AL YASMINA SCHOOL

CONNeCtBLOOMGrOwLeArNNurturePLAY

ABu DHABI ISSue 32012/2013

AL YASMINA SCHOOL STRIVES TO BE AN OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL, MAXIMISING THE LEARNING POTENTIAL OF ALL

THE SECONDARYPARTNERSHIP

CONteNtSweLCOMe FrOM tHe HeAD OF SCHOOL 3

NAtIONAL DAY CeLeBrAtIONS 4

MODerN FOreIGN LANGuAGeS 9

GCSe AwArDS CereMONY 10

rAGS tO rICHeS AutHOr VISItS SCHOOL 11

wOw FACtOr IN SCIeNCe LeSSONS 12

PrePArING YeAr 8 StuDeNtS FOr tHe Future 14

HOuSe CAPtAINS eLeCteD 15

FeStIVe FAYre ON SAturDAY 16

eXPert HeLP FOr eNterPrISe StuDeNtS 17

DeBAtING SuCCeSS 19

Art IN tHe StAIrweLLS 20

POSt-16 LeADerSHIP teAM 21

StuDeNt VOICe eLeCtIONS 22

OutStANDING SuCCeSS FOr O'SHeA SIBLINGS 23

SNIPPetS 25

Welcome to the third issue of the Secondary PArtnership for the 2012/2013 academic year. The Secondary PArtnership is the publication for Al Yasmina's secondary school and is published eight times a year. Look for previous issues on the school website.

The Secondary PArtnership keeps you up-to-date with student activities across the secondary department. It also gives Al Yasmina School the chance to celebrate progress and achievement and provide more in depth information to parents on a wide variety of subjects.

We welcome your feedback. communications@alyasmina.sch.ae

The third PARTnership for this academic yearTopics, trends, updates, views and news from the Al Yasmina Secondary Department

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Pictured on the cover: REACTION: Curriculum Team Leader for Science, Mr Donald demonstrates how much energy there is in coffee whitener (glucose, lactose and other sugars) by putting it onto a blow torch during a lesson on combustion and respiration. 2

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National Day is one of the most important days on the UAE’s calendar, and for Al Yasmina School it was a day when everyone in our school community joined together to celebrate the birth of the nation. And celebrate we did, with music, food, traditional dancers, falcon handlers and our own souk, with local crafts, food, henna - even a camel. The school field was transformed into a sea of colour and sound as all our students, from the very youngest to our Post-16 students, took part in the celebrations. It was a proud moment for the school, as we celebrated UAE culture, heritage, values and identity. It was a time for us to reflect how far the country has come in the past 41 years. This journey was fresh in the minds of our Year 7, 8 and 9 UAE Social Studies students, who had heard first-hand about the transformation that has taken place in the country by Mohammed Al-Fahim, author of Rags to Riches (see page 10).

Pride was an overwhelming feeling on National Day - and, as you will all know, pride is one of the school’s core values. The sense of pride I have in the school is always present, and never more so than this month as I have been working my way through the secondary classrooms, observing what I can only describe as outstanding classroom practice. I’ve watched as teachers engaged students; I saw ideas spark, animated discussions and students learning in a creative, stimulating environment.

It was a special day for our Year 12 students last week, when the school held its annual GCSE presentation ceremony (pictures and story on page 9). This group represents our second cohort of GCSE students, and, as you will all know, Al Yasmina School recorded exceptional GCSE results, with the majority of students convincingly surpassing their UK counterparts, beating their own predicted grades and achieving an impressive rate of progress in core subjects. The results also came out tops when compared to other established British curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi. So it was with a great sense of pride that I presented certificates to this group of achievers, who are now applying the same level of commitment to their Post-16 studies.

We are now moving rapidly towards the end of the term and the beginning of a new year. Reports will be available online on Wednesday. I hope parents sit down with their children to discuss the results and digest the comments and use these to move forward with real purpose when students return to school for the second term. New Year is a time for resolutions. Make sure you all remember to include your school goals when the clock strikes midnight! December is always a busy month. The key events for the school are the festive fayre on Saturday, the festive concert next Monday and the following night the very popular WOW Factor features again this year. I hope you all support these events.

The festive fayre is organised by FOY (Friends of Al Yasmina) and it is a huge undertaking. FOY is a small group of extremely dedicated, hardworking parents. They are very keen for new members to join them. Contact them on alyasminafoy@gmail.com.

Next term, our annual parent questionnaire will be extended to include the Secondary PArtnership. We are keen to find out if the articles in this publication are meeting your needs. Al Yasmina’s secondary school is a busy, exciting place and we want to share as much of this with you as we can. We are continuing to improve our communication with stakeholders and I hope you will all make time to look at the live demonstration of the School Communicator ahead of its soft launch on 6 January. http://www.six-delta.com/schools/interactive_demo.html

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Secondary PArtnership. In keeping with our themes for each issue, we take a closer look at activities in the French and Science Departments. Due to the holiday, the next issue of The Secondary PArtnership is on 1 February. The theme for this issue is Arabic and Music. These are two dynamic departments that have much to showcase. School closes for the term on 13 December at noon and term two begins for students on 6 January. Many of our families will be travelling in December. Travel safely and I look forward to seeing you all back again next term.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, MR GALE

“National Day is one of the most important days on the UAE’s calendar, and for Al Yasmina School it was a day when everyone in our school community joined together to celebrate the birth of the nation.”

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

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National Day at Al Yasmina was a spectacle of UAE identity, culture, colour and character as the entire school community came together to celebrate the founding of the UAE 41 years ago. Students were in UAE National dress or in the colours from the UAE flag, turning the sports field into a mass of black, green, white and red and at one point, a human formation of the UAE flag. The day began formally with secondary students taking a major role in recitals from the Quran, the raising of the UAE flag, taking the Oath of Loyalty to the UAE Leaders and poetry recitals. All parents and visitors joined students and staff in singing the UAE National Anthem in Arabic as the UAE flag was raised. The sentiments expressed in the anthem set the theme for the day’s celebration, the event coordinator, Mr Abu Saleh says. A speech by Head of School, Mr Gale, who spoke in Arabic, delighted the Arabic members of the crowd, who clapped in delight as he extended his greetings and best wishes to the UAE Leaders and citizens in their native tongue.

Mr Abu Saleh believes it may be the first time ever a non-Arabic Head of school has made a National Day address in Arabic. The school’s primary playground was transformed into a charity souk for the day, with food and traditional craft stalls while Yola dancing and the Police Musical Band kept the crowds entertained, with Scottish bagpipes. The entertainment moved indoors in the afternoon with folk dancing and games, a patriotic operetta and drama, Na’sh dancing, singing and a traditional dress fashion show. Adding to the flavour of the day were displays, including accounts from students on what it meant to them to call the UAE home. Winners of 41st National Day challenge for parents and staff were also announced on the day.

The competition for staff required them to learn 41 Arabic phrases, while 41 parents were quizzed on 41 facts about the UAE’s history, geography, culture, society and heritage. Both groups had to complete their answers in 41 minutes. First place in the non native speaking quiz was Dr George Markou, who says he entered to show his children the importance of volunteering and participation. The second prize was bagged by Mrs Boby Tariq while the third place was shared by Mrs Yasmin Yatim and Mrs Manisha Bharat. First prize for the Arabic speakers went to Mrs Raweya Al-Shamsi and the second went to her husband Mr Khaled Al-Shekaili, who got just one question wrong - the date oil was discovered in the UAE. He opted for the mid 1950s, although the correct answer was the early 1960s. “I should have been aware of that,” Mr Al-Shekaili, a petroleum engineer, said wryly. Mrs Tala won the third prize in the native speakers’ category. The Modern Foreign Languages staff dominated the staff contest, with French teachers Mrs Mansoor, Mr Davies and Mr Candaner taking the three top places.

OVERWHELMING DISPLAY OF NATIONAL PRIDE

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NATIONAL ANTHEM OF THE UAE‘Ishiy biladiy ‘ashat-tihadu ‘Imaratina Long live my country, Long live the Union of our Emirates, ‘ishti li-sh’abin You will live long for a Nation

Dinuhul-‘islamu hadyu-hul-Qur’anu Whose religion is Islam and guide is the Qur’an

ḥasṣnatuka bismillahi ya waṭan I protect you in Allah’s name, oh homeland

Biladiy Biladiy Biladiy Biladiy My country, My country, My country, My country

ḥamakil-‘ilahu shururaz- zaman God has protected you from the evils of the time

’aqsamna ’an nabniya n‘amal We have sworn in to build and work

n‘amal nukḫliṣ n‘amal nukḫliṣ Work sincerely, work sincerely

mahma ‘ishna nukhliṣ nukhliṣ As long as we are alive, we will be sincerely dedicated

Damal-’amanu wa ’ashal-‘alam ya May the safety permanently prevail and the flag live longer‘Imaratina oh our Emirates

ramzul ‘urubati The symbol of the Arabism

kulluna nafdiki bid-dima nurwiki We all sacrifice ourselves for you; with our blood saturate you nafdika bil-arwaḥ ya waṭan We sacrifice for you our souls oh homeland

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

IMPROVING FRENCH SPEAKING SKILLS: Left to right: Laura Tibi (sitting), Bilqees Achmat, Clara Ziada and Luke Read.

LE SPECTACLE C’EST PARISA language and cultural trip to Paris will be offered to students in Years 9-12 next March. Trip organiser, French teacher Mrs Mansoor, says the visit will encourage communication in French and students will be able to practice and expand their knowledge of the language during the trip. “By hearing and being immersed in French, the students’ knowledge of the language will be improved, and their confidence in French will increase,”she says. “The trip will be especially beneficial for Key Stage 4 and 5 students as being in Paris during the run up to their exams will be a massive confidence boost for them.”

USING MOVIES TO MASTER LANGUAGE A film club to help all secondary students studying French and Spanish improve their comprehension skills is being launched at the school in January. Year 10 student Milan Den Hause says three French films and one Spanish film will be shown each month, and a variety of different genres will be on offer. Milan says the films will be especially valuable for GCSE language students looking for every opportunity to improve their French and Spanish ahead of their examinations. Rewinding parts of the film if students are having trouble following the storyline is an option. “This will enable us to keep following the plot if we are watching films without subtitles,” he says.

AFTER SCHOOL LANGUAGE CLASSES

ONLINE PEN PAL PROGRAMMEA pen pal programme will be launched next term, enabling students to correspond with other students at more than 200 schools around the world via the e-pals global community. The scheme will be piloted with Year 7 Spanish students. Stay posted for more information. http://www.epals.com.

She says while the focus of the trip is educational, students will also take part in leisure activities, including shopping and a trip to Disneyland. The six day trip will give students the opportunity to experience many of the cultural aspects of Parisian life and visit some of the famous landmarks of the French capital. Details are still being finalised, but highlights are likely to include the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chateau Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, a walk down the Champs Elysees, a cruise on the Seine, and last, but not least, the Disneyland visit. Mrs Mansoor says other venues may be added to the itinerary. The final price has yet to be established as it will depend on flight and accommodation costs but it is likely to be in the vicinity of around 8500dhs, she says. The trip is being organised by North Star, which provides educational and cultural adventures for young people.

Français...

Year 11 students can get extra help with their French speaking skills ahead of their speaking exam at the end of the year by taking part in the IGCSE French club every Wednesday from 2.30pm - 3.30pm. Students work on their pronunciation and building sentences for potential questions. Students work in small groups or one-to-one. Mrs Mansoor says students who have attended this class have improved their grades and their confidence in speaking the language.

.....y español

Smatterings of Spanish may start to appear in classrooms throughout the secondary school, thanks to Spanish lessons being held for staff after school each Wednesday. The classes are held each week by Spanish teacher Mr Rodic who says the group of staff are working at a basic level although some have had some exposure to the language in the past. He says those who attend simply want to learn another language; some have holiday homes in Spain and the lessons are designed to help them get by in a Spanish-speaking country. “The hope is that the teachers in the group can use some of the language in their own lessons, hence providing a more realistic experience for the children who also study Spanish in the school,” Mr Rodic says. “It will hopefully boost the status of the language in the school.”

HARD WORK PAYS OFF: Year 12 Students at the GCSE presentation evening. CELEBRATION: Parents mingling ahead of the GCSE presentation ceremony. Photos from left: 1. Mrs Mather (left), Mrs Hughes and Mr Mather. 2. Mrs Wilcox-Staines (left) and Mrs Rees. 3. Mrs Thompson (left) and Mrs Simpson. 4. Mrs Alexander (left), Jon Alexander and Mrs Brundan

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GCSE AWARDS EVENINGAfter all the hard work, it was time for celebration as Year 12 students and their parents headed out last week for the GCSE awards presentation evening. The occasion began with canapés and conversation before the formal part of the proceedings began. Subject, achievement and attainment awards were handed out to students in 15 categories. Recipients of the Head of School awards were Priyanka Iyer, Shahmir Khan, Holly Young, Wynona Bautista, Lana Zuhair, Joshua Brundan, Abigail Alexander, Nicola Burgess, Emily Simpson, Karim Saleh Abdel Latif and Joseph Sturt.

THE PAST IN PERSPECTIVE: Rags to Riches author Mohammed Al-Fahim talks to Key Stage 3 UAE Social Studies students.

BRINGING THE PAST TO LIFE: Left to right: Al Yasmina’s Curriculum Team Leader, for Arabic, Islamic & UAE Social Studies, Mr Abu Saleh, Mr Al-Fahim and Dr Patrick Dougherty from the Higher Colleges of Technology.

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AUTHOR’S VISIT ENTHRALLS STUDENTS Mohammed Al-Fahim’s book Rags to Riches, a personal account of the changes that have occurred in the UAE over the past 30 years, has captivated readers since it was first published in 1995. This month, it was the turn of Al Yasmina School’s UAE Social Studies students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to be mesmerised by the author and businessman’s descriptions of the UAE’s rapid transformation from an impoverished Bedouin society to a country with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

Mr Al-Fahim’s first visit to the school was part of a UAE Social Studies curriculum enrichment programme. He says the enthusiastic response from the Al Yasmina students is a typical audience reaction, but it always surprises him. “I really don’t think they will grasp the difference between what it was like and today but I am always amazed at their intelligence and their knowledge in taking into account and grasping of feeling of the deprivation that we went through in the early days of our lives here and how things changed,” he said after his presentation. “The change is phenomenal, if you see the old pictures, but they are the same people who moved from the 16th century to the 20th century in a matter of one generation.”

Accompanying Mr Al-Fahim was Dr Patrick Dougherty from Higher Colleges of Technology who was responsible for retelling the story for children. Dr Dougherty talked about how and why the story was written and encouraged students to keep an account of their own history for future generations. Mr Al-Fahim believes the openness of the Emirati people to other cultures is the reason they have adapted so well so such monumental change within such a short time-frame.“Emirati people have always been open to visitors. We had different people visiting, starting with the English in the early century and then the different nationalities. We did not resist on grounds of religion and instead opened our homes for the visitors. That enabled us to accept change much easier than others who resisted mixing with visitors and other nationalities. That’s why today we don’t talk about people as being Hindus, or Christians, or Muslim - people are people. Their religion or nationality does not mean much to us, instead we treat with mutual respect and allow them to coexist peacefully.”

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SECONDARY SCIENCE: EVERY LESSON HAS THE WOW FACTORAl Yasmina School’s secondary science classes are full of awe, wonder, explosions - and big reactions. “Every lesson should include the wow factor,” Curriculum Team Leader for Science, Mr Donald, says. “When I asked Year 9 students how we start every science lesson - expecting an answer of ‘with an exam question’ - one of my Year 9 students said ‘With something amazing! An explosion, a big reaction or some idea that blows our mind.’” The secondary science curriculum has undergone extensive development, resulting in the introduction of a hands-on approach to lessons which involves more practical, investigative work. A skills-based approach has also been introduced, with students focusing on: • graph work • obtaining evidence • risk assessments • identifying variables • evaluation • analysis • scientists working together internationally • moral and ethical issues in science.“These skills are key to an understanding of science in general and the scientific method that underpins all scientific thinking,” Mr Donald says. “For a number of years universities around the world have been complaining that students lack a basic understanding of the scientific method and lack some basic investigation skills. By focusing on these skills we are providing them with the skills they need for the future and giving them an advantage over their peers.” Mr Donald says a skills-based approach enables the school’s science teachers to constantly raise standards and improve the students’ ability to access curriculum content. The introduction of new schemes of learning across the key stages is also underway. Mr Donald says this work is largely being carried out behind the scenes. Staff are putting in place tools to enable students to “drive up excitement through engagement which will then translate to achievement and attainment.” New methods of assessment are being put in place and science teachers are taking responsibility for different areas of development.

FRUSTRATING SEARCH FOR FEMALE ISLAMIC SCIENTISTSIt seemed to be a relatively simple homework task – find female scientists of note from the Arab world - but the request sent Year 7 and Year 11 students on a long and eventually fruitless search. “They basically came up empty handed,” Mr Donald says. “The students were able to find out lots of information about other female scientists, ranging from Marie Curie (the physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity) and Rosalind Franklin (responsible for much of the research and discovery work that led to the understanding of the structure of DNA) but when it came to unearthing famous female Muslim scientists, there was simply no information around.”Year 7 student Emily Rossiter says she searched the internet for more than half an hour, trying to find a famous female Muslim scientist, but came up empty handed. “I found famous Arab scientists, but they were all men,” she says. “In the end I had to give up.” While his students focused on other famous scientists, Mr Donald started to do some research of his own. What he uncovered – largely after sifting through university papers - was three female Muslim scientists “who everyone should have heard of but I can guarantee they haven’t.” · Professor Samira Ibrahim Islam, who was UNCESCO’s woman of the year in 2000, is responsible for outstanding and groundbreaking research into biochemical pathways · Ms Sameena Shah’s research involves breakthrough algorithms in global optimisation, computer learning and cognitive pathways. She is soon to be Dr Shah · Professor Dr Bina S Siddiqui has discovered cures for some cancers and is working on a cure for Aids. She has published over 250 research papers and has brought massive changes to medicine and agriculture.

BOOK TAKES READERS ON A JOURNEY OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERYPeriodic Tales, by Hugh Aldersey-Williams may not sound like everyone’s idea of a good book, but don’t let the title put you off. Mr Donald describes it as a “fascinating look at how many of the common elements were discovered and how they are used today.” His review of the book is on display on the Science Department notice boards and a new science book review will be added every two months. The reviews are a way of extending students’ interest in science beyond the curriculum, Mr Donald says.

Periodical Tales, according to his review, “doesn’t require you to have a huge knowledge of chemistry but it will give you more of an understanding of the history of the subject and enough ‘did you know’ type facts to win the UK quiz show ‘QI’ with ease.” The next reviewer is Science teacher Miss Albrighton.

MR RICHARDS’ MATHEMATICAL CHALLENGE

As architecture is something a lot of students at Al Yasmina are passionate about, myself along with some other students were fortunate enough to be taken to the PRP Architects International, a well-known and established architecture company with a branch in Abu Dhabi. There, we were introduced to the manager as well as a newly graduated architect who talked us through the process of building structures as well as design and work on CAD (computer aided design). We were able to achieve a greater insight into the world of architecture and were all given a chance to draw our own designs of specific buildings and structures usually given to first year architects, such as coffee shops, boutiques or playgrounds.

By Harrison CrawfordBeing a stockbroker involves many skills, including having an able mathematical brain, good analytical and prediction skills and understanding of risk and reward. That's what we learnt during a visit to Century Financial Brokers in Dubai. We were shown the computer program that is used by brokers to trade in a worldwide market and we learnt how a two-way market works and the importance of this in a diverse and changing market. We got to see how calculations are made for trading and how they can be applied to real-life situations. The most interesting thing for me was realising how easy it is to lose all your money out there, but also how easy it is to gain so much more and the fragile balance between the two. Overall it was a very worthwhile trip and I learnt that being a stockbroker is a job that combines maths, economics and business.

Towards the end, we were all shown some projects the company had worked on in previous years, including some major villas which were all beautifully designed as well as the plans of some of their currently ongoing project such as Yas Mall in Yas Island. One aspect of architecture which fascinated us all was the ability of a very small team and several young talented designers to work together and produce something of such great magnitude and significance to society and that is why we all immediately fell in love with such a profession. The trip really helped us open our eyes about how great the varied field or architecture is and it allowed us to see it all from a professional architect’s point of view. One thing for sure is that it is one of the best professions to consider studying if your love both the sciences and the arts.

The two solutions for last month’s Magic L were correctly provided by Dr Naser Tibi. His answer was randomly selected from several correct entries.

This month's maths challenge has more of a festive theme.

tHe tweLVe CLueS OF CHrIStMASFive elves work for Santa. They each wear a different colour costume and each make a different toy. You need to find the name of each elf, their colour, their toy and how many toys they made. Use the twelve clues below:

1. 30 toys are made altogether.2. None of the elves make the same amount of toys.3. Each elf makes more than two toys.4. Bess made one more toy than the elf in red.5. Bess made one less toy than the elf who made sledges.6. Johnny made racing cars.7. Jane made five toys.8. The elf in yellow made the trains.9. The elf in green made one third of the number of toys Sue did.10. Mary was dressed in orange.11. The elf in blue made the spinning tops and made more toys than anyone else.12. One elf made footballs. Please email your answers. The solution and the person who solved it correctly will be published in the next issue. crichards@alyasmina.sch.ae

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MATHS IN THE WORKING WORLD: Year 11 students visit an architiects office as part of he Maths in industry day visits.

By Laura Tibi

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Two groups of Year 11 maths students got an insight into how the skills they are learning in the classroom apply in the working world they spent a day in an architectural practice and with a firm of stockbrokers. The visits were organised as part of “Maths in industry day” which is a new initiative at Al Yasmina School and aims to develop links with businesses in the UAE, Curriculum Team Leader for Mathematics, Mr Hetherington says. “Students spend lots of time in classrooms working on theoretical problems,” he says. “It is our intention in the Maths Department to allow students to see the real world so they can turn theory into practice.” The department is keen to establish new partnerships with companies. If you can help, please contact Mr Hetherington shetherington@alyasmina.sch.ae.

USING MATHS IN THE WORKPLACE

YEAR 8 URGED TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Each issue The Secondary PArtnership will focus in a different secondary year group. In this edition, we look at Year 8

Harnessing the enthusiasm of the Year 8 students and making them realise that what they put in place now will benefit them later are some of the goals of their Year Leader, Mr Ward. He says students in the six Year 8 mentor groups are lively and enthusiastic and keen to get involved in all aspects of school life. "They are confident, comfortable with themselves and very focused on what they are doing at school," he says.

The students decorated their mentor boards during PSCHEE and each board reflects the personalities of the individual groups. They all show originality, attention to detail and the students went to considerable effort to demonstrate their interests, personalities and what they want to achieve during the year. Mr Ward describes Year 8 as a crossroads year for the students as they have completed their first year of secondary school but are a year away from making their GCSE choices.

"My focus for Year 8 is to encourage them to do their best at every step," he says. "I am encouraging them to develop the mindset where they realise it's not about what they do right now, it's about how they prepare for what's coming next. In last week's Year group assembly we discussed the idea of 'try not to fail, but don't fail to try.'" The subject of change was discussed at another recently assembly.

Discussions touched on how to deal with change and how to look forward, not back, Mr Ward says. "My aim is to help Year 8 students to develop new skills and a sense of responsibility and to help them realise that it's not a teacher's or a parent's job to manage their everyday life, that they are responsible for that, giving them the motivation to start dealing with this and the tools to cope with it."

YEAR 8 DIRHAM BOTTLE CHALLENGEYear 8 students are raising money to help save the leg of a young girl living in Abu Dhabi, one dirham at a time. Their fundraising activities began after Khamis al Hinai (8 Bih) saw an article in Abu Dhabi Week magazine about Jasmine Ammari, who has a rare condition known as congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT), which means her bones fail to form properly, making them prone to fractures.

Jasmine's family want to take their daughter to a specialist in the United States for surgery. Khamis, with help from Learning Support Assistant, Mrs Preston, has organised the dirham bottle challenge to raise money for Jasmine's surgery. Every student in Year 8 has been given an empty water bottle and to fill with dirham coins. The money raised will be given to help save Jasmine Ammari’s leg. Visit www.youcaring.com and search for 'save Jasmine’s leg’.

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GETTING NOTICED: Year 8 students and their decorated mentor group boards.

FILLING BOTTLES WITH DIRHAMS: Left to right: Naimh Griffiths, Alina Kamal, Khamis Al Hinai and Roxanne Gardiner.

NEW-LOOK HOUSE SYSTEM KICKS OFFThe new House system is underway, with Year 10 and 11 students now able to earn House points through activities in Maths, English and Science as well as on the sporting field. Students can be awarded 80, 60, 40 or 20 House points at school events and these are added onto individual points, Director of Sport, Mr Smith says. Scores are added up at the end of each month and the House with the most points wins. The winning House for the first term is Voyager and all students in Voyager will have a non uniform day next term. Next term the new House system will extend across all KS3 subjects and Post-16 students will come on board in the third term. Science has introduced House activities to encourage students to learn the periodic table, maths students have earned House points through quizzes and the English department has come on board with spelling competitions with a twist - students spell words by using their own bodies to form the letters. Mr Smith says House captains have also been named following an exhaustive selection process that involved sifting through more than 70 applications. Nominees had to present to their classmates, outlining why they should vote for them.

Year 10 House captain Katha Toma says she decided to run for the position because she saw it as a good way to practice her leadership skills. She has previous experience as House captain in her previous school and was keen to take on this responsibility at Al Yasmina. "If you have responsibilities and you are in charge of things it helps to prepare you for future jobs," she says. Derek Lee, also in Year 10, says it sees his role as House Captain as a great way to know other students in his Year group and to help the school grow as a community. And for Ruby Hughes, being a House captain runs in the family - her younger brother, Murray, is also a House captain in Year 7.

HOUSE TOTALS FOR TERM ONE

HUBBLE TROUBLE A HOUSE CHALLENGE WINNERFinding out ways in which science has massively affected the world around us through accidental or incidental developments is the focus of the House challenge for Year 10 and 11 Science students. Curriculum Team Leader for Science Mr Donald says one example the students have uncovered is how a malfunction by the Hubble space telescope meant doctors were able to correct a problem in images provided by mammogram machines. When the Hubble was launched in 1990, a blunder in the design of its optics meant it generated blurred images. Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Centre in Washington DC realised that the image distortion problem was identical to the problem they had with images produced by mammograms, which are used in the early detection of breast cancer. The solution devised for the Hubble was adopted by the medical community and countless women are alive today thanks to a design flaw in the Hubble space telescope.

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HOUSE CAPTAINS: The secondary school`s House captains are ready to lead their classmates through academic and sporting challenges under the new House system. 15

Voyager 1766 endeavour 1689 Discovery 1656 Challenger 1477

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FAYRE A FINE WAY TO SPEND THE DAY

BUY A BRICK: Mitchell Keel (bottom left), Jake Hughes, Shahmir Khan, Joshua Brundan with the bricks that can be bought at the fayre.

Al Yasmina’s festive fayre on Saturday is set to be a day of food, music, competitions, raffles, games and shopping. The day will have a relaxed feel with music being provided by the Al Yasmina Singers and the school’s brass ensemble. FOY (Friends of Al Yasmina), which is organising the event, say there will be more than 20 stalls offering a wide range of items for sale, ranging from cakes to crafts. Other attractions include craft activities in Santa’s grotto, henna painting and a chance to have photos taken in traditional Arabic clothing.Children will be entertained with energetic activities provided by the school’s PE department and an ‘unbeatable’ obstacle course set out by Haddins Fitness. Raffle tickets for gift hampers will be sold at the fayre and prizes include baskets of spa products, gourmet food, children’s toys and outdoor and gardening items. For those with a sweet tooth, the chocolate hamper will be hard to resist. There will be lots of competitions, from guessing the name of the cow, the number of sweets in a jar, a lucky dip a tombola staff and a crowd favourite, the dunk tank. Food will be a big part of the day, with barbecue food, drinks and cakes on offer. The fayre is from 11am until 2pm. Proceeds will support Operation Smile, and a yet-to-be-decided local children’s charity.

Calling all bakers: donations for the cake stall can be dropped at the school on Friday from 10am-12pm or on Saturday morning from 9.30am. Queries: goodwins.uae@gmail.com

APRON SALES BENEFIT WORLD CHALLENGE STUDENTS

BUY A BRICK CAMPAIGN The school’s World Challenge students will sell ‘bricks’ at the festive fayre as a fundraiser for their trip to Uganda next June. Money raised at the fayre will help buy materials to add extra rooms onto Jjezza School in Uganda. The bricks - pieces of cardboard that people can write their names on when they purchase them - will sell for 20, 50, 100 and 500dhs, giving people the chance to buy small, standard, large or extra large bricks. World Challenge students will then use them to ‘build’ a wall of purchased bricks in the school atrium so everybody can see the progress of the fundraising campaign. The students help teach the children at Jjezza School and use their practical skills with bricklaying, mixing concrete and painting around the school. After the festive fayre the bricks will continue to be sold at reception.

Looking for the ideal Christmas present and want to support the school’s World Challenge students at the same time? High quality aprons by Abu Dhabi company Moon by Mazoon will be for sale at the festive fayre on Saturday. The aprons will be available in a variety of colours and with different messages embroidered on them. A portion of each sale will go to support the school’s World Challenge students.

Orders can be taken on the day for those who prefer a customised message on their apron. Adult sized aprons will sell for 100dhs and smaller aprons, suitable for children, are 80dhs. The big sellers on the day are expected to be the Al Yasmina PRIDE and Play Your Part aprons, which were debuted by World Challenge students at the Halloween bake sale. Stocks of aprons with the following messages will be available at the festive fayre:

APRONS FOR SALE: Head of School Mr Gale wears one of the Al Yasmina aprons which will be on sale at the festive fayre.

Adult size:Santa’s HelperSuper MumMarvelous MumSuper DadDare Devil DadSuper Gran

Child size:Santa’s Little HelperRock n’ Roll StarGirls RuleMy Little PrinceMy Little Princess

GET THE BASICS RIGHT, RECOMMENDS LAYWERBarrister Mrs Fowler is working on a business plan with Elegant Edge employees, encouraging them to ensure the foundations of their business are well established before they embark on the more exciting aspects of their business development. She has discussed the importance of short, medium and long term goals with the students and has asked them to think about the steps they need to take for those to be achieved. She has also encouraged the girls to think carefully about the structure of their organisation, individual responsibility and accountability and the appropriate processes for decision making. Mrs Fowler works for a global risk consultancy, advising clients on a wide range of issues relating to conducting business in the UAE and wider MENA region, contextualising their issues within a legal framework and working with them to find practical solutions to the problems that invariably arise while working in complex jurisdictions. “I am often called upon when things go wrong, so I hope my early proactive involvement with the team will ensure a smooth path for their venture,” she says. Mrs Fowler has been previously involved in a programme mentoring and offering careers advice for young women in the UK who were pursuing careers in traditionally male dominated industries. “It had been on my mind to speak with Al Yasmina about the implementation of a similar programme for some time, so when I received an email from the Young Enterprise team it seemed like an excellent opportunity to get involved and I jumped at it,” she says. “Running even a small business can be complicated, and the skills required are not necessarily those that one would expect to learn in a traditional academic setting so I think it is wonderful that students at Al Yasmina, especially young women, are being offered this practical opportunity to learn a set of skills that I hope will stand them in very good stead in their futures.”

She sees her role as supporting the girls to make their own decisions and says her background means she is well placed to give advice on corporate structure, decision making and the developing a business plan. Mrs Fowler says she would like to be involved long-term in the Enterprise programme. “As something of a fashion junkie, who likes nothing more than flicking through the pages of a glossy magazine, I am also hoping that as time goes on I might be able to offer some advice in relation to their product range!”

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EXPERT ADVICE HELPS DRIVE COMPANY FORWARD Employees of Yazmania, a company formed by Post-16 students as part of the school’s Enterprise programme, are receiving expert advice from businessman Mr O’Hagan, who has been in the retail trade for 30 years. He has owned and operated retail, wholesale and franchise businesses and worked with suppliers and companies worldwide. The students are meeting weekly with Mr O’Hagan, tapping into the experience he has in setting up and running companies from scratch, his expertise in preparing business plans and his knowledge of operations, merchandising, buying functions and promotional activities.

Mr O’Hagan says he was more than happy to help out with the Enterprise programme. “I thought it was a great initiative from the school to help students get some practical experience of the workplace and to help them realise what they can do if they have a commercial idea and the will to make it happen.” In his first meeting with the group Mr O’Hagan helped the students focus their targets and drilled down what they needed to get the company up and running.

Discussions centred on what had been achieved to date and what needed to be done for the sales launch period. “Suppliers, locations and targets were discussed and we have been moving all these matters forward at our weekly meetings,” Mr O’Hagan says. “I think it is important that the students can achieve as much as they can themselves, and I can monitor their progress and advise if I consider them to be on the right path.” Mr O’Hagan says he will be involved in Yazmania on an on-going basis “unless the students fire me! I hope we can put forward a successful business model and set of practices which we can build upon for future schemes,” he says. “I would like to thank the school for including me in what I think is a great scheme and hopefully we can take it forward and create some entrepreneurs in the near future.”

Mrs Gomez and Mr Gimena have also joined the Year 12 Enterprise group as business advisors. Both have extensive business knowledge and Mrs Gomez also has contacts in the textile industry. The team has already benefited from these contacts when sourcing raw materials. Look for an interview in the next issue of The Secondary PArtnership.

EXPERT ADVICE: Mr Jordan and Mrs Fowler (left picture), and Mr O’Hagan discuss business plans with the Enterprise students.

TAKE YOUR PICK: Yazmania employees with a range of t-shirts sold at the National Day celebrations last week.

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FOCUSING ON FINANCEWith a background in investment banking, project finance and private equity, Mr Jordan is perfectly placed to assist the employers of Enterprise programme company Elegant Edge to launch and operate their business.“In my career I have been in situations like this numerous times, when a group of entrepreneurs or investors face a challenge and they need expert advice on the options they have,” he says.

Mr Jordan will advise the students on how to prepare a budget and how to assess market opportunities and turn them into sales strategies. He will also help the students acquire skills that will enable them to become more structured and more efficient in their work, such as setting targets and priorities for the week and explaining how these objectives fit into the bigger picture.

Mr Jordan is working with Mrs Fowler to assist the group of girls on a weekly basis, helping them develop their business plan and put this into action. Mr Jordan says the Enterprise programme is a great initiative and has huge potential. “It is very exciting and potentially very rewarding to work with students and help them develop new skills and help them create something of their own.”

He will help the students to get access to potential customers, as well as sponsors who will endorse and support their company. Mr Jordan says he hopes to be involved in the project on an on-going basis. “This is a long-term project and it would be very interesting to see how the venture evolves,” he says.

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COMPANY PROGRESS

• Elegant Edge took part in the Feline Friends Christmas market last Friday, making several sales

• The company will also have a stall at the festive fayre on Saturday

• It also hopes to have a stall at school once a week next term

• The company has established a Facebook page where it updates its jewellery lines, takes orders for custom-made jewellery

• The company hope to expand its collections and become more creative and innovative

• Employees are working hard to increase brand awareness for the company and its products.

• Yazmania sold its complete line of t-shirts at the school’s National Day celebrations

• It has designed a new range of bespoke designs ready for sell at the festive fayre on Saturday

• It has developed a comprehensive business and plan and has raised start-up cash to finance its business costs

• Employees have designed a logo that represents its brand and will unveil this in the next issue of The Secondary PArtnership

• Yazmania will begin producing new designs in January.

ELEGANT EDGE

A DAY OF DEBATING

Speech topics and teams:

Al Yasmina’s debating teams secured their best results ever at the annual Debate Dubai competition last month, with Year 10 student Derek Lee winning the best speaker award for the Under 16 division and the under 14 B team coming home runners-up in their category. It was the third time Al Yasmina has competed in the contest and this year fielded its biggest number of competitors with four teams from the school competing in three divisions; two in the under 14 category and one team in the under 16 age group. Post-16 students competed in the open division.Winners from each pool are awarded a cup, runners-up from each pool receive a plate, third place-getters are awarded a bowl and losers from each pool receive a shield. Al Yasmina’s Debate Dubai coordinator, Ms Magee, says the other Al Yasmina teams also did extremely well. The under 14 team qualified for the cup but were knocked out in the quarter finals, while the under 16s qualified for the bowl but were knocked out in the semi-finals and the Post-16 students qualified for the plate but were knocked out in the quarter finals.Ms Magee says it was the most successful year for the debaters, particularly for the Year 9s who competed at a high level. “All the teams learnt a lot about structuring arguments, listening to the opposition and about rebuttals and delivering speeches with confidence and style,” she says. “The Post-16 students were outstanding and an absolute pleasure to watch. Many of them supported the other Al Yasmina teams and gave them tips. Year 12 student Shahmir Khan was absolutely fantastic in coaching the other teams.” It was a long day for the students, who left Abu Dhabi at 7am and arrived back at 8.30pm.

DANCING UP A STORM

Year 9 (under 14 category)Nikita Amir, Shahzain Khan, Owen Harcup, Aya Zeidan, Syeda Manal Ahmed, Ramya Iyer, Samali Weerasekera, Varsha Madapatha, Daniella Pretorius and Bidisha Misra. · This House regrets the practice of tiger parenting · This House believes that harsher punishments should be imposed on celebrities who commit crimes · This House believes that the environment should be prioritised over economic growth.

Year 10/11 (under 16 category)Jude Dababneh, Derek Lee and Mallory De Man. · This House would allow people to sell their organs · This House would actively privatise all state schools · This House would tie development aid to the enforcement of population control mechanisms.

Year 12 (open division)Priyanka Iyer, Abigail Alexander, Shahmir Khan and Wynona Bautista. · This House would repeal Obamacare · This house would enforce IPR (intellectual property rights) in developing countries · This House believes the Euro was a mistake.

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Months of preparation by Al Yasmina’s secondary dance group High Standards paid off when their performance lit up the stage at the Al Bateen Dance and Choir Group Festival. Students from schools throughout Abu Dhabi took part in the festival to show their passion and love for dancing and singing. The Al Yasmina students danced to Rihanna’s Where Have You Been, demonstrating great confidence, fantastic timing and delivering a top quality performance, their choreographer, DT and Art teacher Ms Owbridge says. The students have been refining their moves in the street dance extracurricular club and have also attended extra practice sessions each week. Ms Owbridge says she has been teaching the High Standards dancers since they were in Year 7 and this year they made up most of the dance themselves. The students achieved the right hairstyles thanks to Mrs Troup, who helped out backstage for three hours on the day of the show. High Standards members: Year 10: Jessica Lewis, Bethany Troup, Soo Lim, Abby McGough, Rachael Hill and Farah Hanbali. Year 11: Jessica McMillian and Reem Hassan-Beck. Year 13: Emily Prest.

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AND MY POINt IS: Shahmir Khan (centre) in action during the open division debate as the rest of the team - wynona Bautista(left), Priyanka Iyer and Abigail Alexander - confer.

StrIKe A POSe: Members of High Standards perform on stage at the festival last month.

MURAL MAKEOVER FOR STAIRWELLS

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StAIrweLL Art: Hibah Hassan (left) and Hasan Al Mashani work on a surreal painting in the secondary school stairway. 20

The sterile walls in the secondary school’s stairwells are being transformed into areas of beauty by Year 13 BTEC students and the school’s mural painting club. The BTEC students have completed a unit of work by painting trees into each of the stairwell corners and the mural club students, in Years 8 - 13, are painting murals in four different styles - optical illusion, Art Nouveau, Cubism and Surrealism.

The Art Nouveau mural is being painted by a group of Year 8 and Year 11 students and is based on the work of the artist Alfons Mucha, a Moravian painter of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a key figure in the Art Nouveau movement. Curriculum Team Leader for Art, Mrs Walsh, says the painting, which is very ornate with many natural elements, focuses on a central figure. The optical illusion mural is black and white, with clever use of perspective and introduces the concept of going from indoors to the outdoors.

The Cubist mural is inspired by the work of German painter and printmaker Franz Marc. The surreal painting is more complex and requires a higher level of ability because the artists are making the painting look real, Mrs Walsh says. The group of artists first created the image - which is based on the Burj Khalifa - on the computer. Mrs Walsh says the mural club is very popular but it will be limited to the same group of students who are midway through their murals.

The school’s atrium has also been adorned by a mural which was painted by a group of Year 10 artists and one Year 12 student. The mural uses Cubism and symbolism to reflect the students’ understanding of life in Abu Dhabi. The multicoloured balloons running though the painting symbolise the multi-cultural aspects of their community. The students included many iconic structures, connected by an Islamic pattern, in their mural. It was painted by Hasan Al Mashani, Clara Ziada, Hibah Hassan, Yea in Lim, Laura Tibi, Sarah Munro, Aseel Mohammed and Faris Al Ali.

The Post-16 students represent the school’s most senior students, and with that comes the responsibility of being role models for the rest of the school. The newly-elected Post-16 leadership team say their job is to model appropriate behaviour, dress standards and academic and sporting achievement, along with fundraising for various charities.

The team kicked off the academic year by supporting Movember, encouraging students to wear a moustache to school in return for a 5dhs donation, which will support Movember charities.The next charity event on their calendar is on Valentine’s Day on 14 February, 2013. This event is subject to confirmation. Cupid will deliver messages to students from admirers, who will pay him a fee for the message delivery. If the receiver of the message wants to find out who the message is from, they can – if they pay. Post-16 leadership council member Nicole Crighton says a decision on what charity this fundraiser will support will be made closer to the time. She hopes students will wear Valentine’s Day colours – pinks and reds – on the day in return for a donation.

The leadership team comprises five Year 13 students: Nicole Crighton, Chloe Moss, Jessica Vickery, Jon Alexander and Daniel Brundan. Three Year 12 members were chosen to represent their Year group after an exhaustive recruiting process. The successful candidates are Wynona Bautista, Abigail Alexander and Shahmir Khan. “We were looking for students who are confident, imaginative, who were able to think outside the box and who were, most importantly, willing to give up their time,” Nicole says.

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FUNDRAISING FOCUS FOR POST-16 LEADERSHIP TEAM

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES: Three members of the Post-16 Leadership Council Jessica Vickery (left), Nicole Burgess and Daniel Brundan discuss fundraising plans.

MOVEMBER

MOUSTACHE MADNESS: Secondary students donned moustaches to support Movember charities.

Derek Lee, one of the candidates for the role of Secretary on Student Voice, had his election speech ready to go. “I’m very organised and know how to keep track of things,” he told the room of Student Voice members deciding who would fill the position of secretary. He promised accountability, perfect attendance and a written record of all decisions made.

The other candidates were equally impressive. Year 7 student Ibrahim Al Mokatash urged the room of voters not to be put off by his age and stressed his availability when some of the older students might be sidelined by exam timetables, while Year 8 student Rachel Foulsham said she liked to get involved and make sure things were done on time.

Year 7 student Fatima Anani said she was organised, responsible and liked to keep account of things. The four candidates were ushered out of the room while the votes were counted, with Derek leaving with a parting shot - “My name is Derek, don’t forget to vote for me!” before the doors shut. After just minutes, the candidates were invited back into the room, impressing Derek with the speed of their decision. “You could teach them some lessons in Florida,” he said, before smiling broadly when he was announced as the winning candidate.

Next up were the candidates for Treasurer. Year 10 student Katha Toma promised she would use her mathematical skills to provide a general financial oversight, Waie Rasidin, in Year 10, talked about her existing fiscal responsibilities, Tahara Moonemalle (Year 10) promised to bring her organisational skills and dedication to the role while Michael Franks (Year 8) said he would draw on his previous student council experience to the role and his leadership skills developed with his involvement in the Scouts.

Votes were counted and Waie was the successful appointee. She and Derek join the Chair, Mallory De Man and Vice-Chair Eliel Ponen who were appointed in the last meeting. Positions of responsibility will be re-elected each term.

The Post-16 Student Voice representatives are Nicola Burgess and Tom Willcoxson-Staines. Student Voice coordinator Mrs Hewitt says the students created seven committees, each focused on different aspects of school life - communication, curriculum, events, facilities, sustainability, recreation and rewards. Students will participate in committees of their choice and at the next meeting a leader will be chosen for each committee. Student Voice meets once a fortnight.

STUDENT VOICE ELECTIONS HELD

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22STUDENT VOICE: Each mentor group has a representative on Student Voice, the secondary school’s student council.

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Sibling athletes Holly and Sam O’Shea are dominating the UAE multisport scene in their age groups, clocking up an impressive set of results over the last 12 months. Their recent achievements include the 2XU Triathlon in Dubai last month. Sam came first in the under 18 category, completing the Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 42km cycle and10km run). Holly came third in the U18 girls’ category for the sprint distance (750m swim, 22km cycle and 5km run). The next day, they completed the ADNIC run at Yas Island, with Sam leading the 3km race from the start to finish and winning the 14/15 year old category in a time of 10:37.

Athletics is in the blood for the O’Shea siblings. Their parents, Angela and Paul, compete regularly in events around the UAE and last month Mr and Mrs O’Shea and Sam competed in the Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon at Yas Island. Sam came second in the junior category (ages 16 and 17) with a time of 1.38. The sibling athletes recently added the Biathle World Championship to their long list of sporting achievements. The Al Yasmina students were amongst 317 competitors from 23 different countries in the recent event, many of whom were serious athletes. Holly, who is 15, completed a 1km sprint, swam 200m and then sprinted a further 1km. Fourteen-year-old Sam, who entered in the 13 to 14-year-old age group, ran 500m, swam 100m and finished with a 500m sprint. Although they didn’t win, both knocked several minutes off their qualifying times.

Sam and Holly say while the distances weren’t particularly great the fact they had to sprint, not run, made the event particularly challenging. “The sprint was full on for a short period of time and it was too short for me to pace myself,” Sam says. Holly and Sam qualified to compete in the event, which was held at the International Marine Club in Dubai, as part of Team UAE. Sam’s other achievements include winning the junior 20km Aloft run for children at ADNEC in September for the second year in a row in a time of one hour and 31 minutes,knocking more than 20 minutes off last year’s time. Sam completed his first triathlon, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in March, participating with his father, and was the youngest competitor to enter

WINNING STYLE: Sam O’Shea crosses the finishing line in first place at the ADNIC run last week (picture courtesy of Sport360 www.sport360.com) and below, Holly competes in the Biathle World Championships in Dubai.

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the event. He completed the sprint course which is a 750m swim, 50km cycle and 5km run. Holly and Sam both competed in Tri Yas at the Yas Marina F1 Circuit in April, both finishing in first place in their age categories. Event rules forbade competitors in their age groups from completing the swimming section of the triathlon, so the siblings completed the event as a biathlon and collected their trophies from the F1 podium. Mrs O’Shea says both children compete regularly in triathlons and biathlons in Dubai and Al Ain and run around the F1 track every Tuesday to prepare themselves for the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon next March. Holly wants to complete the sprint course and Sam is aiming for the short course, which is a 1.5km swim, 100km cycle and 10km run. Holly has stress fractures in both shins and has been advised to limit her training to swimming and cycling until they have healed. “She is very reluctant as the weather is more favourable for training and now she has the bug she doesn’t want to stop or lose the fitness level she has worked so hard to achieve,” Mrs O’Shea says.

OUTSTANDING RESULTS FOR AL YASMINA SPORTING SIBLINGS

Abby Alexander and Wynona Bautista have only started helping out at Abu Dhabi’s Future Centre for Special Needs, but it has already had a profound effect on the two Post-16 students. They volunteer at the centre once a week as part of their Community Service Award. The centre is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the empowerment of individuals with disabilities. It opened in September 2000 and has 170 students aged between three and 20-years-old. Abby works with children aged between 7-12, helping them with painting, puzzles and spatial awareness activities while Wynona volunteers with a group of young adults. She helps with reading, PE lessons and vocational tasks such as sewing and weaving. Both students say their volunteer work is both humbling and inspiring. “We have learnt to be more understanding,” Abby says. “They are people just like us, they have their own hopes and dreams.” Abby says she had sometimes seen groups from the centre at shopping malls and was interested in how the school worked.

VOLUNTEER WORK A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR POST-16 STUDENTS

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDAll Al Yasmina’s Year 12 students are involved in a wide range of volunteer activities as part of the school’s Community Service Award programme. The students volunteer in their free periods. The scheme allows them to contribute to the wider community and to develop self esteem and interpersonal skills and provides an opportunity for the type of part-time work that they would have access to in their home countries. It also adds weight to CVs prepared for university application. Students undertaking three A levels commit to two hours a week; those studying four A levels contribute one hour a week. Students begin in October and finish in April. The students do not participate in the scheme during the lead up to exams.

HANDS-ON APPROACH TO MEDICAL CENTRE VISITBy Wynona Bautista, Lana Zuhair and Priyanka IyerStudents interested in a career in medicine were invited to the Harley Street Medical Centre last month. Being able to tour around a legitimate, high-quality medical centre was not just educational, but also enlightening. We were guided around various departments which included Recovery, X-ray, General Practice, Urology and Reconstructive Surgery. Doctors in different fields informed us about what their profession entailed, giving us an idea on what our future lives might be like. All students involved had the opportunity to try out actual surgical equipment while in the operating room, picking out ‘kidney stones’ represented by seeds, which was incredibly fascinating. CPR was also taught to us, which is surprisingly easier said than done. Nobody really knew what to expect but throughout the whole tour, we were kept on the edge of our seats by of all the intricate medical apparatus, and we acquired a deeper understanding of what being a doctor essentially means.

“Now I am working in the school and it is such a rewarding thing to do. It really opens your eyes - it’s something a lot of people should do.” Wynona says the young adults she works with are a particularly caring group. “They are so emotionally supportive to each other. They know if one of their classmates is feeling sad and will go up to them and pat them on the back or give them a high five.” Both students say they would love to do more work at the centre. For Wynona, it has reinforced her decision to choose a career in medicine. “I realise that I want to take care of people and that’s one of the main reasons I’m choosing medicine.” Abby’s work at the centre has influenced her career choices and she says a job that involves working with people with special needs may be in her future.

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HAPPY VOLUNTEERS: Abby Alexander (left) and Winona Bautista say volunteering at the Future Centre has enriched their lives.

Al Yasmina Golf Team teed it up in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Schools Golf League last month at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The boys played very well with Callum McKay (Year 9) winning the individual section of the tournament. Callum put a very impressive score on the board, posting 1 under; a score any professional would be proud of! Thanks to PJ Van Merch from Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for organising such a fantastically successful event and Rosewood Hotel Abu Dhabi for their generous support of the Abu Dhabi Schools Golf League. The team is in action again this month at the City Golf Club. Any new players interested in playing should see Mr Ward. Al Yasmina School golf team:

Ryan Hunter, Year 10 James Forbes, Year 9Harry Baldock, Year 10 Callum McKay, Year 9Jake Peate, Year 10 Max Baldock, Year 8Aaron Parker, Year 10 James Tweddle, Year 7

GOLF CHAMPS: PJ Van Merch, Callum McKay, Jack Emerson (Abu Dhabi Golf Club) and Roddy Gordon from Rosewood Hotel Abu Dhabi (tournament sponsors).

GOLF SEASON UNDERWAY

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BRONZE DUKE OF EDINBURGH PRACTICE WEEKENDA group of 32 Year 10 students battled uncharacteristically hot weather on their Duke of Edinburgh bronze medal training expedition weekend in early November. Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator Miss Stephenson says the teams underwent a “gruelling” 12 km to walk through the desert area around Fossil Rock, just outside Sharjah. “Teams worked together to use GPS to find their route and kept their spirits up despite the heat and the blazing sun,” she says. “Tents were pitched and a camp fire built to see us into the night, with marshmallows toasted and ghost stories told until it was time to turn in for a night under the stars.” The second day dawned just as hot and sunny and the teams set off across the dunes for a 8km trek back to the pickup point. All the teams finished in good time and in good spirits, tired, but happy, Miss Stephenson says. The students will return to the desert for their assessment weekend in January.

SNIPPETS

More than 60 acts are auditioning for the WOW Factor, Al Yasmina’s secondary school talent show which hits the stage on 11 December with DJs from Radio One as judges. Meanwhile, rehearsals are well under way for secondary school’s drama production, Chicago. The show will be staged in February 2013, with a matinee and night performance on February 10 and evening performances only on February 11 and 12. Head of Drama, Mrs Hetherington says rehearsals are going brilliantly. “ We have some great singers dancers and actors who are working in a very professional manner. Watch out for tickets on sale in the new year.”

WOW FACTOR AND CHICAGO

Al Yasmina School has donated 1252dhs to the Poppy Appeal, earning the school a big thanks from the British Embassy. The Poppy Appeal is the major single source of revenue for the Royal British Legion’s Benevolent Fund.

POPPY THANKSAl Yasmina strived to become a paperless school for one day last month as it joined a national movement to reduce paper use and encourage resource efficiency. 21 November marked the fifth year of paperless day, an initiative by Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, which urges organisations and companies to find more environmentally sustainable and responsible ways to do business.

WATCHING PAPER CONSUMPTION

A team of avid readers from Al Yasmina’s secondary school are competing to become the top readers in the UAE. Thirty students took part in the first heats of the Reader’s Cup competition, which is organised by the Emirates Festival of Literature. There were four rounds of questions based on popular young adults’ literature, and the competition was fierce. The eight top scorers won a place in the two teams that will take part in the next heats in January. The teams have to read four specific books, written by authors who will visiting the festival, and be ready to answer questions on those books. The top eight scoring schools in the heats will go through to the finals in Dubai in March. The students in the teams are: Raumati Yusaf-Horsfall, Aurore Queromain, Matthew Pretorius, Niamh Griffiths, Aysha Fathi Hassan Abass Abdul Atti, Mehek Mathur, Aran Quintana and Hannah Green.

YASMINA STUDENTS VIE FOR TOP READER

STUDENTS OF THE MONTHCongratulations to the students of the month: Arabic native - Aya Zeidan, Arabic non-native - Teo Elsmore, Islamic Studies native - Ehad Odeh, Islamic Studies non-native - Rameezuddin Ansari, UAE Social Studies - Mohammed Al Dhaheri, Art - Phoebe Hughes, Business Studies - Ali Abu Saleh, Drama - Holly O’Shea, DT - Katherine Hill, Economic - Laura Tibi, English - Jessica Vickery, French - Lamya Al-Yazdi, Geography - Hannah Green, History - Jovita Joshni, ICT - Ali Al Haddad, Maths - Mohammed Al Dhaheri, Music - Annia Mirza, PE - Sam Forbes, Psychology - Jessica Vickery, Science - Ruby Hughes, Spanish - Kayan Khraisheh.

ZOO VISIT

ZOO TRIP: Year 7 science students visited the Al Ain Zoo last week to gain a hands-on perspective of two of their curriculum topics, classification and adaption.

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The Accelerated Reader Programme is providing some keen competition amongst Year 7 students who are piloting the new scheme.English teacher Miss Walsh says the research-based programme is really encouraging students to think about what they are reading and develop their skills as active readers. It is also helping to promote a passion and enthusiasm for reading. Accelerated Reader is a tracking and monitoring tool used to encourage students to read and is based on students’ individual ability. They are tested on their basic language and literacy skills and the results are used to put together a range of books for them to choose from.

After finishing each book, students take part in a quiz to test their comprehension level. Points are awarded to students each time they win a quiz and these points are exchanged for prizes. Top of the leader board is Aran Quintana, who has read 21 books - a total of 1,762,414 words - and has passed a quiz on each book. Closely behind is Katherine Hill, who has read 15 books and passed a quiz on each, and Zunair Khurram, who has read and passed a test on 11 books. Miss Walsh says prizes are to be awarded to two students from each English group: a prize for the student who has the most points and a prize for the student who has made the most progress with their reading.

READING PROGRAMME A HUGE HIT

FESTIVE CONCERTThe festive concert next Monday will showcase the school’s musicians and singers - and this year will feature a rap by Year 9 student Nick Coley. He will perform during the song “Empire State of Mind”, by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, which will be sung by the secondary choir. “The rap describes New York as one of the best places you will ever visit in your life,” Nick says. “It says it’s a heck of a town and then goes on to say that if you don’t like the way the city is run, then by all means you can leave.” The rap was supplied by the music teacher Ms Macleod but Nick says he writes his own raps, “about my day-to-day life and how I am feeling.” He admits to having slight stage fright when he thinks of his performance but says when it comes to rapping, movement keeps the flow. “I’m nervous, but it will be okay.” The festive concert is in the primary sports hall on 10 December and begins at 6pm. The concert will feature primary and secondary music ensembles and selected piano soloists. The senior orchestra, senior choir, Al Yasmina Singers, intermediate and junior choir, the senior and junior brass ensembles, the flute choir, junior strings, a clarinet trio and saxophone quarter will all perform. The concert will finish with a short festive singalong for the audience and students.

CHOIR ON FIRE: The secondary school’s choir rehearses with music teacher Miss Macleod and below, rapper Nick Coley practices his moves.

Planning is underway for a sports trip to Hong Kong and a combined ICT, Business, Maths, Drama, History and Music trip to New York City early next year. The sports trip next April is open to students who represent the school in U13 rugby (boys), U15 football (boys) and U13 and U15 netball. The nine-day trip will include sporting matches at local Hong Kong schools and will also take the sights of Hong Kong, including Golden Bauhinia Square, Victoria Peak, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen fishing village and Stanley market. The trip will be facilitated by Global Adventure Travel. The New York trip will be offered initially to students studying ICT, Business, Maths, Drama, History and Music in KS3 and KS4.

If there are any spaces left, they will be offered to students in KS3, with priority going to those who have a specific interest in any of these subjects or who are involved in them through extracurricular clubs. The six-day trip in March will include a visit to the Empire State building, a boat trip to the Statue of Liberty, a tour of Central Park, Wall St and Fifth Ave, a visit to ground zero, two Broadway shows, an educational talk at New York University and possibly a day volunteering.

TRIPS PLANNED TO HONG KONG AND NEW YORK CITY