The Junction

13 May 2022

A Note From Mr Green

GCSE Examinations

It only seems like yesterday that our Year 11 Students were sitting their mock examinations. Back in January, I wrote about the importance of preparation and the opportunities they presented in mastering skills, identifying gaps in knowledge, honing examination techniques, and using the information to inform improvement. The real examinations seemed a long way away, yet unbelievably our students will be sitting their first written exams next week. Today marks a key milestone for our students and we will be marking this with a special assembly at the end of the school day.

Looking ahead to next week, our Year 11 students should now think positively about their performance and academic ability. They should use their study leave as an opportunity to get into the zone when the exam days finally arrive so they’ll be able to flow through the exam and enable themselves to work to the best of their ability. The focus should not be on the result but to ensure their attention is on the questions and answers that are in front of them. The exams, after all, will cover everything that they have learned and revised in the past months. They can also use the time to prepare for unexpected events, such as bringing in a clear pencil case with several pens that they know all work, revising all areas or being able to attempt to answer questions they are unsure of, or understanding that it doesn’t matter where they are sitting an exam, it will still have the same conditions and feel.

As parents, we can help too. On the morning of the GCSE exam, make sure they are awake early, have adequate time to get ready and have a healthy breakfast to fuel the brain and body before they leave for school. When they return, it's natural to want to ask about how the exam went. Be mindful of this, as this can be both a positive and negative trigger for our children. The important thing, at this point, is that they feel confident in themselves and the preparation they have put in place. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the school. We’re here for you and the students during this examination period and ‘study leave’ does not change this in the slightest. Once they are all over, students should not dwell on the exams for too long. They should enjoy the long summer break, maybe get a job or some volunteer work, enjoy time with friends or go on a summer holiday, just like the exams, the results will be here soon enough!

Psychology

The Year 11 GCSE Psychology students have been revising in fun and memorable ways this week to conclude their GCSE course and hopefully help them to remember the material in their upcoming exams. They enjoyed using an array of candy to produce “sweet” representations of neurons and the process of neurotransmission (which they gobbled down afterwards!) and also had fun playing board games with each other. The only catch was that they had to create revision questions for each other and, in order to have a turn or make a move, they were required to first answer the question correctly!

Meanwhile, the Year 10 GCSE Psychology students have been learning about Piaget’s stages of development and they worked collaboratively to prepare and present information about the different stages to the class.

Professional Development Event

Just before the Eid break, Jebel Ali School hosted a Water Polo professional development event for over forty PE teachers from Dubai schools. Assistant Headteacher Mr Parnell led the session that focused on knowledge of the rules, fundamental skill development, and tactical gameplay. The teachers were not afraid to get stuck in, with the majority happy to jump in the pool and try out some of the drills and exercises themselves! These professional development sessions are part of a series of DASSA events coordinated and led by volunteer teachers who are supporting the development of different sports and physical activities in Dubai.

A huge thank you goes to our Director of Sport Miss Channon for organising the event.

Looking Ahead

• Monday 16 May Virtual Year 10 Coffee Morning 8:25am - 9:20am

• Monday 23 May Virtual Year 12 Coffee Morning 8:25am - 9:20am

Helpful Hints

How to Become a Successful Writer

1. Have Something Meaningful to Say

Writing is an important process that forces you to think about what you really want to say. That is a powerful tool, but in order to properly utilize it, you must have something worth saying. You can finesse your writing to your heart’s content, but if what you write isn’t impactful, then the effort is wasted.

To know whether or not what you are writing has any meaning, you should ask yourself, “If I were someone else, would I be better off having read this?” If the answer is “Yes,” then that means it’s something worth writing. Your writing should aim to achieve at least one of the following for your reader:

• Provide them with information they did not previously have.

• Expand their understanding of a topic.

• Provide a different perspective on a topic of importance.

• Challenge the reader’s views.

• Provide the reader with entertainment.

2. Make Sure Your Piece Benefits You

Before writing, you should think through the topic and make sure you understand your beliefs regarding the topic.

A common occurrence is when people take the first few words that pop into their head when they hear a topic and begin to believe that that is what they think regarding the topic, but that is only the beginning. To truly understand what you yourself think, you must challenge your view from every available viewpoint, and only after doing so will you have a solidified view on a topic.

3. There is Always More to Learn

This is a common tip, but an important one nonetheless. There is always more to learn about both writing and the topic you are writing about:

The Topic

Ensure that you have researched your topic before writing. Do not look for information that agrees with your beliefs; try to find articles that challenge your beliefs. The more you scrutinise your own belief system, the stronger the end result will become.

By knowing as much as you can about the topic you write about, you will successfully achieve tip 1 because you will be well read on the topic; you can almost guarantee that you will provide new information to your audience. Follow the model, “there is always more to learn”.

The Writing

Believing there is always a way to learn more is vital to becoming a good writer.

This understanding encourages you to hone your skills. It encourages you to be better than what you are today. It encourages you to keep practicing. It encourages you to see where you are going by looking at where you’ve been.

4. Practise Frequently

To get good at anything, you need to practise. Whether you write for yourself, a blog, a class, or a job, you always need to continuously practise. Writing is one of the most important skills you can practise because it teaches you something that no one can - it teaches you how you think. It is no coincidence that some of the most remembered individuals from history have been authors. It is no surprise that the most well-spoken people have written extensively throughout their lifetime.

5. Read Regularly

While it is important to practice writing, it is also important to read good writing.

Reading helps to open your eyes to other ideas. Reading helps you to learn the tools other writers have used in the past and subconsciously teaches you how to apply them. Reading helps you to expand your vocabulary, sentence structures and punctuation beyond where they are now

https://writingcooperative.com

Emily Berry

Head of English