7th May Edition

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents,

As-salaam aleykum

As we enter the final 4 weeks of school for this academic year, I am pleased to hear all of the positive feedback from students, staff and parents of what has been an impressive 2 and a half months of distance learning. Well done!

End of year assessments

The aim over the next few weeks is to formally evaluate the learning of the students to enable staff to have some perspective for their students for the new academic year.

Whilst I fully understand the stress of being in such 'unnatural' learning environments, please be reassured that the data obtain will support the progress of your child in September; and provide a diagnostic view of what gaps need filling if any to ensure momentum in learning.

As always, the counsellors are available to support on: counselling@alsalamcommunity.ae

Post-16 options presentation

Our new Head of Post-16 will hold a presentation this Tuesday at 4pm to present the new pathways being offeredin the new academic year. Please ensure you are able to attend if you are a parent of a Year 11 student. More details below.

#inthistogether

Mr K. Amin-Ali

BEng (Hons.) MA PGCE (Cantab.) NPQH NPQEL

Principal

Primary School updates

What are we up to...

Another exciting week of Distance Learning for all our learners as we have been busy with our final Learning Showcases for this academic year!

We have also been busy working on Revision and prepping for the Assessments.

Please click here to access the Revision Sheets for Year 1 to 6.

Teachers are working with students on revision during live lessons.

However, you may find a large number of revision sheets in the folders. We have provided you with everything you may need and hence do NOT worry about completing every single sheet in the folder. Work on only what you feel you need to from the Resources provided.

Transition Meetings

3rd June - Year 3 to 4 Transition Meeting

Our Transition Meeting on the 3rd of June for our Year 4 students of next year was a fantastic discussion with our parents about what to expect next year and how to prepare. For those who could not attend, please find attached the presentation.

3rd June - Transition to Year 4.pdf

Coming Up!

FS to Year 1 - 10th June

We invite all our Parents of students going to Year 1 for a Webinar on Wednesday -

10th June from 3 to 4 p.m.

We will be discussing a number of points -

Timings and a typical school day in Year 1
Subjects in Year 1
Primary School Activities

Meeting Link

REMINDER!!! - Graduation for FS and Year 6

As part of the Transition process, we have planned a little surprise for our students -

FS2 (going to Year 1) - 17th June
Year 6 (going to Year 7) - 28th June

We request the parents of these students to send us the following -

A baby picture of your child
A current picture of your child (preferably in the school uniform if possible)
A short 10 second video message congratulating your child

Please send these as soon as possible to Ms. Reena - r.cabungan@alsalamcommunity.ae

Upcoming Assessments - Year 1 to 6

As discussed in our Parent Webinar on 20th May, our students from Year 1 to 6 will have 'End of Year Assessments'.

The teachers will work with the students during live lessons and during the assessment weeks to support and prepare the students.

Please look up Google Classroom for posts regarding the Syllabus and Time - Table.

An assessment schedule will be shared this week for all parents to better understand the timings and review lessons we have planned for our students.

Summer Camp!!!

Summer is around the corner and we have been looking at ways to best help our families during this time.

Based on a number of feedback sessions with are parents, we are considering offering a 10 Day Summer Camp for Year 1 - 6.

This will be a 2 week Distance Learning Programme covering a variety of learning opportunities - Reading, Creative Writing, Numeracy/ Mathematics, Arabic and Coding.

Tentative Dates - 12th to 23rd July

We request our parents to fill up the attached survey to share your opinion. Click here.

An Invite to our Parents

We would like to invite our ASCS Parent community to share with us 'YOUR STORY'.

Share with us your story, whichever one it may be -

Working on the front line
Working from home
Balancing Work and Family during this difficult time

Write to us your story and send us your picture so we can share it with all our ASCS families and build a community of sharing, understanding and supporting each other during these challenging times.

We are #inthistogether

Please send to any one of the following -

Ms. Sara - headofprimary@alsalamcommunity.ae
Ms. Rachael - r.vaz@alsalamcommunity.ae
Ms. Oleveia - o.milne@alsalamcommunity.ae

Secondary school updates

Shazia Choudhry is Head of Humanities at ASCS. She holds a BSc in Psychology and a PGCE in FE Psychology and is currently undertaking her NPQML.

Shazia began her teaching career in 2014 where she taught Psychology in a private school in the UK, focusing on international students. She then went on to become a lecturer at a University in England, teaching a foundation degree in Psychology. Further to this, Shazia went on to teach A-Level Psychology and BTEC Health and Social Care at a large Further Education College in the UK.

During her time in Dubai, Shazia has taught GCSE and A-Level Psychology for 4 years. During this time, she has led the Social Sciences department, including Social Studies at her previous school. Shazia believes in taking an empathetic approach in her teaching, understanding all the needs of every individual student in her class. She believes in cultivating those skills in her students, which will help them in their academic, as well as post-academic, lives. She does this using a variety of different teaching methods, to help instil and develop attributes such as confidence and leadership.

As Head of Humanities, Shazia plans on helping provide her students with skills they can utilise in everyday life. She would like to make them more aware of worldly affairs, introducing them to learning at an international level. This, combined with the skills they will learn in the Post 16 sector, will help set them up to life outside education. Shazia aims to plan more external trips for KS3, introducing them to a variety of stimuli. She would also like to introduce internal speakers, helping develop the skills of students. All these opportunities will help the students to become more well-rounded, diverse individuals, whom can utilise their skills both in and out of the classroom.

Post-16 Launch event for Year 11 Students and Parents

Miss Francesca Huber will be launching our new Post-16 blended Curriculum and options for after Year 11.

Please join us on the 9th of June at 4:00pm to find out about our exciting new subjects and more. Click on the presentation for more info about the event.

Google Meet Link:

https://meet.google.com/usb-dfhe-hda?hs=122&authuser=1

ASCS Post 16 Launch

END OF COURSE ASSESSMENTS:

FINAL FEEDBACK FORM

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

I hope that this message finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing with regards to the End of Course Assessments, which have officially finished.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of our community for their communication and collaboration, which have continuously been positive and with the best interests of our students at heart. Based on previous feedback, from teachers, parents and students, the End of Course Assessments were extremely successful, which is reflective of the positive attitude and approach that all members of our community have demonstrated in the face of adversity. Given that all assessments have been completed for Years 11 to 13, I have attached another feedback form, for any additional comments or feedback that you may have.

End of Course Assessments: Final Feedback Form

I hope that the assessments have been as positive an experience as possible for all of our students, and that their true knowledge, skills and potential are reflected in their final marks. I wish the students in Years 7 to 10 the best in their upcoming End of Year Assessments, and a letter will be sent directly to the parents and students in these year groups. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or complete the form provided, at your convenience.

Respectfully yours,

Mr. Harvey Furniss

Assistant Head of Secondary (Attainment and Progress)

French Challenge

A Challenge that shows absolute genius of students who can switch between English and French.

Being multilingual has a lot of benefits for the students, it can change their brain structure and help them in multiple ways. Like to improve their memory, to process information better and to do multitasking skills.

Saying that , grade 11 students have taken up the challenge of reading a bilingual paragraph and they showed a high talent of their speaking skills.

The participants are:

The Paragraph is "Le Franglish"

Anam Adnan

URL:

https://padlet.com/chorfiassia/sx6pjujcbfangxrk

Amirah Mohamed

URL:

https://padlet.com/chorfiassia/valwqr67vz9y6hyh

Omotola Favour

URL:

https://padlet.com/chorfiassia/48m68d190pofe92s

Ayesha Abdalla

URL:

https://padlet.com/chorfiassia/48m68d190pofe92s

حب اللغة العربية وأهميّتها

“Arabic my passion”

سوار .mp4

الطّالبة سوار أبو نعمة من الصّف العاشر تلقي شعرًا باللّغة العربيّة من تأليفها

Sewar Abu Nima of Year 10 and a poem in Arabic

IMG_3857 (4).mov

الطالبة مزنة عبد الله من الصف الثامن تبيّن أهمية القراءة وحبّها للّغة العربيّة

Mezna Abdullah of Year 8 talking about the importance of the Arabic Language

مسابقة تحدي لبعض الأسئلة في اللغة العربية ، التي يجب أن يعرفها الناطقين بها عن طريق ثلاث مراحل ، وحصد نقاط لكل مرحلة ، عمل الطالبة مهرة وليد من الصف التاسع

An Arabic Language challenge by Mehra Waleed of Year 9

Health & Wellbeing

WORKOUT CHALLENGE #3

Workout Challenge #3: How long can you hold a plank?

This week’s workout challenge is ‘The Plank ’. The aim is to hold a plank for as long as you can. Important things to remember when doing the plank are to keep a neutral spine and neck, hold in your core and don’t forget to breathe! The challenge is open to any teachers, primary or secondary students to take part. Planks target the abdominal muscles along with working your whole body and even helping improve your posture and balance. Watch out for the challenge the ASCS Instagram and don’t forget to send us your videos of your attempts!

Akmol - PLANK .mp4

Help Your Child Beat the Exam Stress

It’s that time of the term again where children have their examinations. Many children take their exams as a way to make their parents proud of them but at the same time they feel that if they do badly they might disappoint their parents and lose their peers' respect.

Exam stress can be really challenging, not only for students but also for parents. Here are some things which you can do as a parent to help your child deal with exam stress

____

Identify Exam Stress

Look out for warning signs that your child is stressed or suffering from anxiety. Some common signs include:

Sleep disturbances.
Erratic or poor eating (skipped meals, picking at the food on their plate, etc.)
Low mood.
Low confidence.
Frustration or anger.
Queasy tummies, headaches and flaring up of skin breakouts.

Remember each child responds to exam stress and pressure differently. It might be that your child shows either, all , or none of these signs. You know your child well, so be aware of any change that indicates that your child is not their normal self.

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Importance of Study Breaks

Look out for warning signs that your child is stressed or suffering from anxiety. Some common signs include:

Sleep disturbances.
Erratic or poor eating (skipped meals, picking at the food on their plate, etc.)
Low mood.
Low confidence.
Frustration or anger.
Queasy tummies, headaches and flaring up of skin breakouts.

____

Encourage Them to Ask the Teacher Questions if They’re Unsure

Many children feel shy or feel that they might bug their teachers by asking them questions. Let your child know that it’s their right to ask questions and it will help the teacher also to modify and explain a concept in a way your child can understand.

____

Have Realistic Expectations & Talk About Exams Nerves

Parents should try to have realistic expectations of their children and avoid becoming another source of pressure for their children. Encourage and assure your children. Let them know that it is normal to feel nervous and teach them to remain composed and focused during stressful periods.

____

Encourage Good Sleep Patterns and Eating Habits

Sleep is the most ignored but is the most important part of a child's daily routine especially during exam time. Ideally 8-10 hours of sleep is considered good for children but it shouldn’t go less than 6 or more that 10 hours. Good sleep improves thinking and concentration. It also helps in retaining all the learned information in your mind. Learn more about how much sleep children need.

Balanced diet is the key. Having said that, it doesn’t have to mean cutting out all sugars and fats - in moderation, they can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes a bar of chocolate can make for a lovely reward after a tough gruelling revision session.

____

Help Them Study

Depending on your child’s age, make learning an exciting activity. Use toys and tools to aid in their education and revision. Flashcards, Mind maps and online study aids can help.

Try to give them their own space to study. Ask them how you can support them with their revision. Your help matters a lot.

____

Listen to Their Concerns & Avoid Criticism

It’s very important to listen to what they have to say after attempting an exam. Listen to their concerns and try to pick on positives that they have done in their exam. This will help them remain focused and will help them to get over their mistakes and move forward to preparing for the next exam.

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When to Get Help

Some children feel much better when exams are over, but that's not the case for all.

Get help if your child's anxiety or low mood is severe, persists and interferes with their everyday life. You can contact the school counsellor at counselling@alsalamcommunity.ae.

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 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:

ACER Chromebook Order Form

Terms & Conditions apply

Please contact our IT Team 0524814293 or 0524814292 to make the appropriate arrangements

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