The Junction

15 April 2022

A Note From Mr Green

The Tower of PISA

As those of you who know, I love any opportunity to use a good pun and this one was too good to miss. The Tower at Pisa is one of the most remarkable architectural structures from medieval Europe and, of course, is famous for the fact that it leans at about a 10-degree angle. It’s a beautiful bell tower that took over 200 years to complete and is made up of 8 stories of white marble. The concept of building something over time to produce something that is recognised as one of the best in its field resonates with the UAE’s very own national priority of delivering a ‘first rate education system’ which is both responsive to national need, aligned to international standards and has clear targets built upon each year.

To achieve this standard, the educational targets required cover a wide range of areas affecting the quality of education and student achievement across different phases. One of the major targets is concerned with the UAE ranking in the Programme for International Student Assessment (or PISA) which is set every three years. The assessment aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. For instance, in 2015 over half a million students, representing 28 million 15-year-olds in 72 countries and economies, took the internationally agreed two-hour test. Students were assessed in science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem solving and financial literacy.

This forthcoming week, 40 of our students have been selected by the International Assessment Team at the KHDA to represent Jebel Ali School in PISA. Their results will be important for JAS in meeting future individual targets set by the KHDA. However, it will be some time before the school receives any results and it is important to remember that PISA is used only as a measure of national performance. Results are seen in the context of the country as a whole, not to students individually. A shame, although it does not diminish how grateful we are for the selected students to be representing JAS in this global assessment.

It’s an incredibly busy time of year and with GCSEs just around the corner you would think that assessment, exams and testing are all that matters right now. For some, this might be true, but Jebel Ali School has always been, and will continue to be, much more than that. We should always take time to focus on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and this starts with our own mindfulness and wellbeing. This is pertinent at any time of year but becomes more accentuated during exam season.

Being worried is a normal part of life, and incredible as its sounds, can even be helpful in some instances. We often worry about things that are present in our lives, such as exams, friendships, finances, work, and family, and this worry has the potential to help us make good decisions in these areas. It is possible, however, for worry to become more challenging and unhelpful. Taking time to reflect on the positives can only make us happier and more emotionally fulfilled in the long run. We must embrace the notion of thinking positive every day if we are to have more positive outcomes. Just look at the Tower of Pisa; I bet the engineers were worried about that tower leaning over too far and that it would be an eyesore. Look at it now – it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and is world famous.

As I said at the start, a good pun is too good an opportunity to ignore. However, when my son showed a passing interest in what I was writing for this week’s newsletter he appeared dismayed with its serious focus on assessment as opposed to finding out more about the Tower of PISA. ‘These are important issues’ I ventured. ‘True’ he said, ‘but I think you used to be better with more imaginative word play’. I simply looked at him, smiled and said, ‘I did, once a pun a time’.

Week in Review

History

History students have started their new topic of learning about the British Empire. They worked through various artefacts that aided in their understanding of the reach of the Empire and how different countries were affected and influenced under this rule. They also learnt how historical information can be recorded and displayed in various ways.

Science

8ST got creative and made their own board games to learn about the carbon cycle and test each other. We had Carbopoly, Shopping game, Snakes and Ladders, Carbon spiral cycle and The Chase. There were some highly competitive games going on but we now have a class full of carbon cycle experts.

This week Year 7 were investigating states of matter in their particle theory lesson.

Geography

On Wednesday 13 April, our Year 12 IAL Geography students along with teachers Mr. Rice and Mr. Thompson completed their fieldwork. This was the first time many of the students had been on a field trip in the past three years due to the COVID pandemic so it was fantastic to have the opportunity to put theory into practice.

They started with a trip to the open beach in Jumeirah, opposite Mercato Mall, examining processes that take place along that stretch of beach. Students were investigating how the wooden groyne in the area would affect the coastline and were taught how to measure beach gradient, sediment size and shape, longshore drift, wave count, and the height of the beach on either side of the groyne.

They then completed an urban study of land use along a stretch of road outside Mercato Mall and followed this up with a traffic survey along Jumeirah Beach road. After a quick bite to eat in the mall and the opportunity to cool down, the group headed off to the Al Satwa area to complete another urban land use and traffic survey, the results of which will be compared to those collected on Jumeirah Beach road.

A lovely day spent in contrasting areas of Dubai with some vital skills gained. The data collected will now be analysed and findings will be used to help students with their Unit 2 module on fieldwork skills.

The Year 7 ceramic tiles are coming along nicely. Students are using a range of techniques to create the insect shape and form, such as carving, smoothing and cutting and adding clay. A variety of textures are also visible in some. We are looking forward to seeing the finished pieces!

While some of us got to recharge over the recent holiday, JAS Singers member Savannah in Year 7 was busy rehearsing for a very important performance. Savannah was chosen to participate in the closing ceremony for Expo 2020 and performed at the iconic Al Wasl Dome along with thirty other singers from across Dubai.

“It was such an exciting opportunity, I didn’t mind the long rehearsals because it meant I got to perform on such a big stage” says Savannah, who also received a trophy of participation for braving the audition process and being chosen to perform. You can see the full closing ceremony here and watch out for Savannah's contribution at the start.

JAS Music and the entire JAS Family are so proud to have one of our own JAS Singers a part of such a global event and we look forward to seeing how Savannah uses her experiences in the coming years.

Book Review for Older Readers

The Cousins

By Karen M. McManus

This is a novel that follows three teenage cousins (Milly Story-Takahashi, Aubrey Story and Jonah Story) on their quest to uncover the dark truth about their family. The parents of these three cousins were disinherited by Mildred Story (the cousin's grandmother) and each received a letter when the cousins were only babies that read ‘You know what you've done’. The Story children were then invited a few years later, when they were grown, by their grandmother to come and work in the resort that she owned on Gull Cove Island.

In this book, I enjoyed how the author changes the speaker in each chapter so that we can get the story from all points of view. It really helps us to understand how everyone is feeling and experience what they are going through. However, I didn't like how the perspective also changed back in time to the parents' lives. I thought this was confusing as I didn’t know who was who and what year it was in each chapter. Although, it did help us understand what happened all those years ago. Overall I would give this book a 3.5/5 as the start of the book was very long and winding but nearer the end, it was very entertaining. I would recommend it for kids over thirteen.

by Roisin 9JS

If you are a keen reader and would like to write a review of a novel you have read, please submit an entry of around 150 words, including who you would recommend the novel for and we will feature it in The Junction!

We will be accepting reviews from year 5 and year 6 students and you can either email them to Mrs Horsham lhorsham@jebelalischool.org or Mrs Free vfree@jebelalischool.org.

Happy reading!

Online Safety

Neurodiversity

April is World Autism month. It aims to shine a light on autism to increase awareness about life for Autistic adults and children.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

Being Autistic

Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses. Below is a list of difficulties autistic people may share:

Social communication and interaction challenges
Repetitive and restrictive behaviours
Over or under-sensitivity to light, sound, taste and/or touch
Highly focused hobbies or interests
Extreme anxiety
Meltdowns and shutdowns

Helpful videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk4qs8jGN4U&t=73s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejpWWP1HNGQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plPNhooUUuc

Helpful websites:

https://www.autism.org.uk/

https://autismsociety.org/

Looking Ahead

Whole School Iftar

We would like to invite all members of the Jebel Ali community to our school Iftar event which will be held on the evening of Thursday 21 April 2022 from 5.30 pm in the school cafeteria. Prayer rooms will be available for use during this event.

This year's food and drinks will be provided by an external catering company. In order to cover costs, there will be a charge of 70 AED for adults and 50 AED for children aged 11 and under. Prices are inclusive of VAT.

This will be a limited event and will operate on a first come first serve basis. The limit can be increased if tickets sell out quickly. We will update you with any changes.

A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA who are also supporting this event including management of activities and the selling of tickets. Tickets will go on sale daily from Wednesday 13 April 2022. The PTA members will be located outside the wooden gates of both the Primary and the Secondary school at drop off times only.

Please follow the directions illustrated below when attending the Iftar at Jebel Ali School. We request that you do not try to access the school via the Hessa Street, Damac Hills entrance as you will be refused entry for safety purposes. Jebel Ali site staff will be available in the sand car park to assist, please follow any instructions given.

We will also be collecting donations online in partnership with Gulf for Good this Ramadan, for the Sparkle Foundation in Malawi. Please click on the link below for more information if you wish to donate. This will run from 13 to 27 April 2022.

Jebel-Ali-School-Ramadan-2022-Gulf-for-Good

We look forward to bringing our community together for this occasion.

Sand Car Parking - Access Route

Spelling Bee Competition

We are very excited to announce our school Spelling Bee competition for Years 3-12. Happy Spelling!

PTA News

Helpful Hints

Studying for GCSE and A-Level exams can be difficult, and students need all the help they can get. The theory of the Mozart effect states that listening to classical music can improve memory and concentration. Music can help you to think more clearly, and block out other surrounding background noise. For best results, opt for slow to medium-paced instrumental works – music with words can be distracting. Even if you're someone who finds music a distraction while working, you may still use it to relax during revision breaks.

Here are some modern-day tracks that can help with those long revision sessions, or with those long rest sessions which are equally important.

You can find the complete playlist on the JAS Music youtube channel here. And don't forget to check our previous classical music revision playlist here.

A Beautiful Life – Tim McMorris

If nothing else, this upbeat number will motivate you to get out of bed and head to the library.

Magic – B.o.B (feat. Rivers Cuomo)

Lacking self-belief? This tune will get you in the right mindset to study.

Watch Me Shine – Joanna Pacitti

If Elle Woods (from Legally Blonde) can graduate from Harvard Law School, you can knuckle down and revise for your exams.

The Greatest – Sia

If you’re about to throw in the towel, give this a listen – you have more stamina than you think.

i – Kendrick Lamar

I defy you not to feel ready for anything after listening.

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

For when it all gets a bit much…

You Get What You Give – New Radicals

The accurate motto for revision.

Adam Laird

Head of Secondary Music

Article of Interest

The tradition of celebrating the midnight of Ramadan

If your doorbell rings today and you are greeted with children whose singing may sound a little closer to screaming, do not be alarmed. This is not a mistimed trick or treating spree, this is Haq Al Laila.

Also known as gerga’aan, the annual Gulf celebration gives children an excuse to demand treats from their family, friends and neighbours.

It is a tradition celebrated in Gulf countries. Children wear traditional clothes and carry colourful woven coloured bags, going door-to-door singing in return for nuts and sweets. The rounds begin after Iftar and the most eager children will often shout the songs rather than sing them, hoping it will lead to a greater bounty.

Children sing in Arabic “Atona Allah yatek bet Makkah Ywdekom” which translates to “give us something so that God will give you something and bless you with visiting the holy mosque”.

For many Muslims in the Gulf-Arab states, Ramadan can hold different meanings. For the younger generation, the month stands as a test of their faith as they attempt fasting for the first time.

As a reward for many young children, adults throw a celebration – usually celebrated on either the 14th or 15th of the Islamic calendar month of Ramadan – called Gergaoun, Gerge’an, or Hag el Leila depending on which GCC country one hails from.

Reference

Staff Profile

Lyndsay Wing - Whole School Inclusion Leader

I grew up in South West London and after finishing secondary school I moved to Roehampton to complete my degree in Psychology, Physiology and Sociology. I decided to take a gap year to travel to New Zealand, Australia and Asia. This was an amazing experience and it gave me the travel bug! On my return, I stayed in London to continue my studies and I completed my PGCE in July 2004.

I enjoyed studying in Richmond and Twickenham so much that I decided to stay and take on my first teaching post there. Whilst in Twickenham, I completed my Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) award and started my first role as SENCo. In 2014 I decided to move to Exeter in Devon to be closer to family. My role as SENCo there gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of schools giving me further insight into various learning needs and barriers to learning and most importantly developing my understanding of what I can do to help lessen those barriers so that the curriculum is accessible to all.

It had always been my dream to travel more and live abroad so my husband and I decided that Dubai would be a great fit for us. In 2017, with two children in tow, we moved our life over to the UAE. I had planned to take a year off to finish my masters but the opportunity to join Jebel Ali had arisen and after hearing all the fabulous things about the school I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work here. I have worked here for five years and I am now Head of Inclusion working across both primary and secondary. I am excited to take Inclusion at Jebel Ali to the next level and we have a fantastic team to do it!

A little bit more about me...well as you can imagine with two young children to keep me busy, much of my spare time is taken up with family life but I also enjoy running, swimming and generally keeping fit. I also enjoy creative arts and the theatre.

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