The Junction

24 June 2022

A Note From Mr Green

“With great power there must also come - great responsibility!”

This is probably one of the most famous lines from the great comic strip “Spiderman”. An interesting thing to note about this passage is that, in the original comic strip, the quotation wasn’t attributed to any character, it was a line in a comic strip box on its own – a statement of moral intent from Stan Lee. It was only in later versions of the story that, eventually, the quotation became linked with Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben. Like many teenage boys, I loved Spiderman and all the heroes from both Marvel and DC universes. One of the interesting things about Spiderman is that he is an unusual superhero, because he is a teenager. Stan Lee created this superhero as a young person, like our students at JAS, with similar hopes and dreams and insecurities.

In the past, people have been sceptical of comics, seeing them as an easy read or as pure entertainment, but comic books do teach us a range of essential life lessons and Stan Lee’s writing is, in fact, a great moral compass for teenagers past, present and future. What greater lesson can there be for teenagers than Uncle Ben’s message (through Stan Lee): that they suddenly have the power of being tall and strong, of sitting GCSE and A level examinations, of being able to drive and eventually vote; and they have to accept the responsibility that comes with those powers.

Last week I wrote about Star Wars. This week, a week celebrating student achievement, creativity, endeavour and talent, I write about Spiderman. There have been several films recently featuring our arachnid hero. One in particular, ‘Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse’, was the first to really explore the concept of a multi-dimensional universe, with all sorts of possible outcomes. Does that reflect your lives here at JAS? We may not travel through different times and universes but there have certainly been plenty of opportunities for becoming superheroes at JAS this year. A fantastic quotation from the film is from a character called Jefferson who says: “I see this spark in you. It's amazing. Whatever you choose to do with it, you'll be great.” Our Awards Day, along with many celebratory events this year, give us the opportunity to celebrate the “spark” in students.

We believe that all of our students have superpowers. The superpower of empathy, which allows them to engage with everyone in JAS, even if their opinion is in opposition. The superpower of resilience, to battle through obstacles in their learning to achieve the best that they can. Finally, the superpower of excellence, which enables students to strive for the best results in House Competitions, the best effort in their homework and the daily belief that ‘Better is always possible’; being the best they can be, every day, every term and every year.

The Awards Day also presented an opportunity for our Jebel Ali School community to thank the staff, parents and tutors who have supported students this year in creating wonderful opportunities at JAS.

It is a wonderful feeling to win an award. To stand on stage and receive reward for one’s efforts. There is a genuine sense of pride not simply from the audience but from oneself. However, it is important to remember that if we believe that there is a link to motivation and winning awards in life, then we will be setting ourselves up for disappointment. My late father (my own Uncle Ben) always instilled in me a genuine sense that the greatest of prizes was when you could look yourself in the mirror and know that you tried your absolute best. When we don’t receive awards, or don’t achieve the highest marks and grades, it is not failure; it’s a work in progress. Every student at JAS is valued and everyone has something special to offer. On a daily basis, we see hard work, we see success, we see kindness, courage and compassion. These are the characteristics of good people who make a difference.

I may not live in a multi-dimensional universe or in a comic book, but I have certainly been inspired by the Spiderman comic strip and Stan Lee’s strong moral code. Our own world faces an uncertain future and it is clear we need a new generation which embraces opportunity and is determined to make a difference. The world is full of intelligent and hardworking people but what it needs is more good people who want the world to be a better place. Who are committed to living and working with passion, humility and integrity. Regardless of career or country, making a contribution, and being kind and compassionate are the greatest awards we can celebrate and take great pride in. I have every confidence that it will be our students who will one day leave Jebel Ali School and be precisely the kind of young people who will make a positive difference to the world.

It’s a genuine pleasure being a member of our community. I get to share experiences with students who have strong moral values and who demonstrate excellence every day. Whether that has been through students being awarded based on their “great powers”, or in observing every day their resilience in studying, revising, and becoming mature and delightful young people with a clear sense of “great responsibility”.

Week in Review

JAS Secondary Academic Awards

6th Annual Academic Awards Celebration

Watching students grow and accomplish their goals is one of the main reasons many go into education, and the recognition of students elicits feelings of appreciation, pride and, importantly happiness. Earlier this week the JAS Secondary school came together as a community to recognise and celebrate the success and achievements of its students during the 6th Annual Academic Awards ceremony. Students were recognised for attaining academic excellence through their outstanding grades, and also for their determination and hard work towards their personal learning goals.

Winston Churchill described success as "going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm”. This statement resonates with the JAS key values of Resilience and Growth Mindedness. It draws attention to the qualities of perseverance and determination when working towards one's goals, and highlights the importance of recognising students who demonstrate these characteristics in their approach to their learning. The mindset of ‘I can’t do it…yet!’ and the belief that ‘hard work pays off’ are the qualities that will ultimately allow all of our students to achieve academic Excellence but also aspire to be the best we can possibly be. This was epitomised by Pippa 12KC who was the worthy recipient of the Colette Doughty JAS Spirit Award. This award is presented to a student who demonstrates a growth mindset, grit determination, 'gets stuck in!', has an outstanding dedication to their learning and demonstrates the school values of kindness, integrity, resilience, inclusivity and excellence. Mr Malpass delivered a wonderful speech reflecting on Pippa’s time at JAS. He finished with these words, “For all of us at Jebel Ali School, the most powerful thing of all is that this is a hero that we can all believe in because they are real and they are one of us”.

To close the ceremony, as has become a JAS tradition, Mr Green read an adaptation of We See You written by Colleen Wilson. It was a speech that resonated with everyone in the auditorium and ended with the central message that whilst we all may revel in small but significant victories that have been experienced throughout the year, that we can mark and celebrate the progress and growth of each and every individual, we don’t, need a podium or handshake or a hall of applause to be seen. Everyone is seen and this will never be lost or forgotten.

JAS Enterprise

The ECA continues for the future entrepreneurs and it’s getting very competitive! I had to include a special shout out to Hadia and Amelia for their Lucky Dip mystery bag business! I’m sure they’ll be touting for business over the next few days and could even win the contest - watch this space.

Laura Secker

Head of Business & Economics

JAS International Day

With over 65 different nationalities of students here at JAS, on our International Day, we celebrated our cultural diversity, inclusivity and belonging.

GCSE Art and Photography Exhibition

On Monday 20 June, it was fantastic to welcome so many parents, students and teachers to the opening of the first JAS Art exhibition. The outcomes by the students show such a huge range of skills and responses to this year’s GCSE coursework theme ‘Fragments’. The Exhibition will remain up until the end of Term so do pop in and have a look.

Congratulations and well done Year 11 students!

Eleanor Scarr

Head Of Art

IMG_5447.MOV

IMG_5443.MOV

IMG_5446.MOV

IMG_5444.MOV

IMG_5445.MOV

Year 12 have been hard at work on their large-scale final outcomes. Both Molly and Rachel seen here are working with oil paints.

Year 7 have been completing their pattern linocut prints, based on their pattern scavenger hunt photos. You can see their colourful creations below!

The Art, Drama, and Music Departments have once again been busy planning a very exciting JAS Create 2022 event for our Secondary students, taking place on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 July.

JAS Create is a Creative Arts festival aimed at igniting our students' imaginations as they participate in a range of themed sessions. This year, the theme is JUNK. Over two days students will take part in creative activities designed to reinforce the key concepts of 'REUSE, RECYCLE, RETHINK' in preparation for the Grand Finale showcase on Day 2 which will decide the winning house for the JAS Create title 2022!

We can't wait to see students getting stuck in, learning new skills, and having a tremendous amount of fun!

JAS CREATE 22 (1).mov

Spelling Bee Competition

On Wednesday 22 June we held the finals of the first JAS Spelling Bee. 32 students from Years 3 to Year 9 took part. We had some nail-biting, head-to-head spelling battles but in the end there could only be one winner! Well done to everyone who took part and cheered each other on. Here are the winners of the JAS 2022 Spelling Bee!

JAS Sport

This week we take a look at our secondary swimming squad. On Monday 20 June, JAS hosted the U13 and U15 DASSA Relay Gala. We welcomed WIS, NLCS and Kent College to take part in the competitive gala. The final team results saw JAS finished in second place with first place going to WIS! Congratulations to all of the students involved and we look forward to seeing the swimming competitions back in full flow next academic year. Our U14 boys basketball team finished their season this week with their best performance yet scoring 32 points against JC.

‘A special mention goes to Jude 9JBr for his fantastic attitude, resilience and hard work throughout the season’ - Mr Thompson

Don't forget to check the sports website with all the latest team sheets, schedules and results coming up in the next few weeks.

Amie Channon

Director of Sport

Secondary Relay Gala

U12 Boys Basketball Team

U14 Boys Basketball Team

World Music Day Staff Performance

World Music Day 2022 Staff.mp4

Book Review for Older Readers

The Dragonet Prophecy

By Tui Sutherland

‘The Dragonet Prophecy’ by Tui Sutherland is the unique story of Clay, a young dragonet, born with one thing in his head: he will save the world. The dragons have been in a total state of war for 20 years and it is prophesied that five dragonets would stop the war. No one knows when but they will. The war is a chaotic result of the death of the dragon queen and her children fighting fiercely for the throne. The dragonets will have to face many perilous obstacles in order to succeed. Will they? This novel is interesting and fun to read. I would recommend it to young teenagers because it teaches the importance of not making enemies, just because they come from different backgrounds. It also teaches you to trust your friends.

By Aman 8ES

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

Looking Ahead

Tuesday 28 June JAS Does Disney
Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 July JAS Create
Wednesday 6 July Early Finish and Non Uniform Day

PTA News

From Monday 27 June, the PTA silver uniform bins will be out by main reception for anyone wishing to donate uniforms.

Helpful Hints

7 Tips for Parents to Help Your Child Develop Effective Study Skills

Here is the situation: Your child likes school. They enjoy their classes, teachers, and fellow students. They do their homework every night. They are trying hard—but that effort and enthusiasm just is not translating to the kind of academic gains and grades you both want to see. If this sounds familiar to you, the key to helping your child crack the code on learning may be to focus on building some effective study skills.

Success in the classroom does not come from any single thing—it is about the right mix of attitude, habits, and effort. Strong study skills are an important ingredient in this recipe, and they are very much learned behavior. “Straight-A students are not born—they're made”

So, as a parent, how can you help your child develop the study skills they need to achieve academic success—and see benefits beyond the classroom as well? Here is seven tips to get started!

1. Create a designated study space for your students.

Does your child have its own desk or workspace in an area of your home that is conducive to focused studying? Ask yourself if it is well lit and away from other distractions. Keep helpful study supplies on hand in this area, like colorful post-its, a variety of pens and pencils, highlighters, and scratch paper. Encourage your child to take ownership over the area by giving them freedom to decorate, and teach them to neaten up and organise their desk each night so they are ready to get to work when it comes time for the next study session.

2. Keep a planner.

Time management is an incredibly important aspect of effective study skills. So, ensure your student knows how to keep a homework planner. Have them write down important due dates for homework and projects, especially if their teacher makes these dates known far in advance. Then, the key is to stay on top of these assignments. Prepare for important tests by helping your child break down the content and make a schedule for reviewing the material in the days leading up to the test. Break down big projects similarly by determining smaller milestones and working with your child to make a schedule for when they will have these components complete. This can offset cramming and procrastination (and build confidence in the process) by making their workload feel more manageable.

3. Take effective notes.

Have you heard of Cornell Notes? Utilising this classic note-taking system can help your child process information taught in class and truly retain what they have learned. There are even studies showing that writing notes out by hand results in better retention than not taking any notes or using a laptop. Teaching your child to use active reading strategies—like taking notes or highlighting key themes and passages—is also very helpful for retention.

4. Practice for tests.

Simply reviewing content before a test is not necessarily the best method to ensure your child is prepared for an upcoming test. Instead, encourage them to try more interactive approaches, like completing practice tests or using flash cards. Asking your child review questions and having them provide short essay-style explanations aloud can also be a great strategy to make sure they truly understand the material.

5. Avoid cramming.

Studying a little bit of a subject every day is much better for long-term retention than studying for a longer period of time a single day. Help your student structure a study schedule that will allow them to space out their practice on different subjects—as little as 10 minutes of practice a day can help! It is also important to encourage your student to break up their studying with smart breaks. Taking a 15-minute break once every hour can work wonders on keeping them focused and productive.

6. Teach your child to ask for help.

Perhaps your student is struggling with understanding a specific lesson in a particular subject or does not quite understand the night’s homework assignment. When this is the case (and it happens to everyone at some point or another) asking for help is key. Teach your student how to bring up challenges early with a teacher and ask for help—and do not be afraid to bring up concerns with their teacher yourself either. Teaching your child how to build effective working relationships with other students and asking their peers for help is another important lesson in asking for, receiving, and offering support.

7. Avoid distraction.

Teach your student how to put their computer away and turn off all other devices that may serve as a form of distraction while they are studying. Multi-tasking also takes away from learning, so encourage your child to focus on a single subject for a sustained period of time before moving onto another subject. And above all, ensure that your child has healthy sleeping and eating habits in order to maximise their focus and make the most of time spent studying.

Elaine Ho (www.edmentum.com)

Article of Interest

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)

I am sure that many JAS parents and guardians were wondering to themselves last year while looking at the extracurricular clubs' list, ‘What is this RAK club?’. ‘Are our kids going on a gruelling expedition through the rough roads in Ras Al Khaimah?’

Funnily enough, they did so much running around the school on their secret missions that I’m pretty sure they worked up a similar amount of steps.

What is RAK?

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a not-for-profit that invests its incredible amount of resources in order to make kindness the norm. Their motto which is very similar to the sentiments shared at JAS is that kindness is a way for people to connect with one another. It also puts forward the belief that that these small acts of service without expectation can be taught to students and bring about incredible amounts of happiness. RAK teaches students about respect, care, inclusion, integrity, responsibility and also a decent amount of courage (especially on those missions to deliver handmade gifts in secret!).

RAK club was brought to JAS as an extracurricular started by a colleague a few years ago (Mrs V North) who believed that the students of JAS were already partaking in the ethos, and just needed a place to share ideas, meet other students and get creative!

With lessons quickly adapting to move online and the vast majority of our days being in front of a screen, it is more important than ever for all students and parents alike to take that time in their days to ‘switch off’ and get creative.

Examples of RAK for students and their parents or guardians could be:

Holding the door open for someone
Doing a chore for a sibling without them knowing
Putting a note on the fridge with something kind written on it
Treat someone to a cup of tea
Be a good listener
Call a loved one to ask about their day
Thank the canteen staff
Make someone a card with something you drew on it
Include a new student in conversation
Give a family member a hug

In doing these random acts of kindness, sure it’s wonderful to receive things (especially a random chocolate bar) but the giver has a sense of confidence, mindfulness, and also that warm fuzzy feeling that is incredibly important for a time like this!

RAK Club coming back in September 2022!

Jenna Brownlee

Teacher of History

Staff Profile

Sattawat Sonsin - Teacher of Mathematics

Sattawat is a passionate Mathematics teacher and current Head of Year 10 who joined Jebel Ali School in September 2018 after having taught for 3 years in Abu Dhabi and previously in the UK. He graduated from the University of Warwick with a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Degree and a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics and can be found outside of school either on a Badminton court or on stage with a Musical Theatre company.

Sattawat is equally passionate about teaching Mathematics as he is with inspiring students to become worldly citizens and showing that there is no limit to their greatness, in and out of the classroom.

Page updated

Report abuse