SPRING 2020/2021
SECONDARY NEWSLETTER britishschool.sch.ae
SECONDARY NEWSLETTER CONTENTS P03 P04 P06 P09 P11 P13 P15 P18
A Message From The Head Of Secondary, Miss Woulfe Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Sixth Form Shakespeare Week
MISS TERESA WOULFE THE HEAD OF SECONDARY Despite the many restrictions due to Covid compliance, I think it is fair to say that this term at BSAK has been an incredibly busy one with a variety of activities taking place both within and outside of the classroom. A highlight has been the return of Key Stage 3 students a little earlier this term after almost a year out of the school building. Despite the changes, rules and regulations, the students have adapted incredibly well to everything that has been thrown at them. I must congratulate and thank all of the BSAK community for the part they have played in ensuring that we have been able to welcome our students back. It has certainly been challenging but by working together, we have managed to keep the school open. A real highlight for me was formally welcoming our Year 7 students as they ceremoniously walked up the spiral staircase in contrast to how our Year 13 students walk down this on their final day at BSAK. Whilst we have continued to deliver the curriculum within the classroom, I am hugely proud of staff and students who have delivered and engaged in opportunities outside of the classroom and away from the screen. Please do take time to read what has been presented to you in this newsletter to get a flavour of some of these activities. With the external examinations cancelled again this year, we are working hard to ensure that our students in these examination years are given the opportunity to fairly reflect the exam grades that they would have received had they sat the actual paper. This is a very complex and challenging process for teaching staff and our examination officer but we are currently working our way through this. A special mention must go to our students who have continued with Distance Learning based on medical or family reasons in order to remain covid compliant. This has been an additional challenge for you as students, teachers and parents and I would like to express my gratitude to you all. In a previous letter, I informed you that Mr. McBlane is leaving BSAK at the end of this term to take up his promoted post in Dubai as Head of Secondary. I would like to inform you that Mr. Foster has been promoted to Deputy Head Teacher and will take over many of Mr. McBlane's responsibilities. Wishing you all a very happy and relaxing spring break, please try to ensure that your children have as much time away from their screens as possible. Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time. Miss Teresa Woulfe Head of Secondary
MR RUAIRI CARR HEAD OF YEAR 7 The 17th of February 2021, an amazing day that our Year 7 students will remember for a long time to come. The first day back to school for nearly a year and indeed their first day at the secondary school. We had a welcoming guard of honour for the students and we even had The National newspaper reporting on the day. If you haven’t had a chance to read the article or see the video of our guard of honour here is the link. With a number of setbacks, lots of zoom lessons and missing out on vital socialisation with their friends, I feared for the worst for the Year 7 students. However every day at the gate I am met with positivity and happiness, this shows just how resilient the boys and girls of Year 7 are.
THE PASSION PROJECT In January during Distance Learning Secondary Students had 3 weeks to work on their Passion Project, the end results were impressive.
Shirya Murali 7PE - Oil Painting Amaryillis Kyriakides-Turner 7CE
Coralie Aduku 7PE - Mocking Jay Cakes
The Overall winner of BSAK’s inaugural Passion Project. Amaryillis in Year 7 created a fantastic documentary all about cycling which is going to be used as a promotional video for the cycling shop.
WORLD BOOK DAY
This term we celebrated World Book Day. The participation from the Year 7 students was amazing. We had wizards and witches, dinosaurs and fairies, Ali Baba and his 40 Thieves, people in pyjamas and many, many more costumes.
A special mention must go to Chimera’s Catlin Moissi, Laraib Ahmad, Zahraa Meah, Sara Hussain who won a prize for their wonderful Wizard of Oz costumes.
I have loved getting to know all of the Year 7 students over the past few weeks, and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of them better over the remainder of the year.
MRS SARAH NORAY HEAD OF YEAR 8 How wonderful it has been to see the students back in school this term. I have had so many great comments from staff about increased student participation in lessons and it has been a pleasure hearing students in classrooms and break times expressing how much they are enjoying being together again. I can already see their confidence building and I know this will only continue to be the case. Ultimately we want the school community to be happy and most of all safe and therefore it is essential that everyone plays their part at looking after one another and following the Covid safety procedures. Thank you to all those who have been doing such a good job of this since their return.
CONGRATULATIONS 100% SPRING ½ TERM DISTANCE LEARNING ATTENDANCE It has been a busy term with a great deal of success for Year 8.
January saw a huge number of students achieving 100% attendance in their Zoom lessons. This made me incredibly proud as a Head of Year because of the amount of time students had been on distance learning by this point and showed me how resilient they had been in maintaining their motivation for such a prolonged period of time. Knowing they can overcome such huge challenges should give them hope that they can achieve anything in the future.
THE PASSION PROJECT Was a huge success and it was brilliant to see the range of topics the Year 8’s chose and their enthusiasm for a vast range of activities. Not only did it highlight what great chefs we have in the year group but showed us the many other talents the year group possess! Topics ranged from sculpture, fishing, ukulele, roller skating, comic book writing, art and some superb talent in sportsmanship and exercise!
Congratulations A special congratulations to Dominik Jordan 8CE who was the Passion Project winner for Year 8. His film exuded passion and reflected Dominik’s dedication to his Spartan family. Getting so many of them involved in his film was a true testament of what an advocate he is and displayed a real sense of community! Congratulations also to Jude Roberts 8HY who gained first place in Race 2 of the Daman Falcon Series Cycling Event on Hudayriat Island. Jude rode aggressively, breaking away in the last 2 km to form a solo victory. After coming 3rd in the first race of this series, his training is really paying off and it is exciting to see how the rest of the series plays out. This is an incredible achievement for anyone, let alone someone of Jude’s age! Definitely one to watch, a huge well done to him.
WORLD BOOK DAY
Year 8 demonstrated their team spirit with gusto for World Book Day earlier this month, with costumes ranging from the classic Peter Pan, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and even Cobra Kai! Winners 8CH dressed up as a wonderfully dynamic team by creating the World of Harry Potter in one classroom!
POET LAUREATE
From literary characters to literary success. The Poet Laureate position in school will allow one student in Key Stage 3 to express the student body's thoughts about the world around them through poetry. I am delighted to announce that 8HY’s Sara Sheikh has been honoured with this position and I know she will document her own voice and that of her peers beautifully. I look forward to reading her work.
Finally a big thank you from me to all the Year 8’s. For brightening the school corridors and the benches outside and bringing life to the school that was missing for so long. It has been such a pleasure speaking to you face to face and getting to know you these last few weeks and I look forward to the rest of our year together. Have a wonderful Spring break!
MR MICHAEL EDGAR HEAD OF YEAR 9 After one year of living in the "New Normal" of this Covid epidemic it is important to reflect on how we have each coped with the online learning and then the face to face masked learning in school. I have been so proud to watch so many Year 9 students showing such resilience and endeavour during this time. I am confident that all students who have kept up with their online learning will be in a very strong position to begin their GCSE choices in Year 10. Thank you all for your diligence in making your GCSE choices on time. Moving into the summer term we will have the opportunity to assess your attainment across the curriculum during exam week and this will allow teachers information to support any weaknesses before the end of the academic year.
WORLD BOOK YEAR 9 WORLD BOOK DAY DAY PHOTOS
Wishing you all a well deserved break and I hope you manage to dramatically cut down on your screen time during the break. Happy Hols, Mr. Edgar
MR JULIAN BRAMMER HEAD OF YEAR 10 It is a huge pleasure to put pen to paper for this Year 10 section of the Newsletter. I always think that the Spring Term is the toughest in so many ways in particular, we always seem to have to complete the same amount of work but in less time……. However, this term has been a tale of contrasts and some incredible challenges. The disappointment at not returning after the Winter Break; eventually getting back into school….. and finally having the whole school back in has been wonderful. The way that the year group rises to the challenges has been fantastic and my respect for them grows daily… I know I am talking to the converted, but they really are a cracking year group and I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know them better.
YMOG 2021 Year 10 were very well represented at YMOG, well done to Ryan, Maisie, Kirstie and Scarlett. I really enjoyed your performances on Youtube and look forward to the opportunity for live concerts in the future.
WORLD BOOK DAY
Another huge success was World Book Day with Year 10 sweeping the boards for the pupil prizes for KS4 and 5. Well done to Jennifer Najjar (10CE), Raya Haddadin (10CE) & Shahd Abou El Nasr (10CH). I have to say I was gutted not to win the staff prize and I am already planning for next year!!!!!!
MUN MODEL UNITED NATIONS I am a member of the Junior MUN and it is something I look forward to every single week. This opportunity has developed my public speaking skills, my research skills and my confidence. MUN has allowed me to understand current global issues in the world that are very significant and has allowed me to debate on these topics either as a country or supporting or opposing the argument. We’ve talked about nuclear warfare, education during COVID-19, class A drugs, climate change, animal testing and much more! Each topic is so interesting. This practice has led me onto participating in the 13th Annual Dubai International Academy MUN conference this term. This was such a memorable and exciting experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
I have been involved in the Model United Nations at my previous school and think the skills they give students are so beneficial. Anyway… enough from me, I have asked Shahd to tell you about her endeavours within the MUN at BSAK. Hello! My name is Shahd Abou El Nasr and I'm in 10CH.
CO- CURRICULAR YEAR 10 I regularly say that life is about balance and I like to show what pupils are doing away from school. This term it is the turn of Logan Pearce (10PE) and Lara El-Chaib (10CE). Lara is making her mark on the Junior Abu Dhabi Golf circuit and Logan races go-karts in the Rotax Max Challenge at circuits within the UAE. At the end of a hugely successful and busy second term, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful and enjoyable break. Year 10 have done themselves proud this term. Well done to them all and well done to the parents and teachers who support them.
MISS NICHOLA COOPER HEAD OF YEAR 11 Whilst the Passion Project seems like a distant memory due to mock exams and study leave I wanted to share with you some of the great projects I witnessed during that time. First congratulations to Kathryn McGuire who was our Year 11 winner. I thoroughly enjoyed the video Kathryn made and would very much like to try the meals that were prepared!
SOME OTHER GREAT PASSION PROJECTS INCLUDE Joshna Sajit who used digital media to create studies of sports cars. She focused on reflection on metal, helmets and expressions in the eyes. I think we can all agree on what a great talent she has from the photos!
Saswata Mohanta who created a video game completely from scratch. An impressive and creative skill that many, including myself, would struggle with! Zoha Khan who wrote some thought provoking and impressive poetry. As well as Yiannis Petras who used the 3 days to work on his penalty skills and did an analysis of his improvement.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE EARLY ENTRY YEAR 11 MATHEMATICIANS FOR THEIR EXCELLENT GCSE RESULT CE
Aadi, Adam
CH
Amruh, Archit, Aryaman, Gabriella, Noura, Reem, Sara, Zaki
GR
Alicia, Daniel, Freya, Mallika
HY
Adil, Ali, Isaac, Roshan, Yomna, Zoha
PE
Alhassan, Libby, Luca, Vinuth
PH
Sami, Sharadhi, Tyler
SIXTH FORM TASTER DAY
Following on from a very successful Taster Day on Thursday 11 March the Options Process has begun in earnest. Students started their 1:1 meetings with their tutors to make their final option choices (latest deadline is 15 April).
Lastly I would like to echo my last email to all of you regarding the conduct during mock exams. Year 11 were exceptional! They were punctual, conducted themselves extremely well and followed through with all COVID regulations. They were a credit to you all and I was very proud of them. I wish you and your families a fantastic Spring Break.
MESSAGE FROM THE SIXTH FORM TEAM With interviews completed, and the vast majority of university offers already made, the ‘Spring Term’ has been full of highs and lows for our students. The carrot is now firmly dangling and it is no surprise that the usage of the library and Learning Curve increased in the lead up to the recent Mock exams. All the departments are thoroughly entrenched in completing courses, making the final touches to coursework and initiating the revision cycle for the second assessment period in May. Our Senior Prefect application process is in full swing, with the teambuilding element and interviews to come after the holidays. Whilst they will not be concurrent this year, we hope that the Year 12 group will become swept up in the wave of academic focus demonstrated by the ‘Class of 2021’ throughout March and April. I cannot stress enough the significance of the ‘University Grade Prediction Exams’ at the end of May for the future aspirations of our Year 12 students. The results of these assessments will form the basis of the UCAS predictions after the summer holidays and each Year 12 student should approach these exams as if they were preparing for external exams.
Although the covid restrictions have limited the co-curricular and annual events on the social calendar in the Sixth Form, the pace during the school day still seems to be unrelenting. It is therefore important that all students now manage their time over the holidays to begin or continue their revision for the May exams whilst re-charging their batteries before the final push when they return. Have a very well deserved holiday.
UNIVERSITY AND CAREERS UPDATE Nearly all of our students have at least one university offer. Students have a range of offers from the UK, Europe, Canada and the US, including Cambridge and Stanford. Additionally, our BTEC students have fantastic course offers, a lot of which are from Russell Group Universities. This has also been the most successful year for our NYUAD applicants.
Year 12 students had the opportunity to spend a day focusing on their university choices.
Offers are still rolling in and students are now left to decide where to choose from. We are extremely proud of each and every one of our students.
UNIVERSITY AND CAREERS DAY
While there are weekly opportunities for students to engage with universities, we felt that allowing students the opportunity to spend a full school day would be beneficial. Students completed tasks in the morning to focus on location, travel and factors when choosing courses. They also had the opportunity to discuss their career projects with peers and discuss different concerns and opinions. At the end of the day, Warwick University gave a presentation to our students to discuss choices and personal statements. The majority of the feedback from students was positive. In term 3, students will commence focusing on their personal statements to ensure that they are prepared for Year 13.
All our Year 12 students will sit internal University Grade Prediction Exams at the end of Year 12.
UNIVERSITY GRADE PREDICTION EXAMS
These exams are scheduled to take place from the 23rd May to the 3rd June. It is important to recognise that this series of exams will determine the entry of your son/daughter into Year 13 and form the basis of their UCAS predicted grades or AS Centre assessed grade (for students that may be leaving). The focus must therefore be on attaining the most accurate representation of your son/daughter’s attainment in each of their A level subjects.
YEAR 13 MAY 2021 EXAMS To allow for further confirmation of CEG grades reported in the full report and to provide an opportunity for further improvement, there will be a May exam series for all Year 13 students. Last day of lessons - 29th April, which will be followed by a one week of study leave. May Exams - 9th May to the 20th May.
YEAR 13 MOCK EXAMS Exams are back. With schools in Abu Dhabi closing around us, never have we ever gone through an exam period in the Sixth Form on such tenterhooks. Due to the false start of the UGPE earlier in the year, coupled with the announcement of teacher assessed grades recently, these exams took on more significance this year than previously and it was brilliant to witness the return of the pre-and post-exam buzz. As we write this, the exams are being marked and moderated, which will be followed by a period of performance analysis to support students’ preparation for the next assessment series in May.
YEAR 11 TASTER DAY
YEAR 13 GRADUATION EVENT We are hopeful that as we move closer to the summer, and if the regulations in Abu Dhabi permit, we will be able to arrange commemorative events for our Lifers and all of the Class of 2021. Please be rest assured that we will do as much as we possibly can within whatever restrictions we are faced with, to give the Year 13 the send-off they deserve. Having overseen Year 13 last year, our leaving events were overshadowed by lockdown, we shared their disappointment that we couldn’t give them the famous walk down the stairs, and we hope this will be able to return in some form this year. When we feel we can cautiously pencil-in dates, we will let you know.
On March 11th we invited all of our current Year 11 students to select five of our post-16 A Level and BTEC options to trial, with a view to making more informed choices for their Sixth Form subjects. For many students, they took advantage of the opportunity to try new subjects such as Psychology (Miss Mell with a sterling effort of four packed lessons on the bounce!), Further Mathematics and our double and single BTEC subjects. Unfortunately we were unable to invite external students this year due to the ongoing regulations, but we are hosting an interview and tour evening with them as a separate event. In total there were 600 individual taster experiences on the day, and as usual we thank staff for investing so much time and thought in the sessions, and the students about whom feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. It is now essential that they think carefully about the experience, their aspirations and their areas of strength as they select their Sixth Form options.
SHAKESPEARE WEEK 2021 From sonnets and soliloquies to secret scavenger hunts, BSAK celebrated Shakespeare Week this half term. Students engaged in Shakespeare-inspired lessons by performing monologues in Drama, writing sonnets in English, learning about The Globe Theatre in History and participating in a book design competition in Art. Some dressed up during
Staff, students and visitors were welcomed by our SLT mannequins dressed in Shakespearean attire and holding some of his most famous lines.
form time to recite famous lines and scenes and discussed how relevant his words still are today.
Staff, students and visitors were welcomed by our SLT mannequins dressed in Shakespearean attire and holding some of his most famous lines.
KS4 & 5 POET LAUREATE Amna Zaffar, Year 12 Shall I Compare Thee To a Winter’s Noon Shall I compare thee to a winter's noon? Thou art more glorious and more gelid: Some of our wonderful staff donned their thespian
Splendid warm gusts do melt the ice by June,
voices to perform the famous Montague and
And winter's snowflakes halt, though they once glid:
Capulet fight scene out on the pitches for the
Sometime too cool Arbuda's zephyrs blow,
enjoyment of KS3 and students took part in our
And often are his numb hands held in mine,
Secret Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt.
And beat his heart as fast would sprint a doe,
Thank you to everyone who got involved
By chase, or caught in headlight's brightest shine:
and celebrated this literary genius.
But thy eternal coolness shall not dim, Nor fade away in a wind so frigid,
The English Department
Nor shall glaciers sing of your thawing vim, When between these pages you'll remain hid, So long as sun rises east and sets west, So long your recollection here will rest.
KS3 POET LAUREATE Sara Sheikh, Year 8 Hamlet Begs Method To The Madness Of His Creator “Surely I was made in your own image, Surely my strife reflects that of your own. I trust you know limbo as well, You know past the shadow on the wall, To its sombre dance around purgatory.” Replied the creator “Paper is pressed with the voices of many, Although pens may present only one. You are nothing but ink on paper, my child, I will say I do not know you well.” “Tell me then, what do you know? How else Could you write? If sorrow you don’t know, perhaps it is strife? The madness folded in violets, or the paradox of the knife. Do you know what sleep is to dying? Do you know how to fear your own mind?” “You hate me now, it is clear, You hate me for placing you in your life. But pour yourself out of your chalice, Watch in which river your blood shall find flow. Your blood does not dare touch lethe, It flows against the current of Styx. Cruel I was, I must admit, to you And all that I marionette. But the happy are not seen in histories eyes, The happy grow paltried and withered. The tragic are raised to the ranks of Gods, And, my child, Do you see how you are worshiped.”
