YEAR 5 DRESS UP DAY

As part of the Year 5 English Curriculum on traditional tales featuring legends, the Year 5 teachers thought that The Legend of Robin Hood was a perfect example and would inspire a debate of whether or not Robin Hood was in fact a Hero or a Villain.

The students enjoyed an adventure day where they got to come to school dressed as a hero or villain from a traditional tale. There were some wonderful examples such as the Woodcutter from Hansel and Gretel, Frodo from The Lord of the Rings, many knights and even Robin Hood himself.

The students participated in an orienteering activity that took the students around the school grounds, a poetry activity which told the story of Robin Hood and a crosscurricular activity which taught the students more about the adventures of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men.

Juilliard Drama Curriculum Specialist Visit

In January, BIS Abu Dhabi were thrilled to welcome Jono Waldman, Drama Curriculum Specialist from the Juilliard School in New York, on his first visit to the school. Mr. Waldman taught several classes, observed lessons, and led a professional development session for staff. Head of Creative Arts, Ms. O’Connor said “what an experience, for both students and staff. Jono brought a wealth of knowledge and creativity to us all. We have had so much fun learning from him and really look forward to welcoming him back again as our Juilliard link for Drama”.” We are extremely excited that Mr. Waldman will be joining us again as part of a series of visits working to continue to develop and enrich our students’ artistic aptitudes and divergent thinking skills. Through this partnership, our aim is to continue to elevate the provision of the arts within the whole school and the surrounding community for staff, students, and their families.

What made BIS Abu Dhabi special for you? The friendly environment at the school made it a great place for growth, learning and fun. The relationship we had with our teachers, one where they were always approachable for both academic and non-academic issues, made studying a lot more fun. The synergy between students and teachers at the school is one that is very rare to find, it is extremely important for a child to wake up every morning and want to go to school.

Which school club, activity, trip or project inspired you the most? I think most BIS Abu Dhabi students that have visited Tanzania would answer this question in the same way. Tanzania was one of the most incredible opportunities I have ever been offered. From the volunteer work, to the safari, the people, to the food, it was one of the most wholesome experiences that I have ever been a part of. It also helped me develop a transferable skill set that I can still reference when applying for positions. The memories that I made on the trip will be some to keep forever.

What is the most important lesson you learned at BIS Abu Dhabi? I learned that nothing great comes easy. One has to put in the time and effort to be able to achieve one’s vision. This ethos was embedded in me by the time I left school for university. However, I also learned that one cannot just focus on one’s goals. One has to create a balance between work and play. This is something that I started in school by involving myself in after school clubs and I continue this at university too.

BIS Abu Dhabi Graduate Tanya Mathur

What ambitions did BIS Abu Dhabi inspire in you? Do not dream small. I remember Mr. Kenning trying his level best to get my to apply to Oxbridge but I just did not believe that I would ever make that grade. Surprisingly, I was able to get one point higher than the Cambridge requirement. I do not regret my decision of coming to the University of Warwick at all, however Mr. Kenning’s attitude showed me that one must believe in oneself and aim high.

Which university and degree did you choose, and why? I am currently at the University of Warwick, studying Politics and International Relations. I find the subject matter extremely interesting. I do not necessarily think that I would like to pursue a career in this field however, the degree has helped me develop a transferable skill set that can apply to most professions out there.

How did the IB Diploma help your experience at university? The IB helped me develop concepts of critical and independent thinking, written and verbal communication and skills of organisation, time management and independant learning. My degree is based on independant learning, with a heavy focus on essays and presentations. This requires good time management skills which I believe, I developed through completing the IB Diploma.

What has been your proudest moment since graduating? At university, I am Project Manager of a social enterprise named Project Baala, under the wing of Enactus UK. The social enterprise has its head quarters in New Delhi, India and I was tasked with leading a team to expand its operations to Ghana and Pakistan. After a year of hard work, the team was able to impact the lives of 1300 girls between the two countries. Watching videos of the girls was one of the proudest and most heart-warming moments of my life. After the project, one of our local project partners asked me to join her as co-founder of a Ghanaian NGO. Do check us out. We go by the name of IGEAenterprise (Investing in Girls Education in Africa).

What are you doing now? I am in my final year at the University of Warwick.

What made BIS Abu Dhabi special for you? The community. BIS Abu Dhabi is diverse from the different cultural backgrounds of students and teachers, to the different quirks and personalities of every individual - younger or older. That is what made it special for me. It’s a school that models what the world is like; where different people can come together to learn from each other and accomplish things together.

Which school club, activity, trip or project inspired you the most? The Tanzania Expedition definitely inspired me the most. I’ve been on three separate expeditions and was one of the few to go on the very first. I had the opportunity to learn so much about my peers, myself and about a beautiful culture and its people. I enjoyed being creative with the fundraising process, working towards a common goal through team effort and gaining a new perspective on charitable work and the implications of it.

What is the most important lesson you learned at BIS Abu Dhabi? From a young age I have always been very shy and quiet. I used to rarely speak my mind or attempt to go for opportunities that intrigued me. Studying at BIS Abu Dhabi really helped me come out of my shell. That being said, the most important lesson I learned was to believe in myself; to prove to myself what I am capable of, as opposed to not even trying.

What ambitions did BIS Abu Dhabi inspire in you? BIS Abu Dhabi showed me that it’s all right to have more than one ambition and that it is also ok if you haven’t quite found what your ambition is. I’m still discovering what my ambitions are, but BIS Abu Dhabi inspired me to keep doing the things that I feel passionate about. So I try to get involved in volunteering in anyway I can, I still sing, I still do drama and I’m doing a degree I really enjoy. Wherever that leads me has yet to come to fruition!

Which university and degree did you choose, and why? I am currently in my 3 rd year studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy with Politics and International Relations at the New College of the Humanities (NCH). The reason for picking my university and degree go hand-in-hand. I was looking for a university that would be best to study philosophy (after really enjoying Theory of Knowledge) but I also wanted to do politics (and I wasn’t looking to do a PPE course). One of the reasons I chose NCH is because I loved one of the books written by the current Master of the college A. C. Grayling (a popular British philosopher and author) and there is a great philosophy faculty. What better place to studyphilosophy than a place where you’re surrounded by philosophers! I also love that the tutorial system maximises the contact hours between students and professors. The college is small and feels like home, which makes the stress of doing a degree all the more worth it!

BIS Abu Dhabi Graduate Gabrielle Faure

How did the IB help your experience at university? The IB Diploma taught me a lot, but there are 3 core skills I learned that have really helped me cope with the demands at university: (1)Time Management. Not only managing my time in terms of my workload but in terms of balancing the demands of university and my life. It can be difficult at times to keep track of all your responsibilities at once, and the IB Diploma gave me a head start on how best to approach that difficulty. (2) Organisation. At university you find yourself doing more than just university related work. I have had a job on the side and other commitments such as volunteering to give mentoring support. You need to be able to organise all your priorities so that you can keep up with all your responsibilities and doing the IB Diploma has improved my confidence in organising efficiently. (3)Multitasking. This skill really links to the first two. The IB Diploma requires you to do so much at once, which is why it helps you to be a well-rounded individual. So being able to do more than one thing and be dedicated is a great discipline. My university has an extra diploma programme other than my degree that I am doing, and so being able to multitask efficiently has been very valuable.

What has been your proudest moment since graduating? Being at university involves a lot of learning and exploring and much of that involves learning about yourself. When I was going through a rough patch, I turned to writing lots of poetry. My proudest moment was when I finally had the courage to attend an open mic event in London to voice a piece I had written and that in turn gave me the courage to start a poetry blog. It was both exhilarating and healing and is something I try to do as often as I can.

What are you doing now? Now in my final year, the most important thing I have been working on is my philosophy dissertation. In light of all the protests and petitions to push for action against climate change, I am writing a thesis related to environmental philosophy. Specifically, I am exploring what our duties are towards nature, if we have any? As well as my dissertation, I am in the process of thinking about the next step after I graduate and I am currently considering the Civil Service or Teaching as potential careers.

360 VIRTUAL REALITY TOUR

Enjoy a tour of BIS Abu Dhabi from the comfort of home with the new BIS Abu Dhabi 360 Virtual Tour. Scan the QR code to begin your journey.