BIS Abu Dhabi Times

BIS ABU DHABI

TIMES

We are the U19 BSME Large School Games winners!

Students from Year 8 and Year 9 headed to the snowy slopes of Switzerland

Proud hosts of the U11 BSME Large School Games

PRINCIPAL‘S WELCOME BIS ABU DHABI TIMES

It is with great pleasure that I share the Term 2 edition of the BIS Abu Times for the 2022-23 academic year containing all the latest news from The British International School Abu Dhabi.

Here at BIS Abu Dhabi, we are “Empowering & enriching lives for future success”. This is not only the lives of our students, but also the community, our parents and our teachers alongside the many good causes we support and this term’s magazine truly demonstrates this.

We have had many opportunities to come together as a community this term, from Coffee Mornings, Duathlons, BBQs to name just a few, but for me the highlight was our student led event for Happiness Day. Our Year 12 students challenged us as a community to come together in unity, to highlight their call to action with “One People, One Planet”. The voice of youth was empowered to drive their passion project and they created an event where the youth smiled and acted. You can read more about it on page 20. The next challenge is to ensure all future events focus on being environmentally friendly and sustainable. We learned that this is a cause the youth want us to acknowledge.

We have had much sporting success to

celebrate and I am proud to have been the Principal when our students won their first ever BSME Games. We are now the 2023 U19 BSME Large School Games winners and would like to congratulate all of the students that took part and brought us the trophy home. We also had the pleasure of hosting 10 schools from across the Middle East at the U11 BSME Games and cohosted the BSME Swimming Championships. Both were fantastic events, helped by our amazing staff, students, and community group, who made sure all visiting schools and parents were welcomed with open arms.

We were delighted to be able to celebrate our students’ outstanding academic success at our International Examination Board Achievements Awards, you can read more about it on page 10, but I would like to take this opportunity to highlight Junha, who was awarded the Highest Single Subject in the World Award in Mathematics.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed Holy Month. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3.

Ramadan Kareem!

Liam Cullinan Principal

In March, we hosted the first Young Leaders Conference for Year 6 and 7 students. Students who applied for a leadership role and were successful, started their day collecting their lanyards and goody bags before joining the other Young Leaders in the hall. Mr. Cullinan spoke about being a ‘Champion of Change’ and shared our new school vision before Mrs. HeptinstallLowe got the students thinking about the qualities of a good leader.

Students then split off into the following workshops: Language Leaders, Student

Leadership Conference

Ambassadors, Reading Leaders, Times Tables Champions, Sports Leaders, Playground Leaders, BISAD Diploma Ambassadors and Eco Warriors. Each workshop was led by teachers who lead in these areas within the school alongside dedicated IB Diploma students.

Our Young Leaders then listened to Mr. Harper talking about his personal experience as a leader, drawing upon leaders who had inspired him before having the opportunity to reflect on the day, sharing their new knowledge and skills with those from different workshops. Students added to their BISAD Diplomas before being proudly presented with a certificate from Mr. Lowe and Mr. Cocker.

These students are now involved in BISAD’s Young Leaders Programme and will be carrying out their leadership roles next term. We look forward to seeing these Change Makers in action!

FS1 Read and Relax

‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents’ – Emilie Buchwald.

This term, our Nursery students were delighted to welcome their parents into school for Read and Relax. They shared their favourite stories and completed lots of exciting activities linked to Traditional Tales.

Children and parents worked together to build a bridge for The Billy Goats Gruff, mixed some porridge for Goldilocks and the Three Bears and constructed a boat for The Gingerbread Man. Everyone had a wonderful time.

World Book Day was a great success! Not only wonderful learning was taking place in class, the students also truly embraced the challenge in ensuring that their costumes were created in line with the Sustainable Development Goal of responsible consumption.

There were so many incredibly creative and resourceful costumes - both homemade and reused, so thank you to all parents for encouraging this.

Year 2 Maths Parent Workshop

In February, we had a fantastic turnout for the Year 2 Maths Parent Workshop. We shared the key skills that have been covered so far this year as well as what the children will be learning for the rest of the academic year.

The main focus of the workshop was to share the strategies that we use in class to teach addition, subtraction and multiplication. Mr. Hughes, Mrs. Cocker and Miss Lapworth each ran an area where parents were able to visit, see examples, use manipulatives and ask questions.

It was fantastic to hear how useful many of the parents found the session and left knowing how they can further support their children at home.

World Book Day

Year 5 Survival Day

This term Year 5 found themselves working together to survive! The texts they have been reading in English, Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ and ‘David Long’s ‘Survivors’, equipped them with the inspiration and determination to overcome many obstacles.

Students built shelters, used a compass to orienteer, designed rafts, started fires and learnt essential first aid. They left school full of survival knowledge and could give Bear Grylls a run for his money!

Year 4 Hydroponics presentation to Secondary

After their fascinating trip to a hydroponic farm, Year 4 were keen to share their knowledge and demonstrate their learning of this growing process. The Year 4 students were invited to deliver their

presentations to Year 9 and 10 biology students. Year 4 made full use of the school’s vertical hydroponic garden to wow our older students. Our Year 9 and 10 students were able to learn more about the process and offer valuable feedback; our older students were particularly amazed by Year 4’s use and grasp of technical language, and their confidence, as well as the everyday uses for hydroponic growing systems.

We opened our doors to current and prospective parents, who are about to begin the IGCSE options process. The evening started with light refreshments before students, parents and family members moved into the Main Hall for a presentation by Mr. Cullinan, Mr. Lowe and Mrs. Harvey.

The presentation included the student’s fouryear journey through GCSE and IB Diploma courses, what the GCSE course entails, which GCSE subjects are compulsory/optional, Emirati equivalency, the support available to students and families, and the options process timeline.

IGCSE Information Evening

Following the presentation, families moved upstairs to our interactive subject stations. Here they looked at current student work, viewed subject syllabi, and spoke to teachers and current students about course content and career pathways.

The IGCSE information evening signals the start of the process where students begin making decisions about their future educational and career pathways. All of our students are individuals with different talents, passions and aspirations; they are also at different stages of ‘when I grow up, I want to be…’. For these reasons, Year 9 students are working on the Future Focus unit within PSME, utilising Unifrog, our careers guidance platform. The tutoring team are excited to be on this journey with the Year 9’s, offering them support and guidance during this important educational milestone.

Univer On Campus College Fair

In February, BIS Abu Dhabi hosted the Univer On Campus College Fair. Students from Years 11, 12 and 13 and their parents learned about the courses offered by the 22 attending local universities.

At the event, students met and spoke directly with the directors and representatives of some of the best educational institutions in the region, getting answers to any questions they have about their future academic life.

Early Years Creative Day

It’s time to get messy! Being creative is an important part of a child’s development and this term our FS2 and Nursery students took part in a variety of messy art activities outside during their Creative Day.

Buddy Workshop

Students from Years 7 to 10 met with Mr. Threlfall, Head of Admissions, Ms. Carey, Assistant Head of Secondary and Mrs. Baker, Head of Year 7 to take part in our ‘Buddy Workshop’. When students join the British International School Abu Dhabi, they are assigned a ‘buddy’ who makes sure they have everything they need in the first few weeks of school.

During the session, we spoke about the role and responsibilities of a buddy and Kata from Year 13 shared her experiences of starting school three years ago and what having a buddy meant to her. We now have a team of trained buddies ready to welcome and support new members of our community!

Year 10 Eye Dissection

Year 10 gained hands-on experience of the inner workings of the eye during their biology lessons this term.

Our students had the opportunity to dissect a cow’s eye and identify the major structures as part of their iGCSE course. This dissection allowed them to deepen their knowledge of the nervous system, anatomy and physiology.

FS2 Maths Parent Workshop

FS2 were delighted to invite parents to our Maths Parent Workshop and Stay and Play this term.

The workshop informed parents of how we teach Maths in FS2 and gave ideas of how they can help their child at home.

After the session, parents were invited into their child’s classroom to explore different Math activities with them.

Lights, Camera, Enzyme Action! Year 9 have been putting their investigative skills to the test in biology this term.

Our students have applied their theoretical knowledge to enzyme action, to explain how increasing substrate concentration effects the rate of enzyme action. Our future scientists have been working collaboratively and collecting data to help them draw conclusions and analyse results.

These skills are paramount in being successful at iGCSE and IB Diploma Level.

International Examination Board Achievement Awards

What a fantastic experience all of our students and parents had at our International Examination Board Achievement Awards!

The event started with our Head of Secondary, Mr. Chris Lowe delivering a warm welcome speech.

We then delivered the Pearson Edexcel Certificate of Excellence to 18 of our fantastic students for their outstanding performance in their GCSEs.

This was followed by the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award, both Younes and Yazan achieved the Highest Single Subject Award in the UAE in Islamic Studies and finally Junha was awarded the Highest Single Subject in the World Award in Mathematics. All such outstanding achievements.

Our Principal, Mr. Liam Cullinan, concluded the event with some inspirational words. “Our mission is to create world class learning experiences that recognise and nurture empathetic, resilient and talented individuals.”

Congratulations to all our exceptional award winners. We are incredibly proud of you and look forward to sharing in all future success.

Year 9 BiologyEnzyme Action

Headteacher's Commendation

This term, Yeonwoo has been nominated by Mr. Mitchell for a Headteacher’s Commendation Award. This award is given to students whom teachers feel have gone ‘over and above’ what might be expected in their learning and in Yeonwoo’s case, Mr. Mitchell was especially impressed with her consistently high standards.  He wrote:

‘Yeonwoo has shown exceptional creativity, skill, and dedication in her work, producing pieces that are both technically proficient and conceptually sophisticated.

Headteacher's Commendation

She has shown a remarkable ability to experiment with different mediums, techniques, and styles, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone and producing work that is always fresh and innovative. Her willingness to engage in meaningful discussions about her own work and the work of her peers has also been a significant contribution to the class. Overall, she has exhibited an exceptional level of commitment and passion for the visual arts and is a deserving candidate for this commendation.’’

Congratulations to Moaz, Jasper and Kyran in Year 8 who were each awarded a Headteacher’s Commendation this term for their work in Science where they created fairground rides using principles from simple machineslevers, pulleys and wheel & axle. They also had to include one speed measurement and plot it on a speed distance time graph. A superb piece of work – well done boys!

Headteacher's Commendation

Congratulations to Khaled in Year 9 who was given a Headteacher’s Commendation Award for his outstanding work on Oman in Social Studies! Miss Dickinson wrote: “Khaled took his learning of Oman one step further and created a Minecraft world about the topic. He then used video editing software and added subtitles. I was astounded that he did this and in his own time without being asked.”

Year 10 DofE Trip to Al Khatim Desert

On Friday, 27th and Saturday, 28th January, 27 Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award students completed their Practice Adventurous Journey in Al Khatim Desert. With mixed weather reports prior to the departure, the weather was extremely kind to our students who completed their journey in perfect journeying conditions. The five groups demonstrated exceptional navigational, journeying and camp craft skills throughout the two-day, one-night expedition. It was a pleasure to observe the groups interact and develop their expedition skills.

All groups successfully completed their practice journeys, paving the way to a challenge in the mountains of Fujairah for the Qualifying Journey.

A big thank you to Drew and Bruce at North Star who helped coordinate the expedition.

Year 5 Japanese Day

Japanese Culture Day was a wonderful experience for our Year 5 students. The day was filled with activities and workshops that provided a unique insight into Japanese culture. From sushi making to traditional tea drinking, the students had a great time learning about different aspects of Japanese life.

The students were taught how to prepare and roll sushi, they were fascinated by the precision and care that went into making each piece and were proud to have made their own sushi rolls. In addition to the food, the students also had the opportunity to try traditional Japanese tea. They learned about the art of tea drinking and the important role it plays in Japanese hospitality. The students were amazed by the beautiful tea ceremony and enjoyed the opportunity to participate in this special tradition. They then had the chance to learn about traditional Japanese art. They learned how to draw cherry blossom trees, which are an important symbol of Japanese culture. They also had the opportunity to create their own traditional Japanese fans. The final two activities were the Japanese language workshop and the Japanese maths problems. Here they learned how to write their names in Japanese and also had fun solving Japanese math problems, which challenged their logical and analytical skills.

In addition to the various workshops and activities, the students were also treated to a special presentation by a famous Japanese calligraphy artist, Yoshikawa Juichi. He was born in 1949 in Hiroshima, Japan and has been practising calligraphy for over 50 years. He demonstrated the art of calligraphy and explained the history and significance of this ancient Japanese art form.

The children were mesmerised by the beauty and precision of Mr. Yoshikawa’s brush strokes. He then explained the deeper understanding of the cultural and artistic significance of calligraphy in Japan. He has also kindly donated the artwork he created to the school, which we have already put up! The visit by the calligraphy artist was a truly memorable experience for everyone involved and added an extra layer of excitement and inspiration to the already incredible Japanese Culture Day.

As a school, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to the Japanese Embassy and the Ambassador’s wife for their invaluable support in making our Japanese Culture Day such a memorable and educational experience for our students. We are especially grateful for their efforts in organising the visit by the renowned calligraphy artist, Yoshikawa Juichi, whose presentation on the art of calligraphy was the highlight of the day.

Overall, Japanese Culture Day was a huge success. The students had a great time learning about Japanese culture and were inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of this fascinating country. They left the day with a deeper appreciation for the culture and people of Japan, and a greater understanding of the world around them.

HOUSE SHIRT DAY

In=January, the school was awash with House colours, as it was House Shirt Friday! Whilst in Primary students took part in a STEAM challenge to practise their leadership and teamwork skills, the students in Secondary took part in an Interhouse Chess Challenge. Congratulations to Oak House who won the challenge in Primary with a tower of 225cm and earned 100 House Points each for their House! The excitement and buzz in the whole school was fantastic!

DofE Bronze and Silver Qualifying Expeditions

Fujairah

In March, 43 Year 10 DofE Bronze Award students made their way to Fujairah for their two-day, one-night Practice and Qualifying Journeys. The weather made way for a fantastic journey with cool winds and lower temperatures. The students were aiming to make progress on their strong Khatim Desert practice journeys. All groups had clear journey purpose aims, ranging from ‘A DofE Instructional Video’ to ‘How to celebrate a birthday DofE style’. The journey purpose ensures groups have a goal to aim for whilst completing the expedition.

Students spend a portion of their journeying time completing their purpose and must present this upon the return to school. Navigational skills were put to the test at the start of day two, when fog descended on the mountains. Students ensured that their navigational skills were correct to travel to the first check point, in which all students did with ease.

All groups demonstrated exceptional navigational and campcraft skills that ensured a very successful Adventurous Journey.

All BIS Abu Dhabi DofE and North Star staff were proud of the way that the students conducted themselves throughout the Adventurous Journey, showing a real care for the DofE ethos. Students must now concentrate on finishing their Physical Recreation, Skill and Voluntary Service elements of the Award. Well done Year 10!

In January, children in Nursery had an amazing experience when animals from the petting zoo came to visit. The children got to hold, stroke and feed ducks, rabbits, turtles, birds, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and a goat. They loved talking to their friends about their experiences and what they noticed, including similarities and differences between the animals, as well as learning how to treat and take care of the animals.

Year 8 & 9 Skiing Trip

This term, 29 students from Year 8 and Year 9 headed to the snowy slopes of Switzerland. Along with staff and students from other schools in the NAE family, they had a blast skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing their way across the Swiss Alps. They made phenomenal progress and had a great time with their friends.

As part of their Pollution Revolution topic, Year 4 visited a hydroponic farm in Masdar City. In small groups, students had a workbook to complete and were asked to work collaboratively, represent the school well, develop their knowledge and understanding and record key information. The winning group from each class had a tea party with Mr. Cocker, Head of Primary. He asked them about their learning and students had a chance to celebrate their teamwork with some delicious pastries and juices. What a great way to complete the topic!

Year 4 Tea Party

Over the weekend of 13th - 15th January the Year 11 Geographers participated in some fantastic fieldwork. We were excited to be able to give students some real fieldwork experiences this year after two years off and give them a chance to really live their Geography in some of the most beautiful parts of the UAE.

The three-day trip gave students the opportunity to develop hypotheses, conduct fieldwork, collect data, present and analyse data and draw conclusions from their study of the natural environment. Students visited Wadi Showka and Al Hamra Beach in Ras Al Khaimah and Al Hamariyah Beach in Sharjah to consider river and coastal habitats.

Year 11 Geography Trip

The final day was spent conducting a comparative investigation of Urban Environments in Al Fahidi historical district and the Emirates Tower area of Dubai.

We were spoiled with brilliant weather and the chance to make some great memories celebrating birthdays around the campfire and working together exploring the geography of our region.

Years 12 & 13 Kilimanjaro Trip

Our Kilimanjaro trek: Words cannot express the pride we have for the group of young people. The journey up Mount Kilimanjaro was one that we will never forget. Students trekked over 60km and ascended 4000m in height over 6 days, with each day presenting new challenges. All students made it to camp 6 at 5000m (higher than Mont Blanc), a huge achievement in itself and 12 students successfully reached the summit the following morning. We were in awe of the resilience and determination shown by all students. A big thank you to the NAE Expedition Team and the team at Summit Africa who supported us along the way!

This term, our Year 5 students have had a great time exploring the Eastern Mangrove Marine Park with Noukhada Adventure Company and learning about the importance of this fragile ecosystem. They successfully navigated the waterways searching for signs of wildlife that call this habitat their home – they were lucky enough to spot different species of herons, crabs and hundreds of fish hiding amongst the interesting root system!

Putting their geography skills into practice, the students were able to identify a wide range of different physical and human features and discussed the impact that we have on the natural environment. It was interesting to learn that the mangroves are a ‘carbon sink’ (meaning they absorb and store carbon dioxide) and act as a nursery to approximately 80% of fish species.

Year

5 Kayak

Learning about fragile ecosystems

Very well done Year 5! The kayak guides were so impressed with your curiosity and prior knowledge. You displayed immense resilience and excellent communication skills while kayaking, it wasn’t easy to synchronise paddling with your partner so you didn’t end up going round in circles!

Chess Winners

Congratulations to Dominique in Year 6 who won a Silver medal in the Girls U11 category and Arya in Year 12 who did tie for first position and won a Gold medal in the U17 category in the “GEMS Modern’s Chess Tournament”. We are so proud of you both!

Years 4-12 Visit Yas Marina Circuit

Our F1 Schools’ team visited Yas Marina Circuit this term. We have 20 students from year 4 to year 12 making up 5 teams taking part in the competition this year. 2 professional teams and 3 Rookie teams who will be competing in the national finals in June.

During the trip, students received a comprehensive presentation on the rules and regulations of F1 in Schools, saw a demonstration of manufacturing equipment, and were given an exclusive look at past portfolios and cars.

They also had an analysis session and tour of the circuit, which included a view of their race cars. In addition, the students were able to put their own designed race cars to the test on both the F1 in Schools track and in the wind tunnel. This experience provided a valuable opportunity for the students to ask questions and get answers from experts and gain design inspiration for their own F1 in Schools cars.

Happiness Day

On March 20th, UN’s International Day of Happiness, BIS Abu Dhabi celebrated its first ever One People One Planet event and what a success it was! All students, parents, and staff came together in unity and positivity, focusing on caring for the environment and driving positive change.

The Year 12 Student Activist Team and school collaborated with a number of local businesses who showed their support by hosting stalls in our market Souq, selling sustainable and healthy products, as well as putting on a range of fitness, wellbeing, and educational activities and workshops, from yoga to mindfulness, gardening to cook and play, face painting to a magic show from the spectacular Magic Phil, so there was something for everyone!

#OnePeopleOnePlanet

We can’t forget about our collaboration with resident artist Mark Dickens, who came in to take photos of our community holding a globe and gave all of our guests the opportunity to write a pledge to look after our planet.

It was a wonderful day of community and fun, with lots of happy faces to be seen.

#OnePeopleOnePlanet

Tanzania trip to support Seeway project

In January, our Year 11 students travelled to Tanzania for a week-long trip to participate in community work, go on a safari, and learn about the local environment.

They worked for two days on-site building a school with local builders, mixed cement, and skillfully laid bricks to build walls, shoveled dirt to create a foundation and planted a garden. They also went on a Dolly Bush camping trip, visited a local coffee producer, and learned how the coffee was produced. The students set up their own tents and cooked their food following a recipe. They then built goat sheds for families in need, fitting USB ports to provide light and electricity into the homes and built a smokeless stove out of cow manure, sand, and water. In the Tarangire National Park, the group went on a safari to see the incredible animals in their natural habitat and slept in a tent in the wild for the night. The students were amazed and grateful for the chance to be a part of the project and the memories they created.

Red Crescent

A huge thank you to everyone who donated blankets, food, clothes, teddy bears and toiletries for those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Red Crescent was overwhelmed by your generous donations. Some of our students helped load up the truck ready for the items to be taken to the aircrafts, which on arrival will be distributed accordingly.

Once again, our BIS Abu Dhabi family have come together to support those in need.

Families enjoyed getting together at the Welcome Back BBQ, thank you again to our wonderful Community Group for organising this delightful event.

Community BBQ

New Nursery Families Play Session

We were delighted to have so many new families join us at our play sessions this term. We cannot wait to welcome them to our wonderful community soon!

New Parents Coffee Morning

We welcomed more than 70 new students at the start of this term and it was a pleasure to meet their parents and introduce them to key members of staff at our coffee morning in January.

Welcome to the BIS Abu Dhabi Family!

Student & Parent Workshop on Healthy Sleep Habits

Professor Mary Carskadon, who has undertaken five decades of sleep research in children and adolescents, visited our school this term and led workshops for Year 11 and Year 13 students and our parents. Her research findings have resulted in laws being passed in the US to shift school start times to a later hour.

The BIS Abu Dhabi community had exclusive access to Professor Carskadon in these sessions which included the opportunity for questions and answers with the world’s leading paediatric sleep expert.

Parent Out & About Trips Mazaraa Organic Farm + Parent Kayaking

This term our wonderful Community Group have organised two marvellous days out together. For their first trip, 22 parents enjoyed a visit to the Mazaraa Organic Farm. They had an amazing time learning about sustainable vegetable planting and had some cuddles with the baby lambs. After the tour they all had breakfast at the farm’s cafeteria where all of the food was made from the farm’s produce.

For their second ‘Out and About’ trip, 30 BIS Abu Dhabi parents set off for a kayaking adventure in the Eastern Mangroves. It was a first-time experience for many, and all did so well! Nobody fell into the water and much fun was had.

Bridges of Giving

Students and their families haven been volunteering at the Bridges of Giving Campaign this term. They have been writing messages of solidarity to support aid missions to Turkey and Syria.

Art

Years 10, 11 & 12 Louvre Visit

Students studying Visual Arts subjects at GCSE and IB Diploma levels got the opportunity to look at the world around them through different creative lenses this term. As Year 11 Fine Art students investigated new artists to support them develop ideas for their final exam unit, Year 12 Students honed their painting skills ‘in the moment’, inspired by the Louvre’s current temporary exhibition on Impressionism, meanwhile, Year 10 Photography students were busy ‘capturing the moment’, observing the world around them.

Architecture is the current project focus for Year 10 Fine Art students who are exploring a range of art media, techniques and processes including painting, line drawing and digital media to inspire their own original artworks. Whilst other classes were ‘in the moment’, Year 10 Fine Artists were busy constructing it, learning about the Louvre’s phenomenal architectural design, they worked collaboratively in teams to rethink design elements into new and sculptural 3D forms…Exploring ways of seeing the world is

an important part of creative thinking and innovation.

If all of the activities mentioned weren’t already enough, the Louvre decided to deliver another magical moment for our students, as they witnessed two new enormous turtles being introduced back into the sea, at the Louvre’s turtle sanctuary pool. A partnership between The National Aquarium, Environment Agency and the Louvre, has turtles reintroduced to the sea in a secure pool as part of their rehabilitation before they are released back into the wild. What a moment, what a day… Thanks to our brilliant students and the Louvre for making it so memorable!

Year 3 Traditional Moroccan Singing

In February, the Year 3 students kicked off their big early morning performance with Hanuel, Shanaya, and Chejun’s stunning piano pieces. This was just the beginning of the incredible show put on by all students. The first song was about our school, with a powerful message about the importance of working hard and valuing each and every member. The chorus was heavily syncopated, with rap verses and clapping, making for a truly unforgettable performance.

Next, the children treated us to a lively version of the Moroccan children’s nonsense song ‘Aram Sam Sam’. Using both tuned and untuned instruments, the children brought the song to life with their energy and enthusiasm. It was a delightful performance that showcased the talent and creativity of our Year 3 students.

Year 10 Fine Art Exam

3D sculptures

This term, students have been exploring the theme of Architecture, looking into drawing, painting, digital media and other mixed media techniques so far.

Year 10 Fine Art exam students were encouraged to consider Architecture from a 2D relief and 3D perspective. Their brief was to investigate a range of paper and cardboard making techniques from the starting point of one unit (or geometric form), and then create a 3D dimensional sculpture through repetition.

We think you might agree, that for a first exploration into 3D work, the students were impressively risk-taking and imaginative in their interpretations of the brief, well done Year 10s!

Juilliard Dance Workshops

Our Juilliard Dance Specialist Helen Tocci had a jam-packed two days at The British International School Abu Dhabi this term. Her first day began with an early morning community workshop for parents of students in Year 3 and Year 4, explaining and delivering the Juilliard philosophy.

During Helen’s visit, she worked closely with the Year 3 and Year 4 classroom teachers offering professional development and sharing opportunities for creativity within the curriculum. Helen worked closely with the dance teachers observing both Year 1 and Year 2 dance lessons.

Year 1 Jack and the Beanstalk Musical

Congratulations to the Year 1 students for their outstanding performance of the mini musical Jack and the Beanstalk this term!

Using speech and a variety of instruments, these talented young performers brought the classic tale to life in a way that was both entertaining and inspiring.

The dedication and hard work put into this production were evident in every note played and every line spoken. Well done, Year 1!

Later in the visit, Becka Vargus, another Juilliard Dance Specialist joined Helen to deliver a choreography workshop to girls in Year 8. This workshop will form part of the programme to support students in creating their own dance for the annual dance show. It was an inspirational visit allowing a number of teaching staff to understand and utilise the Juilliard Creative Classroom, an online performing arts resource for Nord Anglia schools.

U11 BSME Games

This year, the British International School Abu Dhabi hosted the U11 BSME Large School Games. Ten schools from the Middle East participated in six sporting events over three days. Friday, included girls’ football and boys’ basketball. Saturday, was swimming and athletics, and Sunday, finished off with boys’ football and girls’ netball.

It was a fantastic event, helped by our amazing staff, students, and community group, who made sure all visiting schools and parents were welcomed with open arms.

We are extremely proud of our U11 BSME Squad who performed superbly during the intense but exciting atmosphere.

Being cheered on by hundreds of spectators, our squad managed to win the boy’s athletics and finish second overall in athletics during the heat of Saturday afternoon.

It was the first major school competition for our athletes, and we hope that they have inspired other students to participate in regular exercise and start preparing for next year’s competition.

Well done to everyone involved.

BSME U19 Champions

We are the U19 BSME Large School Games winners! On the 4th and 5th of February, we beat eleven other schools to achieve this accolade for the first time in the school’s history. We are delighted to share the success of what has been months of hard work, training and an incredible weekend of grit and determination.

Our winners and staff really did us proud throughout the entire games! Sincere thanks to all of our students, teachers and parents who supported our teams throughout the weekend.

Duathlon

At the beginning of January, We hosted the annual BIS Abu Dhabi Duathlon. The event was for students from Year 1 to Year 11. Participants had to run, cycle and run. This was the biggest Duathlon so far with over 235 athletes crossing the finish line. The event was well supported by CAS and Secondary students, who volunteered their time to help lead the younger athletes on the running course and assisted in the bike zone. It was a super event with several students feeling happy with their achievements, especially those who spent the winter break learning to ride a bike or improve their running technique.

Congratulations to all athletes who passed the finish line and received a medal and a ’Goody Bag’ filled with a T-Shirt, 15 house points, a juice carton, fruit, and an ice lolly.

Special thanks to the Community Group for providing the juice, fruit and ice lolly.

Families then enjoyed getting together at the Welcome Back BBQ, thank you again to our wonderful Community Group for organising such a delightful event.

ADISSA

Swim

Competition

Senior Swim Team Winners

Another win for the Senior Swim Squad this term, beating the hosts GEMS American Academy and Brighton College at the latest ADISSA Swim Competition. A big congratulations to you all!

Sports Days

From the 6th – 10th of March, we saw the return of our ‘Sports Week’.

Every student in school participated in a variety of athletic events whilst representing their House. It was a fantastic week and amazing to see the whole school community reunited through sport.

Thanks to all parents for attending and creating an inspiring and exciting atmosphere for our BIS Abu Dhabi students.

BIS Abu Dhabi Graduate Class of 2021 DANIEL SMYLLIE

Since going onto university, Daniel has continued his gymnastic training in Birmingham and competed in this year’s English Open Gymnastics competition, where he came 16th out of all senior gymnasts in England. On top of this fantastic achievement, Daniel has recently found out that he has qualified for the Gymnastics British Open taking place in Liverpool on the 23rd-26th of March, which will be televised and available to watch on the red button on BBC. This competition will give him the opportunity to see where he stands compared to the likes of Max Whitlock (a double gold Olympic medalist who has just come out of retirement), and Daniel will be competing against Matt on the pommel.

Daniel Smyllie, a former student of BIS Abu Dhabi, started with the school in Year 9 and after five fantastic years he graduated with his IB Diploma in 2021. Since leaving BIS Abu Dhabi, Daniel went on to study for a Sports teaching and coaching degree at Birmingham City University (BCU). BCU is a UK university that is consistently ranked within the UK’s top 10 and is recognized by Ofsted as one of the best for teacher education courses and for Health and Social care, it was awarded a national recognition as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

During his time at the university, Daniel has achieved the honor of being selected as ‘The face of Birmingham City University’.

In addition to his academic achievements, Daniel is also an exceptionally talented gymnast. From the young age of 5 he was selected to train in the UK’s elite squad at the famous Earls Gymnastics Club. During his time there, he trained alongside Kristian Thomas (Olympic Medalist and GB Team Captain) and Dominic Cunningham (European Floor Champion). At 13, he moved to Abu Dhabi and won many medals representing Dubai Olympic Gymnastics Club. To further his gymnastics career, he transferred to Aspire Gymnastics Dubai, which currently has the best facilities in the UAE. With world-class coaching and top-ofthe-range facilities, he competed at the highest possible level and won the Fly High inaugural competition in Dubai and a Bronze Medal in the Serbian International Competition.

“The teachers at BIS Abu Dhabi were a major part of my journey and really helped me with everything they could. I was able to sit down with all my teachers and talk to them about what would be best for both my academic studies and my gymnastic goals. They really helped me achieve a balance not only between my schoolwork and gymnastics, but also with some much-needed downtime. They were always there to help if I needed anything.”

-Daniel

All of us at BIS Abu Dhabi are extremely proud of Daniel’s amazing achievements in both his further academics and his gymnastics. The last time we spoke to Daniel, he attributed his success to the valuable life skills he learned from completing the IB Diploma, such as time management. He also commented on how his teachers helped him learn to balance his sporting career and his studies. “The teachers at BIS Abu Dhabi were a major part of my journey and really helped me with everything they could. I was able to sit down with all my teachers and talk to them about what would be best for both my academic studies and my gymnastic goals. They really helped me achieve a balance not only between my schoolwork and gymnastics, but also with some much-needed downtime. They were always there to help if I needed anything”.

As a school, we are honored to have played a part in setting Daniel up with the fundamentals to be able to strive and succeed in all his achievements, and we know no matter how many hurdles he has faced along the way, he has never given up on his ultimate dream. From all of us here at BIS Abu Dhabi, congratulations Daniel!