject specific questions, pointless answers, and familiar faces. Javi beat the rest of the Houses to become champions of this first competition. This was followed by House Debating where all four Houses played each other in a round robin style tournament for both the Junior and Senior competitions. The top two teams then played one another again in a final. The Junior final was won by Hafeet, who beat Yibir by 142 points to 118 and the Senior final was won by Yibir, who beat Javi by 142 points to 131. Javi took the trophy overall as they scored the highest points throughout the competition to become champions for the second time.

House Football was the first sporting competition of the year and took place over a series of lunchtime games.

Students cheered on their houses from the sidelines and all year groups were able to take part and represent their House. The overall winners were the undefeated Javi team once again.

House Photography this year was themed around 'Orientation in Space and Time'. Photographs have been displayed in the Gallery and show just how open to interpretation the theme was. Each house was judged on ten entries and the overall winners of the competition were Hafeet who gained the most points from the three judges. We were delighted to watch House Music in which all Senior School students took a role in the House Song. This led to a sprint to the Term one finish line and an opportunity for houses to pick up double points in this competition. Good luck to all four houses in House Music and term two competitions starting in January.

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HOUSE JAVI

By Mr Lee Garrett What a start! Javi won the first House Competition of the year, House Quiz and ever since then, students are believing that ‘Everything is possible’.This first term has been full of inspiration, drive, collaboration and kindness.

Javi students are proud of their achievements and their character strengths is evident around school.

House Debate was a real highlight. A tough week saw the Javi Debating Team constantly sharpening their pencils ready for battle as they prepared their arguments ready to fire. As the week went by, the leadership and communication was impressive and their oratory skills just got better and better. A second win was a real turning point for the Javi House and seemed to have been a catalyst for the House Spirit and sense of cohesion.

With confidence high, House Football was a trophy that was enjoyed by all. Teams across the grades, both male and female worked for each other and scored our third trophy of the term.

It has been a fabulous term, the students have embraced the normality of an NLCS Dubai school, full of curiosity, passion, leadership opportunities and unique learning experiences. As we end the Term with House Music, it always amazes me, the talent that resides in the school. Whatever the outcome, to watch Javi perform on stage and see the students give it their best effort will round off the year perfectly.

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HOUSE JAIS

By Mr Chris May Term one of 2021 has certainly been a busy one for Jais House. To welcome so many new faces was a joy and I am so proud of the way in which existing students have helped our new colleagues assimilate into student life at NLCS Dubai. The reaction to having a house space for the first time was also wonderful to see with all grades using the space well for both learning sessions and also for relaxing time at lunch. In terms of house competitions, Jais have not won any this term (yet) but have acquitted themselves well in all events.

As we work towards the culmination of the term with House Music I would like to thank all who have entered, put themselves forward and stepped up for the team. Moving forward, I want to see more of the House getting involved in the myriad of opportunities coming up in term 2. In January we welcome even more members to the house and I know they will be made to feel part of the big bear family. Finally, I would like to wish everyone a restful and peaceful winter break and I look forward to lots of fun and competitions next term.

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HOUSE YIBIR

By Mrs Laura Dunn This term Yibir have once again shown that they are ‘ready for anything’, working together as a team across grades to plan and prepare for a variety of House competitions. It was wonderful to see students play in House Football, in which we came a close 2nd to Javi. House Debating was also a highlight, and although we didn’t win, it was excellent to see students stepping forward and trying themselves out in a new area. The first win of this year for Yibir was for the House Endurance Challenge, a huge well done to all students for their hard work and determination to win this competition.

House Music preparations have been well under way this term and the excitement is building towards the final.

It is amazing to see the breadth of talent within Yibir, from students designing the logo and poster, to the directing and choreography skills of the 6th form students. A special thank you to all students who have performed as soloists and to the musicians who have played for the House song. It has been a joy to see the whole House collaborating and having fun.

Wishing Yibir every success for the remainder of the academic year!

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HOUSE HAFEET

By Mrs Emma Dawson It has been a wonderful first term for Hafeetians at NLCS Dubai, as we are now starting to re-connect and rebuild relationships within the House across all Grade Levels. "The Strength is in Our Pack" is so important to our identity as a House and being able to work and collaborate together again has been fantastic!

House Debating is always an area of strength for the Mighty Hafeet - with our Junior Team being undefeated in their section, and the House coming second overall. Some brilliant research, writing and debating skills were in abundance across all grade levels.

It is wonderful to see students' creativity alive and well through House Photography. So many students submitted interesting and thought-provoking entries, and Hafeet took their first victory of this academic year coming out in first place - particular mention to Nishka Nanani in G12 who had the highest scoring entry in the whole competition.

Working together on House Music at the end of this busy term has been an absolute joy, and we cannot wait to share the footage of the beautiful performance they have created together.

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Performing Arts

By Mrs Jennifer Durston It has been wonderful to see the Performing Arts back in full swing at NLCS Dubai. Students have been incredibly enthusiastic to ‘tread the boards’ again with over eighty students working hard in rehearsals for ‘Bugsy Malone’.

To continue the theme of the 1920’s where the decadence of the party scene was something to behold, we held an evening soiree, showcasing the most colourful and eclectic influences of the time. Just think of Stravinsky, Betsy Smith, Al Jolson, Caruso, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin’s Silent Movies, Salvador Dali, Dadaism, Metropolis, Hot House Jazz, gangsters and prohibition,… the list goes on. In the Junior School Grade 3 students performed a magical rendition of the much loved J.M Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’.

Students also had the opportunity to watch live theatre when S4K performed their hilarious touring production of ‘Aladdin’. House Music once again proved to be a highlight of the term with all students embracing the opportunity to sing and play for their house.

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Reading Buddies

By Mrs Katy Younge At NLCS Dubai we encourage friendships across grades and the family feel that this creates was clear to see in this week’s first ‘Reading Buddies’ session. The library was buzzing yesterday, as grade 11 students supported grade 6-8 students with their reading, helping them learn new vocabulary and discussing the novels they have chosen for wider reading. Grade 11 students, who were trained how to read with younger students last academic year, are enthusiastic about the opportunity that ‘Reading Buddies’ provides for them to support their school community and share their love of reading, while the younger students are really excited having this extra time and support to enjoy reading. Studies have shown that peer mentoring can make a significant affect upon progress and reading frequently is linked to progress regarding reading ability, so we have high hopes for the value that this initiative will add to the school community and especially our readers.

Our Grade 11 Buddies said: Siraj: “I am keen on Maths and Physics, and I would attribute both of these to my passion for reading. I enjoyed reading Atlases and Encyclopedias when I was young and have become an avid reader, who can’t stop reading. I have joined reading buddies so that I can help other students gain passion for reading, so they can help themselves expand as readers and as students.”

Josefina: “This school has really helped someone like me (who used to not like reading) develop my love for it and now enjoy it. I hope I can show my love of reading to younger students and show them the beauty of it as well.”

Sherly: “The reason I choose to do reading buddies is because I came to Dubai in Grade 6 and I understand how hard is to start in a totally new environment. I want to help the younger students and give back to school.”

Yasmina: “When I was younger I wasn’t a very confident reader however with the help of older students and teachers, English has now become one of my favorite subjects and I’m currently studying it at a higher level.”

Ilyes: “I've been at NLCS Dubai since 8th grade, and I'm extremely grateful for the love of learning my teachers have given me and want to share that passion.”

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MFL Week

By Mrs Jayne Vickers MFL week focused on the theme of ideas being ‘lost in translation’ from one language to another. Mrs Vickers launched the week with an interesting assembly about the history of translation and the importance of guarding against the overuse of online translation. The Languages Society continued on the theme in the student led assembly on Thursday, providing fascinating examples of ‘untranslatable words’, such as the German word ‘Schadenfreude’, the French verb ‘Flâner’ and the Spanish word ‘Sobremesa’. The Society also shared some fun foreign language tongue twisters that our teachers had tried to perfect across the week. During Senior Societies, Mrs Kanyerezi gave an inspirational lecture based on her Master’s research about ‘ways to prevent student anxiety during spontaneous use of target language’. She provided vital tips to the students on how to manage anxiety before a speaking assessment. On Monday, everyone made an effort to converse in Chinese, with bursts of ‘Nihao’ filling the corridors. At lunchtime on Tuesday, students signed up for a range of language activities, including karaoke in Spanish, puzzles in German, making bookmarks in Mandarin and meditation in French. The week continued with bursts of super Spanish on Tuesday, followed by fantastic French on Wednesday. In form time, students held activities to teach their mother tongue. It was pleasing to see the students learning more about each other and sharing their language and culture. Thank you everyone for a wonderful week! Gracias, Merci, Xiè Xiè, Danke.

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Arts Week

By Mrs Rebecca Michaels

This week highlighted the many advantages the act of drawing has on us as human beings, our understanding

of the purpose of drawing has been confused and kept it from being seen as a tool for learning above all else.

Our school community took part in The Big Draw festival through a variety of different activities organised for lunch and form times. This year’s theme of #makethechange acknowledges sustainable and successful living is equally about how we interact with the world around us; it’s about kindness shown to nature and our natural world but also kindness shown to each other.

Students learned about contemporary young leaders, explored markmaking to music using unusual drawing materials, responded to Inktober and used their drawing skills to create pink portraits to raise awareness of Cancer.

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Economics Week

By Mr Angus Graham

Our Economics subject week started in style with Mr. Graham’s lead assembly on why we ‘can’t stand losing’

from a deeper Economics perspective. In our Sunday societies slot, Mr Zeraiki who is a banker with HSBC, offered us some interesting insights into how the world of banking is evolving in a rapidly changing world economy. He fielded a number of interesting questions from our students and the one about the threat of cryptocurrencies to traditional banking models was particularly thought provoking.

In form time we had the Politics, Philosophy and Economics mega quiz with a grand total of 42 questions. The students enjoyed showing off their knowledge in a number of areas. Mr Wood in his lunchtime lecture offered a fascinating insight into the huge loss of welfare involved in the exchanging of Christmas gifts. Apparently not everyone wants a pair of socks with a reindeer motif !

Perhaps the highlight of our week was the Grade 11 versus Grade 12 Great Debate on ‘This house believes that environmental sustainability is a hindrance to economic growth’. Our senior students certainly are a talented group of debaters and there were some great oracy skills on display. Mr. Snape’s fascinating Nicholson Lecture on the relationship between the Japanese psyche and economic decision making in Japan brought our Economics week to a close.

We are indebted to all who supported us in the preparation and facilitation of this hugely enjoyable subject week.

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SOCIETIES

By Mr Alistair Wood Term 1 has seen the Senior Societies programme return almost to normal with the recommencement of having our guest speakers deliver their talks in person. We have been very fortunate this term to welcome a very talented group of individuals from a wide variety of different professions. Our offering so far has had a slightly more artistic flavour with a number of speakers with backgrounds in the creative arts. Dr David Tully from Middlesex University gave a fascinating talk about storytelling and the film media, Professor Sophie Boutros from the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at American University spoke about her journey from being a Biology undergraduate to making music videos and award winning feature films, and interior designer. Photographer Mrs Leal Goncalves shared some excellent advice of how to take better photographs. Away from the creative side, the world of business took prominence with a talk on leadership by consultant Mr Matthew Lewis and Mr Chaker Zeraiki, Head of Global Trade and Receivable Finance at HSBC gave an absorbing address on the importance of banking on finance for today and the future. As the end of term approached the Mathematics and Medical societies provided hosted two very different speakers. Professor Alberto Gandolfi from NYU Abu Dhabi explained the role of percolation and probabilities in our lives whilst Dr Nadia Dabbagh, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who wrote the Dubai Mental Health Strategy, gave a wide ranging and insightful talk into the work of a psychiatrist.

Whilst there are too many speakers to name in this short report, we are thankful to all of those who have contributed especially our parent volunteers. It is vital that students are exposed to a diverse and broad spectrum of ideas, professions and thinkers if they are to be the ones to make the connections between them in the future and so we are grateful for the time and effort that our speakers have taken to prepare for their lectures. We look forward to even more speakers in 2022!

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Junior School News PETER PAN

By Steven Helliwell

This term, we had the pleasure of bringing our school Performing Arts Centre back to life with the Grade 3 Production of ‘Peter Pan the Musical’.

The Grade 3 students provided their audience with an outstanding performance, sharing the magic of Neverland with a glittering showcase of their acting, singing and dancing talents, all in front of a live audience.

After such a lengthy absence, it was also a wonderful opportunity to welcome parents back into the school to share and celebrate the students’ success, a culmination of many weeks of rehearsals and hard work from all the students and the Grade 3 production team. A huge congratulations to all of the students and staff involved in the production and thank you to all parents for their support.

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ALADDIN

By Rebecca Fernandes Students from Pre-KG to Grade 3 were treated to a performance of 'Aladdin' by the S4K International theatre company. The buzz of excitement as the students entered the PAC, and when they left following the performance, made everyone smile and it was clear that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The students quickly got into the spirit of clapping along to the songs and shouting out to questions and comments from the actors on stage - it was certainly an interactive show. The performance was adapted slightly for our youngest students, who fully embraced their first experience of watching a play in the PAC. We hope there are more to come over the year!

HOUSE COMPETITIONS

By Nicola Ali

We began the year with our House Quiz, whereby children came to school wearing their house colours and

answering questions which were age appropriate to their age groups. Students took part from PreKG to Grade 5, wearing their house colours with pride. This enabled the students to feel enthusiastic about being in their house and brought a healthy competitive spirit to our Junior School. Our younger students became aware of what being in their House means to them and it was a great way to begin the year. House Captains were then elected from Grade 5 and they have been a fantastic asset to their Houses so far. They have organised a weekly House Breakfast, enabling them to meet other students from their houses and deliver surveys and speeches to stay in touch with the student voice.

The House Photography Competition with entries from First School and Lower School really gave the students an opportunity to showcase their creative talents. They demonstrated excellent skill with a camera and the Padlet of photographs highlights some of the talents that we have within our Junior School. To support Dubai 30/30 the PE department organised a House Fitness Endurance Challenge whereby students took part in various fitness activities to earn points for their houses. Finally, this term we launched our eagerly anticipated House Music Competition. The students auditioned within three categories and were selected to compete in a live final. It was wonderful to see such musical talents ranging through all of the age groups.

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GUEST SPEAKERS

By Nathan Gibbons The Grade 4 students had the pleasure of having four different guest speakers to enlighten them with their knowledge and experiences when exploring the world. The central idea was, 'Exploration leads to discoveries, opportunities and new understandings.' Our first guest speaker, Mike Davis, told fascinating stories of surfing across the different seas and skiing down multiple mountains in all corners of the globe.This enabled him to visit and live in many different countries. This was followed by our second guest speaker, Robert Anderson, who shared the Grade 4 students with tales of how he scaled Mount. Everest, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson.

In addition this, he summited multiple mountain peaks all across the globe and told us the advantages and disadvantages of mountaineering. Following on from this, we had an engaging presentation from Mrs Emma Navin in the School's PAC, where she informed the students of her upbringing, living in various countries around the world all throughout her childhood and how this exposed her to many different cultures, religions and cuisines. Finally, our last guest speakers were ‘Monday Feelings’, Tiago and Fernanda, two globe trotters who travel around the world for a living, blogging and writing about their experiences in the hope of helping and supporting other travellers with the bug to explore. They told stories of their travels and how it has shaped their lives and outlook on the world from the different countries they have been to.

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TRIPS

By Nicola Woodroffe As soon as day trips were given the green light, planning commenced with excitement and certainty. Grade 1 took the lead with the first day trip to Kidzania as they learnt about how the structure and interconnectedness of rules and laws influence community wellbeing. The KG1 and G2 trips to Jam Jar linked with the unit “How We Express Ourselves” and allowed the students to experiment with art techniques and concepts to create expressive outcomes. Meanwhile Pre-KG visited Woo-Hoo, a state-of-the-art children’s museum, ready to fuel the children’s enthusiasm and provide them with an engaging space to acquire new knowledge and take part in different workshops. With over 50 interactive exhibits, linking to the unit of inquiry about Play and Discovery.

The final Junior School trip of the term saw KG2 visit OliOli, to experience a series of immersive & interactive experiences for students to think, imagine & create also inspiring the unit ‘How We Express Ourselves.’ Next term, students in KG2- G5 can look forward to visiting Expo in the cooler weather. Grade 5 and Grade 4 will also visit Umm al Quwain Marine club- just before half-term for their adventure days.

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STUDENT COUNCIL

By Daisy Booth

Student Council members have made an enormous impact towards school life since taking on the role in September. The creation of the First School Lego Wall was finally completed and it has been wonderful to see the students using this creative break out space on the ground floor. After this was completed, Student Council decided to take on their next challenge by enhancing the reading area for Lower School. With artwork contributed from each grade, the area was transformed into a reading rainforest, which is now an inviting, comfortable space for the students to go to develop their love of reading. Finally, Student Council have just launched their next initiative to make recycled instruments for Miss. People’s musical garden. We look forward to seeing all of the contributions from across the Junior School and turning this garden into another purposeful learning environment for NLCS Dubai students.

PRE-KG PLAY EXHIBITION

By Nathalie Allen Pre-KG began their learning experiences at NLCS by exploring how play can help them learn. The students have worked to understand how sharing, negotiating and listening to one another can aid them all in having happier and more successful learning experiences, which is key to their development at this stage. It was wonderful to see the students explaining their thought processes and engaging their imaginations as they explored the exhibition activities with their parents. It is truly evident how much they have grown already.

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KG1 ART EXHIBITION

By Nathalie Allen Pre-KG began their learning experiences at NLCS by exploring how play can help them learn. The students have worked to understand how sharing, negotiating and listening to one another can aid them all in having happier and more successful learning experiences, which is key to their development at this stage. It was wonderful to see the students explaining their thought processes and engaging their imaginations as they explored the exhibition activities with their parents. It is truly evident how much they have grown already.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

By Kahli Johnson This term we announced our House Photography Competition for students to showcase their talents in taking photographs of their choice. They were given tips and advice to start their process. A variety of photographs have been entered into the competition, from First and Lower School, which demonstrates the excellent skills the students have. It is amazing to see how they have captured elements of colour, line, detail and shapes, as well as the originality in the subjects they have chosen.

The variety of photographs show animals, plants, buildings, sunset and skylines to name a few. It has been a difficult process in selecting the winning entries, due to the high standard of skill throughout.

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TEAM NLCS

By Mr Jamie Williams 2021; the year that sport resumed at NLCS Dubai and what an exciting, enjoyable and memorable term it has been! In curriculum PE, we have covered sports from football to netball, swimming to badminton, rugby to basketball and provided more opportunity than ever for students to take part in sport. In October, we accepted the Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 and saw staff and students take part in weekly challenges such as 500m rowing, kettlebell hold, running and burpee challenges. A big thank you to the NLCS Dubai community for participating and trying yourself out, the NLCS PE Department could not be prouder.

It has been an exciting, long- awaited and successful return to sport fixtures here at NLCS. After two years of DASSA fixtures being on hold, we have been delighted to be a part of a safe, cautious and gradual return to competitive school sport.

We are so proud to have been able to enter both A and B Teams in various age categories across a number of sports, such as, junior girls netball, junior boys football, senior girls football, senior basketball, cross- country and swimming. A huge well done and congratulations to all students who were selected to represent NLCS Dubai in these sports across the Junior and Senior School.

A special mention has to be made to our U9 and U11 Netball teams this term. They displayed great sportsmanship, competitiveness and dedication in all games. Congratulations to the U11 team who were undefeated all season and scored some great goals.

Congratulations to our U9 and U11 boys football teams, who competed against Hartland, GEMS WSO and Arcadia School. They trained hard every week, their team spirit has been amazing and they have continuously encouraged each other. They have worked tremendously hard on the skills to prepare for their fixtures and we are looking forward to seeing them compete in the future, well done boys.

The Senior School boys and girls football teams also performed exceptionally well and played against various schools in the U12, U13, U14, U16 age categories. All teams showed fantastic skills and worked really hard as a team to give the opposing teams a highly competitive match, a huge well done to all of our footballers and coaches.

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The U19 Boys Basketball and U16 Girls Basketball team have had an outstanding season. Not only did they show exceptional team work, communication and defending skills, but they had an undefeated season. What a start to the academic year and a memorable season at NLCS. Congratulations all.

A particular highlight this term has not only been the return of curriculum swimming but the return of Swim Squads and Swim Galas. We were extremely excited to have hosted NLCS Dubai’s first swimming gala against DESS in November and we would like to give a special mention to our star swimmers, Asjad and Sonny who were phenomenal during the gala. We cannot wait to see them and our swim squads continue to flourish in swimming throughout the rest of the academic year.

We also had more individual success at the Senior School cross- country competition which took place at the Dubai Sevens Stadium. Over 32 schools entered across a wide variety of age categories and we are extremely proud to announce that Laila Al Hamzi who finished 6th in the U15 Girls 3km event. An outstanding achievement and we are incredibly proud of Laila and our runners for the commitment and performance.

This has all happened in one term and we are unbelievably excited to see what next term can bring.We can look forward to sports such as rugby, junior girls football, athletics, swimming, aquathlon, basketball and cricket; we can't wait! A huge thank- you to all students and staff for your time, passion and enthusiasm towards Team NLCS Dubai, we are extremely grateful. Keep active, stay healthy and we shall look forward to making many more memorable sporting moments in 2022.

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