As you may already be aware, the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Matilda The Musical, is coming to Dubai Opera in October 2023. The JAS Drama Department is looking to organise a trip for our current Year 7 and 8 students to attend a performance of this show in the next academic year. 

The prospective dates* of the trip are:

• Thursday 5th October 8pm

• Friday 6th October 8pm 

• Saturday 7th October 2pm

• Sunday 8th October 2pm 

*The date and time of the trip will be confirmed once we have assessed the number of students interested. 

A live theatrical performance of this calibre is highly exciting and we are confident that it will be one our students will find value and enjoyment in to further support their learning in Drama, particularly for those considering further study at GCSE, though this is not a requirement to attend the trip. 

Due to the Dubai Opera’s restrictions on reservations, we will only be able to offer a limited number of tickets which will be done on a first come-first serve basis when released. However, we will endeavour to accommodate all students that wish to attend. 

If your son/daughter would like to take part in this trip, please complete this form in order to register your interest by 12pm on Friday 9th February 2023.

Kind regards,

Miss K Hansford 

Teacher of Drama

khansford@jebelalischool.org

Year 10/11 Blood Brothers Workshop

Our Year 10 & 11 GCSE Drama students had the exciting opportunity to work with some West End stars from the hit musical: Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. It was a high energy day with not only lots of practical exploration of the text and characters, but also some detailed and insightful knowledge from the actors who played the characters, Mickey, Eddie and Sammy for 10-25 years. This was an invaluable experience for all of our students in their study of their Component 1 set text, and also a memorable experience working with professional actors. We had a fantastic day and also really enjoyed collaborating with DBS Emirates Hills Drama students. Thank you to the Stage-Ed team for this opportunity. This was their very first trip to the UAE and we can’t wait them to come back!

JAS Secondary Sport

JAS Secondary Sport 

Please see a reminder below of any key documents you need for any information regarding JAS Sport. 

• JAS Sport Information Booklet 

• Team Kit Guidlines 

• JAS Sports Website 

• Kukri Online Shop

DASSA Tennis

Cade represent JAS in the U14 DASSA tennis tournament finishing joint top in his group and eventually making it to the quarter-finals. He, unfortunately, lost out by a single point to the player who finished in second place. Congratulations Cade! 

Giolanta and George represented JAS in the U16 DASSA tennis tournament entering a very challenging group which meant they did not qualify for the knockouts. However, lots of experience was gained and the students are already looking forward to the next tournament. 

Football Cup Competition 

Girls Football Cup

After a very strong league campaign, the U12 girls' football team went out in the first round of the cup to a very strong DIA EH team. The U14’s lost to GEMS WSO who also had the majority of their team playing for teams outside of school. 

The U13 girls have had a phenomenal run in the cup, beating AIA in the first round, then Kings School Al Barsha in the quarter-finals. Grace Coombes has been a super sub in both games, coming on to score in the final minutes of each game. The girls will now play DESC in the semi-final after half-term hoping to reach the final. 

The U16 girls had a convincing 7-0 win against NLCS in the first round of the cup with an outstanding performance from Tessa Smies. They will now play SAFA Community School in the quarter-finals. 

Boys Football Cup

The U14 boys began the cup competition with a long-awaited fixture against Uptown School. Against the run of play, Uptown took the lead when a clearance ricocheted backward, looping over the goalkeeper. JAS struck back courtesy of a long-range effort from Will that caught the Uptown goalkeeper off guard. JAS nearly took the lead when Salaar struck the post from the edge of the box with a venomous strike. JAS continued to push, only to be caught on the counter by Uptown with a slick goal worked down the left-hand side.

During the second half, JAS pushed on in search of an equaliser. Uptown continued to threaten on the break and only some last-ditch tackles and brave goalkeeping denied the goal that would have effectively ended the tie. JAS sieged the Uptown goal in the final few minutes, with the long throws of Cade and Mikayil causing real problems for the defense. Saif took full advantage of some hesitant defending to score a late equaliser that would take the game to penalties.

Uptown cranked up the pressure in the penalties, with JAS failing to find the net in their first 3 attempts. Luckily Basheer in the JAS goal was in fine form, saving 2 of the first 3 to limit Uptown to a narrow lead.

As JAS regained their composure, scoring the next 3 penalties, the pressure was on Uptown to score to stay in the game. When the ball thudded against the bar and away from the goal the JAS crowd erupted. The boys have waited 3 years to taste victory and savoured every moment. A massive well done to all of them for the determination and resilience shown to come back into the game 3 times. Also a big thank you to Sixth Former and First XI captain Ben Massingham for giving up his time to help coach the squad.

JAS Rugby 

JAS Netball

What’s On - JAS Secondary Sport - WC 6 February

Looking Ahead

International & Residential Trips 2022-2023

We are extremely excited to share with you the upcoming international and residential trips for the 2022-2023 academic year. These experiences are subject to the number of students who sign-up. Below you will find the dates, a brief description, and approximate costs. Further information will follow. 

International Day 2023

Get ready for Jebel Ali School’s International Day on the 15th of March! This is JAS parents’ chance to collaborate, help unite and celebrate all cultures and showcase our JAS value of inclusivity.  

Dubai is well known for its diversity - home to a range of identities, and the JAS community has students from over 60 different nationalities! We plan for International Day to be an opportunity to embrace the diversity of Jebel Ali School, enhance school-to-parent connections, and most of all, allow students to share and learn more about their peers’ ethnicities.

We plan to expand International Day to include more activities such as a flag parade, international day-themed lessons, competitive sports games, and more!

Especially, we encourage parents and students to represent their countries by taking part in stalls that students will have the chance to explore throughout the day and learn more about the world.

We are certain that International Day will be both enjoyable and educational for all students! 

If you are interested in participating in the JAS International Day, whether to represent your country or show your support for others, please fill in the google form here.

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Article of Interest

Women in Science

Whether advancing cancer treatment techniques or helping us land on the Moon, women in science have helped change the course of history. While there is still work to be done in getting more women involved in STEM careers, there are many examples of incredible female scientists who have worked tirelessly to advance our knowledge of the scientific world. From well-known legends like Marie Curie to scientists like Alice Ball (whose premature death cut her career short), there are countless women who have contributed to science. Physics, chemistry, astronomy, and mathematics are just some of the fields where these women have made a huge impact. Some, like Caroline Herschel, struggled to get recognition at a time when earning a wage as a female scientist was unheard of. Others, like Jennifer Doudna, are leading the way in modern science by developing new technologies.

With the International Day of Women and Girls in Science just around the corner, get inspired by some of these incredible women. Here is just a small selection of female scientists who have made phenomenal contributions to society.

1. CAROLINE HERSCHEL, ASTRONOMER (1750–1848)

Caroline Herschel‘s path to astronomy began when she left her native Germany to live with her brother William in England. Though her mother had attempted to stifle her education, Herschel was naturally curious and began to cultivate an interest in astronomy alongside her brother. Though she began by helping him mount telescopes and record his observations, she began her own career in earnest. She discovered many comets and was one of the first women to do so. After sending her findings to the Astronomer Royal, she was asked to correct the official star catalog. Eventually, the Royal Family began paying her a salary for her work as her brother's assistant—something unheard of for a woman at the time.

In 1835, she—along with Mary Somerville—was named an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society. They were the first two women to become members.

2. MARIE CURIE, PHYSICIST (1867–1934)

Any list of incredible female scientists would be severely lacking without the inclusion of the iconic Marie Curie. Her achievements as a physicist go well beyond her gender, though she continues to inspire generations of female scientists. Not only did Curie discover two elements—radium and polonium—but she also coined the word radioactivity. She was the first person to attempt radiation therapy for cancer and championed its use in medicine. Curie also developed mobile X-ray units that were used in World War I to help wounded soldiers get the care that they needed.

In 1903, Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics—or any Nobel Prize for that matter—for her work on the “radiation phenomenon.” In 1911, she added another Nobel Prize to her list of honors. This time she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work in isolating radium. To this day, she is the only person to be awarded Nobel Prizes in different scientific categories.

3. ALICE BALL, CHEMIST (1892–1916)

Though Alice Ball only lived to the age of 24, her legacy is enduring. As an undergraduate studying pharmaceutical chemistry, she was already breaking barriers. During that time, she published an article alongside her male professor in a respected scientific journal, which was a rare feat for a woman and an even rarer feat for an African American woman at the time.

Ball would go on to become the first woman—and first African American—to earn a master's degree at the University of Hawaii. She would also become the university's first female and African American chemistry professor. She also did critical work in the fight again leprosy by developing a treatment called the “Ball Method,” which was the most effective available in the early 20th century.

4. BARBARA MCCLINTOCK, GENETICIST (1902–1992)

From cancer research to genetic engineering, the discoveries of American geneticist Barbara McClintock have had far-reaching effects. McClintock studied botany and was fascinated by new discoveries in DNA. She did a deep dive into the genetics of maize and realized that chromosomes were responsible for passing down hereditary traits. She also discovered “jumping genes,” or the fact that genes can sometimes transpose, causing certain characteristics to turn on and off.

McClintock won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on transpositions. As of 2021, she is the only woman to win that category on her own.

5. ROSALIND FRANKLIN, CHEMIST (1920–1958)

Though today Rosalind Franklin is heralded for her work in understanding the structure of DNA, her work was only fully appreciated after her untimely death. The English chemist worked on X-ray diffraction images of DNA that led to the correct identification of its double helix structure. Unfortunately, Franklin's life was cut short after a battle with ovarian cancer. She died in 1958 at the age of 37. Many felt that she should have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work, but this was not common practice at the time.

Since her death, her work has been widely recognized and her colleague Aaron Clug continued her research, winning a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1982. Many feel that, had she been alive, Franklin would have shared in that honor.

6. JENNIFER DOUDNA, BIOCHEMIST (1964–)

When biochemist Jennifer Doudna took home the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry—a prize she shared with Emmanuelle Charpentier—she made history as the first woman to win jointly with another woman. Professor Doudna's work on the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors has revolutionized genetic research by allowing scientists to modify a cell's genes in record time.

Professor Doudna is currently the Chair Professor of the chemistry department at the University of Berkely, California. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Doudna and a group of fellow researchers opened a testing center at the Innovative Genomics Institute and used CRISPR-based technologies to help diagnose the illness.

https://mymodernmet.com/famous-female-scientists/

Adapted from an article by Jessica Stewart (2022)

Louise Rose

Science Teacher