AISA Insider (Parents Newsletter): Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Q2 2011)

8/7/2019 AISA Insider (Parents Newsletter): Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Q2 2011)

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There are no silver bullets in education. But writing -- par-

ticularly nonction writing -- is about as close as you can get

to a single strategy that has signicant and positive effects in

nearly every other area of the curriculum.

-Douglas Reeves, The Write Way. American School Board

Journal, November 2010 (Vol. 197, No. 11, p. 46-47)

AISA InsiderThe Quarterly Newsletter for Parents

Volume 1, Issue 2

Quarter Two (February 2011)

Sports News

Spring Sports: U11 Soccer, Badminton, Softball,Track and Field

Mar. 9-13 MS Festival MES-Cairo

Mar. 9-13 JV Basketball UAS-Kuwait

Mar. 16-20 Varsity Basketball TAISM-Muscat

Apr. 13-17 Badminton ANS-Abu Dhab

CalendarFeb. 13-14 -- Prophets Birthday (No School)

Feb. 17 -- Secondary School Report Cards

Feb. 22 -- Talent Show

Mar. 30 -- Elementary School Report Cards

Apr. 7 -- Q3 Ends

Mid-April: Aladdin (Elementary School)

Apr. 14 -- Sec Report Cards

Apr. 22 -- Spring Break

by Hana Al-Ameri (Grade 11)

(Reprinted from The Express student newspaper.)

Dozens of talented middle school and high school students

have had or will have the opportunity to sing, play music and

dance at the Tunes, Lyrics and Choirs (TLC) night on January

19 and the upcoming AISA's Got Talent showcase on Febru-

ary 22.

Standing-room-only TLC performances in the afternoonand evening in the Drama Room ranged from piano solos to

vocal solos to guitar solos. High school performers included

the middle school and high school choirs, junior Gregory

Brown on guitar, and seniors Peter Boulos on piano and

Philippe Trottier on electric guitar. Middle school performers

included Maya Yang (Grade 8), Michelle Pyo (Grade 6), Me-

linda Knowling (Grade 7) and Mathilde Bienseant (Grade 7).

TLC is suppose to be a play on 'tender loving care' -- if

your soul needs some TLC come to an AISA TLC concert,

said Ms. Van Rensburg. She added that she hopes to provide

a platform for students to gain performing experience and

teachers and parents to get some 'soul food.'

Senior Serene Harb, in her second year of high school choir,

was excited to participate in Music Night. "There are many

talented students and this was an opportunity for us to show

it, she said.Following last year's successful Coffee House performance

night, this year's Talent Show is is scheduled to include a

variety of performances ranging from dance, to music to

comedy, according to Ms. Van Rensburg.

Since many students have signed up to be in it, there may

be auditions, she said. The winner of the talent show will

get the title 'AISAs Most Talented Student' and maybe some

other mystery goodies, she said.

by Oshba Al-Murar (Grade 12)


In November, six students and a teacher went on a two-

week community service trip to Nepal to learn about a differ-

ent culture, hike the Annapurna Mountains and volunteer with

a boarding school for orphans.

Mr. Deschamps led juniors Janeeta Abbasi, Joumana As-

four, Claudia Oswald, Delia Smith, Dorien Van Heerden and

Kevin Van Hoogstraten on the trip, co-sponsored by World

Challenge, a school expeditions company.

World Challenge offers an unrivaled range of expedition

programmers focused 100 percent on the education of young

people, stretching comfort zones and expanding minds out-

side the classroom, according to their website.

Mr. Deschamps said the two favorite things he liked about

Nepal were the amazing food and the most amazing, seless

people. Each student had a duty, such as transportation, ac-

commodation, food and budget.

During the trip, they hiked to the Buddhist Swayambhunath

Temple, better known as the Monkey Temple, because

monkeys overran the trees around the temple.

They also visited Kathmandu's Durbar Square, a collection

of ancient temples and palaces from the 12th-18th centuries.

Its like stepping back in time a 1000 years, said Mr. Des-

champs.

At the Nagajuna Modern Boarding School, AISA students

did lots of programs with the more than 100 school students,

such as helping to teach, make arts and crafts and buying

basic materials the school needed including sports equipment,

medical care and musical instruments.The experience was motivating and very inuential, espe-

cially when we saw the way they lived and how happy they

were with a simple soccer ball, Asfour said.

The IB1-CAS students are planning to raise awareness

and money to help the school build a new building on the

outskirts of Pokhara, Nepal. Van Heerden is planning a photo

essay-exhibition and may have a table at the International

Night. For more information, visit www.thenagajunatrust.org.

by Gareth Jones, AISA Director

Throughout its 15 year history, AISA has struggled with the

challenge of getting parents involved in the school and main-

taining effective communications between the home and the

school. About ve years ago, a Parent Support Group was set

up to offer support to the school, but unfortunately this never

grew beyond a small group of dedicated hard workers.

We have now set up a new AISA Parent Group (APG)

which has started to meet. Initially this group is made up of

one representative from each grade. You should have received

an email from your childs grade representative (if you didnt,

it means we have an incorrect email address for you!). The

group will be developing with the aim of nding one repre-

sentative from each class in the elementary school and one

from each homeroom or advisory group in secondary.The initial aim of the group is to act as an effective chan-

nel of communication between the school and home. If we

have an incorrect email address for you, you will receive a

note from the school asking you to send the current, correct

address. We will also be setting up a telephone tree which

will allow us to contact every family quickly in the case of an

emergency. Please cooperate with the school by providing the

up-to-date information and please think about being part of

our telephone tree.

The second aim is to create opportunities for parents to be

actively involved in the school. You might want to come and

speak at careers day. You might want to help with a theatre

production, or international night. You might want to offer

support to a new AISA family who are the same nationality as

you. There are many possibilities. Once again, please contact

your grade representative to let her/him know how you would

like to be involved.Lets all work together to make the APG a living part of

AISA life!

AISA Parent Group: Helping Home-School Communication

MS & HS Performers Give TLC to

Standing-Room Only Crowd

Helping Orphan Students on World Challenge

Community Service Trip to Nepal


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Entertainment

by Maitha Al Mansouri (Grade 11)


The rst-ever Formula 1 Night, a school celebration of the

F1 races at the Yas Marina Circuit, had more than 80 attend-

ees who raised more than AED 2,000 for the Student Council

on November 4.

A smashing success, said Mr. Thomas, one of the events

organizers.

There was a live band and two DJs, including seniors Salem

Al Neiami and Kamau Baaqi. Races included the egg race

and tricycle race with prizes such as Ferrari caps.

The idea of an F1 night came from the student leaders who

wanted to link the school with the Abu Dhabi communityoutside of school, student leaders said. The Formula 1 races

occurred from November 12-14.

With the slogan of Bring Your Wheels, F1 Night was an

active, exciting event with rollerbladers, skateboarders and

students playing Xbox racing video games. Proceeds will

help fund future student council events, student leaders said.

Many students and teachers enjoyed the popcorn, French fries

and cupcakes.

Ms. Levi, another event organizer, said, Once you start

something, it can never go anywhere but up.

by Mr. McGrady

Middle School Movie Night

On January 20, more than 60 middle

school students gathered in the school

gym to watch Karate Kid. The movie

night was hosted by the Middle School

Leadership team and was a Co-ed event

where students were able to relax and

hang out with friends before the begin-

ning of exams.

AISA School Bus Spotted Driving on

Yas Marina Circuit

You didnt have to turn your head too

fast to catch AISA students travelling

the F1 Yas Marina Circuit as students

were given the chance to travel by

school bus on the world famous track.

The Grade Seven class was taking

special notes on this event as Quarter

3 brings the beginning of their F1 in

Schools program where they will work

together to develop their own F1 team,

and design their very own F1 car!

AISA Students Kayaking Mangroves

Middle School students will take to

their kayaks as they paddle their way

through the local Abu Dhabi man-groves. The trip will be around 2 hours

in length and allow students the chance

to develop their kayaking ability as well

as inform students about the fragile

mangrove eco system. The upcoming

trips are on February 15-17.

by Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11)(Reprinted from The Express student newspaper.)

Middle school students and teachers enjoyed a variety of

outdoor activities at the annual Middle School Ourdoor Acad-

emy, a trip to the Sharjah desert, in mid-December.

Mr. McGrady, a middle school art teacher, organized the

camp with Ecoventure, a Dubai-based company that runs

outdoor activities for students. I went to a camping trip

growing up as a kid and I wanted to share the experience with

the students, he said.

Two camping trips were held, one for the girls and one

for the boys, according to Ms. Spegele, the girls assistant

principal. The girls went on December 14 and came back on

December 16, while the boys went on December 16 and came

back on December 18.

The trip did not run in the previous school year but has run

for at least two years at the school. Mr. McGrady said about

half the middle school (more than 100 students) paid AED

1,425 to attend. The purpose of the camp was to expose

everyone to outdoor challenges and to build leadership and

community spirit, Ms. Spegele said.

On the rst day of the camp, students took part in rock

climbing, sand boarding, an obstacle course, and created a

re to roast marshmallows. On the second day of the trip,

students kayaked, canoed, and raft built. I loved it, said Ms.

Spegele. I participated in almost every activity I could and

all of the teachers did as well.

Ms. Schwartz supervised the girls camp. I enjoyed the

experience and the girls had fun, she said. Dina Hammoud

(Grade 8) was one of those girls. My favorite part of the

camping trip was kayaking! she said. At rst, it was chal-

lenging but I after I did it, I felt condent. The instructors

were really good. They taught me how to kayak and were

always there for me.

Mr. McGrady is hoping for more students to attend the

camping trip next year. In the meantime, he is planning akayaking trip to Abu Dhabi's Mangroves in mid-February.

by Aria Pavlic (Grade 11)


Cheered on by the home crowd, the AISA Boys Varsity

Soccer team clinched the nearly-canceled ISAC Cup, an an-

nual round-robin tournament held at AISA on January 13-14.

The AISA Girls Varsity Soccer team nished with a respect-

able 2-1 record.

The tournament was scheduled to have ve teams, but the

two Omani teams, the American-British Academy (ABA) and

The American International School in Muscat (TASIM), had

difculty getting a visa to travel to Abu Dhabi, according toAISA Athletic Director Mr. Synoground. However, he was

able to invite Dubai's Universal American School (UAS),

Qatar Academy in Doha, and Abu Dhabi's Raha International

School as replacements.

The AISA Boys opened the tournament by beating Qatar

Academy 2-0, and nished the rugged tournament with three

wins and one red card, received by senior Chris Kuijken.

Left-Midelder Karim Abu Eicha (Grade 12) said, It was

rough, but we still won every game and kept our home eld

clean from defeat.

Though some players were disappointed that they were not

able to play the scheduled teams, Coach Mangan said, I'm

proud of the boys coming out undefeated and looking forward

to seeing them play in the ECC.

The AISA Girls (including this reporter) won both games

against Qatar Academy, but lost to UAS. Captain Danielle

Cobrand (Grade 11) said, "It was good practice for our team,

but we didnt meet the high expectations.Hundreds of AISA students cheered on the teams during

a pep rally and throughout the day. The games were really

exciting and intense, said onlooker Samantha Kettle (Grade

11). You could feel the crowd getting really into it and

cheering them on.

Both AISA varsity teams qualify for the ECC, which will be

held at UAS in Dubai on February 12.

F1 Night Revs Up the Fun: Races and DJs Raise AED 2K

Boys Varsity Soccer Team Wins ISAC Cup on Home TurfMS Students Roughing It

and Loving It at Camp

Middle School Updates:

Karate Kid, F1 Tour, Kayaking

Twenty-ve high School students attended the amazing World Peace Orchestras nal rehearsal at Emir-

ates Palace before their Middle East debut. The musicians discipline was a great example to our students.

Also at the Emirates Palace, 75 AISA family members and staff attended the enriching Young Peoples

Concert conducted by the famous Daniel Barenboim! -Ms. Van Rensburg

by Aria Pavlic (Grade 11)


On November 10, dozens of high school Drama and Choir

students performed in War and Pieces. The rst half was

the comedic play The Hysterical History of the Trojan War,

and the second half were musical performances.

Drama instructor Mr. Gallichan, who previously directed

a series of one-act plays at AISA last spring, said: It was a

pleasure to work with the seniors, they're enthusiastic and

talented. They have set a high standard for years to come.He hopes to make the performing arts a major part of life at

AISA. Art Teacher Ms. Pegg led set design.

Choir Teachers Ms. Van Rensburg and Mr. Chris Lamar

worked with the students who performed solo vocal and

musical pieces, and the play's Greek chorus. The High School

choir sang The Beatles' Revolution and The White Stripes'

Seven Nation Army.

War and Pieces:

Drama, Music Performances

2AISA Insider:

Q2 2011


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by Ms. Merrell, HS Guidance Counselor

This year the counseling ofce has processed

over 200 university applications to seven countriesincluding the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Lebanon,

the UAE and the Netherlands. More upcoming

include Australia, New Zealand, Greece and Spain,

and more throughout the UAE. Seniors are excited

about their plans to come.

Several universities visited AISA recently:

Rochester Institute of Technology-Dubai, Thinking

Oasis of Emirates College of Technology and Abu

Dhabi University.

On February 21, AISA will host a College Open

Day for six UAE universities: University of Water-

loo-Dubai; New York Technical Institute (NYTI)-

Dubai; Murdoch University; IE University-Dubai;

European International College -Abu Dhabi;

Herriot-Watt University-Dubai.Juniors will have another opportunity to join the

SAT exam preparation program, with one session

per week for 8 weeks, in time for the May SAT.

In early March, there will be another AISA Col-

lege Night for juniors, who are about to start their

university application process. They should use

summer to visit schools and make plans.

Graduation is June 7 at Emirates Palace. We look

forward to seeing you at this special event!

News 3AISA Insider:

Q2 2011

Website

On January 18th, 2011 AISA launched a new

website. The site was created to improve commu-

nication with current members of our community,offer information to potential newcomers and to

represent AISAs commitment to being a leader in

international education in the UAE. If you have

any feedback or suggestions regarding the new

website, please give us a call or send us an email as

we are working to make the site useful and easy to

navigate.

PSAT Scores

This year, AISAs 10th and 11th grade students

took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

(PSAT) which is a test designed by the College

Board in the USA. The PSAT measures, critical

reading skills, math problem-solving skills and

writing skills. The most common reasons for tak-

ing the PSAT are to:

1. Help prepare for the SAT.

2. Receive feedback on strengths and weaknesses

on skills necessary for college study.

3. See how individual performance on an admis-

sions test might compare with that of others apply-

ing to college.

AISA has received a report outlining the PSAT

performance as a school in comparison to all other

schools that have students taking the test (mostlyschools based in the United States). In each area,

our scores lined up exactly with US norms which

means that the performance of students at AISA is

in line with a typical US school.

Given the fact that AISA has a large number of

English language learners, these scores are a strong

sign that we are making good progress. With our

continued commitment to engaging instruction,

literacy development and data use, AISA is well

poised to continue making strong progress and

performing well on standardized measures of as-

sessment.

-Robert Godley, Secondary School Principal

New Website, PSAT Scores Show

AISA on Par With U.S. Schools

More than 200 University

Applications ProcessedCollege Open Day on Feb. 21

Second Quarter is upon us and IB Parents and students have many items on the agenda! Current IB 1

parents and parents of students in 9th/10th Grade interested in the IB Programme are invited to join us for

coffee to learn more about the IB Programme and AISA. The meetings and dates are:

As rst year IB students move into second semes-

ter, things will really pick up.

On February 16th, students will be attending anExtended Essay Workshop provided by Ms. Leann

Fleming. This workshop will give students the

information and foundation necessary to undertake

their Extended Essay research.

This is an important aspect of the IB Diploma

Programme and students should be diligent about

their topics and their time management for the es-

say.

Students will also be receiving AISAs internal

deadlines soon. It is critical that students stay on

top of all of their assignments to reduce their stress

and to meet all IB requirements for the diploma.

But dont worry; your teachers and coordinator

are here to help you organize your time. You just

have to let us know!

Second year IB students have just completed

their Mock Exams. These exams are to give the

students a chance to practice for their May exams

and are used to factor Third Quarter Predicted

Grades. Although this time can be stressful, our

students did well.

Many nal deadlines are on the horizon as the

2011 Students are reaching the end of the Pro-

gramme. By the end of the Second Quarter most

Internal Assessment will be completed and sent to

examiners all over the world.Good luck to our seniors and congratulations for

getting through Mocks!

Final IB Exams commence Tuesday, May 3rd.

You can view the schedule at:

http://www.ibo.org/documentlibrary/examination-

schedules/index.cfm

IB Program Notes

IB-1

IB-2

Mix It Up LunchThe Middle School Mix It Up lunch was held on November 9th. The event promoted positive, social and

cultural tolerance. Students were paired up to discover common interests, worked as a team to accom-

plish a physical challenge, such as the three legged race. These activities promoted new friendships and

broke down misunderstandings that lead to conict. The event was a success; new friendships were madeand the students enjoyed themselves. -Ms. Mercado


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by Hanna Al-Hassen (Grade 12)

(Reprinted from The Express newspaper.)

For the past three years, Mr. LeBlanc

has taken a group of juniors and seniors on

Close Up, a six-day civic education trip to

Washington D.C. In December, Mr. LeBlancand Ms. Fleming led nearly 20 students on

tours of the U.S. Capitol, the Lincoln and

Jefferson Memorials and several museums;

watched Senate bills pass and met govern-

ment ofcials.

Its a good organization and trip espe-

cially because were in an American school

and curriculum, so the students can learn a

lot about the U.S., said Mr. LeBlanc.

Founded in 1971, Close Up provides

programs for students and teachers to partici-

pate simultaneously. Mr. LeBlanc also went

on the Close Up trip when he was in high

school in 1985, and saw President Reagans

inauguration.

Using the nations capital as a living

classroom, this renowned program far tran-scends the physical boundaries that schools

with walls face as students get a 'close up'

experience with democracy in action, ac-

cording to the organization's website.

AISA students also met and learned with

students from all around the United States,

including Washington, New Jersey, Texas,

Ohio and Oregon, according to junior Aisha

Al-Hajeri.

According to Close Up surveys, nearlyall teachers reported that they returned to

school re-energized with new ways to inspire

their students, and nearly all students better

understand their roles as citizens.

Mr. LeBlanc said, It's really gratifying

when I get to see the students learn and get

a lot out of it. One of these students was

senior Ayesha Al-Braiki. It was a life-

changing experience, she said. I loved

meeting new people and learning about a

new place. It was a trip full of awesome-ness

and I would so do I again!

Students also met Moon Yousif Sulfab, a

government ofcial who works for Senate

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and a

member of the Congressional Muslim Staff

Association.I was really happy and honored to have

met you and met with your students, he

wrote to Mr. Blanc in an e-mail after the trip.

They are the future of the Arab world, and

one would hope that they will succeed where

previous generations had failed.

by Alyazia Al-Hamed (Grade 11)

(Reprinted from The Express student news-

paper.)

Eco Club, a new school club founded last

month by teachers Mrs. Al Jenabi and Mrs.

Madden, helps students discuss environ-

mental issues and nd ways to improve our

lifestyle.

The club meets every other week in Room

108, and has about a dozen members, led by

co-presidents Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11), andKhalid Al Mubarak (Grade 11).

The club's biggest idea is to eliminate plas-

tic bottled water in the canteen, instead

distributing reusable thermoses to students.

As a result the school could eliminate its

waste products, which helps sustain our

environment, club members said.

Mrs. Fairbarn is also leading her Grade 11

Environmental Science class in conducting a

green school audit, to calculate the school's

water usage and nd more efcient ways it

could be used.

The club really gives us a chance to show

school spirit, and at the same time, do some-

thing good to the environment we live in,

said Sharon Albuquerque (Grade 12), the

club's communications ofcer.Club members have also discussed camels

that die in the desert due to human litter, and

ways to improve sanitation.

If we start taking care of our environment

now, we could promote a healthy environ-

ment for our future generations, said Ms.

Madden.

by Tanya Tarazi (Grade 11)

(Reprinted from The Express student news-

paper.)Eighth grade students mourned the death

of two more teachers after the AISA As-

sassin struck for the third year in a row,

however; they had fun investigating the

double-murder for this science project in

early January.

Mr. Mirza and Ms. Holloway were mur-

dered on January 9-10, with crime scenes in

music room closet and the old gym. To nd

evidence left behind by the killers, students

used analytical skills by interviewing with

teachers and forming forensic labs by com-

paring evidence such as hair, footprints, nger

prints and mysterious powder.

Murder in Our Midst engages students in

an interactive unit that is fun and interesting,

said Ms. Rasmussen

The killer rst struck on Sunday when Ms.

Holloway, the middle school secretary, found

Mr. Mirza hanged from his scarf beside a

chair in the old gym.

The next day at 7:05 am, Ms. Van Rens-

burg found Ms. Holloway the only witness

to Mr. Mirza's death lying on the oor,

eyes open with brown foam coming from her

mouth.

The victims said they enjoyed seeing

the reaction of the students towards their

deaths. Both Ms. Holloway and Mr. Mirza,

apparently resurrected, claimed students were

in tears and shocked.

I always wanted to be the star of a show,

Mr. Mirza said later. So what better way to

be center of attention than to be the murder

victim?Students said they enjoyed examining the

crime. Yara Hashim said, It was a fun project

that left us responsible for guring everything

out on our own and it was fun investigating

the teachers deaths.

Students concluded that Mr. McGrady was

the alleged murderer. When The Express

pressed Mr. McGrady for a comment, he

admitted to embezzling school money to start

a rival middle school camp.

If you've got to knock two people off,you've got to knock two people off, he said

without remorse.

by Ms. Fleming

The International Baccalaureate Com-

munity, Action and Service (CAS) students

are involved in more than a dozen projects

to build community within and beyond the

school.

"These students are a core of active com-

munity service members in the school," said

Ms. Fleming, who teaches and advises the

more than [number] students.

Their biggest project has been the 30-HourFamine, a charity fast-sleepover held in No-

vember, which raised more than AED 30,000

for Pakistan in the wake of destruction from

massive oods.

Many CAS students went on the World

Challenge: Nepal and Close Up: Washington

D.C. community service trips.

Students are also involved in a handful of

school clubs, including Model UN, Manga

Club (to draw the Japanese comics), Eco

Club (to help the environment) and the inter-

national Junior Dance Crew.

Many volunteered at the War and Pieces

high school performance night in November,

the upcoming elementary school production

of "Aladdin" and coached elementary school

sports. They also plan on participating at

events such as the Talent Show, AISA Fest,AISA Bazaar, Pakistan Festival and Interna-

tional Night.

Outside of school, students have volun-

teered for the NYU bookstore, participated

in workshops on how to save dolphins and

the upcoming Terry Fox Run charity 5K for

cancer research.

Juniors and Seniors Get Close Up

Civics Lesson in Washington D.C.

Eco Club Proposes Bottled Water Ban

Students Crack Case of the

Middle School Murderer

IB-CAS Students Building CommunityJunior Dance Crew One of Dozens of Projects

Metropolitan4AISA Insider:

Q2 2011

AISA Insider (Parents Newsletter): Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Q2 2011)

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Transcript of AISA Insider (Parents Newsletter): Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Q2 2011)