14 May 2020 Edition
Embedded Files
Message from the Principal
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents,
Mr K. Amin-Ali
BEng (Hons.) MA PGCE (Cantab.) NPQH NPQELPrincipal
Primary School updates
Primary School updates
Primary School had yet another exciting week 8 of DL!
Every Thursday learners are invited to do something fun with their classmates. We have done 'crazy hat day' and this Thursday we went all out for 'crazy hair day'!
Teachers will inform students about the fun themes a week before to give students lots of time to get creative and prepare. This is a great way for students to interact with each other, on the virutal platform, in a fun and creative way. We encourage all students, families and teachers to participate!
Video from RVzCheck out Shagra from Year 4 and how she spends her day during Ramadan!
Virtual Dessert Iftar
Virtual Dessert Iftar
FS to Year 6 will have a 'Virtual Dessert Iftar' on Sunday - 17th May at 8 p.m.
Teachers will share the Google Meet Links on Sunday.
Parent Webinar - 20th May
Parent Webinar - 20th May
We would like to invite all our parents for a Webinar in the upcoming week.
The Senior Leadership Team will be discussing the following:
- Changes in Lesson Timings after Ramadan.
- The importance of the live sessions for learners.
- Supporting your child to be an independent learner.
Day & Date: Wednesday 20th May 2020
Timings: 3 to 4 p.m.
Link will be shared on Google Classroom closer to the date.
Extreme Reading Challenge
Extreme Reading Challenge
Foundation Stage to Year 6 will have an 'Extreme Reading Challenge' from 17th - 30th May.
Learners are invited to participate in the exciting challenge to read in most unusual places at home!
Details for Foundation Stage and Year 1 to 6 are added below:
FS - Extreme Reading Challenge.pdfYear 1 - 6 - Extreme Reading Challenge.pdfSecondary school updates
Secondary school updates
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I would like to express my gratitude for such an incredibly warm welcome at the Year 10 Options presentation we had on Wednesday, 13th May.
At ASCS, we firmly believe that each child is an individual and therefore reject the notion of a 'one size fits all' curriculum. Our curriculum pathways have been designed to give the broadest possible curriculum to the needs of every child, whilst taking into consideration prior attainment and future aspirations. The pathways are a proven curriculum approach to ensuring each child attains the very highest grade possible in the allocated curriculum time at school. The Core Curriculum Pathways of English, Mathematics and Science will ensure your child graduates in Year 11 equipped with the knowledge, higher order thinking skills and qualifications necessary to access their chosen courses in Year 12, and eventually to some of the worlds' most respected Universities.
I have tried to answer all the questions paused during the presentation yesterday, and understand this information will be vital to help support your child's subject choices. For any further queries, please do get in touch to organise a virtual meeting at your earliest convenience.
It was a pleasure to meet all of our current Year 9 parents and students, and I was heartened by the number of you that chose to attend. I am looking forward to meeting you all face to face in the very near future.
Rani Iqbal
Head of Secondary School
1. How will we be categorized into the pathways?
Students will be categorised through a combination of final teacher assessment and CAT4 test results.2. Can we take triple science with Pathway 2?
Unfortunately not, those students who struggle with First Language English on Pathway 2 would benefit from the 100% coursework in BTEC Applied Science and Second Language English. Triple Science will be delivered through the Edexcel exam board, which requires competency in First Language English.3. Is the English Baccalaureate option tougher than the pathway 2?
Ebacc is more qualifications/exams than Pathway 2. The Ebacc Pathway is suited to students with competent English Language skills.3. Is ICT Mandatory?
ICT not mandatory4. None of the subjects that are listed are my desire what should I do?
There is a range of academically challenging and practical subjects in Block D - which suit most learners, you could pick the subject best suited to your strength.5. What if there are two subjects that I want are in one block? Like ICT and Computer Science
Those students that opt for Computer Science are often very confident in their skills and application of ICT. They find Computer Science more enjoyable - because it is more challenging for them. If you are ICT literate you will benefit from Computer Science. To work in the field of computer science - you do not need an ICT qualification.6. Can Arab students choose another subject in block A along with Arabic?
If you are an Arab student - in Option Block A you will select Arabic FL or Arabic SL.7. What is the logic behind taking Arabic Language as an IGCSE Option?
The GCSE is an additional qualification in a Language, which often more prestigious universities find desirable in a candidate application.8. Is French available through the EBacc Pathway
French will not be available for the EBacc students. If you are a native French speaker - you may enter the exam as an external candidate at the school.9. Is there a pathway that will allow us to choose 9 IGCSEs rather than 8 or 10?
The weekly periods allocated per pathway have been carefully timetabled for you to achieve the best results possible within two years. Our teachers, including our new British teachers will be well trained in supporting students to attempt 10 IGCSEs in Ebacc, they will have been through the same process and therefore will train students to achieve. An evaluation of the Ebacc child’s performance will be carefully monitored and reviewed.10. Can I add English Literature to the second pathway?
Literature can only be offered in Ebacc for students who have competent levels of English.11. Can we choose triple science in Pathway 1?
Triple Science will be delivered through the Edexcel exam board, which requires competency in First Language English. This will prepare students for A - Level Edexcel Science in Year 12 & 13.12. If I want to take the Science stream, is it preferrable to choose Pathway 1 or English Baccalaureate?
Yes !13. For pathway 1, can we choose Physics and Bio instead of Chem?
Both combinations are suited to those wanting the engineering or medical field.14. If I choose a BTEC subject, will I do an IGCSE exam?
BTEC qualifications do not have exams. IGCSE and BTEC are two different secondary qualifications.15. Will GCSE's rather than IGCSEs be offered in any subjects?
In some creative subjects yes.16. Can I take triple science and ESL?
Triple science is 3 x IGCSE (Biology, Physics and Chemistry), double in this context is 2 IGCSEs. English First Language supports higher attainment in Science. Our data shows students do very well in IGCSE, but less so in AS level Science, and this is partly due to a lack of English First language comprehension. First language skills are highly recommended to do A -levels at ASCS.17. Is English lit. necessary in Ebacc?
Yes, desirable in some of the top universities.18. When will we receive the Options form?
The form will be sent out through Google Form on Sunday, 17 May 2020. Deadline to complete the form is on or before 28th May 2020.19. Can we change our subject option in the future?
Options can be changed only within the month of September. Pathways cannot be changed.20. Is Year 13 mandatory?
We encourage year 13 studies with teacher support and not foundation year in university.21. If I do Year 13 will I need to do a preparation year in University/College
No need to do foundation year at university if you complete Year 13
From The Classroom To The Real World
From The Classroom To The Real World
During the past couple of weeks, we students in year 10 had to make a business e-portfolio. I personally chose the company Sony and was very eager to start making the portfolio. I thoroughly enjoyed researching the prices of certain products and the marketing objectives of the company and was able to use visuals and color to make my portfolio attractive. I believe that I have benefitted greatly from this experience and learnt the importance of being aware of real-life events. Find attached the google site.
sites.google.com/view/sonyportfolio/home
Sewar Abu Nimeh 10 A
Brainstorming of ideas on Savings in Economics Lesson
Brainstorming of ideas on Savings in Economics Lesson
Visual Representation of learning in Enterprise Class - Taha
Visual Representation of learning in Enterprise Class - Taha
Symmetry in Real Life
Symmetry in Real Life
The past few Maths lessons have involved year 7 students gaining a deeper understanding of Symmetry. Students are left fascinated and awed by recognising that Symmetry is found all around us - in nature, in Art, in cultures all over the world and throughout human history including the famous Taj Mahal and many Islamic Architecture . Many of our year 7s were inspired to creatively produce posters of Real Life Symmetry by combining Mathematics with Art and Design.
In the link below you will find some of their amazingly, fabulous work!
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g4IsaYE_K-6wF27KotBA1uFu5FL_xyf4
with Al Salam
with Al Salam
Arabic Channel in Al Salam Community School
Arabic Channel in Al Salam Community School
VID_20200428_155445.mp4Updates in Year 11, 12 and 13
Updates in Year 11, 12 and 13
End of Course Assessments
End of Course Assessments
Concerns have been raised about some students frequently going on and off line during the assessments as well has having other tabs open.
Please be reminded that as a school, we will be reviewing all the content recorded for the end of course assessments.
Should we feel there has been any unfair advantage gained by being offline or tabs being opened, we reserve the right to disqualify some or all of the marks from the actual assessment for the student.
There should be no delay in uploading content at the end of the assessment, nor should students go offline either during the assessment. There should not be any other tabs open other than Google Classroom.
End of Course Assessments Feedback
End of Course Assessments Feedback
Dear Parents, Guardians and Learners,
I hope that this message finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to provide updates and reminders, with regards to the End of Course Assessments in Years 11 to 13, as well as to extend an invitation for you to share your valued insights, opinions and feedback.
Firstly, I would like to advise you that there have been changes made to extend some of the timings for assessments, to ensure that learners have adequate time to check and submit their work, based on feedback and a review of the timetable. Please check the updated End of Course Assessment Timetable for further details.
Additionally, as we continue to improve practices, we would like to remind learners of the following guidelines. Learners are advised to turn their speakers to a volume that minimises any background noise, while ensuring they can hear the invigilators as and when necessary. Furthermore, if a learner is aware that there is background noise in their work space, which is beyond their control, they may mute their microphone. It should be noted that the invigilator may ask them to unmute their microphone at any time. We should also note that we continue to be vigilant in identifying any instances where we believe that the integrity of the assessment is being compromised and would like to remind our learners of our expectations and values. I am sure you will support us in promoting honesty and integrity during these assessments and beyond.
We are also happy to announce that the End of Course Assessments have continued successfully, and though we will always strive and look for ways to improve our practices, we believe that these will be minimal. In order to develop and improve, we would like to extend another invitation to all members of our community to provide feedback related to the processes and quality of the End of Course Assessments that have been completed so far, which will be received warmly and acted upon as necessary. If you would like to participate, please complete the End of Course Assessments: Feedback Form at your convenience. Additionally, please feel free to use this form to provide any comments or suggestions that you feel will be of benefit to our school and our learners.
I would like to close by thanking all members of our community for their positivity, support and collaboration during this process, and I look forward to continuing to work together as we move forward.
Respectfully yours,
Mr. Harvey Furniss
Assistant Head of Secondary (Attainment and Progress)
Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
"Healthy Children Learn Better"
Even at this time, the School clinic would like to support our children by providing a portal for all students to reach out to our School Nurses and Doctor.
Valuable information about Hygiene, Nutrition, COVID-19 Awareness are available on the portal.
Click here for more information and helpful tips for you and our students
Click here for more information and helpful tips for you and our students
The site is maintained by the Counsellors and they can be reached confidentially on counselling@alsalamcommunity.ae
ACER Chromebooks available to buy now!
ACER Chromebooks available to buy now!
ACER Chromebook Spin 11 are available for purchase with easy installment plans to assist Al Salam Community Parents who wish to get a Chromebook for their child/ren to cover their needs for Distance Learning .
To order, please complete the order form:
Terms & Conditions apply
Please contact our IT Team 0524814293 or 0524814292 to make the appropriate arrangements
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