BIS Abu Dhabi Times

BIS ABU DHABI

Term 3 2023

Issue #11

TIMES

Year 1 took a trip around the world in a day!

We bid farewell to our Year 13’s in an unforgettable IBDP Graduation

Bugsy Malone transported us back to the Roaring Twenties

PRINCIPAL‘S WELCOME BIS ABU DHABI TIMES

“Our mission is to create world class learning experiences that recognise and nurture empathetic, resilient and talented individuals.”

Learning experiences come in many forms; trips, community events, theme days, sports events and performances, all of these create deep enriching learning experiences. We are constantly reviewing, adapting and looking at new ways to grow young people’s hearts and minds, through exciting, innovative and creative learning. This term’s magazine truly exemplifies our collective efforts.

Term 3 began with a heart-warming Community Iftar, fostering unity and celebrating the values of the Holy Month.

In May, we bid farewell to our Year 13’s in an unforgettable IBDP Graduation ceremony, marking a significant milestone.

We unveiled our brand-new Arts Centre, a place where our students can bring their talents to life. They astounded us with their spectacular rendition of Bugsy Malone. But the talents of our students don’t stop there! We also witnessed the powerful and impactful dance pieces performed by our Year 3 to Year 12 students in the ‘BREAKING NEWS’ annual dance production and the showcase of BISAD’s Got Talent, that allowed our students to shine brightly in various artistic disciplines. From musical performances to mesmerising dance routines, our students’ abilities knew no bounds. Their talents continue to amaze and inspire us all.

Sports also took centre stage this term, with the BSME Dance & ADISSA Swim Competition. Our dedicated dancers, put their heart and soul into their ‘The Swimmers’ performance, and our athletes demonstrated their sportsmanship, remarkable teamwork and resilience.

Touching back on community, we are thrilled to introduce the new structure of our BIS Abu Dhabi Community Group. This group of dedicated parents have been actively involved in organising various events, including the ever-popular Parent Coffee Mornings and Out & About sessions. These informal gatherings have become a tradition, providing a warm and welcoming space for parents to connect and share experiences.

As we conclude this term, we reflect on achievements, memorable moments, and enduring friendships. We extend our gratitude to our students, teachers, parents, and the BIS Abu Dhabi community for their dedication.

We look forward to the upcoming term, filled with exciting opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration. Together, we will empower lives, ensuring each day at BIS Abu Dhabi is filled with joy, discovery, and endless possibilities.

Liam Cullinan Executive Principal

Year 8 Making Waves

Year 8’s got creative with Waves. As part of their topic of learning Waves, students worked together in their different classes to create their very own wave machine. The wave machines do a fantastic job of helping students understand some key concepts of waves and how changes in wave energy affects the wave itself. The machines were entirely made of kebab sticks, marshmallows and duct tape.

At the end of their session in class, each group brought thier individual wave machines, each roughly 2m long, together to create the school’s longest ever wave machine! Although we failed to make it span the length of the entire corridor, we were pleased with the effort put into the task by all students, and surprisingly only a small amount of marshmallows were lost to temptation.

EE Cafe

On Friday, 5th May, our Year 12 students had the opportunity to showcase their hard work and dedication towards their Extended Essays (EE).

The EE Café is an important step in the IB journey, providing an opportunity for our students to showcase their research skills, critical thinking, and creativity in front of their peers and teachers; skills that they will carry with them throughout their academic and professional lives.

We are incredibly proud of our Year 12 students for their hard work and dedication towards their EE Cafe presentations. They demonstrated an exceptional level of professionalism, creativity, and competitiveness, which made the event a great success. We are confident that their hard work and dedication will translate into academic success, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for our talented students.

Year 1 Around the World

At the start of Term 3, Year 1 students went on a whistle stop tour around the world to kick off their final topic of the year – Planet Earth.

Each classroom was set up like one of the seven continents of the world. Students took their passports and travelled from one continent to the next, collecting their stamps as they went, to get a brief glimpse into what life is like around our wonderful planet.

Children learned how to make (and eat!) Kimbap, how to play Ddakji, and how to write some Chinese symbols in Asia. Children built igloos and painted penguins in Antarctica. They created some aboriginal art in Australia as well as some patternmaking art in Africa!

This introduction got them excited and ready to learn in greater depth on each continent throughout the rest of the term.

UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge

120 students from Years 6, 7, and 8 showcased their mathematical performance in the UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge on 26th April. They tackled 25 complex problems that required critical thinking and problem-solving skills and their efforts paid off with a record-breaking 82 awards!

Special shoutout to Dylan and Joel from Year 6 for already securing the prestigious Gold award. Their dedication and talents are truly commendable.

Year 7 students achieved a total of 4 Gold awards, and notably, Naeun from Year 7 not only earned a Gold award but came impressively close to qualifying for the Olympiad (reserved for the top 1000 globally).

Year 8 students truly dominated the competition, earning 8 Gold awards, but that’s not all! Three of our exceptional students, Stella, Megan, and Imad not only achieved the best results in our school but also secured their spot in the Olympiad!

We are immensely proud of all our students who enthusiastically embraced this annual challenge.

Year 13 End of School Celebrations

Saying goodbye is never easy, but we’re proud of how far we’ve come!

Year 13 students bid farewell to BIS Abu Dhabi.

In April, the students marked the last day of their school years with a luncheon for staff and students to say thank you, farewell and good luck. Students presented to staff a gift of thanks and wrote notecards to their peers. The celebrations continued with anecdotes from Form Tutors and a montage of photographs including Primary School images, sporting achievements and a wealth of reminders of the wonderful opportunities that the class of 2023 have experienced during their education at BIS Abu Dhabi.

The staff would like to wish all Year 13 students a wonderful adventure beyond these walls!

Year 2 Science Experiments

Year 2 had an immersive day of science investigations, all based around their Term 3 topic “A World of Pure Imagination”.

They studied the story George’s Marvellous Medicine, which took them on a path of discovery about the history of medicine. The children came to school dressed as scientists or medical professionals and took part in many science experiments, which had them asking and answering hundreds of questions. They were amazed at what they found out!

Year 13 Graduation

On 24th May, we said our official goodbyes to Year 13 in our annual Graduation ceremony. Mr.Liam Cullinan welcomed guests to the school, and everyone stood to applaud the graduates as they proceeded down the stairs to take their seats in the new auditorium. After the Principal’s direct and heartfelt opening address, Ms.Rachel Batty, Head of Senior School, introduced each of the graduating students, and invited them on stage to receive their certificates and academic prizes. In amongst the formalities, we enjoyed a look back at childhood photos of our graduating students and a moving musical performance by Simran (13D). Head of Year, Mrs.Gaynor

Lowe and IBDP Coordinator, Mrs.Victoria Collinson then presented the BISAD Values and Learner Profile awards to Malak and Tamsin respectively; Tamsin remained on stage to speak on behalf of the students, reminiscing on her time at the school and thanking teachers, families, and fellow classmates for their support during the challenging IB Diploma Programme. Head of Secondary, Christopher Lowe, gave a powerful closing speech about the importance of looking back and yet living forward. The ceremony finished with students making the significant move of their tassel from left to right and the traditional throwing of caps into the air. Celebrations continued in The Hub, where students, parents and teachers gathered to chat over refreshments and take more photos with family and friends.

Congratulations to our Graduating Class of 2023!

Year 8 Sounds Great to Me

Year 8 Science students visited Year 4 to teach them all about Sound.

The Secondary students fully planned their own lesson, which included interactive demonstrations, deep explanations, and lots of opportunities for questions.

Students learnt all about waves, how sound travels faster through solids than gases, and how we can explain this using the particle model!

Our Year 8 students delivered their lesson with strong knowledge and empathy and the Science team could not be prouder of them!

Bear Class Visited Year 4

Our FS Bear Class had an amazing time visiting our Year 4 students!

They were captivated by the enchanting stories read to them by the Year 4 students and actively participated in engaging conversations.

A big Thank You to Year 4 for sharing your love of reading with Bear Class, they absolutely loved every moment of it!.

Primary Transition Days

Our current and incoming students got a glimpse of what lies ahead in the new academic year!

Nursery to Year 5 had their transition days, preparing them for the upcoming year. They enjoyed an exciting ‘Get to know You’ morning with new students who will be joining us in August and their new teacher. Year 6 made their way to our top floor to experience what a day in “big school” will be like.

Everyone is excited and now well prepared for what’s to come!

Act 3 Scene 4 – Macbeth – The Banquet Scene. This is one of the pivotal moments of the play, where the downfall of our protagonist is clear to see to the audience. The prophecy that will lead to Macbeth’s dethroning is eventualising before his eyes, and the story begins to take a turn. Overpowered by guilt and paranoia, Macbeth loses control of his own destiny. Our Year 10 Students decided to re-enact this famous section of the play by staging their own breakfast banquet and giving themselves titles of the old Thanes of Scotland. Reading the play with doughnuts in hand was a unique way of accessing the work of Shakespeare, allowing students to immerse themselves in the story and have a delicious treat too!

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

To celebrate the end of Nurseries ‘People Who Help Us’ topic, students came to school dressed as what they want to be when they grow up.

We had doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, dancers, mummies and so many more. Throughout the day, the children became firefighters to complete a physical challenge, rescue a cat and then put out a fire. They were detectives who used their problem solving skills to help others, including Kamil the Camel who needed help building a house. They practiced their fine motor skills to pull out the bad teeth at the dentist and loads more fun and exciting things!

A Ground Breaking New Space

BIS Abu Dhabi is taking a giant leap forward in fostering innovation and nurturing young minds by introducing a ground-breaking new space. Spearheaded by our Executive Principal, Liam Cullinan, and Associate Principal, Alan Cocker, alongside a dedicated team of specialist teachers, this initiative aims to revolutionise the way we approach computing, ICT, design technology, and engineering in our school.

The new department, set to open its doors in September 2023, will serve as a hub where students can explore and integrate their creativity, problem-solving skills, and technical knowledge. This innovative space will bring together various disciplines, allowing students to collaborate and engage in cross-functional projects that mirror real-world scenarios.

The journey towards creating this space began with an exhilarating adventure that involved students starting the demolition work first-hand. Through this transformative process, we are creating a space that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning experiences. The demolition work symbolises our commitment to breaking down traditional barriers and making way for a new era of innovative education.

Stay tuned for more updates as we countdown to the unveiling of the new space! Exciting times lie ahead, and we cannot wait to embark on this journey of discovery, innovation, and boundless learning together.

BISAD Diploma Awards

At the end of this term, we celebrated the BISAD Diploma Awards Ceremonies where the Bronze, Silver and Gold achievers from this year’s cohorts were announced.

These were celebrated across all year groups from Year 1 – 10 in our new auditorium. The auditorium was a fitting location in acknowledgement of the experiences and achievements that have taken place this year and been recorded and reflected upon, in their BISAD Diplomas.

It’s been a privilege to see all the brilliant things students have got involved with this year, both in school and in our wider community, that have been recorded in their BISAD Diploma evidence submissions.

We were immensely proud of the students who performed through piano or singing recitals, or gave speeches at our BISAD Diploma assemblies, where they shared their actions and reflections on their experiences from this year. Their insights into how the BISAD Diploma supports them to grow personally and socially, and equips them with the attributes and skills they need for the future, were truly inspiring.

Headteacher's Commendation

Congratulations to two of our Year 10 students who were awarded a Headteacher’s Commendation Award for achieving incredible results in the UKMT Maths Olympiad challenge and the Hamilton Olympiad paper.

Both students took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge, which is an hour paper with 26 questions, with a requirement to achieve more than 100 out of 135 marks. Dongha scored an impressive 123 marks and Hyeonmin scored a remarkable 112 marks. Both students qualified for the Hamilton Olympiad paper, which is a prestigious two-hour paper with 6 questions, 10 marks per question. Only

Headteacher's Commendation

the top 1500 students in the world are put forward for this. Dongha scored an exceptional 41 out of 60, and Hyeonmin scored a fantastic 33 marks out of 60. UKMT have awarded Dongha a Bronze medal (with Distinction) and have placed him within the top 100 in the world, while Hyeonmin achieved a Merit.

Amazing performance by both students!

Marta in 3B, received a Headteacher’s Award, for securing the runner-up position in the Under 8’s category in the prestigious Global Campus NAE-UNICEF Visual Arts Competition with her ‘All the Children of the World submission’.

The team received 100 entries from 40 Nord Anglia Education schools, and hundreds more were submitted directly to schools, so this is an outstanding achievement! The competition invited students from around the world to delve into the concept of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Marta thoughtfully engaged with this theme and beautifully expressed her thoughts and opinions through her empathetic artwork.

Marta’s piece depicts the importance of quality education and how it shapes our future. At BIS Abu Dhabi, we are actively engaged in different global organisations and partnerships and Marta’s wonderful artwork skillfully portrayed this. Her artwork is a powerful reminder that education knows no boundaries and that we are all linked together in striving for a better world.

We are immensely proud of Marta’s achievement and the way she has showcased her creativity and passion for global issues. Her work serves as an inspiration to all of us and a testament to the incredible talent within our school community.

Headteacher's Commendation

Elia, Year 8, received an Honourable Mention in the Piano Category of the Global Campus NAE Young Virtual Musician of the Year competition 2023!

Elia is a young musician with incredible talent. If you had the chance to witness his performance in the band during our production of Bugsy Malone, you will understand how remarkable he is.

Beyond the piece he submitted for this competition, Elia has a wide repertoire of musical pieces that he can skilfully perform. His dedication to always giving his best while maintaining his love for playing the piano is truly inspiring.

Headteacher's Commendation

Charlotte was nominated by Mr. Mitchell for a Headteacher’s Commendation Award.

Mr. Mitchell was especially impressed with her consistently high standards. He wrote:

‘’I would like to recognise her exceptional achievement in her Still Life A1 Pencil Drawing. On this project, Lottie demonstrated a mature approach to her studies and negotiated a different final deadline with me, since she knew it would take her much longer to complete to the standard she wanted to reach. Lottie has created a remarkable drawing that demonstrates her exceptional skills. Her use of shading and composition is truly impressive, and it is evident that she invested a great deal of time and effort into the project. Her attention to detail is remarkable and the result is an impressive work of art. What is equally impressive about Lottie’s work is her dedication and ability to manage her time effectively. I have personally seen her working on her drawing whenever she has a free moment, demonstrating her sense of pride in her work. This level of dedication and commitment is highly commendable and demonstrates Lottie’s determination to excel.’’

Headteacher's Commendation

Ava has been nominated by Mrs Heptinstall-Lowe for a Headteacher’s Commendation Award. Mrs Heptinstall-Lowe was especially impressed with her leadership skills and her consistently high standards. She wrote:

‘’Ava has been a true senior dancer this year. Ava has contributed above and beyond to the Senior Dance CCA, she has organised and delivered warm up activities, she has demonstrated her creativity with her choreography skills, she has been a strong leader of the group and an inspiration to all dancers. Ava has been involved with the ‘Peace and Unity’ dance, ‘The Swimmer’ dance for the BSME project and she was selected to perform in the contact choreography dance ‘Reunited’ based on her strong choreography and performance skills within the Year 7 dance curriculum. Ava was also chosen as the lead dancer for the finale due to her support for others backstage and the respect she has from other dancers, not to mention her wonderful sense of timing and understanding for rhythm. Her performances on stage are always with grace, passion, characterisation and clarity in the movement and the placement of the body is outstanding. She is a joy to watch. It has been a delight to work with Ava this year.’’

World Scholar’s Cup Student Account

Prior to Term 3, 20 Year 7 to Year 9 students attended the first round of the Regional World Scholar’s Cup.

All the students qualified for the 2nd round in Doha that took place in June, here they won a total of 43 medals for their outstanding achievements in the debates, writing and individual/team quizzes and have successfully qualified for the next round ‘Tournament of Champions’ which will be held at Yale University next November.

One of our scholars, Athikha in Year 7, has written us a first-hand report on her experience:

Most people think that The World Scholar’s Cup is like a two-day exam, where you must study lots. To be completely honest, that’s what I thought too. I mean, sure, there was a lot to study, but it had fun-filled events, with quizzes, debates and writing events (which resulted in sore fingers), but most of all, it was nothing like a two-day exam.

. The staff were very friendly (and funny) and made us confident for the events. They weren’t serious and did not make any long speeches. Their anecdotes really broke the ice. If a nonscholar was with us during the opening ceremony, they would have never guessed that Daniel was the host at all. I think that the events were designed to reduce stress in scholars.

In the debate, scholars who win are paired with other scholars who win, and the same goes to the ones who did not win. The Scholar’s Challenge allows scholars to pick all 5 options if they do not know, automatically earning them 0.2 points. You can scream with joy at the Scholars Bowl. If bored during the Collaborative Writing, scholars can draw alpacas (this is the best!).

Those were the academic events. The Scholar’s Show made people stare in awe or crack up laughing. There were talents such as singing and gymnastics, and also (un)talents such as singing Old McDonald or a very high pitched opera about potatoes.

It felt good that we could represent our school. This truly is an event everyone should participate in. Something that really made me happy was not just qualifying to the Global Rounds - that is a reason too. But how the WSC staff never addressed us as children, or students. They only called us scholars. And anyone can be a scholar.

Year 6 trip to SeaWorld

by Hasan 6F

Monday, 29th May was one of my favourite days of school. You must be wondering, what happened? I went on a trip to SeaWorld.

It was like being in a different realm based on the vast, magnificent ocean. During the day, we explored the wonders of nature. We experienced many emotions: joy while having fun with our friends; excitement while riding the bus; amazement while witnessing the Dolphin Show; and fright while on the Manta rollercoaster.

We had a blast playing on the rides in ‘MicroOcean’; my favourite was the roller coaster. The Dolphin Show was breath-taking - no words can even describe it. The dolphins were trained by professionals, and they could perform tricks that I never knew were possible! The dolphins were rewarded with treats (smelly, slimy fish).

We were all ravenous after the exhilarating sights, so we went to eat a scrumptious lunch in one of the cafes in ‘Tropical Ocean’. During the trip, we saw many incredible marine animals such as seals, sea otters, and starfish.

To end the amazing day with a bang, we decided to ride the biggest rollercoaster there - Manta! This was the most terrifying ride as we were twisted in all directions and spun upside down. Even Mrs. Butterworth was screaming.

After a long day of merriment, it was over. I will never forget this day as I created ever-lasting bonds with my friends that will last a lifetime.

Hasan 6F

Arabic Week

In April, BIS Abu Dhabi celebrated Arabic Week. There was a lot going on around the school for all to get involved in.

Across the year groups, students carried out various classroom activities to celebrate. These included designing an advertisement for an Arabic novel, decorating classroom doors with information and images related to Arab countries, designing logos for the Arabic Language Week, learning the days of the week, and creating their own Days of the Week wheels to help them practice.

Students also had the opportunity to visit our Arabic Bookfair, where they were introduced to a variety of Arabic stories. This gave students a chance to engage with books and enjoy time reading together, all while strengthening their knowledge of the Arabic language.

Lastly, our Primary students had a chance to attend the Arabic Showcase put on by students across Year 2, Year 5 & Year 6. They enjoyed watching performances from fellow students, and then had the chance to go around the room and participate in a variety of activities related to the Arabic language, as well as enjoy Arabic storytelling from parents.

Between 25th-27th April, BIS Abu Dhabi Primary students competed in the ultimate test of mental agility!

Primary school students from all over the UAE competed in the highly anticipated ‘UAE Rocks’ times tables competition. Over the course of three days, our young mathletes battled it out to see who could correctly answer the most multiplication and division questions.

With adrenaline pumping and brains firing on all cylinders, the competition promised to be fierce as these young competitors showcased their lightning-fast mental-maths skills. Not only were the winners crowned as the ultimate times tables champions, but they also earned bragging rights as some of the most skilled mathematicians in the UAE.

UAE Rocks Times Tables Competition

We were amazed by the quick thinking and mental dexterity of these young competitors as they demonstrate their mastery of multiplication.

Out of 74 schools, we came THIRD in earning the most points throughout the competition. This included children from Year 1 through to Year 6 and we are extremely proud that we were able to include these younger students. ‘UAE Rocks’ was an event not to be missed and it was great to witness the incredible talent and competitive spirit of Primary School students in our school. Our children showed remarkable dedication and hard work in mastering the times tables and their efforts have been rewarded with this victory. We encourage you to celebrate your child’s achievements with them.

In Nursery, the children have been learning about different people who help us.

This Term they had a surprise visit from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence. The students learnt all about what they should do in an emergency, how to call Civil Defence using 999 and got to try on a helmet, have a turn in the fire truck and set off the sirens.

This amazing experience really brought this topic to life for them!

Civil Defense Nursery Visit

At BIS Abu Dhabi, we think learning is best when our students are enjoying themselves and we’re always looking for exciting new ways to bring our subjects to life!

Our Maths department held their annual ‘Maths Relay Competition’, where teams of secondary students worked together to solve problems and score points.

It was amazing seeing our Year 7, 8 and 9 students collaborating on the maths puzzles: competing whilst getting active at the same time. Everyone got so involved and gave their all.

Maths Relay Challenges

But that’s not all, our Maths department team have also been working on some other exciting class projects to celebrate the end of exams;

• Year 7 created a statistics digital portfolio showcasing their science experiment results, combining Maths, Science, and ICT together.

• Year 8 have been investigating the landing site of aliens by piecing together mathematical clues

• Year 9 delved into the world of mathematical beauty and the Golden Ratio.

Year 5 and 6 Festival of French

Our Year 5 & 6 students have been experiencing our different language options.

At the end of June, they had taster lessons in Spanish and German, to help them in deciding which language to pursue next year. They then attended our ‘Festival of French’ which hosted a carousel of activities, including a French café, a photo booth, French Just Dance, board games, and a wide range of arts, crafts, and STEAM activities.

The students had a great time practicing their French skills in a different way.

Sustainability Conference

Our Arabic department had the privilege of hosting two Emirati speakers from the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural Centre who spoke to our students all about sustainability in the UAE.

This insightful session had our students interacting and sharing their innovative ideas. Together, they explored how small changes can have a significant impact on our local community and environment.

Celebrating BIS Abu Dhabi’s Success at F1 in Schools

We are thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of our talented students who recently participated in the F1 in Schools event. Over the course of two exhilarating days, our school’s four teams showcased their remarkable skills, innovation, and teamwork, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved.

The F1 in Schools competition evaluated the participants on the following key components; their engineering, enterprise, and presentation skills.

On the first day of the competition, our school proudly presented its two professional teams, Corkscrew Racing and Pantherion. These young engineers poured their heart and soul into designing, decorating, and building their own cars, resulting in astonishing speed and performance. The students’ dedication and attention to detail were evident as they flawlessly executed their meticulously crafted vehicles.

Day two of the event featured our two rookie teams, Team Bolts and Aero. Despite being relatively new to the competition, their determination and passion shone brightly. These aspiring engineers showcased their creativity and ingenuity in their car designs, impressing both the judges and spectators alike.

The competition itself, hosted on Yas Island at the F1 track, provided an invaluable experience for our students. Surrounded by the energy and expertise of the motorsport world, they were able to witness firsthand the dynamic and exciting field they aspire to be a part of. We are confident that this exposure will fuel their passion and inspire them to pursue careers in engineering and related fields.

At our school, we believe in nurturing and empowering the next generation of engineers, innovators, and leaders. The F1 in Schools event has proven to be an exceptional platform for our students to showcase their capabilities and unleash their potential. We are excited to witness their continued growth and success in the future.

Congratulations to our F1 in Schools teams: Corkscrew Racing, Pantherion, Team Bolts, and Aero. Your accomplishments serve as a testament to your talent, hard work, and commitment. We are immensely proud of each and every one of you.

Community Iftar

During the holy month of Ramadan, we hosted a beautiful community Iftar gathering at BIS Abu Dhabi for parents, students, and staff.

The event was held in the school’s outdoor BBQ area, which was decorated with colourful lanterns, decorations and lights to create a festive atmosphere. The aroma of delicious food filled the air as everyone came together to break their fast and share a meal.

The Iftar event was a wonderful opportunity for the BIS Abu Dhabi community to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan. Parents, students, and staff mingled and socialised, catching up with old friends and making new ones. The evening was filled with laughter, conversation, and a sense of togetherness that reflected the true meaning of this holy month.

Parent Coffee Morning With Guest Speaker Donna Howarth

What a wonderful morning of education and connection!

Parents gathered with coffee and treats in hand to learn about menopause from our guest speaker, Donna Howarth. As a ‘3rd Age Women’ coach and founder of Middle East Menopause Organisation (MEMO), Donna shared invaluable insights on menopause stages, symptoms, mental health impact, and available support options.

It was wonderful to see our community come together, connecting and supporting each other through shared experiences.

Toiletry Donations to Ancillary Staff

This Term, the students at BIS Abu Dhabi showed their kindness and generosity by giving out their toiletry donations to our wonderful ancillary staff.

This act of goodwill was greatly appreciated by the staff who were overwhelmed by the students’ generosity. The BIS Abu Dhabi community’s spirit of giving and compassion shone brightly once again.

Parent Out & About

Our BIS Abu Dhabi parents enjoyed two fun-filled Parent Out & About sessions during this term at Manarat Art Studio Saadyiat, making Hand Built Ceramics!

It was an amazing experience – relaxing, creatively fulfilling and endless fun as parents unleashed their creativity. They each crafted a unique masterpiece to cherish forever.

Parent Coffee Morning

On 14th June, our BIS Abu Dhabi Community Group hosted the last Parent Coffee morning of the academic year, and it was an incredible success!

The coffee morning hosted a vibrant market souq, where talented local artists and small businesses showcased and sold their incredible crafts and products. While browsing the market souq stands, parents of our community had the chance to socialise, catch up, and forge new connections. It combined the thrill of shopping with the warmth of togetherness.

To make the morning even more delightful, parents brought along their homemade bakes to share with everyone.

Thank you to everyone who attended and made this event a memorable one. We can’t wait to bring you more exciting gatherings in the next academic year!

BIS Abu Dhabi French Community at Le Louvre

Le Louvre Abu Dhabi recently came alive with the energy of over 50 students and parents from the BIS Abu Dhabi French speaking community.

Whilst exploring the halls of the renowned museum, parents, teenagers, and children immersed themselves in captivating masterpieces from around the world.

Together with Charlotte Dolla, our student’s French teacher from Alliance Française, students discovered a few artworks related to their French Mother Tongue Programme while their parents enjoyed their own guided tour.

After an enriching museum experience, the group indulged a delectable array of pastries, expertly crafted by the Fouquet’s French pastry chef.

Eric Déposé (head of BIS Abu Dhabi language department) and Esther Rubio (French and Spanish teacher at BIS Abu Dhabi) joined in the visit. A great illustration of our school’s commitment to offering students with transformative educational experiences that go beyond the classroom and engage both students and their families.

Ancillary Staff Lunch

In June, our Community Group organised a special lunch to express their appreciation for the tireless dedication of our ancillary staff, who have been instrumental in caring for our school and our children throughout the entire year.

It was a lovely day, where our Community Group came together with our amazing ancillary staff to share, give thanks and have a chat with the staff who are ever present and always busy supporting our school.

To our dedicated cleaners, vigilant security team, diligent maintenance staff, skilled pool technicians, caring lifeguards, reliable bus drivers, and attentive bus monitors – we want to extend a massive thank you! Your dedication and hard work are truly appreciated by the entire BIS Abu Dhabi community.

The Men in Our Lives

In celebration of Fathers Day, our Early Years Students celebrated ‘The Men in Our Lives’! The children were overjoyed to welcome their special guests into school for a delightful breakfast.

In preparation for this event, our little ones had been busy learning a song to perform to all the attendees and got creative by making their own paper mâché superhero centrepieces for the tables. But the creativity didn’t stop there! At the event, our children and their guests joined forces and worked on a mission to design their very own superhero masks.

It was a morning filled with joy. A big well done to our EYFS students for their hard work in making this event a success. And a heartfelt thank you to all the men in our lives for everything you do for us – we really appreciate it!

Bugsy Malone

Two weeks before the curtain was due to go up, the lights went down on Guys and Dolls, the global pandemic had arrived and for the next three years we were unable to produce and perform anything. No music, no acting, no dancing.

Then, in September of 2022 we got the go-ahead!

We knew we needed to be considered with our choice of show. At the time restrictions were still in place so we chose a Musical that would give us the glitz, glamour, characters, well known songs and dancing that we wanted, but if restrictions were to remain, we could still produce well…BUGSY MALONE it was!!!

With a double cast in mind to ensure we would not be hit with absences the auditions began. We were astounded at the amount of talent we had. It seemed that Covid-19 had not hampered the desire and talents of our students to perform!

For the next eight months we worked all over school, rehearsing in any space we could find; the main hall, classrooms, dining halls, drama studios. We were waiting, waiting to get into our incredible auditorium.

There is nothing like watching the face of a student when they have a ‘light bulb moment’ or when they experience something for the first time. When we eventually walked into the auditorium for the first time, with the set, the sound, the lights…it was magical! With only three days to get the production ‘up’ on the stage we knew we would need to dig in hard and we did. What a fabulously, exhausting time.

The show went from strength to strength. Watching our wonderful students on the stage for the first time in such a long time was worth all the hard work, weekends and sleepless nights. BIS Abu Dhabi was back, and back with a ‘splurge’ (bang)!

We are so excited to see what the future holds for all our students and thank all involved in making the show a reality.

Bring on 2024!

BREAKING NEWS Dance Production

After a four-year halt due to COVID-19, Dance finally reclaimed its spot in the limelight at BIS Abu Dhabi. Throughout the pandemic, the Physical Education Department kept the spirit of dance alive by delivering online sessions, dance in squares, and dance in isolation. However, this year marked the return of dance with a captivating and dynamic programme leading up to the highly anticipated ‘BREAKING NEWS’ Annual Dance Production.

This year’s dance CCA programme was building up for the return of a stage performance, students from various age groups showcased their talents, ranging from the adorable Mini Momentum dancers in Year 3 to the awe-inspiring Year 12 ballet on pointe work. The Dance curriculum supported the annual production and created numerous opportunities for students to express themselves on our new auditorium stage.

Our annual dance production was a show like no other, not only because of the wide variety of age groups and the number of students involved (over 140 students including 27 boys), but also because of the messages the students wanted to portray within the theme of ‘BREAKING NEWS’. From images of pollution to refugees, from urbanisation and broken habitats, from bush fires to war. These wonderful themes and images were danced with passion, precision, with talent and technique.

Dance has been developing at our school for the past 8 years and we work closely with the Juilliard School of Performing Arts to support the delivery of lessons not only in dance, but also in Year 3 and Year 4 within the curriculum. With the new auditorium, and the new energy driven by the number of students involved in Dance this year, we cannot wait to see how Dance continues to grow!

BISAD’s Got Talent

Primary and Secondary celebrated BISAD’s Got Talent and WOW what an incredible array of talent we saw!

On Thursday, 22nd June, Primary took to the stage with two shows of exceptional musical and other talented performances, followed by another incredible day of talent by Secondary on Friday, 23rd June.

We had a huge range of talent from violin, piano, drums, keyboard, dance, kubudo, to Tae Kwon Do, dombra, singing and MORE!

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part and all the winners, you were all truly inspiring! We can’t wait to see the talent that unfolds next year!

ADISSA Swim

The ADISSA swimming championships for Junior and Senior students took place in June.

The Junior championships brought 465 students from 13 schools, making it the biggest school swimming event to date. The Senior event saw 320 swimmers taking time out of their very busy exam schedule to take part in the sport they love.

Both events were more than just another swimming competition. This was an opportunity for all athletes to mix up and make new friendships, learn valuable life lessons, and understand sportsmanship.

The atmosphere was heart-warming with lots of cheers and support even in the face of competition.

Teachers, coaches and parents played a vital role in running the event, guiding students and instilling values.

This event was a success and without a doubt will inspire students to continue to work hard in preparation for next season.

BSME Dance

In May, we were thrilled to be part of the BSME Dance Festival 2023! This year’s theme was ‘A Night at The Movies’. Over the weekend of the festival, our BIS Abu Dhabi Dance group explored various dance styles like African, Breaking, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Contemporary during their workshops, along with a captivating group performance, which they showcased on the last day.

Our talented team of 12 BIS Abu Dhabi dancers took to the the stage with their performance titled ‘The Swimmers’. This piece was inspired by the true story of two Syrian sisters who fled their homeland, became refugees, embarked on a perilous journey by boat to Europe, and ultimately, one of them made it to the Olympics in 2016! Our BSME Dance group were deeply moved by their experience and sought to depict the emotional voyage across the ocean in a powerful and poignant dance piece.

Dancing in the Curriculum

This term, girls in Year 3 – Year 9 have been studying a dance unit of work. Ranging from the roaring 1920’s of the start of the Lindy Hip, to musical theatre with Bugsy Malone.

From Still Life at the Penguin Café, a ballet based on endangered animals to contact choreography. From Physical Theatre to Juilliard choreography tasks. Students have engaged with a sheer desire to be creative and to have fun. The PE Department have been blown away by the wonderful movement created, the showcased collaboration with peers and the passion to dance. Congratulations to all involved.

Term 3 saw the return of our EYFS and Key Stage 1 ‘Celebration of Swim’.

Our students have worked tremendously hard all academic year within our in-curricular swimming programme developing their water confidence and swimming skills. Students enjoyed showcasing their skills in front of their parents and other family members, with smiles on their faces as they demonstrated the outstanding progress they have made since the start of the academic year!

EYFS & KS1 Celebration of Swim Boys Can Dance too

Yes, boys can dance too and this term, boys from Year 4 –Year 7 had the delight of working with Nader Musharbash, a male professional dancer and choreographer to create a dance for the ‘BREAKING NEWS’ annual dance production.

Nader returned to BIS Abu Dhabi to work on the ‘Dance in a Day Boys Project’. The energy from the workshop was electric as the boys discovered a wide variety of dance steps, jumps, turns and twists to explore and create a powerful dance. The boys continued to work with Nader in the weeks leading up to the production to perfect their dance ready for a live audience.

Their impressive final dance performance electrified the audience!

BIS Abu Dhabi Graduate Class of 2022

Asaad Al-Barwani

When asked about the most important lesson he learned at BIS Abu Dhabi, Asaad highlighted two aspects. In terms of education, his exposure to Python (a popular programming language) during his iGCSE Computer Science course laid a strong foundation for his current degree in Computer Science. In terms of life lessons, he emphasised the value of planning ahead and managing workload effectively, skills he learnt during his final years at BIS Abu Dhabi. These skills proved invaluable in his university life and continue to guide him today.

Asaad Al-Barwani, former student of BIS Abu Dhabi, started at our school in Year 8 and after six years he graduated with his IB Diploma in 2022. Since leaving BIS Abu Dhabi, Asaad went on to the prestigious New York University (NYU) in the US. A US university that has firmly established itself as a leading institution, consistently ranking among the top universities worldwide and continues to make its mark on the global stage. His university choice was a natural extension of his passion for computing. He opted to study Computer Science at NYU due to its reputation as a leading institution and its strong game development facilities.

We recently caught up with Asaad and asked him to share his reflections on his time at BIS Abu Dhabi and his achievements since his IBDP graduation;

When asked about what made BIS Abu Dhabi special for him, Asaad’s immediate response was the people. “Whether it was my friends or teachers, I was always surrounded by people who I could trust and enjoyed being around. The teachers especially supported me through a lot, from university applications, support in class to even starting up CCAs, namely getting the MUN CCA back up during COVID-19 and starting up the Game Development CCA.”

Reflecting on his most inspiring school experience, Asaad enthusiastically spoke about the Talent Show. For four years, he performed with his band. Even amid the pandemic, Asaad and his band recorded a remote performance, demonstrating their dedication and adaptability. “Aside from just performing for the whole school, running down to the music rooms to practice was always a great escape from the busy canteen and many memories were made in those rooms.”

BIS Abu Dhabi instilled in Asaad a sense of ambition, as reflected in the school’s motto. It was during his time at BIS Abu Dhabi that Asaad realised his dream of pursuing a career in game development. “I had always dreamt of making games for a living, but it was only at BIS Abu Dhabi that I started making games on my own and realised that it was a dream possible to pursue.”

Asaad said the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme played a pivotal role in starting at university. The rigorous work ethic cultivated during his IBDP years seamlessly transitioned into university life. The routine, time management skills, and academic rigour instilled in him through the IBDP enabled him to navigate his university studies with ease. The Internal Assessments (IAs), Extended Essay (EE), and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) assignments, further prepared him for the demands of university-level essay writing.

Since graduating, Asaad’s proudest moment was completing an engineering project for the NYU’s Introduction to Engineering and Design course. His team developed a fully functional MIDI guitar, using Arduino, a microcontroller he had learnt to use in the robotics CCA at BIS Abu Dhabi. Their creation, named the ‘Air Guitar,’ was selected for the end-ofsemester showcase from amongst 7 other teams out of over 60 who applied. As the lead electronics engineer and lead programmer, Asaad presented their prototype to an audience of NYU students and faculty.

Currently entering his second year as an undergraduate at NYU, Asaad remains focused on his game development projects in the hope of one day breaking into the industry. A game development team Asaad started while still at BIS Abu Dhabi when he was in Year 9 called ‘Nahar Studios’, is currently working on their 7th game and 2nd major project, while also planning for a 3rd.

“I had always dreamt of making games for a living, but it was only at BIS Abu Dhabi that I started making games on my own and realised that it was a dream possible to pursue.”

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