Newsletter Middle School - EOY 2018-19

Beaconhouse School System Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus ST-4/A Block-1, KDA SCHEME 36, KARACHI, PAKISTAN

FIRST WORD

As we reflect on the 2018-2019 school year, please join the Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus staff and me in acknowledging and celebrating the many wonderful learning experiences and educational opportunities that have taken place for our students in classrooms. Together, we have planned and executed the best teaching practices and held students to high standards and expectations.

Most importantly, our students have enjoyed yet another fabulous year. They have excelled in so many fields that it is impossible to list them all. These achievements consists in various fields such as academics, sports, music and arts for which we are justly proud of them.

It is my deep belief that the hallmark of a great school is to continuously work to improve learning for each and every child. Therefore, creating strong and effective teacher teams at each grade level each year is a top priority for us as we work to ensure positive and effective teacher collaboration to foster pupils’ learning. Over the summer vacations, we will be working to put in place a smooth opening to the new academic year and setting the priorities to build upon the success of the school so that we can further improve ourselves. We have and should always seek to do better; to challenge ourselves and our students and to set the highest standards which will help achieve our ambitious goals.

I would like to wish you all the very best for the summer vacations and look forward to welcoming you back refreshed for another exciting, new academic year.

Best regards, Dr. Nadia Rashid Inam Headmistress, Jauhar Campus.

In This Issue: Hands on Activity (Science and Art Activity) IEarn Project on Digital Citizenship Informative session with Nargis Latif Futsal Tournament (Grade VIII) Story Telling and Dastaan Goi Trashtag Challenge Open Day Celebration Food Street (A Project by Entrepreneur Society) Orientation session for Parent and Students Heart Saver Session Exam Tips by Senior Buddies

Teachers’ Training Earth Day Celebration Pakistan Day Celebration International Women’s Day Celebration Life Long Learning with BSS Green Art Challenge Annual Sports Gala End of Term Party HRCA Arts and Creative Writing Morning Assembly Presentation Worlds Scholar’s Cup

Hands on Classroom Activities Urdu And Science Experience-based learning is one of the most renowned methods of acquiring knowledge, and Beaconhouse students are encouraged to capitalise this concept. Seeing, touching, and moving real-time objects to complete tasks, allows our students to have a hands-on experience that develops fine motor skills, learn control, communication, concentration and dedication to finish tasks and gain problem solving skills.

Accordingly, primary school students have explored the set-up of parallel and series circuit along with the transmission of light in a straight pathway. Students of middle school performed experiments related to reflection of light and image formation by using plane, convex and concave mirrors, along with magnetism. In Urdu students performed hands-on activities that celebrated the cultural diversity in Pakistan.

iEarn Project on Digital Citizenship This year students of Grade VIII had an amazing experience during the Collaborative Learning project which featured a school in Russia, as a part of the iEARN project. The school, Arboris Club, based in Russia, participated in an Online Collaborative Project with students of Jauhar Campus. The topic under discussion was Digital Citizenship. Initially, our students made an introductory video in which they introduced themselves and gave a brief introduction of the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship. Our students were very excited about the experience as this was one an amazing opportunity for them to interact with students from Russia and learn

Informative session with Ms. Nargis Latif In what turned out to be one of the most interactive and informative sessions of the semester, students of Beaconhouse Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus got the chance to interact with Nargis Latif, founder of Gulbahao.

Gulbahao is a one-of-its-kind project, operating in Karachi, where everyday, household trash is used in innovative ways to make mobile houses, different other structures of daily use, and even help in the production of energy that can be used in different ways.

The students enjoyed the opportunity of learning how they could do their bit towards helping preserve the environment, and make the world a better place for those around them.

Futsal Tournament Grade VIII (boys) participated in Futsal Tournament.

Grade VIII-E won the tournament, beating the six remaining, participating teams to take first place. Team VIII-D, with their highly commendable performance were runners up for the tournament.

The first semi final was on 27th February’ 19 between VIII-E and VIII-G when VIII-E did not miss the opportunity to amaze the aggressive crowd yet again. VIII-E won the semi final by 1-0. The second semi final took place on the same day during the second half between VIII-D and VIII-A. VIII-D again played very well and won by 4-0.

The finale took place on 1st March’ 19. The crowd was really enthusiastic, showing their excitement by shouting and holding banners of their favorite team. Not only was the match so interesting, the running commentary by teachers and students filled the environment with true sports spirit. The trophy went to VIII-E as they played an extraordinarily amazing game and won the final by 4-2.

In short, the Futsal tournament was a grand success by the combined efforts of students, teachers and principal.

Storytelling and Dastan Goi We’ve all heard the words, ‘Once upon a time…’ often enough, and this is evidence of how deeply integrated the idea of telling stories is, in our own lives. Storytelling increases a child’s willingness to express themselves and communicate their thoughts and feelings. It spurs creativity and encourages social interaction in our students Dastan Goi is the Urdu story telling art form in which students can show brilliance in voice expression. The finest example of language can be found in the dastan. This activity enriched the love of literature amongst the students, enhanced their Urdu vocabulary and amplified their reading skills.

A storytelling and Dastan goi activity was organized at Jauhar Campus on the Open Day. Our students of Level VII, Hani Abbas, Unaisa Naveed and Murtaza Hussain were the storytellers and dastan go of the event and mesmerized the par-

#Trash tag Challenge The Trash tag Challenge tackled the issue of pollution and teaching students the importance of conserving our environment, by having them pick up trash from the school grounds right after break.

Each class was assigned a particular day and the whole class alongside the class teacher stayed back in the main grounds to pick up all the trash and thoroughly clean the grounds. The students were also taught that in order to effectively recycle trash, they must categorize trash in different groups, as plastic, paper and compost. Accordingly, when VIII-A kick-started the initiative, they not only picked up trash but, depending on its nature, threw it into one of three respective dustbins: Plastic, Paper and Compost. While VIII-B followed suit, the idea of the Trash tag Challenge really gained traction amongst the other classes, who took on a more heads-on approach, by walking around with trash bags, and encouraging their fellow students to throw the trash directly into the bags. This more interactive approach allowed students to learn to take responsibility for their own trash as well as its disposal.

Open Day Celebrations BSS believes in providing students opportunities to discover new strengths, practices and skills. A grand Open Day was celebrated in Jauhar Campus on 9th February 2019 to bridge the gap between the school and community and instill mandatory skills into our students’ personalities. It also provided the school with the chance to showcase the teaching methods and students’ work in different areas of learning. It started off with the students impressing everyone with their act outs in the Global Village representing different countries around the world. Apart from that, the day also included various sensory room activities, fascinating theatre and dramatic role plays, stimulating science experiments, enchanting storytelling with props, sports activities and much more.

The fun-filled day was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.

Food Street- A Project by Entrepreneur Society Jauhar Campus has always stepped up to help students learn practical skills that can speed up their progress in the future. Project Food Street taught our students the art of managing and multitasking, alongside many business tactics. As they dealt with the customers, their social skills came into play and they gained self confidence. This event gave all participants an experience which they shall utilize in all fields. Not only was this project a source of great enjoyment, it also fulfilled many educational purposes.

Orientation Session for Parents and Students Students in their last year of Middle School are at a very crucial juncture where they have to make decisions which will impact them for the rest of their lives. Yes, the very important decision of choosing Cambridge or Matriculation stream along with the subject groups they will opt to study.

Jauhar Campus supported its students and their parents by arranging an Orientation Session with Dr. Nadia Rashid Inam (HM) and Ms. Sana Fatima (SM- O level). Parents were invited in batches to review how their child's transition to CAIE would be like, how to choose the perfect subject combination, what to expect out of the O-level program at Jauhar Campus and how the school will support the parents and children in settling down in the Cambridge Stream.

Heart Saver Session CPSP conducted an essential CPR session on March 28th, 2019 to train students to save the life of people having either a heart attack or cardiac arrest. The team brought training equipment like mannequins and provided demonstrations to the audience. The students were also encouraged to perform CPR on the mannequins using the techniques they had just been taught. It was indeed a very informative training session for both students and teachers.

Exam tips by Senior Buddies Younger children especially enjoy the one-on-one attention they receive from their elder buddies. Students of Grade VII and VIII, Unaisah and Mahnoor gave tips to Grade V and VI students during assembly regarding preparations for their upcoming exams and how to manage the accompanying exam stress. It was observed that this type of interaction encouraged teamwork between the junior and senior classes.

Teachers’ Training “It’s all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you’re properly trained”. Elizabeth II Teacher training is an important and integral feature of BSS for both new and experienced teachers. These sessions, usually in the form of workshops, seminars and training courses, help teachers acquire theoretical knowledge and its application so as to enhance the learning process of the students. In this academic year, BSS Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus provided BTP (Induction) sessions, SBPD sessions, mentor-mentee programs, focus group sessions and Developing Reflective Practitioners trainings to its teachers to improve their teaching skills.

The Beginner Teachers Program aims to provide novice teachers with a platform to reflect on personal practice and set goals for growth in promoting positive classroom environments.

The trainers for these sessions were Ms. Sana Fatima Zaidi (SM Jauhar Primary Campus) and Ms. Sana Fatima (SM Jauhar Campus). Similarly, the Mentor-Mentee program saw the more experienced teachers guide and mentor novice teachers about best practices.

The purpose of the SBPD program is to create collaborative, school-based professional development settings in schools to support teacher self-reflection and improvement in instructional practice. SBPD sessions were conducted by Ms. Fariha Amir, Ms. Sumera Ahmed and Ms. Sana Kashif to enhance the professional development of the teachers. Focused group sessions were also held at school to obtain detailed and broader range of perceptions and

Earth Day Celebration Students of Class V to VIII presented a very strong message through their presentation on how an individual can contribute towards a better society and environment. The audience was totally engrossed and eager to see what was coming up next and applauded them for their tremendous efforts.

Pakistan Day Celebration Pakistan Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and patriotism. Students presented role plays in which they paid tribute to the National heroes. Different colours of the Nation were seen through the presentation of diverse genres of music enjoyed by the people of Pakistan. On display were fruits, vegetables, sweets, food items and dry fruits from near and distant areas. Also on display were the handicrafts collected by students representing the culture of all the provinces and enhancing student’s knowledge of their own cultural heritage.

International Women’s Day International Women's Day is celebrated to reflect on the achievements of women in our society. The essence of Women’s Day was celebrated in full spirit as the whole school along with all staff members gathered together in two different extended assemblies.

A panel discussion commenced from a brief history about Women’s Day, after which the panelists Ms Asma, Ms Fauzia, Ms Beenish and Ms Rabiya talked about the balance for better in their lives followed by a discussion on women empowerment and equality. We were honored to have a short speech on 'How girls should lead their lives' by Ms Iffat Baneen an educationalist and the grandmother of our students. Teachers were honoured with titles given by enthusiastic students.

Students showed their love and gratitude through cards and greetings. Ms Saira Akhtar was nominated as the Woman of the Day for her contribution to the success story.

You all make us Proud! Stand strong!

Lifelong Learning with BSS Gulistan e Jauhar Campus was honored to host the glitzy event, Lifelong Long Learning with BSS–Developing 21st Century Learners on 16th March 2019. This event represented Beaconhouse Cluster 30 which includes Jauhar Kindergarten 1, Jauhar Kindergarten 2, Jauhar Kindergarten extension, Jauhar Primary Campus, Jauhar Campus, Malir Kindergarten, Malir Primary , Malir Middle and Steel Town campus.

The event unveiled how a toddler enrolled at BSS transforms himself into an individual who is analytical, Inquisitive, health and hygiene-conscious, empathetic, ethical, resolute, globally competent and digitally literate. The colourful event was brightened by the aweinspiring performances, spectacular displays and hands-on activities presented by all the different branches.

Our enthusiastic hosts for the event were Aiza and Zain Ul Abideen from class IX. The talented young artists and melodious singing stars of Jauhar Campus presented a musical play on Charles Dickens’ classic novel “Oliver Twist”. All the teachers, participants and the choir worked day and night to make this play worth remembering, and this was evident by the roaring applause of the audience. The program ended with a jamming session by our singing sensation Sir Atif and his student, Ibrahim Ali from class VI-C.

Green Art Challenge We are proud to announce the winner of this year’s Green Association Art Challenge. This year’s theme featured creating art work on Endangered species. Our student Abdul Salam of Class V-F won the 1st Position on his masterpiece of a 'Chakor". Congratulations to the winner and all participants!

Annual Sports Gala “Sports teach you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life”. Billie Jean King (American Athlete) Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus celebrated its Annual Sports Day on January 25, 2019. Despite the cold weather, students participated in the Gala with zeal and fervor. The ground was decorated beautifully. The parents and guests were cordially invited to witness the event.

The Sports Gala was declared open by the students of Grade Vs to VIIIs. The event began with a stunning aerobics performance. The audience appreciated the students by giving them a huge round of applause. Various races such as the Zig Zag Race, Hurdle Race and Flat race were the part of Gala. After the interesting and challenging race segment, an awesome basketball performance was presented by our young athletes. The children performed amazing acts with extreme confidence and received well deserved appreciation. The gymnastic display proved to be the showstopper as it exhibited students’ astounding coordination and collaboration. The winners were awarded trophies. It was a fun day packed with excitement, enthusiasm and colors.

End of Term Party Jauhar Campus organized an End of Term Party 2019 on April 30th, 2019 for Grade V to IX. Students added colour to the event by dressing up in varied and colourful attire. They spent a fun filled day with their friends and teachers by sharing food with each other, taking group photos and enjoying music which filled their day with merriment. The cherry on top was the movie session organized for Grade V and VI. The students visited Nuplex Cinemas to watch the adorable, evergreen classic, Dumbo. The outing was capped off with a delicious lunch in the food court.

‘I enjoyed the movie throughout,’ said Wajeeh Alam of class V-A ‘I would rate the film “10 out of 10. It was a great show’.

Interclass Cricket Tournament Learning cricket skills can help kids develop their physical fitness in a friendly environment and develop essential, fine motor skills, improve endurance and stamina, increase balance and coordination and improve hand-eye coordination. This year too, the Annual Cricket Tournament for Grade V and VI was held at Jauhar Campus in March which helped acknowledge the hidden talents of our young but highly talented students.

FINAL: ( Cricket Tournament - Class V) The final match was held on March 14th between V C and V F. The zealous students of V C tasted victory and created a sensational vigor on campus. Saim Ansari, the most passionate player was given Man of the Match whereas everyone’s favourite, Player of the Tournament: Hammad Zakir (V-F) Best Batsman: Shahmeer Aftab (V-F) Best Bowler: Saim Ansari (V-C) FINAL: ( Cricket Tournament - Class VI) The final playoff took place between VI – B and VI – H which was won by the latter. The students showed great sportsmanship during and after the match and truly proved their mettle in the “Game of Gentlemen”.

Player of the Tournament: Umer Khan (VI-H) Best Batsman: Hussain Magsi (VI-H) Best Bowler: Haad (VI-B)

HRCA Art & Creative Writing Competition Students from Jauhar Campus participated in the HRCA Essay Writing and Art Competition enthusiastically.

Following are the names of winners: 1.

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Sibaq Hussain--Class V- Gold Medal in Creative Writing Competition.

Aryan Zahid--Class V- Silver Medal in Art Competition.

Abdul Salam - Class V- Bronze Medal in Art Competition.

Hidba Memon - Class VII - Bronze Medal in Art Competition.

Pareeza Tufail - Class VII - Bronze Medal in Art Competition.

Rida Batool - Class VII - Bronze Medal in Art Competition.

Second Parent Teacher Meeting Following the first assessments of the second term, the PTM gave the school an opportunity to increase communication between school and home, keep parents informed about their child's progress, and develop a plan for the student's future. Students could build up on their current performance and score better in the End of Year Examination.

Morning Assembly Presentation Gulistan-e-Jauhar Campus, believes that assembly is the first step towards teamwork and leadership. Morning assembly is the time when the students feel fresh, energetic and begin the day with positivity and it continues as the day progresses. Regular assemblies not only shed light on co-curricular activities and programs that were held at school but also conveyed meaningful messages that helped students in their character building. Students expressed their creativity, talent and abilities through different skits, quizzes, presentations and performances.

The World Scholars Cup- Regional Round The World Scholars Cup is an international educational program and competition dedicated to the celebration of learning. Students studied a contemporary curriculum covering the subjects of Literature, Science, Social Science, History, The Arts and Special Area – Unsolved mysteries on “A world on the margins”.

Three students from Grade VIII C Syed Haroon, Sheikh Muhammad Haseeb and Muhammad Kumail participated in the competition with great zeal. The final event of the competition was the awards’ ceremony which saw our students taking home a plethora of medals and some trophies to boot, it was difficult to believe that this was only our second year of participating in the World Scholar’s Cup!