The Junction

Friday 10 March 2023

A Note From Ms Davies

Celebrating International Women’s Day

The theme of International Women’s Day this year was “embracing equity” and students at Jebel Ali School gained a great deal of insight into the goals of the day from our inspirational assemblies and the activities throughout the week.

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. International Women’s Day is about taking action to drive gender parity, raise awareness about discrimination & celebrate women’s achievements.

In assemblies, students were introduced to the idea of International Women’s Day and its significance, they also had the opportunity to meet inspirational women from the UAE and our own community. The assemblies were organised and led by Ms Ratcliffe, with the brilliant Sixth Form students: Pippa, Molly, Sadiyah and Lauren. The assemblies provided an opportunity for all of our secondary students to discuss issues with inspirational women.

Our first Inspirational woman to meet our students was Nelly Attar. Nelly is a Lebanese national, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, in 2019 alone she completed Mount Everest, Hajar UltraMarathon (52km), Riyadh Olympic Distance Triathlon, and the New York Marathon. Nelly is the first Arab woman to climb K2 (second highest mountain in the world) and the winner of the ‘Female Fitness Influencer of the Year Award” at the FIT Awards. Nelly spoke engagingly about her achievements and the challenges of being a petite mountain climber. Only 1 in 10 mountain climbers are women and, therefore, much of the equipment is designed with men in mind. Nelly recounted having to stuff her “man sized sleeping bag” on K2 with extra clothing to ensure it fitted her snugly enough to keep her warm, as it was so large.

The second inspirational woman was drawn from our own Jebel Ali community, Gemma Hillier. Gemma is a JAS PE Teacher, and an English and Team GB Beach Soccer Player. Gemma has played beach soccer at The World Beach Games, The Euro Beach Soccer Cup and her team won the Euro Beach Soccer Cup in 2017 where Gemma won an individual award for being the top scorer. Gemma spoke passionately about her love of sports and the opportunities she has enjoyed in her beach soccer career. Gemma was also honest about the challenges she’s faced and the negative social media attention that can follow success. The questions from the audience showed the students’ interest in her career path and their excitement and support as she prepares for the World Cup in August.

Our Jebel Ali School students really enjoyed the information in the assemblies and being introduced to inspirational women in various subject areas. At a recent Educational Leadership Conference, I spoke on a panel about Women in Leadership and the UK campaign for women to be 10% braver. The idea of being 10% braver resonated with many of the women at the conference, and I hope that the Jebel Ali students will also be inspired by our assemblies and activities this week, to be braver in their choices, their words and actions, and their stand for equity.

Following a request from some parents who attended our assemblies this week:

Here are some reading recommendations following International Women’s Day:

Ms Sian Davies

Assistant Headteacher - Sixth Form

Week in Review

Year 11

On Thursday, the students undertook their Component 3: Texts in Practice performances. Each student performed two scripted pieces which will make up 20% of their overall GCSE.

The day was incredible and the performances were fantastic. It was also bittersweet as this was the last performance the Year 11s will undertake for GCSE Drama.

A note from Miss Channon: This Year 11 cohort has been highly dedicated, passionate, and enthusiastic about Drama & Theatre. They have enriched one another’s experience with their own understanding, knowledge, and genuine love for the study of the subject. As a class, they have bonded, supported, and lifted each other up with compassion and empathy. They have been trusting, vulnerable, resilient, and humble - as Drama teaches us to be.

Yesterday, I was incredibly proud of the growth of each and every one of them. And I hope they are just as proud of themselves. Although we still have one more hurdle to come (written exam), the performance exam is the real embodiment of Drama. It’s what we love most and it’s the reason we do it. And, it will most likely be the moment remembered most vividly on their GCSE Drama journey. Well done, Maya, Bella, Ananya, Zidane, Bethany, Yasmina, Freya, and Ceren!

Over the last two weeks, our Year 9 students have been finishing off their giant food sculptures. These were based on the work of sculptors Claes Oldenburg, Robin Antar and Peter Anton. After planning their designs, students built the structure out of cardboard and Papier-mâché, before painting them with acrylic paint. The end results were bursting with colour. Here is a small selection.

Secondary Production

Oliver! 2023 - Week 20 in Rehearsals

10 DAYS TO GO!

We can’t quite believe how fast the show is approaching! We are gearing up to start our intensive rehearsals this weekend in order to polish this show up and dazzle you all with our students’ talent!

TICKETS! (ON SALE FOR 5 MORE DAYS!)

There are still tickets available for the three performance evenings; Monday 20th March, Tuesday 21st March, and Wednesday 22nd March. Due to popular demand, tickets are now on sale EVERY morning (Mon-Fri) outside of the main reception. Where possible, please bring the correct cash. They are selling fast, so to avoid disappointment on the door, get yours soon and secure your seat before the show!

Rehearsal Reminder!

As previously communicated, all Cast, Crew & Band members will be needed all day on the below dates. Attendance on these dates is of high importance and we expect full attendance. If there is a reason as to why a cast/crew/band member is unable to make any of the below, please notify us as soon as possible via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Friday 10th March - Crew Only - 12pm-4pm*
Saturday 11th March - Band only - 9.30am-4pm
Sunday 12th March - Cast and Crew - 9.30am-4pm
Wednesday 15th March - Cast rehearsal as normal - 5pm finish
Thursday 16th March - Cast, Crew and Band - 7.40am- 3.30pm
Friday 17th March - Cast, Crew and Band - 7.40am -4.30pm*
Sunday 19th March. - Cast, Crew and Band (DRESS REHEARSAL) - 9.30am-4pm
Monday 20th March - Cast, Crew and Band - 7.40am- 3.30pm

Please avoid booking appointments during the school day on these dates.

*Students attending Friday Prayer are able to leave but please notify us in advance.

**All weekend rehearsals will take place between 9.30am-4pm. Students will need to bring a packed lunch, snacks and plenty of water. They will not be allowed off-site.

Production T-shirts will need to be worn for ALL of the above dates.

Cast List

Director - Ms. R Channon

Musical Director - Mr. A Laird

Assistant Director - Miss. K Hansford

Choreographer - Mr. S Sonsin

Stage Manager - Yasmina Habib (Year 11)

If you need to contact any of the Production Team please do so via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Secondary Production Google Classroom: Aztar5o (students only)

Rehearsal schedule is updated on GC every Friday afternoon for the following week. Please check this weekly to see when you are needed in rehearsal.

Economics

Students in Year 10 have been learning about monopolies and the conditions that monopolies exist. What better way in which the students can experience and test out theories other than playing a much-loved game of monopoly?

Students were asked theory questions and needed to identify different market structures that could also exist if collusion took place during the game.

Desert Dance 2023 - Saturday, 4 March

It was such a pleasure to be invited to participate in this wonderful event this year. As a school, Jebel Ali School has taken over 60 dancers to the Dubai Desert Dance stage and it was a pleasure to be a part of this event again. Dubai Desert Dance is a dance showcase. This non competitive dance event, with dancers of all ages and abilities. Over the last term, the girls had been learning Mr Sonsin’s wonderful choreography. The “All That Glitters” theme this year brought on some dazzling pieces from 12 other Dubai Schools. Our girls were glittery superstars! They danced their hearts out and seemed to enjoy every minute on stage!

Arabic

Students have been working on presenting their ideas about addiction to the Internet. They were inspired and motivated to create the best presentation.

Politics Event - The RT Hon Sir Gavin Williamson CBE

A huge congratulations to Erin, Mia, Lily, Linh and Saniya in Year 12 for their political discussion with Sir Gavin Williamson on Wednesday. Some incredible insight into the governments of Boris Johnson and Theresa May, including discussions about Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages that have been all the front page news the past week.

JAS Secondary Sport

Please see a reminder below of any key documents you need for any information regarding JAS Sport.

U19 Boys Rugby

DC 10’s - U13 Girls Rugby

DASSA Secondary Athletics

Living in the Online World

Looking Ahead

On Wednesday 15 March, we will be celebrating International Day. This will be a lovely event, and an opportunity for us to celebrate the many cultures and countries represented within our JAS community. All children are invited to wear national dress or flag colours on the day.

Helpful Hints

KS3 - Getting the most out of Sparx

This year in KS3 the pupils have been using Sparx Maths for their homework. This is a virtual learning platform that uses an AI to ensure every child has personalised and differentiated homework. Your child's teacher has set the curriculum for the year, ensuring that each week 60% of questions are based on topics that have been taught in class recently. As Sparx uses an AI this means that whilst every child in a class will receive the same topics for this section of homework each week, for example solving equations, not every child will receive the same difficulty of questions. This ensures homework is not only purposeful but eliminates the age-old problem of pupils being able to copy each other's work. Sparx then generates the other 40% of questions to be on topics your child has struggled with and needs to revise. If your child is in Years 7 and 8 they will also receive weekly times table practice. As homework is personalised to the needs of each child this means every child should be completing 100% of their homework every week.

In order for parents and carers to best support your child with their homework when they are stuck, we recommend parents watch the videos along with their child, to share understanding regarding what their child is working on. We suggest you or your siblings do not help your child complete their homework, as this will not allow the system to correctly assess the true ability of the individual student, and is, therefore, likely to set homework that is too difficult or too easy for the student as a consequence.

If you have noticed that your child is regularly spending longer than 60 minutes on their homework then schools can advise them to try the following things:

Check that your child understands how to do bookwork checks - if they are failing a lot of bookwork checks then this will add time to the homework
Ensure that someone isn’t answering questions for them - if this happens then the system will give them work that isn’t appropriate which could in turn take longer for them to complete
Make sure they are focused and not watching TV or using other devices at the same time
If stuck on a question students should first watch the video. If they still can’t complete it and receive the ‘Seek Help’ notification they should screenshot the question they are stuck on and email it to their teacher who will send through a useful hint the next school day. Alternatively, they can ask their teacher at the end of a class.
Encourage your child to talk to their class teacher if they are worried.

Sparx also has lots of other useful resources to help your child elevate their Maths.

The ‘XP Boost’ provides extra resources to consolidate learning on that week's topics
The ‘Target’ provides questions to extend pupils' knowledge.
‘Independent Learning’ can be used to revise for upcoming assessments. Please make sure that your child selects ‘Key Stage 3’ in the ‘Your Curriculum’ section.

Ms Ratcliffe

Teacher of Mathematics

Article of Interest

Queen Elizabeth I

This week, on Wednesday 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day. So, what better than to explore the Golden Age of Queen Elizabeth I reign – a time when the economy greatly grew, England’s influence expanded across the world, and William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Elizabeth I will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest English leaders.

Dr Tracy Borman

When Elizabeth I became queen upon the death of her half-sister ‘Bloody’ Mary on 17 November 1558, there was great rejoicing across the kingdom. Church bells were rung and bonfires were lit, and thousands of people gathered to drink and make merry.

Beneath the euphoria, however, lay the deep-seated prejudice against female rulers that had existed for centuries. The vast majority of Elizabeth’s new subjects believed that women were naturally inferior to men in every respect. They had neither the intelligence nor the strength of character to make their own way in the world. Even Elizabeth’s closest adviser, William Cecil, was furious when one of the Queen’s messengers discussed with her a dispatch for her ambassador in Paris, exclaiming that it was ‘too much for a woman’s knowledge.’

BEING SINGLE WAS A CORNERSTONE OF HER SUCCESS

Whereas Mary had confirmed such prejudices during her brief, disastrous reign, Elizabeth set out to confound them. Although she shared her male subjects’ views on the inferiority of women, she saw herself as an exception and was determined to stamp her authority upon all aspects of her court and government.

She started by refusing to marry – a deeply shocking concept in an age when it was universally accepted that a woman (let alone a queen) could not make her way in the world without the guidance of a husband. But Elizabeth was adamant: ‘I will have but one mistress here, and no master’, she told her courtiers. Although she encountered fierce resistance to this at first, over time her single state became one of the cornerstones of her success: it secured her place as the Virgin Queen of legend.

SHE KNEW HOW TO USE STEREOTYPES

Another part of Elizabeth’s strategy to win over her misogynistic new subjects was to refer to herself time and again in masculine terms. She was a ‘prince’ who led her people with just as much authority as her formidable father, Henry VIII.

But she also knew exactly when to flaunt her femininity. She created a court based upon the principles of chivalric love, with herself at the centre – at turns delighting, frustrating and enslaving the male courtiers who flocked to pay her homage.

She would also use her womanly ‘weaknesses’ as an excuse not to take action. When under intense pressure to sign the death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots, she told a parliamentary delegation that ‘my sex doth not permit it.’

QUEEN ELIZABETH I’S LEGACY

Elizabeth’s first biographer, William Camden, claimed that she had ‘surprised her sex’. This implies that she triumphed in spite of being a woman, whereas in fact she triumphed because of this. Her feminine traits had enabled her to stand out in a world dominated by men – and to dominate these men in turn.

After just a few months on the throne, her successor, James I, had so alienated his English subjects that they were longing for the days when they had been ruled by a woman. Elizabeth’s greatest triumph, it seems, was to make us fall in love with queens.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/articles/why-was-queen-elizabeth-i-so-important/

Mr Timcke

Head of History and Politics

Student of the Month

Congratulations to Alex Phillips who won the 100 AED VOX cinema voucher.

Student Focus/Highlight

We would like to congratulate Raahul, in Year 7, who won bronze for both 50 m freestyle and 200 m IM in the Hamilton Development Series over the weekend.

Staff Profile

Lucy McMurray - Teacher of Art

Lucy joined JAS in 2021 as a teacher of Art and Photography. Having grown up in Cyprus, Lucy completed a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Photography at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Canada, before moving to Dubai in 2008. Since the start of her teaching career, Lucy has worked at Dubai International Academy and completed teacher training at Safa Community School and Dubai English Speaking College.

Prior to becoming a teacher, Lucy built a successful career as a freelance Photographer and Art Director, across three continents, working on publications such as Harper’s Bazaar Art, Grazia and Time Out Dubai. Lucy brings this experience to her teaching, with an extensive understanding of the corporate world of design, as well as a strong understanding of, and respect for, UAE culture.

Lucy strongly believes in allowing students the independence to learn through experience, and this ties in well to the art and photography curriculums. Allowing students the space to experience trial and error in a secure environment enhances the JAS value of ‘growth-mindedness’ which resonates with Lucy on a personal and professional level. Better is always possible if we believe we can, and work to overcome barriers, both metaphorical and practical.

Lucy is passionate about all areas of art, but in her spare time enjoys spending time with her twins as well as traveling and reading.

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