The Junction

25 March 2022

A Note From Mr Green

“It’s been decided / We’re weaker divided / Let friendship double up our powers,”

Paul Williams, Songwriter for Bugsy Malone

As a self-confessed film buff, when told that we had secured the rights to perform Bugsy Malone as our first official Secondary Production, you can only imagine how delighted I was at the thought of hearing fabulous musical numbers and seeing our students with comedy splurge guns and custard pie encrusted faces I’m old enough to remember seeing, at an early age, the 1976 film version of Bugsy Malone, a feature by a then first-time director called Alan Parker. The film starred Jodie Foster, Scott Baio and an even younger Bonnie Langford, who pretended to be adults while spoofing the old gangster movies of tinseltown Hollywood. I loved it.

The idea of children, who looked like me, going about their very adult lives, sipping cocktails in 1920s New York, posed a dazzling, fantastical world to me. This must be how people live, hustling, doing – as Bugsy says – “this and that” for work, auditioning for bars, training to become boxers. It made me feel like the outside world was full of possibilities. The lyrics sung in Bad Guys and You Give a Little Love boasted of social mobility and life chances: “We could’ve been anything that we wanted to be.” Bugsy Malone may not teach us anything new about the gangster genre, but it does what a comedy musical should do: it makes you laugh, it has excellent songs, and it makes you hopeful for the future. By this I mean, no matter the uncertainty in real life, I’m sure it can be healed with a song and dance and everyone coming together at the end.

And this is precisely how I felt, once again, when watching our amazing students this past week. It wasn’t just how they performed on stage, it's how they have thrown themselves into all aspects of this production since September of last year. Given that there was a broad range of experience here it has been fantastic to see our students grow in confidence right in front of our eyes, learning key skills about working as a team as well as the requisite performance and technical ability. And whilst it may be strange to see young actors play such characters, it somehow works when the cast are both talented and funny. This was a special kind of joy. When they sang, “You give a little love and it all comes back to you / You know you’re gonna be remembered for the things that you say and do,” not only was I grinning from ear to ear but I was also reminded quite clearly that these are the very values of our own school community. Here they were, as clear as day, epitomised on stage and off stage by our students and staff: excellence of performance, fully inclusive in its performers and a message of hope, kindness and good humour. Put simply, a reminder that when we treat the world lovingly and with respect, the world will take care of us.

This felt like a treat. Mr. Sonsin’s choreography, Ms. Channon’s direction and Mr. Laird's musical leadership ensured we were witness to high energy, razzle dazzle performances that fizzed and popped with energy and slick, exciting pacing. The Jebel Ali School Bugsy was a colourful and sparkly affair performed with unique distinction and genuine gusto. From the applause and roars of approval heard each evening, parents, family members and friends clearly loved seeing the students perform on stage.

Thank you, once again, goes to everyone who in one way or another has made this a truly special JAS event that will live long in the memory. So many staff from a range of departments made invaluable contributions throughout rehearsals and as part of a huge "crew". Staff and parents have provided moral support as well as time and energy. Ms. Channon, Mr. Laird and Mr. Sonsin deserve particular praise, and equal gratitude goes to all the students who were brave and talented enough to take part in this unforgettable production. You gave a lot of love and it came back to you!

Wishing everyone in our school community a welcome and restful break.

Week in Review

Secondary Production

EXPO Snippet

Expo Snippet - The Last One!

On Thursday 31 March 2022 Expo will close its doors as construction workers move in to create Dubai’s newest commercial and residential ‘District 2020’, ready for October 2022. The architecture of the site was created with the future of District 2020 in mind and 80% of the structures will remain in some form.

Some pavilions will also remain intact, including The UAE, Sustainability, Alif, Vision and Saudi Arabia along with the Water Feature, Garden in the Sky, the Exhibition Centre and the iconic Al Wasl Dome.

In this, our very last Expo snippet, we take a look at some of our JAS staff favourite visits to Expo:

The Al Wasl Dome is very impressive and immersive anyway but to watch a great band such as Coldplay perform amongst the amazing visual effects was something I won't forget in a hurry. It certainly was a new way to watch and listen to live music!

James Batten, Head of 6th Form

I really enjoyed how you moved through the pavilion gaining an insight into the many elements of Pakistan. It seemed like there was something fascinating around every corner!

Kenneth Lyon Primary Headteacher

Hungary Pavilion must have a mention as it was built without using a drop of water! The massive ball pond at the top of the pavilion is great for kids and adults!

Matt Rice Head of Secondary Humanities

My children loved playing in the water and had so much fun at this attraction. We went to it every time we visited Expo.

Claire Coyle, Secondary Head of Computer Science

The Chile Pavilion might be small but don't let that put you off! Beautiful images of the sights of Chile and some interesting facts about exportation. Short and sweet -disfruten!

Jess Brewer, Year 5 Class Teacher

Kyrgystan Pavilion was so interesting and the staff were really friendly and knowledgeable without being overbearing. I spent a long time chatting to them and finding out all about the displays and about the beautiful mountains of Kyrgyzstan - it really made me want to visit. I particularly liked the traditional yurt.

Jen Foote, Year 6 Class Teacher

It was amazing to see all the students perform live on stage at Expo Young Stars. A once in a lifetime experience for them all and so special for them after the recent Covid restrictions.

Syreeta Taylor, Secondary Humanities

From being given your own flower at the beginning to seeing your avatar of what you enjoyed and learnt at the end, this individual interactive journey we were taken on made Japan my family's favourite pavilion to date. We have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of Expo due to being able to learn about so many different countries around the world and we have learnt so much during our Expo journey.

Dani Payne, Year 5 Learning Assistant

There is so much to see in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, it had a magical feel to it and brought out the child in me.

Barbara Bugingo, Year 3 Class Teacher

My top Expo visit has to be the absolutely amazing performance of Riverdance provided free as part of my Expo ticket. One and a half hours of pure entertainment without any additional cost.

Gill Massingham, Head of Administration

The atmosphere in Jubilee Park to watch Riverdance was fantastic, with families and young people enjoying the show equally. Beautiful venue, great music and very talented dancers who brought a bit of Ireland to Dubai.

Jose Guerrero, Secondary MFL

We really enjoyed the Kazahkstan Pavilion. The pavilion was set out really well and after visiting it we have put Kazahkstan on our list to travel to. The pavilion had interactive zones for the children and the finished off with a show where a man was doing acrobatic stunts on a mechanical hand. We all walked out saying 'wow!'

Emily Selant, Inclusion Learning Assistant

I loved the architecture and colours of the Spain Pavilion - so cool and inviting! The pavilion had the perfect blend of art, sustainability and education so you came away wanting to find out more. The information on biodiversity, new technologies in energy were incredible.

Well worth the visit!

Anne Edmonson, Year 3 Class Teacher

The Germany Pavilion has a very impressive set up with loads of information on sustainability. Interactive stations appear throughout the pavilion to engage children as well as adults.

Michelle Nunes, Inclusion Learning Assistant

The powerful message that The Women’s Pavilion portrays is very moving and emotive, celebrating females but with a clear message about the importance of equality for our children’s future, a worthwhile visit for all ages.

Lucy Joynson, FS2 Class Teacher

I absolutely love the Expo passport and stamping all of the different places you have been to visit. I love that you get to learn about how different countries and parts of the world are approaching sustainability, opportunity and mobility.

Amie Channon, Director of PE

And finally it is my turn to try to pick one element of Expo above all others and after 41 visits this is not an easy task but…. this has to be my Expo highlight as you can hear from my excitement. Click on the link to discover my experience as a Guardian of Al Wasl Dome

I for one am going to miss our weekly visits to Expo with my family and sharing the treasures we have discovered with you in this Expo Snippet. The pavilions, the entertainment, the food, the parks, the architecture and the people have indeed made it The World’s Greatest Show!

Fiona Cameron, Primary Deputy Headteacher

JAS Enterprise ECA

The JAS entrepreneurs have had a great term making their fortunes. They set up their business enterprises selling a variety of products to their teachers and peers. They experienced some business basics and enjoyed weekly competitions where they learned about branding, budgeting and business trivia.

Chemistry

Year 10 students made pure insoluble salts from a variety of solutions. They had to first work out which solutions would produce a precipitate (an insoluble salt) and then make the salts.

March Students of the Month

Congratulations to the winners of each year group and Charlie Hall who won the 100AED Vox cinema voucher.

The Year 9 Art students are enjoying painting their watercolour ink compositions using complementary colours. Inspired by the Emirati artist Abdul Qadar Al Rais, the students have combined image transfers, salt, bleach and Arabic calligraphy into their paintings.

Abdul Qadar Al Rais

Water colour on paper

Geography

A-level Geography students tried out a new concept in Mr. Rice’s Geography lesson this week called ‘Pechakucha’. Pronounced ‘Pea sha coo sha’ is a Japanese word meaning ‘chit chat’.

The idea is that the presenter has twenty slides and only twenty seconds to talk about each slide. It gives the speaker six minutes and forty seconds to make their points and is seen as an antidote to ‘death by powerpoint’. We adapted it slightly and only did ten slides. Our topic was on the issues of transport in cities.

Arabic

In Arabic this term, Year 8 has been learning places in cities and how to give people directions. Also, earlier on in the term, they learned how to say their hobbies and daily routine. These are the topics that the students included in the project they recently finished. The project was to make a poster or presentation about an alien from mars that had come to their imaginary city.

In Arabic this term, Year 7 has been learning school facilities, school subjects, adjectives, opinions and how to describe and compare education, buildings, and classrooms. These are the topics that the students included in the project they recently finished. The project was to make a poster or presentation about two schools, where JAS can be one of them.

Arabic Calligraphy

Ayesha 9JBR was working on the JAS logo in Arabic. Using the same colours and style to present a chain like the community of JAS. The letter is ج (Jeem) sounding like “J”. She chose the style “Koofy” coming from the city Kufa in Iraq and it’s the oldest style in Arabic calligraphy. Umaiza 8EC was working on Diwani Khatt to write her name using the outlines of the horse.

PE

This week in PE has seen our secondary students continue to develop and practice their striking and fielding skills ready for competitions in Term 3.

The girls have been playing rounders and have shown massive improvements in their catching and throwing skills which has allowed them to succeed in competitive situations.

Year 8 students applying their knowledge of rounders in a competitive match.

A Year 7 student demonstrating excellent batting technique in one of their games.

Year 10 students eagerly listened to hear the outcome of their closely contested rounders match!

While the girls have been playing rounders, our secondary boys have been developing their cricket skills. Students have spent time focusing on their fielding, bowling and batting skills and have successfully applied these to competitive situations.

A student in Year 10 after bowling the ball.

Another Year 10 student demonstrating brilliant batting skills.

Students have enjoyed applying their newly developed knowledge into fun competitive games.

DASSA Athletics Team Championships - Division 2

JAS won Division 2 at the DASSA athletics championships last week.

Thomas Howard HJ.MOV

Video of Thomas 11JG jumping 1.75m

JAS Sport

Secondary Netball Squad Photo 2022

U12A - 2nd in Division 2

U12B - 4th in Division 5

U13A - Winners of Division 2

U14A - 4th in Division 2 - losing 3rd place on goal difference

U16A - Winners of Division 2

U16B - 2nd in Division 6

We are so proud of all of the teams this season! All of the girls that have attended the netball club have been given the opportunity to represent the school and we can't wait to see the sport continue to grow in the future.

Team Photos from this week

Secondary Rugby

Our girls' team has been recognised as the most improved team in their DASSA league this season. They won two games in their final fixtures and drew against JESS who beat them previously in the season.

Great to see such a large squad coming through in our U12 rugby team. They competed in a game of 14's beating JESS this week.

Our U14 squad saved their best games until last beating JESS and NAS this week!

Huge shout out to all the staff for running the teams and to our wonderful admin team for helping us keep this all afloat!

Have a wonderful break!

Amie Channon

Director of Sport

Surfing Win

Joe 10AR came joint first in the Ripcurl Sunset Open Surfing Competition this past weekend. He competed as a Grommet (the 12-18 year old category) and won the first heat to go through to the semi final; and won the semi-final to go through to the final. He then came joint first in the final.

Well done Joe on an incredible achievement!

Lots of Socks

We had put some colour on our feet at JAS on Monday 21 March for World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). 21 March is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

JAS was a sea of colourful socks as our students and staff got involved and showed their support for people with Down syndrome.

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Book Review for Older Readers

Sisters

By Raina Telgemeier

The story consists of a family road trip from San Francisco to Denver as an occasion for Raina to contemplate her rocky relationship with her younger sister, Amara. When she was younger, Raina couldn't wait to be a big sister, but, when Amara arrived, she turned out to be a cranky, grouchy baby and toddler. Now the two of them constantly get on each other's nerves, especially when they're stuck in a minivan together on a long car trip. Along the way, they learn some lessons about what it means to be a family.

‘Sisters’ is funny, touching and really good. Through big gestures and small details, it captures the comedy and drama of sibling fights and affection. It also touches on some serious issues like divorce, unemployment and so much more. It also shows how Raina still loves Amara even after her ‘crazy’ behaviour. This incredible book was created by Raina Telgemeier who has written so many other great books such as Smile, Guts, Ghosts and Drama.

By Cristina 7GS

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

Friday 25 March End of Term 2
Monday 11 April Term 3 Resumes

Ramadan Timings 2022

Spelling Bee Competition

We are very excited to announce our school Spelling Bee competition for Years 3-12. The spelling lists and further details will be sent to you the first week back after spring break. Happy Spelling!

PTA News

Article of Interest

The Mental Health Benefits of Reading

After an enriching but challenging term, now feels like a better time than ever to learn about –and capitalise upon- ways of helping us unwind, relax, and de-stress. As an English teacher and voracious reader, I’d like to make the argument that reading is one of the best ways to do this.

While searching for a book may seem more laborious than starting a new TV show, or less interesting than scrolling through trailers on Netflix, the benefits it offers upon finding one are invaluable –for education, of course, but also for our wellbeing.

Taking the time to find a genre, an author, a series you enjoy opens up a world of appreciation, and will undoubtedly act as a springboard into the amazing world of literature. Okay, yes I am biased, but as the article below details, reading is an incredibly effective way of teaching you about yourself, about others, and about the world.

So why not make a visit to the library, or take another look at your bookshelf at home, and pick up something to read today! Let’s make April the month of overcoming the practice of Tsundoku: the Japanese word meaning to buy books but never actually read them!

Whether you’re travelling or staying in Dubai, whether you read paper copies or online, whether you prefer Sci-Fi or biographies, why not let the written word help you out today!

Callum McGuigan

Teacher of English

Why Reading is Beneficial for Your Health

It Can Reduce Stress.

“Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.”

It Provides Us With A Healthy Escape.

Reading takes us out of our world (and minds) and into another world inside the pages of a book. “With a film or TV show, you’re given the visuals whereas with a novel you’re inventing them yourself, so it’s actually much more of a powerful event, because you’re involved…”

It Can Make Us More Understanding.

Researchers at The New School in New York City have found evidence that literary fiction “improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling.” Another study “drew a strong connection between reading fiction and better performance on widely used empathy and social acumen tests.” We’re all better off when we understand what others are experiencing.

It Gives Us An Opportunity To Identify With Others In Similar Circumstances.

When we read about others with similar experiences, we can feel less alone. This is especially good for youth facing challenges. “…there are now more and more young adult novels which can help teenagers by addressing head-on the issues they may be dealing with in their day-to-day lives, from bullying to education and social exclusion….”

Reference

Staff Profile

Vicky Free - Secondary Librarian

Victoria Free has lived in Dubai for the past twelve years. She has had great fun raising her two children in the sunshine; they are now approaching A-Levels and GCSEs respectively. She has two cats, one is half Persian and a total menace and the other is a British Shorthair and massively affectionate (however Mrs Free really would love a dog!) She lives opposite the Museum of the Future which is currently considered to be the most beautiful building in the world.

Mrs Free holds a BA Hons Degree in European Studies and Modern Languages (French and German) but chose to pursue a career in education and has worked in various institutions during her adult life, such as The University of Warwick in Coventry and The University of Manchester – Medical School before moving to Dubai where she became the School Librarian at Gems Wellington Primary School and remained there for eight years.

Victoria feels extremely fortunate to have joined the JAS community and has been made to feel very welcome by all the staff and students. She is very happy in her role and hopes to be able to share her passion and enthusiasm for reading with the JAS students.

Her favourite author is Anthony Horowitz due to his talent of writing books of all different genres but she is also a fan of all types of books from the fictional fantasies of The Lord of the Rings to the non-fiction accounts of the World Wars.

In her spare time, when she is not reading, she enjoys spending time with her children, socialising with friends, walking and travelling. She is hoping to try sky diving in the near future and continuing with scuba which she started with her son before Covid.

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