l Whole School News

Whole School News

Arts Festival

CHARITY

By Laura Dunn

A huge congratulations to the Charity Committee and their amazing work this year to raise money for the Al Jalila Foundation. At the start of the academic year, and following a visit to the Al Jalila Foundation, the students of the Charity Committee set themselves the ambitious target of fundraising 50,000 AED before July 2022. To reach this target would mean that NLCS Dubai would be able to be recognised on the donors’ wall at the Al Jalila Foundation in the Chrome category. The final target reached this year has now been confirmed as 58,821 AED!

Thank you to the school community for making this all possible through the kind and generous donations received. Well done to Ananya Salecha (Grade 12) as the outgoing Chair of the Committee for her continued dedication and hard work to reach this target. The new Committee, under the leadership of Cecilia Haykal (Grade 11), is already planning new events for the next academic year and hope to continue this success. Well done!

By Nicola Woodro e

This year NLCS ECA programme came back to life as the Covid restrictions eased through the academic year. This provided much excitement as the plentiful opportunities unfolded, particularly for the mixed grade ECAs. Collaboration was the name of the game as sports teams recommenced training for DASSA fixtures and Galas in Term 2; students prepared for the THIMUN or DIAMUN Model United Nations Conference and the Grade 6–9 Bugsy performance involving a cast of over 100 keen actors, dancers and singers returned to rehearsals. It was also wonderful to welcome back our external providers to NLCS Dubai, with the addition of the new lessons in climbing and rugby creating much excitement and a stir. It was a delight to see students re-embrace the opportunities for learning outside the classroom and achieving a broad and balanced NLCS education, with just under 4000 weekly sign-ups across a programme of 390 ECAs in term 3.

We can firmly say, for the academic year 2021-2022, we moved beyond Covid to brighter times as students reconnected with each other and their passions. Onwards and upwards! Well done to Grade 7 who choose an average of four ECAs each. Additionally, highlights from the trips programme included 32 students from Grade 9 and Grade 10 students who trekked in the Kalba mountains to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh’s International Bronze Award Adventurous Journey. Lastly, with the EXPO 2020 in the MENA region, over 600 lucky students from First School through to Sixth Form experienced the various educational journeys such as Universe in Motion, Sustainable Planet and World of Opportunities.

Next year NLCS Dubai can look forward to the return of residential trips!

RAMADAN & EID CELEBRATION

By Michaela Carney and Frances Powell

As part of our recognition of the Holy Month of Ramadan and Eid, we invited students across the School to a day of celebration. They were dressed in either celebration outfits or dressed in the colours of the night.

Within the Junior School classes, students learnt more about Ramadan and Eid taking part in a range of activities, creating pieces of art that as well as listening to traditional songs in both Arabic and English. The students celebrating Eid shared their own experiences and they discussed how Eid is celebrated around the world. In the Senior School an assembly was delivered on the importance of Ramadan and the meaning behind Eid. Students wrote notes of kindness which were placed on the Crescent moon trees around the school.

PARENTS’ GUILD

By Frances Powell

We saw our Parents’ Guild really develop our community spirit this year. The opening of our new climbing wall showed what can be achieved by the team when everyone works together. We also launched our first ever recipe book to massive success as it sold out on the day! It was wonderful to have our parents and children celebrate the launch of the recipe book with a bake sale, and we look forward to more events next year.

A big thank you to our fantastic contributing partners and the Parents’ Guild for their hard work and e orts in supporting the school and bringing the families in our community together.