NLCS DUBAI NEWSLETTER I S S U E # 1 I D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 0 02
Message from The Principal This term has seen, in many ways, our greatest achievements and it is very important that we stop and take a moment to celebrate all that we have achieved.
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IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 2 l Message from The Principal PAGE 3 l Message from The Head of Junior School PAGE 4 l Whole School News
Message from The Head of JS As we come to the end of term, I just want to say a huge thank you to all for your support from all of us in the Junior School.
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PAGE 8 l Senior School News PAGE 9 l House Competitions PAGE 12 l NLCS Dubai TEDx Event PAGE 13 l NLCS Dubai Music PAGE 14 l Junior School News PAGE 1 l Team NLCS
Whole School News We would like to thank all staff and students who have worked so hard to overcome our current restrictions to make our festivities this term as meaningful and as enjoyable as possible.
Message from The Principal Another accomplishment that we have enjoyed this term is the opening of our new building. The corridors are now much longer and this has helped everyone get up their step counts for the 30x30 challenge, but the space has also given us a wealth of new rooms and facilities. The Sixth Form Common Room is a fantastic space for students to relax; their purpose-built study rooms have already been well used, especially as the Grade 12s move closer to their exams. With some fantastic offers from Russell Group Universities, such as St. Andrews, UCL and Warwick, as well as upcoming Oxbridge interviews, these students will be making excellent use of these facilities in the coming months.
Normally at this time of year, the corridors of
school are alive with a buzz of excitement, the sounds of festive parties and preparation for end of term assemblies. This year, the school is a much quieter place to be. However, that does not mean that we do not have a huge amount to look back on and to celebrate. This term has seen, in many ways, our greatest achievements and it is very important that we stop and take a moment to celebrate all that we have achieved. The first of these achievements is all about the students. They have astonished me with their resilience and positivity. School is a very different place for them at the moment, but they have arrived every day with a determination to work hard and make the very best of every situation. New students have arrived and been welcomed and it has been wonderful to see our school community growing, despite the difficult circumstances that surround us on a daily basis. Students have embraced House Competitions and forged new friendships amongst their Grades. I want to thank each and every student in the school for the way they have approached all of the challenges this term and hope that they take some time to rest over the break. 02
New Building Exterior
Sixth Form Common Area
However, our biggest achievement has been maintaining our close-knit school community. Although there have been considerable barriers, we have all learnt to communicate in many other ways. I hope that all parents have read and understand the guidance on communication and that parents are fully aware of how and who to communicate with. I fully appreciate the distance that COVID-19 has put between the School environment and the parents and want to close this as much as we can while being safe and innovative at the same time. I would like to thank you as a parent community for your continued support of the School. This has been an incredibly challenging time for us all and your notes of thanks and support go a long way to maintaining the strength of our community and will make us stronger once we move back towards the NLCS Dubai community and routine we know and love. All the best, James Monaghan Principal NLCS DUBAI I ISSUE 1
Message from The Head of Junior School We have dedicated classrooms for Digital Technology and Computing, Art, Inclusion Team and Languages. Under current COVID-19 protocols we have made use of all spaces available and I am certainly getting my step count in every day walking around both floors. This term has been about developing social responsibility alongside the academic programme. The student’s sense of community and responsibility for others has really shone through. There is an air of collective responsibility to keep each other safe both in and out of school.
As we come to the end of term, I just want to say
a huge thank you to all for your support from all of us in the Junior School.
This term has certainly been a challenge as we have learned to adjust to our ‘new normal’ but it’s important to view every challenge as a new opportunity. An opportunity to do something in a different way, to be creative, to explore options and embrace the change. As a school community, we have tackled every challenge to ensure that we deliver a high quality programme to the students both in school and on line.
I especially want to thank the students and staff for the commitment, dedication and resilience they have shown to be able to adapt to a new way of doing things. Thank you to you all too. 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 or online on 3rd January. Warmest wishes, Emma Navin Head of Junior School
Although the completion of the extension was delayed the students were so excited to move to their new classrooms. On the ground floor, we have an additional 8 classrooms and a large library space. There is also a playground with purposeful play equipment for the students to use. There are an additional 17 classrooms on the First Floor with Grade 5 housed in their own wing. The playground surfaces are being re-laid over the Winter Break and students will be able to access the areas in the New Year.
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Whole School News FLAG DAY AND NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS
The final few weeks of the winter term are always full of celebrations and this year has been no different. Whilst the current COVID-19 restrictions have meant we have had to change our plans somewhat, we were determined to continue to uphold many of the traditions we have created over our three years of operation. On the 3rd November, our Emirati students along with Mr Monaghan, joined the rest of the UAE in remembering the success and hard work of the founding fathers of the UAE by hoisting the UAE flag at 11am. Students recited the UAE oath. We all enjoyed the national anthem outside by the flagpole. In true NLCS fashion we adapted and found solutions to celebrate National Day with vigour and enthusiasm. Students, their families and our staff were asked to submit family portraits, which have been incorporated into a wonderful animation that represents all of our school community. Whilst we cannot be together to celebrate in our usual way we hope that everyone feels part of our celebrations.
We immersed ourselves in Emirati heritage, knowledge and culture. In the First and Junior Schools, students work hard to contribute to a series of collective art works, which will remain on display in their respective areas. In the Senior School, lessons were themed over the two days to reflect four chosen areas of focus; The History of the UAE, Emirati Culture in 2020, The UAE: A melting pot of people and The future of the UAE. Each subject was delivered deep and meaningful subject based lessons but with a UAE twist. It has been wonderful to see teachers take up this challenge and we know the students have really enjoyed focusing on the nation they all call home. The (very) short week started with a wonderful and informative assembly written and produced by Amani (G7) and Alya (G10), which delved into the above themes and put us all in the right frame of mind for the coming lessons.
On Monday afternoon, the entire Senior School worked hard to make their contributions towards our Ghaf of Gratitude, which our Art Department has worked tirelessly upon. We will share the final display after the winter break but we are all excited to see how this permanent art installation grows from a seed to a wonderful collaborative art work. We would like to thank all staff and students who have worked so hard to overcome our current restrictions to make our festivities this term as meaningful and as enjoyable as possible. By Mr. May
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CHARITY By Charity Committee Our Charity Committee’s aim is raise awareness and funds for causes which are close to heart here at NLCS Dubai. Despite all the restrictions in place, the group have worked hard to ensure we were able to support two charities this term. Overseen by Ms Powell the team planned three key events, which students across the school supported in an overwhelmingly positive way. The first event was Pinktober which raised 11379.50 dirhams for the Al Jalila Cancer Research Foundation. Students wore pink for the day in school to raise awareness of breast cancer and to show solidarity with sufferers and their families. The school was awarded the Topaz award from Al Jalila in recognition of the hard work and money raised. The other two events were focused on bringing a festive cheer to the school. Students wore festive colours and jumpers to raise money for Red Crescent, a volunteer based humanitarian group here in the UAE. Students also donated a ‘gift of gratitude’ box per tutor group to give to our support staff who work tirelessly to help us stay safe and healthy here in school. We are very proud of everyone in the school’s participation and support for others. We are looking forward to other events next term such as Walk for Diabetes which we will be able to host in a socially distanced manner.
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EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES By Ms Woodroffe
However, it was badminton which held the most interest amongst the Grade 6 and Grade 9 students. This ECA dovetailed well with the new PE curriculum which introduced badminton this year. This provided valuable time to enhance skill and knowledge through drills and game play, allowing students a level playing field to develop a new sport. As a result of its popularity, badminton will feature as an option for G6 through to G11 next term. The Grade 6 and Grade 7 students can also look forward to a new volleyball ECA. In the 2019-2020, the U16 girls were the first team to represent NLCS in the DASSA volleyball league. Tennis ECAs will also be offered by Apex for Grades 6- 8.
We were pleased to relaunch our ECA programme across the whole school. Students were able to enjoy the full use of all the sports facilities as a result of the Senior School day finishing earlier. Meanwhile the senior students experience grade ECAs on different days to the Junior students. All ECAs were approved by KHDA and operated under COVID-19 measures as expected, given current situation.
Beyond sport, the new cohort of Grade 9 and 10 students who opted to take the Bronze International Award have commenced their training on line. Sessions have included how to pitch a tent and the vital camp craft skills needed to prepare for the adventurous expedition. Next term, we also see the final MUN delegate preparation for The Hague conference which, due to COVID-19, will now be taking place on line. Next term, ECA options will be offered as a half-term block to allow continued enhancements to the programme and students to choose new opportunities with any easing of restrictions that may follow.
In the Junior School, the PE staff facilitated games and fitness ECAs and this provided the opportunity for the boys and girls to experience a variety of games and fitness based activities including basketball, badminton, dance, volleyball and speed agility quickness training. Next term, the Grade 4 and 5 will see weekly ECAs and additional options such as basketball and tennis in addition to the paid 1-1 Apex tennis lessons. In the Senior School, the Grade 7 and 8 students also enjoyed the opportunity of games and fitness, whilst the Grade 10s and Grade 11’s had access to the gym for physical training under the direction of specialist staff.
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ECAs are now available for booking until the 3rd January on SchoolBase and will be offered on a first-come first-served basis as normal. ECAs will commence in the second week of term and continue to run in class and grade bubbles. The timings will also remain the same as this term with the Junior School ECAs taking place 3:10pm-4:00pm and Senior School ECAs 3:35pm- 4:30pm. Please feel free to contact Miss Woodroffe or Mrs Tiffany Thorp for further information. tthorp@nlcsdubai.ae / nwoodroffe@nlcsdubai.ae
I hope your sons and daughters embrace the opportunities and enjoy the new offerings next term.
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Senior School News SUBJECT FOCUS VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP GEOGRAPHY By Ms Charlotte Spurway
This term the Geography Department at NLCS Dubai successfully launched and led its first virtual fieldtrip.
The Grade 7 Geographers took part in the event in the PAC where the Geography staff led an exciting morning of coastal fieldwork! This included a session where students were using GIS and Google Earth Pro to measure and look at Groynes, Rock Armour, Sea walls and beach nourishment across the three field sites. Students were able to also complete methodologies as they watched the Geography team in action! The Geography staff went with tape measures, stop watches and other field equipment to carry out the methods on the student's behalf. Students watched these pre-recorded sessions to complete a range of Bi-polar surveys and field sketches which they will use to successfully prove or disprove their four hypothesis'.
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House Competitions By Mr Ben Smith
This term has certainly been a challenge, but one that the students have risen to with admirable
determination. We have created a series of competitions that have allowed the students to display their skills in a socially distanced way, enabling us to celebrate individual and team excellence and House spirit whilst adhering to the current restrictions that are in place. Even with the added difficulties of mixed form groups and a lack of physical interaction between students and House Captains, the Houses have been able to organise themselves successfully and prepare for tasks ranging from Public Speaking to Photography. It is always a privilege to undertake the role of House Competition Coordinator, as I have unique insight into the efforts and emotions that the students pour into these events, but I have never been more proud of the NLCS Community as I have been this term. Keep up the excellent work NLCS!
HOUSE JAIS By Anoushka Ranjit This term has been extremely eventful for the Jais bears. From mastering the art of photography to running continuous rounds for the endurance challenge, each and every member of our house has demonstrated an umpteen amount of courage and resilience. We started off the year with an amazing victory as each of the members in our house got the opportunity to showcase their intellectual side during House Quiz. Although we started off with victories, we did encounter a few losses, nonetheless, we never let them bring us down and continued to approach each competition with the same enthusiasm and spirit. We are now nearing the end of the term, having participated in 6 competitions over the months and each Jais member should be extremely proud of everything they have achieved for both themselves and their house. I hope that we continue to embody the same attitudes for the future terms to come. 09
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HOUSE JAVI By Lucie Benn I am so proud to be able to call myself Javi’s House Captain, especially in a year so challenging as this one. All Javians have really proven our House motto “Everything is possible� this year, with so much to adapt to and having to work together without really being together at all. One of the proudest moments for me since I have been House Captain was our victory with the Online House Cup! Being able to see every member of the House stepping forward to work for themselves and one another under these strange circumstances was truly inspiring, and something I hope we can carry forward from now on. Whilst celebrating our victories, it is important to recognise where we have not been quite as successful also. Unfortunately, we lost our House Endurance title this year, one that we had been defending since NLCS Dubai started. Despite this, everyone made an amazing effort, especially considering the fact that some of our Javians were still working online, and the usual buzz of the House Endurance challenge could not be there. Moving forward, I hope that we can once again be together as a House, to work towards winning House Competitions in the way they were made to be won! I would like to thank every member of Javi for continuing to work hard for the benefit of the House, and remaining strong, talented individuals.
HOUSE HAFEET By Alexia Embedoklis This term Hafeet has really embodied what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Everyone has done their very best for our House. An incredible example were the G10 students during the endurance challenge. Despite only having 3 students in total, they had a strategy, stuck to it and gave it their all. The girls embodied everything we love about Hafeet and inspired many staff and students with their grit, determinations and incredible work ethic. They not only grew as individuals but contributed to Hafeet. As a House we are looking forward to the book trailer competition. With a few of our students having published books of their own we are excited to see how they present their work and contribute to the house. This term has been filled with amazing new experiences and challenges and we are looking forward for what next term holds.
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HOUSE YIBIR By Anshul Sinha When I first came to NLCS, I was lost. Everyone was new, and the first interactions were quite uncomfortable. Albeit, through participating in house events for Yibir, I truly felt at home. I feel indebted to not only give something back but to also leave a small mark of my presence that will in turn better the community that I have grown to cherish. The amount of effort I have seen in Yibir is unfathomable and our teamwork gets stronger in every house competition that we participate in. This term, we have stayed consistent throughout the challenges that social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions have presented. In 2021, we have another opportunity to prove our strength once again - Yibir has a plethora of talented members, and I know, without a doubt, just like the last two years, we’ll come out on top this time too.
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NLCS Dubai TEDX Event By Mrs. Chandan Shah NLCS Dubai had the pleasure of hosting our first ever TEDx Youth event, entitled ‘Destroying the box, unlocking innovative ideas’. After a long process of preparing for a live event, followed by an even longer wait due to the pandemic, we proceeded virtually. We had speakers from all age ranges who prepared excellent, thought provoking speeches.Youjin in Grade 8 focused on the aspect of daydreaming and how it could potentially serve innovation. Sannat, also in Grade 8, presented on thinking inside the box. Abdulwahab in Grade 9 demonstrated his passion for football and discussed the introduction of VAR into English Premier League. Elly Chaeyon in Grade 10 portrayed the role that technology will have in the next 20 years of our lives. We also had a guest appearance from our alumnus, Enzo, who talked about his work on upcycling. In addition, we had speakers from NLCS (UK) and NLCS Jeju who discussed how to overcome the gender pay gap and how we can be innovative whilst maintaining culturally valuable conventions respectively. The whole event was streamed on YouTube and still available for your viewing, please do check it out if you haven’t already!
TEDx NLCS Dubai
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NLCS Dubai Music By Mr. Howard Wong Against all odds, Music has had an extremely busy term. Our socially distanced In-house Instrument Programme is in full swing, albeit with the absence of woodwind, brass and voice due to COVID-19 restrictions. As we speak, a number of students are busy preparing for the forthcoming series of online ABRSM Performance Grade Examinations. We have also enjoyed our weekly Morning Music Series, which has been made possible due to a moving audience rather than a sitting-down one! Indeed, COVID-19 has demanded that we think outside the box. But, ultimately, the biggest success story to come out of the Music Department has to be all our students. They have continued to exercise their creativity and imagination despite of the many difficulties. It is not always easy to practice without a specific end point of a concert. And yet, they persisted. We are so proud of how much has been achieved this term and we look forward to restrictions being relaxed, so that we can all share our music properly. In the meantime, keep enriching your minds with Music.
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Junior School News SCIENCE By Mrs. Carney
This term in Science students have been taking part in creative investigations and discovering how they can
apply their learning to real world situations.
In KG2, students looked at how journeys change over place and time. Whilst focusing on journeys to the moon, they mixed bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to see the reaction. This helped the students make links with rocket ships launching into space and how they use an upward force called thrust. Grade 1 planted seeds and watched time lapses of plants growing to identify similarities and differences between various plants. During the first half term, Grade 4 inquired into the Science unit, Properties and Changes of Materials. They enjoyed investigating whether white or brown sugar would dissolve faster, whether a salt solution or chocolate could reverse back to its original state after evaporation or melting and designing a group experiment to decide how dirty water could be separated through filtering using paper, cloth or filter paper. In Grade 5, students studied electricity. They worked scientifically by systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit. They also created their own simple circuits. Next term we are looking forward to our whole school Science week from 7th–11th March 2021.
G3 Ellis Island
ENGLISH By Ms. Dear Throughout the Junior School, we saw the launch of pre-cursive and continuous cursive handwriting. Handwriting is developing day by day and it has been fantastic to see the progress that has been made in one term already! Pre-KG, have explored upwards lines, curves, and big arm movements as pre-writing strengthening techniques that relate to pre-cursive joins. Examples of other writing this term includes non-chronological reports in KG2, information texts in Grade 1 which culminated in each student writing an information page in a class book about celebrations. Grade 2 created their own Dreamtime stories set in the UAE and Grade 3 have been writing emotive diary entries linked to their unit on Migration. Grade 4 used the Michael Morpurgo novel, ‘Shadow’ as inspiration for flashback writing.
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MATHEMATICS
MUSIC
By Miss Victoria Ougham
By Mrs. Collette Peoples
In mathematics this term, the Junior School have been exploring through inquiry. KG classes have been exploring the phrase: Always, sometimes never: The bigger the number the more number bonds it has. The students use a range of equipment to prove their mathematical reasoning. They have also greatly enjoyed exploring and playing in their new maths areas of their classrooms including measuring each other with metre rulers! Grade 1 and 2 have been consolidating their place value knowledge using times table and multiples to show their understanding. Grade 3 have been exploring data and graphs using a letter they received from the Ras Al Khor Wild Life Sanctuary. They were then able to use this information interpret discrete data and compare and analyse a range of different graphs and pictograms. During their unit on fractions, Grade 4 students discovered the equivalences between fractions and have developed their knowledge of adding and subtracting with different denominators and mixed numbers. Grade 4 have also greatly enjoyed competing in inter-class Times Table Rock stars challenges- the competition has been fierce! Grade 5 have been exploring maths through inquiry and collaborative learning and enjoyed working with mathematical reasoning, accurately spotting patterns, using conjecture and trial and improvement to solve a variety of investigations both individually and as part of a group.
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While music may have sounded and looked slightly different this term, students have created some fantastic compositions along the way! We have been looking at the innovative ways people have made music over the years; students have been using body percussion, found sounds and most recently music technology to compose. Grades 2, 3 and 4 are looking at non-traditional ways of notating music including the use of the graphic score. Music has been ringing from the practice rooms with the welcome return of instrumental lessons this term. Recent activities and highlights in Junior School Music: - Grade 3 have created a soundscape of their voyage to Ellis Island using found sounds and body percussion. Within their task, they had to portray a climax and a change of dynamics. Having ‘visited Ellis Island’ in their unit of inquiry, there was great excitement around this task! - Grade 5 investigating why melody is dying? - Grade 2 were transported into Peter’s World in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf - Pre-Kg and KG1 made movements with different body parts to match the music - Grade 1 have been sign-singing to a festive songThey used British Makaton to sing in a different way. - Grade 4 created jingles to advertise a product having studied the key elements to a good jingle. They proved themselves to be true risk-takers creating jingles using only body percussion and speech! NLCS DUBAI I ISSUE 1
FIRST SCHOOL CELEBRATIONS
DUBAI FITNESS CHALLENGE
By Miss Nathalie Allen
By Mrs. Rebecca Fernandes
Pre-KG were able to enact their learning through role-play in their end of unit celebration that invited the children to dress as their favourite toy. The classrooms were filled with superheroes, princesses, and dinosaurs to resemble the shelves at Hamley's! When asked, 'Why is this your favourite toy?' the children were able to draw on their favourite narratives, sentimental experiences, and their favourite games, reflecting their deepened understanding of the role toys have in play. One common response that was delightful to hear was the importance of sharing to have the best games. KG1 were immersed in a term of exploring the world to understand its vibrant cultures, distinct languages, and treasured traditions.The children were fascinated to learn that family routines that they take for granted are in fact unique to their backgrounds and reflect part of who they are. As such, Diwali brought a perfect real-life context for the students to explore, with Hindu and Sikh children reveling in the opportunity to teach their peers as those from other backgrounds loved partaking in a new celebration and learning more about saris, Rangoli and firecrackers.
The First School certainly made the most of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, with regular movement breaks within lessons as well as dedicated active time during break periods. The students have been dancing, balancing and stretching with Yoga moves along with some intense cardio workouts! The KG classes have been able to use the soft play resources, this not only increases their heartrate but also teaches them about taking turns and playing collaboratively with their peers. Grade 1 had the chance to take part in an obstacle course, with smiles all round! Grade 1 Parakeets deserve a special mention, as they were the overall winners in the Junior School for having the most active minutes. 16
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By Mr. Mosley Faced with many challenges at the start of the year, it was difficult to imagine what PE would look like in the current situation. Our focus was clear; bring back a sense of belonging to our students through fun and safe activities with team building and connection at the heart. We wanted to remind students about the core values of TeamNLCS and what it means to be healthy and active. PE as a subject has been more important than ever in allowing students to move, interact, expel energy and focus on their physical and mental wellbeing. We invented new games and students adopted new practices to keep each other safe. As the term progressed, we introduced badminton, dance, volleyball and athletics track and field. As a department the successes have been clear; the girls dance unit produced some outstanding results and volleyball was a brand new sport which students approached positively. We are also very proud to have held the House Endurance Challenge and House Fitness Games in the Senior School. We inspired our community to be active through the Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge, with inter-class competitions in the Junior School and custom exercises for behind our desks in the Senior School. The Steppi App challenge was well received by students and staff alike. Congratulations to Mrs Peoples, our Junior Music Specialist, who achieved a staggering 678,255 steps in the staff Steppi Challenge. In summary, we are proud so many students arrive to PE excited and leave happy. We are incredibly pleased we have re-established a sense of community and belonging through PE lessons during a challenging period.
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