The Junction

Photography

Year 10 have been working hard on their Photography GCSE coursework, using our dedicated studio to experiment with lighting and camera settings.

Wellbeing and Mental Health at JAS

Being well is not just the absence of disease or ill health; it is about feeling good in oneself and having the skills and confidence to thrive. We know that if our students are to succeed academically in school and achieve their goals in the ‘real world’, they need to feel good in themselves, and if not, have the tools and strategies to manage and self-regulate when things are not going to plan.

• During the school year, students spend more time in the classroom than they spend with their parents. As such, teachers, counsellors, and other school staff are among the first to notice concerning changes in behaviour that could signal a social, emotional or behavioural concern.

Our school counsellor, Mrs Zahra Ali, plays a vital role in the education team, collaborating with teachers, administrators and parents, to ensure that students receive the care and resources necessary to succeed in their academic and personal lives. However, a stigma continues to surround counselling, creating many barriers that may impede students from seeking mental health support.

A study, led by the University of Roehampton into the effectiveness of school counselling in the UK, found that school-based humanistic counselling led to significant reductions in students’ psychological distress over the long-term, compared to students who only received pastoral care. The study also found that pupils who were offered counselling experienced significantly improved self-esteem, as well as large increases in their achievement of personal goals.

With one in eight 5 to 19 year olds in the UK estimated to meet the criteria for a mental health disorder, the research provides critical evidence for schools considering expansion of their mental health services.

At Jebel Ali School, we have built a culture of kindness and care amongst staff and students. We are a second home and a safe space where students can feel supported and listened to, particularly by teachers and our wonderful school counsellor Mrs Ali. One of our 6^th Form students, Molly, along with other members of the Student Council, has created a video to explain and promote the student counsellor services at Jebel Ali School. We hope the extended JAS community can join us on our mission to reduce the stigma around counselling and encourage students to speak up and seek support when they are facing challenges.

Peer Coaches

Looking Ahead

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

• Wednesday 25 May JAS PTA Quiz Night at Radisson Hotel Damac Hills

• Friday 3 June Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II Platinium Jubilee (Non-uniform day)

JAS Whole School Update - Parent Access into School

School Cafeteria

We are now in the third and final term of the academic year and, as temperatures continue to rise, we are pleased to announce the re-opening of the cafeteria to our parent community from Monday 23 May 2022 as follows:

Morning: 6.45am – 7.50am - Coffee shop open to parents to purchase take-away drinks and bakery items through the external window serving hatch. No access to the cafeteria indoor seating area during this time.

Afternoon: 2.00pm – 3.20pm (Mon-Thurs),11.30am-12.00pm (Friday) - Cafeteria indoor area open to parents who may wish to wait for older sibling pick-ups.

The re-opening of the cafeteria will be on a trial basis, please ensure full compliance with the rules indicated below and inform any drivers/nannies accordingly.

Safety rules for use of the cafeteria space

1. Children must be supervised at ALL times by their responsible adult. The school will not be responsible for childcare after they have been collected from the classroom or be liable for any accident or injuries.

2. Adults and children must stay inside the cafeteria space only, they will be unable to access any other internal area of the school or access the pitch area due to secondary school lessons and ECAs ongoing during this time.

3. The family toilet located in the corridor next to the cafeteria can be used - please ensure you do not use the student toilets which are directly opposite this, as these will still be in use by Secondary students. FS and KS1 children must be accompanied to the toilets with their supervising adult.

4. Entry and exit to the cafeteria at the above afternoon timings will be through the glass sliding doors only, please do not use any other exit or entry point as the school day will still be ongoing.

5. In the event of a Fire Alarm/Emergency, all adults and children must immediately leave the cafeteria and follow the emergency exit signs to assemble at the front of the school, outside of the school gates.

6. In the interests of maintaining a safe environment for all our families, if the rules above are not followed, the responsible adult and children will be asked to leave the cafeteria and wait in an outdoor shaded area or in the car.

Sports Fixtures

We are also pleased to welcome back parents to watch fixtures on the pitch at our school. Kindly park in the sand area and not in the school car park.

Due to safeguarding concerns we are unable to allow parents access to our indoor sports facilities and the swimming pool at this time, the only exception to this is for those parents who are supervising a paid swimming lesson. Please ensure you do not enter the indoor sports facilities at any time including the changing rooms. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but the safeguarding of the children must be our first priority.

We look forward to seeing you in and around the school.

PTA News

Health Awareness

Thalassemia, is a group of blood disorders characterized by a deficiency of hemoglobin, the blood protein that transports oxygen to the tissues. Thalassemia (Greek: “sea blood”) is so called because it was first discovered among peoples around the Mediterranean Sea. Thalassemia is common among people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, Southeast Asian and Caribbean backgrounds.

Parents who both carry the same kind of genetic trait for thalassemia have a 1-in-4 chance with each pregnancy of having a child with a serious form of thalassemia. The main symptom of thalassemia is Anemia, which typically causes shortness of breath, pale skin, tiredness, palpitations and jaundice.

At least 8.5 percent of the UAE population are thalassemia carry the gene, which constitutes a significant health problem, as the avast majority of β-thalassemia mutations in the UAE are very severe.

The UAE government’s mandatory pre-marital screening has been successful in drastically reducing the incidence of new cases. The cost of genetic screening of thalassemia is Dhs120, And the cost of treating a patient is Dh35,000 per annum. Thalassemia is often detected during pregnancy or soon after birth.

As per Dubai Thalassemia Centre, it is advisable after grade12 for the students to get themselves tested to understand whether they are a carrier or not so that they can take future decisions after due consideration.

In the past, severe thalassemia was often fatal by early adulthood. But with current treatments, people are likely to live into their 50s, 60s and beyond. Thalassemia usually requires lifelong blood transfusion, sometimes as often as twice a month. Frequent blood transfusions cause iron in the transfused blood cells to build up and become toxic to tissues and organs, particularly the liver and heart. To help remove excess iron, patients must take a drug which binds iron, a process called “chelation.”

Bone marrow transplants and gene therapy procedures, while still experimental, suggest that a cure for thalassemia may one day be perfected.

Reference

Article of Interest

Teens and Sleep

This is an overview of why teens face unique sleep challenges and tips to help them sleep better.

The teenage years are a formative period. The brain and body experience significant development, and the transition to adulthood brings important changes that affect emotions, personality, social and family life, and academics.

Sleep is essential during this time, working behind the scenes to allow teens to be at their best. Unfortunately, research indicates that many teens get far less sleep than they need.

Both the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agree that teens need between eight and ten hours of sleep per night. Getting this recommended amount of sleep can help teens maintain their physical health, emotional well-being, and school performance.

At the same time, teens face numerous challenges to getting consistent, restorative sleep. Recognizing those challenges helps teens and their parents make a plan so that teens get the sleep they need.

Why Is Sleep Important For Teens?

Sleep is vital for people of any age. For teens, though, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep¹.

Thinking and Academic Achievement

Sleep benefits the brain and promotes attention, memory, and analytical thought. It makes thinking sharper, recognizing the most important information to consolidate learning. Sleep also facilitates expansive thinking² that can spur creativity³. Whether it’s studying for a test, learning an instrument, or acquiring job skills, sleep is essential for teens⁴.

Given the importance of sleep for brain function, it’s easy to see why teens who don’t get enough sleep tend to suffer from excessive drowsiness and lack of attention⁵ that can harm their academic performance⁶.

Emotional Health

Most people have experienced how sleep can affect mood, causing irritability and exaggerated emotional reactions. Over time, the consequences can be even greater for teens who are adapting to more independence, responsibility, and new social relationships.

Prolonged sleep loss may negatively affect emotional development⁷, increasing risks for interpersonal conflict as well as more serious mental health problems⁸.

Mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder have routinely been linked to poor sleep⁹, and sleep deprivation in teens can increase the risk of suicide. Improving sleep in adolescents may play a role¹⁰ in preventing mental health disorders or reducing their symptoms.

Physical Health and Development

Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.

Substantial physical development happens during adolescence and can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep. For example, researchers have found that adolescents who fail to get enough sleep have a troubling metabolic profile¹¹ that may put them at higher risk of diabetes and long-term cardiovascular problems.

Accidents and Injuries

Insufficient sleep in teens can make them prone to accidental injury and even death. Of particular concern is an elevated risk of accidents¹⁴ as a result of drowsy driving. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can reduce reaction times with an effect similar to that of significant alcohol consumption¹⁵. In teens, the impact of drowsy driving can be amplified by a lack of driving experience and a higher rate of distracted driving¹⁶.

Why Is It Hard for Teens To Get Good Sleep?

There is no single reason for sleep insufficiency among teens. Several factors contribute to this problem, and these factors may vary from teenager to teenager.

Delayed Sleep Schedule and School Start Times

During adolescence, there is a strong tendency toward being a “night owl,” staying up later at night and sleeping longer into the morning. Experts believe this is a two-fold biological impulse affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens.

First, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, which means they don’t start to feel tired until later in the evening. Second, the body waits longer to start producing melatonin, which is the hormone that helps promote sleep.

If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 or 9 a.m., but school start times¹⁸ in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply aren’t able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time.

With reduced sleep on weekdays, teens may try to catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but this may exacerbate their delayed sleep schedule and inconsistent nightly rest.

Time Pressure

Teens often have their hands full. School assignments, work obligations, household chores, social life, community activities, and sports are just some of the things that can require their time and attention.

With so much to try to fit into each day, many teens don’t allocate sufficient time for sleep. They may stay up late during the week to finish homework or during the weekend when hanging out with friends, both of which can reinforce their night owl schedule.

Pressure to succeed while managing these extensive commitments can be stressful, and excess stress has been known to contribute to sleeping problems and insomnia.

Use of Electronic Devices

Electronic devices like cell phones and tablets are ubiquitous among teens, and research, such as the 2014 Sleep in America Poll, finds that 89% or more of teens keep at least one device in their bedroom at night.

Screen time late into the evening can contribute to sleeping problems. Using these devices can keep teens’ brains wired, and incoming notifications can cause disrupted and fragmented sleep. Evidence also points to suppressed melatonin production from exposure to the light from cell phones.

Sleep Disorders

Some teens have poor sleep because of an underlying sleep disorder. Adolescents can be affected¹⁹ by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. OSA frequently causes fragmented sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Though less common, teens can have sleep disorders like Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), which involves a strong urge to move the limbs when lying down, and narcolepsy, which is a disorder affecting the sleep-wake cycle.

Mental Health Problems

Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be a challenge to quality sleep in teens as well as adults. Insufficient sleep can contribute to these conditions as well, creating a bidirectional relationship that can worsen both sleep and emotional wellness.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)²⁰, can make it harder for teens to sleep well. Lack of sleep may also contribute to more pronounced symptoms of these conditions.

How Can Teens Get Better Sleep?

Teens who are having sleep problems should start by talking with their doctor about how much sleep they are getting and how it impacts their daily life. Their pediatrician can work to identify any underlying causes and craft the most appropriate and tailored treatment.

Depending on the cause of sleep problems, medications may be considered; however, in most cases, treatment with medications isn’t necessary for teens to get better sleep.

A beneficial step is for teens to review and improve their sleep hygiene, which includes their sleep environment and habits. Some healthy sleep tips that can help in this process include:

• Budgeting eight hours of sleep into your daily schedule and keeping that same schedule on both weekdays and weekends.

• Creating a consistent pre-bed routine to help with relaxation and falling asleep fast.

• Avoiding caffeine and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.

• Putting away electronic devices for at least a half-hour before bed and keeping them on silent mode to avoid checking them during the night.

• Setting up your bed with a supportive mattress that’s the best mattress for you. And don’t forget to bring your best pillow.

• Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Sleep hygiene modifications may be included in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a form of talk therapy for sleeping problems that has demonstrated effectiveness in adults and may be helpful to teens. CBT-I works by reshaping negative ideas and thoughts about sleep and implementing practical steps for better sleep routines.

How Can Parents Help Teens Get Better Sleep?

For many parents, a first step is asking their teenage children about their sleep since surveys indicate that many parents don’t realize that their children are having sleeping problems.

Parents can encourage teens to see a doctor while also working with their children to make gradual sleep hygiene improvements. Some research has found that teens whose parents set a firm bedtime get more sleep and have less daytime drowsiness²¹.

Another avenue for parents is advocating for later start times with their local school district. A number of districts have experimented with delayed starts and found beneficial results²² as measured by attendance and academic performance.

Parents can also work with their teens to avoid overscheduling and commitments that can generate stress and trade off with adequate time for sleep.

Reference