The Junction

Friday 6 January 2023

A Note From Mr Green

‘A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other’

Author Unknown

I love the start of every new year and every new term. The excitement of being in school again has been palpable and as always at Jebel Ali School it has been a week filled with opportunity and fascination. We’ve had visiting speakers, information evenings, and even a team-building trip to Kite beach. Year 11 and 13 students have arrived back with a steely focus as they prepare for their forthcoming mock examinations and speaking with other students there are many who are focused on becoming better in some many varied arenas, be it the sports field, the stage, or the classroom. For many, they have made their own resolutions and are determined to follow them through.

They will not be alone. There will be many of you reading this now who have started the new year with different goals and aspirations. A week in, I wonder how many of these resolutions have already started to fade into a distant memory. Maybe that’s unfair, after all making a resolution can be a wonderful way to visualise the person we want to be, to reflect upon the improvements we wish to make, or simply to try and make a difference in the world we live in. Resolutions can work and there are, perhaps, some ways we can support them to ensure that they are followed through.

Resolutions are not a new thing. They have in fact been around for around 4,000 years and we have the ancient Babylonians to thank for this tradition. The Babylonians are said to have started a tradition during Akitu, a 12-day New Year celebration where crops would be planted, a new king would be crowned and promises were made to pay off debts and return borrowed items. The tradition would be continued through ancient Rome, the middle ages, and through to the modern age with numerous mentions in personal diaries, as well as in newspapers and articles from the 18th and 19th centuries.

It’s therefore surprising that despite being around for so long and no matter how refreshing and energising a new year resolution can sound, for many people, the battery life drains fairly quickly. We shouldn’t give ourselves a hard time about this. Even the stock market exhibits a similar phenomenon called the January effect due to renewed optimism in market confidence. It's this optimism which makes us feel that we have the will, positivity, and energy to achieve great things. This can sometimes be fatal to our resolutions as it can hide the true time and effort required for success. This should not be seen as a weakness or a lack of commitment. Perhaps one of my greatest flaws (or should that be strengths?) is that I am naturally optimistic and positive. It possibly is the reason why I like to smile so often. However, I am also acutely aware of reality and will often talk with students and staff about the power of developing habits, clarity, and patience.

We should not rush into making new goals. They require thought, reflection and assessment. In doing so we can achieve a real sense of the changes that we can really commit to. Too often I hear goals such as ‘achieve good grades’, ‘learn new skills’ or ‘get better at sport’. These are far too broad. Goals need to be broken down into clear actionable steps. They need to be specific and importantly measurable so that we can take responsibility ourselves for tracking our own progress. Lastly, I always find that any resolution has a greater chance of success when they are attached to habits. It creates discipline and routine. Even better is when we attach these new goals to existing habits.

There are, of course, other ways to help. Writing down one's goals can help, not being too hard on oneself if something goes wrong, and adjusting goals if things aren’t working the way you want them to are important reminders. I think it is also important not to confuse quantity with quality. Something can be lost when this confusion occurs. Instead of more, more, more we should remain committed to our vision of better, better, better. This is always possible.

Mr Stephen Green

Head of Secondary

Week in Review

Happy New Year to all of our JAS Thespians! We are looking forward to another fun-filled Term, enhancing our dramatic skills and knowledge. Watch this space for Drama updates over the course of the Term!

Music

Secondary Production

Oliver! 2023 - Week 12 in Rehearsals

As we move into Term 2, the show date for OLIVER! 2023 is fast approaching and we wish to share with you some important reminders for the upcoming weeks of rehearsals.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals will continue on the following days/times:

Monday - Lunchtime

Wednesday - 3.30pm-5.00pm

Thursday - 6.45am-7.30am

All cast members should now be off script (this includes song lyrics). When learning lines it often helps to have someone rehearsing with you, therefore we encourage parents and siblings to help our performers with this if possible!

Rehearsal Schedule

We are pleased that the majority of cast members are well-organised and keep on top of checking the rehearsal schedule. The rehearsal schedule for Term 2 is available via the Secondary Production Google Classroom and is posted on The Junction each week. It can also be accessed here for your reference. Please remind all cast members to check this every Friday afternoon from 12pm for any updates made for the following week.

Additional Rehearsals

All Cast, Crew & Band members will be needed all day on the following:

Wednesday 16th March

Thursday 17th March

Monday 20th March (DRESS REHEARSAL)

Please try to avoid booking appointments during the school day on these dates.

Weekend Rehearsal dates:

Saturday 11th March - Band only

Sunday 12th March - All Cast and Crew

Sunday 19th March. - All Cast, Crew and Band (TECH/DRESS REHEARSAL)

*All weekend rehearsals will take place between 10am-4pm. Students will need to bring a packed lunch, snacks and plenty of water. Students will not be allowed off-site.

Attendance on the above dates is of high importance. If there is a reason as to why a cast/crew/band member is unable to make any of the above, please notify us as soon as possible via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Costume

Students will be provided with the majority of their costume for the show. However, there may be some general items of clothing that the students will need to provide themselves. This will be communicated to the students directly. Any items of costume must not have any form of logo visible.

Show Dates/Tickets

The performance dates for the production are as follows:

Monday 20th March 2023

Tuesday 21st March 2023

Wednesday 22nd March 2023

All shows start at 7.00pm and will last for approximately 2 hours with a short intermission.

Students involved in the performance will need to be on site each evening by 4.45pm for hair and make-up.

Tickets will be available for purchase after February half-term. We are anticipating sold out shows, therefore please keep an eye on the JAS social media accounts and The Junction for the announcement of ticket sales so as not to miss out!

Lastly, we are once again thrilled to be welcoming you to The Colette Doughty Auditorium for our second production and we are very much looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions about the above information, please do not hesitate to contact us via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Cast List

Director - Ms. R Channon

Musical Director - Mr. A Laird

Assissant Director - Miss. K Hansford

Choreographer - Mr. S Sonsin

Stage Manager - Yasmina Habib (Year 11)

If you need to contact any of the Production Team please do so via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Secondary Production Google Classroom: Aztar5o (students only)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOAN7c63VxWtrfERmudXEBtof80VIm_xHh6r0RgJHE_mQdbw/viewformRehearsal schedule is updated on GC every Friday afternoon for the following week. Please check this weekly to see when you are needed in rehearsal.

Rehearsal Times

Monday 12.50pm-13.15pm

Wednesday 3.30pm-5.00pm

Thursday 06.50am-7.20am

JAS Inclusion

On Tuesday, 3rd January, JAS was extremely fortunate to welcome Nidhi Sethi who delivered a talk to KS3 about her own experiences as a person with Autism. Nidhi is an ex-Dubai College student who is now living in the UK, studying medicine at University College London. During her talk, Nidhi outlined what Autism was, her experiences while she was at school and how she has approached her recent diagnosis. She talked about the strategies she employs, her everyday struggles, and the many positives she draws from being Autistic. The students were captivated throughout the talk and were given the opportunity to ask any questions, demonstrating how they engaged and reflected on the insightful information provided. Nidhi is an inspiring young lady and we would like to thank her for coming to visit us. For any student or parent who would like to find out more about Nidhi, she has developed a website and blog in an attempt to raise awareness of ASD (www.behindthesmiles.co.uk). We look forward to delivering Nidhi’s talk to other year groups here at JAS.

Mrs. Sime

Primary Inclusion Teacher

JAS Secondary Sport

JAS Secondary Sport

Welcome back, everyone! We look forward to seeing you back at ECAs and Sport Fixtures from next week. Please see the schedule below and a link to any key documents you might find useful.

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

JAS Sports Website - Fixture information
JAS Sports Information Booklet
Team Kit Guidelines
Kukri Online Shop

What’s On - JAS Secondary Sport - WC 9 January

Living in the Online World

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.

Helpful Hints

"Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift." – Kate DiCamillo

How parents can encourage teens to read for pleasure

One of the great ways of reading for pleasure is the benefit it brings, and we know one thing for certain: that if children read widely and often it has many beneficial effects for them. Some of those we can say while it’s in terms of attainment in schools, some of it might be in terms of how they learn empathy, how they learn to extract meaning from books, or from other kinds of texts like poems or plays. We know that when children read widely and often across the genres, not only fiction books, graphic novels, but also non-fiction books, it gives them a huge repertoire of almost unspoken knowledge that comes from these books, and one of the reasons why is because they learn by reading for pleasure the power of interpretation. Hopefully, the following tips will help to encourage reading for pleasure at home.

1. Set an example. Let your children see you reading for pleasure at home. Try to find a regular time of the day or evening when they see you reading a book or article.

2. Furnish your home with a variety of reading materials. Leave books, magazines and newspapers around. Check to see what disappears for a clue to what interests your child.

3. Give teens an opportunity to choose their own books. When you and your child are out together, browse in a bookshop or library. Go your separate ways and make your own selections. A bookshop gift voucher is a nice way of saying, “You choose”.

4. Build on your child’s interests. Look for books and articles that feature their favorite sports teams, celebrity, film, hobbies, or TV shows. Give a gift subscription to a special interest magazine or leave the article / book by their bedside to dip into.

5. Read some books written for teenagers. Young adult novels can give you valuable insights into the concerns and pressures felt by teenagers. You may find that these books provide a neutral ground on which to talk about sensitive subjects. To quote C.S Lewis: ‘We read to know we are not alone.’

7. Make reading aloud a natural part of family life. Share an article you clipped from the paper, a poem, a letter, or a random page from an encyclopedia — without turning it into a lesson.

8. Acknowledge your child’s mature interests. Look for ways to acknowledge the emerging adult in your teens by suggesting some adult reading you think they can handle.

9. Keep the big picture in mind. For all sorts of reasons, some teenagers go through periods without showing much interest in reading. Don’t panic! Time, and a few tips from this list, may help rekindle their interest.

Mrs Elizabeth Hitie

English Teacher

Article of Interest

Goal Setting

Happy New Year! However you spent the New Year, I am almost sure it included well wishing, reminiscing and New Year Resolutions and perhaps some fireworks!

At school we talk about SMART target setting:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-Bound

New year, so do I need a new me?

Quite simply no!

New Year brings with it a host of clichés around transformation, change, reinvention and new beginnings. And inherently there’s nothing wrong with the principle of reflecting on our circumstances and look to bring about change that feels like growth. In fact it’s what we’d actively encourage. But the rhetoric around ‘New Year New Me’ is that there’s something inherently wrong with you and therefore needs profound change. I don’t often come across people that I think that’s appropriate for; more often coming into contact both personally and professionally with people who could benefit from a nudge in a slightly different direction. That’s an ongoing process that doesn’t have to begin or end with the New Year.

You don’t need to wait for New Year to consider change and it doesn’t need to be a new me. Considering why you want to change is paramount in making meaningful and sustainable change that benefits you and those around you. Dramatic and often short lived transformations aren’t sustainable by nature and often rob us of the confidence that change is possible. I’m sure we can all relate to stories that sound like ‘Well I try to diet every year and it never lasts past February’.

In understanding the ‘why’ behind change you highlight your reasons for change and can start to consider the steps necessary for sustainable change to take place. It doesn’t happen all in one go and even the consideration of change is an important step forward. Long lasting change is more often routed in reflection, consideration, planning and action as a cycle that doesn’t really have an end point. Motivation will naturally wax and wane and is something to be accepted and accounted for rather than being treated as something shameful or a failing.

We’ll be producing more information on change, growth and goal setting but if there’s one thing you take away from this it’s that you don’t need a new year to change and you certainly don’t need a new me.

Written by youHQ's resident psychologist

Dr Bear (aka Dr Alistair Bailie)

Mrs Nahla Osman

Head of Year 8 and Mathematics Teacher

Staff Profile

Adam Timcke - Head of History & Politics

Mr Timcke joined us this year as Head of History & Politics. Mr Timcke is originally from Wakefield in West Yorkshire. He has a keen passion for History, having completed a B.A. and M.A. in the subject. On gaining his teaching qualifications, Mr Timcke has also completed a Master’s in Education.

Mr Timcke has spent the majority of his teaching career working internationally in schools across Poland, Russia, China, and now with JAS here in the UAE. This has allowed him to gain some fantastic cultural and professional experiences. Mr Timcke has previously worked in Senior Leadership before joining JAS.

A keen football fan, Mr Timcke has followed West Ham his whole life.

Mr Timcke says of JAS and the JAS values:

“After recently getting married, it was our wish to settle in a school that offered a warm, friendly and dynamic setting - In JAS we found this. The school has excellent values of which all are equally as important to the foundations of a strong school. For me though, kindness stands out. Like many students this year, I am new to Dubai and to JAS. The kindness that has been shown, not only to me, but to the new students as well, is wonderful to see.”

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