Volume 3 : Issue No. 2 - December 2011
Sharjah English School www.sharjahenglishschool.org
Competition winners announced
Celebrations
F 4 E S S T
Trips, performances, camps and much more!
Contents From The Principal’s Desk
3 Primary News
UAE National Day
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News From The Primary School
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Bird Watching At SES
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Foundation enjoy a ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’
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Primary Maths Day
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UAE Celebrations
8-10
National Day Photographs
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Sharjah Water Festival
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Key Stage Two - Art
12-13
Foundation Christmas Performance
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Key Stage One & Two Performance
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Charity Raisers
16 Secondary News
What A Waste!
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4 FEST
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Panton Chair Competition
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Year 7 Camp
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International Award Updates
22-23
My Fair Lady
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Yr 11 Geography
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Key Stage 4 Eid al-Adha Celebration
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Year 9 Science
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Going Green And Education UK
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Whole School News Performing Arts Building
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The Christmas Fayre
28-29
Secondhand School Uniform Shop
30
Maths Problem Of The Month
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A Note From Our Nurses
31
Dates For Your Diary
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From the Principal’s Desk... Dear Parents and Friends, What a busy time of year December always proves to be. There have been a large number of events, performances, sports competitions and galas, visitors to school, camps and trips, the Christmas Fayre etc. to report on this month. Many thanks to all staff who have assisted in organizing and managing all the activities reported on here, and to pupils for their enthusiastic participation. How everyone manages to Cit so much in and still remain so focused on their teaching is impressive. The 4th December was characterized by an unusual and ebullient atmosphere, as our Performing Arts Building was eventually opened to students. As you are aware the whole process of design, construction and Cinishing has taken longer than any of us would have hoped. We believe that the Cinal result will justify the patience of parents, staff and students. Though by no means the end of the process, the ability to move students in for lessons in several subjects, marks an important step in the growth and development of the school. As you will read elsewhere in the newsletter, we are saddened to lose Mrs. Lynn Nuttall, our Deputy Head of Primary, at the end of this term. Lynn has made an invaluable contribution to the school in her time here, with her work on Primary curriculum issues in particular. The work which she has put in place will help to ensure the high standards of teaching and learning will continue and will be developed further in the coming years. Thanks for all you have done, Lynn; the whole school community will miss you. Thanks are also due to the unstinting work by the members of the PSG. The recent Christmas Fayre was another tremendous success – raising over 40,000 dhs for the school. I would like to wish all families, friends and supporters of the school a happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. Best Regards,
John Nolan Principal
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The school had a number of events recently to mark the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the UAE, some of which are outlined HH Dr Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi in this newsletter. Our staff, parents and children all benefit from the peace and security that living in the UAE brings. Along with the economic and professional prosperity that many of us enjoy, we have the assurance that young people here can develop a sophisticated and genuine understanding of other cultures and traditions; they can grow up in a setting that provides abundant opportunities for outdoor pursuits, occasions for travel to many exotic parts of the world, and a lifestyle that many would envy. As members of the SES community we owe a particular thanks to the Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. The generosity which His Highness has shown to the school over the years has been immensely important, whether in providing us with our current school site, supporting the development of our buildings and grounds, and in easing our relationship with various government departments. We owe a particular thanks to the Ruler for his support with our recent building needs; his generosity has once again been crucial in ensuring that we can continue to make a significant contribution to the development of education in Sharjah. On behalf of the whole school community, I would like to extend to His Highness, our congratulations on the occasion of the 40th UAE National Day. J. Nolan
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News from the Primary School It’s that time of year when there is so much happening that you wonder whether you are going to fit everything in! However, it is the energy expended by staff and children alike that makes it such an enjoyable, festive occasion. By the time you read this, Father Christmas will have visited during the Christmas parties, performances will have taken place, the choir will have entertained at hotels, to name but a view of the events taking place. All this is in addition to National Day celebrations, and an exciting visit from Mooj and friends who used a variety of entertaining circus skills to deliver the message that water is a valuable resource that should be conserved. It is with great sadness/regret that we bid a fond farewell to Mrs. Lynn Nuttall, our Primary Deputy. Lynn’s contribution to SES has been considerable and I would like to say thank you for all that she has done for the children, staff and parents during her 7 years with us. In particular, a personal thank you from me to Lynn for her great contribution and unstinting support and loyalty, which have proved to be invaluable. I will miss her immensely. Though we envy her extended holiday in Sri Lanka and Australia, our very best wishes go with her for the future. We have been fortunate to find a replacement, Mr. Graham Mabelson, who will be commencing at the start of Term 2. I am sure you will look forward to meeting him. I am immensely proud of two of our students who decided that they would like to raise money for charities – do make sure you read their write-ups about what they achieved. Well done girls. Finally, I would like to thank the staff for all their consistent hard work through out the term. May I wish the children, staff and parents a happy and safe holiday and a Happy New Year.
Miss Jenefer Race -‐ Primary Headteacher
Bird watching at SES -‐ Whoopee a Hoopoe Foundation1 have been learning about sounds in Term 1. A topic that we really enjoyed was environmental sounds. On our environmental sounds ‘walk’ we heard many birds singing in our school; so we decided to look around for them. In order to see some birds better we put a bird feeder in our play area. Not all the birds come to visit but we see many different birds. The one we like best is a bird that pecks the ground for food called a hoopoe -‐ it’s a kingCisher, named after its call “upp upp upp”. Sometimes there are four of them eating on our lawn.
Hope you’ll join us next time to Cind out what other birds we have spotted.
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News from the Primary School Foundation Stage enjoy a ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ It was a lovely day for a picnic and the children came fully prepared with their favourite teddy or cuddly toy. We started the day with a variety of games such as Pin the Honeypot onto the Teddy’s Hand, Parachute Teddy in the Air and Bean Bag Throw into the Teddy Pot. We finished the morning with a well deserved picnic on the grass in the sunshine. There was plenty of food followed by a lovely dessert of teddy bear cake and teddy bear biscuits. It was a truly ‘teddyrific’ day for foundation stage!!
If you go out in the woods today You're sure of a big surprise. If you go out in the woods today You'd better go in disguise. For every bear that ever there was Will gather there for certain, because Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
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News from the Primary School Primary Maths Day On Thursday 3rd November 2011, we had our very first Primary School Maths Day. The idea behind the day was to give the children an opportunity to explore Maths through different areas of the curriculum. The day proved to be lots of fun, giving the pupils a chance to link their learning of Maths to everyday life and the ‘real world’. Throughout the day children took part in some of the following acJviJes: • • • • • •
Maths orienteering ICT challenges Maths in Art Puzzles and problems Football Maths Quizzes
In the aRernoon parents had the chance to come in to school and get a beSer idea of what goes on in a Maths lesson. They had their first glimpse of Maths Kung Fu and had a chance to do some of the work that the children are expected to do, as well as finding out hints and Jps for supporJng their children to be numerate. It was fantasJcally aSended -‐ many thanks to all of the parents who took the Jme to come in. Mr. Smithard Maths Coordinator
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News from the Primary School UAE National Day in Foundation The year 2011 is a special year for the UAE as they are celebrating 40 years as a country. In Foundation, we helped to celebrate by marking the occasion with flags and hat making. We also learnt a little bit about the UAE through a PowerPoint presentation and discovered what the different colours on the flag represented. Some children were also treated to a local Arabic sweet called Elqaimat, which was a delicious dough ball with date syrup. Happy 40 Years UAE!
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News from the Primary School Key Stage 1 love the UAE! Years One and Two have fully entered into the spirit of the fortieth birthday celebrations for the UAE With the help of Miss.Thiara we have made hats, banners, flags, painted Emirati people and put ourselves on the UAE map as well as learning the national anthem. Please see some of the photographs below to get a taste of the fun. We wish the UAE many more years of progress and prosperity.
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News from the Primary School Primary National Day Assembly On Wednesday November 30th, all the pupils from Key Stage 1 & 2, joined together for an enjoyable assembly to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. A large number of the pupils had come to school wearing clothing in the colours of the UAE National Flag. Many brought Clags and badges and all wore headbands made to represent the Clag. With the help of Mrs. Thaira Ali, our Arabic and Islamic studies teacher, they learned about the history of the region with particular emphasis on the time that Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nayhan brought together the seven Trucial States to form The Union. Using a power point presentation, Mrs. Thaira showed pictures to demonstrate the developments that have taken place over the 40 years. At the end of the assembly, the pupils sang the UAE National Anthem.
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News from the Primary School Key Stage 2 -‐ National Day Photo Competition
The children in Key Stage 2 have been showcasing their photographic skills this National Day, as part of a School Photo Competition. The range of images entered showed the Clamboyant decorations in and around Sharjah and Dubai.
Sharjah Water Festival On Tuesday November 29th we were delighted to welcome Mouj on a return visit to SES. This time, the event was even more enjoyable as he brought some friends to entertain us. We were treated to a display of fantastic circus skills: acrobatics, juggling and stilt walking. As usual, there was a serious message for us all and Heather Harries, the organiser, explained to all the staff and pupils how they could help to conserve our valuable resource – water. Thank you to Heather and Mouj for an entertaining and educational time and the gifts they donated. We look forward to seeing you again next year.
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News from the Primary School Key Stage 2 Art During Key Stage 2, pupils develop their creativity and imagination through many different art activities. These help to build on the skills they have already learnt in Key Stage 1 and improve their control of materials, tools and techniques. The children increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art, craft and design in different times and cultures. This enables them to become more confident in using visual and tactile elements and materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think.
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News from the Primary School
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News from the Primary School Foundation Christmas Performance On the 7th and 8th December the children in the Foundation Stage presented their yearly Christmas performance. It was a wonderful glittering affair with sparkling snowflakes, Christmas baubles, jolly snowman, Santa's elves, Christmas parcels, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and, of course, Santa Claus. The children had been looking forward to the event for weeks and worked very hard on their songs, actions and Christmas crafts to turn their central area into a wonderful winter land. On the morning of the concerts the children were in high spirits and when it came to the performance they all performed brilliantly. A big thank you to everyone who helped make it such a special day for the children and also our ever supportive and enthusiastic audience.
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News from the Primary School KS1 & KS2 Performance The Title of the Production really did say it all: ‘The Stars Come Out For Christmas’. The stars were truly out in force. There was everything from apprentice angels and shepherds to chefs and cooks, cards and trees, Santa and his helpers and,of course, that elusive ingredient for which most of us are nostalgic …..SNOW! As always, the concert was the perfect way to make us all realise that Christmas really is just around the corner. I am sure that the sight of the turkey on the platter had many members of the audience mentally starting their festive shopping list. Congratulations to all the pupils who took part and huge thanks to everyone who helped to make the performances so successful. Thank you also to all the parents and relatives who came and supported us. Finally, a very large thank you to Mrs. Hutchison and Miss Stanley for pulling it all together. It really was a cracker!
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News from the Primary School Charity Raisers My name is Anjali Menon. I am 9 years old. I study in Grade 5RB. Earlier this year, I participated in the Flea Market along with my friend and classmate Ayesha. I gave all the proceeds from the sale to a charity called All As One which helps support deprived and orphaned children in Sierra Leone. I collected 72,199 Sierra Leoneans from the sale. I was extremely pleased with my effort and thrilled that the money earned would be utilized to help the poor and needy children of Africa. I learned a valuable lesson that helping others gives you satisfaction. I look forward to collecting more money during the next flea market on order to continue to support the needy children in Sierra Leone.
Hello Everyone, My name is Ayesha Maria Fernandes , I'm 10 years old. One day, during my summer holidays, which I spent back home in India, my taxi stopped at a traffic signal. Some children came up to us and asked us for something to eat. They didn’t even mind if we just gave them a few crisps and sips of the drink we had. I saw many tiny children all over the pavements with torn clothes and just a cloth over their head for shelter. I was very shocked to see them and felt very sorry for them. Like many children in the UAE, I have a lot of toys, books, good food, good home etc. I felt that I had to do something to help these poor children. I decided to sell some of my books, toys etc. at the school flea market to raise some money. I managed to raise around approximately 3200 rupees. This summer, ,,when I went to Mumbai, my grandfather took me to a little orphanage near my house. This orphanage is called ASHRAYA, which means “Shelter”, and looks after children whose parents have AIDS. About 20 children lived in 1 room, which is smaller than our school central area. They wore old clothes donated by people. When I went there I was amazed to see the children so happy and cheerful in spite of not having any parents or good things. My grandfather and I bought some snacks, rice, tea, soap etc., which would be useful to them, with the money that I made from the flea market. Next summer, when I go back to India, I would like to take some more toys, games, clothes and money that I can use to help them.
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News from the Secondary School What a Waste! Al Ain offers the duel delights of the water treatment and the recycling plants and it is there that Year 11 headed this week with Year 10 to follow in a few days. The friendly and helpful staff provided us with tours of the facilities and an insight into the technologies behind these industries. Photo 1 - The large site is controlled by computer and nearly anything you need to do can be done from the single screen in the control centre. Photo 2 - The raw sewage is first sieved to get rid of the plastic bags and rubbish and then enters the aeration tanks. This is where the biology starts as the bacteria feast on the “nutrients” in the water and convert it into something a little less unpleasant. All those bacteria need lots of oxygen so air is constantly bubbled through the mix, giving the impression it’s boiling. This is not a place you want to fall in, but to the right bacteria, it’s pretty close to heaven. Photo 3 - Then on to the settling tank where the sediments sink to the bottom and clean-looking water drains off (emphasis on looking). It still has to be sand filtered and treated with chlorine before it’s fit to leave the plant. Don’t worry, if you go to Al Ain. You won’t get to drink this water, it’s for irrigation only. Photo 4 - There’s a lot of heavy plant involved in recycling so it’s not a place you can walk around. Photo 5 - We did get a bus tour and leant about everything we would see in a very informative talk given by the Project Manager, Mr Dawson Photo 6 - Rubbish in Al Ain is not separated and so arrives at the plant mixed together, making the separation task much more difficult and one that can only be done by humans. Even so, they manage to recycle or compost an impressive 60% of all the material they receive. Sewage treatment, composting and recycling are covered in the Biology, Chemistry and Geography syllabuses. This trip provided first-hand experience of these concepts on an industrial scale as well as providing an insight into arguably one of humanity’s hgreatest inventions: sanitation.
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News from the Secondary School F
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The weekend of the 17th November will be remembered by the Year 10s and
11s who came to a mix of team building challenges, sports, BBQ, campfire and, of course, camping (on the school field). Though there was some iniFal lethargy about a Key Stage Four Camp at this busy Fme of year 4 FEST was devised to include games, musical entertainment, T shirts design etc.. Team colours were decided on and bandanas made. Everyone who was there made it a weekend to be remembered, and the photographs included in this item reinforce this idea. The teams took part with enthusiasm and worked together in a compeFFve, friendly way which made it enjoyable for all. Some quotes from the students aNerwards were:
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S S
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‘Rounders was fun and the BBQ food was delicious’
‘I enjoyed the hat game as it was compeFFve but at the same Fme good fun’.
‘I liked siTng and singing around the campfire with my friends and enjoyed the camping’.
Ivy
Megan
Sco0
They all felt that they would like to thank Marcus, Mikail and Tim for their impressions of teachers performed around the campfire, Felix for his flips and Lauren for being the Bandana Queen as she had six coloured bandanas wrapped around her body most of the Fme! Also thanks go to the staff for everything they did to make it a great night including making the most disgusFng chocolate bananas of all Fme!
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News from the Secondary School
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News from the Secondary School The students have completed their Panton Chairs and the judges have been in and the winners announced. But what an experience this has been! I owe a massive thank you to Sankar Viswanath, the managing director of Swiss Corporation for Design and Technology. Swiss Corp provided the iconic Panton chairs free of charge and have given each student a choice of design books from Vitra, as well as other prizes. Their generosity is very much appreciated. The Judgement Day went very well. The students presented their chairs to the judges prior to their final deliberation. One of the nicest comments came from one of the judges. Having spent a few minutes viewing the students work he asked; “How are we expected to judge these? The level is far too high; I was not expecting such talented students". To be honest, we didn't want to have to choose and when it came to choosing the judges deliberated for a very long time. The results were very close and expectedly so. Obviously, there was going to be disappointment as any of the teams could have won. Originally, we had proposed a winner and runner up. On the day the judges asked if they could have a winner and two runners up as they were torn between three chair designs. Even that proved to be difficult as the final marks showed no difference between 3rd place and 4th place. In the end 3rd place went to ‘Knitted’. The judges were impressed with the fact you could not see the beginning or the end of the wool. They appreciated the hours put into making the chair and how well the colours came together. 2nd place went to ‘Sculptchair’. The judges were very impressed with how well the positive and negative spaces worked together. They felt the students’ understanding of shape and form was very impressive, especially with how they calculated the sizes of each piece. 1st place went to ‘Well Travelled Panton”. The judges chose this design for numerous reasons. Firstly, they liked the idea that the chair was multicultural and felt it incorporated the spirit of the school. (I should add a school they were highly impressed with). Secondly, they were impressed with the fact the students had recycled hundreds of tickets to complete the chair. Lastly a suitcase handle was added. What a great finish to the chair, making it functional in more than one way. Thank you to the judges: from American University in Sharjah: Robery Reid, Assistant Professor of Architecture from City Space, Dubai: Ronald Estoque - Project Designer from Point of Design Mehdi Moazzen – Partner Mr JB Savage
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News from the Secondary School Year 7 Camp On the Year 7 camp we took part in 3 activities: kayaking, rock climbing and mountain biking. We only had time to do two activities so I chose mountain biking and rock climbing. Unfortunately, rock climbing was really popular so I had to do kayaking which was still great fun. My favourite activity though was mountain biking as we saw lots of goats in the trees and I got to spend a couple of hours riding around with most of my friends. The tents were huge! We had 6 bunk beds so I, Sarah, Anna, Amelia, Rita and Aniqah all shared a tent and we all got to have a top bunk. It was really cool. Before we went to bed we had a lovely dinner and then we played Indiana Jones. This is a game where you had to go behind enemy lines into the other team’s zone and take their straws back to our zone without being caught. It was in the dark so it was really fun. After that we sat by the camp fire and roasted marshmallows while telling ghost stories. Mr Mosley also showed us the two techniques of how to roast marshmallows correctly. One of the camp leaders, Sebastian, then scared some of the boys when I was telling my ghost story. It was very funny. In the morning we ate a yummy breakfast (although Mr Mosley ate all the beans!!!!!) and then we set off on our second activity. After we returned to camp the staff gave us our lunch to eat on the bus journey back to school. IT WAS A FANTASTIC TRIP !!!! Thank you very much to Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Egan and Mr. Mosley for taking us. We all had a great time.
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News from the Secondary School International Award Update The huge increase in the number of students progressing from Bronze to Silver this year has created opportunities for students to learn to use GPS and take responsibility for dealing with passport and visa control. Our combined Gold and Silver Practice expedition took us into Oman and included camping on the beach, followed by a tough trek through very inhospitable terrain. Once again the students were focused and positive despite the heat and the early starts. The new Bronze candidates have also been out on their practice trek to the mountains in Masafi. They demonstrated excellent team work and produced some spectacular cuisine. As always, there was a lot of fun, much socialising and great camp fires. I would like to applaud the energy, enthusiasm and determination of the students and the dedicated efforts of the staff. Well Done and Thanks Marie Byrne
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News from the Secondary School
Congratulations to the followings students who have now completed their Bronze International Award Pongphat Young Laura Hennessy Matt Wood Harini Kannagara
Faisal Hamza
Sonam Chopra
Laura Daniel
Eissa Liwo
Georgina Whiffen
Soyeon Lee
Samia Jahangiri 23
News from the Secondary School My Fair Lady Production
We are having a break this year in the Secondary school from our normal Christmas music performances. Instead however, we are working towards a very exciting event. To inaugurate the new auditorium, we are going to produce our first ever full length musical, a new version of ‘My Fair Lady.’ The English, Music and Art & Design departments are all working together on the show. Auditions for the main stage roles have already taken place. The band is rehearsing the musical items and the sets are in the early stages of design. A large number of secondary students and staff will be involved in the production in one capacity or another. The show is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th February. Put the dates in your diary!
Year 11 - Geography The Year 11 Geography students had a very successful field trip on the beaches of Dubai. They were investigating the physical and human processes that affect the beach profile. They studied the beaches either side of the Palm Jumeirah and two beaches in Umm Suqeim 3. They are now writing up their work ready for final submission in February
Parents The Drama Team Needs
YOU!
Do you have any long dresses, suits or hats that you could donate to our costume cupboard? All donations will be gratefully received. Just hand them in at reception. Thank you.
Key Stage 4 Eid al-Adha Celebration Key Stage 4 took time out on a Thursday break time to celebrate the Islamic occasion of Eid al-Adha. Staff and students brought in various dishes to share with the others and took time to discuss the reasons behind the tradition. This was to represent one of the main themes of Eid al-Adha - of making an animal sacrifice and eating and sharing the meat with family and friends.
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News from the Secondary School Year 9 Science Year 9 have been studying the “Using Models to Explain Phenomena� part of the Scientific Enquiry section of their Key Stage Three Science course. As part of this the students had to choose a body organ (or similar) and make an edible model of it! Some of the items produced were: Chocolate cake brain Vegetarian meatloaf brain Cheesy bread kidney Chocolate cake kidney Chocolate muffin blood cells Vanilla and Strawberry Cake Lungs Marshmallow and Crispies cross section of the skin Cookie Intestines Cake heart Banana cake stomach Marshmallow trachea They then made a model lung using plastic bottles, balloons, straws and plastic sheeting to investigate breathing in and out. Students analysed both models to compare them and to then identify the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of using the different models.
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News from the Secondary School
The Going Green Team
Can you believe it? It’s been over a year since we ran the ‘Going Green Tree Campaign.’ Well, after a very hard and long summer we are pleased with how well the trees managed. There have been a few that found the summer harder than the others and we aim to have them replaced in the coming weeks. Last academic year four of the trees ‘flamed’. We are hoping for a lot more this year and looking at how well some of them have taken I think we might just get there.
Education UK The senior students had an opportunity to visit the Education UK Exhibition in Dubai at the end of November. A level students, already busy with their UCAS applications to UK universities, had a chance to meet representatives from over 50 institutions and ask pertinent questions about courses, life at university, entry requirements, and, most importantly for many parents, …. college fees! Direct contact and the personal touch proved useful for many; though applications and information are mainly on-line, there are always individual and unusual questions to be posed. Having direct access to someone they have met has proved beneficial to some students in the past; it gives a point of contact for follow-up queries and questions when results are published in August. All of the students and parents who attended remarked on how productive and useful it had been. 26
Whole School News and Information The new Performing Arts Centre opened recently with lessons beginning in many of the new classrooms just after National Day. Secondary Mathematics, English, Business Studies, Media Studies and Arabic have now relocated to the new building, easing much of the pressure for classrooms in our Secondary section. The school Learning Support and Music departments will also be located here alongside an additional ICT room. The building marks the first major expansion of the school facilities since we moved to the current site in 2005. It will permit the school to develop and expand, enhancing and pushing forward with what we already do well, while creating opportunities to forge ahead in many new directions. There are so many ways that the facility will enrich and offer increased opportunities to the pupils of SES that it marks an exciting period for the school.
LESSONS
The Board of Governors has worked tirelessly during what has been a long and sometimes frustrating process, overcoming many challenges in the design, building and completion phases. We are sure that all parents will want to join us in thanking them for their work and their willingness to give so much time in the demanding role of being on the Board. The next stages of development involve getting the theatre, library, ICT and music rooms fully fitted out and operational. This work will continue for some months, but we will have an opportunity in the New Year to organize a proper opening ceremony.
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Whole School News and Information The Christmas Fayre This year’s Christmas Fayre, held at the end of October, was a terrific success. All the usual favourites were on show, the camel rides, tombolas, raffles, food stalls and plenty of opportunities to stock up on presents for friends and family. The presence of Santa and the musical numbers also added greatly to the atmosphere of the day, as did the sight of staff and Mr. Nolan having cream pies thrown in their faces. The day raised over 43,000 dhs for the school. So many thanks to the busy members of the PSG and to all the stall-holders, sponsors and volunteers for a tremendous effort. The Fayre was supported as usual by many local businesses and companies. A special thanks is due to Ethiad Airways for their generosity in providing two airline tickets for the raffle. The next major events from the PSG include The International Fair and the May Ball.
Photographs courtesy of Ophelie Sistac
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Whole School News and Information
Photographs courtesy of Ophelie Sistac
Thailand Fund Raising Mrs Siranee Dowling raised money at the Christmas Fayre for Clood relief in her native Thailand. In addition to money raised by her stall, money collected by the Student Council was added to the total and the funds were sent to the Thai Red Cross Disaster Relief, bringing in a total of 4,000dhs. Many thanks to everyone who contributed. 29
Whole School News and Information Mr. Ralph Berzghal and Mrs. Eileen Hutchison were the lucky winners of the much coveted Ethiad Airways tickets in the Christmas Fayre. They are pictured receiving their prizes from Ethiad's Mr. Yahya Ahmed Hussein, Key Accounts Manager. SES is very grateful to Etihad for their generous support of the Fayre.
Secondhand School Uniform Shop A big thank you to all the parents who have been sending their children’s used uniforms. We are nearly ready to open shop and aim to have everything running at the beginning of next term. If you still have some uniform you are willing to donate please do send it through. The shop is being run by the students as an exercise in learning some important life skills. Thank you once again. Mr JB Savage
Maths Problem Of The Month The solu9on from last month is: Each son receives 3600 pounds.
The problem for this month is: A question of Algebra
Work out the values of the whole numbers a and b in the following simultaneous equations a + b =8 1/a + 1/b =2/3 The answer will appear in the next issue of the newsletter. 30
Whole School News and Information A Note from our Nurses Please do not send your child to school if they are showing any signs of sickness. Please help the medical team keep Sharjah English School as germ free as possible by following these guidelines. Kind Regards, Mary Smythe and Rita Datinguinoo School Nurses
GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING SICK CHILDREN HOME FROM SCHOOL The following guidelines may be helpful for you when making the decision to send your child to school or to keep him/her at home. Please keep your child at home from school if he or she: • Has been vomiting or had diarrhoea during the night. Your child should not return to school until 24 hours since their last episode of vomiting/diarrhoea. • Has a cold with fever, sneezing or coughing and a persistent runny nose •
Has an oral temp of 38 degrees or higher. Your child should be fever free for at least 24 hours before returning to school. (Without taking fever reducing medicine).
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Has a severe sore throat.
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Has a pink bloodshot eye with yellow or green discharge.
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Has just begun antibiotics. Any child with a contagious condition such as strep throat must be taking the medication for 24 hours before returning to school
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Have lice or nits, until treated and free of nits.
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Has a rash all over his/her body. A child with a suspicious rash should only return to school after a diagnosis has been made.
Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school and allows your child to rest and recover.
Nut free school There are students in school who have severe, life threatening nut allergies. In an effort to make the school environment as safe as possible for them we would like to remind parents that Sharjah English School is a nut free zone. Please ensure that no nuts or nut products are put into your child’s lunch box. Always read the labels on pre packaged snacks as they sometimes have hidden nut products in them. Many health and cereal bars contain nuts so please check before putting them into the lunch box. In some homes the lunch boxes are prepared by maids/helpers so please share this information with them.
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Dates For Your Diary January 2012 Wednesday 4th
Start of Term 2
Tuesday 10th -‐ Thursday 2nd
External Examinations
Sunday 15th
UCAS Application Deadline
Monday 16th
Year 7 Parent/Teacher Meeting February 2012
Saturday 4th -‐ Sunday 5th
International Award Bronze Expedition
Tuesday 7th
Year 12 & Year 13 Parent/Teacher Meeting
Wednesday 8th
Key Stage Two Disco
Sunday 12th
School Closed -‐ Half Term
Tuesday 14th
Primary Science Day
Wednesday 15th -‐ Thursday 16th
My Fair Lady Production
Monday 20th
Secondary Sports Day
Tuesday 21st
Year 10 & Year 11 Parent/Teacher Meeting
Wednesday 29th
Year 8 Parent/Teacher Meeting March 2012
Friday 2nd -‐ Saturday 10th
Primary School Ski Trip
Saturday 3rd -‐ Friday 9th
Secondary School Ski Trip
Sunday 4th -‐ Friday 9th
Geography Fieldtrip -‐ Cyprus
Wednesday 7th
GCSE Options and Parent/Teacher Meeting
Wednesday 14th
Sixth Form Options and Parent/Teacher Meeting
Thursday 29th
End Of Term 2 April 2012
Sunday 15th
Start Of Term 3
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