Yearbook 2019-20

CONTENTS INSIDE THE ISSUE

5

Foreword

7

9

Message from the Head of Junior School

Message from The Editor

18-42 44 46 48 50 KG 2 ART eXHIBITION

First School Pre KG 1 to Grade 1

First School Role Model Programme

Junior School House Competitions

Grade 1 Trips

84 85 86 87 88 90 Primary Years Programme Coordinator

Grade 2 Visit to Sheikh Mohammed Centre

Grade 2 and 3 Production of ‘The Peace Child’

Grade 2 Sleepover

Grade 4 Exhibition

Grade 4 Architecture Award

Grade 5 Trip to the Etihad Museum

Grade 5 Residential to Ras Al Khaimah

YIBIR HOUSE

House Captains

House Music

Distance Learning

Memories of our trip to the Curiosity Lab

105

98 99 100 102

Message from the Vice Principal Pastoral Care

114 116 118 122 123 124 JAVI HOUSE

143 144 The Big Draw The Art Department

House Debating

146 150 154

Geography Trips

Literature Week The English Department

Drama

The New Kid

The World Outside My Window

166 118 146 175 The Winter Fair

House Photography

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Library

11

13 14 16

54 56

59 60-83

Message from the Head of First School

KG 2 Parent Visitors

Message from the Head of Early Years

Grade 1 Playground Leaders

CAMELS

TURTLES

Pre KG 1

Pre KG 1

Message from the Head of Lower School

lOWER sCHOOL

Grade 4 Sharjah Planetarium

Grade 4 Sustainable City

Message from the Vice Principal Director of Studies

HAFEET HOUSE

Arabic Week

French

Grade 2 to Grade 5

91 92 94 95 96 97 Trip to Dubai Museum

Kalba Residential

107

Grade 3 Exhibition Reflection

Message from the Vice Principal Curriculum

Grade 4 Residential Trip to Dibba

109 110 112 JAIS HOUSE

126 130 134 136 138 142 Grade 12

Grade 11

The Big Four

156 158 160 162 Personal Projects

178 Sports Day

The Community Project

180 Ski Trip Verbier

MUN

164 UAE’s 48th National Day

Charity Committee

182 Staff Fitness

The Music Department

184 Team NLCS

Foreword It was a great honour in 2018 when Mrs. Bernice McCabe offered me the role as the new Principal of NLCS Dubai. Working with Mr. Lewis in the first year, and prior to opening was exciting, and I felt proud to be taking on the leadership of such an amazing school. Although this year has been challenging at times, we have continued to see our school and our NLCS Community grow. We have continued to grow internationally; this September NLCS Singapore opens its doors to students and we will become a family of four schools. The community and ethos of an NLCS school is very special and one which I particularly enjoy being a part of. The relationship with our school in London and the Communities of Practice that exist between our schools are also a key part of why working in one of our schools is so rewarding. The opportunities this relationship provides the students, parents and teachers is a truly global and internationally minded one. The strength of this community is at the heart of students’ enjoyment of our school. When asking the students what they enjoy the most, their House is often the first thing they talk about. The pastoral care in the School is paramount in setting the students up to flourish in their academic and extracurricular life. I gain such a sense of pride from walking round the School, exchanging smiles and greetings with students who are clearly very happy to be here. Even though they are challenged and stretched in all areas of life, they enjoy the atmosphere and the ethos. In February the world’s attention turned to matters much larger than any of us as individuals. The reaction from the NLCS community has been overwhelmingly positive, with a fantastic response from parents, teachers and students. The sense of pride in the School, and the desire to maintain the very special environment we have, has been very heartwarming and reflects those values of care, courtesy and consideration we talk about so often at school. The sense of giving back has really shone in recent months as the Covid-19 crisis has developed. While the first few weeks were a significant challenge for us all, the community has responded in alignment to our ethos in many ways. Meanwhile the Grade 10 and 12 students learnt that they would not be taking their external IB MYP and Diploma examinations. They have all thrown themselves into many of the opportunities that have now been presented to them. I wish all the Grade 12 students the very best.You are all sitting on some fantastic offers from Universities around the world and I look forward to hearing from you next year. You are always most welcome back to talk to the students about your experiences. The teachers have been resolute, dedicated and committed to providing the very best online programme of lessons, alongside adapting in order to provide the academic enrichment we pride ourselves on. They have also gone that bit extra, supporting students and parents in one to one sessions. I must also thank the TAs, the Inclusion Team and the admin staff who have helped support the whole community as we have navigated our way through a very different and challenging time for all of us. We have all found ways of continuing to communicate with each other through a variety of newly acquired technical online talents. While some of the new way of life has been fun and has allowed us to develop old and new skills, I know that a return to school in September, in person, is what I most definitely want. The first opportunity I get to address all of you once again in school will be a fabulous moment in our brief but eventful history so far. To see all of your smiling faces, eager for life as we know it, will be a special moment indeed.

James Monaghan Principal NLCS Dubai

Message from the Editor As Editor of the Yearbook, this time of year is normally characterised by frenetic running to and from; frenzied allocation of student reporters to the seemingly endless list of events happening in school and the frantic picture taking and documentation of every aspect of school life. But instead, I am at my laptop, at my table, looking out towards my garden, surrounded by a sea of paper and devices and pens and a very large dispenser of hand sanitizer. But however different the current situation is, there was never any doubt that we would have a Yearbook to commemorate our third year of North London Collegiate School Dubai. Yes, there may be events missing, but it would be wrong to think that this school year was simply characterised by a terrible global pandemic. It has been so much more. This academic year has seen us grow: physically, emotionally and educationally. This year has seen us push ourselves and has seen us being pushed beyond what we thought capable. This is definitely a year worth documenting. Putting the yearbook together has been the most wonderful experience for me. It has taken me out of my home and away from my paper strewn table, back to the places and events that have made me smile and feel incredibly proud of being a part of NLCS Dubai. I have flown back to being an audience member for the amazing drama we have enjoyed this year, remembering how I had to contain my laughter at Grade 11 and their incredible portrayal of young children; I have retraced my steps to find myself back in the stands, cheering like a lunatic on Sports Day; I have taken myself back to the terrifying moment when I had to interview a world renowned author on stage, with no warning. Collating all these wonderful memories has been the best form of escapism. It has also reminded me what we are still all, online, working for. Working online is, of course, very different. But there are still daily moments that I will look back on fondly. The little choruses of “Good Mornings� that are messaged each day; the delight in students’ learning new skills and extending their understanding of Literature; the care and compassion that has been shown to one another, all of these have reminded me that NLCS Dubai is not just a series of incredible events. It is a collection of incredible people; people who are creative, clever, ambitious, kind, funny and enormously caring. So, it is these people whom we are documenting, from the littlest Pre KG to our first wonderful Grade 12 Leavers, these past few weeks have proved that we are more than a building and more than a school. And that is something to be very proud of.

Mandy Monaghan Editor of the Yearbook NLCS Dubai

Message from the Head of Junior School As we come to the end of our third year, I have mixed emotions, as it has certainly not been a typical school year. I am currently missing the buzz in the corridors and around school, as students go about their everyday lives. When we heard the news that schools would be closed for Term 3 and distance learning would begin, it was unquestionably a change for us all, adapting to a new way of delivering lessons and interacting with our students online. It has definitely been a steep learning curve for everyone but I am so appreciative of how the school community have all supported each other during this time. The students have certainly been resourceful and embraced the challenges in the true spirit of NLCS Dubai. As I think back to Terms 1 and 2 and reflect on our daily life in school and on the full programme of events, such as mini exhibitions, class assemblies, celebration events, productions, Sports Days, House competitions and trips, I realise that so much has been accomplished. The students have excelled in academic studies, sport, music, the arts, to name just a few and I am justly proud of them. None of what has been achieved this year would be possible without our staff; thank you to an incredible group of professionals.Working with a team of staff with endless energy, skills and devotion is so rewarding. I would like to personally thank all our families too for your loyalty and commitment to NLCS Dubai. As our third year ends, I do feel an enormous sense of pride. I am so proud of the strength, resilience, resolve and dedication the whole school community has shown during these unprecedented times. What we have learnt will only enhance our practice and processes next year. I look forward to welcoming students back to school, when it is safe to do so.

Emma Navin Head of Junior School NLCS Dubai

Message from the Head of First School Like footprints in the sand, our school years leave an indelible impression in our hearts. Capturing and celebrating these impressions is important, as each year is special in the life of the school and for this reason the yearbook serves as an invaluable ‘trip down memory lane’. The pages that follow are filled with so many memories and images of happy and successful times spent in First School, I sincerely hope that they bring you joy each time you revisit the yearbook. As I write my last entry for the Yearbook as Head of First School, a quote from the poet Maya Angelou, feels particularly poignant,

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This resonates with me on so many levels and if you read it as a colleague, a parent or a student, my only hope is that you remember me as a person who left you feeling good about yourself; left you feeling listened to and empowered to do your best. Personally, I will leave with fond memories of the special community that we have built. This year our school community experienced the saddest and happiest of times. Sad in the sense that we didn’t get to ‘come to school’ to learn in the ordinary sense and play alongside our friends, instead we learnt at home for Term 3. At the same time we have experienced moments of immense joy, notable success and great fun. It has been a year where our students participated in a myriad of activities, staged spectacular performances, competed in numerous house events, sports events and enjoyed many fun school trips. I offer my sincere congratulations to both staff and students for their contribution to the success of the school. The children complete this year with an abundance of good memories, which you will see for yourself within these pages - there is much to reflect upon and feel proud of. There is absolutely no doubt that the past three years have been the most remarkable and rewarding of my career in education to date. It has been a privilege to get to know each and every one of the families who have passed through First School. I will miss much about NLCS Dubai, but the thing I will miss most is the daily interaction with the students and families. We have cultivated an ethos where the individual is encouraged to be just that, an individual. One size fits all is definitely not our approach. We have a wonderful diversity of children in our school: sporty, artistic, academic, socially confident – and a few cheeky ones as well! The students repeatedly demonstrate their compassion, consideration positive attitude and determination, especially evident during our period of distance learning. All have made First School the place it is and while they have made their mark on us, I hope we have made our mark on them. I would finally like to take this opportunity to thank students, staff and parents wholeheartedly for their continuous support, commitment and friendship throughout my time here. It has been an utter privilege to have been the custodian of the First School and to have had the opportunity to have shared this journey with you. I wish you all the very best for the future and will be keeping a proud and invested eye on the future successes of the First School.

Georgina Williams Head of First School NLCS Dubai

Message from the Head of Early Years The doors swung open in September, And a familiar echo hit: A pitter patter of tiny feet, A sea of love, a world of new All anticipating the meet and greet, Excitement, wonder from all anewWhat would become of the children in blue? Unknown names became best friends, Clinging to legs stopped at the door, Excited stories were shared to no end, Knowing it wasn’t two minutes begun, Whilst new ways to count were found, Working hard to read became fun, As we applied our new sounds. Those who turned four, Well, they conquered African drums, And recreated Claude Monet’s Waterlilies, They explained night and day, With an appreciation of the role space plays, And discussed their future careers, All whilst making us smile ear-to-ear. Those who turned five, Discovered feelings are part of life, And expression through art was explored, Culture and belief were taught, Whilst tolerance was a notion adorned, And toys were no longer fought for. Their own stories were written, And Maths advanced to addition, They gained their KG2 admittance. The children in blue are wonders in the making, They embody resilience, self-confidence and ambition, The world is sure to be their oyster for the takingThey have flourished despite Covid-19’s competition! As the doors close in July, Further familiarity comes by, A sea of love, a world of pride, All reflecting on the tremendous ride, Excitement, wonder for all we knowThe children in blue have so much to show.

Nathalie Allen Head of Early Years NLCS Dubai

CAMELS

Pre KG

16

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Miss Scanlon Fourteen camels started the year, With trepidation but said no to fear, Our class was aloud with sounds of music and they sung, 2019 had surely and loudly begun! Laughter, love and imagination shone bright, With each camel showing their true light. Colours we found were everywhere, And their ideas and creativity they were keen to share! The new year brought our fifteenth camel to class, An amazing group that none could surpass! We analysed and discovered all about living things, And with all the new knowledge, you could see each starting to sprout their own wings. As online learning became the new norm, The resilient camels and families took it by storm! Climbing those floors, Opening up all sorts of new doors. They learnt about appreciation and love of who they are, These things will continue to shape them and take them so far. Now those wings are opening and ready to take flight, I’d just like to say, each one is such dynamite! What an honour, pleasure and joy it has been, All your amazingness will never be unseen. Continue to paint the world with who you are, Because each one of you is a superstar!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

17

TURTLES

Pre KG

18

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Ms. Bojana My dearest Turtles, It has been an amazing year, watching each and every one of you grow. You all have blossomed into kind, young people with unique personalities. During the year, we have learned and laughed together and made so many happy memories. I particularly enjoyed our field trips, our Glittery Thursday and outdoor yoga classes! You never stopped impressing me with your friendliness, curiosity and positive attitude. Every day of school with you has been an adventure and I will cherish those moments for ever. You have invested remarkable effort into your learning and progressed with ease throughout the year. You should be so proud of yourself because the determination, tenacity and love for learning that you have demonstrated are outstanding. I feel so honoured to be part of your NLCS journey! Our classroom was always bursting with life, happiness and positive energy. You taught me to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. I have loved it when I get those great huggies in the mornings and afternoons. You have a great future ahead of you and I am sure you can do anything you set your mind to. I hope you will continue to enjoy school with the same excitement and love for learning that you have now. Keep making good choices and work hard every day. Congratulations on all your accomplishments and best wishes for all to come!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

19

Sparrows

Pre KG

20

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs. Mitchell Little birds.…this school year has taken a path that we had never expected, never foreseen. The last few months of Pre-KG, you have shown such resilience and given such strength to others through your ability to embrace change with a smile, an open heart and an open mind. I have felt the strong connections that you have forged over our time together, even through the screen of a laptop, and I am overwhelmed with pride and joy by your ability to continue to grow and strengthen those connections with each other, with your teachers and with your learning. I think back to our beginning, in September, when you would take a marker by the fist and draw great big (or teeny-tiny) circles swirling around and around the page without much care or thought to what you created. When the only way you would walk down the stairs was to hold a teacher’s hand and take tentative steps. When you first met in the Atrium and you spread your arms out and pretended to fly together, “We are Sparrows!” Now, I see you draw a portrait, aware of shape and scale and write your name next to it. I see you moving in so many different ways with confidence: shuffling, skipping, jumping and running. I see eager little faces who delight in learning new skills and in building relationships on foundations of care, respect and a shared sense of fun. One of the things we have taken so much joy in this year has been singing together: singing whilst we played, singing whilst we learned, and singing whilst we moved through the school. Whenever one of you sang out, you were all oh so quick to join in! Did you know that in the wild, sparrows also have beautiful voices and their chirping and singing can be heard all over? Well NLCS Sparrows, this year, you have lived up to your namesake. Thank you for creating these beautiful memories my little ones, I am so excited to see what the next chapter of your NLCS adventure brings!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

21

Flamingoes KG1

22

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs McCallum Fabulous flamingos, who have flourished this year Laughing with our friends when we played or over Zoom Amazing our teachers with our wonderful ability to learn Meeting challenges head on with positivity and resilience Inspiring one another with our unique and creative ideas Never giving up, even when things were tricky Giving 100% in all we did Outstanding achievements throughout the year Experiments which left us in awe and wonder Superstars who have left their print This poem sums up all the wonderful characteristics that the children have developed over a unique and challenging year. The children have astounded me during the huge changes that have taken place and shown themselves to be wonderful young people. It has been my pleasure to teach them this year and I will truly miss each and every one of them. I know that each of them will blossom and continue to make others as happy and proud as they have made me this year!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

23

DOLPHINS KG 1

24

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Ms. Booth Delving deep into fairytales is how we started the year, Old and new friendships were made to hold dear. Life-long learners we strive to be, Precious it was when ‘The Tiger Came to Tea’. Happy we were to embrace celebrations anew, Investigations in Science, many conclusions we drew. No clues were too hard to guess our mystery reader, Constructing robots, spaceships and even a bird feeder. Learning from home did not hold us back, Attitude and commitment, we did not lack. Superior students who have made excellent progress, Swim little Dolphins, to a new year of success.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

25

Whales KG 1

26

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs. Gray I have been so lucky to have such an amazing class throughout this year. From the moment the children entered the classroom on that sunny day back in September, they lit up the room. Any worries and concerns that the children had soon melted away as we evolved into a happy, engaging classroom full of joy. Throughout the first term, the children developed some solid friendships and found their stride into what they thoroughly enjoyed participating in, finding their own strengths and challenging themselves, whether that was number work, reading, writing, painting, drawing or acting. Personalities began to shine through. Highlights include our Winter Production; our End of Unit Art Exhibition; Celebration Week and our school trips to see ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ and to Oli Oli. This year has been unsettled, to say the least. The children have demonstrated such resilience throughout the past term-and-a-half they have shown both strength and courage. Throughout the e-learning process, I have seen the children go from strength to strength, developing their reading and writing skills to a very high standard. Through consistent collaboration with home and school, the children will have a fantastic start in KG2.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

27

SandCats

KG 1

28

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs. Harris A poem for my Sand Cats, But where should I begin? My little class of superstars, Full of laughs and cheeky grins. We’ve got Sahana, Isabel and Meredith, Super-smart and oh-so bright, Alessia, Prisha and Yasmine, My outstanding rays of light. Ahmed and Masterchef Khaled love football through and through, Krish always makes me laugh, so for that I say thank you! Aliya and Aria already fabulous aged four, Antoni knows everything on the topic of dinosaurs! Florence and Brian are my little chatterboxes, Li, George and Yuto love all things cars and cool space rockets, Then we’ve got Adam - he could be in the Police, My little class of Sand Cats - such a masterpiece! I want to say I’ll miss you a lot, When we go our separate ways, You’ve all been so brave and brilliant, During these strange corona days. All of you keep shining your wonderful little lights, You’ve made the world of Mrs. Harris so happy, fun and bright.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

29

Tortoises

KG 1

30

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Ms. Ali What a year it has been this year for Tortoise class! We have had some fantastic displays of learning from a caring, happy group of children, filling the classroom with so much joy and energy. From the moment the children walked through the door back in September, I knew we would have a fantastic year together and it has been a pleasure watching every single child grow into an independent, resilient, positive little person who is ready to take any challenges in their stride. Zayn – You have a beautiful smile and the most caring nature and you have grown into such a confident young boy. Yui – Your humour and energy always put a smile on mine and Miss Hanny’s face and we love every single one of your jokes or imaginative stories. Lahcene – You fill the classroom with positive energy and your cheeky smile is always there to brighten up the room. Marya – Your creative and imaginative nature is wonderful as you create your pictures, or tell us stories. It always makes us smile. Shrey – You have a fantastic little mind filled with knowledge and wonder. You are inquisitive and it has been wonderful watching you grow in confidence. Henry – Your energy and enthusiasm towards your learning has been wonderful to see, encouraging others along the way with your positive and principled attitude. Miraya – You might be quiet sometimes, however watching you dance and sing along to music blows me away. You have a humorous side that has been wonderful to see. Mishall – You have taken the challenges of settling into a new classroom in your stride and your confidence is growing day by day. Sami – Your cheeky smile and “can do” attitude bring a fantastic energy to the room. Your funny responses to questions or ideas always put a smile on our face. Lian – You are kind, caring and mature with a fantastic attitude to learning.Your imagination will follow you anywhere you may go. Mustafa – You have a humorous, cheeky nature and you are certainly a good friend to everybody in the class. Vir – You are a sweet, kind boy who is caring to everybody and not a day went by where you were not helping somebody in their learning. Humaira – You have grown into such a confident, beautiful young girl.Your positive attitude has shone through within the real and virtual classrooms. Elizabeth – I have loved watching you grow in independence, taking on all of the challenges of the year in your stride. You are kind, caring and full of joy. Zoe – You have a wonderful attitude to learning and a fantastic sense of humour. I have loved watching your friendships blossom and seeing your confidence in certain situations, grow.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

31

Stingrays KG 2

32

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Miss Reeves 19 little Stingrays are ending the year Grown, independent, resilient and full of cheer It has been a strange few months but you have not let it affect you Listening, progressing, conquering all you do From the very first trip we went on to see the tram, train and monorail And your amazing descriptive writing, adjectives and fairytales The KG2 Art Exhibition was one of the best You created your own works of art – they were better than the rest! Learning to count, divide, multiply, tell the time and do sums And doing lots of baking to learn about processes – filling our tums! The Winter Production was simply amazing Your speaking was fabulous and I loved hearing you sing. You have made lots of models during the year From dioramas to transport, how hard you worked on these made me shed a tear Walking into the classroom each day with smiles on your faces Running really fast at Sports Day and winning all the races. Learning on Zoom has been hard at times and made us lose our minds But you have all been absolute superstars and one of a kind! So, my little Stingrays, we have come to the end I wanted to write this poem just to send A message to you all to say how unbelievably proud I am of you all Now, relax, enjoy your summer holidays, you deserve it – have a BALL!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

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Geckos KG 2

34

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs Barr What a fantastic year we’ve had in Gecko Class! We have been busy learning lots of new concepts and becoming wonderful writers. We have made huge progress with our reading and have enjoyed sharing so many stories in class, some which have even been written by us! We have loved listening to our Mystery Readers - thank you to all those fantastic parents who volunteered to come in and share their stories with us, which really helped us to become great storytellers ourselves. Our Maths work has been marvelous and one of our greatest achievements is that we have all learnt to tell the time through our Zoom lessons. As we have discovered new ideas our curiosity has grown, helping to develop our questioning and research skills.The resilience and adaptability that we have shown throughout our online learning has been incredible. Our parents have been amazing at supporting us and the Gecko Team has been super strong in achieving the best from our learning. What a huge achievement Gecko Class. It has been an absolute pleasure to guide you along your way and see your confidence blossom! Many thanks, Mrs. Barr and Miss. Dyball. ‘We are growing Geckos, exploring the world around, Caring and curious, look at what we’ve found! We’ve learnt how to be, so confident and proud, Onwards and upwards, we are Grade One bound!’

www.nlcsdubai.ae

35

Arabian Wolves KG 2

36

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Ms. Brookes You have impressed me every day with not only your resilience and determination but also your kind hearts and caring nature. What an amazing adventure we have had this year! Miss Raquel and I have loved watching you grow, learn and laugh. We have made wonderful friendships and memories to last a lifetime! Here are some of the little things that we will miss: Adam A – How you strive for perfection and your excitement when solving a problem! Aya – Your infectious giggle and positive attitude! Idir – Your funny jokes and incredible drawing! Jana – Your chatterbox nature and caring personality! Tanvi – Your passion for saving the planet and how you skip around the classroom! Camila – Your big smile when solving a Maths problem. Janmay – Your incredible facts about trains and animals. Adam H – Your smiley face, paper airplanes and astonishing knowledge of the world. Kabir J – Your amazing vocabulary and mischievous jokes. Caleb – Your smiley face and your amazing stories about Liverpool and Canada. Sumaya – Your smile and kindness that lights up the room. Mahi – Your sass and sparkly accessories that you sneak into school! Marina – The beaming smile on your face as you skip into the classroom each day! Kabir U – Your incredible knowledge of animals and the world around us! Leonardo – Your amazing imagination and excitement when moving up a book level! Zixuan – Your astonishing ability to solve a Maths problem quicker than a calculator! Freddie – Your fantastic weekend news and of course your facts about toucans! Catherine – How kind, caring and sincere you are. Not forgetting your secret talent as an ice skater! Manal – How resilient you have become and your beautiful smile when you are proud of your achievements! Rodina – How brave and confident you were to join our class through zoom! Remember to keep smiling and always try your best. Good luck in Grade 1. We will miss you all!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

37

Meerkats KG 2

38

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Miss Tomlin We had a blast the whole year through And I learned a lesson from each of you These are the things I will always remember Even after you’ve spread your wings to Grade 1 in September Veer, you taught us how to laugh and always made things fun Zinny, you are kind, courageous, brave and always get things done! Mira, you are so gentle, thoughtful and always try your best Aurelius, you are confident, sincere and your thoughts are always expressed! Falcon, you are earnest, kind and make everyone feel special Rhea, your bubbly charisma alone will ensure that you are successful! Mikael, your words are always caring and you brighten up our day Devishi, you bring so much joy and fun and showed us how to play Viraj, you taught us how to be a good friend, to listen and to share Aarnuv, you are quick-witted and can teach the class when Miss Tomlin’s not there! Dylan, your genuine, happy soul is what makes us all love you Luca, you are so animated, your vibrant character shines through Henri, you tell fantastic stories and have learned to take more risks Zara, you are grown up, sincere, polite, bubbly, you have so many gifts Mahnoor, you are graceful and devoted, and a loyal friend too Cassia, you are a hard-working, cheerful girl who’s not afraid to try things that are new Eunho, you are fun, enthusiastic and have a kind and sensitive heart Talal, you were calm, considerate and caring from the start I have never been so proud of such a wonderful group of children Each and every one of you are truly one in a gazillion. Whenever you feel you want to give up, hold your head up high Miss Tomlin and Miss Aayesha know that you can reach for the sky.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

39

Badgers Grade 1

40

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mr. Roberts A is a for Aryan asking interesting questions, B is for Blake’s super Sonic playground sessions. C is for Charlie dressed as our jolly Father Christmas, D is for diet, Cara’s snacks always looked so delicious! E is for Ellie’s amazing Chinese New Year presentation, F is for finding out, Eric shared some Kwanzaa information. G is for Green Planet, Ava climbing high among the trees, H is for Humza, solving Maths problems with ease. I is for Issam building systems like his dad, J is for jokes, although most were quite bad. K is for Karam and his T-Rex mask at break, L is for Livinia and the books she liked to make. M is for Minty, always looking out for her friends, N is for Nour Ali, scoring goals just as break ends. O is for the obstacles we’ve learned to overcome, P is for pets, MJ’s dog joined us for fun! Q is for quiet in the library with Mrs. K, R is for Remi the Red Nosed Reindeer in our play. S is for Sami making holograms with a phone, T is for thank you to parents teaching from home! U is for umbrella, rain days made us all wet, V is for Valentine, teaching the Arabic alphabet. W is for Winter Production, oh what a show, X is for Leila’s excellent invention Grizmo. Y is for year, there’s a lot to remember, Z is for no more Zoom, I hope to see you all in September!

www.nlcsdubai.ae

41

Salukis Grade 1

42

YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs Mower The 2019/20 academic year will be unforgettable and not just because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We came together as a pack and throughout the year, the Saluki class have created some wonderful memories.When I reflect on your individual aspirations at the beginning of the year, I am so proud to see that you have surpassed your own ambitions. Your unique characters and contributions have made our class thrive. During the year, we sadly said farewell to Yaseen, but welcomed the arrival of Anastasia to continue our amazing adventure. What a fabulous learning journey we have been on together! Your enthusiasm for our Units of Inquiry, your engagement with home learning and expressing yourselves creatively helped to build a beautiful classroom environment for us to work in. Your individual and collective achievements are something to feel proud of. Highlights of the year include the opportunities you have taken to showcase your talents and oral language skills. Acting, singing and dancing in the First School Winter Production. With growing confidence, you shone in our class assembly to share your appreciation of other cultures with the rest of the Junior School. Even online, you continued to share your individual musical and sporting talents and celebrated each other’s success. When we reflect on this year, some people might regret all the things that they missed by not physically being in the classroom. For me however, I will cherish the memories of our Zoom lessons, the resilience you showed, your growing independence and the sense of community that we established online. I wish you all the best for the wonderful futures that await you.

www.nlcsdubai.ae

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Parakeets Grade 1

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YEAR BOOK 2019-20

Teacher: Mrs Johnson The Parakeets class have so many memories to share, Of their time with Mrs Johnson, Mrs Koen and Harry the Bear, From the day they started in Grade One, Their confidence grew and their talents shone. So many things we will never forget, From their journey to the present day from when we first met, Communicating in Sunday Story Sharing and Reporter of the Day, Thinking in Thursday’s Reflections really paved the way, Chatter Box, Inquirer of the Month, Dojo Star of the Week, All aiming for the highest peak, The kind, caring individuals all the Parakeets are, Never putting themselves first, always adding their friends’ names to the kindness jar. The detailed work produced from each Central Idea, Being risk takers and never showing fear, Writing reports on being balanced and eating healthy foods, Learning about how exercise changes moods, Knowledge of cultures and beliefs around our nation, Visiting festivals, making art about traditions and celebrations, Facing problems of deforestation and ocean pollution, Looking at others perspectives then collaborating to find a solution, Inventors from the past gave inspiration, Leading to an exhibition of amazing creations, Resilience in home learning, with more talents in the making, Piano recitals, art, singing, dancing and baking, Ramadan reading and stories to share, Showing friends and family thanks for how they care, In the unforgettable year of 2020, The children never let our hearts feel empty, Proud memories of the Parakeets will shine on with us forever, We will miss them so much; they have been a great pleasure, A wonderful Summer’s rest they have all earnt, Ready to triumph in Grade Two showcasing the wonderful skills they have learnt.

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KG2 Art

Exhibition It was a calm, peaceful Thursday afternoon. Balloons fluttered in the breeze.Van Gogh looked down at the Kandinskys and the Picassos below and potions, filled with experiences boiled and bubbled. Easels adorned with paint, pencil, charcoal, collage, paper, glue and materials stood ready for action. It was time….. Welcome to the KG2 Art Exhibition! This year, the KG2 children excelled themselves and created a wonderful exhibition full of art and words, based on the Unit of Inquiry:‘We can use our Imaginations’.Throughout the term, the year group explored how their experiences inspired them to create in different ways, how they could develop their creativity and how their imaginations can affect others. They researched and learnt more about famous artists, including Matisse and Rothko, before picking one piece of art that inspired them. Using a range of different resources, and lots of risk-taking, they re-created this piece of art with their own imaginative twist. Using some of the techniques they had learnt through the weeks, KG2 shaded, created texture using paint and attached materials together to create some amazing works of art. KG2 also worked as a class to create a large scale piece of art, deciding as a group what artist they would like to present. Alongside this, the children explored the word ‘experience’ and learnt that no two experiences are the same. They thought of imaginative ways they could present these experiences and used role play, freeze frames, performance poetry and songs to share these with their peers. Thinking further about how they can use their imaginations, KG2 created their own descriptive stories, using adjectives and verbs, which they illustrated and presented at the Exhibition. The KG2 Art Exhibition was the perfect way to end the Unit and share their awe inspiring work with their friends and family. It also showed how resourceful, determined and creative KG2 are. We might even have a future Warhol or Picasso among us!

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First School Role Model Program Mrs. Barr

This year we have, again, had huge success with our series of Role Model Assemblies for our First School students. These have been a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with staff from across both the Junior and Senior School community. We have had a wide range of guest speakers who have shared with us the individuals who have inspired them and the talents that they admire.We have even been able to incorporate these into our online learning and have shared our presentations with parents at home. This has resulted in our First School students building a collection of inspiring individuals whom they know about and can refer to, as examples of positive role models in their learning. It has also been a fantastic opportunity for our students to become more aware of the aspirational qualities that they can try and reflect in their own lives. Thank you to all those staff members who took part and were able to share their passion with our students. This year we have had talks from: Mrs. Rabia - Abdul Sattar Edhi Mrs. Barr - Greta Thunberg, Frida Kahlo Mr. Joudrey - Sir Ranulph Fiennes Mrs. Farhat - Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Mr. Monaghan - Diana Nyad Mrs. Durston - Her friend, Helen Bliss Mrs. Lobo - Her grandmother Mrs. Navin - David Attenborough Mrs. Kakulavarapu - Florence Nightingale Mr. Snape - Wynton Marsalis Miss. Carney - Her grandmothers Mrs. Duarte - Lionel Tertis Mrs. Monaghan - Frances Mary Buss

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Junior School House Competitions Ms. Reeves

The Junior School Competitions returned for the second year with a programme of varied and exciting, academic, creative and sporting competitions to demonstrate team and competitive spirit. Over 350 children from the Junior School took part in a competition during the year. These included Inter House quizzes, a spelling bee, House Netball, House Reading (to coincide with Book Week), House Writing and the extremely popular, House Endurance challenge. This was the first competition that encouraged every child from the Lower School to take part and support their peers. It was a brilliant event that showed team spirit, resilience and determination. The Junior School also celebrated First School and Lower School Sports Day, during which children sat together in their houses and cheered on their House participants through the running, jumping, throwing and balancing activities. Hafeet were victorious in Lower School, while Yibir were crowned the winners in First School. During the Online Learning period, the spirit of House Competitions has continued with children earning House Points through activities and competitions including baking challenges, writing a letter to an NLCS student at a different school, photography, art, a building challenge and debating. Children have also worked closely with their siblings during this time, supporting their younger brothers and sisters with the challenges to earn additional House Points. House Points from these activities will be added together and the second Junior School House Winner will be announced at the start of the next academic year. Good luck to all the Houses!

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KG 2 Parent Visitors We are so fortunate to have a parent community that is always so willing to give up their time to come and help in the School. Here are just a few of those: Zaara’s Mum – Gecko Class - Mrs. Anuradha Parekh Zaara’s mum came to speak to KG2 about animal adaptations on the Galapagos islands to link with our learning on how animal adaptations help them survive. She also told us about her journey to Uganda to see the gorillas. Thinking about what she saw and the different types of transport she went on, helped us to link with our Unit of Inquiry surrounding ‘Where we are in Time and Place’

Chinese New Year A group of parents came and spoke to KG2 about the Chinese New Year celebrations, why they are important and what special events take place. They showed them a story and they talked about the special good luck red envelope children will receive.

Diwali Celebrations A group of parents came and told the story of Diwali to the children, using props and role play to bring the story to life.

End of Unit Celebration Parents came to see the children’s super dioramas they had created as part of the unit ‘Sharing the Planet’ where they made their own animals and designed the environment they are adapted to.

Mystery Readers Lots of parents came in across Term 2 to share some wonderful stories with the children.

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Grade 1 Trip to Sustainable City Mr. Roberts

As part of our Unit of Inquiry into communities and systems, we visited the first net-zero energy city in Dubai,The Sustainable City. Arriving at school with beaming smiles and much anticipation, all of Grade One’s children were all asking the same question: “When is it time to get on the school bus?”.With packed lunches checked, toilet runs complete and the children excitedly waiting in their small groups, we made our way towards the school buses, past the waving Miss Williams and Mrs Schmidt, who both wished us a happy journey. After a bumpy coach ride, and a few topsy-turvy tummies, we arrived at The Sustainable City. We were greeted by Ms Shar, who quickly escorted us to the central square and answered many important questions such as “When can I eat my snack?”, “Where do you live?” and “Where is the toilet!” Soon we were taken on an electric bus and we met our tour guide, Claire. She took us to the car park and explained how the city uses solar panels to collect the sun’s energy and charge residents’ cars. Next, we visited the animal sanctuary. The Badgers found it hilarious when the donkey boisterously kicked over the animal sanctuary sign! Trundling along on our electric bus we soon reached the biodomes. Inside the city grow many different types of herbs for the residents to use for free. Nothing is wasted and any leftover plants are sold to supermarkets in Dubai. We all loved exploring the hydroponic fish tank used to grow plants in the middle of the biodome and tasting the fresh basil plants. Ms Shar suddenly reappeared and offered to show us where she lives. Before we knew it, we were filing into her villa to explore some of the unique features of the house. The house had solar panels on the roof to provide electricity and thick exterior walls to keep the inside rooms cool. Before it was time to leave, we had a chance to view a model version of the city and Ms Shar explained how the city plans to expand in the future. Finally, it was time to return to school. As we made our way back onto the bus after a long day of exploring, many of the children settled down into their seats for a well-earned nap.

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Grade 1 Trip to Green Planet “I can’t wait to see the sloth!” “I want to hold a beetle.” “Do you think we will see any lizards?” Excitement was buzzing around the Grade 1 corridor on the morning of our trip to the Green Planet. Tales of what was to come were being told by children who had visited before, while others listened intently. After a short bus ride to City Walk, we walked through the front gates of Green Planet and were suddenly accosted by a squawking and quite grumpy-looking green parrot. We cautiously approached a nearby staircase and thankfully we were greeted by our guide. We began to descend to the flooded forest to explore the rivers, plants and animals that live and grow here. The piranhas that lived here looked calm and relaxed, but our guide explained that they could eat a small child in only a few minutes! Next, we took an elevator to the top of the canopy. We could hear the chirps, squawks and flaps of the birds flying overhead but our first stop was the bat cave. Hidden behind a secret door and pitch-black inside we slowly ventured in. At first, the room seemed to be empty, but soon we noticed that the ceiling was moving and before we knew it bats began to flap overhead, silently eyeing up the children below. Our guide explained that we couldn’t stay too long because bats often need to go to the toilet, and we wouldn’t want to be underneath them when that happened. Afterwards, we began our descent from the canopy to the understory. Along the way, we met squirrel monkeys, snakes and, of course, a sloth. Walking carefully along a rickety rope bridge we all stopped to peek at the resident sloth doing what sloths do best - sleep. Our journey continued to the forest floor where we encountered lizards, more snakes and numerous insects. Our guide pulled a beetle and a cockroach out of their enclosure and asked us to gently hold them in our hands. The little legs tickled but after the short encounter, many children wanted to keep them as pets. After an amazing day, with so many opportunities to see the animals of the rainforest up close and personal, we made one last stop at the Australian Walkabout exhibit. It was a surprise to see wallabies bouncing around in Dubai! Finally, we thanked our guide and made our way back to school, with just enough time for another nap.

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Grade 1 Playground Leaders Mrs. Garrett

The Playground Leaders’ scheme was developed last year to give our students in Grade 1 opportunities to develop their leadership skills. The students met weekly to plan their small games and lead the KG2 students during their playtime. The aim was to encourage active playtimes, create friendships and develop their skills. The Grade 1 students were fantastic at encouraging the younger students and were seen as positive role models. Our fantastic leaders were: - Zoya Luthra, - Eduardo Maga, - Issam Muheisan, - Remi Majithia, - Taymor Pharaon, - Nour Ben Mlouka

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Message from the Head of Lower School It is hard to believe we have just completed our third year of operation at NLCS Dubai, and what a journey we have been on! This year saw many new families join our very special NLCS community, and our existing Lower School family welcomed them with open arms. The 12 classrooms of Lower School were bursting with excitement with both new and familiar faces joining us for the year of 2019-20, and what a year it has been. To our fantastic students, who make up the Lower School community, what stands out to me, year-onyear, is your determination to succeed, and the passion in which you approach your learning. This shines through as much today as it did when we opened the doors to you at the start of the year in September. If I were asked to describe the students of Lower School, brilliant, creative, imaginative, determined, resilient and kind are just a few of the adjectives that spring to mind. Anything we ask of you, as facilitators of your learning, you embrace with open arms, ready to take on whichever challenge is handed to you. This has been particularly evident in our final term of the year, where you have developed the highest level of digital literacy skills; you have had to make vast advances in your executive functioning skills and shown tremendous resilience in the face of adversity. Have you let this dampen your enthusiasm to learn? Certainly not. You have come out the other side, still smiling, still passionate about your learning and still making every single one of your teachers proud with your efforts and your determination to be the very best you can be. As I sit writing this from home, in what is now widely known as the ‘Covid Era’, I would never have imagined at the end of my first three years as Head of Lower School at NLCS Dubai, that this would be the current situation in which we now find ourselves. Live lessons through ‘Zoom’ and ‘Teams’, virtual playdates, online live music concerts from our talented students, social distancing, masks everywhere and virtual exhibitions have become the new ‘norm’. Have we let this affect the spirit of NLCS? Never. As a community, we have continued to embrace the ethos of NLCS, take on the challenge, ride the wave that is life in lockdown, and successfully provide a distance learning experience worthy of the NLCS stamp of approval. You have been creative, innovative, and resilient and compassion from all has shone through.Yes, there have been challenges, but I believe as a community this has made us stronger and taught us all new life skills and life lessons we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. This is certainly a time in our lives that will hold many treasured memories for years to come, and you have all grown and become stronger because of it. Having said that, nothing beats walking through the corridors of Lower School in the morning and seeing you all smiling and eager to burst through the classroom doors. I miss your cheerful hellos and good mornings; I miss you running to show me the writing you have done that you are so proud of; I miss the society leaders knocking on the door ready with their next plan of action. Above all, I miss seeing every single one of you learning in your classrooms, and the sound of voices brimming with enthusiasm and excitement. I pray that we will all be back together soon, until then, keep strong, keep making us proud and always remember you are the shining lights, the bright stars of the future in the midst of this period of challenge. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for another phenomenal year, I cannot wait to see what next year brings.

Hannah Smith Head of Lower School NLCS Dubai

DESERT HARES Grade 2

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Teacher: Mrs McGinn

S

unshiney: our favourite word in Desert Hares.

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nited in our love for this word, we giggled every Thursday

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oisily when we used our favourite word to describe the new

S

tar of the Week! Your

H

umour is what I will remember so fondly. I will also remember how

I

ntelligent, hardworking and courteous you are. There has

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ever been a dull moment and your attitude to distance learning has been

E

xceptional! Well done to you all for a magnificent year.

Y

ou are simply awesome and I can’t wait to see you again someday soon!

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Desert Ants Grade 2

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Teacher: Miss Worthington The Grade 2 Desert Ants are courageous, hardworking and caring individuals who have proven themselves throughout this very different academic year! It has been an absolute pleasure to support them on their journey and watch them grow. We have had so many highlights, from diving into our Unit of Inquiry explorations, answering complex and challenging mathematics problems, delving into superb texts such as ‘Sir Guwain and the Green Knight’, visiting spots all over Dubai on school trips and showing true team spirit when representing NLCS as part of sports teams. When moving into a period of uncertainty and beginning distance learning, the Ants showed independence, strength and positive mindsets! They logged in daily to Teams with a smile on their face, and although not in the classroom, progressed exceptionally well as a collective through the curriculum. It has been a delight to be their Class Teacher, getting to know them as a group and individuals. I wish them every success as they continue their learning in Grade 3 and look forward to seeing their warm faces in the corridors for another engaging academic year! Good luck Ants!

Determined Enlightening Spectacular

Stupendous

Resilient

Enthusiastic Admirable

Talented

Nimble-witted

Tremendous

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ARABIAN horses Grade 2

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Teacher: Mr. Durston All bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I remember the start of the year as if it were only yesterday! Ready to start their foray into the Lower School, some joining NLCS Dubai for the first time, All eager to see what this new year would bring for them. Thrown in at the deep end and Bravely taking on the task of performing in the first school production of the year! They were Incredible! Sotongi and Wannakeekee alike, all singing their hearts out and performing with Gusto! After the curtain came down, they could all hold their heads up high for a job well done. Now back to the classroom where Maths and English and Science created inquirers and thinkers. Happy to accept whatever table-layout Mr. Durston threw at them – sitting with their best friends, Or maybe a new acquaintance, they took it all in their stride. We lost a couple but gained a couple and Reflected on the past. Our past, Dubai’s past and the long, long ago – cave paintings,Victorians and even the Space race! They were all very interesting, but it was our present that was being referred to as “unprecedented”. Even as the world shut down and the planes were grounded, we found ways to connect. Through Teams, Zoom, Skype or Google Meet, the world found a way to stay together and the Horses gallop towards a future that is bright! All the very best, I will miss you all! Mr. Durston

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Salamanders Grade 3

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Teacher: Miss Morgan Thank you for making my first year at NLCS Dubai such a wonderful and memorable experience. How lucky I have been to teach such kind, thoughtful and hard-working students. From marvellous mathematicians tackling problem-solving challenges in Maths, to super scientists conducting investigations and experiments in Science; wonderful writers creating beautiful stories in English, to incredible projects produced in Unit of Inquiry lessons. You have shown yourself to be true inquirers, as you have sought to navigate and lead your own learning. I have been extremely impressed with the dedication, passion and enthusiasm you have shown towards your learning and this was never more evident than in these unprecedented times. The perseverance, determination and resilience displayed during the period of online learning has been remarkable and you should all be incredibly proud of what you have achieved. This year there have been many opportunities to take your learning outside of the classroom, as you participated in a range of exciting trips. At the Jam Jar, you displayed your wonderful art skills, at Dubai Museum you impressed all of the teachers with your thoughtful questions about the history of the UAE and at the Curiosity Lab, where your imagination came to life. Not forgetting the incredible residential trip to Kalba, where you were true risk-takers as you embraced new opportunities and experiences. It is with great pleasure and pride that I have watched you flourish and grow in confidence this year. Although I am your teacher, I in turn have learned a great deal from you. I will miss your unique personalities, bright smiles and warm hearts. Wishing you every success in Grade 4.

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Arabian Gazelles Grade 3

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Teacher: Miss Roberts We are at that time again when we reflect on what has been achieved throughout the year. Wow! What an incredible journey we have been on. You have embraced all of the exciting opportunities, demonstrating a multitude of skills. The year started with a range of fun getting to know you activities and this is when firm friendships were made, personalities revealed and hopes and goals for the new school year were set. You have been risk-takers on the residential to Kalba, trying yourselves out with new experiences. You have been thinkers in Maths when demonstrating a range of strategies when problem solving and reasoning. Confidently presenting your NGO pitch presentations, you have been excellent communicators, working collaboratively in your teams to reach your goal. You have been principled in your daily actions and caring with your friends. The list is endless, but I certainly know that you have grown from strength to strength in your abilities to learn and lead through our inquiry-based approach. It has been wonderful to see your participation and committed involvement in the plethora of ECAs. Your drive to reach and improve on your goals and the commitment to attend regular training sessions continues to impress me. Always remember that being part of a group or team provides a sense of belonging, offering you an opportunity to interact with others with similar interests and potentially build friendships outside of your usual circle of friends. The power of community spirit has never been stronger than in these unprecedented times, and I would like to express my huge pride and gratitude to you all for your resilience, passion for learning, laughter and smiles throughout the whole experience of our online learning. I wish you all a restful summer break and I know that you will continue to flourish and take responsibility for your choices in Grade 4. I will miss you all!

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Leopards Grade 3

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Teacher: Miss Paisley My Leopard cubs are all grown up and ready to head into Grade 4! We have had such an amazing year and it has been a real pleasure to watch each member of the Leopards class grow and flourish. The Leopards have been true inquirers, as well as keen writers, mathematicians, scientists and historians. They have questioned, researched and delved into each Unit of Inquiry with open minds, growing more confident and inquisitive throughout. There are so many fantastic moments to remember, such as our residential trip to Kalba.The students learnt as much about themselves as they did about each other, pushing their boundaries to become more independent, and coping with the physical and mental challenges thrown their way. We have also thoroughly enjoyed our other trips: getting creative at the Jam Jar, exploring the rich history of the UAE at the Dubai Museum and having their minds blown with some scientific wonders at the Curiosity Lab. Some more highlights have also been the opportunities they have had to showcase their learning and presentation skills in our mini exhibitions at the start of the year during the ‘How we express ourselves’ unit, and more recently, in the ‘How we organise ourselves’ unit. They have all been a constant source of support and encouragement to each other throughout. Even when we moved into our online learning, everyone demonstrated such resilience and determination and continued to explore new areas of learning to keep challenging themselves. My Leopard cubs have brought me so much pride and happiness over the year with their unique personalities, wonderful imaginations and caring attitudes. I will miss you all greatly and wish you all the best for your future!

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falcons Grade 4

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Teacher: Mr Mounsey There have been many memorable moments this year: Safiya, Saher, Xianzi and Alex T’s amazing efforts during each of our sessions jumping around with Jo Wicks during our first Unit of Inquiry. Linking English and Inquiry via incredible role-play during Drama sessions (Alex K and Aleksandr’s zombie arms spring to mind). Outstanding musical performances from Maria-Louiza, Jessica and Claudius on the piano and singing from Iman and Audrey. Curiosity and discovery during experiments, such as the lung dissections and remembering the excited, yet slightly horrified, looks on faces (intrepid scientists Clara and Amelia using the pump to inflate a lung and Omar volunteering to handle the lung tissue!). Maths board games; green screen action; more drama as Heejae and Maya pretended to be trees and National Day celebrations and the greatest ice-lollies ever eaten (Thank you Lamya!). Who can forget our mini exhibition? So many highlights including Jade’s artwork, Shuhan’s sales pitch and James’ acting. Adventuring beyond the school to explore the galaxy at the Sharjah planetarium; the excitement and challenges on camp at Dibba and learning about possibilities of eco-living at The Sustainable City. Although our time together within the classroom walls came to an abrupt end, the spirit and connectivity of the Falcons class continued to grow throughout distance learning. If I must choose one thing I am proudest of this Falcon Class for, it is your resilience and positivity in the face of the unexpected challenges we have had this year. You have continued to apply yourselves, work together, inquire and engage; using your tenacity to thrive during this new way of learning. I hope you all look back on this time and see just what an amazing job you have done to keep going, keep learning and to stay strong. What an incredible chapter in our lives Falcons. I am certain we will never forget this year!

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eagles Grade 4

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Teacher: Ms. Schools I have had the most wonderful year with Eagles. They have been a dream to teach and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them grow into independent, articulate, brave, curious individuals. Throughout the year, we welcomed many new students with Sara, Emily, Grace, Judi, Evelyn, Neda, Jinghao and Misk. Although, some may feel new, they are all true NLCS Dubai students who have found a renewed love of learning through the IB Curriculum and pastoral support that we provide here at our school. I am so proud of them! Eagles studied six units named, ‘Learning’, ‘Exploration’, ‘Advertising’, ‘Energy’, ‘Supply and Demand’ and ‘Conflict’ this year and many of them would agree that they enjoyed the ‘Advertising’ and ‘Energy’ units the best where they made iMovies and PowerPoint Presentations for their final projects! Grade 4 went on school trips to Sharjah Planetarium, Residential to Dibba, Oman and Sustainable City in order to make connections with their learning to the real world. We also enjoyed lectures from Mrs. Navin and Mr. Joudrey about their explorations around the world. In addition, we hosted an Exhibition for parents and peers to share our incredible work. Just over halfway through the year, the students moved into Distance Learning where they studied all their lessons at home through a device. They became experts at joining LIVE lessons, working independently, using Microsoft programs such as Teams, OneNote, PowerPoint and Word and navigating online tools to facilitate their learning. Furthermore, they developed an online identity, responsibility, ownership and collaboration skills. I have many favourite moments of the year but my best memory is the Dahl Cruise in Dibba where we sang, ate breakfast on the boat, swam in the sea and danced to music. Thank you students for a fabulous year. I wish the best of luck for Grade 5!

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Starlings Grade 4

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Teacher: Mrs. Dear Wow, what a year this has been! I have been so lucky to have such wonderful students with me on this roller coaster of a year – a year of new experiences and challenges for everyone. I have absolutely loved teaching each and every one of you, both in class and through distance learning. Your passion and enthusiasm has been amazing to see and I have loved seeing each of you grow as individuals. Your abilities to make me laugh, confused and proud all within minutes of each other continue to make me smile day by day. I wish you all the luck in the future and I cannot wait to see all of your smiling faces down the corridor next academic year! Love, Mrs. Dear Alya – Awesome at dancing Johnny – Jocose with jokes all round Faisal – Fabulously friendly Haniah – Hardworking and always happy Alessandro – Always an amazing attitude Cameron – Consistent comedian Ruhaan – Reliable and ready with responses Elissavet – Excellent energy Falak – Full of fascinating facts Husayn – Humorous and helpful Jane – Joyful with a jolly attitude Julianna – Jubilant and always jotting Alex – Amicable and artistic Scarlet – Super and smiley Zeenaldeen – Zestful and zealous Omar – Outgoing and open to opportunities Krish – Kind and King of the origami Abdallah – Amazingly ambitious Anaya – Affable and attentive Caspar – Confident and always challenging himself Maya – Marvellously meticulous

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Caracals Grade 5

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Teacher: Mr. Phee This year the G5 Caracals have been on an incredible journey, preparing themselves for the challenges that lie ahead in the Senior school next year. Our first unit of the year on Leadership, gave many of the children an opportunity to become leaders in the Junior School. It was inspiring to see the way that the students created their own manifestos in the hotly contested elections to become House Captains. We were also very proud to see two Caracal class members become elected as House Captains of Yibir (Inaya Bhasin) and Hafeet (Freya Bradley). During this term we also thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Etihad Museum, where we were able to see how inspirational leadership from the Founding Fathers, resulted in the foundation of the place we all call home, the UAE. At the start of Term 2, we headed off to the Al Mina, Eco Venture Camp to begin an unforgettable week of adventure that will live long in the memory. It was here that strong bonds were formed between all the G5 students and teachers. From ‘Leap of Faith’ to ‘Jacobs ladder’ and ‘All Aboard,’ the students were able to try a variety of hair raising activities that tested their mettle and helped them learn the true meaning of the word ‘risk-takers’. As Term 2 was coming to a close, we never realised that the biggest challenges of the year were still waiting for us. Two weeks into Term 3, we were all told that we had to take an enforced holiday due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and then we began our distance learning programme. Over the first few weeks, both teachers and students had to adapt to new technology platforms and a new way of learning. It fills me with great pride to reflect on how well students have overcome these challenges and kept motivated over this 15 week period. This achievement can not be overstated and huge credit must go to the Caracal class students who have shown great resilience throughout this whole remote learning journey. A review of the year would not be complete without mentioning the fantastic PYP remote learning Exhibition that the G5 Caracals completed. It really was magnificent to see the passion and drive that the Caracals displayed towards their investigations and anyone who visited the Exhibition websites made, could not fail to be impressed. So as the year comes to a close, it is with a heavy heart that I will say goodbye to my G5 Caracal class of 2019/2020. You have inspired me, made me laugh and filled me with pride. For those that are leaving, I wish you all the success in your moves to new countries and I am positive you will succeed if you continue to apply yourself in the NLCS way. For those transitioning into the Senior school, remember my door is always open, if you ever need a friendly ear or some words of advice. “You’re off to great places. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!” Dr. Seuss.

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Desert Hedgehogs

Grade 5

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Teacher: Miss Ougham It seems such a long time ago now to think of that very first day of our journey, in September, when 24 eager and excited children rushed into the Hedgehogs’ classroom. Since then, we have been on a fabulous adventure, making a huge amount of memories: from our amazing residential in Ras Al Khamiah, to House Elections, visiting the Expo site, to Maths week, World Book Day, participating in assemblies, running societies and so much more! I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to witness the progress the children have made and I have watched in awe how the Hedgehogs have grown together every day, in both confidence and personality. They are natural risktakers in all that they do, embarking on new challenges with ease. They have developed each of the Learner Profiles attributes well, becoming a caring, inquiring and knowledgeable class. I have been particularly overwhelmed by the resilience and positivity shown throughout our online learning programme this year. They embraced the changes well and showed how independent they can be. The Hedgehogs have motivated each other throughout, often sending messages of kindness and optimism to one another, as well as a daily quote! The Hedgehogs have shown me that through times of adversity, we can continue to support each other from afar and be a good friend to those in need. Despite the challenges faced this year, we think the most memorable part of Grade 5 was our spectacular PYP Exhibition. We were so proud of the projects we produced, showing off our collaborative skills and producing amazing work about our subject passions, showing off our arty side! I loved the creativity that shone through each and every one member of the class, showing our unique talents and interests in drama, music, animation and food art to name a few. I wish the Hedgehogs class the best of luck in their future endeavours, and I am so proud of everything that they have achieved this year and I know you will have the best of times at Senior School and beyond.

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oryx Grade 5

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Teacher: Mr Carmody This was a special year for my class, as it was both of our last years in NLCS Dubai. It is sad to leave, but just like my students, we are moving together onto bigger and brighter things. As the leaders of the Junior School, Grade 5 began the year investigating Leadership and what makes a good leader and a good team member. We elected school councillors and House Captains and led by example in our behaviour and in our work ethic. In the Oryx Classroom, we worked extremely hard on our weaknesses and rewrote our definitions of failure. We used our setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow and we were always there with a helping hand for a fellow classmate. We enjoyed many fantastic trips including our trip to the Etihad Museum and the Expo 2020 site. We were also visited and inspired by many wonderful guest speakers, including leaders of industry, parents and teachers. Our trip to Dibba was not only fun, but we learned so much about ourselves and each other. We developed resilience and coping mechanisms to deal with pressure and anxiety. Most importantly, we had a terrific time taking part in all the amazing activities. For our online exhibition, my students were incredibly impressive in how they showed their passion for their research and presented their exhibits with great enthusiasm and consideration in a most difficult circumstance. We tried our best to turn the distance learning into a positive by focusing on developing our computer literacy and organisational skills. My class were incredibly resilient and brave and we continued to have a good laugh most mornings in our form time and online lessons. However, now is the time to begin to say our farewells to Lower School and hello to Grade 6 and all the exciting challenges and opportunities that this presents itself with. I hope that you learned a lot from your time in the Oryx classroom and that you will take these lessons into your new Grade, safe in the knowledge that you are always a member of the Oryx family and that the memories we forged together will last a lifetime. Also, a big thank you too to the wonderful Oryx parents who have been so supportive, kind and enthusiastic all throughout the year.Your children are a credit to you. Finally, a note to the most important people in the school (bias alert): all of my former Oryx children! When you are in the Oryx class, you’re not just in a class, you are in an Oryx family. And just like a family, you have always been there for each other and made each other better human beings. I leave the School with so many incredible memories of the fun and hardships we had together. We have learned so much from each other and have impacted on each other’s lives in ways we can never imagine. There will always be a space in my heart reserved for every one of the children that called their classroom homes the “Oryx Classroom”. I will miss you all!

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Primary Years Programme Coordinator Catherine Schmidt

This year we have been on a journey like no other. Ultimately, this journey has highlighted how every child at NLCS Dubai embodies the Learner Profile attributes of the PYP. Consider your child or children. Are they balanced, yet a risk-taker? Are they an inquirer, a thinker? Are they principled in their actions? Are they caring in their nature, and knowledgeable? I’m sure you can think of examples where your child, whether a 3-year-old in PreKG or graduating student in Grade 5, have displayed these attributes, particularly in this final term. Grade levels have shared their knowledge, their passions, their wonderful communication skills and research skills throughout this school year. From our youngest PreKG students, who could forget their Colour Exhibition, bringing much appreciated excitement and happiness to the school community; KG1’s Art Exhibition, showcasing talents in the areas of Music, Art, Dance and Poetry; KG2’s display and interpretations of the concept of ‘Journeys’ made us ask higher order questions and Grade 1 wowed us with their incredible invention presentations via Padlet during our period of distance learning. Grade 2 showcased their entrepreneurial skills when they earned ‘money’ to purchase supplies to make amazing goods for the rest of the school community to buy - what a fun day that was! Grade 3 presented their summative projects, in which they designed and built their own NGO organisations, while Grade 4 impressed us with their knowledge and ability to make connections with the economy and the global pandemic that we are a part of at the time of writing. The Exhibition proved to be another highlight of the year. The Grade 5 students did themselves proud with the way that they collaborated and engaged in the Inquiry process virtually, which was no mean feat! This is the final, culminating project of the Primary Years Programme, where students choose an area of passion, and inquire deeply into it before coming up with some form of action in the community or elsewhere. These students should feel immensely proud of their achievements as they make the transition into the Senior School, where they will continue to build upon these skills. They displayed their amazing Approaches to Learning throughout, a vital component in the Enhanced PYP: Communication, Research, Self-management, Social and Thinking skills were displayed through a variety of mediums. Their knowledge and expertise in their area of passion certainly shone through. Who would have thought that here we would be, having completed the entire final term online, learning, collaborating, and engaging in social interactions via wifi and a screen, from the comfort and safety of our own homes? The sheer resilience, perseverance, hard work and determination of our students in adapting to what has become the new normal for now, has been impressive and nothing short of extraordinary. What an amazing, internationally minded, globally respectful and resilient community we have here at NLCS Dubai, I am so very proud of each and every PYP student. It has certainly been a year to remember.

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Grade 2 Visit to Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding Mrs. McGinn In September 2019 we visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. As part of our Inquiry unit ”Who we are”, we wanted to explore how people’s cultures and beliefs can contribute to the diversity of different societies and cultures. We were all very excited because it was our first school trip together as three classes. When we arrived, we first met our guide, a very nice Emirati lady. She led us through the Al Fahidi Historical Neighourhood, where we learned a lot about how people used to live. It was new for me to see how thoughtful they were when building their houses. For example, windows and doors were small and walls were thick to keep out the heat. Right afterwards we went to Diwan mosque and our guide explained us a lot about Islamic religious traditions, for example to pray in the direction of Mecca.

Afterwards, we were so hungry that we were really looking forward to a traditional Emirati lunch. In the courtyard of the building, the place were Emirati families used to meet, we were served a fantastic lunch which also included my favourite Emirati dish, Machboos. As dessert we tried the delicious Luqmat el Quadi. For the first time I even had coffee. I did not know how important coffee was in the Emirati culture. We learned that it is part of Arabic hospitality to invite people for coffee to their house to sit and chat. Finally, some really brave ones among us volunteered to dress up in traditional Emirati clothes.This was very funny! I enjoyed the day to dive into the Emirati culture and will keep precious memories of it. www.nlcsdubai.ae

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Grade 2 and 3 Production of ‘The Peace Child’ Ilan Khalpey - Grade 2 Arabian Horses “Everybody in position” were the last words I heard before the curtains suddenly opened and I was faced with an auditorium full of an audience sitting in pin drop silence. My heart was beating a million miles a minute and I tried to push thoughts out of my mind to make space for all the lines I needed to remember. Playing a lead role in ‘The Peace Child’ was something that I had never done before and I was eagerly looking forward to it all term. With Mr. Durston’s careful instructions and guidance during rehearsals, I wanted to make sure that I made him proud. As the new boy, in a new school, in a new country, being in the play was a great way to feel part of the school community but it carried a lot of expectation.

Planning the play had been fun! Accompanying my mum to the tailors and buying fabric in parts of Dubai I had never visited really got me excited. Seeing the set come to life before my eyes added to the thrill. But in that moment, where it all came together, I could not calm my racing heart. I waited patiently as my cast members said their lines, sang the songs, and carefully waited for my turn. With every line I spoke, my part as the Satongi chief was coming to life but coming to an end at the same time. And then it was over! Huge applause. I saw my family smiling and clapping in the audience.What a wonderful experience it was. One that I will remember for the rest of my life!

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Grade 2 Sleepover Lila Mounsey - Grade 2 Ants Grade 2 were very sad that we couldn’t have our sleepover in the gym this year - we had all been so excited for our first ever school camp. But at NLCS we don’t give up that easily, so we moved our sleepover online! On 16th April Grade 2 were getting excited, as that night we would have our Zoom Sleepover. We did our work as quickly as possible to get ready for the sleepover. I was jumping up and down with excitement.We built dens in our bedrooms, pitched tents in our living rooms and got into our comfiest PJs - it was finally time for the Great Grade 2 Sleepover! We had a fun, hilarious quiz, in which we had to guess facts about the G2 teachers - we learnt that Mrs McGinn has 7 siblings, Ms Worthington’s aunt was in the Olympics and Mr Durston wants to make a YouTube channel! We got to have yummy snacks like popcorn and s’mores. We made each other laugh with a joke telling competition - mine was “Out of 10, how obsessed am I with Harry Potter?”…… “9 and 3/4”!!! We ended our amazing sleepover with a dance off, playing some of our favourite tunes like Dance Monkey. It was so fun to see everyone’s smiling faces. Covid-19 can’t keep Grade 2 down!! We will always remember our first ever NLCS camp!

Kiran Reddy - Grade 2 Desert Hares The Grade 2 classes were supposed to have a residential sleepover in the school. The teachers were preparing us to go on next year’s residential. We could not do it at school because of school closing due to COVID-19. Instead of cancelling the whole event, we were allowed to do it at our homes. We split it into a boys’ group and a girls’ group, so that there would not be too many kids. We were encouraged to set up a den or a tent and put on our pyjamas and get into our sleeping bags. After that we had a Zoom call at 7:00pm and had a trivia quiz which was based on knowledge about our teachers. I found out that Mrs McGinn did one of the highest bungee jumps in the world. Mrs Worthington likes duck pancakes and Mr Durston lived in Japan. We had lots of fun because we got to chat to all of our friends from different classes and we were really missing them because of COVID-19. We are all really looking forward to seeing our friends again and to experience next year’s residential. www.nlcsdubai.ae 89

Distance Learning Misk Alireza - Grade 4 Eagles I joined NLCS in February 2020, only four days before the campus closed and distance education began for all schools in the UAE. I did not get to swim in the pool or begin to make strong friendships, which made distance learning even harder. I also had to learn how to use a computer too and I had to adapt to a new curriculum as independent learner. My favorite part about distance learning is being able to attend all my classes in my pyjamas! Although distance learning has been a difficult change, I have become stronger and more independent because of it. I really look forward to going back to NLCS, so that I can really know what it means to be an NLCS student.

Cyrus Tillieux - Grade 5 Oryx My name is Cyrus, I am currently in quarantine due to COVID-19. I am not able to go outside and play football, have a stroll or ride my bike. I am looking outside the windows instead, admiring Dubai’s striking skyline. Thinking about the people out there, the heroes who are at the current crisis’ centre. Our health workers who risk their own safety. They are someone’s mother or father. Out there are children whose fear and pain are most real. Dubai is silent now. I miss its animated, high-spirited daily scene. As much as I feel bored and frustrated today, I do fathom that there is nothing that I can do about it. I would rather stay safe than to fall ill with the virus. And as much as I miss my friends and my family in Belgium that I can most likely not visit over the Summer, I feel appreciative for the closeness and warmth at home. My parents, my brother and sister, we are a team. We are all in this together. And who knows how the pandemic may affect our society, the environment, climate, and the humankind’s connection to nature… Who knows what this crisis could change on the longer term? So, this is me. An 11-year-old boy, a happy student at NLCS Dubai, trying to figure out how to stay positive. One thing is for sure, I. MISS.SCHOOL. I.MISS.MY.FRIENDS. I.MISS.MY.TEACHER. MR.C. Yes, I know I am imaginably one of the only children in the world who wants to go back to school. Although I love Mr. Carmody’s cool New York-ish virtual background on Zoom and I am most charmed by his daughter Eva’s cutest daily wave, I would rather meet my teacher in his clever and sleek outfits in a bubbly classroom full of whimsical friends! I mean, in real life! At least my family is here to cheer me up. We all have the same routine. My brother is himself Zoomin’ through the day for school. My dad is incessantly doing his business and my mom, she is the one with the most patience, trying to guide her tribe of monkeys. Especially my brother is a champion in the ‘Mum!’ word these days. “Mummy, can you help me?”, and this about every five to ten seconds of the day. My sister seems to be the only one who seems to have no issues. Her days are still filled with bees, sand, colours, and loads of singing. She is only two and luckily appears to be unaware of the world’s current struggles. Although, she does crave to see her friends at the nursery school. George, Sophia, Zoe and Noa are the classmates she is missing badly. But from now on, she calls her dolls and fluffy monsters George, Sophia, Zoe and Noa. Problem solved, at least for now. The most important thing that results from a crisis like this one is how we stand still more and are more than ever aware of what matters in life. For me that is sports and exercising every day, enjoying nature, I also I realized how essential our social life is. Maybe this pandemic is not so bad indeed. 90

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There might be some positive outcomes. And finally (my mum will love this), I now am way more hygienic than before, I wash my hands ALL the time, I don’t touch my face (please stop poking your nose), I stay 6 feet apart from everyone else (I don’t know if this is a positive outcome). It depends on who the other person is I suppose, and whether I brushed my teeth becomes now secondary thanks to the mask. Teeth well covered, thank you. I feel thankful for you all, for my family and friends, for our good health. Stay safe, NLCS Dubai!

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Memories of our trip to the Curiosity Lab Nikita Antolovic - Grade 3 Salamanders All of Grade 3 had a wonderful time going to the Curiosity Lab.They inquired into volcanoes, natural disasters and natural occurrences, such as earthquakes, condensation, evaporation and all of the rest of the wonderful things about water. Next, we did lots and lots of experiments. They were super funny to do. There were various experiments, a very exciting show, which was spectacular! After break, we were given the opportunity to build structures. We built huge ones, which were meant to survive an earthquake. The tallest tower reached 1 metre high! After that, we tested our towers, hoping that they would withstand the simulator. We placed our towers on the shaking platform, but there was a twist: We didn’t realise that it would increase its wobbling and shaking over time! After a very exciting day of Science experiments, we finished the show with a Bang! We mixed a very cold liquid called liquid Nitrogen and some boiling water. The two liquids reacted and made a huge BANG! That day will always be memorable.

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Trip to Dubai Museum Ishaan Pratap - Grade 3 Leopards In the first term in school, we visited the Dubai Museum. The museum itself was the remains of an old castle and so it was humongous. Once we reached there, we stepped off the bus and to enter the museum we went through a door to the first exhibit, a weapons gallery. There were many exciting, amazing and bewildering weapons. There were gleaming swords and shields with patterns etched on them, and there were also a few guns of different sizes. Some had huge barrels while others had thin barrels. The next exhibit was also a weapons gallery. It was full of long spears with wide wooden shafts. As we walked further, I saw a spear that looked quite unusual. Just below the top of the shaft, there were two small sticks. It resembled a trident. The only difference was that the spearhead was higher than the two shorter points of a trident. While we were exiting the exhibit, we a saw video about the art of Youla – an Arabic stick dance. After exiting the exhibit, we had a snack and then went through an immense black door. We meandered down a long, huge, blue spiral staircase. There were cut outs of falcons hanging from the top of the ceiling. After we reached the bottom of the stairs, we walked down a corridor which had sand on the floor and statues of camels with people riding them.We went past the first corridor and reached a second one with many different shops. This section then split into many directions. One direction led to a room that showed how Arabs used to live before Dubai became a modern city.

We proceeded to a corridor which showed us the history of Dubai, and how it became the city that it is now. Then we entered the Animal Gallery, where we learnt about which animals Arabs used in their daily lives and what they used them for along with some enthralling facts about these animals. Some of the animals that featured were camels, snakes and falcons. After that, we went to the most amazing exhibit of all, the phenomenal Fishing Gallery!!!!! As soon as we entered, the whole atmosphere changed because the walls were as blue as the sea and in the centre of the gallery there was a real dhow! On the walls, there were pictures and information about the fish that people caught and how much they were worth. After we exited, we went to an Artefact Gallery with stones. We then sat down for a nice lunch. After lunch, our guide gave us a brief history of Dubai. He told us stories of fishermen and pearl divers who traded fish and pearls for money. Then he told us about that camels were used as transport to cross vast deserts while the sun blazed down on them. Overall, he told us a great deal of history of ancient Dubai and the Bedouins. I learnt a lot from the experience. Overall, I think that the history museum was great and had lots of fantastic information of how people lived, the means they used to make money, how the merchants and traders operated. To conclude, I think the trip to the Dubai Museum was a great success and I would really like to go there again. www.nlcsdubai.ae 93

Kalba Residential Seraphine Kirton - Grade 3 Arabian Gazelles On Tuesday, the Gazelles came to class feeling excited as we were going to Kalba! Everyone, including Miss Roberts, was packed with curiosity. As I stepped onto the huge white bus, I realized how nervous I was being away from my family. For the 2-hour journey, I rested my eyes to think about all the wonderful things we would do during our experience in Kalba, learning all about the rocky landscape of the mountains. When we arrived, we gazed at the beautiful scenery. After we came off the bus, we were led into the dining area and introduced to the instructors. Next, we were put into groups and told to find our cabins, (they had our names on the doors.) Then we had some lunch since it was a long journey. Lunch was chicken sandwiches and fries. We ate heartily and dessert was fruit. After that, we did some teambuilding and getting to know the instructors more. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and a fun activity before bed which was a quiz, and the “team salmon” won. The next day, it was Wednesday and it was time to get up and get moving! I knew what we were doing today so I pulled on my swimsuit and ran to breakfast, pancakes! Today we had watersports and raft building. We had to eat quickly because we took a minibus to the place we had to go, so we jumped on the bus and drove to a small lake. There, we learnt how to tie a really complicated knot to tie our rafts together and we made it step-by-step and then we pushed it down carefully to the water’s edge. Then we had a boat rodeo, which was super fun! After that, we had mangrove exploration and we found some skulls and fossils! Walking outside, we had some crab hunting and we saw a few ghost crabs and some really tiny ones, but we never caught any! We came back on the minibus and on the way, we saw a tagged turtle and listened to different songs along the way, but everybody kept disagreeing which was super funny! When we arrived back at camp, it was lunch which was delicious! Then, there was a few minutes to change because we were doing a tyre challenge! To test our strength and problem solving, girls vs boys… but we joined because we couldn’t do it and guess what - we did it!!!!! We had split ourselves into mini groups, the girls telling the boys what to do (the girls were the problem solvers and the boys, well, they did the carrying!). Next, we walked back to camp to have dinner. We washed ourselves and had dinner, then we were told to get our headlights and to get some crackers and marshmallows if we had any. Then we hiked into the mountains where we sat down beside a fire and we had a vote on the top three names for the fire. Somehow we ended up naming it cheese! To me, the fire was like a red flower glowing with embers like yellow Topaz. As everyone sat down on the logs, we were captured in the beauty of the fire. Sitting with my friends at the fire was one of the happiest moments of my life. The next day was Thursday and we were leaving today! I felt excited to see my family again soon but also sad to be leaving the camp. All of the activities we had done really helped me understand the eco-systems of Mother Nature and I had so much fun. We woke up to music blaring from loud speakers – “dance monkey” and it was very loud (to be honest I thought that the mountain goats could hear it way up in the mountains!!!). It startled our whole cabin. We grabbed some clothes and ran out to brush our teeth and shower. Next, we had breakfast in the dining area and it was quite hot. Here, we were told our activities for today. We had Bushcraft and Orienteering. In Bushcraft we learnt the importance of learning how to do this type of survival skills and some of some of the things we learnt how to do was build a shelter, make sun cream out of charcoal and make a fire - but of course it was only a little one. On a fun scale of 1 – 10, this was at least 100! After that, it was time to wash our charcoal face paint / sun cream and that didn’t come off so well. The first splash of water made our faces look like some type of native’s war paint! So funny. We laughed a lot. After we had lunch, we did Orienteering. We only got lost a little bit… but we made it back in time to pack up and give the teachers our bags before we then carried on playing or, sketching in my case. Finally, it was time to leave. As the big buses pulled up and we started walking up the stairs, I realized how special this trip was to me, this once-in-a-lifetime experience to Kalba.

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Grade 3 Exhibition Reflection Tabitha Rddler - Grade 3 Salamanders To conclude our unit on the Body Systems, Grade 3 held a student-led Exhibition displaying our end of unit projects, our digestive system models and leaflets, and our Kalba Reflections. The Digestive System models, completed in small groups, were exhibited at each end of the Buss Room; our Kalba Reflections shared on a pin board and our leaflets displayed on a table together. The main focus was our Health and Wellbeing projects which we presented to our parents and teachers. We showed our research skills in our Health and Wellbeing projects, and our creativity skills in our Digestive System models and leaflets. Our Health and Wellbeing projects were diverse and different in both form and delivery. Some groups chose to present their work in a Powerpoint; others in an iMovie. These presentations explained the importance of health and wellbeing, and gave ways to improve our health, both physical and mental. Our digestive system models were made from recycled materials and labelled to explain how the system works. In our leaflets, we individually explored the digestive system and included fun facts and did you knows. Everyone worked extremely hard coming up with exciting ways to present their information, for example one group prepared a quiz, and, if you got everything correct you could win a biscuit! This was very popular because everyone wanted a biscuit! We all enjoyed the Exhibition and the opportunity to share our work with our parents; we hope they enjoyed it as much as we did!

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Grade 4 Sharjah Planetarium Azlan Muzaffar - Grade 4 Eagles The Sharjah trip was a lovely memory for Grade 4, many wanted to go again after their experience.There was lots learnt there, including what could kill you if you attempt to go to outer space and lots of new constellations we have never heard of. We definitely became much more knowledgeable after the trip. My favourite part was that there were millions of constellations and stars on the roof and I really enjoyed that because it was very interesting. I developed how to notice constellations and stars and I now know when and how to see them.

Oren Joudrey - Grade 4 Eagles The Sharjah planetarium is a wonderous place for children’s imagination and IQ. It helped me, so it can definitely help you in many ways for adventure and fun.

Falak Jalal - Grade 4 Starlings As soon I stepped out off the bus, I knew this trip would be amazing.The courtyards, with scaled down versions of the plants we were going to find out about, provided a wonderful diversion from waiting outside in the heat. The refreshing air conditioning hit me like a slap in the face, and we went to go put our snack away. We headed up to the main floor and saw why the teachers wanted to take us there. Small stations each had something exiting that was just waiting eagerly to be played with and learned from. Reassuring us that after the show we would get to explore, the guides led us into a room with a spectacular domed ceiling and very comfortable, leather seats. Then the show began. It was marvellous, we learned about the advantages and disadvantages for going into space, the different star constellations (we had magnificent pleasure spotting our own), and finally the ISS. Now the exploratory learning came in hand, we could witness what it was like to be blasting off into space and the power needed to shoot a rocket up, up, and away.

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Grade 4 Sustainable City Anaya Suri - Grade 4 Starlings In Sustainable City, we explored how they use solar energy to generate electricity. We created a solar panel out of an aluminum tin, its top cover and a few other materials. I developed my research skills by collecting information when the guide gave us a tour. My favourite part was when planted our plants in a recycled cup and bottle, when we created our solar panels that melted the chocolate underneath and when the guide explained to us about the solar panels that generated electricity for the community.

Amelia Beg - Grade 4 Falcons The Sustainable City Trip was a rollercoaster of fun activities. First, we were split up into our classes and approached each activity as a carousel. The first activity my group was involved in was where we were explained the model of the community and then a quick fun sustainability vocabulary video, followed by charades of the vocabulary we had just learnt. We enjoyed absorbing the information in an interactive way, as well as found it exciting as we competed against each other in the charades game. The second activity was where we were allowed to explore one of the houses to understand how sustainability was implemented. We also were allowed to take a look at the biodomes, where each family had an opportunity to plant their own fruits, vegetables and herbs. Some of the things we saw were quite eye-opening as simple technology and ideas had created a sustainable community. The third and final activity we took part in was the where we were going to make a natural oven powered by zero technology and planting a sustainable plant making the pot out of tennis ball packaging. This activity was probably one of my favourite since it included communication skills, social skills and self-management skills.What we had to do was make an oven using tin foil box, a plastic sheet, a skewer and some glue. We placed some chocolate and a cracker in direct sunlight and waited until the chocolate had melted. It was delicious. The second part of this activity was planting a fava bean. It worked, and to this day I still have it. I keep on watering it and it is a healthy plant. Overall, this trip was an amazing adventure and I became a lot more sustainable. My favourite memory of this trip was eating my crackers and chocolate, and my favourite part was decorating my plant pot. Some of the skills I developed were how to plant a plant, and lots new vocabulary on sustainable ways to produce energy. I learnt how to make an oven powered by the sun and lots more interesting stuff. This was one of the best trips ever!

Emily Hyun - Grade 4 Eagles I remember that we did some fun activities in Sustainability City such as melting chocolate and taking the plants home. I love planting and taking care of a plant to see how it develops. I learnt that Sustainable City has Greenhouses and lots and lots of solar panels. I also learnt that making solar panels is expensive. I wonder how much all those solar panels cost? My favourite part was taking the plant home seeing the plants development. It has grown a lot and I learnt that I shouldn’t leave my plant out in the sun for the whole day. I developed responsibility skills because I was in charge taking care of my plant. 98

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Grade 4 Residential Trip to Dibba Johnny Akiki - Grade 4 Starlings In Dibba we had loads of fun. We could join in with in with many different and fun activities. My favourite part was when we went on the cruise and jumped off the very top of the boat into the ocean. We developed our active skills because we weren’t sitting on our devices the whole time, instead we were doing sports and fun activities. I learnt many things about the nature in the UAE, for example, I learned what the trees specific names were. We also got to see the most dangerous scorpion in the UAE and we learned all about it.

Xianzi Zhang - Grade 4 Falcons There is one thing in Grade 4 nobody would forget, it is the most memorable trip we have had. From the crashing waves to climbing rocks it is none other than the Dibba residential trip in Oman. Not only has it been fun, it has also been educational.We have learnt how to orienteer, rock climb, build rafts and key parts of survival in the wild. Personally, I loved everything, but there is a few I loved the most like hiking up the Dibba peak, the view had been so gorgeous, and raft building, when we had to collaborate as a whole team and try build a raft that will float in the water. During raft building we learnt some knots to make the raft steady and not fall apart (though sadly some did). One of the best things about it is the food - it’s AMAZING! You tried it once and you want it again. Luckily we got second plates if we were still hungry. Something else that made the trip soooo memorable was the instructors - they were so kind, caring, funny and more!

Ahyaan Lawal - Grade 4 Eagles I had so much fun in Dibba. We learnt so much! As soon as we arrived, everybody trembled with joy, everybody had big expectations and that night, we did the egg drop experiment where we had to design a structure that would protect our egg. We named ours Timothy however, he did not make it. The next day, we did orienteering. It was a blast; we read maps to find the other locations of the letters. It all came down to who has the most and sadly, we lost.

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Grade 4 Exhibition Lamya Zargarian - Grade 4 Falcons For the exhibition, we had to make our own business. We made our own product in groups and we made boxes, posters, a campaign and a model. I learnt how hard it is to sell a product. I give credit to Iman Zaman and Claudius Tyacke for being a wonderful group. My favourite part was shooting the advert and making our jingles.

Zoey Liu - Grade 4 Eagles This is a wonderful memory, we had so much to remember in the Grade 4 Exhibition. We first started choosing our groups. I chose Emily and Judi and they all agreed to do it all together. So first, we did the box, I did the drawing and cutting because I am good at Maths. Then, Emily did the drawing because she is a present ‘Leonardo da Vinci’. And after the drawing, Judi and I coloured the picture. Now our box was done! ‘And now let’s do the posters’, Emily said. So she went drawing a girl with promotion 20%-60% off. Then we all did the colouring and the filming. Now it was time to do the real thing. As parents came in, we introduced our ideas over and over again. Then we went to others, like cake and ate some of the testing cakes. It was really yummy. Many were selling food and I am a foodie, so I ate so much until my tummy was nearly full. And that is when my mom said it’s too much. I went to ZIQI’s shop and ‘brought’ some Choco cereals.

Samara Mahajan - Grade 4 Eagles There were cupcakes and stands, Everything was for demand, Classrooms were full like a pool, Every product made parents want to drool There was lots to show, And lots for visitors to know, Footballs and treats, there was lots to eat. From food brands, To hairbands, Everyone had a good time, And from what I can say, It was sublime!

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Grade 4 Architecture Award Johnny Akiki - Grade 4 Starlings Congratulations to our two Grade 4 NLCS Dubai students Ahyaan Lawal and Caspar Tilleux for winning our Iconic Architectural Design competition. The award was presented by the Structural Engineer Roma Agrawal, who has worked on several major engineering projects including the Shard and is an Old North Londoner!

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Grade 5 Trip to the Etihad Museum Azza Pharaon - Grade 5 Desert Hedgehogs Grade 5 had the opportunity to visit the Etihad Museum in Term One. We took a bus from school to the Museum, not knowing what would wait in store for us. Once we got there, we were all super excited, as we admired the unique shape of the building’s curved white roof. After we had settled down a museum representative gave us a small introduction about what were going to do. Our first activity was a tour of the Museum, it was built by two very talented architects: Moriyama and Teshima. The museum had pieces of art that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and one especially colorful and eyecatching painting by the famous Emirati artist – Abdul Qader Al Rais is positioned at the start of the museum to grab the attention of visitors before they begin their journey through the exhibits. We made our way into the courtyard and and enjoyed the lush green walk to the Union House where the signing of the 1971 union agreement took place. This agreement was when the seven Emirates decided to unite as one country. We then went to look at the Union Tree, it was planted on Sunday 2nd December 2012 and it is located near the entrance of the museum in a garden with a waterfall that gives it an ethereal ambience. The tree was planted to celebrate the UAE’s 41st birthday. We then moved onto a section where we learned about all the Founders – we found out where they were from, their names and other things about them, we were also able to see personal belongings such as sunglasses, guns and the Holy Quran.

In Term 1 our social studies was all about leaders we looked at the past and how people became leaders such as Martin Luther King, Malala Yousefzai, and many more leaders and their stories. The G5 teachers took us to the Etihad Museum so that we could see how the seven Sheiks of the UAE took leadership to unite each of the seven emirates. We became inquirers by asking questions about their individual leadership styles and we saw a range of historical artefacts that had been collected from each of the Founding Fathers. From this experience, we learnt a variety of information about the history of the UAE: how pearl diving was the country’s main source of revenue until the discovery of oil in the late 50s the founders and the seven emirates opened up trade routes in the Gulf Region. This trip boosted our knowledge in the history of the region in which we all live; it was a very beneficial trip as we left with our minds full of interesting facts about the UAE and learning about a historical site that is in our home city. 102

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Grade 5 Residential to Ras Al Khaimah Safa Mohideen - Grade 5 Hedgehogs On January 26th 2020, we made our way to Ecoventure in our immense school bus, which was carrying 70 children, waiting eagerly upon our arrival. As soon as we arrived, our grade met the camp leaders (Dom, Natalie, and Charlie). They warmly welcomed us by playing name games to get to know them. We were enthusiastically waiting to know our rooms and whom we are sharing them with, and we were ecstatic to finally learn them. Immediately after we dropped our bags off at our rooms, we rushed downstairs to the number line where we informed of our groups (I was in group one). Soon after this we started our first activity. Enthusiastically, my group discovered our first activity: animal dissection! After we learned this, we jubilantly made our way to the science room where we were about to discover what animal it was. We later found out that it was a squid and I was extremely excited. I had heard my sister talk about her squid dissection that she had done a few years before, I really wanted to try it out. Eagerly, we embarked on the challenge and learned that in every squid’s skin there is a hidden stingray! Natalie made learning about a squid exceedingly amusing. I couldn’t wait to tell my other friends all about it. The next day, we had beans on toast for breakfast, which was delectable, and made our way to the first thrilling activity of the day: the leap of faith! When I first heard of it I was not quite sure how it worked; however, after hearing about it and seeing the extraordinarily elevated ladder, I froze like a deer in headlights. I reluctantly waited for my turn; when it finally reached my heart was pounding in my chest as I climbed up the ladder. When I arrived at the top, I could feel the ladder wobbling as the sky grew darker and the dull dismal clouds rolled in. I looked down and saw a crowd of ants staring up at me as I was towering above the trees. I jumped. I was hanging in midair feeling as if I was about to fall until the clouds parted for the sun to come out and I felt a sudden burst of happiness as I flew weightless above my friends. I was tremendously relieved as I was gradually lowered down. Over the next two days we experienced a range of different activities: from eco heroes to team building exercises to scavenger hunts, our days were full of enjoyment and entertainment. On our final day, we reluctantly packed our belongings, sad to be leaving Ecoventure. But we discovered that we would have one final adventure! Our bus made its way to an immense beach which stretched out far and at the cross over of sea and land, we spotted kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, and even barrels and bamboo sticks to make rafts! Kayaking for the first time was particularly enjoyable; however, as I was still learning, I found myself intensely close to a rock formation that stood mightily in the middle of the lagoon. Thankfully, the kayaks were strong and sturdy, so I never felt unsafe, despite clumsily jolting against the rocks-- and other kayakers! Fortunately, I was able to develop my paddling skills through different games which helped me to grow more confident by the minute. Next, we went paddle boarding.Whilst I had experienced this before, the thrilling skills games we played made me imeasurably confident and I was exhilarated to be able to stand up on the paddle board for the very first time! Emboldened, I was able to paddle while standing up for quite some time without falling off! Overall, this trip was an incredibly enjoyable learning experience which tested my bravery, persistence, and capability; whilst I was reluctant to leave after such a phenomenal trip; I knew it was time to return to my family. 104

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Inaya Bhasin - Grade 5 Caracal Yelling winds gushed through and around the mountains which were coated with black boulders of jagged rocks. They stood upon us all. The top of the mountain was covered by a ghostly blanket of dark clouds. Quickly moving under the closed roof as droplets falling from the gloomy clouds started to pour. We were greeted by the most heartwarming people who started to sing and dance with joy. After a quick briefing, we unpacked, got settled and started our first activity. We were blindfolded and had to listen to sounds and try to guess them with our impeccable hearing functions. During the activity we had a team building task, where we had to direct our blindfolded teammate with hand actions to find the treasure. Filled with glee, we had completed our first activity! We had a breaktime, for an hour, so I decided to take in the surreal sunset. As it set, there was a glorious explosion and burst of colours: rose pink, glimmering gold and ostentatious orange. The rays cast millions of sparkles like a diamond onto the water making it dance. A silent hush enveloped the landscape as dusk set. Silhouettes of trees seemed to lean against each other as if whispering secrets. Nocturnal creatures scuttled out. There was a scent of mystery and magic in the air, as the sun sank into the watery bed. The kaleidoscope of colours and the pink and orange hues faded away within seconds. Rays of sunshine pierced through the glass window in silence. The tantalizing aroma of waffles with chocolate sauce filled the air and emanated all the way from the kitchen. It was another glorious day at camp. Strolling in wonder, I stepped out and a chill pricked my spine, I dashed up and grabbed my coat. After a divine breakfast, we got changed into our swimsuits and got ready for the day at the beach. We had to take another bus to get to the beach, but it was worth it. When we arrived, I was overwhelmed by the clear water, which was a rich arcane blue in colour. The beach was a long arc of golden sand sheltered by dunes and large umbrella palm trees. The sand shimmered in the sunlight giving an impression that it was sprinkled in diamond dust.There was a warm breeze kissing my face, just the right weather for the beach.The sand was as soft as silk and sunk in between my toes. There was a loud hush while my ash brown hair swished and swashed in the cool breeze. Birds chirping in harmony, majestic waves crashing against each other, the sun giving a golden tan on me, It was bliss! No one could ask for anything else. We were kayaking on the minty green sea water artfully, every time I would push ores over the smooth ripples was something I would treasure for life. At lunch we had a magnificent macaroni with cheese oozing out in joy, and sipped a cool cold lemonade. I could not have asked for anything else. We had started to build sandcastles, the blissful sand massaged us gently. This was one of the best experiences I have experienced and I will treasure these moments for a long time.

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Message from the Vice Principal - Pastoral Care As the end of Year 3 draws closer, I find myself reflecting on what a very different year we have experienced as a community at NLCS Dubai. Casting my mind back to the start of the year, I recall, with delight, the way in which all new members of the School settled in with ease; how they were supported by their other House members and staff. It did not take long for them all to feel a real sense of belonging and I enjoyed witnessing them clamour to be part of the team for whatever House Competition was being fiercely contested at that time. The House System has continued to flourish and gain momentum. More competitions have been added, enabling greater numbers from each House to participate. I was impressed by the standard of the House Music competition and enjoyed the evening enormously. It was wonderful to see so many students showcasing their talents in a formal setting. However, as has been the case in previous years, my favourite event was once again The Endurance Challenge - the support and enthusiasm that I witnessed from students encapsulates all that I am proud of here at NLCS Dubai. I have been extremely proud of the way in which students have risen to the challenge of online learning and how, in their usual inimitable fashion, they have met all challenges head on. Students have shown themselves to be resilient, positive and open minded in approach. In addition, they have displayed independence and yet been mature enough to ask for support from staff when needed. The response to the online House Competitions has been positive; as has the participation in the ‘World outside my Window’ initiative and I have enjoyed looking through and admiring all the creative work that has been submitted. I await the creative writing and monologue competition with excitement. With my time here at NLCS drawing to a close, I would like to thank all members of our close-knit community for making my time here one of my most enjoyable within my career. I have enjoyed watching you all flourish and truly embrace what it means to be a member of an NLCS School and will miss you all. I look forward to hearing about your continued successes, as I know there will be many.

Lisa Lobo Vice Principal (Pastoral Care) NLCS Dubai

Message from the Vice Principal - Curriculum Academic excellence, creative flair and a community spirit that welcomes one and all. These were my first impressions of NLCS Dubai upon joining the school in August and these continue to embody what I believe makes the school a fantastic establishment in which to work and study. I have had the privilege of spending many hours walking the corridors, dropping in and out of classrooms and experiencing the breadth and depth of learning opportunities that exist first hand. In no other school could I move on from one classroom, learning about the consequences of microwaving soap and the physics behind this, upstairs to enter a passionate discussion on the changing role and portrayal of women in James Bond novels and movies. It is the development and demonstration of this passion for learning amongst our students that has impressed me most in my first year at NLCS Dubai. Witnessing Grade 8 students demonstrate the workings of the heart through dissection to Grade 4 students struck me as a wonderful example of not only this passion, but the maturity and engagement of our students and their commitment to supporting others within our community in developing their own love of learning. Having the opportunity to work with the first graduating class at NLCS Dubai has been a privilege I will not forget. The array of university options across the globe they are now able to choose from is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all involved and I have no doubt they will look back fondly on their time here as our first alumni. I wish them all well in their future endeavours and look forward to seeing how our second graduating class can match and even better their achievements.

Richard Snape Vice Principal (Curriculum) NLCS Dubai

Message from the Vice Principal - Director of Studies What an extraordinary year it has been! A year where the necessity for what has been termed social distancing has altered the way in which the world has functioned, where we have all been asked to play our part in supporting the global efforts to ensure we, and our fellow citizens, remain safe. A year that has truly reaffirmed the part that each and every one of us has to play in our local and global communities. It is this strength of community which has ultimately shone through during our time apart. As we have evolved our methods of virtual learning, I have been particularly inspired by the ingenuity and adaptability of our students and teachers. The Nicholson Live lecture series is perfect case in point, seeing our students rise to the challenge of delivering online academic lectures to the School community. Students have also been sharing their passions through podcasts, competitions, discussion groups, musical performances ‌ the list goes on! These are just some of the things that have kept us connected, kept learning alive, kept our community alive, and ensured that even though we may be physically distanced, we are not in fact socially distanced. The end of any academic year also brings the usual goodbyes, and it would be remiss of me not to wish the fondest of farewells to the inimitable Mrs Lobo, whose dedication to NLCS Dubai and all that it stands for has been truly absolute. With goodbyes, however, come new hellos, and I look forward to welcoming the incoming staff and students who will join us next year. New members of the School who will, not only add to, but also benefit from, the special community which has been created by the exceptionally diverse group of people which make NLCS Dubai what it is today.

Marco Zambonini Vice Principal (Director of Studies) NLCS Dubai

HAFEET HOUSE Emma Dawson Assistant Principal, Head of Hafeet House Hafeet have had an incredible year as a House, and have gone from strength to strength. The feeling of belonging, connectivity and a sense of family is something that has held fast throughout the year, and is something we all take great pride in. During my first year at NLCS Dubai, I have been warmly welcomed by students, parents and staff alike – nowhere more so than when with our wonderful Hafeetians, Hafeet also welcomed several new members of staff and students to our community and have grown not only in number, but also in strength. As our House motto epitomises, “The Strength is in our Pack”, and this has certainly been true this year. The year started off with fierce competition in the House Debating, with our confident, passionate and strong speakers fearlessly taking on other Houses. It was a moment of great pride seeing Anastasia, Marta and Alex fiercely representing Hafeet in the final, being beaten into second place by the narrowest of margins. It has been a year filled with sportsmanship, commitment, fun and a growing appreciation of each other. The House Quiz, Spelling Bee, Photography, Football and Netball have all lent themselves to our students developing leadership, resilience and an ever-growing appreciation of the importance of being part of a team, and contributing to something far bigger than ones-self. An absolute highlight of the year was the incredible House Music. This significant House event was a result of many, many weeks of intense practice, lots of laughter and the odd bout of tears. Sheer panic set in the day before when our amazing rappers became completely overwhelmed by the fear of performing on the formidable NLCS Dubai stage. However, with the support of their House, and a collective effort they absolutely brought the house down on the big night. A prime example of the sheer magic that happens when students step outside of their comfort zone! Beautiful piano from Grace, and an uplifting House performance of “Don’t Stop Believing” equally contributed to an outstanding evening for Hafeet. Almost as entertaining as House Music, was Tingyi’s interpretation of festive jumpers on the last day of the term – arriving to school in a full Santa outfit!! A brilliant end to a fantastic first term. Term 2 saw House Endurance and Sports Day. Both events requiring students to dig deep and give everything they had. House songs, cheering for team mates and a consistent feeling of togetherness was the soundtrack of the day. The “tug-of-war’ was particularly impressive with Hafeet not leaving anything out on the field. I was so very proud of all of them, not only with their individual sporting achievements, but also in the support they extended to one another. The strength of our wonderful House has been more evident than ever during distance learning.The support and care the students extended to each other is to be commended.The initiatives to run regular social events in grade levels, the enthusiasm for House Art, the tireless care and support of our incredible tutors have all contributed to a positive and effective community during a somewhat challenging time. I would like to thank our House Captain Maryam, our Vice Captain Yijin and our Sports Captains Karl and Abdulwahab their positivity, leadership and enthusiasm. They have led with inspiration, grace and a solid dose of humility, inspiring may students along the way. Although we finished in second place in a number of competitions, and may have not won events outright (yet. . . . ), the learning and experience of the journey has been incredible, and I am already looking forward to the incredible adventures we have ahead of us next year. I could not be more proud of every single member of our very special House.

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JAIS HOUSE Chris May Assistant Principal, Head of Jais House What a year we have had in Jais House! In September, we welcomed so many new members to our team of Jais Bears and I was so impressed with the way in which they assimilated. Our existing students welcomed them all with open arms and we also welcomed some new staff members to our House. We were now three forms and a much larger DP cohort and the challenge of bringing all our students together was expertly achieved by Annant and Franco, our previous House Captain and Vice-Captain. To pick up the House and get them enthused for another year of House competitions was also a challenge after they had poured their hearts and souls into House Drama at the end of the previous year but lost out on claiming the overall trophy outright. Nevertheless, pick ourselves up we did! Jais are not renowned for winning the academic competitions so Annant, Franco and many others worked tirelessly to make sure we had a strong team for both the House Quiz and House Debating.The effort of all involved resulted in two wins, which certainly brought the House spirit back to Jais and the drive to push ourselves further this year. I was overjoyed to see so many wonderful entries to House photography this year. All of Jais submitted work and many were selected for the exhibition including the overall winner of the ‘People’s Choice’ Mira. House Music rounded off term one and it was certainly a dramatic event. All of the performers did a wonderful job in the face of some significant problems and I am so proud of every singer and instrumentalist. However, the whole House song was by far, the highlight of the year for me. Endless rehearsals, voice training, choreography and lots of ‘encouragement’ resulted in a faultless, energetic and visually stunning performance on the night. It is moments like this, when every single member of the House is involved and doing their best for the common goal that I know what we have in Jais is something very special! (We also got top marks for our House song). Then came Sports Day! I could write pages and pages of praise for each and every participant. We wanted this trophy again and the way in which everyone left everything on the field was an inspiration. The number of records broken on the day by Jais was also a reflection of the training and determination evident in all our athletes. We entered each and every competition with a sense of passion and pride. Even if we didn’t win, it didn’t matter. Since the first year, we have been a House that always celebrates participation and as long as our team puts their best foot forward and tries their best, we know that we have achieved something wonderful. Then came lockdown. We had our Spring Break holiday moved forwards and then we started online learning. This has been a massive challenge to us all but particularly difficult to maintain the wonderful House spirit, which we all hold so dear. Our Jais tutors have been doing a brilliant job in making sure everyone is still working hard in their subjects. I have been working hard to make sure any issues or problems are sorted out but the entire House has been working brilliantly to stay together as one. House Competition is over for the year but we will try our absolute best in the ‘extraordinary’ series of events whilst in lockdown. Our new leadership team, led by Anoushka as House Captain, is working hard to maintain the spirit of Jais and making sure all members of the House have someone to talk to, socialize with and are fully participating in the life of the School, even when we are all sat in our own homes for a term. Adversity often brings out the true character of people. We could not be in a more adverse time but the truth of Jais is we remain strong, we remain loyal and we remain committed to each other. We will return next year, stronger, wiser and more determined than ever. Go Bears!

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JAVI HOUSE Emma Carney Assistant Principal, Head of Javi House Having welcomed 33 new Javians this year, it was immediately apparent there would be much greater competition for places in our teams! We live, breathe and compete through the maxim ‘Everything is Possible’ and whilst we may not always emerge on top, I believe Javi demonstrate what the House system is all about.We show up for one another, offer support if things are not quite going our way and we remain welcoming, friendly and ever optimistic. House Football was a real highlight this year. We emerged undefeated and scored some amazing team goals. Zayd, Sohaan, Michael and Adam all shone for the boys, but every player gave it their all. Coaches Yaser and Mr Ismail should take huge credit for building the spirit, discipline and determination with which the teams played. As for the girls…wow! To see Tian and Celine, Zeynah and Lucia perform for the first time alongside established players such as Luisa, Chiara and Mireille was truly impressive. I was once again incredibly proud that every single Javian ran their feet (and legs!) into the ground for the Endurance Challenge that we won for the third year in a row. Zayd ran further than any other student, but our ‘non-runners’ also did themselves proud! House Photography was a triumph, with everyone entering a photo and in Chess, we lost out to an extremely impressive Jais team. The eloquence of our Debating Team should certainly be noted, particularly Ahad with his speech on leaving ‘offensive art work and statues’ in place. In Netball, we vastly improved on our performance last year, thanks to the additional commitment shown. It is always fantastic to see new students represent the House, overcoming their fears of being on stage. Javi will always support anyone who puts himself or herself forward. I am just so sad we have not had the chance to defend our swimming crown or put into practice our cricket training after some of the boys played for the first time last summer. Roll on summer 2021! My highlight of the year remains House Music. The dedication of all students and my wonderful Javi tutors is something of which I am incredibly proud. The harmonies in our House Song ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille still give me goosebumps. Gisela’s original composition on her ukulele, accompanied by Georgina was many people’s highlight of the evening, and Mireille….what incredible talent! The ensemble was truly stunning and a real testament as to what our students are capable of achieving. As we welcome new Javians, we also say goodbye to some of our fantastic students who are leaving. We wish you all the very best in your futures and remind you- ‘Once a Javian, always a Javian’! I would also like to thank every single member of my Javi team. I could not keep our students safe, happy or so positive without you. To my outgoing leadership team of David, Raeesah, Humaira and Yaser, you have set the standard so high. I hope you know how much you mean to us all. Keep up the fantastic work in all you undertake. To the new leadership team of Lucie, Jae, Humaira, Sohaan, Ramzi, Petra and Amani…you know what your aims are! I know you will do an outstanding job. Well done Javi! You are quite simply awesome and you make me smile every single day. I am so proud to be your Head of House.

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YIBIR HOUSE James Mower Assistant Principal, Head of Yibir House The end of the 2018/19 School year was an exciting time for Yibir House. Having trailed the runaway leaders Jais in the House competition for much of the year, it was a huge surprise to be announced as joint House Competition winners in the final assembly. In the moments after this historic announcement, I really got to appreciate the amazing spirit that characterises our House. Students were genuinely delighted with the ‘win’ and I witnessed hugs, high fives and even tears. This competition means a lot to our staff and students and it was a wonderful end to a long year. Immediately after the assembly, I was once again reminded that the Yibir passion also extends to our parent body, with many parents rushing over to congratulate me on the comeback victory. The Yibir parents have bought into the fantastic spirit that has developed in the House since 2017 and I can sincerely say that Yibir is like a large family, full of people who care for each other and strive for excellence. Fast forward to the 2019/20 academic year and once again we have many changes within the House. An extra tutor group has been added and more new staff have joined the Yibir team. Despite the different landscape, Yibir continues to be a caring, welcoming and happy family in which all of the students are encouraged to try themselves out in whatever way they can. The student leadership team, overseen by the ever reliable Sakina, were keen to maintain the atmosphere that had been developed over the previous two years. When selecting sport teams, debating groups and even spelling bee participants, Sakina and her team have ensured that all of those who want to be involved have that opportunity. Despite the passion to win every event, in Yibir we do not simply pick the strongest sports people, the most accomplished debaters or artists. In Yibir we pick the most passionate, the most reliable and committed. It is a policy that has served us well over first two years with overall wins in the House competition in both years. We have fun in all that we do, and win or lose, I want the students of Yibir to feel safe, challenged and confident to be involved. Away from the competition, the House system acts as the foundation of pastoral care at NLCS Dubai. Despite the increasing numbers within Yibir, our overall staff-to-student ratio has not changed and I can confidently write that our students receive the best pastoral care that I have come across in my career through this bespoke model. The undoubted reason for this is our wonderful tutor team, who know each of their tutees well and are able to care for them as individuals. This has never been more important than at the time of Covid-19, where we find ourselves delivering lessons and pastoral care away from the school setting. The Yibir tutor team have continued to work with individuals from home and despite the physical distance, I am delighted that they have maintained the high levels of care that NLCS Dubai is known for. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank my tutor team for all that they do to care for the Yibir students and I know that the parents and students themselves will echo this thanks. Finally, it is with a heavy heart that I finish this yearbook update with a goodbye. This is my final year at NLCS Dubai as I will be relocating to Malaysia with my family during the summer vacation. I am extremely proud of all that we have achieved together in my three years as Head of Yibir House. I will never forget the close family that we have created in such a short time. I would like to thank Mrs Lobo and the other Heads of House for being such wonderful colleagues and all of the Yibir tutors that have made my job so much easier than it could have been. Finally, to the students and parents of Yibir, I wish you all the very best in the future. I know that you will ensure the Yibir spirit endures and that the family that we have worked so hard to develop will continue to grow and welcome new members. Thank you to everyone for your support and care over the three years and please remember no matter what you are faced with‌. Keep your eyes on the horizon.

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HOUSE

CAPTAINS

2019-20

Annant Bhargava - House Captain Jais House 2019-20 One of my proudest moments as the Jais House Captain was winning Sports Day. Sports Day was definitely one of the competitions I look forward to most as the House Captain, especially since we had won it the preceding year. During Sports Day, I couldn’t forget the fierce rivalry between Isaac and Ramsey that ultimately held Jais’ nerves till the last moment. Or the moment when Jais won its first and only tug of war match, realizing that track events were what we were made for. Ultimately, the day ended with a Jais group photo, holding the title; our hard work had finally paid off! Sports Day was not only the moment where Jais excelled.They did so in House Debating and The House Quiz. It was a thrill to see Conrad, Daniyal and Zahra fight it off against the experienced debaters of Hafeet, a debate in which we narrowly won by just one point against them.The House Quiz was definitely an astonishment, with Khizr’s expertise on insects and the overall group’s effort in all the rounds. But personally, the proudest and cherished moment of all would be the House Song we sang during House Music, in which Jais really showed how a family had been formed within the span of half a year. David Li - House Captain Javi House 2019/20 One of the best moments I had as the House Captain of Javi House was when I was initially informed by Ms. Carney that I had managed to get elected. Getting elected meant a lot me; I had begun as the Deputy House Captain and I was content with what I was doing; nonetheless, it felt extraordinary when I found out I could contribute to my House community even further. Another highlight for me was receiving the ribbon on Sports Day. Sports Day for sure is one of the most anticipated competitions. Although we didn’t come first, and I hurt my knee again, it was still one of the most precious experiences I had. Watching members from Javi trying as hard as they ever could just to gain points for their House was an absolute pleasure; as House Captain, I couldn’t have been prouder at that very moment. Receiving the ribbon at the end gave me an immense sense of achievement although I wasn’t holding the trophy; if possible, I would have invited the whole House onto that podium as everyone deserved to share in the moment.

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Maryam Khan - House Captain Hafeet House 2019/20 Being House Captain of Hafeet during the first two terms of the year has been an immensely rewarding opportunity. Growing into bigger forms, not only were we greeted with new faces, our House spirit expanded from the Hafeet 6th former to our little Grade 6s. As the year began, it became clear that Hafeet’s strength laid in our pack, drawing our hope, motivation and excitement for House Competitions. My most striking memory was definitely Sports Day. Our persistent performance in both track and field events, truly highlighted the fact that members of Hafeet never give up. In Hafeet, when one of our team members is representing the House, we naturally make it a point to support even from the sidelines. This value of ours was highlighted on Sports Day, in all events that took place as we ran with our runners and clapped for our highjumpers. Towards the end of the event, we were all most excited for our annual talented team in the tug of war. Both boys and girls working together as a collective against other Houses was the epitome of the strength of our team. Notably, it was our Grade 12s’ last event of their school career. Although bitter-sweet to watch, knowing it was their last event created an electric atmosphere as we all cheered them on to victory! Sakina Virani - House Captain Yibir House 2019/20 When I was first chosen as the House Captain of Yibir House, I had my heart set on making sure to win all the House Competitions and aim to win the House Cup again. However, after just a mere few weeks in the position, I realized that the true essence of being part of a House lies much deeper; in the roots of the relationship between each student and teacher. My highlight during my time as House Captain was House Swimming. Even though we didn’t manage to win, my heart was warmed at the sight of the kindness and generosity of students, offering to take other’s places in the races when they were exhausted from their previous ones. Although we were extremely competitive within ourselves, we were always looking for a way to help each other when it came down to the expense of our House. A House event is not complete without all of our members cheering each other on, slightly zealously at times, yet filled with passion, with our eyes on the horizon! It has been a pleasure to be a part of Yibir House and to have be given the opportunity to lead our House in these extraordinary House Competitions, which I believe was the most exciting part of our journey together.

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Alexia Embedoklis - House Captain Hafeet House 2020-21 I am very grateful to have even been appointed the new House Captain of Hafeet and although we have all been placed in a very difficult situation, I am really looking forward to seeing how everyone will adapt to make the most out of it. As our motto says, “Our strength is in our pack”. Therefore, I look forward to us all working together and helping each other in these difficult situations. So far, we have had numerous House Assemblies, which have helped us all feel connected and I am looking forward to our live calls in the upcoming weeks for the House to bond and share how we have been coping with online school. My role as House Captain is to bring the House together and this is definitely necessary during distance learning. Working with all the other members of the Hafeet Leadership team, I am looking forward to coming up with new ideas to motivate and inspire the House to take part in the new online learning House Competitions. This is a great way to get our minds off the difficult circumstances and I know, as already proven in the House Art Competition, everyone in Hafeet will take part and make the most out of this term, wherever we are. I am of course looking forward to reuniting as a House stronger and better than ever! Anoushka Ranjit - House Captain Jais House 2020 /21 Jais is not simply a house; we are a family. Due to us sharing this incredibly strong bond, we are able to be there for each other in difficult times such as these. During this period of quarantine, every member of Jais has been able to unwind and relax by participating in our Inter-House challenges, such as Line’s drawing challenge and Mr May’s weekend challenges. After seeing the high level of participation and collaboration within the House, I do not doubt that we will emerge victorious at the end of the Online Learning House Competition. After everyone has had a relaxing summer and we return back to normality, I am eagerly waiting to not only begin the House Competitions, but to see everyone again. When we come together as a collective to support each other during various House Competitions, or even House Assemblies, we create memorable moments; we cry together, we laugh together, we complain together, however, these are the moments I am longing to relive again. I cannot wait to see everyone and make the next academic year the most memorable for Jais!

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Lucie Benn - House Captain Javi House 2020 /21 I feel honoured and privileged to be the new Javi House Captain for the coming year. As a House, Javi is incredibly hard-working and united, and I am so proud to be able to be their House Captain. Despite the challenges that we are currently being faced with, I am looking forward to the online House competitions, working hard to assure that everyone is involved and knows their worth within Javi, and working alongside Miss Carney to ensure Javi is as motivated and supportive as ever. I am especially excited to be back in school and to have the opportunity to meet and get to know the new members of Javi and welcome them into the House. Additionally, I know that we will return to school stronger than ever and will ardently work together to win the upcoming House Competitions! Furthermore, I am eager to inspire my fellow members of the House to support one another in everything they do, and I will be around for anyone to ask questions they may have, or if they need advice of any kind Anshul Sinha - House Captain Yibir House 2020 /21 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. This year, I am honored to be the Yibir House Captain. Personally, I cannot wait to be back in school and resume the House Competition. My favorite House Competition over the past years has been House Music. House Music is one of the few competitions where every member of the House is immersed in the competitive environment. I can’t wait to hear the entire House hitting notes that the other houses can’t even imagine. The amount of effort I have seen in Yibir is unfathomable and our teamwork gets stronger in every house competition that we participate in. However, until then, we have another opportunity to prove our strength with the Online Learning Cup. Yibir has a plethora of talented members, and I know, without a doubt, that when the House Competition is launched again, just like the last two years, we’ll come out on top. I am excited by the challenge the role and distance learning presents, and I cannot think of a more rewarding way to conclude this academic year.

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House MUSIC The House Music Competition is one of the most thrilling, hotly contested and entertaining events of the NLCS Dubai year. It is hard to explain to anyone new to the school, the sheer amount of time and effort that Houses place in their performances. Each House has to prepare a solo or duet; an ensemble piece, consisting of between three and eight musicians and finally a House Song performed by every student in the House. The rehearsing and perfecting that goes into the twelve pieces is astounding to behold. This is done while students continue their normal academic routines and carry on fulfilling everything that NLCS asks of them. Part of being an NLCS student is to embrace being busy, to know that there are times when time is at a premium and that everyone needs to work together as a team to pull off something spectacular. And spectacular the evening certainly was. On one hand, there was the sheer talent. Whether it was Mireille or Sarah’s stunning vocals, or Grace and Hyemin’s amazing skills on the piano, we clearly have a large number of students at NLCS Dubai for whom music is their passion. On the other hand, the evening is also about those moments in which we see students take the stage who have never sung in public before in their lives. Or when we suddenly realise that Jiwoo is a master of the tambourine (and of comic timing) or that Gisela has a future in song writing; or that Abdulwahab is a fantastic rapper and Hassan can nail a Queen tune. Ultimately the evening epitomises House Spirit – the idea of coming together and creating something wonderful. The Heads of House put a huge amount of time into supporting the students and their palpable pride is often very moving to watch. Of course there has to be a winner, and this year it was Yibir’s moment to hold the trophy. But, this evening is about so much more than winning; it’s about House pride, spirit and unity, three things that are definitely worth the hours of practice and worth celebrating long after the evening has ended.

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House DEBATING Sannat Odhrani - Grade 7N Hafeet

The House Debating Competiton took place started on the 6th of October and ran until its nail-biting, and much awaited finals, on the 10th. It featured explosive, interesting and powerful speeches, intriguing POIs and most importantly, team spirit. With two debates taking place per day, one in the PAC, and the other in the Lecture Theatre, this lead to a total of three debates for each House, excluding the finals. As a loyal member of Hafeet, in the following overview of House Debate, it will only be covering all of Hafeet’s debates. Sorry! (If you know that this will offend you as a non-Hafeetian, you have been warned!) The first day of House Debating proposed the motion between Hafeet and Javi taking place in the PAC, as ‘This house believes that (THBT) - everyone should be vegan’, with Javi as proposition to this motion, and Hafeet as opposition. Simultaneously, the Yibir and Jais debate took place in the Lecture Theatre. Both teams featured topnotch debaters, with even more interesting points of view and explosive arguments. POIs were not a main focus during this debate, however powerful speeches and tough rebuttals were featured from both sides. Ultimately, this debate resulted in a close, well fought out result, which reflected the intensity of the opening day’s debate. The debate went 132-131 to Hafeet, winning by a mere margin of 1 point. Other than that, Jais and Yibir tied 134-134. The motion for the second day of House Debating was ‘THBT We should pull down offensive statues.’ Yibir faced Hafeet, with Yibir as proposition to the motion and Hafeet once more as opposition. The debate took place in the PAC, and Jais v Javi, in the Lecture Theatre. This debate was quite unexpected and really showcased the pressure of debating, but also had quite unique strategies used, such as anecdotes and touches of informality to make this debate all the more interesting and fun to watch. This debate ended in a 121-114 win for Hafeet, and Javi beat Jais 136-131 on the same day. The last debates before the finals were Yibir v Javi, taking place in the PAC and Hafeet (Prop) v Jais, (Opp) taking place in the Lecture Theatre. The motion brought forward was ‘THBT referendums should be banned.’ Comparatively, this debate was a more complex motion to debate and really served as a toppling point for a certain House’s record of being undefeated. Pressure was running high, and both teams in the Lecture Theatre fought brutally.This debate resulted in a well-deserved win for Jais, as they had a strong attack on their opposition, in terms of rebuttals and unique points, whist both sides presented very relevant issues that related to the motion at the table. The much-awaited finals took place during assembly, in the PAC, once more between Jais and Hafeet, on the idea of whether Capitalism makes us happy or not. Hafeet disagreed greatly, believing that capitalism did not make us happy, whilst Jais believed that capitalism, in fact, did. Once more, as seen through the week, amidst the rebuttals, signposting, and crucial points made, POIs were not a large part of House Debate, a point reinforced in the finals. Through a plethora of rebuttals, confidence from the Jais side really shone through. Fortunate for some (Jais) and unfortunate for others (Hafeet), Jais beat Hafeet by a mere one point, a point that cost Hafeet a cup. Congratulations to Jais for winning the House Debate! However, Marta Todd was the only debater to receive a full score from the judges. This means that Hafeet did celebrate in a different way to what they expected! All in all, the House Debate week really served as a way to ignite the tension between the Houses, and really showcase the fine debating skills between motions and different viewpoints. It was really interesting to see people really do their best debates in order to get their house to the top!

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Arjun Mitta

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Alhena Alibhai Salayla Elmasry

Fabi Houda

Imaad Bandali

Eva Joudrey

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12

Grade Tyra

My experience here at NLCS has been one full of many cherished memories. When I first came to the school, I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive, but over time this feeling has dissipated to one of joy and care for family I have found here. From House Music competitions, to Sports Days, to Senior Society lectures, NLCS has given me the opportunity to grow so much as a human being, intellectually and socially. During the two years I have spent at the school, I have found new passions and made new friends along the way. Being a part of my house, Javi, provided so many exciting opportunities to work as a team. Learning especially has been very enjoyable, and I am glad to have worked with teachers and staff who love what they do. This passion that they have infused into their work has been passed down to me as well. Although the IB May 2020 exams have been cancelled, I am sure that the knowledge and skills that I have acquired throughout my time at NLCS both within and beyond the curriculum will be integral to my future academic career.

Yokyung Amongst the graduates of the class of 2020, I have spent the shortest time in NLCS Dubai. I have to admit that that title left me despondent for weeks when I first arrived at this school. Joining a class in the middle of the DP programme means a lot of things: adjusting to the school system, making friends, and catching up with classes. To accomplish these tasks two months before the end-of-year exams, was quite intimidating-especially because I genuinely felt the significance of my late arrival in most of my classes. When I recall the disorientation that hit me a year ago, I still get goosebumps. However, I think my motivation to stand up again from this low point came from gratefulness. I was grateful for my supportive friends, from all around the world; my passionate teachers, and most importantly, my family. To my mum, dad, and sister who dealt with all my frailties, there’s no way for me to express my love and gratitude for their support. As they have witnessed, my life has been a series of miracles, and I know they are as excited as me to experience the unimaginable miracles prepared for me.

Haeun Growing up in Korea for most of my life, moving to Dubai was the biggest fear I had experienced. Starting school at NLCS was a totally different experience for me, including the language, people, culture and everything else. It was quite difficult for me to adjust to this new environment; although it still is now, I think, over time, I became more confident and comfortable. Especially, I enjoyed participating in extracurricular activities, such as musical performances and sports teams and I was happy to meet friends and teachers who cared for me so much. Being in such a small class with many considerate teachers and learning interesting subjects that I would have never studied in Korea, overall, the last years of school have been amazing and unforgettable.

Ali One of my favourite memories from NLCS took place outside of school and I’d say it was the Nepal trip. As a collective, we were able to create a non-repeatable experience that was amazing. We will always have that shared memory which will last with us throughout our lives. However, I do have a favourite moment in Nepal, which would be when I fell out of the raft when we went white water rafting; it was quite thrilling. From that trip, I was able to build friendships with people whom I never thought I had much in common with, it was able to teach me that friendships may truly form in the most unlikely of places, as you can never know how you and someone else might get on. 128

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Enzo 10th of September 2017 - an extremely shy boy with little self-confidence joined our community, seeking guidance to improve not only academically but also as a human being. I can proudly say that the same boy will be leaving this incredible community having learnt multiple lessons that will enable him to achieve his desired future. I am that boy! I will forever be grateful for the foundation this school helped me build, which allows me to enjoy breaking through my comfort zone. I am thankful to every member of this community who has pushed me to be a leader, to help others and to recognize when I have failed. Here we, as students are given the opportunity to create and sustain a supportive academic community that will always lead to success, in whichever shape or form it may come. Part of my heart will always belong to North London Collegiate School Dubai!

Josh My time at North London Collegiate School Dubai was extremely memorable, and great fun. To keep it short and sweet, I made many fond memories ranging from swimming for my school team, modelling in The Arts Week 2019, and going through the process of the International Baccalaureate with the best classmates ever, the class of 2020! I wish everyone good luck in their future endeavours and wish the best for everyone in these trying times.

Beyan Exactly one and a half years ago was the moment I joined the NLCS Dubai community. I was anxious to be moving to a new school, as well as new city in the middle of my IB program, but the teachers and students welcomed me with open arms, making me feel safe and at home. From the intense late night preparations for House Competitions, to the thought provoking Nicholson lectures and Senior Societies sessions, the hallways and classrooms of our school remind me of the tight-knit community that I now call my second family. I will forever be grateful to all my teachers who have gifted me the power of knowledge and continued to challenge my abilities, and constantly push me to be a better version of myself. I am honoured to be the first graduating class of NLCS Dubai and cannot wait to see what the future holds, but one thing I know for sure, is that my last years as a part of the NLCS community were better than anything I could’ve asked for!

Sadry My journey at NLCS has been one which has shaped the person I am today. When I first walked into the school, I was astonished by the modern facilities, only to be even more pleasantly surprised with the level of teaching, as well as the kindness of students. My most memorable moment was during the first day of school, as Ali arrived four hours late in the NLCS Khaki coloured shorts. Later that day, Khizr, Enzo,Alex, Joshua,Ali, and I, got the opportunity to gather around in our lively common room, to build what would then become a long-lasting friendship. I believe that being part of NLCS Dubai, not only taught me some core academic concepts, but I have also developed some values which I will try maintaining in my future life.

Alex NLCS has not only made me grow as a student, it made me grow as an individual. I feel like I have learned a lot about the work environment in just three years of attending NLCS and that I am now ready for college life. Although I was initially unsure about joining the school, I found a new home with a lot of people who I can call true friends. Throughout my 2 years of basketball coaching, I have learned that one should have a winning mentality not only in sports, but in every possible situation; meaning that failure is an opportunity to learn and respect others, and that winning is a chance to allow others to improve. Studying at NLCS has not only given me a chance to make life-long friends, it has allowed me to create unforgettable memories. www.nlcsdubai.ae 129

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Grade Fabi

People say your last years of high school are unforgettable, in particular, in coming of age Hollywood movies. Starting school in NLCS was nothing that I could have ever expected. Besides being in a different curriculum, I was put in a class with people I would never thought of befriending... And I think because of this experience, I can confidently say NLCS taught me to break out of my shell. As trivial as it sounds, the teaching staff and the supportive community encouraged me to try new activities, which initially would have contradicted my loose list of “preferences.” For starters, I could have never imagined myself taking MUN in High School, the simple prospect of there not being a clear winner after an argument seemed redundant to me, and yet I gave it a shot and it is one of the most memorable events of my time at NLCS. Not to mention the constant juggling of ECAs and academics, which not only helped me become a much more interesting person overall, but also gave me a dose of how useful proper time management can truly be! NLCS, for me, has been a wonderful experience that I would not trade for anything in the world. I have met teachers who are smart, funny, sweet and caring, and have made me enjoy subjects that I detested at a particular point in time. (Thank You Mr. Mower.) While also reminding me to have confidence in myself, and my abilities. And I will forever be grateful to everyone, teachers, students, particularly Yibirians, who made this time sweet and memorable!

Youna “A smart person can never beat a hard worker, but a hard worker can never beat a person who enjoys it” I think studying in a new environment that favours student’s opinion and participation as much as their academic achievement and scores was one of the best decisions I ever made in life so far. NLCS Dubai allowed me to recognise my true potential, search for who I am and what I can do for the world. From all the unforgettable memories made from passionate teachers and enthusiastic classmates, I’m sure that I can move on to the next chapter of my life and bring out what I can do. I want to meet up with different people all over the world, make close relationships and share ideas to be the next contributor that can change our current society. I know that my time at NLCS will help me with this.

Anastasia When I first joined NLCS Dubai, the only thing I wanted to do was leave. Today that`s the last thing I want to do. It is very difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t been in the school, this sense of ownership and belonging that you feel as a student here. There are some memories I`ll never forget, such as my first House Drama competition. We were in school until maybe 8pm rehearsing and running from the stage to the corridors of the school in socks and truly feeling at home! My friends and I even joked about feeling like we were attending boarding school but how we didn’t even mind – we felt carefree, safe and loved in an academic environment where many students around the world feel stressed, alone and pressured. I remember the day it dawned on me that my journey at NLCS was soon coming to an end. I was going to Mrs Monaghan`s classroom to seek help for my EE. She was teaching a younger grade so naturally I didn’t interrupt her lesson. I did however take a few (or maybe more than a few) minutes to just listen to their lesson: their giggles after a quirky joke that someone made, their questions which they felt comfortable to ask, their pride when getting an answer right and I could not help myself to realise that I was not going to have that anymore. It definitely made me appreciate every other lesson after that, but also made me value the years I had at NLCS Dubai that I would not change for the world. 130

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Fiza The title I was given to write about was ‘My time at NLCS’…well my time at NLCS definitely was a duration between 1st of September 2018 to somewhere around March in 2020, before this infamous pandemic decided to bless us with its present and cut my time rather shorter than expected. I can wholeheartedly say the past two years here has been like no other. I’ve been given similar tasks from my previous schools to write a summary of how much I loved the school, and how beneficial it was, and it didn’t seem rather genuine on my part. However, I can without a doubt, hand on heart, say NLCS truly changed me as a person- and that statement comes from a place of honesty. When I came to this school, I felt ignorant, I didn’t know what I was good at, I had this unrealistic limited definition of what intelligence and perfection was…if it wasn’t for NLCS, I would have never started to debate, I would have limited myself to what University offers I think I could have achieved. NLCS taught me how to be confident, how to be resilient, and how to never give up, and as cliché and cringy as I sound right now, I mean every word of it.

Diya On looking back at the last two years of my life, I have realized that NLCS has really given and taught me a lot of things which would make me better prepared for university and life. It has mentally prepared me to work under time pressure, which has helped me in more ways than one. Over time, I have also learnt to be more independent which is one of the biggest takeaways from my experience at NLCS. Moreover, I feel like I have become more responsible and compassionate as a person. I personally think that comprehending qualities such as creativity, resilience and persistence was more valuable than learning the content of the subjects in itself. I am really grateful to the teachers and the entire school staff for making my experience at NLCS a positive one and enabling me to become a better version of myself.

Khizr Initially, I felt that the small group of people that I started this journey with would soon not be enough. I started with this negative mindset but I was quickly proved wrong as I built and manufactured the most memorable and unique friendships I have ever had. As well as this, I was immediately welcomed by the diverse and outstanding House system within the school.This was something I never experienced in any other school I have been to.There was a distinctive togetherness between all members of the school. This and my friends overruled any doubts that I had joining the school, and overall made my two year experience that much better. www.nlcsdubai.ae

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Grade

In Grade 11, all of our students start their The International Baccalaureate and their Diploma courses. They take six subjects, as well as having to complete an Extended Essay, explore the Theory of Knowledge, fulfil requirements for Community, Action and Service and adapt to being in the Sixth Form. It’s a challenging time but they know that the rewards of taking the IB far outweigh the demands of the course. Here, Alhena Alibhai talks to some of the Grade 11s as they embark on their first year of being DP students: How are you coping with the IBDP course? Sam: It is quite challenging and requires me to spend more time on academics than I used to, but overall, I am really enjoying the DP course as I can focus more on the subjects that I have an interest in as well as keeping me engaged all the time, which also something I enjoy. Line: At the beginning, it was really hard and a bit stressful however, with time, I adapted to the course and have gotten used to it. Was it different to what you anticipated? Abdul: Yes and no. It’s not as stressful as I thought it would be but it is very fast-paced. Maryam: No. I think the previous Grade 11s warned us about how difficult it would be, so I was quite prepared. Sakina: Honestly yes. Although I had expected the content to be a lot harder, it was the fast-paced nature of the work that is tricky to adapt to. What subjects are you taking? Why did you choose them? Anoushka: HL Spanish, Economics and History. They’re the subjects for which I have an interest in and also meet the subject requirements I need for University. Line: HL Arts, Physics and French. I need most of them for University and the course I want to apply for but some of them I am truly interested in and picked them to develop that interest. Lucie: HL English LangLit, Drama and Geography. I chose English LangLit as I really enjoy analyzing Language, whereas I chose Drama because despite Drama being more academic than people imagine it’s fun and you get to create your own material. I also chose Geography because I’m interested in what’s going on in the world. Lena: HL Design, Biology and French. I really enjoy creative subjects and therefore Design was the subject for me as it enabled me to create products. What do you think is going well? Sam: I think I am keeping a good balance between academics and the other roles that I partake in in such as Literary Society, U19 Basketball, the 6th form play, MUN and many more! Lucie: I think that all my subjects are going well, as well as CAS and Theory of Knowledge.

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Tanya: Honestly, my handwriting and note-taking skills have improved. Anoushka: My organization is really good, which makes it a lot easier to manage my time and workload. What do you think is challenging? Line: Balancing my life in all aspects, such as: socially, academically as well as physically has been very challenging. Lucie: Just keeping on top of the workload is a challenge. There’s a lot more than I ever expected. Abdul: Keeping up with homework has to be the most challenging. Do you see any major differences between you and your friends doing A-levels or APs? Abdul: They get bored during the week because their courses are so much simpler, whilst we’ve got CAS to keep us busy! Mahnoor: Yes. The IBDP is so much more well-rounded, broad and helpful for university, they seem to not know nearly as much, where we have broad choice of subjects. Maryam: Yes. I have less time to go out because I have a more intense workload but I also think I know more about many more subjects in comparison to them. Do you feel like you have a balanced personal and academic life? Abdul: Yes, despite the fast-paced course, I’m able to keep a balance. Mahnoor: Yes I do! I have enough time in the evening to converse on my phone for 1.5 hours! Lena: Yes I do. Lucie: I’d like to say yes and I am getting there, but, sometimes it’s hard to find a balance when you have a lot of work to do. Sakina: To an extent yes, however, these last few weeks of school have been quite busy with House Competitions and exams going on, so it really depends on the time of term. What is keeping you motivated? Sam: My interest in each subjects as well as teachers, friends, and my parents supporting me. Line: The fact that my friends and classmates are on this journey with me so I know I am not the only one struggling. Abdul: Honestly, the IBDP at NLCS is just different and keeps you wanting to do stuff you’re passionate about. Mahnoor: Wanting to get to the best places with people I want is what’s ultimately keeping me motivated. Tanya: Hopefully, Universities will see that I’ve worked harder than most other students that don’t take IBDP, and that will put me at an advantage.

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Have there been any highlights of the IBDP thus far? Shalini: Learning new topics, like with Psychology. It was something new to me but I have been enjoying it! Lucie: Being able to get a more in-depth look into the subjects that I’m passionate about. Alexia: I’m really enjoying the English Language and Literature course as it’s really interesting and I’m learning a lot. Sakina: I have absolute loved Theory of Knowledge recently; even though I didn’t think I would have enjoyed it so much, I love the philosophical element to it. What are your future goals? Will the IBDP help you accomplish these? Anoushka: As of now, I want to study International Relations, for my undergraduate course and I am pretty unsure as to what I would like to do in terms of my career, and because the IBDP is so spread out and makes sure that you are still doing at least one Science, and one Art, it makes the future much more flexible. Tanya: I hope to become a CEO and I really do believe that the IBDP can help me become a better leader. Maryam: I really want to study History at University and then become a lawyer, and I really think that the IBDP will prepare me for the intense workload that is to come.

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A word of Advice from our 6th formers: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12)

Stay organized! Organization is key to success. Manage your time, or else you’re going to be lost and feel stressed. Keep on top of your work! Choose subjects you truly love and are passionate about.You’re spending a lot of time and effort on them, so make sure you at least enjoy them. Stay focused and listen in class, you don’t want to be making extra work for yourself. Don’t be scared to reject things or say no, you’re the only one that knows what’s right for you. Put in those extra hours, it pays off. Revise what you’ve done at the end of each week. Do your homework when you get it. Do the bulk of your CAS in grade 11. Be resilient and don’t give up when things get hard. Remember, even if its hard, it’s going to be worth it!

Although the IBDP has been a roller coaster ride for me, it’s been one that will forever change the way I view the world. As a student that has been studying in the IB continuum programmes since the age of 6, and my PYP and MYP experiences have brought me to this milestone. I have always known that the IBDP was a rigorous course that would need my undivided attention and time, but as I adapt more and more to the course, I am confidently able to say that I’m enjoying it. As someone with ambitious career goals, I knew this would help my future. I want to go to a top university to study Law, and for that I would need essay-based HL subjects. I took HL History, English LangLit and Economics.Although I was quite scared, my HL subjects have become the subjects I enjoy the most, delving into a more in depth analysis of all the themes we study.The workload, albeit time-consuming and difficult, has made me enjoy writing essays and has taught me how to analyze with greater detail, bringing my standards of writing and reading beyond the MYP/ GCSE level. I chose subjects that I enjoy the most, which also happen to fit into my university requirements and the subjects in which I am the strongest at. All in all, it is demanding and it does get tiring.The extra hours always get to you, and late night CAS reflections or quick fixes to essays always get the best of us; but it’s all worth it in the end.We have an advantage in that not only are we able to experience a holistic range of subjects throughout high school, but we have so many opportunities to delve into the things that interest us the most. Without doubt, I wouldn’t be happier taking any other course than what I’m doing now with the IBDP. Alhena Alibhai

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THE BIG FOUR Sakina Virani – Senior Student Leadership is a critical part of our life at NLCS Dubai and therefore being chosen to represent the school as part of the Big Four is truly an honour. To me, being part of the student leadership team is not just about implementing new initiatives and giving assemblies; the weight is on the image of us as excellent role models, as caring and hardworking pupils. As a younger student, it was my ambition to have the prestige of being a Prefect or Head Girl, therefore I looked upon the respective position and followed how the students modelled the behaviour. It was through this that I gained confidence and throughout my school years, I behaved as a potential candidate for this position every day, trying my hardest to make the best impression. The role of a student leader shaped my character today, and I hope that this is what we as the Big Four model in our position. Of course, the innovative initiatives are imperative, and even under these unfortunate circumstances we have managed to utilise our online platform to our advantage by starting challenges and advertising our roles through the Big Four Instagram. We hope to carry on with these projects and get as many children involved as possible, as I believe this is the ultimate form in which we can maintain our close-knit community and familial quality. Sam Lee Since 2017, NLCS Dubai has always been my family. All of my friends were supportive since day one, all of my teachers are there for me, and we as a community care for each other. Being able to represent this community as the member of the Big Four is an absolute honour for me. Without the community of NLCS Dubai, it would’ve been impossible for me to be where I am now. Thanks to all the support and encouragement I received, I reached this far. And now, the Big Four is the opportunity for me to give this back to the community. I myself saw how NLCS Dubai supports everyone to be the best version of themselves. I hope I can now be one of those people who pull the best out of others in NLCS Dubai.

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Hyemin Shin It’s a huge honour to have been selected as the Big Four this academic year. Since 2017, when I first joined NLCS Dubai, I have come to appreciate the tightly knit community and want to further emphasise this value; my goal this year is to make sure that I bring the school community closer, especially in times such as where we find ourselves at the moment. Being newly appointed as the Big Four during distance learning was something that I thought I would not get used to. However, as the situation continued, it was important for us to carry on with our daily routines, setting examples for the younger students of the senior school. Even in the most unprecedented times, we believe that maintaining the NLCS ethos is critical. In order to inspire and motivate those who are younger, we have been active on our Big Four social media, which we use as a platform to communicate with students across different grades. I truly miss the high-spirited and academic ambience of the school and cannot wait to get back to school in September to engage in some human interaction, which we’ve all been missing for a while!

‘Our Big Four catch up with Jeju’s Big 8 and London’s Big 6 over Zoom David Li Getting elected into the Big Four means a significant amount me personally; not only have I wanted the position earnestly, but I have also worked very hard towards it. The process was immensely competitive; however, going through it and succeeding means I am able to contribute to our school community further. It is very fortunate for us as students to be in such a cohesive community, and I certainly do feel extraordinarily honoured to be part of it. Like the analogy I have used occasionally, as Big Four, we play the role of a bridge between the student body and the teachers, as well as the senior staff, serving the purpose as a link for communication. We propose ideas to enhance the wellbeing of every single member of the school. So, with greater responsibility, comes greater pressure; while representing the school, sometimes we set standards for younger students who have the thoughts of becoming one of the leaders in the future; we will try to demonstrate to them what it takes to be one and encourage them to look forward to one day being part of the Big Four themselves.

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Arabic Week This jam-packed week was full of exciting and educational events that helped our school community celebrate the Arabic Language and Arabic Art and Culture. The week began with a thought-provoking assembly led by Miss Rasha that focused on the history of the language, motivating students to learn Arabic and teaching them about its origins. There was a strong emphasis on Literature through the week, with the Department hosting local writers, who joined students in reading and inspired them to continue reading Arabic books to get acquainted with the Arabic culture and develop their own language skills. This was also supported by the Arabic Book Fair, where students could choose from many kinds of books to take home. Reading was promoted by the Senior students reading to the younger grades as well as our wonderful parents, filling display boards with poems and quotes in Arabic for us to read. As well as reading, there were many activities that helped us the school practice their spoken Arabic. The Arabic competition between the NLCS staff, set the challenge for every teacher to learn new words and phrases and at the end winners were announced and prizes were distributed. Students also produced videos, in which they taught their parents the Arabic language. Students from all grades took part in a speaking competition; they presented their work in front of a committee. There was a high level of competition and all students proudly spoke Arabic with confidence and enthusiasm. The week was also full of exciting opportunities to explore Arabic culture. In the student-led assembly, each student was proud to present facts about their home country, appearing on stage in their national costume and entertaining the audience with amazing Arabic music.The teachers and students were also invited to taste different and delicious Arabic food during lunchtime, followed by watching an Arabic Movie. Staff and parents were given the opportunity to write their names; they were so excited to learn the Arabic alphabet included in their names and they were amazed by the beauty of it. Students tested their knowledge about the Arabic language and Culture through a quiz during form time between the four houses and Javi won with pride. All in all, it was an amazing week and one that reminded us of the beauty, diversity and richness of Arabic Culture, Language and Art.

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Grade 5 Online Learning Les ruses de Namcouticouti Un jour, une femme qui était sur le point d’avoir un bébé décida d’aller boire de l’eau fraîche dans une rivière loin de chez elle, pour éviter les grenouilles. Quelques secondes après avoir avalé une grande gorgée d’eau, un loup lui sauta dessus et la menaça de la manger. Pour sauver sa peau, elle lui dit qu’elle lui donnerait son enfant à l’âge de quatre ans. Le loup la laissa partir. Quand l’enfant naquit, la mère l’appela « Namcouticouti ». Le loup vint chercher l’enfant quatre ans plus tard. La mère demanda au loup d’aller voir «Namcouticouti» dans la plaine où il jouait avec ses copains. Ce dernier entendit la conversation entre le loup et sa mère, et demanda à ses copains de l’aider. Ils devaient tous répondre au nom de « Namcouticouti ». En apercevant le loup, tous les enfants répondirent en même temps : « C’est moi Namcouticouti ». Le loup fut confus et repartit furieux. Le lendemain, la même histoire se répéta : « Namcouticouti » demanda à tous ses amis de porter un bonnet rouge. Pour embrouiller la piste du loup, tous les enfants portaient un chapeau rouge. Le loup, de nouveau, ne put reconnaitre « Namcouticouti » et repartit plein de colère. Le surlendemain, la maman promit au loup qu’elle couperait les cheveux de son fils si ras pour qu’il pourrait être reconnu dans le noir. Le petit si futé, si rusé, coupa de la même façon les cheveux de son père alors qu’il était en train de dormir. Le loup, sitôt arrivé, essaya de manger la personne aux cheveux ras mais malheureusement il croqua le père qui avait la peau si dure que le loup se cassa deux belles dents. Le loup prit la fuite et ne revint plus jamais. Mrs Aumeerally-De Leo The confinement period proved an opportune moment for me to introduce to my dear Grade 5 students a series of tales, sometimes crafty and sometimes funny, from my native island, Mauritius. These tales are embellished with ‘local’ vocabulary, old French, and amusing expressions, not forgetting the onomatopoeia of the island. Each story was read aloud to allow the students to listen to the tale and at the same time capture and illustrate the content through sublime drawings accompanied by a brief resume of the story.

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Tizan est ses gâteaux-cannettes Il y avait un petit garçon de l’île Maurice qui s’appelait Tizan qui adorait les gâteaux-cannettes. Il les adorait tellement qu’il en rêvait même la nuit. Un beau matin, sa maman donna un sou à Tizan. Il courut à la boutique du Chinois pour acheter deux gâteaux-cannettes. Il en mangea et planta l’autre. Quelques jours plus tard, apparut un bel arbre dans son jardin. Il fut transporté de joie et resta longuement dans son arbre, se régala des gâteaux-cannettes. Tout à coup, une vieille dame passa par là et elle en demanda à Tizan quelques-uns. A sa surprise, cette vieille dame était une sorcière. Elle donna un coup de bâton sur la tête de Tizan et l’enferma dans son sac. Chemin faisant, elle sentit un coup de fatigue. Elle posa le sac par terre et Tizan s’échappa. Il remplit le sac avec tout ce qui lui tombait sous la main. Quand la sorcière rentra chez elle, elle voulut faire une bonne « fricassée de Tizan et gros giraumon » et versa le sac au-dessus de la marmite : « Blaam, Blaam, Blaam » ! Elle finit par se rendre compte que Tizan avait des pouvoirs bien plus puissants qu’elle.

Le chien et le caïman Un vieil homme, nommé Ton Pierre, rentra du travail à pied et vit un caïman à côté d’un ‘tambalacoque’. Ton Pierre, homme très vaillant, ne put s’empêcher d’aider le caïman. Il l’emmena à la rivière pour qu’il boive de l’eau. Une fois sa soif assouvie, il commença à avoir faim. Il réclama, sans gêne, une jambe à Ton Pierre. Ton Pierre, qui essaya de se défendre, vit tout à coup passer une poule. Il l’arrêta et lui demanda de dire ‘qui’ avait raison. Elle dit que le caïman avait raison. Elle lui dit : « Quand je couve mes œufs, les gens le mangent à la cot-cot coque ». Et ce fut la même chose avec la vache qui déclama qu’il nous donne du lait avec lequel nous faisons du beurre et du fromage. Soudainement, apparut un chien qui essaya de jouer un tour au caïman. Il fit en sorte que le caïman rentra dans le sac en toile, puis il s’enfuit avec Ton Pierre en rigolant. « Mangera bien qui mangera le dernier ! ». Histoire du lièvre, de l’éléphant et de la baleine Un jour, il y avait « compère lièvre » qui contempla la mer immense et vit passer une énorme baleine. Très rusé, il eut vite envie de la piéger. Puis il tomba nez à trompe avec un éléphant et il pensa à lui jouer un tour également. Il voulait savoir qui était le plus fort. Il prit une corde, il l’attacha autour de la queue de la baleine et lui dit qu’il allait l’attacher autour de ses hanches. Il courut et dit à la baleine qu’il irait plus loin pour tirer et que quand il crierait, la baleine devrait tirer. Quand il entra dans la forêt il attacha la corde autour de la trompe de l’éléphant et dit la même chose à cet animal si puissant. Puis, il courut dans les broussailles et se cacha, faisant croire qu’il avait la corde autour de ses hanches. Quand il cria, les deux animaux tirèrent de toutes leurs forces, et la corde se cassa « fiaak, fiaak, fiaak ». Les deux animaux furent blessés et le lièvre partit en courant. Son intelligence dépasse au-dessus de la taille gigantesque de ces animaux. ‘Thank you to these students for their contributions: Agata Roman Amira Triki Agata Roman Elodie Hall-Palmer Naya Najjar Zahra Khanafer

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Le Printemps Grade 6 Mona Van den Abeele La lumière brillante illumine le monde, Le soleil est plus vivant que jamais. Le printemps, le printemps, le printemps, le printemps, C’est la plus belle des quatre saisons ! L’air rafraichissant, Donne vie aux couleurs riches des fleurs : Orange, violet, bleu clair, jaune, et mille autres couleurs! Les goûts des fruits exquis, Les couleurs vifs des légumes, Leurs odeurs chatouillent mon nez. La nature s’éveille, Avec ses parfums vivifiants, Le printemps, le printemps, le printemps, le printemps, C’est la plus belle des quatre saisons !

L’hiver by Adrien Farra

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MYP Language Acquistion eportfolio 2020 Grade 10 Lara Akiki This year, as Grade 10 students, we have been working extremely hard on our Language Acquisition e-portfolios. The allocated MYP global context was ‘Globalization and Sustainability’ and our coursework was based around this theme. During lessons, not only did we learn how to master the grammatical foundations of the language and increase our oral and written skills, but we also learnt how to become better citizens of the world. Our e-portfolio unit was comprised of six main topics: eating habits, food sources, organic products, a sustainable lifestyle, a zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability. We deepened our understanding of these topics through a variety of means such as oral discussions, written essays, documentary films, articles and blogs. On reflection, it is interesting to realise to what large extent the work we completed for the unit has become fundamental in helping us adapt to this new lifestyle imposed by the Covid-19 global pandemic. Adopting a zero waste, sustainable and/or locavore lifestyle would go a long way in reducing the need to import products across countries around the world.This would assist in decreasing the rate at which the virus is able to spread. Furthermore, such new habits would reduce the overall demand for a variety of products on the market, which are currently short in supply due to the pandemic. Ultimately, the e-portfolio was a journey, an exploration and an opportunity for us to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us and to claim ownership of what we are capable of doing with the language we are learning. Cette année, en tant qu’étudiants en 10ème année, nous avons travaillé avec ardeur sur nos portefeuilles électroniques linguistiques. Le contexte mondial du PEI était à propos de la Mondialisation et la Durabilité. Pendant notre cours, nous n’avons pas seulement appris à maîtriser les fondements grammaticaux de la langue et à accroître nos compétences orales et écrites, mais nous avons également appris à être de meilleurs citoyens du monde. Notre unité pour le portefeuille électronique comprenait six sujets principaux : Les habitudes alimentaires, la provenance des aliments, les produits bio, un mode de vie durable, une vie zéro déchet et la durabilité alimentaire. Nous avons approfondi nos connaissances de ces sujets en utilisant une variété de moyens tels que des discussions orales, des dissertations écrites, des films documentaires, des articles et des blogues. C’est intéressant de réaliser à quel point ce que nous avons appris est fondamental pour nous adapter au mode de vie exigé par la pandémie mondiale du Covid-19. Un mode de vie zéro déchets, durable et locavore contribuerait énormément à réduire le besoin d’importer les produits à travers les pays du monde, réduisant ainsi la propagation du virus. En outre, cela économiserait les achats en évitant la pénurie de produits sur le marché. En fin de compte, le portefeuille électronique était un voyage, une exploration et une opportunité pour nous de comprendre le monde qui nous entoure et de revendiquer la propriété de ce que nous sommes capables de faire avec la langue que nous apprenons.

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The Music Department Howard Wong - Head of Music A school is a community, and one is hard-pushed to find many better platforms to express our community spirit than through Music. As Music continues to grow and develop in NLCS Dubai, our students continue to lay important foundation stones for our musical culture with every note that is played. Over the past year, NLCS Dubai can celebrate the largest number yet of students undertaking instrument / vocal lessons beyond the normal Music Curriculum. This year also saw a record number of students entered for ABRSM examinations, where the results from the Winter series were extremely impressive. Unfortunately, the Summer series of examinations have had to be postponed due to the global pandemic. However, the incredible amount of work in preparation for theses exams will not have been wasted, as we enthusiastically await the next series of exams when they are reinstated. House Music Competition continues to be a highlight of the Musical calendar where students of varying musical backgrounds and experience can occupy the same stages and communicate harmoniously in the common language of music. The annual Whole School Winter Concert, another very inclusive affair, was certainly memorable for the many students who took part. However, this year saw this annual miscellany for the very last time in its current format. As our school community begins to grow, we shall be separating Junior Music and Senior Music, so to prevent occasions rivaling Wagner’s Ring Cycle in duration. Whilst we lament the passing of this tradition at our school, we look forward to the new double-bill format in the coming year. Extracurricular Instrumental and Vocal ensembles continued to build momentum over the 2019-2020. Our flagship Orchestra has been working hard on a new set of orchestrations of music for Founders Day, written specifically to highlight the immense ability and talent of our players. However, this did not get an outing due to Covid-19. We shall have to wait until next year for this. Individual successes continued on the musical front, even though Music Competitions were unfortunately thin on the round this year. Grade 9 student, Petra Keeney was a finalist for the Young Musician of the Year Prize organized by Which School Advisor Dubai. Grade 10 Student Sarah Turner received an Honorable Mention at the 16th Emirates Peace Music Competition. Later on in the year, Petra Keeney fought off fierce competition to win a place on the Dubai Opera House Masterclass given by Russian piano virtuoso, Alexander Ghindin.

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The Big Draw The Art Department This year, we were lucky enough to take part in The Big Draw Festival - a worldwide celebration of drawing! All over the world, events are held to explore the idea that drawing is central to learning – as a means of expression and innovation. The Art Department involved us in a wonderful array of activities, from mindful weaving to creating our own Keith Haring figures.

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Geography Trips Grades 9, 10 and 11 by Raeesah Moola, Grade 11 On the 20th January, Grades 9 to 11 Geography students were fortunate enough to visit Wadi Shawka located in Ras al Khaimah.This educational field trip allowed us to collect data regarding river beds and sediment, which would then be used in future field work projects. The data collection process required a group of students working together efficiently due to the marginally hazardous location. Groups of seven were responsible for measuring values of the river width and average depth at various intervals. Subsequently, using our knowledge and theory from lessons, we had to calculate cross-sectional area and hydraulic radius. Attributable to our understanding from lessons, we were able to explain the correlation between these factors and their variety from the upper course to the lower course. This field trip was educational in advancing our understanding but additionally an enjoyable experience as opportunities to visit a wadi are rare in this region of the world. Furthermore, exploring the outdoors and nature of the site was a stimulating activity which was different in comparison to our customary day in the city.

Grade 7 by Rameen Ali For this trip, our first destination was Kite Beach. The tasks we had to perform were measuring the longshore drift, carrying out bio polar surveys, taking questionnaires, as well as measuring groynes. We all were spilt into our classes to do each task like a carousel and then gather data with our group. After we had done our longshore drift analysis, which was fun, and collecting some seashells and groyne measurements, we took a little break to re-apply sunscreen and hydrate ourselves. Our next destination was Sunset beach - most of us had not heard of this beach so we were very excited to see it. Soon we had arrived, and it was a bit of a walk and the entrance was almost hidden away. When I first saw the beach, it seemed very big and spacious, but it was also quite deserted; there weren’t a lot of people near the shore. Most people were sunbathing, and a couple of people were swimming in the sea. We carried out the same tasks here but we also had to measure rock armor near the sea. That was quite an exciting and scary task to climb on the rocks and measure them. After an excellent 15 minutes of free time on such a beautiful beach, it was time to leave to our last stop: La Mer. Here we explored the shops and the busy restaurants, so different from Sunset Beach. Many people were exploring, having fun and trying some new things. Sadly, it was time to go and we all made our way to where we had met at first. A fantastic day learning about all the human and physical sides to Dubai beach life.

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Literature Week The English Department Literature Week this year was set to coincide with the Emirates Literature Festival. It is our aim to ensure that every student gets the chance to listen to a real author. These opportunities provide students with a real world understanding of Literature and writing, in all its many forms. This year, we explored non-fiction and were lucky enough to listen to authors, ranging from Mitch Albom, who has sold over 40 million copies of his inspirational stories worldwide, to Ziauddin Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist, who is happy to be better known as Malala’s father. As well as these, students had the chance to listen to Major Hazzaa AlMansoori, the first UAE National to go into space, and Roma Agrawal, the renowned architect of the Shard in London, and alumni of North London Collegiate School, London. We were also delighted that two of our students, Zahra Ahmad in Grade 10 and Tabby Riddler in Grade 3 were winners of the writing completion for their age groups.Their poem and story are fantastic examples of the creativity that NLCS students show in abundance. Here two students write about their experiences of the Literature Festival. Mitch Albom by Sam Lee, Grade 11 In 2017, I first read “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom. To be brutally honest, my expectation of that book wasn’t high. Always being a fiction fan, there were only a handful of non-fiction books that I had enjoyed reading. But “Tuesdays with Morrie” was a completely new experience, and since then, I’ve been in love with Mitch Albom’s work. I first introduced Literature Society to Mitch Albom’s recent book “Finding Chika” – we discussed the author’s decision to write about Chika, whom he treated as a daughter from Haiti but unfortunately passed away at a young age. I knew that they would eventually all fall in love with Mitch Albom and his work after his visit to our school. Sometimes just one word is enough to express one’s feelings, but sometimes just a few words written by someone aren’t enough to get to know that person fully. Talking face-to-face and asking questions helps us to get to know an author more as a person. Listening to Mitch Albom’s honest and humble answers, I feel like many of the students in NLCS Dubai really got to see the kind nature of Mitch Albom that I saw in his books. However, seeing Mitch Albom and getting a chance to talk to him was not the highlight of his visit. Personally, the highlight for me was seeing one student’s change in attitude before and after Mitch Albom’s talk. While standing outside the PAC, I saw this student going in, not knowing about his work and not seeming to be excited about his talk, but after listening to Mitch Albom, this student was the first person to come to me and ask where he could buy Mitch Albom’s book to get his autograph. It was a heart-warming experience to meet Mitch Albom and see many students in NLCS Dubai being inspired.

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Ziauddin Yousafzai by Maryam Khan, Grade 11 This year NLCS Dubai was lucky enough to be invited to watch the livestream Q&A panel at the annual Emirates Literature Festival, with none other than Ziauddin Yousafzai. A Pakistani activist and former school teacher from the valley of Swat, he is best known as the father of Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Ziauddin’s memoir, ‘Let Her Fly: A Father’s Journey’, explores his particular concern with the lack of female education for those living in the Eastern-Asian region. Ziauddin and his daughter Malala, join each other in standing up for human rights for the right of freedom, believing that “education is emancipation”, in which, Yousafzai enlightens his readers with such beliefs in his newly released memoir. Gathering from Grades 8 to 11, NLCS students attended the first literary webinar of 2020. Providing his perspective on modern education, once could sense his passion as though we were sitting there, right in front of him rather than in front of a screen. Ziauddin discussed in immense detail the importance of a female receiving her given right to an education. He did express that he never dreamed that the “sins of a father” would be visited upon his daughter rather than himself, as he began his journey of tirelessly campaigning, prior to the birth of his daughter. Ziauddin, throughout the live stream, often joked that Malala used to be known as his daughter, but now he is known as Malala’s father, however, he does say he is proud to have it that way. In his new book, Ziauddin stresses that the book covers the bigger picture of his life and the lessons he has learnt, from being a member of a patriarchal society to where he is now. Ending the session, with an inspiring perspective of education signifying a key to further opportunities in life. I can speak for all attendees that, his inspiring talk allowed us NLCS students to understand the privileged position we are in receiving one of the best educations within the world.

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Tomorrow Poem Zahra Ahmad - Grade 10

can you remember a night where we stared into the sky and weren’t afraid of tomorrow wondering whether lost souls would illuminate others lives secretly hoping we would never join then when we would jump into cardboard boxes warning others to “stay away from my pirate ship” while bullying a younger sibling to jump into shark infested waters our dreams parallel to reality the concept of impossibilities insignificant do you remember dressing up in your mothers oversized clothes applying orange lipstick to your face and wearing her tallest heels those were the days that you, at first, dreaded being tucked into bed then slowly drifted far away, with the promise of magic tomorrow did you ever wake with the most intangible tales that performed each night, but only for you childhood, a thing so sweet. shame. all i can remember is staring into the sky and wishing for the time to stand still, just so i can have some more time because before i know it tomorrow becomes today and i haven’t had a dream in two or three years because i’m simply bored to tears of all the same day all over again now i sleep because I have to, my imagination died some time ago when they decided to tell us to think inside the box. will you remember today when it turns into tomorrow or will it be like every other a pool of quicksand engulfing you whole

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Tomorrow Tabitha Riddler - Grade 3 Salamanders Just before the sun rises, the bright, silky moon starts to slip behind the main tent. It smells like sweet and mouthwatering cinnamon (because of the ring master’s shampoo.) The vibrant coloured lights turn on and the animals wake up; the stalls are being built whilst the acts practice and prepare. The joy filled sun was now rising. It was gradually getting warmer and warmer. The sky was starting to turn pale blue and excited children were arriving. All the fabulous acts were inside the rosy red and golden tent, practising, whilst the overjoyed crowd made their way to their red velvet seats. After minutes of waiting, the show began. First the magnificent trapeze artist swung elegantly upside down.The elephant, Nelly, was next. She stood on a high plank above water; she needed to jump in! After that it was Duncan and Stripe’s turn, first Duncan jumped onto Stripe then Stripe jumped through a hoop that was lit with burning hot fire! The crowd roared with applause and they took their bow and left the tent. Duncan and Stripe left the tent and stopped at the storage tent to find a new prop for their act. As they were searching, they stumbled across a weird looking machine. “What’s this?”, enquired Duncan. Stripe replied “ I don’t know” in Tiger language that only Duncan could understand. They decided to take a look inside the strange machine. They hopped inside and accidently pressed a button that sent them whizzing round. “What’s happening?!” they shouted in a panic. The spinning stopped abruptly and they jumped out. A man in a black suit greeted them. “ you must be the new act. All you have to do is make your tiger jump and eat the meat” said the stranger. “ Oh, sorry, I’m the Ringmaster, I should have told you that first” he explained. “ The show is going to start” he said as he walked into an old, patched tent. Duncan and Stripe followed. “I think we’ve gone back in time!” exclaimed Duncan. “Cool” replied Stripe as they walked through the grand but dusty entrance. When they got inside the Ringmaster told them they were first so they stopped in the middle of the dimly lit ring. The audience looked different to the one at home. Ladies with feathers in their hair sat like peacocks in a row; men with gigantic hats and children with fluffy cotton candy were watching and waiting. Stripe smelt the meat and raced towards the trapeze where the meat was hanging high on a string. He leaped and grabbed the meat with his colossal jaws and gobbled it down in one. He landed gracefully on the floor of the ring as the crowd went wild! They backed out of the ring waving and bowing and congratulating each other enthusiastically. From then on they worked at two circuses telling each Ringmaster “we will see you tomorrow!”.

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Drama ‘Paper Birds’ Sakina Virani - Grade 11 This term, the Grade 9, 10 and 11s were fortunate enough to be visited by ‘The Paper Birds’ company, who are a devising theatre company based in the UK, with a social and political initiative. They devise performances on the basis of verbatim theatre - a form of theatre in which the performances are created from the exact words spoken by people, who are usually interviewed about a certain topic or current event. These performances are generally derived from stories collected in local communities and from personal anecdotes and experiences. During the company’s visit, we learnt how to create a performance based on verbatim, as well as devising techniques. For a starter activity, we focused on a speech given by Greta Thunberg in order to address the politically driven aspect of the theatre company.We then got the chance to create a string of movements in order to portray Greta Thunberg’s powerful message about climate change and the impact it has on our world today. It was amazing to see people’s different perspectives on the matter and incredible to witness the different ways in which we were able to portray this current global issue through movement and physicality. For many of us, it was the first time we used a political statement as a motive for our performance. This made it challenging, yet fascinating as it was a chance for us to combine two aspects of our academic work and find new ways to express our opinions. Although we only had one session, it was a revelation to explore a new form of theatre and to discover a variety of different techniques through the form of music, physical theatre and a global message.

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Drama ‘Ruckus in the Garden’ Janna Hindawi - Grade 8 Lights, camera, action! Time for Ruckus in the Garden by Grade 8. This play, performed by the Grade 8 students of North London Collegiate School Dubai, was one of the most phenomenal plays of the year, to say the least. It brought magic, romance and comedy all together. How can you go wrong with that? We, the Grade 8 cast, worked extremely hard, from the auditions all the way to the dress rehearsal, and finally at the final performance. Ruckus in the Garden, the play, revolves around two rival schools, one being extremely posh and formal, Saint Nectans, and the other one, Riverdale, being a rugged and informal one. Luckily, these two schools do put their differences aside and come together, resolving all their issues through a chaotic roller coaster ride, in which the Grade 8 cast provides the audience with incredible and engaging acting performances. None of this could have been done so professionally and so well without the assistance and coaching of Mr. Smith, helping us along the way and guiding us in our acting skills. It took the cast to a whole new level of acting, which made for an amazing final performance. Even though some of us forgot few lines at times, where to go in the scene or what to do in certain scenes, we repaired our mistakes and took our feedback and gave our all to the performance, which definitely paid off extremely well from the costumes, stage props, to the sound, music effects, and most importantly the great acting that was exhibited. Overall, the Grade 8 play was a true success and a wonderful performance given by the Grade 8 cast with the assistance of Mr. Smith.

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Drama ‘Blue Remembered Hills’ Lucie Benn - Grade 11 After advertising, auditions and a week of waiting, the cast of the sixth form play was finally refined to seven Grade 11 students. ‘Blue Remembered Hills’ - a play set in 1943 West country England, a play none of us had heard of, but a play we were going to pour all of our time and effort into nevertheless. After reading through the play and familiarising ourselves with our unique characters and their idiosyncrasies, it was time to begin putting the play together. We dedicated our time after school each week to perfecting the performance, ensuring we had learned our lines and knew our stage directions. With great thanks to Mr Smith, this was all possible. On 15th January 2020, the day was finally here. Dressed in costume, we performed to a Grade 8 class, allowing us to make any last minute adjustments so our performance was seamless for the real thing. Amassed with nerves, we all took to the stage together and gave the performance our all. The feeling of performing the play you have been building up to in front of an audience is inexplicable, it is incomparable with rehearsals and a feeling you cannot forget. The night ended with many congratulations from audience members and the disbelief that it was all over. Another thank you to Mr Smith and the rest of the cast for making this performance an unforgettable one

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Trinity Monologues Alya Lootah - Grade 9 Drama has opened so many doors for me, I simply wouldn’t be where I am today without it. It has taught me confidence – a life skill that one would need wherever they end up in life. One of my most successful monologues is Hecate from Macbeth. It is perhaps my favourite monologue. I knew the play inside out as we were studying it for MYP in our English lessons, so that put me in a much better position. We did all sorts of debates and discussions about the messages, motives and symbols present in the play that made me very confident with my presentation of the monologue – I felt that I was sort of like an expert in that sense. I like to choose contrasting types of monologues, ones that mirror my personality, like Hecate’s, and others that are simply just not me! Most importantly, I make sure that when choosing a monologue, I can understand it, and find it interesting, if not, I know for a fact that I won’t give it my all. It’s a challenge, it requires patience and risktaking – you might feel stupid doing some of it, you might feel out of place, out of your comfort zone, but after four successful Trinity exams, I can confidently say it is worth every second.

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The Library Hanadi Tayfour - Librarian Being the hub of learning, our library has a positive impact on the academic performance of our students. It helps develop the overall skills necessary to succeed in the modern-day digital and social environment. Since September, the library had actively supported the academic weeks, celebrated the UAE National Day and displayed the UAE Reading Timeline.We have hosted three successful book fairs, supporting the Arabic and Emirates Literature festival. These events were complemented with activities, authors’ visits and competitions. The Junior School Library moved to our new location ‘the Buss Library’ to be adjacent to our Lower School classes, with new furniture, displays and arrangement. The First School Library was relocated and organised temporarily, awaiting the completion of the new building, where the new reading space will be located on the ground floor. In the Junior school, we have strived to encourage students to delve into our vast range of resources. Whether it is our new Audio Corner, Britannica, Lightbox collection, World Languages eBooks series, ImageQuest or our continually improving selection of new books to broaden horizons. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back and continuing our love of reading!

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Personal Projects Mrs Durston - Personal Project Coordinator Grade 10 students rose to the challenge this year and developed a wide range of wonderful Personal Projects as part of their MYP qualification. Students spent the academic year developing a project linked to a personal interest. As well as creating the project, students had to submit an academic report, outlining the process they took to complete their goals. Here some students share the fantastic projects that they worked so hard on this year. Jiwoo Lee – How to Code a Human My main goal was to make the complex concept of DNA accessible to those who wish to learn, by producing a book about different genetic disorders and the genes that cause them. I selected the Global Context of “Scientific and Technical Innovation”. By establishing there is a tangible connection between the genotype and phenotype, I wished to communicate that the theoretical concepts of science are more closely linked with reality than commonly believed. However, what truly made my project unique and challenging was my other goal: to provide an alternative way of thinking by a simulation that encourages exploration and curiosity, and to provoke fascination and passion into the field. My final product was a guidebook for a virtual simulation, full of illustrations and visual representations. Yuxin Chen – Water Shortage in Ghana My goal was to educate and inspire people about economic, social, political, and environmental causes, impacts, and solutions regarding water scarcity in Ghana by creating a website featuring original videos, photographs, and articles. My goal was highly challenging because to have authentic information, I travelled to Ghana and spent time in Osonodompe, a rural village surrounded by mountains. Also, I had never created a website before. My communication skills were challenged as I stepped out of my comfort zone and acquired information about water scarcity from unfamiliar individuals: the government, NGOs, specialists, and locals. My goal pushed me to think outside of the box and apply ``creative thinking” and “critical thinking” skills as I considered water crisis causes, impacts and solutions through multiple angles. Puneet Singh Narain – Creating a DIY UAV My goal for this project was to build a drone capable of completing simple and easy household and industrial tasks. Throughout the project, I wanted to develop a range of mechanical and creative skills by designing and experimenting with a variety of drone models and styles. I enhanced these skills with the help of effective transfer and research skills, as well as assembling complex mechanical pieces to create a successful product that outlines my goal perfectly. The global context for my product was ‘Scientific and Technical Innovation’ because I experimented with different parts, using scientific knowledge to create a modern representation of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). This also links really well with the global context because in the near future drones will have a huge influence on our daily lives. Yaser Amro – Healthy in 20 My goal was to demonstrate through a website, how generally busy people are affected from not eating a varied and healthy diet, especially when they were tight on time. My website gave them support with simple and delicious recipes that included locatable and available ingredients in Dubai and around the world. Based on my clear goal, I came up with the research question, “To what extent can busy people eat a varied and healthy diet around the world?” The Global Context that best applied to my project was ‘Identities and Relationships’ as it helped me to discover how food can affect one’s health. Looking more closely, the specific exploration for the project was mental and physical health, which are key components in an individual’s identity and the relationship they have with themselves and others. With my website, I am helping busy people in the community and beyond. 158

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Lara Akiki – Living With Cystic Fibrosis The goal of my project was to produce a multi-purpose website for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This project was an attempt to help alleviate the everyday challenges faced by CF patients and allay concerns relating to the illness. Firstly, I created a donation facility to assist those struggling to cope financially with the illness. Secondly, I included a feature, whereby anyone browsing the website would receive updates about events related to developments about the disease. Finally, I created a messaging forum for CF patients to converse with other patients and draw comfort from it. I chose “Scientific and Technical Innovation� as the global context in order to focus on how people gained a deeper understanding of scientific principles and how scientific and technological advances impacted different communities.

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The Community Project Laura Kanyerezi - Personal Project Coordinator The CP is an opportunity for students to engage in service learning and to understand their important role within the local and global community. They also improve their academic writing skills by reporting on the project. This year, examples of projects undertaken were advocating kindness, cooperation, teamwork, collaboration, and respect in the Junior School (Janna Hindawi), and making the students, teachers and school body more environmentally aware (Isabel Haas). Service as Action Students have shown compassion and commitment to a wide variety of service activities this year. Examples include helping physicians and nurses to provide the health care services for children in Mawokota, Uganda (Jimin Park, Huichan Jung and Jaehyun Jung), and feeding injured turtles at Dubai Rehabilitation Project (Petra, Nadya and Lola Keeney).

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Innovation

Lee Garrett - Innovation Champion

At NLCS Dubai teachers plan lessons which actively develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking. These skills are essential in a 21st century environment and marry closely with the IB learner profile attributes of inquirers, thinkers and risk-takers, which lie at the heart of our curriculum. Throughout the School, we go beyond the curriculum to develop and inspire our students. One example of this is our Nicholson Lecture series, where staff give lectures exploring areas of expertise or passion. This academic enrichment programme gives students the opportunity to reflect on specific topics at a deeper level and explore their developing academic passions. It has been wonderful to see these lectures continue online – but this time, it has been students delivering lectures, on a fascinating range of topics, from Youth participation in politics, to Freedom of Speech. Within the classroom, NLCS Dubai have recently collaborated with Dubai College to enhance the use of collaboration through structured dialogic exchange. The Harkness method has been explored through our professional development programme and staff are now implementing this in lessons. Using the Equity Map app, staff are able to effectively monitor student interactions and develop deep, high-quality conversations through structured collaboration.

Illustration by Line Sato Bouziri, Grade 11 Jais

Innovation Society in the Junior School What amazing work we have had this year in Innovation Society! I am so proud of the hard work and efforts that the students have made to promote creative thinking, innovative ideas and support their thinking outside of the box. In our Innovation Society Open Day, the members of the society worked hard, with enthusiasm, to organize events. They showed excellent leadership skills, and the students who joined us were so excited to learn new things!

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MUN Alhena Alibhai - Grade 11 The one piece of advice I would give to any senior student is to try everything. I joined NLCS and I was immediately drawn to something I love, Model United Nations. MUN is more than just an extracurricular activity that looks good on your CV; it is where we acquire skills such as critical thinking, social skills, quick thinking and problem -solving. It is where we find our passion to improve the world, our passion to become involved in politics, and our passion for sarcasm and witty comments! This year, we attended 3 conferences. I must admit, I was scared of what to expect. Our MUN team consisted of our amazing coordinator, Mrs. Tayfour and some great characters. Whether it was Hassan’s random outbursts of how patriotic he felt; Fabi declaring war on the United States in the Security Council; Zahra and I competing for both best delegate and best dressed; Daniyal’s ability to shut a room up only with his intonation; Mireille freaking out as she won best judge at the ICJ; Suha deciding that Micronesia needs a bigger say in world politics - or our infuriating and endless debates on whether Liechtenstein really mattered. Model United Nations is more than politics and debate - it brings people together. The passion and drive that is instilled within me is hugely down to my love for MUN and the joy it brings people. The early mornings and late nights spent on perfecting my position papers for our many conferences, the potential meeting of the next Obama or Trump, listening and learning different points of views, and having a say in our world today. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunities MUN has brought me this year, and I hope to see a bigger and better MUN team for our coming years. MUN Singapore Trip by Anshul Sinha, Grade 11 THIMUN Singapore was a truly enriching experience for everyone on the trip. I represented NLCS as the delegate of Andorra in GA2 (General Committee 2) where we debated social and financial issues, such as illegal wood-based products, debt trap diplomacy and economic sanctions. I prepared for the conference extensively, and was quite apprehensive, this being my first ever international conference, and second conference overall. Even on the plane, I was trying to read over my notes and add more clauses to my drafted resolutions. After the eight-hour flight, we were all tired, but still decided to go out for dinner at two in the morning. The next morning, we went to Universal Studios where we all enjoyed the rides and attractions. My personal favorite was Battlestar Galactica, which is supposed to be the fastest ride in the park! The first day of the conference chiefly consisted of lobbying; we discussed the topics and began writing resolutions. Previously, I had only attended one conference in Dubai, so I was quite unsure of what I was doing; however, by the end of the first day, I much more confident, and began asking POIs and making speeches at almost every opportunity. Over the next two days, I came to discover a side of me that I never knew I had. Prior to THIMUN, I generally avoided speaking, either due to anxiety, or sometimes even due to sheer idleness. My committee had around a hundred people in it, not including the admins, chairs, directors and members of the THIMUN board - I could never imagine speaking spontaneously in front of such a large audience. Albeit, by the end of the conference, not only was I comfortable with speaking, but rather yearned to speak more. On the last day, the closing ceremony was spectacular, and quite emotional for the delegates and chairs/admins alike.THIMUN was an indelible and remarkable experience, and I cannot wait to go again next year. Singapore by Hassan Mithani , Grade 10 My five-day trip to Singapore was undoubtedly of the most riveting academic experiences I have had. Our travels saw laughter, tantalising plates and many new friendships formed. THIMUN Singapore is in its 16th year of running and is an international Model United Nations conference in which over 1500 students participated originating from schools in China, Malaysia, France, Saudi Arabia to name a few. 162

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For me the most powerful aspect of the conference was the global environment the conference occupied because of the diversity of its participation. This meant that when issues were debated, the outlook was truly multifaceted and really allowed me to better appreciate multiple dimensions to world issues. An example of this is censorship, a policy that previously I was fervently against. However, on the second day of the conference when this issue was discussed in my committee the – the 4th General Assembly – I was exposed to how in many cases, censorship is necessary not only to maintain a stable regime but also to prevent misinformation which in the technological age we live in, serves as a powerful threat. My committee had 109 delegations each from a different school. From our first interactions, I got on extremely well with the others and we debated through alliances and wars always remaining in high spirits. These friendships which were forged over a mere 5 days will last lifetimes. Singapore by Sam Lee, Grade 11 When NLCS Dubai started our journey to MUN in 2017, we were all unexperienced. At the beginning, it wasn’t easy for all of us. I still remember the first ever MUN conference that I went to where I spoke only once during the entire conference. But since then, all of our MUNers have been dedicated and quickly showed progress. This perseverance and commitment of ours made us find ourselves in THIMUN Singapore 2019. For a school that opened just a couple of years ago, it is rare to send so many delegates to such a large international conference. But every single delegate that took part in it made this possible. Some of us were completely new to MUN, some of us were very experienced; but what we all had in common was that we tried our very best at all times. I can say for certain that every single one of us learnt so much throughout the conference and felt proud of how far we came in such a short period of time. And this wouldn’t have been possible without each delegate helping each other, and most importantly, without Mrs. Tayfour’s love and support for all of us. MUN is a whole new experience. In MUN, you learn how to convince others, you learn how to listen and learn, and at the end, you learn how to come up with a practical solution rather than leaving with empty words. So far, MUN has been such a meaningful journey for all us MUNers, and we look forward to what MUN has to offer us next academic year.

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Charity Committee Anoushka Ranjit - Grade 11 This year has been a very special and eventful year for the Charity Committee. We began the year by welcoming a large number of new passionate and creative members into our team. Our enlarged committee certainly delivered, coming up with plenty of new initiatives and original ideas that helped us raise an even larger sum of money and reach out to more people than ever before. ‘No Shave November’ was a fun and exciting challenge set by the Charity Committee to all the male teachers and male senior students. They were challenged to grow out their beards or moustaches for a whole month and the rest of the school community voted for whom they thought would grow the healthiest beard. Señor Bolado and Mr Ismail eventually walked away with the prize, although there were some impressive efforts, namely Mr Garrett’s moustache and Mr Abery’s constant complaints of his newly grown beard ‘itching’! The ‘Walk for Diabetes’ was an organised walk around the school that helped spread awareness and raise funds for diabetes.This was hugely successful, although it did bring out one or two individuals’ competitive edge! Lastly, our most recent event was ‘Kindness Week’. Teachers and students got the opportunity to send around kind notes and chocolates to their fellow peers, leading to mysteries for both the recipient and the committee, who desperately tried to work out the messages and codes! With the introduction of these three new events, we were able to reach out to three new charities and donated money to aid the treatment of male cancers, contribute towards diabetic research and other medical treatments. At the beginning of the year, we had our annual ‘Pink Day’ bake sale and non-uniform day. This annual event always helps us raise an outstanding amount of money and the cakes always disappear too quickly. Miss Carney for example, too busy selling, has still not managed to eat a cake at one of these events! Nevertheless, this year we broke the record and rose an outstanding sum of 15,000 dirhams. During the year, we enjoyed many more non-uniform days, which helped us raise an additional sum of money for Al Jalila and Dubai Cares, as well as Midland Doctors.Through the months of October and the first few weeks of November, we sold poppies to recognise those in the Armed Forces Community and those families whose loved ones gave their lives in service to the armed forces. Overall, the charity committee have been very successful this year and have raised over 30,000 AED. Not bad for a school community of 700! Not only did we successfully introduce and run three new events and challenges, but we were able to raise an incredible amount of money and reach out to many more people and help in several different areas. We are very grateful for those who have helped and contributed in any way possible and we can’t wait for another great charitable year! It is an absolute pleasure being part of this team and both we and Miss Carney cannot thank YOU enough for all you have done.

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NLCS Dubai celebrates

UAE’s 48th National Day by Sakina Virani, Grade 11

National Day is the one of the days that we as NLCS students most look forward to. The day is filled with an outpouring of culture, from henna stalls near beautifully designed majlises, to the magnificent selection of Arabic food placed in Budge Square. Personally, my favourite part of National is the dressing-up. Nothing is more enjoyable and comfortable than being able to wear an abaya for the whole school day! The celebration began with a surprise visit from a falcon, who caught the eyes of many children that rushed straight to it in order to be the first ones to touch the exquisite bird. Not far away from that was the abundance of Emirati food, my favourite being the delectable luqaimat, with its luscious date sauce. Following the celebration, we had an assembly given by all parts of the school. We heard some beautiful poems by Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed and watched an informative play about diversity in the UAE, solely created by the Grade 6 students. It was a wonderful experience and a truly joyous occasion. We were lucky to be able to celebrate the culture of the country we live in and we hope to be a part of it again next year!

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The Winter Fair James Monaghan - Principal This was our second Winter Fair and we had some fantastic weather with the new January position in the calendar for the event. Last year’s event was definitely a little too warm! I would like to thank the Parents’ Guild Committee and all the parents who very generously donated gifts for the raffle and volunteered on the day. The day was a huge success and was enjoyed by the whole community. The total sum raised by the 2019 and 2020 Winter Fairs is an impressive AED 55,915.50. This will be used to fund resources decided upon by the Committee in both the Senior School and the Junior School.

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Extra-Curricular Activities Nicola Woodroffe - Director of ECAs The ECA programme is designed to ensure that every child has access to a range of stimulating creative, physical, cultural and scientific ECAs. Every effort is made to provide a broad and balanced education and as the School has grown in size this year, so has the menu of opportunities. ECAs now run before school, after school and over lunchtime and, in Term 2, the programme offered 264 ECAs each week across the whole school. This year, student engagement in the ECAs student rose and it was a pleasure to see so many students trying themselves out and developing new passions. Here are some of the notable highlights: One of the most popular ECAs embraced by students was the Debating ECA, led by Miss Carney. Open to all Grades in the Senior School, the NLCS Dubai students enjoyed testing their skills as they competed in the Debating league against other Schools in Dubai. Under the lead of Mrs Hanadi, another very popular ECA across Junior and Senior School was Model United Nations, which continued to go from strength to strength, with Senior School Students gaining invaluable delegate experience in both local and international settings. In the new Senior Sustainability club, meaningful student-led projects were created, based on the UN Sustainability Development goals.This gained traction by composting school food waste and raising awareness of the importance of ecological issues.

As well as the popular existing artistic activities, creative students enjoyed new ECAs including, graphic branding and clay portraits, whilst the students engaging in mural painting made their mark with their colourful contribution to the learner swimming pool. In Drama, new ECAs opened up to allow students the chance to work towards qualifications in Musical theatre, Drama and Communications. Meanwhile venturing outside, the first NLCS students to take the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze International Award achieved their practice and final adventurous journey in the Kalba Mountains. Offsite Sporting ECAs, including golf and horse riding, allowed the pupils to explore and develop different skills, put to good use in the DASSA golf competition. Meanwhile other ECAs such as SCUBA and Sailing both offered students the chance to explore their passions on the water, whilst acquiring qualifications. Next year, students can look forward to additional ECAs. These include in the Senior School; Creative writing, textiles, papermaking, 2D design, percussion, music theory, History magazine, History model building, History film club, English colloquium, French radio and Spanish speaking clubs. In the Junior School students can look forward new ECAs including; STEAM, Multisport, Micro-Bit computing explorers and the introduction of a Grade 5 wind band. Students both value and embrace the co-curricular life of the School. With a wide menu of opportunities and a sense purpose to seek out opportunities, there are no ceilings to personal growth at NLCS Dubai!

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ECA Sailing Dubai has the perfect climate to have fun, learning new skills on the water and outdoors. This year, the sailing ECA saw an increase in popularity, with the addition the Senior School students joining the Junior School students to embrace learning on the water at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. Students explored their nautical side by learning how to sail various different dinghies. Through the eight-week course, the students progressed from learning how to rig and launch the boats, to learning about wind, helming, tacking, gybing, and of course trimming for speed! The ECA culminated in students achieving the Level 1 qualification from the Royal Yachting Association, progressing to Level 2 in Term 2. Students can now look forward to learning the ropes of dinghy racing to represent NLCS in sailing and compete in the first Dubai Schools Sailing regatta.

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Fairness and Development Rameen Ali - Grade 7 | Sannat Odhrani - Grade 6 What is Fairness and Development? If we look at its meaning in the dictionary, fairness is defined as: 1. Impartial and just treatment or behaviour without favouritism or discrimination. 2. The quality of having light-coloured hair or a pale complexion. Development is defined as, (amongst other definitions) 1. The process of developing or being developed 2. A specified state of growth or advancement CHESS: 1. The process of bringing one’s pieces into play in the opening phase of a game. Though light hair and chess can be great, since the former definitions seem more fitting to the question proposed, these are the contexts in which we will be using the word “fairness” and “development”. What if we go beyond just a definition? The question, to say the least, is arguably an extremely generic and standard philosophy question to ask, as you must have heard of these terms ‘fairness’ and ‘development’ more than once in school. So, what if we rephrase the question. WHY explore fairness and development? What’s the point of fairness and development? So many people believe that being fair or kind is weak and fail to realise how closely fairness is linked with development. We often believe that everything is ‘unfair’ and nothing ever goes our way. We could also put forward the notion that ‘fairness’ and ‘development’ are entirely objective. Why are some people given health, wealth and happiness while others suffer? This is because life tests you in all kinds of ways, it makes you a stronger person. Nobody on earth can ever fight a battle that they are not strong enough to fight. But fairness is often one’s own opinion and what they think. One person might think that something is not fair, and another might think the exact opposite. Why do some people have a lot of luck while others don’t seem to have any? Everyone faces a moment in life that they feel is unfair. Why do they face it? When life deals with hardship or is “unfair” there will always be success at the end. Us humans often compare what we have to what others have – does this ever get us anywhere? If life was fair wouldn’t everything be given to us for free? And the fact that we wouldn’t be trying our best or putting in any effort would mean that there was always that feeling or sense of guilt in our heart. Changing your attitude towards “fairness” could have an impact on you. Maybe if you think more positively, you might get what you desired or try something new. Or even you could go a step further in becoming successful. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. How closely are the ideas of fairness, development and a good mindset linked? This goes down as deep as to the roots of our very society today. As we move forwards, fighting for rights for so many of us, bridging the gender gap, equal pay, fighting racism, world hunger.These all link to one goal: BEING EQUAL. Realistically, if no-one was pushed their hardest, to fight for what they wanted, everything was given to you, or we didn’t feel the need for change, everyone would just be playing Fifa 20, ALL THE TIME. Horrible idea isn’t it? As we collectively progress - pushing ourselves and fighting our battles to grow, or develop, we come closer to bridging gaps, like unequal pay, or unequal wealth distribution, raising awareness, and implementing crucial rights. And that will all make the world a fairer place. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” by George Bernard Shaw

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Norse

Part of being an NLCS Dubai student is developing your own passions. In form time, students are given the opportunity to tell their fellow housemates about the things that have really sparked their interest. Here, Amani Hassani tells us all about one of her passions: The Generation of Nordic Folklore by Amani Hassani, Grade 6 As far as we know, the Vikings never formulated their views on the divine in the abstract, conceptual language of theology or philosophy. Instead, they used the concrete imagery and narrative form of folklore to portray divinity as they viewed it. As unique and powerful as those mythical portrayals are, they leave us wondering how the Vikings perceived divinity as such – in other words, what it means to be a deity, not merely what specific deities do and have done. Nordic theology is the body of myths of North Germanic people, stemming from Norse heathens and continuing into the Scandinavian folklore of the modern period. Some of the oldest Norse works date back to the 13th century, but our main knowledge of Nordic folklore, a tome written by Snorri Sturluson, including all the enticing endeavors of Nordic, the Prose Edda - composed in the 14th century, 1220 The Vikings held very intriguing customs and traditions – a big factor of their rituals included Norse Lore. The faith of the Vikings was placed within Nordic Theology, which includes the tale of the Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life. The Yggdrasil was the beginning of all Norse Myths, in the first verse of the Edda, the Yggdrasil is described as a large tree with nine branches that home nine different realms – in the modern day, we believe what they saw to be a constellation. In the collection of the different realms, a highly well-known one is, Ásgarðr, Asgard and Miðgarður, Midgard in English, meaning Earth. In between the branches of this tree was a void, also known as Ginnungagap, roughly translating to ‘The Yawning Void’. Many legends and tales sprung from the early stages of development within this Folklore after the stories of Ginnungagap were spread across Viking villages, one of these relating to the Yggdrasil about a serpent named Jormungand. Jormungand is a well-known serpent in Nordic Lore that used to live beneath the world tree in the southernly parts of Ginnungagap and is often referred to now-a-days as the Loch Ness monster. The prediction of a relation between Jormungand and the Lochness monster arose after in Skaldskaparmal, an entry in the Edda, mentions Jormungand being banished to Miðgarður, which roughly translates to ‘Middle-Earth’ - referring to Earth, due to the fact that this serpent was foreseen to hold a part in the ending of all worlds, Ragnarök. Even though it is still performed today, the faith residing in Norse Lore has decreased over many centuries, but is still, rarely, practiced in some parts of Scandinavia, Iceland being a main area. In finality, Nordic Folklore and their deities and formulated in curious ways, having their deities never really being named superior by books but by the readers overtime being a deity in. Nordic Theology will often mean being mentioned in the Edda and portrayed as an individual holding the ability of mystic arts or a powerful position such as King Gylfi, mentioned in the Edda – Gylfaganning, which is known as a deity even though it’s only ever mentioned him being a ruler of a kingdom. I sincerely do hope this has spiked some interest in the exploration of older generations, in this case the Vikings, also known as ‘Norsemen’.

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Jordan Every week, the Thursday assembly is given by the students. The quality of these assemblies is always of a very high standard; students often amaze the staff with their articulate speaking, powerful ideas and ability to completely engage an audience. Here is the script for one such assembly: Jordan by Sam Lee, Grade 11 In December 2018, my family visited Jordan with my cousin’s family and enjoyed our winter holiday there. And at that time, I did not know that I would go back to Jordan and experience something so completely different from my first visit there. This summer break, I went back to Jordan for two weeks and did an internship with Save the Children. This was not only the first time for me to do an internship or to visit an actual refugee camp, but also was the first time for me to get to know what NGOs do in detail. Despite the fact that I had some vague ideas about how NGOs work, I realised on the very first day of my internship that I knew almost nothing. So, before even talking about the amazing experience I had during the two weeks of my internship, I thought it would be good to start my assembly with a little explanation about NGOs in general. Thankfully, on the first day of my internship, I was given a chance to go around Save the Children Jordan’s office and talk to most of the people working there, including the CEO of Save the Children Jordan. I would like to confess that before doing this internship, I frankly did underestimate the job of NGOs; get donations, decide where to spend it, and help them. That was pretty much all I knew. But what these kind and warm-welcoming people that I met in the office told me was way more complicated than I thought it would be. There were thousands of different departments ranging from dealing with the donors, taking care of the refugees as well as the local people, looking after the money and facilities of the NGO itself, specifically working with the Jordanian government, and so on. But besides the complexity of operating an NGO, there was another characteristic of Save the Children that interested me; while I thought, and probably most of you as well would think, that Save the ‘Children’ would just be an NGO that takes care of the ‘children’, that wasn’t true. All of the staff there emphasised that in order to take care of the children, they need to take care of their parents, teachers, friends, and eventually the entire society that the children will live in. This idea to ‘make a better society for the children’ was very new to me, and a good example of this would be the CBO that I visited on the 5th day of my internship. CBO is short for Community Based Organisation. I visited a CBO located in one of the poorest areas in Jordan working with Save the Children called ‘R.E.A.D. Institute’, short for Rural Education And Development Institute. Thankfully, I got a chance to talk to Fatima, the owner of the CBO, and she again emphasised the importance of not only taking care of the children but also making the society as a whole a better place. Fatima’s CBO ‘R.E.A.D. Institute’ has their focus mainly on women and people with disabilities; the CBO provides job training for them as well as giving them an actual job, and also provides education for their children so that both the father and the mother could work and keep a stable income. Furthermore, they educate people with disabilities and their family members as well, all leading to one main goal: to make the society a better place. However, what was interesting to me was the attitude that Fatima had towards these people. Directly quoting her words, she said “Yes, I do care about them, but I don’t pity them. I believe that the best thing I can do for these people is to provide a challenging environment within my CBO, so that when they go out to the real world, they can be a support to their family, not requiring support.” And I really could see the result of providing this challenging environment. All of the workers that I met in the CBO were passionate, confident and proud of the work that they were doing. And seeing them not using their disability as an excuse to work less but viewing it as a reason to work harder, I could clearly understand what Fatima meant by providing a challenging environment for them and their future. Fatima also told me about a survey that they carried out at the early stage of opening the CBO. They found out that there were more than 1500 people with disabilities just in the area that the CBO is located, while there wasn’t a single organisation to take care of them. And this led these people’s family members to suffer including the children. This was why Save the Children started helping Fatima running her CBO. Fatima told me that although a lot of NGOs and CBOs in Jordan are working hard to improve this situation, the socially weak in Jordan are still suffering, and donations are decreasing every year making them harder to help these people. And I felt that sharing my experience in Jordan during this assembly would be the least thing I can do to support Fatima’s work and all the people suffering in Jordan. After a few days continuing on the school violence project that I was working on in Save the Children Jordan’s office, I finally got a chance to visit the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world on the ninth day of my internship. After a few days continuing on the school violence project that I was working on in Save the Children Jordan’s office, I finally got a chance to visit the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world on the ninth day of my internship.

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The day before visiting the Zaatari refugee camp, I watched an amazing documentary movie called ‘Salam Neighbour’ where two American documentary producers stayed in Zaatari refugee camp for a whole month filming the refugees’ life in the camp. And even at that time when the documentary was filmed, they could still hear explosions and gun fires from Syria very clearly, which made me a bit scared and worried about visiting the same Syrian refugee camp just a couple of years later that happened. But if my stereotype about NGOs was broken on the first day of my internship, my stereotype about refugee camps was broken on this day. While I imagined a refugee camp to be a place that is packed with tents and people struggling, yelling and fighting with each other, the reality was actually the opposite. The first thing that caught my eyes in the refugee camp was the massive souq located right in the centre of the camp. Hearing that the refugees call the souq ‘Sham Ze Li Ze’ as a joke, the Zaatari refugee camp started looking a little different to me. Many refugees went back to their home Syria as the conditions somewhat improved than before, so the refugee camp felt quite empty and peaceful. I could easily see supermarkets and stores as well as hospitals, schools, police stations, fire stations, and of course many houses. To be honest, it just felt like a normal big city to me just with more fences. I visited three educational centres in the camp built and ran by Save the Children. More than 20% of the refugees in the camp currently are under five years old, and they are all kids born in the refugee camp who never been to their home country Syria in their life. After speaking to a few kids doing activities in the centre, I realised that these kids who were born in the refugee camp don’t even know that they are in a refugee camp. Perhaps they are too young to realise this, but it was surely sad to imagine what would happen when they grow up and start wondering why they are living in a town trapped by fences and why they can’t go back to their home country Syria. Not only it seemed like the children born in the camp were limited by their environment, but also the small numbers of adults left in the refugee camp were facing more difficulties than when the refugee camp was full, as the economy within the camp is getting worse and worse due to the rapidly decreasing population in the camp. Also, as a person who’ve always dreamt of becoming a journalist in the future, I had a look at how the media portrays refugees, especially in Jordan. Compared to the amount of articles and news reports that we could easily find about the refugees escaping their home country and coming into the refugee camp, it felt like the media doesn’t really show what happens to these refugees and the refugee camp after the situation in their home country gets better. I believe that this is why we can now barely find any new articles about the Zaatari refugee camp or the Syrian refugees living in Jordan, while there were thousands of them just a couple of years ago. As much as knowing how the first generation of the refugees struggled is important, it is also important for us to be aware of what happened to these refugees’ children born in the camp. While it is true that the camp was in a better condition than I expected it to be, that doesn’t mean that these children are in a good environment. Living in this closed society with limited resources will easily force them to be closed-minded and not prepared for the real world. The point I’m trying to make here is, after visiting the Zaatari refugee camp, it was impossible for me to not notice how different and complicated the reality of the refugee camp was compared to how it is portrayed in the media nowadays. While the stereotypical image of the refugee camp that the media portray is just a place where people live in horrible conditions with heart-breaking stories, that was only one side of the reality. Yes, there are some refugee camps that are still facing serious problems related to violence within their camps or struggling with limited space to stay with their family members. But many other refugee camps are facing different kinds of problems that the media doesn’t really show. The problems that the kids born in the camp face and the dark future of these kids, the problem that the closed economy causes to the people left in the camp, the problem of not being able to re-use the area that used to be a refugee camp, and so on. I hope this summary of the meaningful journey that I had in Jordan for two weeks inspired you somehow or at least gave you a different perspective of refugees. And I would like to end my assembly with a few words by Kyle Korver, an NBA basketball player. “Our society is changing – whether we opt in or not. We have a choice – to care or not. But you can’t be on board the train – be a member of our society – and claim you didn’t know you were along for the ride. We all play a part.” www.nlcsdubai.ae 175

The New Kid As a growing school, NLCS Dubai welcomes new students through its doors all the time. Even during our time learning online, we have seen children join our school community. Sometimes, it’s hard to know who is new and who has been there since the beginning; the strength and community that the House System provides means that new students are quickly received into the fold. Here, Hannah Gino, who started after the start of the new year, remembers what it was like to be ‘the new kid’. New Kid by Hannah Gino - Grade 6 Hi, I’m Hannah. I’m the new student. If you don’t know me by name, some of you might remember me as the girl who was running down the hall and asking directions.To those teachers whose classes I was late for, here’s my formal apology for being late. I moved here from Singapore in late October. I heard about the move in August, but thought my parents were just joking. Why wouldn’t they be? They knew that we loved Singapore. When I realized that they weren’t joking, my feelings of amusement changed to ones of sorrow. As time passed, I told everyone, feeling completely detached from the situation. Only at the airport on October 18th, when I got onto the airplane, did I realize that I might never see many of my friends again or ever go back to Singapore. Singapore, with its lush greenery of plants and flowers, with its good food, with my friends... I still miss everyone. NLCS was an easy choice. It was academic, taught Mandarin and had the true international focus with its IB curriculum, which I wanted to study. On my first visit to the campus, I had a quick chat with the Principal, followed by a school tour by two Grade Sixes. I was awed at the sight of the library, which has so many books which I would love to read and a printer which students could use. The field is big, and I enjoy playing rounders on it, even though I’m not that good at it. As for the labs, it is quite fun to conduct experiments in them, but not as fun to have exams in them. The room that I like the most is the Black Box Theatre. I have lots of friends, and thankfully for me, on the first day my buddy went with me to all the classes. The lessons are fun. Even though I just came in the middle of the term, I am still coping well. I just had a new experience in writing scripts for Drama and I really enjoyed it. I love having so many clubs and societies during lunch and after school. I take book club, debate club, and laser cutting as my ECAs. For lunchtime societies, I have so far gone to Science society, though I hope to go to many more societies. However, most of my lunchtime is spent with my friends. Even though I miss Singapore a lot, I am getting used to NLCS Dubai and I am loving it!

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The World Outside My Window By Chris May NLCS Dubai is proud of the way in which our students are encouraged to ‘try themselves out’. Whilst completing our learning online, we didn’t want to lose sight of this fundamental part of our School’s life but actually wanted to find a way to widen the opportunity to our entire School community. Art and creativity are powerful tools which allow us to look beyond our physical location and circumstances, rationalise our thoughts and work together as a community. ‘The World Outside My Window’ online community exhibition has been a joy to behold, with wonderful work being submitted by students from all grades, staff members and parents. Having the opportunity to relax and focus on creating something special was so important during online learning. I, personally, would like to thank all of those who submitted work and all of those who came to view our exhibition. In many years, when we look back at what we did during this time, I hope we will remember the joy of the exhibition. The magic happens when we all work together!

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Asma Mohamadh Jameel Grade 5

Johnny Akiki Grade 4

Ibrahim Sharaf Grade 8

Mrs Kanyerezi

Asma Mohamadh Jameel Grade 5

Sofia Viel Grade 3 Josefina Recabarren Ramirez Grade 9

Isabelle Seow G10

Jianing Li KG2 Mr May Fatima Tariq Grade 6 www.nlcsdubai.ae

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DAY

This has to be one of NLCS Dubai’s favourite days of the year. Whether it is the smallest member of our community running their first race, or the senior students competing for records, the atmosphere is always electric. The stands are full of shouts of support; mad flag waving and bright colours. Sports Day typifies what it is to be in a House – unity, collaboration, support and a huge amount of fun. Here, four of our Senior School Sports Day talk about what Sport means to them: Annant Bhargava, Jais House Every year, I look forward to Sports Day, even the comments passed towards Jais on how they keep on winning! I was definitely looking forwards to Karl breaking the new high jump school record, or the annual suspense between Sadry and Sehyun, or even the nervous chit-chats between runners in the 750m category. I certainly enjoyed the passionate runners and the inspired athletes giving their absolute best, because that’s what Jais is all about and as the House Captain I couldn’t have been any prouder. On this note, I also couldn’t have been happier with the all the Houses cheering their hearts for that moment the rope reaches their own side, ultimately becoming the tug of war champions. Hyemin Shin,Yibir House I strongly believe that sports House Competitions bring House spirits together particularly quickly. From Sports Day, to House Swimming, it has been incredible to see Yibir grow throughout the past year. We are always supportive of each other and I have been amazed at every House Competition at the vast number of Yibirians ready to step up and represent their House. I cannot forget the faces of our Yibirians on Sports Day – it was as if the word ‘determination’ was written on their foreheads. The cheers and the support reminded me once again how grateful I was to be part of such a lively and boisterous family. It would be upsetting if I didn’t mention the interhouse netball competition, in which we used our Joker card AND secured first place – as we have done for the past 3 years! This is definitely one of the many House Competitions we take pride in.The community that Yibir has created is tightly knit, with each member supporting each other and it is this that has led Yibir to victory, climbing up that scoreboard to the top securing 1st place not only once, but twice. Yaser Amro, Javi House Sports day this year was a bit worrisome on the account of the multiple injuries sustained in the preceding few weeks ranging from the foot, all the way to the hands. Ironically we were told multiple times to try not to get injured but nevertheless, we pressed on as a House with the same desire to win. Many students across the grades in the House bravely stepped forth and did the events of their injured housemates and did so valiantly.While we may not have done as well as last year, this Sports Day will always be memorable for us and will help fuel us for future competitions. Maryam Khan, Hafeet House Sports Day was such a highlight for the House, being met with new faces that I am certain will make Hafeet even stronger than ever. I am most looking forward to creating new teams with new students, either joining us from Grade 5 or from other schools. Despite the situation we are currently in, our House hasn’t allowed quarantine to get in the way. Not only are we all collectively following home workouts, provided by our Head of House Mrs. Dawson, we are well and truly preparing ourselves for next year. With a new student leadership team, we are all working towards new tactics and teambuilding activities we can take part in to make the transition in roles as effortless as possible. Thus, with my newly appointed role I am excited to work with our new House Captain, Deputy Captain and middle School Sports Captain to make Hafeet successful in not only sports but all other competitions.

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Ski Trip Verbier Lola Keeney - Grade 6 Javi This whole trip was such a fun time. It was fun to be with my friends everyday overseas and away from home. This year our group was a small bunch - around eighteen students and three teachers.When we arrived on the first day, we were told there are two different chalets, separated by gender.The girls’ building was also the main building, and four people shared one room. The first time I went skiing, I went on the beginner slopes with my friends and other students from Hartland. Because the whole trip was shared with three other schools, it gave each of us a chance to make new friends. I found it easy to make friends, especially if they were in my ski group, because we were paired together constantly. The staff were kind, clear and outgoing, so we knew exactly what to do. From the first to the last day, they showed consideration and care for every student. After a few days, my ski group went to ski up on the mountain. It was exciting to experience going on a gondola and chairlift, and just skiing down the mountain was enjoyable. If you’re scared of heights, it isn’t a problem - just remind yourself to enjoy the moments with your friends. During lunch times we went to the crêperie and bought ourselves some hot chocolate and snacks. Then, we would drive back to the chalet and sign up for late afternoon activities. They gave us a good range: from sledging, to going to town, it was all fun. There were some main events, like the ski race and prize giving on the second to last day. The last day I was downhearted to leave but I knew we had to visit the Chocolate Factory and the Olympic Museum first before we left. We packed, left the chalet and bought souvenirs from both exhibits. The chocolate factory was very exciting as we got to buy as much chocolate as we wanted, and chocolate was cheap too for 100 grams. We had fun in the Olympic Museum, then left for the airport. Finally, it was time to leave Switzerland and board our flight back home. I’ll never forget the memories I’ve made on this trip.

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Staff Fitness The NLCS maxim ‘Try Yourself Out’ is one that we all hold very dear. This does not just apply to the students; it extends to the staff body, who model the idea through their incredible sporting achievements.TEAM NLCS has, this year, seen teachers competing together all over Dubai, pushing themselves to break personal bests, gain podium places and back each other up till the end. We hope that when the public see our vests, they know that our school stands for both camaraderie and competition; success and support; energy and enthusiasm. The highlight of TEAM NLCS’s Sporting year had to be the 70.3 Ironman. Mr Monaghan, despite being on the older side, triumphed in the water, only to be edged out by Mr William’s superior run. All along the route, NLCS supporters cheered the team. Mr Mosely and Mr Monaghan came in almost together in a great show of teamwork. Mrs Woodroffe amazed everyone by continuing to smile at every point, despite the heat and the grueling half marathon that followed the 90 kilometer bike ride and the 1.9 kilometer swim.The true winner of the day was Mrs Dawson, who epitomized the resilience we ask of all our students. It was, by far, the biggest physical challenge she had ever undertaken, but she found it immensely rewarding, even calling the event magical! This is not the only triathlon that the staff have competed in this year. Mrs Johnson came third place overall and gained first place for her age group in the Dubai Ladies Super Sprint Triathlon in December, despite it being her first time swimming a race in the sea. She was not the only teacher to compete in this race, with Miss Reeves, Miss Jones and Ms Haye all pushing themselves in this fantastic event. Running has also featured highly in TEAM NLCS’s sporting calendar this year. Mrs Johnson again triumphed in the Sketchers 5k in October, coming in as the third fastest woman in the race. Mr Williams and Mrs Dawson, Ms Woodroffe, Mr Mosely and Mrs Mosely all took the unique opportunity to run down the busiest road in Dubai with 60,000 people in the SZR run. Mrs Garrett and Miss Jones took part in a friendly 5k around Business Bay, while Miss Carney and Mr Abery completed The Dubai Canal 10k in excellent times. Mrs Mosley placed 1st in the Sharjah 5km and Mrs Garrett placed 1st in the Supersports 10km These are just to name a few ….. One of the most grueling events was the Coast to Coast bike ride in November. This unbelievable ride is 220 kilometers through the mountains to Fujairah. Mr Monaghan, Mr Murphy and Ms Woodroffe slogged their way to the end and were welcomed by some NLCS students at the finish line! TEAM NLCS lived up to its name by this year competing in both the Netball and Rubgy at the 7s. A squad of 14 rugby players, including six NLCS Dubai staff, trained six weeks prior to the event. Having never played together before, The Buss Pirates, managed by Head of PE, Mr Mosley and Mr Garrett, and captained by Mr Williams, progressed all the way to the final and walked off proud silver medalists after a hugely successful tournament and a playing experience that will live long in the memory. After some intense Monday evening practices and tough games over three days, the Netball team, also aptly named the Buss Pirates, were very close to reaching the Plate final but were narrowly knocked out of the Bowl in the semi-final. And last, but definitely not least came the Grit and Tonic Triathlon. When people are asked for the last pre-Covid photo on their phones, the shot of the whole team at Mamza is mine. It was the last time we all saw each other and is a wonderful reminder of what we have waiting for us when we all come back together.With everyone competing in relays, it truly was a team effort. Swimmers swam through jelly infested waters; cyclists battled to beat the clock and runners contended with the rising heat of the March sun. But it was a beautiful day, exemplifying what a very special thing we have as staff body. There are so many other events that could have gone into this article; I may have covered only a fraction of what our energetic teachers have put themselves through this year alone. I may not compete in any of these races, although my supporting skills are Olympic standard, but I know the effort and pride that underpins every event. I am so proud to be even on the sidelines. Next year, we look forward to even more competition and even more support from the whole school. Go team NLCS! 184

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teamNLCS ECA Sport Overview - Miss Woodroffe, Director of ECAs This year has been an exciting year of growth for TeamNLCS.The sporting ECA programme expanded to encompass a wider breadth of activities and an increased number of both recreational and competitive sports. As a result, student engagement in sport has increased to a new level. The most popular sporting ECAs were Swimming and Football, representing two major TeamNLCS sports which have competed successfully in the DASSA League. A highlight of the year was the Whole School ECA “Fit Club” which grew in popularity and provided an opportunity for Senior students to model sporting commitment, working alongside aspiring Junior students. This ECA also provided the strong foundations for sporting gains and rewards and in particular, the successes in the Aquathon and Cross-country can be largely attributed to the commitment and progress that students achieved in this before School ECA. Per term and across the whole School, TeamNLCS offered over 40 weekly sporting ECAs. From KG1 Netball to U19 Boys Basketball, the recreational and competitive offerings in sports such as Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rounders and Swimming were carefully crafted to tie in with the seasons of the DASSA leagues. This provided all students the chance to not only be part of TeamNLCS but to “set only floors” for their own sporting fulfillment outside of the classroom. The future is bright with TeamNLCS!

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Senior Sport - Girls – SAJ This has been the most successful year for girls’ football with three Senior teams winning the majority of their games.

U13 This team had a large squad of rapidly improving players, which made team selection very competitive. The team also played some strong opponents in the first few games, where they learnt how to slow the game down and play the ball into space. There were many highlights of the season, including Fatima Al Mulla’s triple save against the German International School and the superb goals from Amanda Fotiadis and Chiara Kekligian. We ended the season third in the league. We are looking forward to next season.

U16 This team narrowly missed out on the top spot by one goal.We had a squad of 16 players and we could have comfortably played in an 11 a side league.The commitment from the girls was excellent, particularly from Sarah Turner and Lara Akiki,The squad also had two girls selected for the U15 DASSA Select squad; Layla Mehanna and Luisa Concalves. This was a fantastic achievement and the girls represented the squad against the UAE National team and drew 1-1. One of the highlights of the season was our six match winning streak, which sadly ended when we were knocked out of the league cup. This team has everything; a goalkeeper, Nuha Mohideen, who saved 2 out of 3 penalties, goals that came from everywhere, and players that could play many positions. We fully deserved our high finish in the league - well done to all who represented the team.

U19 This team was thrown together at the last minute and only had eight players but by the end of the first game, the squad had doubled in size and were extremely committed to the team, both on and off the pitch. This age group also volunteered to run local football tournaments at the weekend and they began to apply their football knowledge. The team had very competitive games and games when we dominated the opposition. The highlights include when Mireille Amro scored the winning goal in a very competitive 2-1 victory. The next game saw Alexia Embedoklis score a double hattrick after being on the pitch for a little over 10 minutes. We ended the season third in the league.

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Senior Sport - Boys - LEG This year saw NLCS Dubai enter three senior teams into the DASSA league. The quality of skill level and tactical awareness continues to improve, supported by enhanced fitness levels.

U12 This team had their first real experience of 11-a-side schoolboy football, coached and managed by Grade 12 Student Enzo Kekligan and Head Boy, Sadry Ben Mena.The U12s had a spirited start but fought against some tough and well-drilled opposition to finish with a record of P6 W0 D3 L3

U14 Led by Mr Garrett, the Under 14s made a positive start to draw their first game. After taking the lead and missing numerous chances, they could not hold the lead and conceded a goal in the last minute of the game. Nevertheless, NLCS found a winning streak and gained confidence after each game. Midway through the season, NLCS U14 competed in the DASSA tournament and got through to the Plate Final. The game went all the way to injury time and went to penalties. A nail biting penalty shoot out unfortunately saw NLCS come away in second place but this was a great achievement nonetheless. The U14 league record was P5 W2 D2 L1

U16 The U16 Team, led by Mr Ismail, made a great start winning their first league game, 2-0. New student, Sohaan Shamanna demonstrated his superior speed and strength on the wing, providing plenty of opportunities for the NLCS strike force to score. The U16 record of P6 W1 D1 L4 does not give credit to the U16 performances as each game was determined by 1 goal, usually conceded in the final closing minutes.

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Senior Swim Squad This year was by far the most successful to date for our ever improving and growing Senior Swim Squad. With 45 swimmers from Grade 6 to 10, this group was the highest performing we have had to date. Many of the Grade 6 and 7 students had experienced success in the Junior Swim Squad and they brought that winning mentality through with them. Entered into Division 5 of 8 in the DASSA League, NLCS Dubai competed against Raffles International, Uptown Mirdiff, Jebel Ali and English College. Gala One came very early in the year and NLCS produced 20 personal best times on the day, however they trailed Raffles and Jebel Ali to place 3rd overall. Gala Two was hosted at NLCS and was a relay format, emphasising squad depth. It was an excellent performance from the team, with 40 personal best times achieved and an important first place finish overall. This meant the league title would be decided in the third and final gala, which would be hosted by rivals Raffles International School. Members of the Senior Swim Squad will remember vividly the hard training sessions delivered by Coach George in the lead up to this final, with fast intervals and starting over when some did not touch the wall hard enough at the end of a set. The gala itself was an extremely closely contested affair, with NLCS and Raffles alternating placing first and second throughout the gala. Many races were only separated by an inch touching the wall. A memorable moment was watching Ethan Lee trail his opponent in the 50m freestyle, only to storm back in the final 15m with a heroic effort to snatch first place. It was performances like this that made the difference, with the squad producing 45 personal best times on the day and taking the division championship with 315 points to Raffles 308. We ended the year attending the DASSA Swimming Championships for the first time in our School’s history, competing against the best squads and individuals from all eight divisions. NLCS Dubai earned promotion into Division 4, where we hope to be even more competitive next year with some excellent swimmers coming into Grade 6 from our Junior Squad.

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Junior Boys’ Sport - JMW U11 Football This year, the U11 Football team had an enjoyable and successful season. The team was predominantly made up of fifteen Grade 4 boys who had an excellent pre-season. All fifteen attended training twice a week and their talent and dedication made the team selection very competitive this year. We were lucky to have a number of players in the team that were able to play in various positions, which was extremely valuable, especially when we had a few players missing due to illness. The season started well with two consecutive wins, Johnny Akiki and Lewis Stobwasser scored some exceptional goals. In our third game, we experienced our first and only defeat of the season against Emirates International School. The remaining two games were both draws, which meant we finished the league in third place, missing out on a second-place finish due to goal difference. A great result from a young team.

U9 Football This year was extremely successful and enjoyable for our U9 Football team.The team was made up of twelve Grade 2 and 3 boys. The league was split into numerous groups, based on the schools’ performance in the previous year. Each week, within the groups, schools competed in a round robin tournament. Based on the results, the top two schools were promoted and the bottom two teams were relegated. We started the season strong and in our first tournament, Oliver Long and Noah Chadderton scored outstanding goals with our defense being just as strong, with Alfie Smith, Raiyaan Sutterwalla and Noel keeping the opposing team away from our goal line. Omar Salem, our goalkeeper, was able to make some incredible saves and was an exceptional player throughout the season. The success continued, as we were promoted and moved into the higher group and reaching the U9 DASSA Football Finals. This was a nail biting finish to the season, as we got through to the quarter- finals and narrowly missed out on reaching the semifinals due to a late goal from the opposing team, minutes before the end of the match. A fantastic football season by all players involved and they should be extremely proud of themselves.

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Cross-Country The DASSA Cross Country relay race was a demanding and fast course that tested the strongest of runners. Each competitor takes their turn to race 800m against 94 other schools. The Grade 4 boys, Ayaan Lawal, finished an impressive 5th place and the Grade 3 girls, Maisie Garrett, Tabby Riddler, Mika Griffin and Iona Mcnaught, made the podium to receive Bronze medals. The competitors then raced in the individual Year group event over a slightly longer distance of 1.2km. Outstanding performers who all finished in the top 10 against 200 other competitors were: -

Grade 3: Maisie Garrett – 2nd place Grade 2: Hattie Garrett – 5th place Grade 4: Ahyaan Lawal – 5th place Grade 2: Zaira Akram – 7th place Grade 2: Henry Gray – 9th place

Fantastic results for our athletes and a testament to their hard work training at the early morning sessions in Fitclub.

Junior Girls Sport - LSG / SAJ Football We had a huge amount of interest in girls’ football this year with five teams in the Junior School.

U9 The U9 participated in two tournaments and performed to a high level. The girls were very open to playing lots of different positions and always tried their best. All students were very committed to training and developing their core football skills, I hope they keep practicing throughout the summer.

U11 The team were in second place in the league with everything to play for, until, like many others, it was cut short. This team developed and improved as a unit from the defense to the attack. With both sets of twins and two Sarahs, it was confusing for the coach at times but the players on the pitch always knew how to apply their football knowledge, which was demonstrated with great positioning and impeccable timing of challenges and passing. There were another two teams who were entered into the local football tournaments, and they were very successful too. The girls showed their competitive side in matches, and took full advantage of any gaps left by the opposition. Both teams showed vast improvements and I hope all the girls continue to practice their skills and play over the summer. www.nlcsdubai.ae

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Netball U11 The U11 Girls’ Netball squad worked tirelessly to improve their technical and tactical abilities as they competed in the Development DASSA league for the first time. With the student numbers so high, B and C teams were created, with friendly fixtures to gain match experience. This also meant the U11A team was able to be picked weekly from a large squad of enthusiastic players from Grade 4 and 5. Technically, the girls learnt to stretch the play through increasing the length of their pass, this allowed NLCS to capitalize on space and harness the players’ throwing power to good effect. Tactically, week on week, the girls progressed in their ability to maintain possession and reduce the amount of unforced errors, by not rushing their game play. The U11 A team were victorious throughout the season with five wins from five matches playing Safa community, Hartland International School, School of Research Science, Arcadia and Arbor along the way. The final match of the season, between NLCS a Aquila saw a fight for the title of league winners. The game was end-to-end netball. Aquila crept away by one goal lead in the final minute of the game to conclude 10-9. It was a tight but enjoyable game, in which evenly matched teams worked hard and played well under pressure. With the U11A team losing one game all season, the team finished a successful and respectable “runners up” in the DASSA Development league. In attack- notable performances from Evelyn Gray and Inaya Basin performing great consistency in the shooting circle. In defense, notable performances from Laura Turner; a newcomer to the game, Laura added fast interception skills and powerful distribution to the team. She also demonstrated that with the right attitude and effort- anything is possible!

U8 and U9 The U8 and U9 Girls’ Netball squad trained with enthusiasm and commitment. Both squads played in the development tournament. This gave the girls a chance to play in various positions and in a friendly atmosphere, whilst improving their knowledge of the game. The difference in their game play during the last tournament, in comparison to the first, was a testament to their commitment to training and their confidence to apply the skills on court. Manha Khan, Riya Badiani and Livia Thomas played well in defense, whilst Olympia Detyetva, Olivia Hawkes, Hattie Garrett and Hannah Schmidt worked well to move the ball up the court. Our attackers Myra Sobti and Leah Alkhafaji were always ready in the shooting circle to score for the team. Dima Ghobash, Hayley Schmidt, Nora Hosseini and Maisie Garrett created our strong defense, Working the ball through the court, we had Tabby Riddler, Rainna Nwodo and Mariia Ilina. Attacking the post to score we had Sofia Veil, Ellie Jackson, Simar Bhasin, Marnie Liderth and Iona Mcnaught. Fantastic effort girls, can’t wait for next season! 192

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Junior Swim Squad - EWM 2019 / 20 continued to be another excellent year for the Junior Swim Squad. Just two years ago, our small squad was in Division 8 of the DASSA Junior Swim League. Based on our outstanding performances in the lower divisions, we were promoted to Division 3 with some of the most established and competitive squads in Dubai. The Junior Swim Squad consisted of 50 swimmers from Grade 2 to 5. We competed against Safa Community School, Horizon English School, Jess Jumeirah, Dubai International Academy and Dubai British School, Springs. We were most certainly the ‘new kids on the block’ ready to make a noise. The first gala was a relay format, which places emphasis on squad depth and overall team performance. Our bus managed to miss a few turns and we arrived late, which rattled some of our Grade 2 swimmers for whom it was their first competitive gala. After a rocky start, with no entry into race one and a disqualification in race two, NLCS were firmly in last place. We needed a special effort and looked toward the more experienced members of the group who gladly accepted the challenge, stepped up and began to bring in the top three place finishes. It was an extremely closely contested gala between NLCS, JESS and SAFA, yet the newly promoted team of NLCS Dubai took the overall win and first trophy of the season after producing a staggering 52 personal best times. The second gala of the season was a Top 4 format, with only four students from each grade and gender representing. Almost the opposite test to the relay format, with now only the strongest all-round swimmers competing. It was held at NLCS in a pool where we have not suffered a defeat for three years since opening - quite an achievement. Much of this is down to the electrifying and deafening support of our parents and wider community, who pack the seating area poolside and support our swimmers every stroke until they get to the wall.This gala was to be similar to the last, hotly contested between NLCS and SAFA Community, with the two schools often placing 1st and 2nd in the majority of races. Our Top4 team produced 41 personal best times on the day and it was needed, with the final points score, NLCS 330 and SAFA 326. We took our second trophy of the year and the newly promoted NLCS had proven their worth once again at this level. Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 situation, we were unable to complete the season. The squad were looking forward to the Individual Championships, the Middle East Unity Cup and the true test at the end of the year at the Hamdan Finals. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the pool.

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Aquathlon - EWM The DASSA Junior Aquathlon is one of the most physically demanding and challenging competitions on the calendar. Students start in the water, swim 100m at sprint speed then transition into a 1.3km run. This year was one of our most successful, with our biggest squad to date with 24 students from Grade 4 and 5. NLCS Dubai competed in Division 4 of 8 against Kings Al Barsha, Safa Community, GEMS International and Kent College, across three separate dates. Between race one and two, eleven of our athletes improved their times, some significantly, with Omar Muheisen in Grade 4 taking two minutes off his personal best along with Johnny Akiki, Damien Lee and Alistair Leung taking 44, 43 and 52 seconds off respectfully. Notable achievements came from our Grade 5 team across the three events. Jessica Bandy placed 2nd, 1st, 1st, her sister Amelie placed 3rd, 2nd, 3rd and Gaspard Cheurlin placed 2nd, 1st, 4th. Excellent achievements by all involved.

Desert Dance - EAD As Dubai Desert Dance warmed up for its 9th year in the UAE, we saw NLCS take to the stage at Dubai College for the very first time. We were able to field teams in both the Primary School Show and the Secondary School Show - the first school to do this in their inaugural year of participation. This year’s theme was simply 2020. Students explored how choreography would lend itself to their chosen narrative and how best they would get the message across to the audience. Our students worked tirelessly for five months, and put together pieces that made NLCS and our wider community incredibly proud of each and everyone of them. In the Primary Schools Show, our students were recognised for choreographic intention - a highly coveted award, that reflects their ability to portray meaning through dance, and our Senior School Students were highlighted for their novel use of props.We are already looking forward to the 2021 shows and seeing what our incredible students can deliver.

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Thank You!

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