AUTUMN TERM 2021/2022
THE BRITISH SCHOOL AL KHUBAIRAT
SECONDARY NEWSLETTER britishschool.sch.ae
SECONDARY NEWSLETTER CONTENTS P03 P04 P06 P08 P11 P13 P15 P16 P21
A Message From The Head Of Secondary, Miss Woulfe Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 A Message From The Assistant Head Of Sixth Form, Mr Thompson Sixth Form Poet Laureate
MISS TERESA WOULFE THE HEAD OF SECONDARY At the beginning of this academic year, I spoke to the staff about our focus for the year ahead; this was to THRIVE not just SURVIVE. I feel that last academic year was often about surviving as we worked our way through covid compliance and the many changes we had to manage, affecting our daily life at school. This term has certainly had a flavour of the BSAK community thriving and re-growing in areas that have remained dormant. We have reopened our school to the whole community once more. Whilst the various options of online learning have remained constant and highly effective at BSAK, there really is no better way to engage students in learning than to have face to face interaction and engagement. As we have progressed through this first term, we have been fortunate to bring blood back to the veins of our school by reintroducing some CCAs, music, drama and sport all within the current Covid compliance rules. We will look to increase this after the winter break as we explore more opportunities for our students to engage in activities outside of the formal curriculum. This newsletter is a small insight to the many exciting things that have happened at BSAK this term. If you follow BSAK on social media, you will get regular updates on the daily and weekly life of BSAK students and staff.
I am delighted to announce that BSAK won two awards in the Top Schools Awards 2021 run by Schools Compared. BSAK were successful in winning the following awards: -
Best School for Post 16 Education in the UAE Best School in the UAE for For Art and Creative Studio Work
Students and staff should be proud of these achievements and it is wonderful to gain the recognition deserved. At the end of this term, Miss Jones, our Head of History is leaving us to go back to undertake a job in the UK. We wish her all the very best and thank her for her commitment to BSAK during her time here. Mr O’Boyle will replace her after the winter break and he has already met the classes who he will be taking over from. Mrs Alkurdi and Mrs Gannon will both leave us before and after the winter break as they start their maternity leave. Wishing them both blessings for a safe delivery of their children. Mrs Taj and Mrs Moreton respectively, will take over their classes for the duration of the maternity leave. Wishing you a very happy festive season with family and loved ones and we look forward to seeing you in January 2022.
MISS LOUISE MELL HEAD OF YEAR 7 It only seems like yesterday that I was emailing you after Year 6 transition and here we are ending term one. What a term it has been! It has been fantastic to see so many of our students immersing themselves into secondary school life and making the most of the opportunities that come their way. They should be proud of the maturity they have displayed in coping with the Covid restrictions that we still currently have in place, never letting it take away from their enjoyment and enthusiasm. Have a lovely winter break.
50th NATIONAL
YEAR & FORM DAY CELEBRATIONS REPRESENTATIVES I have been fortunate enough to work closely with the year representative and form representatives this term. Student voice is vital in providing the best forum for our students to share their ideas, and I have been extremely impressed by the skills our student leaders have developed. They have listened to the views of their peers and reported back to the year representative, who has shared that with our senior student leadership team. They have offered up solutions to problems and should be commended for their maturity and effective leadership.
In addition, our house captains have devised their own competitions. This term the Year 7 house captains have helped deliver secondary house assemblies and organise their National Day Arabic House Song entries as well as creating their own year group competitions.
DESIGN A PAVILION 7CH House Captains created the ’Design A Pavilion' competition which saw some extraordinarily creative entries.
I have been fortunate enough to observe a few Year 7 lessons this term; seeing the engaging activities that staff have created under covid restrictions. From cooking in Food & Nutrition, creating monsters in Textiles, exciting practicals in Science, singing to celebrate 50 years of the UAE in languages and practising their calligraphy skills in Arabic.
As I'm sure you are aware, our key BSAK core values include Empathy & Kindness. I have seen many examples of this demonstrated throughout the term, and have recognised individuals in our Stars of the Week. In addition, I have been extremely proud of Year 7 contributions to charity. Not only did they wear their finest pink outfits to support Breast Cancer Awareness but also contributed by taking part in the informative quiz. In November they showed their support for anti-bullying by wearing their odd socks, linking in with some of the earlier MELS lessons where students considered what it is to be a good friend and how best to deal with situations that make us feel upset.
Breast Cancer Awareness
MR RUAIRI CARR HEAD OF YEAR 8 What a fantastic term Year 8 have had! PCR testing, masks and social distancing could not stop this fantastic flock of maturing adults. Through this period of uncertainty our students have taken every opportunity to flourish academically and get involved steep themselves in all aspects of the school community. After having missed such a long period of school, I truly believe that these students understand what it means to be part of BSAK secondary school and things will continue to get better.
PINK & ODD SOCKS DAY
This term has seen the return of Co-curricular Activities, house competitions, fitness mornings, musical awards, Pink Day, National Day Celebrations and much, much more...
MRS SARAH NORAY HEAD OF YEAR 9 It has been a very busy start to the Autumn term and we have wonderful, open minded students in BSAK Year 9 and in order for us to be the strongest team, it is vital that every member of a team reflects complete respect for one another every day. It is a key BSAK value and something that will shape them as individuals into the strong, open minded, confident young men and women we know they can be when they step out into the world outside of BSAK.
PINK DAY & ODD SOCKS DAY Pink Day was a great success and Year 9 really showed their support for the cause with some brilliant outfits! It is always important to acknowledge why such events are happening. Breast Cancer is something that affects a huge number of people everyday and we took time out of the day to think about this cause and the origins of Pink Day and the rationale behind it.
It was lovely to see so many colourful, unique, wild socks on Odd Socks Day. The event is part of a wider message about Anti Bullying. The uniqueness of the socks is a symbol of how unique we all are and how we should celebrate our differences and appreciate that our society is more colourful as a result of this.
WELLBEING Wellbeing continues to be a huge focus within the year group as we take steps to move back to ‘normal’ in school. As well as movement sessions inside and outside the classroom during registration and MELS, students have also recently had the opportunity to discuss what is important to them in regards to Wellbeing.
TASTER DAY
Of course a huge focal point for Year 9 this term has been the important GCSE Options process that has begun. Students have been given many opportunities to think about their possible choices and discuss the process with myself and the Year 9 tutor team.
They have also been given time to research Career paths they may be interested in and the subjects that may help them on this journey. The taster day in November was a really successful day and from speaking to students, helped to consolidate the choices they made in the Straw Poll. Staff were really impressed with the enthusiasm of the Year group who conducted themselves brilliantly to get the most out of the day.
Well Done To Them All!
The TEDtalks they have produced demonstrated some really mature thought and gave us lots of ideas of how to further promote positive wellbeing across the school that we will most certainly take on board during the course of the Year ahead.
GCSE OPTIONS
Next term, options choices continue to be an important point of focus for the Year group. To assist them in the lead up to their final decisions at the end of February, we will have a virtual GCSE Options evening on 11 January as well as parents meetings. Myself and tutors will also be there every step of the way to help guide students to make the best choices for them.
NATIONAL DAY
The approach of the 50th Anniversary of the UAE has been a time of reflection for me and the fifteen years I have lived in this beautiful country. We are very lucky to live in this vibrant place and I hope you were all able to mark this wonderful moment in the UAE’s history during the National Day holiday, through watching the fireworks, attending the EXPO or just spending time with our nearest and dearest.
On Sunday 28th November, BSAK marked this special date in a variety of ways. The students looked wonderful in their National dress and were the perfect audience for the National Day performance ‘Voices Past and Present’ in the Secondary Theatre on the day. It was such a fitting way to mark such a big turning point for the UAE and for me personally, was an incredibly emotional day seeing audiences back in the Theatre once more. It was such an honour to be able to mark this event with the return of live Drama performance at BSAK. As an audience, the Year 9 students conducted themselves with huge maturity and respect whilst watching and they should be very proud of themselves. We hope they enjoyed watching the performance and that it gave them an opportunity to reflect on their own time in the beautiful U.A.E. We hope they enjoyed watching the performance and that it gave them an opportunity to reflect on their own time in the beautiful U.A.E.
WINTER BREAK
Will provide students a much needed break, to have time to relax with their families after an incredibly busy term. It is also a useful time to reflect on the successes of their first term in Year 9. I hope they come back in January, re-energised, so they may continue to demonstrate what an amazing year group they truly are. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, safe travels to those who are away and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all those celebrating.
MR MIKE EDGAR HEAD OF YEAR 10 I really must applaud the students in Year 10 for coping so admirably with the restraints put on us by Covid at the start of their GCSE year. In true BSAK tradition when an obstacle is put in our way, we find a different path. I am quietly confident that the constraints we faced during Term 1 will be gradually reduced during Term 2. This will be welcomed both in the classroom, during break and lunch times as well as for after school co-curricular activities. I would like to thank my outstanding tutor team; Mrs. Schooley, Mrs. Amer, Miss. Hand, Mrs. Mayall, Mr. Bannister, Mr. Mason and Mr. Bentley for their dedication to their form groups and the pastoral support they offer on a daily basis. Wishing you a fantastic winter break however you choose to celebrate it. Not only are we proud of our students achievements in school we are also proud of our Year 10’s achievements and involvement outside of BSAK.
THE EMIRATI CHILDREN’S PARLIAMENT Zayed has been attending the Emirati Children’s Parliament meetings after school and on weekends over the past year.
ANIMAL ACTION Mia and Claudia have been volunteering at Animal Action as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
GOLF RANKING Well Done to Paul after received his official Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
ABU DHABI CYCLING CLUB Congrats to Nikolai for being signed by Abu Dhabi Cycling Club to train and compete at the UAE Cycling Federation level.
GCSE OPTIONS COLLAGE
NOON PROJECT
MR JULIAN BRAMMER HEAD OF YEAR 11 It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of the first term this year and I am delighted that we have been in for almost all of it. I am delighted with how things have gone; the sense of academic purpose that Year 11 demonstrates has been present throughout and much has been achieved during this jam-packed term, especially with Co-curricular activities resuming. I am grateful to the students for their energy and commitment, whilst also thanking the staff for their dedication which goes far beyond the 2.35pm school finish time.
MOCK EXAMINATIONS
2022 and term two will be no less busy! We start back after the break with Mock Examination fortnight towards the end of January so we must be ready to hit the ground running. I am very excited to see the year group rise to this occasion as they do with everything.
There will inevitably be a range of successes, but the learning opportunity provided by this fortnight will be of vital importance. I would urge students to continue their revision programme, but also to take some much-needed time off to rest and recharge after this busy term. Next term, we will again be providing additional revision classes for the cohort, and we will be providing details in the New Year. The recent grade sheets should give you a snapshot of your child’s progress in this all-important year. Yet again, I have been very impressed with the academic effort that the students have put in this term, having looked at the reports; the cohort has produced some outstanding work. As our excellent GCSE and A Level results in previous years would testify, academic achievements are at the core of what we do. Alongside my wonderful pastoral team, I look forward to helping guide students with their Sixth Form option choices for next year.
I am also very grateful to you as the parents and families of the current Year 11’s; the support of the parental body is a great strength of the school and I feel fortunate to be part of this wonderful community. It is exciting to teach such aspirational students who are quietly confident and diligent. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year and to a happy, busy and productive new term.
50TH NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS
Congrats to our Form Award Winners this term Deena 11CE
Shahd 11CH
Marysa 11GR
Adham 11HY
Shamsa 11PE
Maariyah 11PH
A special congratulations must go to these Year 11 Musicians for achieving Grade 7 in their ABRSM exam - Zoya (flute), Maisie (oboe), Clodagh (flute) and Scarlett (flute) for achieving Grade 8. With school returning to some semblance of normality I am very keen to make sure that our Year 11 student voice is heard. Sreya Gupta 11CE will be having regular meetings with the form reps and me to make sure all their ideas are heard.
DUBAI 7’S
Delighted and proud that Famke (11PH), Scarlett (11CH), Marysa (11GR), Lamia (11PH), Tansie (11PH), Jack (11CH) and Freddie (11GR) represented the Charity Team Speranza 22 U19 Academy rugby team at the Dubai 7’s.
I hope that you all enjoy the festivities over the holidays with your families. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
MR ALISTAIR THOMPSON ASSISTANT HEAD What a difference a year makes and as the covid restrictions continue to lift, life in the Sixth Form is certainly on the path to normality and has continued to gather pace throughout Term 1, culminating in the return of our annual Silly Sports Day and Christmas dinner this week. The results from the Year 12 Suitability assessments in week 5 were encouraging and demonstrated that many students had quickly adjusted to the rigours of their A Level or BTEC subjects. It was also important that a small group of students were able to use this period to reflect and choose more suitable subject options.Such decisions are never easy.
After a second UGPE series and finalisation of their predicted grades, it all became real for the Year 13's too - the UK and US applications process has been extremely positive and many of our students currently have desirable university offers “on the table”, have options of home status (if eligible) or are currently preparing for interviews as a I write this article. The addition of a Mindset lesson this year has added a new dimension and, taught exclusively by the Sixth Form team, we have been extremely pleased with the commitment the students have demonstrated to this area, as well as the return of the Careers and Leadership lessons. Academically, there is no doubt that our Sixth Form students are under pressure from the beginning of Year 12. It is however important as a school that we stress the importance of 'play' and 'perspective'. The Common room, whilst providing the opportunity to complete a homework assignment or carry out group work, also has capacity to allow our students to relax. It is imperative that our students strike the correct balance. The weekly challenges continue to provide a fun, yet competitive end to the week and I do look forward to the day when we can get all of the Sixth Form together to have a challenge on the secondary pitch. Our students continue to be role models and a presence around the school campus and it has been superb to see our newly appointed Prefects out on duty, many students continue to lead the academic societies this term and also support the reintroduction of after-school sports in Years 7-11. The House Captains came to the fore during the preparation of the dance videos for National Day and the Senior Prefects did a fabulous job during Silly Sports day. This has certainly been an action-packed 16 weeks and with the holiday upon us, it is important that each student now finds time to 'down tools' and celebrate the festive season with their family and friends. If you are travelling, we wish you a safe journey and if you are staying in Abu Dhabi, we wish you a restful and relaxing time. To those that celebrate it - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 2
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Our current and prospective students had the opportunity to meet with and ask questions to panels of staff and students in each of our academic subjects, as well as the enrichment, sports, music and drama provision we offer. As always, the Sixth Form students involved were a huge credit to the school and themselves.
DATE
EVENT
Monday 17th January Wednesday 19th January
Year 12 & 13 Academic Progress Review
Wednesday 2nd February Thursday 10th February
Year 13 Mock Exams
Sunday 6th February
Start of Year 13 Study Leave
Thursday 10th February
Year 12 Team Building Day
Monday 7th March
Year 12 UCAS & US Applications Evening
Wednesday 23rd March
Year 13 Lifer’s Event
With over 140 families in attendance, our second virtual Sixth Form Open Evening on 3 November drew extremely positive feedback from those in attendance.
For more information about our Sixth Form experience, please visit:
https://www.britishschool.sch.ae/learning/sixth-form
22 students from Years 11 - 13 took part in the BSME Race4Good.
RACE 4GOOD
The aim of the race was to improve the quality of life of the people living in Yangsijung, a rural community in Nepal that had been very badly affected by the devastating earthquake in 2015. School teams from around the UAE took part. During round one the teams completed three mid race challenges focusing on health, education and inspiring others to make a difference. Implementation of our winning ideas took place almost immediately and the only nurse based in Yangsijung now has access to support and training from a midwife in Kathmandu to try to combat the issue of infant mortality and develop antenatal and postnatal provision within the village.
The final aspect of round one was to try to come up with a proposal costing no more than 150 pounds to “uplift” Kipa, an eighteen year old woman who was orphaned at age thirteen, to find a sustainable solution to improve her quality of life. The BSAK students' winning solution was to buy Kipa a goat and chickens to enable her to sell eggs and milk and increase her income, whilst also providing an immediate improvement to her quality of life by fixing damage to her house caused by the earthquake. During the final round, students were challenged to find a sustainable solution to uplift and find a sustainable solution to improve the quality of life for the community as a whole. This proved very challenging given the rural nature of the village and the extreme poverty within it. This time the BSAK students focused on short term, medium term and long term solutions. The initial solution was to buy tools for the construction workers in the village, making them more employable and increasing their productivity, to improve living standards for all in the village. In addition, herbs and spices were provided as these are in high demand and can be grown and sold in the area for a considerable profit. Finally, after much research of similar villages that had success in this area the BSAK team proposed buying coffee seeds with the long term plan of selling these for a very large profit in the future. The BSAK team were absolutely thrilled to be chosen as the winners and all their ideas have now been implemented.
UNIVERSITY AND CAREERS UPDATE Year 13 students had a very busy and exciting term finalising their applications and applying to university. They worked extremely hard completing many drafts of their personal statements and university admission essays, and this is evident with about 55% of students having received at least one offer and/or an interview. Offers continue to roll in, and the next step in the process is selecting their “firm” and “insurance” choices. Students will receive guidance in making this choice. Furthermore, some students have applied to universities in the US, Canada, Malaysia and the rest of Europe. These universities included MIT, Caltech, Princeton, Harvard,
Georgia Tech and the University of Toronto. In November, several of our students were invited to take part in online interviews. All the students have been offered the opportunity to go through practice questions to ensure that they are fully prepared for this part of the process. Some of these students are currently in the UK for their interviews. We wish them the best of luck, as we do with all of our students. Additionally, we held an online Home Status Evening to aid parents in navigating the many fee status questionnaires they have and will receive. University policies on fee status change on a yearly basis and we hope to help to the best of our ability and knowledge.
We were very happy to welcome university representatives back into school to talk to students in person. It was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 12 and Year 13 students to find out first-hand information about what the New York University, Abu Dhabi has to offer and get an insight into the full application process through the eyes of an admissions officer. Students also attended numerous Universities Fairs online with some of the top universities in the UK, Canada and Netherlands. This gave Year 12 and 13 students the fantastic opportunity to speak directly to members of admissions teams to help them with their decisions and applications. We also hosted a Common App and Essay writing workshop, thanks to New York University, Abu Dhabi, for students applying to the US. Next term, there will be even more visits to expose Year 12 students to the many different university opportunities available to them. Students have more choices than ever before, and these visits aid them greatly when making decisions. Year 12 students are currently conducting extensive research on universities, and we are excited to see which career pathways they have chosen.
PREFECTS 2021 Over 70 of our new Year 12 intake this year have volunteered their services to the school as prefects.
Whilst we expect all of our Sixth Form students to set an example, we rely on our prefect body throughout their time in Sixth Form to assist us with duties, to be a visible presence around the school, and eventually some of them will go on to become our Senior Prefects in Year 13. It was particularly pleasing to see a whole range of different students with different ideas and personalities applying to be prefects, and I am sure that over the next few months they will contribute a lot to the school.
REFLECTIONS BY OUR HEAD BOY & HEAD GIRL
Our Senior Prefects have had their first official engagements in the last few weeks, being involved both in our Open Evening and more recently in the process of appointing a new Head of Secondary school. Head Boy and Girl Aman and Izzy also recently led the Sixth Form assembly. All ten are collectively taking responsibility for our first Sixth Form social event with the eagerly anticipated return of ‘Silly Sports Day’ and we hope this marks the start of more hands-on activities and involvement for our senior prefects.
Aman Fazil (Head Boy)
Izzy Darling (Head Girl)
Considering the unfortunate circumstances of the last academic year, It’s safe to say it’s been a successful term one. Coming from living with a constant shift in and out of distance learning, to a more stable and consistent in-person school environment, has been a significant positive change for the whole BSAK community. This term has allowed us to renew rich relationships with the staff and students alike, reminding us how fortunate we are to be moving away from online zoom classes and just simply learning amongst each other. Alongside this, the reintroduction of in person extracurricular activities and Sixth Form led academic societies is a notable sign of our gradual yet persistent journey towards normality. Student led events, such as the EU vs UAE football matches, alongside competitions such as Race4Good (which we won!) and organising charity programs such as ‘Old Books for New Eyes’ raised excitement and pride flowing through BSAK’s community. In addition to taking part in Sixth Form’s Silly Sports Day and supporting the Rugby 7’s, our school spirit was undoubtedly revitalised! We have been astounded with the positive change initiated by both the Senior Prefect team and School Council who have been busy initiating positive change for BSAK as a whole, recognising the significance of each individual and their needs - ensuring everyone feels welcomed, safe and most importantly heard within the BSAK community. We are looking forward to the greatly deserved winter break and can’t wait to come back well rested and prepped for an even better experience throughout Term 2!
DUBAI 7’S 2021
As another reminder of restrictions lifting, many BSAK Sixth Form students represented the Speranza 22 18s Rugby Academy at the 2021 Dubai 7s. Having not played competitive rugby in over 18 months, both the Girls and Boys teams demonstrated huge commitment in their preparation for the tournament and made their coaches proud throughout the 2-day tournament. The girls lost in the cup final on the main pitch in front of a crowd of 20,000 to a strong Dubai Exiles side and the boys lost in the semi-final to Dubai College. Congratulations to all the players involved.
SIXTH FORM PASTORAL TEAM
50TH NATIONAL DAY POEM
THE SUNDIAL
Umbrellaed by the desert's dawn and dusk, Navigates she with humps of color dust. Intrepid pilgrim of bedouin land, Traversing slopes with her hooves in the sand. Endless Arabian nights she has seen, Denizen is she of dunes so pristine.
Through the parable of the sun Eternal Through the endless eyes of light, Through the sweeping confines of The bygone, A man walks cloaked in Time.
Arose from the ground the towered city, Radiant among monochrome, pretty. Amalgamation of tales she does tell, Baring stories of those with oil to sell. Effervescent emirates of culture, Making their way out from desert's multure. In the distance, she sees, the growth of it: Region where prosperity shall emit. Along it's outskirts her calves now reside, Traded as dowry for the nomads' bride. Enthused she remains at the shepherd's farm, Sardonic of metropolitan charm. Neophyte expats flood the great nation, Atlantis' striking reincarnation. Time was money as time had nurtured pearls, In the water for the fishermen's girls. Out of nothing had the country made wealth, Nascent economy that grew with stealth. Allegiance is pledged to the realm's monarch, Legislation he passes with remark. Daybreak casts shadows of towers on her, As she thinks of other camels there were, Yearning to feel winds of change in their fur.
By A na Zaff r, Year 13
‘Walk with me,’ says the man, ‘For long I have forgotten the Sweet lark of company.’ ‘Walk with me,’ says the man, ‘See affiance of opal cast to dials, Enveloping.’ His tongue and face was landless, But his eyes I knew so well. The Tones, were torrid, desperate and Yet fostered Divine. In one hand he held a compass, Though the needle long fell off, And in its rust and gold I saw, A rapture of beating clocks. ‘The sands cannot be shapened,’ He spoke, ‘They act upon their own whim, But what life bides their folds and Waves, such like Juno in her fond shell, Ascends vast, in empyrean. And as the torch of Time Moves forwards, And as The suns that pass look upwards, The blood of Ancient, the blood of Lore Berths the ships of mind to dock.’
By ara Year 9
ik ,
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