WINTimes - The Official Magazine of The Winchester School, Jebel Ali

October 2020, Issue 6 Jebel Ali

Win times CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE, CREATING A LEGACY Official magazine of the Winchester school, jebel ali

New Days, New Ways: Welcome Academic Year 2020-2021!

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 Meet Team WIN Times Together We Can! Hall of Fame Learn Arabic with Nadia Change is the Only Constant The Journey Ahead School Re-opening Readiness Resilience to Brilliance Cyber-Smart @ WIN Metamorphosis The School Economist Trusting the Next Chapter Message from the Primary Librarian The Return to School and the New Normal The Green Guide All About Books The Summer of 2020 Goals for Life

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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 successfully face the real life and it’s challenges - what we are going through and how we embrace these times and come out stronger and better will be looked upon in history- At WIN I am confident – "We will continue without halt or rest , for halting is a waste of time."

Again, a powerful message by none other than Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

D

ear WIN family,

Trust you are enjoying good health and staying positive and motivated.

I am in awe of the positive attitude and the grit with which all WIN students, teachers, staff and parents are working in these times and where we continue with a clear vision – to nurture and provide the best for our students, our future and strive for excellence, with the “never give up” attitude!! I am reminded of this quote by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – “Determination, strategy and vision for the future are our real resources in the quest for excellence and success.”

We all want our children to be equipped with the 21st century skills and to

WIN students, teachers, leaders are innovative, and problem solvers who dream and strive for their aspirations – our creative and innovative ideas and growth mindset approach with resilience are the capital of the future, we know where we spend our energy today is what we will achieve tomorrow.

I am confident and this message from His highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum resonates with me for WIN – “The goals are clear, the road is paved and the clock ticks; there is no place for hesitation. There are many who talk, we accomplish.”

And we will always continue to excel and shine!!

Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya Principal and CEO The Winchester School Jebel Ali

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From the Editor’s Desk 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

Greetings Winchester family!!

It's with a sense of great happiness and pride that I welcome you to Academic Session 2020-2021. During the months gone by, we have witnessed unprecedented challenges as well as unprecedented resilience and positivity to overcome those challenges.

We are now traversing another uncharted territory- blended learning. With some of us at home and some at school, it's a brand-new experience and one which will encourage us to explore and ace new strengths as individuals and as a community.

As the official magazine of The Winchester School, Jebel Ali, WIN Times promises to stay true to its motto"CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE, CREATING A LEGACY". We will continue our quest to keep the Winchester family informed about all the latest activities and achievements at school- all that is fabulously, proudly Winchester. At the same time, we shall continue to celebrate the joy of reading and writing.

Dana Raed Alamawi, Year 8 Zaara Belgami, Year 8F

Cover Designer Zaara Belgami, Year 8F

Economy, innovation, reading, books, environment, health, sports, arts, wellbeing and so much more - WIN Times will always endeavour to provide you with a superlative reading experience. We invite students, teachers and parents to continue sending their wonderful works for publication.

Nothing gives us more happiness than celebrating you.

I take this opportunity to thank our exemplary Principal, Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya for being the inspiration and driving force behind all that we do at WIN Times.

Wishing the Winchester family health, happiness, and success.

Read, write, aspire, inspire... SHINE! Warm regards, Mishal Faraz, Year 9B Editor-in-Chief

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Meet Team WIN Times llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Mir Faraz Yr6,Managing Editor

Victoria Nedyalkova Yr. 6, Co-Editor

Aryaman Chakravorty Yr. 7, Co-Editor

Hi there! I’m Mir Faraz, the Managing Editor for WIN Times. I’m also fortunate to be entrusted with the duty of the Primary Head Boy this year. Honouring these two roles, I aspire to serve my Winchester family to the best of my capability. In these unprecedented times, we have truly understood the meaning of connection. And that is exactly what WIN Times is all about – staying connected and celebrating each other. I cannot wait to see all the creative pieces we will be showcasing in our school magazine this year. Wishing everyone a very successful academic year 2020-2021!

I’m Victoria Nedyalkova. I’m ten years old, studying in Year 6J. As a proud member of WIN Times, I believe that it is a great reflection of the values and the spirit of Winchester School in an intriguing way and everyone should feel invited to share and be a part of the Winchester School history. Staying motivated in this new situation is difficult and challenging, and I believe that by following our dreams and goals and surrounding ourselves with good supportive friends will make things better.

My name is Aryaman Chakravorty, a grade 7 student. Being an avid reader, my love for books encouraged me to become a part of WIN Times. Reading and writing change our perception about life.

We can enrich our vocabulary, increase our general knowledge, and most importantly boost selfconfidence. Reading and writing skills are a very important tools for one’s cognitive development. As a part of WIN Times, it also helps me develop my thinking skills. WIN Times being one of its kind in UAE Schools, I feel proud to be a member of the WIN Times Team.

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Dana Raed Alamawi Yr. 8, Graphic Editor

Hello everyone! My name is Dana. I love graphic designing and am very interested in computer skills and programming. I am so proud to be a part of WIN Times as it taught me to think outside the box and explore many areas that helped me improve myself in many ways! I never thought I would be capable of achieving all the works I did being a part of WIN Times. I learnt to take the opportunities offered to me and try my best!

Zaara Zain Belgami Yr. 8, Graphic Editor

Hello readers, I'm Zaara from Year 8, welcome to WIN Times! I'm the artist of the cover you saw on the front! I love art as a hobby, so once I heard of the opportunity I ran after it! Art involves so many other subjects, math, ICT and more, from dimensions and geometrical shapes, to art on a screen, art is made for anyone and everyone who is willing to give it a try.

"Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up" -Pablo Picasso.

Hope you enjoy our monthly magazine!

Aarav Pradhan, Year 11, Senior Editor and Columnist

Hello! I’m Aarav Pradhan from Year 11 and I am the Deputy Head Boy for Secondary. I am a Senior Editor and a Columnist for WIN Times. Writing is a way most of us use to express ourselves or to get a point through, but it’s so much more than that. When you write, you are narrating your life, whether it’s a letter to your grandparents or an English exam! Our brains find a place where we can intertwine real life and imagination when we write almost magically. I am really looking forward to seeing some amazing articles and great work this year. Express your thoughts and don’t hold back because this is a platform to convey your views and provide insight to others!

Arjun Kapur, Year 13, Senior Editor and Columnist

I have keen interest in matters related to economics and politics.

Writing has always been my hobby too. I write articles for my blog and host my own podcast, where I discuss economic issues spurring today. I also write for external platforms such as the Amplifier Magazine, where I write reviews for the latest albums. WIN Times is a great source of student perspective and information for all that is happening in the school. It sheds light on achievements and accolades that the students of Winchester proudly earn. Participation is pivotal; hence, we invite everyone to contribute with articles they wish to see on the magazine. I look forward to a positive year!

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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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Say Hello to the WIN Times Columnists!

Check out the regular WIN Times columns which will keep you entertained and informed!

METAMORPHOSIS

BY AARAV PRADHAN

THE SCHOOL ECONOMIST

YEAR 11

BY ARJUN KAPUR

“Metamorphosis” talks about growth and progression and targets the youth to innovate and spread their ideas.

An absolutely brandnew perspective of economy-related issues.

YEAR 13

THE GREEN GUIDE

BY GARETH ANDRADE

ALL ABOUT BOOKS

YEAR 7

BY PIYUSH SEHGAL

A column to educate and inspire about planet love and environmental protection.

YEAR 6 An in-depth look into the world of books.

LEARN ARABIC WITH NADIA

BY NADIA GABER YEAR 3 Our youngest columnist teaches you five Arabic phrases each month.

GOALS FOR LIFE

BY MISHAL FARAZ, YR 9B, AND MIR FARAZ, YR 6H An insightful look at the Sustainable Development Goals.

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WIN Students Shine Bright at Voices of Future Generations Arabia Awards Voices of Future Generations Arabia, is a unique writing initiative under the patronage of UNESCO, created to promote Sustainability and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. HH Sheikha Hissa Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Goodwill Ambassador for the initiative for the Gulf Region.

The initiative was first launched internationally in 2014, and it is in its first year in the Gulf Region.

Congratulations to Mir who received the award in "The Most Riveting Use of Language" Category and Aditi, who received the award in “The Most Authentic Voice� Category at the Voices of Future Generations Arabia Award Ceremony held at Zabeel Ladies Club.

Mir Faraz, Year 6 and Ms. Indu Chandak, Head of KS2

Aditi Gandhi, Year 8 and Ms. Nirmal Rani, Head of KS3

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Together We Can! Of Hopes, Achievements, and the New Normal Dr. Ritika Anand

‘Change is the cause and the result of any true learning’.

How profound and how true! The past few months have reintroduced and reinforced that change is inevitable and the success of any society, community, institution or person lies in the agility, ability and adaptability to accept change and reinvent the ways of working to make the best out of the evolving circumstances.

We, at The Winchester School Jebel Ali, have proved extremely successful in working with and around the unprecedented lockdown situation and ensured the best of remote learning provision for our students with enriching and engaging experiences both academically and in extra-curriculars.

An excellent testament of this is our outstanding IGCSE and A level results…

Dr. Ritika Anand is the Vice Principal of The Winchester School, Jebel Ali. Ms. Ritika fervently believes in the Winchester motto, “Every Child Matters”, and is committed to raising standards of learning skills, attainment, and progress across the school . Her goal is to ensure that all students become critical thinkers, active problemsolvers, productive citizens, and future leaders.

In IGCSEs, overall: • 22% of entries at IGCSE are A* as compared to 11% last year • 50% of entries at IGCSE are A* to A as compared to 39% last year • 72% of entries at IGCSE are A* to B as compared to 63% last year • 87% of entries at IGCSE are A* to C as compared to 77% last year • 100% Pass Rate at IGCSE In A Levels, Overall based on entries: • 24% of entries at A level are A* as compared to 11% last year • 49% of entries at A levels are A*to A compared to 36% last year • 71 % of entries at A level are A*to B compared to 55% last year • 89% of entries at A level are A*to C compared to 76% last year • 100% Pass Rate at A levels

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In A Levels, Overall based on number of students: • 26 (31%) students achieved straight A* and A in three or more subjects as compared to 15 (23%) students last year • 6 students achieved straight 4 A* in all their subjects as compared to 2 students last year.

• 9 students achieved straight 3A* or more.

• 16 students achieved 2A*or more as compared to 5 students last year.

• 32 students achieved at least 1A* as compared to 15 students last year.

In BTEC, overall based on entries: • • • • •

48% students achieved Double Distinction Star 57% students achieved Double Distinction or better 59% students achieved Distinction or better 80% students achieved Double Merit or better.

84% students achieved Merit or better.

A SCHOOL WHERE EVERY CHILD MATTERS Taking forward our success of the past term, with rigorous planning and strict adherence to the health and safety guidelines from the authorities, we are very happy to welcome back our students, staff and parents into a yet again unprecedented school model of ‘BLENDED LEARNING’.

So, what does this mean? At a school where ‘every child matters’, we have created a model which serves more than 4000 students and their parents through their preferred way of learning – those who chose to come to school and those who prefer remote learning. In this new normal, where health and safety are paramount, all personnel including staff and students coming to school have to strictly follow social distancing and wear face masks at all times. The teaching and learning have become even more hi-tech with the teacher teaching the face to face students at school as well as the ones accessing remotely through simultaneous live streaming. In this perceived disconnect, there is an even greater endeavour from the teachers to know their students, build relationships and confidence in each other and form bonds which reach out to emotional, social, behavioural, physical and academic well-being. Personalised maximized outcome continues to be our focus for all learners and as a team we are committed to ensure this along with the excellent collaborative partnership of our parents.

Let’s look forward to an exciting and fulfilling new academic year. Let’s pledge to keep ourselves and our community safe. Its everyone’s responsibility.

Together we can!

With best wishes and warm regards, Dr. Ritika Anand Vice Principal

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Hall of Fame Please join us in celebrating the toppers for the Academic Year

2019-2020…

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‫أسعيد بلقائ‬ Saeed biliqaeqa I am pleased to meet you ‫في خدمتك‬ Fi khidmatika At your service 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.

‫شفاك هللا‬ َ ِ \‫شفاك هللا‬ Shafaka Allah/Shafaki Allah Hope you recover ‫أراك الحقًا‬ َ ِ \‫أراك الحقًا‬ Araka lahiqan/Araki lahiqan See you later ‫ال داعي للشكر‬ La daee lishukr No need for thanks

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Ms. Harpreet Kaur, Head of Secondary

Ms. Harpreet is committed to enabling students to be fully equipped with academic excellence, strong character and personality, with love for knowledge, learning and developing skills that will drive their progress successfully, making them lifelong learners. She strives to develop the individual potential of each student and provide them with a variety of opportunities to widen their individual interests and talents. She ensures that the educational experience is powerful and enriching so that students are fully prepared for their future education and can seamlessly steer their careers to the fields of their choice.

She inculcates strong values and wants students to be creative and innovative to continuously improvise and get better and better.

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Ms. Rachna Shukla, Secondary Teaching and Learning Coach

Ms. Rachna is the Teaching and Learning Coach for Secondary.

She was Head of the Business Department since 2015 and has twenty plus years of teaching experience during which she has developed an insight of innovative teaching and pedagogical approaches.

With my leadership inputs, she was able to ensure consistently outstanding learner outcomes and high quality teaching standards. She is committed to support her students and colleagues to ensure they maximize their potential and achieve their aspirations.

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SCHOOL RE-OPenING READINESS CHALLENGING TIMES CALL FOR CHALLENGING MEASURES Ms. Jaya Paliwal, Head of Primary The new academic year 2020-21 began differently than anyone could have ever expected. It was impossible to predict or foresee the abrupt and sweeping changes that we now face because of the COVID-19 crisis. Challenging times, different needs, new rules, shifting priorities- we were all required to adapt quickly to an unprecedented situation. In the month of July, there was an enormous demand for schools to reopen so that teachers, parents, and school-aged kids could return to some semblance of productive normalcy. However, behind closed doors, our senior leadership team was debating whether it would be safe to reopen schools at all this fall. During such a worrying and disruptive time, it is natural to have a lot of apprehensions, questions and discussions. But the biggest apprehension was if we were fully equipped to meet the challenges of this ever-evolving state. As educationists, we all had the unanimous opinion that it is very important for the personal, social, emotional, physical and intellectual development and well-being of the students that they return to school. But were we ready? But, believing that action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility, we started working on our reopening readiness plans.

We started brainstorming for hours and for several days and we all started working on the reopening readiness plans. We conducted many surveys with parents and staff members and gauged their ideas, opinions and expectations related to provisions at school during this pandemic time. In this entire process of preparation and readiness for the school with the new norms and new ways of being responsible to be safe and healthy, we worked in partnership with parents, teachers and other stakeholders.

The first and foremost challenge was to finalize our educational model. After many rounds of thorough discussion, we finalised that we would offer a Blended Learning model where students would be divided into 2 groups to accommodate social distancing requirements. Group A would avail face to face on site lessons at school while the other Group B would avail live streamed lessons at home as per the same time table. Group A would be coming for 3 days and Group B would be coming for 2 days in a week and vice versa in the next week. While face-toface learning remained the preferred education model, we did realise that different parents had different views, especially in the first phases of re-opening. As a temporary measure, we provided 100% distance learning provision in the new academic year to parents who requested it. This was intended to help ease parents and children into an eventual return to face-to-face learning.

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In the context of the pandemic, it became even more essential for us to provide our distance learning students with the learning opportunities that are equitable and inclusive and that comprehend both the transmission of knowledge and the development of key skills that are necessary to succeed in school, at work and in life.

The provision of health and hygiene, safety arrangements, sanitation and waste management were further upgraded as per the directives by the DHA and KHDA. Some such measures included maintaining social distance; wearing masks; being screened by thermal cameras; receiving temperature scans before being allowed to enter the school building; carrying out a general cleaning and disinfection once every 24 hours and deep cleaning every weekend; installing of hand washing or hand sanitizing stations in key locations around the school premises and on the school bus; carrying out hourly cleaning and disinfections of high-contact surfaces such as light switches, handrails, doorknobs, toilet seats etc.; equipping medical team fully with clinics and isolation rooms for students or staff members who might experience a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms and providing temporary holding areas. COVID-19 PCR testing was not mandatory for students. However, we carried out Covid-19 PCR test for all school staff members keeping health and safety of all our children and staff in mind.

We also up levelled our transport safety measures which included operating buses at 50% of their capacity; maintaining 2m distance and wearing mask at all times while on the bus; ensuring temperature checks of bus users before boarding the bus and making students and staff sit in their designated seats only; sanitizing of seats, handrails etc. will after every use etc. Our IT team worked tirelessly to resolve all IT related issues.

Class room setting, timetable, welcome pack, learning displays, staggered break time, arrival and dispersal schedules, curriculum modification and virtual assemblies, meetings and events and other precautions aimed at preventing the transmission of the virus were the new normal as kids and educators returned to school.

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Based on finding from parents’ survey, the school made changes in the timetable by incorporating a fair balance of face to face live streamed lessons (synchronous) and pre-recorded (asynchronous) lessons across school till Year 9 to enable some flexibility in schedules. This provision has been made on the request of larger majority of parents and in the best interests of families. We have created a good balance across all areas of the curriculum. The students coming to school will access the recorded lessons at that time and teacher will use + provide support to small group of identified students from face to face as well as distance learning. this time to Teachers have done the exercise of curriculum mapping to identify the content that can be delivered through online recorded lessons.

In order to foster a love for different subjects; enhance comprehension and creativity; promote enquiry, problem solving, research, critical and analytical thinking and investigation skills, and, also to provide an avenue for self-expression beyond school curriculum, we have planned subject weeks. To achieve such aims, each subject week will undertake a number of activities or projects with a view to provide a range of learning opportunities to the learners with varies learning styles, abilities, interests and intelligences.+

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Islamic education is very close to our hearts and we wish to have all our students develop greater proficiency in its understanding, and application. Hence, we will start providing online after school support lessons in Islamic Education for our Arab and Non-Arab Muslims students for Term 1 from 3:15 pm to 4:00 pm on every Sunday, starting from 25th October, 2020.

At The Winchester School, we encourage our students to be well‐balanced individuals through engagement in various opportunities that are provided to them. To enhance the 21st century skills in them, we are providing our students from Year 4 to Year 6 the opportunity to participate in ‘Diplomathon Global Primary Conference’ to be held on Saturday, 24th October 2020 from 8.00 am till 5.00 pm. We will host a bigger, better and broader virtual ‘Learning Market’ this year on Saturday, 31st October 2020 from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm by inviting other schools to be a part of this social cause. ‘Learning Market’ will provide a platform for our community to contribute their creative and innovative solutions to support and achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Developments Goals. This event will showcase the upcoming advancement in educational technologies for parents and students.

‘Project RONA’ (Resilient, Optimistic, Novel Approach) a student led initiative founded by a very passionate group of students last academic year, has been relaunched this year. It will provide opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular learning beyond the regular school hours.

The courses are now available for Primary students of Year 4 and above.

We have initiated an online Well-being platform for all stake holders to share concerns with SLT every Tuesday from 3 to 4 pm called WIN Stronger Together.

We have always ensured that we stay in close contact with all our stakeholders before as well as after reopening through our website, elearning platform, calls, online meetings, webinars, online orientation workshops, online assemblies, weekly newsletters, text-message updates or emails. We conducted webinars for the parents in the month of July for Foundation Stage students and gave them insight on how the school has planned their hours at school in this new normal and then for the parents and students from FS-1 to Year 6 on Reopening Readiness in the month of August. A range of informative manuals, tutorials and videos by our school doctors, Health and Safety Officer, Heads of Key Stages, Heads of Departments were shared with the parents from time to time.

Our parents’ and students’ appreciation and acknowledgement the school’s proactive approach, webinars, responses to FAQs gave us strength and positivity to strive to do our best.

I extend my sincerest gratitude and appreciation to our Principal, Vice Principal and the members of Senior Leadership, School Medical team, IT experts, Health and Safety team and School Operations team members for their thorough and proactive thinking in preparing the reopening readiness plan in line with the expectations/protocols by the authorities.

Ms. Jaya Paliwal joined GEMS Education at The Winchester School, Jebel Ali in August 2013 as a Secondary English teacher. She has assumed various leadership roles in since then, first as the Head of Year, then as the Head of Key Stage-4 and now as the Head of Primary. She is an accomplished teaching professional with a doctorate, having 20+ years’ experience in teaching and seven years’ experience in leadership. Ms. Jaya’s aim in the primary school is to make every effort to create a very enabling, caring, inclusive, stimulating, collaborative, inspiring and enriching learning environment and provide opportunities for students with variety of experiences to be creative, confident, independent lifelong learners, analytical thinkers, innovative leaders and world citizens who progress beyond limits. She actively promotes critical thinking, enquiry-based learning, problem solving, decision making, mindfulness, innovation and independent learning skills providing children with the opportunity to learn through play, trial and error method, risk taking and pursuits beyond the conventional classroom settings.

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Resilience to Brilliance Ms. Lorraine Butler Primary Teaching and Learning Coach and FS Lead Practitioner What a year 2020 has been. We have transitioned from classroom teaching to distance learning and now to blended learning. Our teachers have shown such adaptability and resilience. Our students have also showcased adaptability and resilience in ways we would never have imagined they’d ever need to. The pride we have in our students, how they have continued to show up to lessons daily, with a lust and love for learning is beyond anything we could have ever imagined.

In a world that has challenged us and changed dramatically over the last few months, Ms. Lorraine’s belief is that students are to be nurtured into balanced, independent and resilient critical thinkers has only been compounded.

As the teaching and learning coach, Ms. Lorraine aspires to inspire and guide teachers in becoming the best facilitators of education they can be.

Raising the standards of teaching and learning across all areas of curriculum enables the growth and development of students and teachers. Fostering positive relationships, asking challenging and sometimes difficult questions and being open to feedback are tools that Ms. Lorraine believes enable us to become the best versions of ourselves. Working with teaching staff, leadership team and parents, Ms. Lorraine believes we can model and influence students to constantly strive to achieve their goals and be the best versions of themselves that they can be. Through reflection, we can improve our daily practice to consistently challenge students.

We really hit the ground running as school started back this year.

Our classroom routines and new ways of learning are now firmly embedded in our practices. Our students have been participating and engaging in lessons, learning many new skills, concepts and knowledge. Students are also respectfully enabling communication between those in class and those at home, by actively listening, answering questions and asking questions during lessons. Our teachers are providing our students with many tools for showcasing learning. It is really endearing to see how eager our students are. Online, they are so keen to try out these many tools that enable collaboration and demonstration of learning. Those students who attend lessons in school are to be commended also. They show up, adhere to the restrictions and participate in lessons without reserve.

As teachers, we have spoken often in recent weeks about the creativity we are seeing from our students. We have seen wonderful work pieces. Students have demonstrated learning of science though art and English writing has been accompanied by wonderful illustrations. We are truly blessed to have such risk taking students in our school. We look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.

By now, we hope you are fully equipped with all the information you need to support your child on their school journey throughout this year. On our website, you will find our curriculum booklets with all the information you need to know about the teaching and learning of year groups. We will continue to update you weekly with what has been happening in school. However, if you need any support, information or would like to discuss please reach out to your class teachers or me.

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Scenic Artwork

by Ashpreet Rekhi Year 7I

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Cyber-Smart @ WIN Ms. Shirin Farzaza, Head of ICT WIN Times congratulates Ms. Shirin Farzana for being recognized as a Common Sense Media Ambassador 2020-2021.

In this insightful article, Ms. Shirin talks about online safety, especially during these unprecedented times when learning has gone digital and also what it means for the school to be credited as a Common Sense Media School 2020-2022.

Internet Safety, or Online Safety, is associated with maximizing the user's personal safety and security and reducing risks on private information and property associated with using the internet. It is the self-protection from computer crime in general. In the current era, the use of internet and technology has become a major part of our lives. Since the availability of the internet has broadened, cyber attack is a concern which many of them may miss out.

There are different forms of Cyber attacks like viruses, malware, spyware, phishing, ransomware, fraud etc. Social media is a great platform for connecting with friends and families but it has taken bullying to the extreme. Before advanced technology, children and teenagers were troubled by school bullies. Today, they are targeted by bullies via internet. Cyber bullying can lead to serious health concerns such as, anxiety, depression, and even suicide.

Several crimes can be committed on the

Internet such as stalking, identity theft and more.

More youths experienced cyberbullying on different social media. Article 29 of Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 Concerning Child Rights, also known as Wadeema's Law, states: The telecommunications companies and internet service providers shall notify the competent authorities or the concerned entities of any child pornography materials being circulated through the social media sites and on the Internet and shall provide necessary information and data on the persons, entities or sites that circulate such material or intend to mislead the children.

In addition, the Dubai Data Law (Law No. 26 of 2015 on the Organization of Dubai Data Publication and Sharing), aims for data protection and privacy of all individuals including that of children.

As a parent, teaching your child to be cybersafe will help them to engage with the online world safely, responsibly and

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discerningly can assist to protect them from online risks.

We, the Winchester School take great pride in the accreditation we have received as a Common Sense Media School 202022. We have implemented many steps to ensure the safety of students, teachers and the staff from cyber attacks. As the CommonSense Media Ambassador 2020, I have organized many awareness programs, assemblies, assessments, talks for parents and students in regards to cyber safety and drafted some of the policies related to responsible use of devices.

As Tim Cook said,” If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too. Criminals are using every technology tool at their disposal to hack into people’s accounts. If they know there’s a key hidden somewhere, they won’t stop until they find it.” So protect your key at all costs and stay safe.

Digital media and technology are evolving at a dizzying pace, both unlocking extraordinary opportunities and posing real risks for young people. Students are using the immense power of the internet and mobile technology to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined, both in and out of the classroom. At the same time, tech use can bring up ethical challenges such as cyberbullying and misinformation and health issues related to media balance and social and emotional well-being.

At Winchester, we believe that digital citizenship skills have become essential for students in the 21st century, especially this school year. That's why we are committed to teaching our students how to be digital learners, leaders, and citizens.

The Winchester School has just been approved as a Common Sense School, an honor that recognizes our efforts in teaching digital citizenship to young people and engaging the entire school community in this important discussion.

The recognition acknowledges our school's commitment to helping students build skills that are essential for their well-being today—and for the opportunities they'll have tomorrow.

This honor is provided by Common Sense Education, part of a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.

We are one of the more than 80,000 schools across the country that use Common Sense Education's groundbreaking education resources. As a result, our students are better equipped to navigate the digital world and use devices for learning. We hope you will encourage other schools in our district to take advantage of them. If 75% of schools in the district become Common Sense Schools, we can earn recognition as a Common Sense District.

As a Common Sense Educator, I believe my digital citizenship work acts as inspiration for educators around me who can following my footsteps. Being a learner myself I would also be lable to learn about creative ways other educators are implementing school-wide digital citizenship.

To learn more about Common Sense Education, visit www.commonsense.org/education

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Metamorphosis BEEP! There goes that dreadful alarm to distastefully wake you up from that dream you wish you finished.

As much as we hated those mornings before going to school, I am pretty sure at this point quite a few of us would do anything to bring that back! A lot has changed in the past few months, our worlds have been turned upside down and we were forced to adjust to this abrupt hindrance we like to call “COVID-19”.

I get it, most of us have heard so much about COVID19 and how there are a lot of guidelines (which you should most definitely follow!). However, I am not here to talk to you about that. The purpose of this article is to inform you of all the changes in the way we learn and how it has affected us and how all this time we are given at home can be used to our benefit.

Throughout the year, most of us have looked at this situation from the wrong angle. We as students are in the most vital years of our lives; the years that shape our personality, our beliefs, our friendships and even academia. In months, the way we used to learn just vanished, and Zoom is our best friend. Let’s see how the new method of learning has changed the scene in education globally.

Traditional methods of teaching in education are very hands-on, allowing students to learn by performing, a method that proves to be highly effective and enjoyable for many students.

Contrary to practical learning, online learning has its fair share of benefits but it does of course have a couple of drawbacks. The way we learn is very complicated, different parts of our cognitive abilities often have a higher superiority in comparison to other methods.

Some are visual learners, some practical and others are auditory learners.

Ever since COVID happened, we as students have been forced to switch the way we learn and diversify our methods of understanding topics. This broke the regular “read and write notes” cliché and helped us generate a custom learning environment suitable for all of our needs.

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Resourcefulness, a skill that we acquire only through personal experiences and exposure to dangerous or extremely new situations. While we learn about being resourceful and sustainable, we have just acquired such skills. As students, we learnt to make the best out of what we got, used zoom calls for parties, made online study groups, created school or even nationwide projects. All this time has allowed us to look at the world through another eye. See the world and its flaws and devise implementable solutions, we have been provided time to re contemplate our actions and our main goals while staying true to ourselves. So personally, such situations might put us in a bad position. However, the exposure to such a unique situation provides us with an insight into the trying times and exposes us to the real world and everything around it.

Many studies show that after the initial lack of productivity of the brain, our brains methods of learning have transfixed themselves onto a side that is often neglected which is vocational learning. We have had so much time to ourselves that we adapted to being independent, on being innovative and opening our eyes to the practical world rather than the idealistic one we as students currently live in.

BEEP! There goes the alarm, but this time it’s for you to make a change! It is often thought that you are born creative or that certain people have a flair you might not have, but trust your guts because what you see and believe is something no one else can put down or compete against. Just like the metamorphosis, it is our experiences that allow us to grow into an amazing person and these few years are the most vital for us, so let's make it count!

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 Learning from the Mistakes of Others At a time where businesses around the world are closing their doors, furloughing their staff and relying on government intervention to pay basic bills, it’s unlikely that anyone thinks this is a great time to launch a new start-up. Unless, that is, they’ve dreamt up a genius, new business model that will thrive in this demanding environment in which we now find ourselves. Drone deliveries don’t sound so preposterous now, do they?

There will come a point in the future when entrepreneurs around the globe will be champing at the bit again for their first – or next – taste of success.

Fully primed for action after this unplanned and unwanted hiatus from “business as usual”, they will unleash their ideas and products on the world before you can say “I hate coronavirus”. With many enjoying more time on our hands than normal, now is a perfect opportunity to become better acquainted with how and why other businesses have failed before.

Were they reckless with investor funds? Did they not know how to scale up? Did they over-sell and underdeliver? Let’s find out…

An oft-quoted aphorism in business circles is “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Everyone knows at least one colleague who has fallen foul of failing to plan. Perhaps they’re a selfproclaimed “ideas person” who suffers from an unfortunate inability to bring their ideas to life. Maybe they prefer the pressure of a deadline looming,

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only to fail to deliver when it matters most.

Seemingly a lot can happen in year. Or a month for that matter – events since 1st March of this year can teach us that much. It should go without saying, but clearly some business owners need to hear it – keep ALL of your practices above board at all times. There’s no simpler way to avoid scrutiny further down the line than to follow the letter of the law from the get-go. Not clued up about copyright infringement? Ask someone who is. Unsure how to deal with poor-performing staff? Hire an HR specialist. It’ll save you from much bigger headaches in the long term.

After all, no one likes to hear of businesses stealing ideas or mistreating their staff, deliberately or otherwise.

What better way to ensure retention than giving customers what they want?

And directly? Younger companies may have struggled to pivot in this way, choosing instead to throw further time, money and resources at the product that their blood, sweat and tears had built. Whether it’s a fancy looking website that doesn’t convert, or a service that isn’t as popular as it used to be, it’s vital to listen to your customers, to remain flexible and be open to change – even if it means taking a drastically different road to the one you had mapped out.

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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Trusting the Next Chapter A Welcome Message from our Head Girl, Adonia Joseph, Year 13 If this year were a movie, what would the title be?

Like any game-changer, Adonia is passionate about making a difference. She believes in giving back to the community, and she has, through volunteer work and participation in food drives, clean-up projects and charity events. Within school, she was the official RJ of the Wellbeing Radio, the founder of the Social Support Club, and the main organiser of multiple Awareness Assemblies. She is an active debater in the School team, having represented Winchester in a variety of competitions like Debate Dubai, Gulf Debates and World Scholars Cup. She has also been both a Delegate and a Chair in several MUN conferences and has an impeccable record within the Student Government, completing 7 years as a dedicated Student Leader. This year, Adonia is the Head Girl of the Winchester School and is looking forward to heading the official WinRadio, as well as hosting her very own podcast ‘A Little Piece of Advice’.

At first glance, it seems like a harmless question. After all, what possible life-changing truth could lie beyond these few simple words? However, the more time you spend thinking about it, the more you understand that the significance of this seemingly transparent question lies in the answer.

My mind instantly drifts towards something ominous, or something gloomy, like “The Year that Never Happened”... This is beyond understandable given the circumstances, but I want you to hold on to this question (at least for a few more seconds anyway).

It's been well established that this year has not turned out at all like we expected. There is no undermining the fact that this virus has changed EVERYTHING. From the way we learn, to the way we ‘socialise’, to the way we do groceries, it is impossible to deny that our lives have transformed beyond recognition.

Despite these hardships, the one thing that has remained unfailingly constant is our ability to stand up to the challenge and adapt to the times - almost to the point where we are thriving! If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it's that our hope, friendship, and resilience conquers all. We have to remember and be grateful for all the good things that happen in our lives, because not everybody can say the same.

It is these moments in time when life throws you an ultimatum: live with fear or live with courage. If you choose to entitle your movie (a metaphor for your beautiful life) something tragic, then it is easy to throw in the towel and give up. But once you realise that every breath you take is a gift, it becomes hard to take it for granted.

I hope you are inspired to live every day to the fullest and cherish these times with your family and friends - keeping in mind social distancing :) All the very best Winchester, let’s make this year count for ALL the right reasons! Stay safe and stay HAPPY!

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Message from the Primary Librarian, Ms. Veronika Lambova

Dear Students, Welcome to the Academic Year 2020-2021!

Given the interesting times, The Winchester School Primary Library will look and work differently.

This academic year library visits are on hold until further guidance from the UAE MOH authorities. Your health and safety are our first priority as always.

Until then, we will meet online and use digital libraries. Looking on the bright side, library lesson will be as long as you wish, and you can attend anytime from anywhere. I have created Flipgrid classrooms for each year group where you will find book recommendations, exciting reading activities and links to various resources to support you learning. Please ask your class teacher to guide you on log-in and step-by-step guide to get started with Flipgrid.

Keep reading!

Regards, Ms. Veronika

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Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school, everyone! It’s a new year, with new discoveries, new friendships, and new learning opportunities under the nurturing and caring watch of our teachers. With the start of a new school year, a lot needs to happen so that students can learn and thrive without raising the risk of spreading COVID-19.

As a part of the very dedicated medical team of The Winchester School, Jebel Ali, Dr. Mozhgan Khademipour, the Secondary School Doctor, is committed to ensure the holistic wellbeing of the students and staff.

We are grateful to Dr. Mozhgan for her valuable tips for our WIN Times readers which will surely help us all keep safe and healthy.

Why Students Should Go Back to School Schools provide more than just academics to children. In addition to reading, writing and math, students learn social and emotional skills, get exercise, and have access to mental health support and other services. To stay safe, there are a number of steps schools should take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Know How It Spreads There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The virus is thought to spread: •

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Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

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Social Distancing Avoid close contact with people who are sick and maintain at least 6 feet (2 meters) between yourself and the people around you. This is especially important for people who are more vulnerable. It is also very important that some people could be asymptomatic (having the virus without displaying any symptoms).

Wash Your Hands Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

It’s especially important to wash:

Masks •

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All children over age 6 years and all adults should wear masks that cover the nose and mouth to stop the spread of the virus. When worn correctly masks are safe to wear for long periods of time such as during the school day.

Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.

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Before eating or preparing food Before touching your face After using the restroom After leaving a public place After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing After handling your mask After caring for someone sick or after touching animals or pets.

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

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Maintain Hygiene Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit. Throw used tissues in the trash. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and Disinfect Surfaces Regularly This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

Monitor Your Health •

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Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, vomit, diarrhea, headache, body ache, loss of smell, loss of taste, It’s especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.

Take your temperature if symptoms develop, but don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.

Promote Self-Care Habits •

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Healthy students are better learners. We encourage our students to be active regularly, whether that means participating in a sport, taking their dog for a walk each day, or implementing some sort of exercise program into their mornings. Maybe one day you go on a nature hike or visit a history museum, both of which involve a lot of walking.

Teachers should discuss self-care in the classroom and the importance of taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally. Enough sleep is vital to the student’s physical health, but also to their ability to concentrate, maintain a positive attitude, and achieve their goals. Some important self-care habits include good hygiene, drinking plenty of water, and stress management.

Students should also learn how to balance the different parts of their lives, such as school, work, time with family and friends, and alone time. This can be hard for very social students but having a balance will keep them in a better place mentally and help them not to get burned out in any one area.

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Discuss Mental Health We encourage students to be honest with them and + talk to a counselor, parent, or trusted adult if they are concerned about themselves or a fellow student. Poor mental health can ravage a person’s physical health, and it brings about a whole slew of challenges that students shouldn’t have to face alone.

Students should know that we are there for them if they need someone to talk to and allow them to be open and honest about mental health.

How Can Students Stay Healthy at Home?

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Keep your body healthy with exercise Reduce eye strain from screens: Ensure the height and level of screen is five to six inches below the watching level •Limit the exposure to harmful blue light through the screens and make sure to look away from the screen for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes, Another good way to reduce this glare is to keep the display away from overhead lighting or windows using window blinds, using low wattage light bulbs or anti-glare filters Doing these things, students will reduce the chance of contracting computer vision syndrome which may cause dryness, fatigue, irritation, itching, headache, eye spasms, etc.

Keeping your mind healthy by practicing yoga and mindfulness exercise Eat plenty of healthy foods, fruits, and healthy snacks

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NEW COLUMN ALERT!!

Sharks are amazing sea creatures and are not that scary. However, the movie “Jaws”, and many other movies falsely portray sharks as thirsty for human blood. This false reputation created by the media influenced a lot of minds to believe what was wrong and hate and fear sharks. But that’s just not true! In fact, people are more likely to be killed by a COW than a shark!!

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.

Humans perceive sharks as a threat, yet the fishing industry kills up to 100 million sharks a year just for their dorsal fins. The slaughtered far outnumber the few shark attacks that are reported each year.

Researchers examined why sharks mistake surfers and swimmers for their intended prey, and this is what they discovered…

Sharks have extremely powerful vision and are unlikely to mistake a surfer for a seal. However, in turbid waters, the erratic motion of humans and the contrast between their skin and their attire can confuse sharks.

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DID YOU KNOW? 1. There are 1 thousand species of sharks 2. Sharks have been around for over 400 million years - long before dinosaurs.

3. Sharks do not have bones; hence, they do not leave fossils like other animals.

4. Shark skin feels like sandpaper.

5. Each whale shark’s spot pattern is unique as a fingerprint.

6. Some species of sharks have a spiracle that allows them to pull water into their respiratory system while at rest. Most sharks must keep swimming to pump water over their gills.

SHARK HERO: CRISTINA ZENATO Cristina helps with conservation of the underwater world and sharks. She is a shark whisperer. Watch this video where Sharks come to her to be petted after she removes the hooks from their mouth. Follow her @cristinazenato

7. Sharks are apex predators 8. Most sharks are cold-blooded 9. Sharks have a 'sixth sense' that helps them home in on prey during the final phase of attack: the ‘ampullae of Lorenzini’ are found on sharks' snouts and can sense the electric fields emitted by animals in the surrounding water.

10. Sharks eat fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, marine mammals, and even other sharks.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment educated the youth and the community about the prohibition of importing Shark Fins.

is celebrated worldwide annually on the Discovery Channel. This year, it was from Sunday, August 9 to Sunday August 16.

So even though they can be aggressive, remember that when you are swimming in the ocean, you are swimming in their home.

It is best to be not only cautious but also appreciative of this diverse and ancient species that is an integral part of a vast and magnificent ecosystem.

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ALL ABOUT BOoks Looking for the rainbow Piyush sehgal, Year 6D This book is a beautiful story of a boy and his fond memories with his father. He was 8 years old. The story tells us about a wonderful bond between a boy, who was the author himself, and his father. The story is in the backdrop of World War II, in which the author’s father was a part of the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was stationed in New Delhi when the Britishers ruled India. The boy’s father and mother had separated.

The author got a chance to spend one and a half years with his father; during this time, he learnt a lot of real-life things that later helped him in his academic success.

The best part of the story was that what more could an 8-year old boy ask for than to spend time with his father; going to the cinema to watch movies together and all fun stuff for a year. He made new friends in his colony. He was very happy because after a long time he came from boarding school and was spending time with his father. There were captivating and detailed illustrations in the book that helped in visualization of the emotions and added beauty to the story.

This book is very personal as I experienced the same feelings as the author depicted in the book. Recently my mother went away to take care of my grandfather for a month and my father and I also spent time together watching movies and sharing our mutual love for food and music. I could also relate to the setting of the story as I belong to India and the

NEW COLUMN ALERT!!

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names of the places and different food items were quite familiar to me.

The part that made me sad was when his father got sick from a disease and they both were separated from each other for two weeks. But in those two weeks, the boy, Ruskin, made a new friend who was a street cleaner. When Ruskin’s father went to Japan as a part of RAF, he was left alone at a boarding school in Shimla.

However, by this time, he became more confident and self-dependent. He made more friends and learned to do some cooking and singing. Few days before the winter break, his father came to meet him and spent a full day with him. Ruskin was excited to see his father again that day and they both had a good time.

However, later he got the news that his father passed away, leaving only the memories. This book did have a poignant ending, but it left behind sweet memories that would remain with me forever. I found a good flow in the style of writing while reading the book which can catch the attention of any reader. The title of the book is apt as well. It is a metaphor which means to look at the good, positive, and happy side of the different situations in life which we face and spend quality time with your family especially in these testing COVID times. I definitely recommend this book to all my friends and young readers as it is interesting and provides you with beautiful insight of the bond shared between a father and a son. I look forward to reading more books by the same author.

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. This is my first time writing articles for our school magazine WIN Times. I hope you find pleasure in reading my thoughts and views.

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The Summer of 2020 Victoria Nedyalkova, Year 6J Ever since I was little, I have always had a passion for writing.

Eventually, I aimed to become an author when I grew up. I always dreamed of having my own personal book published, but always thought I was too young, or thought that I would never come up with an idea.

After writing a dozen of stories and abandoning them, my parents decided to enroll me in a course to become a published author, letting my dream come true.

I was so excited to start! I couldn’t wait for the first week, and I kept asking “When will it start?” to my parents. Luckily, the time flashed by and the day was finally here. I had thought extremely hard about what I wanted it to be about but was uncertain how it will end. After couple weeks of planning and discussing, we were finally able to start writing. Writing had always been my passion, and now my dream was coming to life! However, even after I had completed my first draft, we still had so many more edits to make. My mentor was really kind and supported me throughout the whole process.

When I had completed my story, I was proud of myself, but we were not finished yet! Editing the story was HARD. I realized that having a first draft of the complete story was the easiest achievement. I couldn’t believe that I will be able to handle 8 to 10 draft copies where I try to terminate more of the clichés. I needed to think about every word in the story looking for its right meaning, synonyms and avoiding repetition. Having a bit of figurative language to make it stronger was another challenge for me. I had to place myself in the readers shoes making sure that everything was clear.

This was extremely hard because to me, it felt ready but because I knew how the story was going to play v out. I asked my family to read it; to see where I need to add or remove information. But the editing took nearly twice as long as it took to write a story! And let me tell you, reading the same thing over and over again was not fun. But it was worth it!

3 months in the making! 3 months of hard work and dedication and my FIRST book is now published and ready for your reading pleasure. Eleven Chapters, 11800 words, I am contented.

Here is an extract from my first book “NEVER ALONE” (available on Amazon UAE, US, UK, Canada, and Japan) especially for the WIN Times readers:

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WOW!!! We have a published author in school!!!

It was just a regular day for Emma and her friends, or so they thought. Emma was just an average girl with a sassy attitude. She had her ups and downs in life but was pretty popular at school. Emma was known for her polite role-model attitude towards everyone, no matter how mean people were to her.

She had never met her father and her mother never told her anything about him.

It was the last lesson for most students one school day, and for Emma, her final class was Math. Her Math teacher was one of the teachers that the whole grade despised. Mrs. Grunch… even her name infuriated Emma. She was an old hag with a hunched back, and she was quite short as well. But it wasn’t her looks that made Emma dislike her. It was her constant rude attitude towards her students that made Emma wish that one day, she would be fired.

After school, Emma and her friends met up in the school hall. One friend in particular was there, Noelle.

Noelle had been her best friend ever since they were in first grade and had stuck up for her all the time when she was being teased and being called mean names. Emma couldn’t have asked for any friend better than her.

The hall was sickening, from the putrid smell (coming from the lunchroom) of the school lunch leftovers that had been rotting over the day in the opened bins and uncleaned lunch tables. The lunchroom was handled by a former cook who loved to eat. She was an overweight lady with her stomach bulging out in front of her. Her head was barely seen. She wore an extra-extra-large light green shirt with a white apron. She would always come to the school lunchroom with a hairnet but a strand from her hair would always be grossly pasted to her forehead with either steam or sweat. Lunchrooms were usually most students’ favorite place where they can talk together and enjoy their meals, but not at this school. The food was of poor quality. The meat was chewy. The vegetables were not fresh and the lunchroom lady was bad-mannered. Emma’s school wasn’t the best school in the area, but in the eyes of her mom, she had no intention to move her to a new one. But that was alright.

Emma had her nice group of friends. They met up and immediately started talking about the newest trends and they talked a little gossip, typical for a 13-year-old girl. That was when the conversation took an interesting turn…

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GOALS FOR LIFE

NEW COLUMN ALERT!!

SDG 14: Safeguarding the Elixir of Life Mishal Faraz, Year 9B, and Mir Faraz, Year 6H

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.

One of the goals is Goal No. 14, Life Below Water. SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.

The ocean is practically responsible for making Earth habitable. Everything from our food and water to the climate and the oxygen we breathe are ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. The ocean is also the world’s largest and most diverse ecosystem, home to nearly one million different species. However, despite the critical importance of conserving oceans, decades of irresponsible exploitation have led to an alarming level of degradation. Protecting the ocean must be a top priority. Marine biodiversity and the health of the ocean are tied to the health of the people and planet, so action needs to be taken to reduce overfishing, marine pollution, and ocean acidification.

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Facts and Figures To help mitigate the effect of climate change, the ocean absorbs approximately 23% of annual carbon dioxide emissions, as well as more than 90% of all excess heat in the atmosphere. Consequentially, ocean heat levels are rising at an alarming rate, causing marine heatwaves, which are threatening the ocean’s ecosystems and killing coral reefs all around the world.

Furthermore, another problem is increasing levels of debris in the ocean. An estimated 5 to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic enters the ocean every year, costing roughly $13 billion per year – including clean-up costs and financial losses in fisheries and other industries. About 89% of plastic litter found on the ocean floor are single-use items like plastic bags.

Also, 80% of all tourism takes place in coastal areas, with the oceanrelated tourism industry making at least $134 billion every single year, and a third of the labour force being supported by it in some countries.

And if not carefully managed, this tourism can threaten the ocean in a major way.

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Three quarters of the Earth is covered by water, but less only 3% is freshwater, and less than 1% is actually accessible to humans, with the other 2% being trapped in glaciers.

If all the water in the world could fit into a 4-litre jug, the amount of freshwater accessible to us would only be about one tablespoon.

Over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihood.

Marine fisheries provide 57 million jobs globally.

The ocean represents 99% of the living space on the planet by volume.

Around 80% of marine pollution originates on land.

One million plastic bottles are purchased globally every minute.

The world uses up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags every year.

Approximately 680 million people live in low-lying coastal zones – a number expected to increase to one billion by 2050.

6800 gallons of water are required to grow a day’s food for a family of four.

780 million people lack access to an improved water source.

Unsafe water kills 200 children every hour.

In the developing world, 80% of all illnesses is waterrelated.

50% of water is lost because of leaks.

It is estimated that by 2025, half the population will live in water-scarce countries.

We should not stop taking action to conserve the ocean while tackling the pandemic. According to UNESCO, the ocean can be a great ally in fighting COVID-19. Bacteria found in the ocean is used to carry out testing and detect the presence of COVID-19. Additionally, the wide diversity of species found in the ocean offers great potential and promise for pharmaceuticals.

The pandemic also offers the opportunity to revive the ocean. A report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific states that the drastic reduction in human activity brought by the pandemic may be a chance for the oceans to recuperate.

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How You Can Help There are many things that we can do at the individual level to do our part to protect the precious oceans.

Firstly, make responsible, ocean-friendly choices, such as eliminating your plastic usage as much as possible.

Use cloth bags instead of plastic bags, carry a reusable water bottle with you, and whenever you do use plastic, dispose of it responsibly in the recycling bin. You can also make a change by taking part in campaigns and beach clean-up drives. But the most helpful thing you can do is to spread the word and make people aware of how crucial marine life is and why we need to protect it. By doing your bit, you will inspire people to do the same, and likewise, they will inspire another few people, and will create a ripple effect throughout the whole world. When you think of just yourself recycling one plastic bottle, for instance, it may seem small and insignificant, but think of thousands and millions of people doing the same thing – the impact will be huge.

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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Equality and Harmony Inaya Danish Zaidi, Year 6

Equality and harmony is so important in our society. We face so many challenges in our day to day life, but wouldn’t it be so wonderful if we say no to inequality and racism? It is wisely written that black has no superiority over white and vice versa. Any human being has no superiority over the other. It's just a simple message, and I just hope we understand the message to make ours and others lives easier.

Coming Up In The Next Issue…

It’s with great excitement and pride that we announce 3 new columns next issue!

ARTISTICALLY YOURS by martin georgiev, year 9C

SPORTZ UNLIMITED by

aryaman chakravorty, year 7B

AROUND THE WORLD by victoria nedyalkova, year 6J