December 2020, Issue 7 Jebel Ali
Win times CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE, CREATING A LEGACY Official magazine of the Winchester school, jebel ali
Of Hope, Happiness and Positivity
Vision To nurture happy, confident, lifelong learners on an enabling, vibrant, collaborative and inclusive environment so that they become independent, innovative and employable world citizens who progress beyond limits.
Mission To provide opportunities for 21st century learning skills, entrepreneurship and innovation. To guide students to become adaptable, selfassured citizens of tomorrow with the potential to become innovative world leaders. To develop a love for learning and problem solving through a variety of real life experiences in a caring and stimulating environment.
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS EDITION From the Principal’s Desk Editor’s Note Arabic Week Learn Arabic With Nadia WIN Radio Winchester Summer Reading Challenge Artistically Yours Project RONA Metamorphosis The School Economist Ms. Veronika’s Corner The Green Guide Around the World LEGO is Cool! Goals for Life Sportz Unlimited All About Books
6 9 14 19 20 24 29 30 32 34 36 38 40 44 46 48 50
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Winchester is a Willing Inclusive and Innovative school that Nurtures Curious and Creative learners in an Honest, Helpful, Happy, Humble and Enterprising, Enriching environment with Sincere Students and Staff who are Talented, Trustworthy, Energetic, Effective and Enthusiastic to Encourage all learners to
Recognize, Rise and Realize their potential and achieve their aspirations
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From The principal’s desk highest standards. The Security, cleaning and facility team have worked tirelessly, but smiling and with unmatched commitment.
In the last edition of WIN TIMES for 2020 my message is full of gratitude and I am most thankful to the entire WIN Community for the care, collaboration and positive communication. In these testing times, we have come out stronger, we have converted challenges to opportunities to excel. There has been no stopping anyone at WIN…. I take this opportunity to once again thank and appreciate: The facility team led by Mr Rajeev – who ensured all the school premises were spectacularly clean and deep cleaned and made safe with
The Medical team led by Dr Mozghan and Dr Maha, for their most positive, patient and prompt care, we couldn’t have felt more cared and positive without your timely and most encouraging and supportive care. Mr Rajeev, our MSO and Mr Neijin, our H&S officer for their diligence, training, support, monitoring highest standards and protocols of H&S implemented along with effective communication both with authorities and with school community has ensured a safe Term 1. All teachers for being most innovative in their approaches to deliver and reach out to all children, the enrichment and opportunities that were provided this term clearly captured they have the students at the center of all that they do. The nurturing
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and encouraging approach led to even more students participating and excelling.
resilience, their passion to learn, grow and excel will always be their key to their success.
And at the top of all, our wonderful students, for always being enthusiastic learners who are always keen to learn more, and for being so creative, engaging and making the most of all the opportunities offered.
While we all dreaded what 2020 had in store for us, I am sure you all will agree, as we look back, we can smile and say we can achieve anything with a positive growth mindset when passion, perseverance and positivity are the approach.
Our leaders for always striving for the best, for being most supportive, encouraging and going the extra mile to take care of all the community members. Our parents for trusting us and working with us most collaboratively, the engagement and the encouragement has led to achieve a most successful term in the most challenging times. This clearly shows when we come together and work as a team, with grit, resilience and positivity, there is no stopping us and nothing is impossible. I am really confident that as WIN students, teachers and staff have embraced the real life challenges with such grace, positivity and
I wish everyone Seasons Greetings, good health, happiness and look forward to welcoming you all in 2021!! Stay Happy, Stay Safe!! Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya Principal and CEO The Winchester School Jebel Ali
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KEEP WRITING TO WIN TIMES! GET A CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR WORK PUBLISHED IN THE
OFFICIAL SCHOOL MAGAZINE! Send us your stories, poems, photographs, artwork, articles, book reviews, recipes, and anything else you wish to share with the Winchester Family at wintimes2019@gmail.com to be published in WIN Times. * * The final discretion of choosing creative pieces for the magazine lies with the editorial board. *Articles may be edited for conciseness and clarity.
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From the Editor’s Desk Founder & Managing Editor Mir Faraz, Year 6H
Senior Editors & Columnists Aarav Pradhan, Year 11 Arjun Kapur, Year 13
Co-Editors Victoria Nedyalkova, Year 6J Aryaman Chakravorty, Year 7B
Graphic Editors
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new.” The year 2020 has transformed our world and our lives in a way we could never have comprehended. In this year, we’ve been through lockdowns, distance learning, blended learning; terms like “social distancing” and “quarantine” have been used more excessively in these past months than they must have been used since their inception. Now, with the COVID-19 vaccine out, we can see the light shining at the end of this dark tunnel. Once all this is over, will we go back to the same old ways of doing things? The answer is simple. No, we won’t. And we shouldn’t. Because we have evolved for the better. While it’ll be good to have the same human interaction and see big bright smiles sans masks, at the same time, we will continue to build on the online skills we have developed surprisingly fast.
Dana Raed Alamawi, Year 8 Zaara Belgami, Year 8F Mishal Faraz, Year 9B
As the year comes to an end, on behalf of the WIN Times team, I wish everyone a memorable and safe winter vacation, and an absolutely brilliant start to the year 2021! Here’d hoping that the new year brings happiness and hope.
Cover Designer Zaara Belgami, Year 8F
I wish to take this opportunity to thank each and every contributor who has left their indelible mark on WIN Times. My dear friends, teachers, and parents, please do keep sending in your invaluable contributions, because nothing makes us happier than celebrating you! Warm regards, Mishal Faraz, Year 9B Founder & Editor-in-Chief
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Flag Day Celebrations
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National day celebrations UAE’s 49th National Day was celebrated with great vigour, enthusiasm and spirit at The Winchester School. Have a look at the school adorned with the UAE colours!
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WIN Students Shine Bright at American University of Sharjah Congratulations to Arundhati Surendran Year 13, Abdullah Shakil - Year 12, Malak Ehab - Year 13 and Vadim Rikunov Year 11, for excelling and winning the Honourable Award, Distinguished Award, and 1st Place at the AUS Model Congress Debate Championship. We are very proud of you!!!
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Arabic Week Mr. Gaber Sayah
Mr. Gaber Sayah is the Head of Arabic and Islamic Education. Mr. Gaber believes that children of Winchester are wonderful and special; they are the lifeblood of the school. They are charismatic, charming young people with an appetite for learning and a thirst for knowledge. Mr. Gaber always goes above and beyond to ensure the most enriching experience for students.
During the Arabic Week, we organized many competitions in and out of classes, such as the Reading competition, where students demonstrated the highest level of reading comprehension. We also organized a Writing competition where students achieved the best standards of writing with beautifully written topics. We organized virtual trips to the most famous tourist places in Dubai, where students summarized the visit by taking memorable photos and talking about those places. The students participated in these events with unrivalled enthusiasm. It was wonderful to see the creativity of the students through the activities of Arabic calligraphy and the creative designs that show the creativity of students and the splendour of performances. It was a week full of creative, beneficial, and useful activities for students. We did a great assembly for students by showing students various videos that included poetry and literature of various types. Absolutely fantastic activities across the school were conducted by the Arabic team. The highest levels of engagement were shown from the students. An Arabic workshop for Arabs and Non-Arabs was conducted by the team where the teachers participated with parents in sharing the strategies used to develop the different skills of our students and also talked about the sources of support provided to them and the methods for developing the skill and the role of the parents in following up and motivating the students to learn Arabic.
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Dubai 30X30 @ WIN Mr. Mohamed Thaha The Winchester School is always one step ahead when it comes to students’, staff, and parents’ wellbeing. We had an energetic and enthusiastic start right from the beginning of the Dubai Fitness Challenge. And, due to the pandemic, we followed all limitations and safety protocols. We started with simple challenges for our staffs and students. We did programs for students, staff, and parents, while maintaining social distancing. We conducted activities for Wellbeing Week from 8th to 12 for the whole community. Staff participated in Dubai Ride on 20th Nov 2020. We also had a webinar for parents, as well as conducted webinars on Fitness Awareness from 22nd to 26th November.
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Remembering a Legend Aryaman Chakravorty, Year 7B to victory in 1986 World Cup where he was also declared the best player of the tournament. Maradona received his first soccer ball as a gift when he was 3 and quickly became dedicated to soccer. When he was 8, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in a neighbourhood club. As a 12year-old boy, he amused the spectators by showing his skills with the ball during the halftimes.
Diego Maradona is arguably the best player on the football pitch, and sadly passed away due to a cardiac arrest on 25th November 2020 at the age of 60. This is my humble tribute to the legend – an attempt to celebrate his life and legacy. Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960 in Lanús, Argentina. He was an Argentine professional football player, manager and was widely known as a legend. He played and led the Argentinian National team
Diego Maradona had an eye for goal and was known to be a free kick specialist. Maradona was also given the nickname “El Pibe de Oro” which meant The Golden Boy. Diego Maradona has also coached a team in the U.A.E called Al Wasl in the year 2011-2012. 10,000 people turned up at Al Wasl club to welcome the legend in his new role and he has left a huge impact on the young soccer players of today.
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أشعر بالسعادة Ashuru bessaadati I feel happy أشعر بالحزن Ahuru belhuzni I feel sad Nadia Gaber Sayah is a happy little girl studying in Year 3 who loves to read and make new friends. In this monthly feature, Nadia is going to teach us new Arabic phrases. So let her take you on this exciting journey to learn more about this beautiful language.
أشعر بالجوع Ahuru beljui I feel hungry أشعر بالعطش Ahuru belatashi I feel thirsty أشعر باألمان Ahuru belamani I feel safe
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WIN RADIO Adonia Joseph, Year 13 WE ARE ON AIR! The Winchester School, Jebel Ali has its own radio now! In this article, the Founder of WIN Radio and Secondary Head Girl Adonia Joseph talks us through what inspired her to take on this extremely ambitious project and all the excitement we can look forward to in the months to come from the dynamic WIN Radio team.
A radio begins and ends with a promise. When we first thought of WINRADIO, our priority lay in fulfilling that promise: to create a sense of connectedness and belonging. It was that target that led us to the creation of a radio; to provide our community with a regular dose of meaningful words and good music. What better combination is there? WINRADIO was almost like a daydream. I would personally imagine faceless radio jockeys delivering charismatic monologues and thrilling playlists. My team would constantly throw around ideas and discuss possibilities - it was all rather like a castle in the sky. However, this optimism meant that the moment our
dreams shone a hint of reality, we felt overwhelming joy. It immediately spurred us into action: we dove head first into promotions, planning and recruiting our Jockeys. My team consists of Yomna, The Head of Organisations, Nyah and Tanvi, the pair in charge of our Instagram page (aka Social Media Reps), Natasha, our Playlist Coordinator and Rida, our Head of Promotions. With this utterly dedicated and creative bunch at my side, we were able to venture into our project with full confidence. A few weeks in and we had even finalised our supremely talented group of RJs! These applicants stood out mainly for their conversational style, specialized content, and their unique attitudes. Our RJs
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WIN Radio Team at work with great enthusiasm, spreading the positivity!
include: Katie and Hafsa from Winchester's Declassified Survival Guide, Sakshi from Notes of Harmony, Nada from Whispered Stories and Evan from Mornin' Chatters. It was then, after weeks of trial and error that we formulated our inaugurating segment. It is sufficient to say that our first broadcast went much, much better than we had hoped. Sure there was the initial 'oh, this is new', but within a few minutes we witnessed students singing along and excitedly bobbing along to the music. Teachers also appeared amused at the change in atmosphere, and soon enough Ms Debbie gave us her stamp of approval. She was (and continues to be) the guiding force behind WINRADIO constantly offering advice and facilitating newer opportunities. She really taught us to harness our abilities, especially when it came to engaging with
our audience and improving on our content. Overall, it has been a very enriching experience all around. We have realized that our broadcasts are not a one-sided delivery, but a conversation with our listeners. Students and teachers alike, are eager and enthusiastic towards listening to WINRADIO. Quite simply because it makes them feel good and helps them feel like a part of something. It's almost a cliche to talk about the growing need to socialize in such deprived times, but there is no doubt that WINRADIO achieves not only a sense of unity, but an invincible sense of energy and happiness. Promise fulfilled.
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MEET THE TEAM!
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Artwork by Ashpreet Rekhi Year 7I
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Winchester Summer Reading Challenge
First-of-its-kind reading initiative amongst UAE schools helped students find joy in books and spend their time productively during the Covid summer. GEMS Winchester School, Jebel Ali recently celebrated 138 outstanding readers from across schools in Dubai and Sharjah. The celebration marked the culmination of a comprehensive reading challenge which was introduced with the objective of giving students a productive option to spend their time, especially in light of the Covid 19 summer. The initiative was launched by students Mishal Faraz, Year 9 and Mir Faraz, Year 6.
The guidelines of the initiative were as follows – the participants had a period of one month during which they had to read books of their choice and had to maintain a reading log recording the names of the books, authors, as well as the number of pages and time taken to finish each book. Participants also had to write a review of each book in 50-150 words. This further consolidated their understanding of the book and helped them hone their writing skills. Circulars calling out for participation were sent out to all schools through email and propagation was also done through social media channels. The challenge was open to students from Foundation Stage to Year 13. Over 600 students from 9 schools
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registered for the competition and 138 out of this number successfully completed the challenge. Collectively, the 138 students read 2348 books, 289648 pages and explored 789 authors. Their cumulative reading time amounted to 31678 hours. After evaluating the reading logs, one winner and one runner up was chosen from each year group. Additionally, readers who finished the challenge successfully were awarded certificates of appreciation. All the outstanding readers were celebrated during a virtual ceremony. The Guests of Honour for the event were Mr. Saif Abdullah and Magic Phil, both published authors and radio presenters at Pearl FM, UAE’s only radio station for children, operated by Al Jalila Cultural Center for Children. The challenge was received very well by all the participants and they unanimously expressed their appreciation for the multifaceted benefits they experienced by partaking in it.
Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya Principal and CEO The Winchester School Jebel Ali Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya, the Principal and CEO of Winchester, Jebel Ali expressed her happiness at the completion of the reading challenge and congratulated all the readers for their exemplary efforts, "At Winchester, we've always encouraged the love for reading. We enjoy reading to our children as well as listen to them read. We believe reading is one of the most important skills a child needs to have to excel. A child who spends time reading has unlimited knowledge. We encourage reading not only in the language subjects like English, Arabic and French but also interweave it into all other subjects like Maths, Science, Humanities and so on. I'm so happy to see that our students Mishal and Mir initiated this programme and did not keep it limited to just our school but opened it to all schools. It was such a pleasure to see an overwhelming response, enthusiastic engagement and I'm so pleased to see the sheer number of students who participated in the program. The success of this initiative shows that we cannot only initiate something but also have an impact on a large number of people."
Mishal Faraz, Year 9 and Mir Faraz, Year 6 Founders of WRSC Mishal and Mir, who are among avid readers at Winchester, elaborate on how the initiative came into existence, "The idea of Winchester Summer Reading Challenge was born out of the wish to connect during the unprecedented times of Covid 19 when we could not travel, go out or socialize. We wanted to have this sense of togetherness and encourage students from all over the country to work on something that would make the Covid Summer positively memorable. And what could be better than reading? Reading has always been promoted passionately in our school. The multidimensional benefits of reading can be encapsulated by the fact that reading holds a pivotal position in the UAE national agenda. The response we have received reaffirms our faith that books will always continue to connect and enlighten minds and cultivate hope in hearts". v
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Here’s what the WSRC participants had to say about their experience! "I would like to say thank you for this wonderful initiative, Winchester Summer Reading Challenge. During the summer break, when life became challenging due to the Covid 19 pandemic, this challenge came as the perfect opportunity to keep myself engaged while exploring a rich diversity of books and authors. Reading is important as it increases our vocabulary, develops our communication skills, cognitive skills, and above all, reading helps reduce stress." - Aryaman Chakravorty, Year 7
"The challenge helped me develop my reading and writing skills by encouraging me to read the books and as well as write their reviews.� - Anushri Nair, Year 6
"This was a wonderful initiative to motivate young readers. It encouraged me to read more books than I usually do. I was trying to find something interesting to do while staying indoors and this challenge was just perfect. I learnt new vocabulary and discovered new authors. I would definitely want to participate in the challenge again." - Rithvik Ramesh Kumar, Year 4
"This wonderful opportunity transformed the stressful pandemic days into something blissful. I could reinstate my vigour of reading which was diminishing day by day and I have definitely broadened my perspective". - Ayman Iqbal, Year 13
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Jisha Katageri FS1 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Aadithya Fredrick Year 4 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Shaiza Rizwan Year 9 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
WINNERS HALL OF FAME
Maria Agnes Arguelles FS2 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Sanuki Wimalarathne Year 5 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Aaryan Fredrick Year 10 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Zayn Sharma Year 1 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Alessandra Maria Balisnomo Arguelles Year 2 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Veer Majumder Year 6 GEMS Modern Academy
Aryaman Chakravorty Year 7 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Ananya Dangra Year 11 GEMS Modern Academy
Kanchan Palakode Year 12 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Chenuka Wimalarathne Year 3 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Sarah Abbas Year 8 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
Ayman Iqbal Year 13 The Winchester School, Jebel Ali
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Artistically Yours
My name is Martin Georgiev and I have been a student at The Winchester School for the past seven years. Currently I am in 9C. Artistically Yours aims to enable students to experiment and try new ideas, thus giving their creativity a chance to bloom and to encourage the process and the experience of thinking and enhancing one’s personality. The need to explore art activities in schools is important as it ensures better emotional development. Nobody can argue that art can help students relax after their long hours of studying hard. Check this column for amazing ideas and techniques!
Some students excel at mathematics. Others have strengths in written language. Others excel in creative areas such as Art and Design. What kinds of careers exist for those who study Art in high school? While you might have heard that becoming an architect, fine artist, sculptor or gallery assistant is an option for those who study Art and Design, there are many other careers available for those who are able to envision, design and create beautiful things. The internet has created an explosion of opportunity for digital designers and multimedia artists. In this article I have chosen a selection of these – including digital and graphic design jobs – and a range of exciting art-related careers that are possible. The examples of jobs illustrated on the right are just a handful of the exciting career paths that are possible for high school Art students. Skill is practiced and refined ultimately by doing. Combine your artistic skill with ambition, generosity, persistence and hard work, and keep in mind that those who are good at Art and other things are in the best position of all to succeed.
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Project RONA Rabab Alrubaie & Deena Sandani, Year 12D Sometime in March this year, we got a plethora of major life changes thrown at us. We were in an environment of constant uncertainty - we have never experienced this level of change before. Suddenly the extra-curricular-packed-summer that we had planned was no longer possible. We instantly knew we had to do something. So we took matters into our own hands and created opportunities for ourselves and our peers. That's where Project RONA came into the picture. Not only did we want our peers to learn something new, but we wanted to be the ones who facilitated the learning. Hence our motto: FOR students, BY students. Yet another source of inspiration for the Project were the HarvardX Courses that became available during these challenging times. After completing a few of them, it clicked and our scattered ideas all fell into place. We thought to ourselves, “Why not replicate the same idea, on a smaller scale within Winchester?” To briefly bring you up to speed on how project RONA works, with the supervision of teachers, student instructors conduct live sessions weekly after school lessons. Each phase of the project runs for a total time span of 4 weeks- with each student Instructor designated to a course within their expertise- whether it be a skill-based extracurricular or an academic course that extends beyond the covers of a school textbook.
I'm sure at this point of time you are all wondering why we chose this name specifically. For starters, RONA stands for Resilient Optimistic Novel Approach. At the same time, Rona also sheds light on the motive of the initiative and the prime cause to starting the project which were of course, the limitations of the pandemic. Rewind to Mid-March: soon after the idea sparked within us, we started working on the website. We then decided on the courses, the students instructors, and the logo. To target students our age, an Instagram page was created for a better reach to a larger audience. Once the prototype was ready, on the 21st of April, our first email was sent out to the Senior Leadership Team. We approached them with the idea and requested for a meeting. Now the reason we decided to launch the initiative through the school rather than on our own was because of Winchester's pioneering culture and its openness towards out-of-the-box thinking. We were thrilled to hear the SLT’s reaction towards our initiative. From thereon, the fine-tuning began. We worked closely and meticulously with members of the SLT to perfect every aspect of the project. It was like polishing a diamond in the rough. This brings us to the big day: Phase 1 was launched on the 29th of May and the courses officially began on the 7th of June, 2020. Within the first 4 days of registration, Project RONA
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accumulated a total of 136 sign-ups from across year groups 7-11. At the end of the first 4 weeks, it was clear to us that Phase 1 was not the end. Seeing the eagerness of students coupled with all the positive feedback, we knew it couldn’t stop there. We went into the new academic year with a go-big-or-go-home mentality. And well‌ we went big! Phase 2 expanded beyond the secondary school and reached an even younger audience; primary students. We didn't want to leave it at that either, so we had the Core Team of the Primary Student Government instruct a course of their own. Courses for Phase 2 began on the 13th of October 2020 and brought our sign-up total to a flabbergasting 390+ sign ups. Phase 2 also brought us a wider variety of courses. A few of the courses that we offer in project RONA include:
Dance
Story Writing
Art
Debate/ MUN
Book Club
Philosophy Criminology English
Drama
Medicine
Music
Game Development
With that being said, Project RONA is ever growing leaving us with so much room for growth and improvement. Three years from now, we envision Project RONA to be an integral part of the curriculum at The Winchester School. And we hope to see the next generation of students extend learning beyond the walls of a classroom the same way we did.
Rabab Alrubaie
&
Deena Sandani
Founders, Project RONA
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Metamorphosis In literal terms, metamorphosis is defined by a stage of development of an animal that regards is physical growth. However, through its explicit and fairly biological meaning, it also discusses personal growth and character development. Every day, we metamorphosize into the best versions of ourselves. This is a consequence of the experiences we face, like a sculpture, these experiences chip away some structure to develop a clearer image or build it up to glorify its prominence. Being members of the Gen-Z community, we have a multitude of expectations set on us as a new community that pioneers in several fields such as medicine, artificial intelligence, business, politics and social work. To keep up these expectations, we all display a prime front of ourselves that we ourselves might not believe in, but we think the “world” believes that is the best version of ourselves. While 2020 has shared its fair share of challenges, there came one main outcome. Having so much time to ourselves, we were finally able to metaphorically “take off the mask” and regardless of its corny intentions “just be ourselves” for once, we were just our plain old selves. This somehow allowed the creativity within us to flourish, having several different ideas that radically changed the scene of innovation is the aforementioned fields. We as the youth have yet again proven our determination and creativity to the world. As 2021 approaches, our anticipation for change increases, hopes for a completely new year and new situation lie within us. Change is never immediate. Hoping for this change won’t get us anywhere, and no
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matter how many times we have heard this from others we fail to understand that. Our mindsets expect change without actually putting an effort to achieve that very change, humans look for the fastest and most efficient solutions. What we should really be looking at are the most beneficial solutions, the most sustainable solutions, the most “progressive solutions”. COVID19 is just another hurdle that our civilization will face; who is to say there won’t be any other event like this in the near future? The sheer unpredictability of things we may be a part of just proves why we have to change our mindsets. Be your uncensored self, blurt out random ideas and just be free enough to share your views with others (of course, ethically). As this year ends, it signifies the end of the second decade of this marvellous century; just like time closes its chapter, we must open a new one. Our identities must beam and shine like the wings of a butterfly, growing and moving continuously, determined, strong, and the embodiment of progression. We must spread our wings and approach new ideas, things that were never thought of before. No matter how absurd, out-of-this-world, or alien-like they are, we must innovate and revolutionize the true meaning of “growth”, define the sculpture of civilization, chipping away its truest flaws and building up its strengths. Metamorphosize into new beings, might be flawed or imperfect, but remain perfect in your eyes. Concluding this article, we close a whole decade, opening our eyes for a new set of successes and challenges!
Conceptualized by our Senior Copy Editor and Columnist, Aarav Pradhan or Year 11, “Metamorphosis” talks about growth and progression and targets the youth to innovate and spread their ideas, providing a platform for us as students to be creative. The word metamorphosis means development, and that is what we as youth do. Its emblem represents a butterfly spreading its wings and metamorphosing, similar to us growing up and gaining our voice and passions. “Metamorphosis” is the burning catalyst ready to create a never-ending spark of creativity in our minds!
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The School Economist Reopening Schools is as much about economics as it is about education Schools are key to strategies to end the coronavirus lockdown - but reopening them is just as much an economic decision as an educational one. And the debate over when the students should go back to the classroom highlights this often-unacknowledged truth. As governments around the world grappled with how to come out of lockdown, schools were at the forefront of their decision-making. While Denmark became the first country in Europe to reopen schools, with France and the Netherlands later following suit, schools in the U.S. and the U.K. remained firmly closed to all but a handful of students. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson – back at the helm after his own brush with Covid-19 – announced that the government would set out a ‘comprehensive’ plan on reopening schools as a pivotal step to getting the economy moving. The move came amid concern that students are missing out on education, with the switch to remote learning expected to further widen the gap between rich and poor students. In response, a former chief inspector of schools in England warned that teachers may have to work weekends and evenings to help students catch up, or even that students may have to repeat the school year. But while all these ideas should be non-starters, it is clear that economic considerations weigh as heavily as educational ones. For although students were missing out, it was not their loss of education that was the key driver behind their return to the classroom. The reality is, until children go back to school, parents will have to remain at home looking after them, and it will be impossible to fully restart the economy. And amid predictions of a
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global recession - with the U.S. economy shrinking at its fastest rate since the financial crisis of 2008 - the economic imperative trumps even the impact on education. This is not to downplay the educational loss experienced by millions of students. But without the kind of catch-up program that is both impractical and politically impossible, at some point we will have to accept that a whole generation will have gaps in their learning. While this will be unfortunate for them, to say the least, the fact it will be shared by students around the globe does at least sweeten the pill. Economic considerations also trump health concerns. While many teachers are understandably concerned about the health risks of a return to normality, it is not primarily health considerations that determined when schools reopen. Even with a third of students back in school, it is impossible to maintain the kind of social distancing sufficient to substantially reduce the risk. Schools do not have enough classrooms and young children do not have enough idea of personal space to make this a possibility. Parents, too, are anxious about sending their children back. Although many are struggling with balancing home-schooling with working from home, often on reduced wages, on the whole they do not seem to be the ones agitating for schools to reopen. It was noticeable that even before schools officially closed in England, many school leaders were reporting substantially reduced attendance as parents kept their children away. The reality is that while none of the options on the table are optimal, the economic damage caused by keeping schools closed will be at least as important in deciding when to reopen them as the educational damage suffered by their students.
Welcome one and all! Conceptualized by our talented and enterprising Senior Copy Editor and Content Writer, Arjun Kapur of Year 13, this exclusive corner of WIN Times contemplates a new topic every month. Issues and debates that hold a great influence on our school lives, and the outside world. Whether if it’s global events or the newest changes in our school, 'The School Economist' will enlighten you on how such changes affect our lives, and what we can do to make it better.
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Greetings! From the Primary Library
Are you looking for a platform to share your very own book reviews on? Well now’s your chance! Write a book review on your favourite (or not so favourite) book that you would like to recommend to your fellow readers. Please write in Microsoft Word format and submit your review to Ms. Veronika, the Primary Librarian at veronika.l_win@gemsedu.com Keep your eye on this space – YOUR review could land here next time!
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LIBRARY CLOSURES AROUND THE WORLD Libraries around the world are facing hard choices ranging from minimal restrictions to full closure. Clearly any decision to restrict or close a library is a difficult one. School libraries in 34 countries have been affected by the closure and one of them is our school library. Almost every day students are asking me, when or will the library open again? There’s very strong evidence that students tend to be more engaged with learning on the whole if they engage with library resources, interact with library staff, and spend time using libraries. Libraries can engage students with learning in many ways. With the current situation I will have to say, that health and safety comes before all of the above.
National libraries and apps can be of tremendous assistance when it comes to finding content. Check them out!
Mohammed Bin Rashid Library www.dm.gov.ae/projects/mohammed-binrashid-library/
The Primary library have been working hard to provide access to online reading activities and services. We have now moved to create safe on- The Libby App www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/ line environment in order to continue support students and introduce them to new digital tolls and make reading fun. The primary library is also working hard to provide materials in a format that allows parents to support their children at home. Yet, it is unclear how long restrictions will last, strong communication between school libraries and parents is essential. Together we will learn and share ideas on how to overcome this most effectively.
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Lately there have been a lot of Global Climate Strikes! Have you wondered what it means? I did too at some point, till I did a lot of learning, participating, and taking actions in the smallest way possible to help heal the planet.
Gareth Andrade is an 11-year-old student in Year 7 at The Winchester School who advocates for UN Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. Since he was a little boy, he has been passionate about conserving sea animals, volunteering towards beach cleanups, being a conscious ecowarrior at home, at school and everywhere he goes. He and his brother launched the “Balloons Blow Don’t Let Them Go” campaign in Dubai, in November 2018, and since then he has collected thousands of pledges.
Climate Strikes are peaceful protests to challenge decisions and policies. The end goal is to involve the citizens to create sustainable policies, keeping the planet first.
After all, there is no Planet B!
To put it in simple words the generations of tomorrow are threatened by today’s decisions by mankind. One example is deforestation. We tear down nature’s trees and call it progress! It is time to stop over consumption of natural resources and move to solar and nature-friendly solutions! We have to take climate action! Climate action means steppedup efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts, including: climate-related hazards in all countries; integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and improving education. Global Climate Action Day is celebrated on 25th of September.
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How can we create a peaceful citizen movement to protect the planet? I come from the tiniest state in India – Goa, and its forests are under threat. So, a citizen's movement was formed, to raise awareness about Mollem Sanctuary & its irreplaceable biodiversity, currently threatened by 3 big destructive projects. The movement educated us about the biodiversity, and we all decided in our own small way to be the voice for the 50,000 trees to be cut in Goa for 3 Infrastructure Projects. Our movement is the voice for animals and species that will be displaced and wiped out. We share drawings, attend webinars to learn about the animals and species eg: oakleaf butterflies, Malabar gliding frog, dhole, and snakes, and other species that will be wiped out by road kills that will be caused as the natural path animals take will be replaced by railways and roads. We listen to research about ecological damage by scientists from all around the world. We meet artists who dedicate songs and stories about the forests. We learn and feel connected to Mother Nature.
1. The term global warming refers to the longterm warming of the planet. 2. Global warming is affecting rising sea levels, shrinking mountain glaciers, accelerating ice melting in Greenland, Antarctica, and the Arctic, and shifts in flower and plant blooming times. 3. By 2060, the cost of inaction on climate change is predicted to reach a staggering $44 trillion. 4: In 2018, there were 14 extreme-weather events that resulted in more than $1 billion in damages. And if we do not stop its going to be worse! 5. The average number of people exposed to heatwaves has increased by approximately 125 million since the beginning of the century.
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Around the World Exploring Japan During this unprecedented time, millions of people are stuck at home and dream or remember with nostalgia their last travelling vacation visiting foreign countries. With this article I am inviting you on a journey, trying to transport you to far-off land.
A mixture of culture and technology; blending the past and the present together Japan is a fascinating country. With the third largest economy in the world and with one of the lowest crime rates, Japan is well known for its innovative and futuristic inventions, ancient traditions, with famous fashion and entertainment subculture and world-class cuisine.
Japan is an island country on the Asian continent. More precisely, Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern edge of Asia. They are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. There are also nearly 4000 small islands. Japan is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire�- this is geographical area around the edges of the Pacific Ocean and it is called so because it is shaped as a horseshoe and it has more exploding, active volcanoes and earthquakes than any place on the earth. Japan has about 200 volcanos, 60 of which are active.
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Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains where the highest peak is the famous Mount Fuji, a cone-shaped dormant (sleeping) volcano. Mount Fuji is symbol of Japan considered sacred by many Japanese.
Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. About one third of the population live in and around Tokyo- the biggest city in Japan with over 13 million inhabitants and capital of Japan. The picture below is of Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing.
The majority of Japan is made up of mountainous and forested area, so much of the land can’t be used for agricultural or industrial purposes. This is the reason coastal areas that are suitable for such things are so densely-populated. The Japanese people have a deep affection for the beauty of the landscape and nature. The ancient Shinto religion (one of the largest religions of Japan) says that natural features like mountains, waterfalls and forest have their own spirits and souls. An immensely popular and treasured celebration in Japanese culture is Sakura – Cherry blossom. Sakura is the Japanese name for the flowers which grow on the cherry blossom tree. The flowers bloom once a year, and the most popular variety of tree is called the Somei Yoshino, which produces pale pink flowers.
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Sakura season marks the beginning of spring in Japan. It is massive part of Japan’s culture and history. In ancient Japan, farmers used the blooming of the sakura flowers to help them know it was time to plant their rice crops. The flowers were considered to be a representation of spring, hope, beauty, and new life. The peak or best time for viewing the flowers is around March-April time. However, sakura only bloom for a short time, around a week- two, before wilting. So, people follow special sakura weather forecast carefully, to find out when the flowers are blooming and when they will be in full bloom.
Despite the great part which sakura has in the Japanese culture and history, this is not the official national flower. The official Japanese flower is the 16 – petal chrysanthemum used for the imperial seal. It can be seen on the cover of Japanese passports, on some Japanese coins and over the doors of Japanese diplomatic facilities.
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The Japanese people are famous for their willingness to work hard and discipline is fundamental, and it is necessary in early age. Children are taught to show respect for others, especially parents. They learn to do what is best for their family and worry less about their own needs. School life is very busy and Japanese school holidays are much shorter than in most countries around the world. Even during holidays and on weekends, many Japanese students go to school for club activities or extra lessons. It is interesting to know that teachers refer to the students by their family name; and the students refer to each other by their family name as well. There are no janitors in Japanese schools. Students divide into teams to tackle all manners of keeping their school clean. Some mop the floors, some wipe the boards, some sweep, and others weed the gardens. It is really an amazing team building activity, having the students to keep each other responsible for their own school and all working together to get it done.
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, unique architecture and more recently manga which is modern Japanese cartoons and comics along with many other types. Japanese art can be described as disciplined and carefully refined. There is an emphasis on elegant, simplicity in many art forms. Much of the works created by artist in Japan include the ideas based on the Buddhist beliefs of Zen, tranquillity, humbleness, serenity, and beauty. Japan is also known for its traditional arts- including tea ceremonies and flower arranging. The country has a legacy of distinctive gardens, sculpture, and poetry. Japan is also the birthplace of sushi. The country is famous for many forms of martial arts. Its famous traditional sport is sumo, which can trace its origins to the 8th century. Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Sonic… I am sure that most of you have heard about at least one of these popular Japanese cartoons. The Japanese comics and cartoons – better known as Manga and Anime – are famous all over the world.
“THE WHOLE OF JAPAN IS A PURE INVENTION. THERE IS NO SUCH COUNTRY, THERE ARE NO SUCH PEOPLE… THE JAPANESE PEOPLE ARE… SIMPLY A MODE OF STYLE, AN EXQUISITE FANCY OF ART.” OSCAR WILDE In this very special column, Victoria Nedyalkova from Year 6 takes us through a journey of a new country every time – location, history, culture, art, music, food, and a lot more. During the pandemic, when many of us have not travelled since many months, Victoria takes us through a virtual tour which not only delights the senses, but also helps us know more about different places and people, understand, and celebrate them better.
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LEGO is Cool! Mir Faraz, Year 6H LEGO – those brightly-coloured bricks which you can make anything with. These little whimsical bricks have been a part of my life for as long back as my memory takes me. I finish working on one creation and I can’t wait to get another one! And I’m not the only one! Here’s a cool fact – if all the LEGO bricks sold in a single year were placed end to end, they would circle the Earth five times! So, what makes LEGO so special? Here are some reasons:
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LEGO IS FOR EVERYONE
LEGO is for everyone and anyone – doesn’t matter what age you might be. LEGO is enjoyable and fun for all. In fact, LEGO is manufactured for a wide range of age groups. There are sets with just 10 bricks or so and then there are boxes full of thousands of bricks!
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ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY
LEGO gives you a chance to be innovative and think of new ideas . Those little versatile bricks can shape up to anything you want them to. They let your imagination run wild!
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ONE PURCHASE, YEARS OF FUN
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YOU LEARN WHILE HAVING FUN
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DO IT ALONE OR IN A GROUP
LEGO is immensely versatile. Buy a single set and you will be able to make different models. Where one day you are making a castle, the next you can make a space station, and then take things apart and start all over again! Also, LEGO does not age or decay – so it’s green too! Recycle your LEGO for generations to come!
LEGO can be the perfect tool for STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math) based learning. So, you get your fun, as well as learning – that’s definitely having your cake and eating it too!!
LEGO building can be done alone, or it can be done as a group activity. Do it all by yourself and you can say goodbye to boredom and feeling lonely. Do it with family and friends, and you end up having a memorable time. My suggestion – do it both ways! ☺
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MORE LEGO TIME, LESS GADGET/ TV TIME
When you’re busy with LEGO, you keep away from watching TV or playing on gadgets! You save your eyes the strain, you get creative, and have fun! So, keep those gadgets away and get building!
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ENHANCES THE MIND
When you use LEGO, you become more technical-minded – you understand how things work and you get to realize the joy and freedom of building. Go ahead, enhance your mind.
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LEGO = HAPPINESS
LEGO makes you happy – that wonderful sound of two bricks snapping together, and the joy you get when you finish, admiring your masterpiece! LEGO is, undoubtedly, the best toy ever!!!
Fun Facts About LEGO! LEGO comes from the Danish word leg godt, meaning “play well”. There are actually enough LEGO bricks to stack from the Earth to the moon – ten times.
Only 18 out of every million LEGO pieces fail to meet the company standard. This is because the factory process is so efficient.
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We’re sure many of you have heard of something called the Sustainable Development Goals. But what exactly are they? The UN Sustainable Development Goals, or SGDs, are a collection of 17 goals that were set and adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the goals. The SDGs are the blueprint for a sustainable future, addressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality, poverty, and peace.
SDG #3: Good Health and Wellbeing. SDG #3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Health is one of the most basic and fundamental human rights, that every single human being on the planet is entitled to. And it doesn’t just mean physical health – it means mental health and wellbeing too. Health and wellbeing are absolutely essential and pivotal to sustainable development and building prosperous societies. Healthy people are undoubtedly the foundation for healthy economies.
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Significant strides were being made to improve the health of millions of people. However, due to the pandemic, the progress rate in many health areas has drastically slowed, possibly undoing decades of improvement, and will not be sufficient to meet many of Goal 3’s targets. The pandemic is devastating health systems globally and threatens health outcomes already achieved. It is disheartening to know that a majority of countries, particularly developing ones, have insufficient medical supplies, health facilities and healthcare workers. One of the most important things this pandemic has shown us, is that whether you live in a rich country or poor country, a global health emergency like COVID-19 puts us all in the same boat.
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A whopping 400 million people around the world don’t have access to basic healthcare. Every 2 seconds someone aged 30 to 70 years dies prematurely from noncommunicable diseases cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer. 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air. 18 million more healthcare workers are needed to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
As always, you can help by doing your bit. Start by promoting and protecting your own health and the health of those around you, by making well-informed choices. You can raise awareness in your community about the importance of good health, healthy lifestyles as well as people’s right to quality health care services. Remember, we’re all in this together!
Having been dedicated environmentalists since the past 7 years, Mishal and Mir understand how individual efforts can lead to an impactful accumulative effect on the wellbeing of the planet. “Goals for Life” is a column dedicated to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which are actually a blueprint to a healthy and sustainable planet. Though a lot of information is available on various platforms about the SDGs, it is imperative that they are propagated through as many mediums as possible and given visibility and a voice that reaches far and wide. This column endeavours to elaborate on a different SDG every month and encourage all readers to be eco-warriors, passionate leaders, and changemakers.
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“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” This quote by Lionel Messi inspires me and helps me to push myself more to play soccer and become active. In this issue of the magazine, I would like to focus on soccer, which is a very interesting game. It focuses on team building and leadership skills.
Aryaman Chakravorty from Year 7 has been passionate about sports ever since he can remember. He likes playing Soccer because it is a team game. He started gaining interest in the game when he was a little boy. He used to watch Soccer with his dad and he started playing Soccer when he was 3 years old. The game of Soccer taught him teamwork and dedication to train/practice. He loves watching different Soccer Leagues like English Premier League, La Liga, French League and many more. His personal favourite Teams are Barcelona, Arsenal and Paris Saint-German.
The Origin of Soccer The modern soccer, as we know and love it today, had originated in Britain during the 19th century; soccer comes from the term “association football” in Britain.
The first ever soccer match was played on Barnes common at Mortlake between Barnes Football Club and Richmond Football Club. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
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Learning Soccer
Rules of Soccer
Soccer is really easy to play, it can be played at any age as it is just kicking the ball in the goal unless you want to play like a professional. To play like a professional, you need years of hard work.
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A soccer match consists of two 45 minutes halves with a 15-minute rest period in between.
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Each team can have a maximum of 11 players including 1 goalkeeper who is allowed to touch the ball within a designated box around the goal.
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Players can’t touch the ball on purpose otherwise the opponent receives a penalty or a free-kick and can sometimes face a yellow card.
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A throw-in is taken when the ball crosses a sideline and leaves the field. Proper throw-in is to have both feet on the ground and to throw the ball with their hands.
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A corner kick or goal kick is taken when the ball leaves the field across the distance between the goal and the corner of the field.
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A yellow card can be given to any player by the referee for breaking a rule. If you have 2 yellow cards then you get a red card and you can’t play in that game nor you can see the game until the end. One can get a straight red card for a serious offence.
Soccer Leagues A soccer league is a league where usually 20 teams participate, the last 3-4 are often relegated at the end of the season to the 2nd division of the league. If a team wins a game you get 3 points. If 2 teams end in a draw, they receive 1 point each. If you lose you get 0 points and the 1st placed/most points team get a trophy at the end of the Season/League. My Mentors
A Few Legendary Players…
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All About Books “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw” by Jeff Kinney
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t was new year time and everyone in the family was coming up with a New Year’s resolution but Greg didn’t have one because he thought he was pretty much the best person in his family. But thankfully he came up with one and that was to help other people to be as perfect. He saw mom chewing the potato chips very loudly and felt his ears would explode. He jokingly told her that someone would have to go to the hospital because of the loud noise. And by now he would’ve told his mom a million times to chew the potato chips softly. Dad promised that he will go on a strict diet and he is not going to eat any junk food like sweets and chips. But one night, Greg found him eating a full delicious brownie plate next to the dustbin so no one could spot him. It was school day and dad always wakes Greg up. When dad woke him up that day, Greg knew that he still has 10 minutes until he really needs to get out of bed because mom will be in the shower. He was very sleepy. Finally, it was new year and Greg woke up early to get stocked on presents because this year he made his best impressions to the people he knew would buy him good Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, it didn’t play out as he imagined. Manny was playing with his amazing new toys that he received as presents this year. Greg got some books from his grandma to get a quick start on algebra. He has been told by adults when
you are in middle school you will not play with the toys. Greg was very sleepy that wonderful sunny morning. He took some blankets with him and slept in front of the furnace, waiting peacefully for his turn in the shower. There was a nice cooling effect because the boiling air was coming out to give warmth. Suddenly everything went terribly wrong. The furnace would only work every 5 minutes, so for most of the time Greg was just sleeping on the cold piece of metal waiting for the furnace to turn on and get back to relaxing. In the evening, Uncle Charlie came to give Greg his new year present and he brought him a hoop. Greg didn’t know what the basketball net was for. Uncle Charlie told Greg that this hoop is to keep his dirty clothes that need to be washed. At first Greg thought that he was joking but then he noticed that he was serious. He told Uncle Charlie that washing of clothes for him means that when he comes from school, he just removes his clothes and throws them anywhere and then mom picks them up to wash. Greg suggested to Uncle Charlie that he can give him some money and can buy something that he really likes. Mom stopped him right there and said that this a great present and now Greg is independent to wash his clothes by himself. The next morning when Greg was done with his shower he saw mom’s bathrobe and he decided to wear it. Then
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he stood on the furnace and the cooling effect was even better. He was still wearing the bathrobe when dad came out and his dad was feeling jealous about why he didn’t think of that idea before. This was my perspective of the story and how I understood it. The author’s style of writing was like a comedian and a cartoonist because he wrote the book with some very funny scenes and the illustrations were enjoyable too. This book was very interesting and hilarious because Greg gets into trouble every now and then with his dad which turns out to be bad for him but for the reader it is amusing. The title is appropriate because the book’s name is ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw’ which means that this is the last and final time he will do something wrong and won’t regret doing that again which I think is probably going to happen. I would like the author to add the character of mother in more scenes so we can see what she says about Greg when he does something or gets in a fight because all the time she just supports Greg. Since the book is full of laughter I would say that the age group of the book is from 5-13 year old children. I would recommend other people to read this book and I hope the author Jeff Kinney will keep on writing more interesting and hilarious books like these ones.
My name is Piyush Sehgal and I am ten years old. I study in Year 6 at The Winchester School. I like all kinds of sports and activities and my hobbies include badminton and football. My favourite subjects are Maths, English, Science, Art, Physical Education, Arabic and French as I have good teachers to teach me. I enjoy reading books of different genres like suspense, comedy, fiction, non-fiction, adventure, and personal experiences. I hope you find pleasure in reading my thoughts and views.
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The Beauty of Handwriting Ahnaf Abrar Asil, Year 6D Nowadays people have stopped using their pens and pencils to write and they rely on digital resources like keyboards. There is nothing wrong with it, but people are robots when they write digitally. People are not putting any thought behind what they are writing. Psychology has revealed that if you write using your hand and instead of a keyboard, you pay more attention to what you are writing. It is a very healthy habit for you to write down your thoughts and feelings for 15-30 minutes. Handwriting can also make you feel connected to the person you’re writing to. For example, a father is writing a
letter to his son and when he uses his handwriting, his son feels connected to him but if he texts him, then the son would not feel connected to his father. Your brain also develops when you’re writing as you are using more brain cells and exercising it. Finally, when you write with a pen or pencil you can feel like it is your own unique handwriting that no one has. I have asked my father and he said, “When I was young I used to write short stories and that made me feel like a famous author.” I then asked my mom and she said, “When I used to read stories I always admired the thought put into them.” I also think that handwriting is more beneficial and fun than digital writing.
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The Extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger Ahnaf Abrar Asil, Year 6D
The Tasmanian Tiger, also known as the Thylacine, was one of the largest predatory marsupials. Marsupials are a species of animals that keep their babies in a pouch under their belly until they are old enough to walk on their own. The Thylacine went extinct quite recently in 1933, when the last known Thylacine was caught and killed. The species was native to Tasmania, New Guinea and the Australian Mainland. The reason for this species’ extinction was because the Tasmanian tiger would kill the livestock of farmers who lived in the areas where Tasmanian tigers hunt. This caused the farmers to kill any Thylacine they see in order to defend their livestock. There have still been claims that the Thylacines now live in a
deserted part of Australia and even video footage that shows a Thylacine running in a field with tall grass. Thylacines weighted about 30lbs and measured 130 centimetres.
FUN FACT!! Each Thylacine had their own unique stripe pattern, and no two patterns were the same, so the babies could recognize their parents just by looking at their stripes.
WIN Times wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Stay safe, stay happy! artwork by Sarah Javed, Year 2
See you all in 2021!