Dubai College SHAMAL 2019 by dubaicollege

SHAMAL

HIGH SCORE 2019

PAC-MAN RETRO EDITION

DUBAI COLLEGE

A tradition of quality in education

Shamal 2019

Producing the annual Shamal is an incredible feat and one that requires a huge group effort to produce such a high quality yearbook that we can all treasure. Sincere thanks go to Gareth Case, Editor-in-Chief,

whose tireless dedication to the Shamal cause ensures that the book retains its superb quality year on year. Thank you also to his team of proofreading underlings Sarah Lambert, Mark Donovan and Annie

Kirkaldy, and to Debra Turpie and the staff and students who provide the content. Mr M Lambert Headmaster, Dubai College

SHAMAL FOREWORD

SHAMAL 2019 FOREWORD Like the eponymous wind after which our annual magazine is named, Shamal arrives early in the summer months as a tour-de-force to be respected (and in our case, read). This year is no different. In fact, it feels like there are even more superlatives than usual to celebrate in the 2019 edition so we have distilled our top ten moments into this foreword as a representative, if necessarily limited, record of the DC year. Our academic success continues to set new records annually. Not only were our GCSE results back in August 2018 the highest set of results in the school’s history (1), but our departing Year 13s continue to target an impressive range of universities and colleges throughout the world. In fact, so far a staggering 59% of our leavers have accepted an offer at one of the top 1% of universities in the QS World Rankings this year – a greater proportion than ever (2). It is therefore unsurprising that, despite the economic turbulence and regional instability which have affected Dubai over recent years, we had one of the highest ever years for Year 7 applications. Building on the accomplishments of current and former students, the school continues to attract those families keen to access the high performing and holistic educational offering here at DC (3). As such it could not be more timely that we have secured the building permit for the muchvaunted and long overdue sports and performing arts centre. Which will definitely break ground this July. Inshallah (4). Sports and the arts typically feature in this year’s top ten. To choose one moment from each is of course unfair but given the character limit to this introduction we are certain that most people will agree that the historic Dubai College A vs Dubai College B final at the Dubai Rugby 7s back in December is a sporting moment which superbly represents

DC’s continued dominance of the UAE sporting landscape (5). This, of course, fails to acknowledge that the U19 Girls also maintained their status as the leading girls’ team in the Gulf region at the same tournament. The fact that Aryaman Chawla also scooped the coveted title of Young Musician of the Gulf in Bahrain, alongside a further five prize winning musicians from DC, is testament to the equally strong arts programme here at the school (6) so whatever your interest there is a top quality opportunity. After a full 24 months in the making we are also immensely proud of the Dubai College Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales, which now has a branch in International Humanitarian City. As a consequence, we are now in a position to raise funds and build a primary school with a projected student roll of 750 in a remote region of Nepal, well below the poverty line. To take our influence and advantage and share it with others who can make good use of it continues to be one of the core values we aim to instill in all DC students. Dubai College Jaisithok, we hope, will be the living embodiment of that for generations to come (7). For the past four years we have also been on a tireless journey to situate Dubai College at the centre of learning and teaching innovation in the region. Our double conference, featuring a COBIS Innovation in Education conference on a Friday, followed immediately by the Middle East’s first researchED (an evidenceinformed conference of frontline practitioners sharing what works) certainly achieved just that. All Dubai College teachers have been working hard to contribute to this vision and we are certain that this is increasingly visible in the classrooms of the College (8). A bittersweet celebration comes in the form of Conceicao Sousa, our Head Caretaker, whose departure after 36 years makes him the longestserving member of support staff in the history of the school. After a life in service almost as long as the life of the school itself we will miss Conceicao very much but remain

eternally grateful for his tireless hard work and cheeky chuckle over almost four decades of school life (9). To choose one of many extracurricular competitions our students have won is also a great challenge. Was it our victory for the second year running in the height of geekchic, the Dubai Maths Super League, or was it finally bringing home the crown of best debate team in the world at the COBIS World Debate Competition? It is a call too tough to take, so we leave you to make up your minds (10). What we will say is that we are immensely grateful to have been associated with all the staff, students and parents of Dubai College for yet another year and we hope that each and every parent, student and staff member has his or her own top ten moments to cherish. In fact, we invite you all to cultivate a little of that ‘gratitude attitude’ which we know is so good for our health and take time to write down those top ten things for which you are grateful this year. FUN FACT Did you know that “Research suggests that gratitude may be associated with many benefits for individuals, including better physical and psychological health, increased happiness and life satisfaction, decreased materialism, and more.” The Science of Gratitude Top Ten Things For Which I Am Grateful At Dubai College This Year

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Mr Michael Lambert, Headmaster, Dubai College Mr E Quinlan, Chairman of the Board of Governors SHAMAL 2019

SHAMAL 2019

Front Row: Mrs L Hodge, Ms J LeeFoster, Miss E John, Mr A Jones, Miss P Tragett, Mr B Trivic, Mrs D Saran, Mr C Agent, Mr M Lambert, Miss D Jones, Ms K Hill, Mr M Woolley, Mr R McGrory, Mr S Zaghlowl, Mr A Crawford, Mr R Dennis, Mrs C Penney

2nd Row: Mrs J Bailey, Mrs V Kaur, Mr N Bernaz, Miss T Sopaul, Mrs L Ruddell, Mrs O Kuznetsova, Mrs B Phillips, Miss K Winters, Mrs D Blessing, Mrs S Abdulhadi, Mrs S Hall, Miss M Cooper, Mrs S Turner, Miss S Mennaai, Miss J Jalal, Mrs C Riordan, Mrs V Holmes, Mrs F Husain

3rd Row: Ms T Johns, Mrs S Henderson-Corless, Mrs K Greenlees, Mrs R Maguire, Mr J Kimber, Mrs S Chandler, Mrs K Thompson, Ms T Drake, Ms R Dibble, Mr G Case, Mrs S Lambert, Ms M Doherty, Ms H Bastable, Ms C McMenamin, Mr S Teasel, Mr S Bowler, Ms A York, Mrs N Bland, Miss R Shah

4th Row: Mr C Monks, Mr C Simpson, Mr S Briggs, Miss R O’Dwyer, Mr A Sampaio, Mr J Almond, Miss Sara Donovan, Mr M Hadi, Mr L O’Boyle, Mr S Gale, Mr M Wood, Miss E Caunt, Mr M Ahmed, Mr S Forsyth, Mr G Hardman, Mr S Pernasilici, Mr M Yacoub, Mr M Abs

Back Row: Mr M Rushworth, Mr A Davidson, Mr I Jones, Mr J Cottam, Mr P Sparks, Mr B Christopher, Mr J Tate, Mr M Lavery, Mr N Thomas, Mr R Ashby, Dr B Stormont, Mr G Roberts, Dr A Mousa, Mr C House, Mr P Flower, Mr J McIlveen, Mr C Plouvier, Mr R Verma

TEACHING STAFF 2019

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHS

Front Row: Mrs V Machado, Mrs L MacKinnon, Mrs J Williams, Mrs V Banks, Mrs T Helsby, Mr G Bhat, Mrs J Jago, Ms S Yip, Mrs A Kirkaldy, Mr M Lambert, Mr K Dempsey, Mrs L Benade, Mrs K Gill, Mr S Lee, Mrs G Clarke, Mr P Vallillath, Mrs C Woodworth, Mrs J Campbell, Mrs S Koilakandadai, Miss J Tilos

2nd Row: Mrs I Arafat, Ms B Shamsuddin, Mrs S Gorman, Mrs N Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly, Mr A Castro, Mrs K Lane, Mrs N Porter, Mr O Rodrigues, Mr A Mhanna, Mr M Samways, Mr U Aashik, Mr A Kareem, Mrs J Bowler, Mrs A James, Mr T Quilang, Mrs S Savant, Mrs S Dempsey, Mrs R Norbe, Mrs N DeAlwis, Mrs T Reddy

3rd Row: Miss N Soriano, Miss L Simon, Miss R Jinon, Miss E Soringa, Miss R Aquino, Miss L Quinonez, Miss S Rodriguez, Mrs J Baquero, Mr M Colaco, Mr H Mir, Mr G Ravi, Mr P Yesudhas, Mr C Sousa, Mr V Rodrigues, Mr S Chakma, Mr J Moolya, Mr S Muhammed, Miss J Junio, Mrs L Mayo, Miss M Buliag, Miss B Abrazaldo, Miss V Gonzales, Mrs D Fabito

Back Row: Mr S Sunasara, Mr M Bathrudeen, Mr P Mohammed, Mr A Purayil, Mr S Kkaran, Mr M Hussain, Mr P Singh, Mr S Panchal, Mr S Karri, Mr M Gomes, Mr N Yelamala, Mr M Lukman, Mr R Kumar, Mr A Tari, Mr S Lal, Mr J George, Mr H Singh, Mr P Padala, Mr M Fernandes, Mr N Sharma, Mr A Arabath, Mr A Gomes

ANCILLARY STAFF 2019

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHS

SHAMAL 2019

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

TESTIMONIALS FOR CONCEICAO SOUSA, HEAD CARETAKER AT DUBAI COLLEGE Mr D - aka Conceicao – a man of few words with the ability to execute any request on campus with military precision. An example – when requested to move 3 units of 5m library shelving as a whole unit it was accomplished without a hitch! An absolutely dedicated Dubai College staff member. Gaelene Clarke, Librarian Rarely do you encounter someone who acts immediately to resolve others’ problems; Conceicao is definitely one of those rare people. Whether it is fixing faulty air conditioning, rearranging classroom furniture at a moment’s notice, or providing logistical support for a school event, he always ensures that he does everything in his power to ensure the smooth running of the school. Constantly busy and not naturally talkative, he nonetheless always finds the time to ask after teachers’ families. Conceicao is clearly the unsung hero of Dubai College. Mark Donovan, Head of English Conceicao is the lynch pin of Dubai College and the man on whom we all depend. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the way Dubai College functions is second to none. Nothing is too much trouble for him and he is able to anticipate all our needs. He has a phenomenal memory and once an event has taken place that he has set up, the next time you just need to mention the event and he will reel off to you what needs to be done as if he has read your mind. Events like Music Charity Love, World Food Day, musical performances and setting up exams, would simply not happen so smoothly without him and his team. When you need help with furniture, signage for examinations, power cuts, packing up stockrooms, Conceicao waves his magic wand and no sooner said than done everything 8

SHAMAL 2019

is sorted. He does everything uncomplainingly and with great humour. He keeps the car park flowing morning and evening and is liked and respected by parents and students alike. It is to his great credit that returning academic staff always want to catch up with him as well as their teaching colleagues. Conceicao is Dubai College and without him the school would be a very different place! Liz John, Head of Modern Foreign Languages On my first day at Dubai College I was told that Conceicao was the only person I would ever need to call on for help at school. How true that statement has turned out to be! On that first day in the office I added his mobile number to my phone and eight years later, I still call on him at least once a day to help me out in some way. Conceicao is a man of few words, preferring to get on and do rather than moan about our lack of planning or the current predicament we find ourselves in. You phone him, explain your problem, and then he hangs up. Conceicao never says goodbye but he’s not being rude. He

is simply too focused to continue the chat, already sorting things out, despatching one of his team to the critical area to provide assistance. Conceicao is a leader of other caretakers, our ‘boys in blue’, but so much more. He gains the respect of his team by standing alongside them and working harder than anyone. If Conceicao can’t find anyone to move those tables or wash those cups, he will do it himself. That is the true honour of Conceicao. He is utterly dependable, will never let you down, won’t stop until the jobs are done. When Dubai College celebrated its 40th anniversary there was one member of staff who has been on the payroll since almost the very beginning. Of course it’s Conceicao the man who knows where everything is because it has all built up around him. The man who will sometimes take a biscuit as a thank you but never a chocolate. The man we can’t imagine Dubai College without. A few years ago someone arrived at the school reception demanding to see the ‘man in charge’. Our longstanding Bursar Captain Higgins duly appeared saying “It’s not me you need to see, it’s Conceicao!”. Annie Kirkaldy, Headmaster’s Assistant I have worked at Dubai College for 17 years and cannot recall one occasion where he failed to answer his phone when I needed some assistance in a time of need. He really does work 24/7 without a word of complaint. He seems to have this ability to keep you guessing, I am convinced it’s his mischievous streak at heart. Scowling and smiling simultaneously in a bid to keep you guessing. A true DC legend. His phone manner, absolutely priceless. Was that a yes? Was it a no? It’s always a yes, but you’re never sure, hahaha! Jeremy McIlveen, Teacher of Geography

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

EMMA CAUNT What a wonderful opportunity it has been to have had the opportunity to work with the most fantastic colleagues and students at Dubai College. In some ways the past three years have gone in a flash, yet I can barely remember what life was like before I stepped into A Block. I feel extremely fortunate and grateful to have been a part of spreading the love and enthusiasm for History and Politics both in and beyond the classroom walls. From bumping into the Speaker of the House of Commons in London, visiting George Washington and Mr Trump’s house in Washington D.C., never mind singing in a gospel church in Harlem, the adventures and tales will stay with me a lifetime. Big thanks to Mr Christopher for letting me accompany him through the airport with his life-sized Trump and a telescope! In addition to endless debates about Brexit, re-enacting trench warfare and fostering the Head Girl Emma’s obsession with Trotsky, it has been a joy to bring my love of yoga to Dubai College. To the girls and the one boy that have learnt and practised with me at lunchtimes and after school, the Year 11s and all of the Sixth Form, I hope that you have been able to take

CATRIONA WOODWORTH What a wonderful 4+ years at Dubai College as Bus Coordinator and Lower School Administrator. It has been a privilege to be a small part of such a prestigious school not to mention the awesome staff and students, some of whom I have known since their first day in primary school and to see them now graduate into the school of life - what a privilege. It has been an amazing journey working with the bus drivers and supervisors who all play an amazing role in keeping the buses operating; at times to difficult schedules. Thank you all for all the memories. I will hold them close to my heart forever.

from it what you need, be that a good stretch or a little piece of calm on the sometimes mad DC days. To my DC Yogis crew, Thursday mornings won’t be the same without seeing you all bright and early to stretch under the palm trees. Don’t stop practising and if anyone needs any help with crow pose Mrs Phillips is a pro! The most fantastic thing about Dubai College is the people, it really does feel like being part of a family. I have truly felt part of the most welcoming c o m m u n i t y and working alongside fabulous teachers and the most interesting individuals has been truly inspiring. What I have learnt from you all cannot be summed up in a few words. To the boys in blue – especially Daz with his endless smile and beautiful singing – the school could not function without you. Finally, to the students. What an awe -inspiring bunch you are. It has truly been a pleasure to get to know you and teach you. I am excited to follow your journeys and find out what

VANITA KAUR Sometimes the right decisions are difficult to make. Choosing to leave Dubai College to move back home and support my family after just a year was certainly that. But if I can leave you with one more lesson, it would be to go with your ‘gut instinct’ - listen to that small voice inside you and you’ll figure the rest of it out, at least that’s always worked for me!

you all blossom into. To the former 7ECA, whilst Mr Woods adopted you some time ago, I will always be especially fond of you all and grateful for learning how to navigate life here alongside you. My next adventure isn’t taking me too far, just up the road in fact to lead the Humanities Department at Safa

Community School. So you never know when I might pop in to check upon those Downward Facing Dogs! Namaste.

the smallest of gestures never went unnoticed. Wishing you all a wonderful summer and many happy years at DC.

I feel very grateful to have worked with such talented students and staff and will always look back on my time at DC fondly. Thank you to all of those who have shown me kindness, SHAMAL 2019

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

PATRICK FLOWER How is it possible to summarise 30 years as a teacher at Dubai College? There are memories for sure and many of these have been gained within the distinctive dark red walls of the school campus. The camaraderie within the staff was certainly evident on arrival back in 1989, with training for the staff 7-a-side rugby team as they practised and prepared for the Dubai 7s that year (and reached the Bowl final!). The staff cricket team regularly participated in the Darjeeling 6s, were founder members of the Dubai Indoor League, who toured Doha (and Karachi!) and annually took on our own boys in blue. The staff soccer team, who were seldom beaten by students and other school staff teams alike in those early years, played in mid-week 5-a-side leagues at the airport hotel, the Country Club (and in Al Quoz when it relocated there); yet more evidence that the staff genuinely pulled together. And for those who witnessed it, there can be no forgetting the teachers’ ‘Fashion Show’! While the primary reason for being in Dubai College was to teach mathematics (and also, for four years, a bit of PE), the school has afforded me the opportunity to be a part of a wide variety of extra-curricular activities; I could even be found singing in the school choir along with many other members of staff in concerts in school and also in the splendid grounds of the British Embassy in Dubai, occasionally performing solo, or stage managing a large number of major school productions like Grease, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd and Les Miserables to name but a few. Leading Chichester House has taken up a significant portion of my time in the past 20 years or so. It has been extremely enjoyable to have been engaged in this aspect of school life and it has afforded me the opportunity to interact with a greater proportion of the student body than might otherwise have been the case.

SHAMAL 2019

Sports coaching has likewise played a major role in my time here, coaching the U12A and B, U13A and B and U14 boys’ football teams (simultaneously) and gaining my UEFA coaching badges levels 1 and 2. I have also coached girls’ basketball (U12, U13, U14, U15, U16 and Senior), having started this activity from scratch with the senior team back in 1997; no girls’ basketball activity had existed until then. Sport in turn has given me opportunities to travel with the school, accompanying netball and rugby teams to Malaysia and Singapore and organising and leading girls’ basketball tours to Qatar, Bahrain and Singapore. This is in addition to many school ski trips to Switzerland and Austria. The ‘circle of life’ has been a theme throughout my teaching career. Back in my school days, O levels were graded 1 to 9 (1 was the highest) and A Levels were examined at the conclusion of a two year course. Even on my arrival here in 1989 this was still true for A Level courses, until the modular system was implemented in 1993. The return to numbered grades at GCSE (albeit 9 to 1, with 9 the highest) and with A Levels once again reverting to two year courses was almost certainly inevitable. With the support of the students in DC, who helped to raise the necessary sponsorship, (tutor group 9PF at the time will doubtless remember the walk to school from Spinneys Umm Suqeim!) I was also able to participate in two amazing charitable treks; to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and a hike along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. These adventures

certainly tested my resolve but were both hugely rewarding in so many ways and are highlights from my time in Dubai. Dubai is where my children were born (in Al Wasl Hospital), raised, educated (at Small World Nursery, JESS Jumeirah and Dubai College) and where they have both ultimately moved away from. They are now successfully taking their first steps into adult life, thanks to the many advantages afforded them through living in the Gulf. Their memories are of weekends spent parked on the beach (where the hotels in front of the Marina now exist), hunting for driftwood in the extensive dunes for the evening’s campfire, and of enjoying barbecues until long after the sun has gone down. They also fondly remember the Dubai Country Club, an expat haven for families that sadly no longer exists, the Fridays spent exploring the desert and the extensive wadis in the mountains along the Oman border, swimming in the wadi pools, camping and sandboarding on the dunes - and of course the many friends they made along the way. Much has changed in our lives however I still play golf, even on the only sand course that remains! I have fond memories of performing with the Dubai Singers (The Mikado among others) and of acting and singing as a member of the Jones/Penson dinner theatre troupe, also at the Country Club. Most of all, to have stayed in the Gulf for as long as we have is because of the people who play such a significant

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE role in our lives. The hundreds (thousands?) of students who have passed through the school over the years, in particular those who found themselves in tutor group PF, or who were at any stage taught mathematics by me and put up with my (dad) humour, or who allowed themselves to have their arms twisted to represent Chichester in a least favoured activity, or the boys who passed through the junior football ranks, or the girls

who have discovered basketball as a complement to their netball; all of you will be fondly remembered. Colleagues, especially those in ‘codgers’ corner, have likewise played a significant role in my time in Dubai, both at work and also outside school. These friendships will last long after we finally bid farewell to life in the Gulf.

ALAN DAVIDSON

in life. If you had asked me back then would I still be here next time Ramadan started in the third term, I am confident that I would have answered in the negative. If you had asked me would I still be driving to school in the mornings in the same car, I am equally sure that I would not have predicted that one either. I can however report that my red GMC Trailblazer still fulfils that task quite admirably. In fact, it passed its test (yet again) only last month. Not too bad for a car that is now in its 31st year! It still faithfully conveys me over to the Emirates Golf Club every now and again, especially during the Dubai Desert Classic. I have worked on the scoring team now for the past 29 years, most of the time as the Chief Scorer. It has been a wonderful experience to put together the 200 or so students and staff team that annually monitor the golf and arrange to get the up-tothe-minute scores onto the numerous leader boards around the course, as well as the global television screens

Some things don’t change Thirty years ago, we had no science block at DC (the laboratories used to be in B Block!). For that matter we also didn’t have a library or sixth form block. When you looked over the school perimeter wall you saw sand dunes in all directions and not a building in sight. Students ran the annual cross-country race in December by disappearing into the dunes, then reappearing about half an hour later. The Sheikh Zayed highway and the marina had not yet been built. Only a crumbling dual carriageway existed. Making a left turn was easy, you just bumped your 4-wheel drive across 100 metres or so of sand, then crossed the other carriageway. A lot has changed since then but thankfully there are some constants

to include here but now is the time for challenges new. I bid everyone a heartfelt “adieu”. Dubai College has been and will continue to be an amazing place to spend each day; as long as everyone continues to ‘Work hard, play hard, be neat, be civil and be cooperative’. Remember, the answer is 42 and as the Greek goddess Nike once said, “JUST DO IT”!

There are far too many reminiscences and the internet. I know that it has meant a lot to literally thousands of DC students over the years to get up close to some of the greatest golfers in the world such as Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Tom Watson, Rory McIlroy et al (not to mention this year’s champion Bryson De Chambeau). I know because many of them return to DC and tell me about the stars from the year(s) they “did the Desert Classic”. So if you see a chap driving a red Trailblazer next year who is heading for a golf course, give me a toot or a wave, while I head off to work on my handicap.

SHAMAL 2019

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

PAUL SPARKS My time at Dubai College has reached an end and now the time comes to turn the page to the next chapter. Reflecting on the six years I have spent in Dubai I think of the many talented students and staff that I have had the pleasure to work with and the rich and varied opportunities I have enjoyed in that time, coupled with that the friendship and support I have received from the staff, including the invaluable colleagues beyond those who teach. I consider myself truly fortunate; past experiences have enabled me to compare and contrast with what DC offers both students and teachers alike. It is often said what a unique and special place Dubai College is. I take that to mean it is an ‘oasis’ of

British curriculum education within the fast changing and evolving world of Dubai, the tradition and focus on allowing able, interested, articulate and enthusiastic young learners the opportunity to develop and blossom are what make it so. Many of those who pass through take what the experience offers for granted, those who look beyond appreciate the advantage that this will have inevitably given them after they have left school. Dubai College should be taken as more than merely a ‘passport’ to Oxbridge, Ivy League or the ‘top’ universities. Other experiences are just as valid and shape an individual along the way. The sporting, creative and philanthropic opportunities complement the academic. The world requires those who are more rounded, and perhaps more ‘worldly’. I, for one, see my experience here in Dubai as having broadened my view of things, meeting new people,

MATTHEW LAVERY Six years ago I arrived at Dubai College knowing that I had succeeded in joining one of the most highly regarded schools in the Middle East. I remember stating in my interview with the Headmaster Peter Hill that, “if you want someone with vast swathes of knowledge of the past then you’ve got the wrong guy.” Thankfully, he noted my other ‘talents’ and my willingness to learn and indeed I have learnt a LOT over these six years! I will miss the teaching staff, the students and the men and women in blue who have made Dubai somewhere worth living for the past six years. I will keep hold of the positive memories of these years as best I can, but I am of course also excited about my future in Canada in the years to come. 12

SHAMAL 2019

engaging in conversation with, and listening to, the richness of experiences of others has broadened my education and understanding of the world. Amongst the highlights and memories that I will carry forward will be the World Challenge trip to Borneo, involvement in the Desert Classic golf, the cricket tour to Sri Lanka, and twice travelling with the DC charity trip for the truly humbling experience of visiting Harmony House in India. Add to that the other many events, visits and day to day interactions and I leave positively enriched by what I have done in my time at DC. To all who have made my time in Dubai such a pleasurable one I say: thank you and hope to catch up somewhere further down the line.

GOODBYE MA’A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

PREMNATH VALLILLATH ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream’ C.S. Lewis

Working with Dubai College has contributed greatly to my personal and professional development. After eight happy and productive years, I leave with many memories that I am going to cherish for the rest of my life. Moreover, 38 years of living out here in the Middle East has given me a wide range of experiences in different fields of work. I still remember the day when I first interviewed with Capt. Higgins and Edward Quinlan in October 2011. It was a real challenge to achieve the goal that was set for me to take up. The support and encouragement that I received from both of them on that day played an integral role in preparing me to face and overcome the many challenges I have faced over the years.

As I retire from this position at the end of the school year, I want to thank all of you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to work, learn, and grow with this organisation.

SOPHIE HENDERSON CORLESS My departure from Dubai College began two years ago! I realised I wanted to change the direction of my life at the brink of Yellowstone’s Upper Canyon Falls, with a torrent of water racing past me in the bright summer sunshine. In that moment I also knew that this wasn’t just about leaving DC; I needed to end my seventeen-year career as a teacher. This was a big decision. Since that moment it has been a rocky road of ups and downs, making it fantastic to know that I have at last reached the exit. I will, however, never forget my time at Dubai College. I came to DC as a drama teacher, but

I take this opportunity to thank Mr Lambert and I am confident the future of Dubai College is safe and secure under his guidance and leadership. Special thanks goes to Kieran for his courteous and understanding nature. I highly appreciate his timely I am leaving having discovered a love and appreciation for the art form of theatre beyond anything I had experienced before. For that I have to thank the DC students past and present who have given their hearts and souls to realise our creative endeavours. Thank you for the endless hours of rehearsals just to get that one slow motion choral gesture in perfect unison. Thank you for willingly going on the ride with me as I embraced directing with an artistic concept. Thank you for pushing yourselves so far that I had to grow and develop my skills to keep up with you and all that you are capable of. And, thank you for making me smile even in the darkest moments. You have been an inspiration and I will forever treasure the memories you have given me.

support at times of difficulty. I want also to express my sincere gratitude to the accounts department for all the support they have offered over the years. I am happy and proud to say that we might have started this journey as colleagues, but we end it as friends. Sally, Jennifer, Veena, Biji and Leyya have made working here an enjoyable and rewarding experience. To the men in blue who were always so helpful, especially Minguel, Conceicao and Anthony; you all work so hard to ensure that Dubai College runs smoothly. I appreciate you for all your efforts and will surely miss seeing all of you around. The time has come for me to spend the rest of my life with my beloved ones and friends. Pursuing my passion for music and taking on an active role in philanthropic activities are all part of my retirement plan. As I look forward to a new life after my retirement, I will certainly miss the enjoyable time I have spent working with you all.

creative venture and written my first novel. I am now planning my second. This one is a story about a fearless group of young dramatists who are going to save the world!

Now it’s onwards to new challenges and to a leap into the unknown. Alongside completing my final year of teaching I have discovered a new SHAMAL 2019

GOODBYE MAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;A AS-SALAAMA AUF WIEDERSEHEN AU REVOIR ADIOS VALETE

MERYL COOPER In 2007 I started teaching Physical Education in Edinburgh. Twelve years later I am taking a sabbatical year to pursue my dream of being an elite level athlete. At school I played every sport that was available to me and also did some extra football, basketball, dance and athletics outside of school. During university and my first few years of teaching I added squash and mountain biking to this list. As long as I was enjoying the sport, I kept doing it and built a strong base of physical literacy skills along the way. Running became something I did once a week to help improve my fitness for playing football in 2014; I was playing football four times a week back then. I entered my first ever half marathon in December 2015 here in Dubai and also gave trail running a go for the first time that year. I found I loved the trail running and started to do this more than road running, spending more and more weekends out in the mountains of the UAE. In May 2018 I decided to stop playing football and just focus on trail running. I entered my first ever Ultra Trail Marathon that July, with the goal to see if I could be competitive at an international level, having had some success here in Dubai already. It was an extremely technical, alpine ultra trail race in the Grossglockner region of Austria; 75km with 4000m of elevation gain. I did everything I could in my training (including a 5 hour run in the Al Qudra desert at the start of July in 40 degrees) to be fully prepared in order to see if I could compete with the best. The race was incredible! There were lots of highs and lows but I loved the whole day. I went in and out of the top three female spots for the 11 hours that I raced. I went into the lead with only 2km to go, winning the first ever international Ultra Trail race I had entered. This success sparked a conversation with Mr Lambert when we returned to school for the new academic year 14

SHAMAL 2019

in August about taking a possible sabbatical year to train full time. I wanted to be 100% sure though before doing this that it was what I wanted to do. I decided to test my skills one more time at Ultra Trail Cape Town over the National Day weekend, before letting Mr Lambert know my decision. I placed 3rd in the 65km and again I loved the whole day. I knew I needed to take this sport further. Next year I plan to focus on my training full time as trying to run 100-150km a week is very challenging on top of a full-time job. I will travel to different parts of the world to support my training and to race internationally. I have saved up money to be able to do this, but

hopefully I can also get the attention of some sponsors this summer when I represent Great Britain at the Trail Running World Championships and run my first ever 100km at UTMB Mont Blanc. I am extremely excited about the year ahead and very grateful to Mr Lambert and Dubai College for being so supportive of my ambitions. I will miss the Dubai College community so much and I really believe the highly inspiring environment I have been in for the last four years at DC has played a huge part in my progress in this sport. For this I thank you all and look forwarding to seeing you when I return in 2020!

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR A SAMPAIO Back Row: Archie Walters, Alexander Mantzavinatos, Dhruv Parekh, Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Nivriti Dwivedi Middle Row: Ethan George, Fayha Jalali, Ryan Brimson, Eisha Aqil, Emma Thomas, Farbod Afrassiabi, Stef van Eck, Tadhg Hogan Front Row: Giulia Zaccaria, Harriet Carmichael, Primrose Penney, Kayra Tosun, Sophia Kahlon, Aarav Jha, Anaya Sharma

7 ASA

Absent: Mr A Sampaio, Karan Maliekkal

DR B STORMONT Back Row: Malak Ibrahim, Philip Manipadam, Alexander Joshi, Amaan Zaidi, Maria Michailidou, Johan Park Middle Row: Dr B Stormont, India Burton, Oliver Locke, Saanvi Rastogi, Madeleine Crabtree, Ella Garvey, Finlay Lockhart, Emaan Siddiqui Front Row: Dominic Mayne, Pierce Ashton, Kabir Dhawan, Kaila Jafar, Anne-Marie Banas, Juan Martin Freile, Parth Goel

7 BST

Absent: Edward Winter

MRS F HUSAIN Back Row: Jack Drew, Ella Bradley, Maximilian Wessels, Aastha Harlalka, Rushabh Jain, Lily Britton Middle Row: Mrs F Husain, Alexandra Cordahi, Arjun Anand, Yanxi Qian, Sabeen Shariff, Dashiell Daalder, Eleftheria Sermpeti, Archisha Sharma

7 FHU

Front Row: Syed Iqbal, Veer Chowdry, Holly Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea, Ilijana Georgiev, Mishel Kudel, Finlay Wilkes, Fawaz Sharaf

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR N THOMAS Back Row: Yifan Wang, Ameera Khanna, William Hosking, Inaz Humphrey, Samuel Hepworth, Chloe Bowtell Middle Row: Mr N Thomas, Taran Kumar, Maha Nawaz, Jai Garg, Ameen Zaidi, Finn Timmermans, Yasmina Salah, Freya Hewer Front Row: Seyaan Bountra, Raheem Ebrahim, Christian Ruiz, Iskander Tadjiev, Charlotte Holt, Eshal Tanwir, Nell Tierney

7 NTH

MR R VERMA Back Row: Sophie Bennett, Zara Keenan, Ksenia Morozova, Wiktoria Blazik, Daniel Plumtree, Adam Whitaker MiddleRow: Mr R Verma, Anaya Kapur, Aadam Alikhan, Isabel Strauss, Angelique Meli, Nivriti Srivastava, Gabriel Moulson, Aryan Ravi Front Row: Archa Cheriyan, Prithvi Gupta, Khalid Osman, Henry-Alexander West, Connor McGuigan, Katherine Schupbach, Aryan Shah

7 RVE

MR S BOWLER Back Row: Ruby Meffen, Sahasraditya Joshi, Carlos Halawi, Gabrielle Wiltshire, Aryan Koul Middle Row: Ayan Shariff, Badr Alami, Jemima Hart, Tara Sigalos, Mia Hsu, Thomas Derry, Christopher Woolley, Yusuf Ahmed Front Row: Anoushey Saquib, Zara Sheikh, Megan Wong Fatt, Ross Powell, Daniel Lindley, Tegan McCarthy, Karma Bridgman

7 SBO 16

Absent: Mr S Bowler

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR S TEASEL Back Row: Aditya Ganesh, Sara Obeid, Shady Abdallah, Masha Buckley, Antara Kashyap, Rylan Firth Middle Row: Mr S Teasel, Katie Weber, Ghassan Rifai, Alexander Roberts, Aleeza Ahmed, Sean Mastin, Alexandra Hide, Yeonsoo Park, Front Row: Aalya Sengupta, Kantaro Ishida, Satvik Singh Kathuria, Saivansh Chopra, Reilly Maloney-Pinto, Cai Gregory, Hana Latif

7 STE

Absent: Charlotte Spafford

MRS V KAUR Back Row: Isobel Charlier, Aleksandar Macura, Olivia Conlon, Aaliyah Haque, Kaila Kondas Niza Middle Row: Mrs V Kaur, Hibah Rafiq, Daniel Buerk, Madeleine Burnside, Tavishi Pandey, Ahana Muralidhar, Alessandro Federico, Abhir Kewalramani Front Row: Samara James, Byunghoon Kim, Hana Ahamed, Ayaan Farazi, Ayaan Ehsan, Anna Zaman, Sharan Hinduja

7 VKA

Absent: Paidi Robinson, Oliver Staples

Y7 INDUCTION DAY

“And what school do the smartest kids in Dubai go to?” “DUBAI COLLEGE!” was of course the unanimous answer!

We were delighted to welcome our new cohort of Year 7 students to Dubai College for their first full day as members of our school community. School shirts were crisp, new shoes were shined and smiles were bright as Year 7 students carrying school bags bigger than themselves entered the Dubai College auditorium for their first headmaster’s address. Mr Lambert received polite laughs with his ‘dad jokes’ such as “What kind of school do you go to if you’re an Ice Cream Man?... Sundae School!” However, he received a rapturous applause and a huge chorus from students and parents when he asked,

The new Year 7 students spent their first day at Dubai College spending time with their new form tutor and the students that they will share a tutor group with for the next five years. By lunchtime it was already as if they had known each other far longer than a few hours. Head of Lower School Mr Woolley and Head of Year 7 Mrs Greenlees guided the students through an action-packed day of tours, activities and games as well as introductions to teachers. The final order of the day was simple…Fun! All 160 students donned their brand new DC PE kit

and headed to the sports hall for the now infamous ‘Straw Tower Challenge’ and team games in tutor groups. 7SBO were victorious in building the tallest tower made entirely of straws, while 7RVE took the cup home with the overall highest point score from all games. This was Mr Verma’s second time winning the Form Cup so the heat is on for next year! At the end of the day 160 fully fledged DC students were collected by parents carrying heavier school bags, bigger smiles and many more friends than they had started with. What a day! What a year group! What an adventure we are all about to have! Mrs K Greenlees, Head of Year 7 SHAMAL 2019

INDUCTION DAY 2018

YEAR 7 INDUCTION DAY

SHAMAL 2019

INDUCTION DAY 2018

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

YEAR 7 BBQ The Year 7 BBQ this year was as fun (and chaotic) as ever. The sixth form students set up the obligatory games for the inter-tutor group competition and it was great to see so many students taking part in the pool games, water balloon fights and of course the doughnut eating challenge - to name but a few. After some delicious burgers and hotdogs, washed down with yet more sugar and chocolate, it was time for the highlight of the event...the dances. It was very hard to choose a winner this year but congratulations to 7STE who just pipped the other groups to be 2019 champions. Mrs K Greenlees Head of Year 7

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

MRS C RIORDAN Back Row: Harry Johnston, Kiumars Afrassiabi, Jemima Barton, Saam Abrichami, Hannah Burnett, Zayd Bawany Middle Row: Mrs C Riordan, Polina Savelyeva, Scarlett Slow, Trisha Raichura, Fletcher Reid, Salinaa Naik, Zachary Grundy, Keira Liew

8 CRI

Front row: Henry Stear, Yasmin Shah, Juha Leinonen, Mustafa Sherwani, Jodie May, Thomas Payne, Sophia Nielsen

MR C SIMPSON Back Row: Oliver Stanton, Aryaansh Rathore, Salaar Ferozie, Tarn Timmermans, Stefan Fourie, Ansh Bindroo Middle Row: Mr C Simpson, Zara Chohan, Dylan Sharma, Natasha Murphy, Sunaina Nambiar, Ayush Sahoo, Maxine McKellar Front Row: Daniel Blair, Janya Shah, Maria Payne, Zainab Mahmood, Giulia Bocciardi, Kumail Nakhoda

8 CSI

Absent: Maisie Weddell

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR G CASE Back Row: Uzayr Baig, Nicholas House, Mahika Gaur, Jad Oklany, Michael Killa, Hussein Elzaafarany Middle Row: Mr G Case, Edward Reynolds, Scarlett Brown, Alexis Beaumont, Yuchen Zhou, Ayra Naqvi, Shona Flett, Gaura Sharma Front Row: Ilham Kanji, Mischa Kee, Anay Bindroo, Joshua Cheng, Annabel Dodd, Alessandro Villa, Areesha Fehmi

8 GCA

MR L O'BOYLE Back Row: Shyan Teoh, Cara Gilbert, Nirvaan Chadda, Aaron Walder, Jasim Yousaf, Ella Davidson Middle Row: Mr L O’Boyle, Hella Page, Maia Jafar, Conor Air, Juliette Maillet-Freixanet, Nyall Sharif, Kiho Hirosawa Lum Front Row: Ali Zaidi, Louis Mulcahy, Zara Suchdev, Himakshi Shastri, Anoushka Johar, Douglas Groves Absent: Maha Ahmad

8 LOB

MRS L RUDDELL Back Row: Mihir Kumar, Theodor Stockmeier, Kellen Foo, Edward Winsor, Grace Woolnough Middle Row: Mrs L Ruddell, Ayaana Javeri, Azka Aqil, Ryiah Simon, Eleanor Withers, Hamzah Masud, Jannat Javaid, Rania Hans Front Row: Lara Teja, Will O’Keeffe, Connor Mahesan, Anim Choi, Vansh Gadhia, Zayan Aka, Isabella Batten

SHAMAL 2019

8 LRU

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR M ABS Back Row: Riley Norton, Ananya Navalekar, Anthony Whittall, Raphael Sibuet, Lia Warren, Jemma Eley Middle Row: Mr M Abs, Maen Halabi, Marcos Marmarchi, Inigo LeBlanc, Ziyad Dhaduk, Ronan Mewawalla, Amber Rahman, Papraowmas Turongpun Front Row: Haya Tayab, Hannah Flanagan Egelman, Tara Grover, Aisha Mohammed, Jaidev Yadav, Yacine Zribi, Aiden Black

8 MAB

MR N BERNAZ Back Row: Saif Shaikh, Gustav Samuelson, Charlotte Symington, Mohammed Husain, Thomas Clerkin, Sophie Ashford Middle Row: Mr N Bernaz, Lucy Parks, Aditi Prabhu, Noorulain Hussain, Ayesha Khan, Thomas Stringer, Danielle Guerin, Kitty Harland Front Row: Shuruthii Chandrasegaran, Mustafa Kashif, Nishk Moorjani, Mark Agent, Aashrut Agarwal, Julia Butres, Anannya Siraj

8 NBE

MISS R QUIGLEY Back Row: Zuhair Shawl, Ottavio Ricciardelli, Charlie Preston, Kushaan Sainani, Aoife Palmer-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan, Matthew Wells Middle Row: Miss R Quigley, Hyder Ali, Ned Brady, Rabab Tariq, Vuk Milovanovic, Yasmin Edwards, Eun Soo Park, Hafsah Ditta

8 RQU

Front Row: Charlie Pollard, Anikait Johar, Lavinia Skandalis, Kanav Seth, Zahraa Muhammad, Theo Martin, Sophie Hickman

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MISS A YORK Back Row: Sahil Kewalramani, Zain Rana, Kabir Mulani, Max Ridout, Pranav Sangwan, Noor Chaudhary Middle Row: Miss A York, Mohammed Seth, Foteini Kalamatianou, Joshua Gustaveson, Erin Anderson, Nandan Dhanesh, Ruby Sheehan, Sophie Duce Front Row: Alberto Pamias Lopez, Beste Akkaya, Viha Kedia, Oliver Clifford, Amara Habib, Keira Boucher, Amelia Burton

9 AYO

Absent: Benjamin Morgan

MR M WOOD Back Row: Luke Ebersohn, Casey Camball, Osian Thomas, Amal Dhanesh, Oliver Howlett Middle Row: Jaya Rati, Rhea Puri, Yasmine Caraiscos, Yeonju Woo, Mira Kothari, Sasha DarrÃ©Pavlowsky, Abi Plumtree, Tithira Wijayathilake Front Row: Samah Tabba, Jasmine Wharton, Aman Burman, Saahil Ramjoo, Zach Saldanha, Maharu Gunasekara, Ana Dinu

9 MWD

Absent: Mr M Wood

MR M YACOUB Back Row: Liang Liu, Maddison Tetley, Joshua Killa, Ashray Zutshi, Sophia Arthur Middle Row: Mr M Yacoub, Anoush Nathwani, Sneha Janardhan, Simra Yousaf, Arjun Sisodia, Ameya Koul, Zayaan Bawany, Shrishti Tandon Front Row: Amelia Parry, Zakariya Pirzada, Xiaolin Zhang, Annika Lind, Aditya Sridhar, Inaaya Salim, Zaara Mohamed

9 MYA 24

Absent: Nicholas Tsen

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MISS R O'DWYER Back Row: Callum Parker, Filip Popivoda, Mikhil Yadav, Louis Darbandi, Ayman Sharif, Matthew Campbell Middle Row: Miss R Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dwyer, Michael Cordahi, Nikhil Menon, Massimo Vianello, Jasmine Keenan, Nicholas Reynolds, Eloise Stewart-Smith, Anna Johnstone, Eman Habib

9 ROD

Front Row: Mia Ammanath, Dhimira Advani, Raghav Awasthi, Shreya Bhatt, Zaara Ahmad, Sabie Cipriani, Natasha Pilkington, Paridhi Bhandari.

MR S BRIGGS Back Row: Simon RhysMaitland, Advay Chawla, Nakul Pillai, Benjamin Garvey, Shaan Sethi, Annabelle Garner, Zachary McGuigan Middle Row: Mr S Briggs, Aishwarya Srinath, Vidhi Bhansali, Max Skelton, Sanaa Carrimjee, Iman Humphrey, Amelie Mayne, Isaam Noor Front Row: Devika Jadeja, Tatum Muller, Sophia Granello, Ananya Gupta, Brandon Hammond, Soumil Mukherjee, Alesha Anees

9 SBR

MISS S MENNAAI Back Row: Tobias Burnside, Thomas Haigh, Dylan Parekh, Jacob Woollard, Zaid Khan, Alimahdi Meghji, Katherine Bowtell Middle Row: Miss S Mennaai, Evie Fuller, Yash Garg, Saira Haider, Aliyyah Khan, Sara Aggarwal, Namya Manghnani, Jodie Qursha

9 SME

Front Row: James Ashton, Krshna Kakar, Arnab Ghosh, Tess Ruddell, Maya Bridgman, Laura Iorini, Amolika Madhavan Absent: Kyana Aryanpad

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR A DAVIDSON Back Row: Lauren Agent, Omar Belselah, Kaelan Bhojnani, Zander Visser, Scarlett Joshi, Vedant Bhansali, Mariam Siali Middle Row: Mr A Davidson, Juna Oklany, Sufian Al Alami, Cameron Richardson, Sanyukta Joshi, Callum Rose, Charlotte Shaw, Tamara Bratchik Front Row: Aryan Wadhwani, Maya Gardi, Tiana Lane Williamson, Thomas Eley, Madilyn Allen-Paver, Emma Dix, Una Milovanovic, Karina Valrani

10 ADA

MS C MCMENAMIN Back Row: Eddie Zickerman, Andrew Bezzina, Jamie Annand, Shrish Janarthanan, Maxwell Rollitt, Alexandra Craig, Joshua Morgan Middle Row: Ms C McMenamin, Tara Aksoy, Euan Fernandes, Georgia Vintcent, Priyanka Israni, Ashrita Ganesh, Samuel Baldock, Ansh Tandon Front Row: Aditi Asarpota, Ayla Tosun, Sarah Aswani, Sylvie Mezu, Lilly Geldhof, Maansi Kotecha, Farah Saleem

10 CMM

MR D RIORDAN Back Row: Megan Gilbert, Aditya Tolani, Maya Makhoul, Tom Rietjens, Catrin Taylor, Fergus Deans Middle Row: Jared ConsiglioCockle, Emma Wade, Raees Raie, Lilli Dean, Zia Mussa, Tarini Tipnis, Harry Stringer Front Row: Khwaish Lakhiani, Megan Theocharis, Meriam Sharkawi, Raja Yasaswini Sriramoju, Janice Walder, Maryam Al Anani

10 DRI 26

Absent: Mr D Riordan, Zakaria Doleh

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR J KIMBER Back Row: Pratyush Dwivedi, William Farrow, Dominic Morrison, Joey Karlsson, Arjan Vohra, Tareq Al Alami, Emily Davidson Middle Row: Mr J Kimber, Liam Mountain, Gracie May, Jahanara Siddiqui, Lily Barnett, Dana Soleimani, Maya Holly, Inaya Nagji

10 JKI

Front Row: Cara Mitchell, Megan Levitt, Tara Malhotra, Pritvik Sinhadc, Alisha Ahmad, Simran Barve, Afrah Mohideen Absent: Thomas Hadden

MR S GALE Back Row: Lucija Amizic, Farhan Aka, Abhay Nischal, Lorcan Fallon, Nathan Russell, Aurelien Carretta, Aakriti Singh Middle Row: Mr S Gale, Olivia Ludden, Jeongyeon Kim, Dawud Latif, Beatrice Varley, Farasha Alimohamed, Kian Kazranian, Patrick Debattista Front Row: Nina Hindocha, Ellen Jones, Shehara Amarasekara, Zara Saleem, Lia Zaman, Advika Sengupta, Chiara Federico

10 SGA

Absent: Harry Withers

MRS S TURNER Back Row: Lucy Browning, Mark Bezzina, Nikola Pandurovic, Jafar Jafar, Aman Doshi, Zainab Hussain Syed Middle Row: Mrs S Turner, Vardsinh Turongpun, Demira Thaker, Layal Halabi, Simran Garg, Thomas McLaughlin, Taimur Shaikh, Georgia Levitt, Seoyoon Lee

10 STU

Front Row: Sasha Bernaz, Shaikha Al-Maktoum, Emma Ingram-Johnson, Auxane Faye, Zeenat Javaid, Amara Singh, Athanasios Trigkonis, Mia James

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MRS B PHILLIPS Back Row: Anthony Cordahi, Francis Evers, Inigo Mace, Subhag Pandit, Mish’Aal Al Rais, Jakub Skroban Middle Row: Mrs B Phillips, Aranya Gupta, Shreshta Venkatesh, Zara Edwards, Chloe Russo, Adam Jabri, Laith Al Nabhani, Lee Ann Lee Front Row: Disha Kewalramani, Maia Edmonds, Chrissie Lowndes, Rohan Khaleghian, Hessa Al Maktoum, Anais Deere, Yana Mulani

11 BPH

MR J COTTAM Back Row: Matthew Johnstone, Matthew Hardie, Ned Farrell, Arran Shah, Sophie Tillon, Anisha Johnson Middle Row: Mr J Cottam, Lara Elliott, Yousuf Yaqub, Arjun Dhawan, Luke Surrey, Brennan Mahesan, Amy Mackenzie Front Row: Lara Begley, Anusha Muralidhar, Etherea Cipriani, Imaan Seth, Marco Zaccaria, Meeral Tashfeen Absent: Sebastien Springuel, Anavi Madnani

11 JCO

MISS K WINTERS Back Row: Jack Gravestock, Jaiveer Chadda, Seán Ali, Thomas Morris, Georgia Allen Middle Row: Miss K Winters, Ebba Zickerman, Hashim Mirjan, Natasha Whittall, Oliver Duthie, Innes Flett, Veer Vohra, Nishka Keni Front Row: Manan Gupta, Rania Zimmermann, Erica Ryan, Rayan Malik, Alice MailletFreixanet, Aanya Tashfeen, Gabriella Shennan

11 KWI 28

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR M HADI Back Row: Mayansh Upadhyaya, Zeyad Salah, Benjamin Morris, Jake Mustard, Amitav Samadhin, Ava Warren Middle Row: Mr M Hadi, Nidhi Sethi, Nadja Suljkanovic, Olivia Allen, Aryaman Chawla, Atunya Agrawal, Joe Jenkins, Angelina Dooa

11 MHA

Front Row: Fleur Wharton, Kashif Syed, Ibrahim Zaidi, Megan Parks, Anoushka Ghosh, Reva Poddar, Tia Patel

MR M RUSHWORTH Back Row: Jake Hewer, Thomas Davidson, Thomas Rose, John de Vilhena Rees, Pranav Nanda, Davey Jackson, Madeline Lake Middle Row: Mr M Rushworth, Daniela Pamias Lopez, Abdul Mirza, Divraj Singh, Arman Thariani, Sourav Roy, Eisa Hussain, Anna Campbell Front Row: Sanjana Mittal, Tiya Bhatia, Holly Hickman, Mehak Rattan, Lucy Burrell, Winona Obee, Yahvi Shah

11 MRU

MISS T SOPAUL Back Row: Basil Lone, Dominic Marmarchi, Siddhant Dheodar, Harrison Devereux, Bilal Hashim, Krisna Bhargava, Andreas Paschalis Middle Row: Miss T Sopaul, Sahan Maclean Noor, Catherine Smyth, Laith Mohajer, Yousuf Islam, Aryamaan Mohta, Katie Watson, George Weddell

11 TSO

Front Row: Riddhi Karani, Abigail Anderson, Sumaiya Motara, Sidonie Anderson, Amelia Pearce, Melina Aggarwal, Eesha Yaqub

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR A CRAWFORD Back Row: Isobel Thompson, Edward Davies, Ritvik Ramnath Middle Row: Mr A Crawford, Sylvie Waft, Armaan Tourani, Tahle Mukhtar Front Row: Aakanksha Deb, Serena Lambert, Mikail Khawaja, Shruti Krishnamoorthy, Jaimini Patel

12/13 ACR

Absent: Thomas Plumtree, Kaivalya Vohra

MR B CHRISTOPHER Back Row: Pranav Ponvannan, Cameron Matthews, Shaan Nathwani Middle Row: Mr B Christopher, Rhea Kotecha, Eman Zeeshan, Hannah Dawson, Jasmine Ahluwalia Front Row: Aparna Sridhar, Diptasri Gupta, Tricia Chua Absent: Ibrahim Afshar, Amalie Aspinwall, Rishi Barve

12/13 BCH

MR C HOUSE Back Row: Jake Wade, Finn Page, Daniel Chen Middle Row: Mr C House, Katie Mewawalla, Kasia Truscott, Syed Fehmi Front Row: Yun Soo Park, Zain Abu El Afieh, Hireena Hans, Daliya Habib, Mehek Vohra

12/13 CHO 30

SHAMAL 2019

Absent: Kristian Kolandjian, Ali Tabba

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR C MONKS Back Row: Arjan Khele, Hamzah Hashim, Krish Gupta Middle Row: Mr C Monks, Jack Burrell, Sausthava Malakar, Anjali Menon Front Row: Mallika Wadhwani, Alizeh Yahya, Simrun Siddiqi, Anica Mirza, Malika Alidina

12/13 CMO

Absent: Jade Fernandes, Jai Hindocha

MR C TEMPLE Back Row: Neil Shukla, Khalid Belselah, Omer Oce Middle Row: Mr C Temple, Omar Khan, Mustafa Lone, Elena Caspall, Raphaelle Landais Front Row: Mylene SaitRosenberg, Mahé Samee, Susana Domene Marin, Alysha Alimohamed, Jasmine Liew Absent: Peter Irvine

12/13 CTE

MR G JEFFCOTE

Back Row: Ralph Holt, Marco Gabriel, Tomos Roberts Middle Row: Mr G Jeffcote, Charlotte Hide, Michael Murphy, Brendan McCann, Oliver Reedy, Rhea Kale

12/13 GJE

Front Row: Sophie O’Keeffe, Nitya Thawani, Sasha Verrall, Caitlin Theocharis, Mahira Jethwani

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR G ROBERTS Back Row: Benjamin Jagtiani, Joshua Hetherington, Nicholas Prynn Middle Row: Mr G Roberts, Suryansh Loya, Kitty Davies, Elijah Mathew, Tara Desai, Nina Mul

12/13 GRO

Front Row: Holly RhysMaitland, Hannah Nurmohamed, Anders Mahesan, Catherine Withers, Hannah Burton

MR J ALMOND Back Row: Jack Craig, Ben Davies, Jamie MacKinnon Middle Row: Mr J Almond, Zakir Saddiqui, Charlotte Haigh, Harvey Bullock, Shashwat Tomar, Maria Iorini Front Row: Lucy Skelton, Rebecca Wilding, Gabriella Helayel, Kara Catchpole-King, Ella Verrall

12/13 JAL

MR J BAILEY

Back Row: George Boon, Benjamin Hatcher, Samuel Muller Middle Row: Mr J Bailey, Jemma Shand, Keanu Boucher, Arya Flisher, Owen Wakeham, Oliver Garner

12/13 JBA 32

SHAMAL 2019

Front Row: Hannah Mathew, Elanor Wright, Matthew Wane, Madeline Thomson, Millie McMurray

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MRS J BAILEY Back Row: Jacques Holmes, Alexander Smyth, Ishaan Arora Middle Row: Mrs J Bailey, Euan Clague, Ryan De Sousa, Tom Howlett, Geesue Abrichami Front Row: Arcadia Cipriani, Katarina Bell, Tara Abdol Hossein Zadeh, Nadia Shamsuddin, Noa Consiglio-Cockle

12/13 JBV

Absent: Janne Meijer

MRS L HODGE

Back Row: Etienne Tillon, Aryan Mehta, Aryan Oberoi Middle Row: Mrs L Hodge, Yash Bhansali, Sean Cottam, Sahil Mordani, Lana Al Hajj Front Row: Rhea Ganguli, Rhea Javat, Kimiya Najafi, Jaahnvi Shastri, Lara Zaveri Absent: Samar Aswani

12/13 LHO

MS M DOHERTY Back Row: Sebastian Sabania, George Hosking, Joel Harrison Middle Row: Ms M Doherty, Siddhant Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Souza, Jawad Jafar, Sebastian Snaas, Chris Assimacopoulos, Lauren Johnstone

12/13 MDH

Front Row: Lily Ashby, Gabriella Reynolds, Jessica Passey, Lucy Graham, Naoise Morgan

SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR P SPARKS Back Row: Joseph Plumtree, Benjamin Davidson, Talal Mahmoud Middle Row: Mr P Sparks, Tallulah Berens, Emma Robertson, Jason Bushill Front Row: Sophie IngramJohnson, Ishaan Alidina, Polly Jones, Majid Al Redha, Casey Maloney-Pinto

12/13 PSP

Absent: Emaan Ahmed, Habiba Al-Khatib

MS R DIBBLE Back Row: James Craine, Finlay Keegan, Rima Makhoul Middle Row: Ms R Dibble, Joonwoo Jeong, Lea Wakim, Oliver Chohan, Aanya Gardi Front Row: Alisha Gupta, Anoushka Malhotra, Rihana Al Nabhani Absent: Navika Agrawal, Gabriella Crick Lewis, Zayed Doleh

12/13 RDI

MR S LOUGHRAN

Back Row: Benjamin Williams, Michael Reid, Jordyn Hamilton Middle Row: Mr S Loughran, Disha Narain, Kyarash Aryanpad, Leila Peacock, Brianne Riewer Front Row: Shemica Adenwalla, Yasmine Farha, Soofia Khaledi

12/13 SCH 34

SHAMAL 2019

Absent: Max Brett, Armaan Flisher, Anna Maureta

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR S FORSYTH

Back Row: Sachit Lumba, Alberto Viel, Annabelle Style Middle Row: Mr S Forsyth, Wajih Zaman, James Taylor, Shumraze Fawad, Emily Peck, Kerem Edis Front Row: Zunaira Nader, Aleyha Hameed, Nadir Mussa, Diya Malholtra, Zainab Kashif

12/13 SFO

MR S PERNASILICI

Back Row: Cameron Walker, Matthew Russo, David Hunt Middle Row: Mr S Pernasilici, Alma Zickerman, Casey Bell, Eóin Mountain, Sean O’Gorman, Tamsin Rose Front Row: Hannah Parry, Isabella Duthie, Gaurav Singh, Isabella Caraiscos, Chloe Lane Williamson

12/13 SPE

MRS V HOLMES

Back Row: Jacob Camilleri, Joshua Paul, Ajay Anand Middle Row: Mrs V Holmes, Akshit Goel, Vishal Ayyagari, Tom Jarvis, Eliza Brown, Layla Haider Front Row: Charmaine Kee, Anise Noor, Wynona Barua, Gabrielle Tode, Simrin Vaswani

12/13 VHO SHAMAL 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS MR J MCILVEEN

Back Row: James Caution, Alexander House, Mitchell Davies Middle Row: Mr J McIlveen, George Gunn, Hamilton Rogers, Samuel Reedy, Hadrien Pissaloux, Seyhan Khan Front Row: Kathryn Beck, Maryam Ahmed, Ciara Corroon, Ibani Hattangadi, Sophiya Joseph

12/13 JMI

MRS N BLAND

Back Row: Benedict Hall, Hishaan Mahtani, Ethan Goddard Middle Row: Mrs N Bland, Louise Leijonberg, Sophie Newbery, Viraj Ramakrishnan, Arman Jasuja, Dana McCann Front Row: Maisie Harvey, Anahita Kashyap, Francesca Hall, Grace Williams, Ratan Kachwalla

12/13 NBL

SIXTH FORM REVIEW “Along with the academic success that we have had, sending students to America, to the United Kingdom, a lot of the institutions are very impressed by the well-rounded nature of the education they bring.” These words were pronounced by one of my sage predecessors as Head of Sixth Form, Mr Nick Jones, in the autumn of 1998, words that were committed to VHS and buried in a time capsule for twenty 36

SHAMAL 2019

years. Excavated from the depths of the C Block courtyard earlier this year and re-formatted for our High Definition sensibilities, Mr Jones’s words were broadcast once more to the school community as a surprise item during a whole school assembly in December. Those present were bemused by the unwieldy blocks that passed for computers, amused by the mullets sported by certain teachers, but above all delighted that, despite the grainy, almost otherworldly, ambience of a seemingly lost time, the video was suffused with a reassuring familiarity. To see Mr Jones highlighting that sixth formers were being

recognised by leading universities for their well-rounded education is something that chimed with me greatly. Our sixth formers seem to be leading ever more initiatives, educational projects and qualifications. Whilst today’s sixth formers continue to produce academic results that dominate any regional league table, their true inspiration lies in their sheer dedication on the sports pitches, the rehearsal studios and the art and design rooms; their leadership in shepherding younger students through the rigours of school, whether as a pastoral liaison or a study skills teacher; their initiative in setting up new academic societies or teaching TopUP lessons; their

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS unremitting commitment and compassion in raising record levels of funds for charitable causes; their superb EPQ presentations on everything from the economic impact of air pollution in Pakistan to the villainy of Clytemnestra; and so much more. The hallmark of our leavers is not (just) that they are academically gifted, but that they derive genuine pleasure from learning experiences that go beyond the classroom. These days, it may be more de rigueur to call this multidisciplinary, lifelong learning, but, as Mr Jones celebrated some twenty years ago, it is the wellroundedness of our sixth formers that continues to open the doors to the most prestigious universities in the world and that prepares them for life beyond our walls. Mr Jones continues: “When they come to the Sixth Form they take on a new identity; they become more independent than they were in the Middle School, they have their own Common Room area, they have their own study area, which in the main they look after and oversee themselves.” As I confiscate yet another ball from the Common Room to add to my burgeoning collection and as I disband another game of

Kickers (or is it Bums?), Mr Jones’s reflections from twenty years ago bring another smile to my face. The two-year journey of forging that new identity, of negotiating that increased independence brings with it many high-octane sprints as well as some wrong-turns. But above all it brings stories and memories that are feted and debated in the forum that is the Common Room. Whether it is learning at the 11th hour, a yearning for an easier workload or simply the burning of popcorn, the Croom is often abuzz with those unique stories. And they do still look after it. In the main. I would very much like to thank the Sixth Form team for their expertise and good humour in ensuring that our own halls of excellence strike the golden ratio between discipline and enjoyment. I thank the team of twenty tutors who shepherd and cajole the students through the rigours of Sixth Form and craft the very references that are read by the most competitive admissions offices in the world. I thank Mr Tate and Mrs Maguire as Heads of Year 12 and 13 respectively for helping to oversee the complexities of our pastoral programme, but moreover for their perspective, sagacity and wit. I am also eternally grateful to both Mrs Dempsey and

Mrs Campbell for being the eyes and ears of the Sixth Form Centre over the past year. Sadly for us, Mrs Campbell is leaving for pastures new with our very best wishes to pursue her passion of careers advice and guidance. Finally, I would very much like to thank the students themselves for their good company, peerless commitment and daily inspiration. They, too, sense the strength of DC’s link to its own past. As our Year 13s leave, they share the institutional memory and pride of being part of our community. What I most enjoyed this year was the Year 13s’ most noble of presentation ceremonies, thanking and celebrating our own men and women in blue. Akshit Goel spoke so eloquently about how his time as a DC student has been about making memories, how each of those memories is inextricably tied to our men and women in blue and how the best thing about the Sixth Form is its people. I hope that these memories will still bring a smile to their faces over the next twenty years and beyond. Mr B Trivic Head of Sixth Form

SHAMAL 2019

Front Row: Aakanksha Deb, Majid Al Redha, Tricia Chua, Samar Aswani, Casey Maloney-Pinto, Jai Hindocha, Kathryn Beck, Mrs S Dempsey, Mrs R Maguire, Mr B Trivic, Mr J Tate, Mrs J Campbell, Noa Consiglio-Cockle, Seyhan Khan, Arcadia Cipriani, Euan Clague, Charmaine Kee, Gaurav Singh, Aparna Sridhar, Mikail Khawaja

2nd Row: Mahira Jethwani, Yun Soo Park, Hannah Mathew, Soofia Khaledi, Gabrielle Tode, Anica Mirza, Gabriella Crick Lewis, Jaahnvi Shastri, Ella Verrall, Aanya Gardi, Yasmine Farha, Rhea Javat, Rhea Kale, Lily Ashby, Grace Williams, Sophie O’Keeffe, Anahita Kashyap, Daliya Habib, Zunaira Nader, Diptasri Gupta, Zainab Kashif

3rd Row: Nadir Mussa, Kerem Edis, Ryan De Sousa, Oliver Reedy, Sean O’Gorman, Tom Jarvis, Michael Murphy, Armaan Flisher, Ethan Goddard, Oliver Garner, Rishi Barve, Jake Wade, Eoin Mountain, Hadrien Pissaloux, Sean Cottam, Ajay Anand, Benedict Hall, Suryansh Loya, Wajih Zaman, Ibrahim Afshar, Ali Tabba, Viraj Ramakrishnan, Zayed Doleh

4th Row: Hannah Dawson, Mahe Samee, Nadia Shamsuddin, Lea Wakim, Raphaelle Landais, Sophie Newbery, Charlotte Haigh, Casey Bell, Jessica Passey, Kitty Davies, Elena Caspall, Isobel Thompson, Emma Robertson, Rima Makhoul, Nina Mul, Catherine Withers, Lucy Graham, Elanor Wright, Tallulah Berens, Gabriella Helayel, Anjali Menon, Lana Al Hajj

5th Row: Dimitri Shukla, Sachit Lumba, George Boon, Benjamin Jagtiani, Ralph Holt, Sebastian Snaas, Ben Davies, Joel Harrison, Finn Page, Kaivalya Vohra, George Hosking, Alexander House, Omer Oce, Jack Craig, Sebastian Sabania, Mitchell Davies, Max Brett, Benjamin Hatcher, Aryan Mehta, Krish Gupta

Back Row: Ciara Corroon, Eliza Brown, Isabella Caraiscos, Chloe Lane Williamson, Kyarash Aryanpad, Nicholas Prynn, Joshua Paul, Talal Mahmoud, Jacques Holmes, Arjan Khele, Samuel Muller, Ritvik Ramnath, James Craine, Tom Howlett, Dana McCann, Disha Narain, Maria Iorini, Mallika Wadhwani, Hannah Burton

YEAR 12 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS

Front Row: Kara Catchpole-King, Jaimini Patel, Samuel Reedy, Sylvie Waft, Peter Irvine, Arya Flisher (Deputy Head Girl), Geesue Abrichami (Head Girl), Mrs S Dempsey, Mrs R Maguire, Mr B Trivic, Mr J Tate, Mrs J Campbell, Kristian Kolandjian (Head Boy), Yash Bhansali (Deputy Head Boy), Mehek Vohra, Meeran Fehmi, Rihana Al Nabhani, Shaan Nathwani, Rebecca Wilding, Shumraze Fawad

2nd Row: Alisha Gupta, Hannah Parry, Anoushka Malhotra, Anise Noor, Ibani Hattangadi, Sophie Ingram-Johnson, Shemica Adenwalla, Maryam Ahmed, Lara Zaveri, Maryam Siddiqi, Layla Haider, Jasmine Ahluwalia, Wynona Barua, Alizeh Yahya, Lucy Skelton, Ratan Kachwalla, Mylene Sait-Rosenberg, Malika Alidina, Jade Fernandes, Rhea Ganguli, Simrin Vaswani

3rd Row: Matthew Wane, George Gunn, Oliver Chohan, Arman Jasuja, Joonwoo Jeong, Daniel Chen, Sahil Mordani, Owen Wakeham, Omar Khan, James Taylor, Elijah Mathew, Hamilton Rogers, Keanu Boucher, Jacob Camilleri, Anders Mahesan, Armaan Tourani, Akshit Goel, Siddhant Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Souza, Jack Burrell, Zakir Siddiqui, Ishaan Alidina

4th Row: Navika Agrawal, Tara Abdol Hossein Zadeh, Hannah Nurmohamed, Kimiya Najafi , Louise Leijonberg, Anna Maureta, Lauren Johnstone, Kasia Truscott, Gabriella Reynolds, Annabelle Style, Tara Desai, Emily Peck, Tahle Mukhtar, Eman Zeeshan, Jemma Shand, Tamsin Rose, Alma Zickerman, Susana Domene Marin, Aleyha Hameed, Alysha Alimohamed

5th Row: Etienne Tillon, Thomas Plumtree, Joshua Hetherington, James Caution, Marco Gabriel, Alberto Viel, Edward Davies, Michael Reid, Khalid Belselah, Matty Russo, Alexander Smyth, Benjamin Williams, Benjamin Davidson, Cameron Matthews, Hamzah Hashim, Finlay Keegan, David Hunt, Joseph Plumtree, Hishaan Mahtani, Tomos Roberts

6th Row: Caitlin Theocharis, Habiba Al-Khatib, Jasmine Liew, Rhea Kotecha, Zain Abu El Afieh, Naoise Morgan, Serena Lambert, Brianne Riewer, Polly Jones, Millie McMurray, Katarina Bell, Isabella Duthie, Francesca Hall, Emaan Ahmed, Nitya Thawani, Hireena Hans, Maisie Harvey

Back Row: Aryan Oberoi, Chris Assimacopoulos, Mustafa Lone, Jordyn Hamilton, Jamie MacKinnon, Harvey Bullock, Jawad Jafar, Ishaan Arora, Brendan McCann, Vishal Ayyagari

YEAR 13 2019

CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

WORLD CHALLENGE MALAYSIA

During June and July 2018, some very brave Year 10 and Year 11 students embarked on a three week expedition in Malaysia. Travelling through the wetlands of Tasik Chini, trekking through the amazing Taman Negara National Park, white water rafting through the Cameron Highlands, assisting Bubbles turtle sanctuary in the Perhentian Islands and exploring the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur were just a handful of experiences that made this trip so special. The expedition was an amazing experience for us all, and we will have fond memories from this for years to come. Mr R Verma Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

DUBAI COLLEGE CS50 TRIP TO HARVARD Bright and early on the 6th of September 2018, Mr Wood and 10 sixth formers embarked on a 15-hour flight to Boston for the second Dubai College CS50 trip to Harvard. Despite the eight hour jet lag and severe lack of sleep, our spirits remained high. However, to our dismay we discovered upon landing that our retreat from the heat of Dubai would be short lived as the temperature in Boston for the following ten days was predicted to be between 32°C and 34°C - not that much cooler than Dubai. After passing through Boston Logan Airport we drove 30 minutes to a city called Cambridge, where famous universities such as Harvard and MIT are located. Over the course of the trip we visited two Harvard CS50 lectures by world renowned Professor David Malan. Despite missing the first 30 minutes of the iconic first CS50 lecture, we were 42

SHAMAL 2019

all heavily impressed with Harvard and the lecture. Upon finishing the lecture, we took a tour around Harvard and learned a bit more about its history and the life of a Harvard student living on campus. That evening we took the opportunity to explore Harvard Square: the shopping district surrounding Harvard campus.

HQ, where we participated in mock interviews and stocked our bags full of Twitter merchandise. After Twitter, we walked down the street to Facebook HQ, which had a very different vibe. We were granted access to their new offices and were given insight into Facebook culture and the lives of Facebook workers.

As well as attending the Harvard CS50 lectures, the eleven of us competed in a large competition amongst Harvard students in which they compete to finish ten puzzles within three hours, called Harvard CS50 puzzle day. We also had the opportunity to visit the CS50 offices, which host and create the online CS50 course that you can take anywhere worldwide.

Throughout our visit we had planned to take a tour around MIT, however it was cancelled not once, but twice. Despite that, we still visited MIT Media Labs where we toured the office spaces of Scratch and general research and development areas for students and professors at MIT who wanted to further their studies in non-traditional areas of their selected fields. Their labs and offices were incredible. After that all we had left was a visit to Microsoft Garage, where we played with some virtual reality headsets and scanned our faces in 3D!

Sunday 9th September was by far one of my favourite days on the trip. Owing to the approaching hurricane we decided to skip whale watching and instead go to watch a Drake and Migos concert at Boston’s famous TD Garden stadium. It was definitely an event I will never forget. Following on from an ecstatic evening of dancing and singing, we woke up bright and early the next morning to head off to Twitter

After ten fully packed days, we headed to the airport and journeyed back to Dubai on another 15-hour flight. Kaivalya Vohra 12ACR

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

ECONOMICS TRIP TO NEW YORK The Big Apple, the Financial Capital of the World: New York City. A 14hour flight later, twenty exhausted students and Mr Christopher and Miss Caunt landed, excited to explore the wonders the city had to offer. With the help of our tour guide George we embarked on a bus tour across the five boroughs, walking down Brooklyn Bridge, visiting the Yankee Stadium and taking a quick tour of the Bronx, followed by a walk in Times Square. After a much needed good night’s rest, we met two DC alumni (Jetasri Gupta and Magen Chadha) at Columbia University to hear about life in New York City. We then headed to Central Park and took a wonderful trail to the centre of the park, taking Instagram worthy photos and stopping by Strawberry Fields along the way. Next, we took a metro ride to the infamous Wafels and Dinges where, whilst eating fresh, authentic Belgian waffles, we learnt how to operate a small business. We spent the final part of this busy day at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, an emotional, sobering experience.

a ferry to Ellis Island, with incredibly humbling views of the Statue of Liberty along the way. We took a tour of Harlem (home of the Globetrotters) and watched a Gospel Choir perform. We took a captivating journey to the gold vaults of the Federal Bank on Wall Street. We saw graffiti along the walls with red, green, blue, purple veins bringing life to the pictures. We dined in restaurants and eateries like Applebee’s, the Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Fridays, Joe’s Pizza (where we saw pictures of numerous celebrities), and Eataly, along with many a Starbucks to help us deal with the unfamiliar cold weather. Even on the final day, we were busy from the moment we woke up. We took a cable car to Roosevelt Island and a tour of the UN building where we saw a snippet of an official conference. Finally, we bid farewell to the lively, vivacious streets of Time Square, which had been our home for the week and headed off back on our fourteen-hour flight.

the eighteen or so kilometres we pounded of the Manhattan streets daily, as the temperature dwindled below zero; I feel I know this amazing city like the back of my hand! Perhaps followed by the two incredibly close sports games that we watched; a basketball game where the Knicks won by two points in the last 37 tense seconds of extra-time and a hockey game where the Jets won on the third penalty shot after an exceptional period of over-time. We shopped ‘til we dropped, saw breath-taking sights, ate like royalty and learnt an incredible amount about economics, finance and business along the way. It truly was the trip of a lifetime and we cannot thank Miss Caunt and Mr Christopher enough for taking us there - and for not leaving any of us behind even after the week was up! We made memories on that trip that will no doubt last us the rest of our lives. Thank you! Juna Oklany 10ADA

The highlights of the trip? Definitely

Over the next several days, we visited Neuberger Berman where we received financial advice from the infamous Steve Eisman (the very same Eisman from Big Short) and went to the Bloomberg office where we saw Mark Bloomberg himself, as well as a visit to a live television set and the production-control room. We also visited the Bonobos and Codecademy offices where we learnt about the operations and growth of relatively new businesses and what a working life in New York is like. We also had a fantastic morning with ex-DC student Fatima Rasheed who is at Stern Business School, NYU who gave us the low down about the US university application process and life in NY, before enjoying a tour of the campus. Amongst several shopping trips, we saw an enthralling perspective of NYC from the Rockefeller Center. We took SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY GLOBAL GRAD SHOW In December 2018, the Design and Technology A Level students took a trip to the Global Grad Show at Dubai Design District (D3) during Dubai Design Week to see what the creative festival had to offer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to gather inspiration for our own work. The 550 projects were innovative and varied, ranging from a sleek foldable electric scooter to a desalination device that turned salt water into freshwater without electricity. In addition to these projects, we saw abstract outdoor art installations and even an exhibition filled with aesthetically pleasing chairs. There were prototypes and first iterations by each chair, and we saw the same modelling process that we use in the workshop had come to life in the designing of marketable products. It was the ideal opportunity to soak up Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cutting-edge architecture and passion for design. In the future, I hope that we will be among the inventors exhibiting life-changing products. Sylvie Waft 13ACR

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

Y10 ART TRIP TO JAMEEL ARTS CENTRE The gasps of the excited students running up the stairs to catch a glimpse of Shiota’s Art Room speaks volumes in how attention-capturing ‘Departure’ truly was. On Sunday 11th November, Dubai College GCSE Art students were fortunate enough to visit the Jameel Arts Centre on its first day of being open to the public in order to see a piece by Chiharu Shiota, a Japanese installation artist they had all been studying. The artwork being displayed was called ‘Departure’, which explores ideas of displacement, time and the entanglements of life. In this particular installation, Shiota works with traditional abra boats, referencing the history of the Dubai Creek and the city’s identity as a meeting point of people, goods and ideas. My personal reaction to the installation made me feel a way about art I never knew I could feel. Being someone that has not visited many art galleries in the past, I am now so inspired to visit so many more wherever I may travel. My mind was swamped with sheer shock and disbelief and it felt an honour to be standing before ‘Departure’. It was one thing to see Shiota’s pieces in images, but to be stood before her mighty installation silenced me. It felt complete and I felt I could stand there for hours and discover something new I had not seen the first time. One could feel the tension, not only of the tightly strung red yarn, but of the disbelief between the students, soundlessly digesting the wondrous instalment. As if the day hadn’t brought us enough, it just so happened that Chiharu Shiota was there in the flesh and willing to speak to us for a brief few minutes. Star-struck and eager-eyed, we hung on to every word and syllable, a few students even being brought to tears. Farasha Alimohamed 10SGA SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

U19 RUGBY TOUR TO HONG KONG On Tuesday 16th October, a group of 27 excitable Sixth Form boys met at Dubai Airport to begin our rugby tour to Hong Kong. After an easy eight-hour flight, we landed in Hong Kong and transferred to our new home for the coming ten days, the Hotel Jen, which was situated on the lovely Hong Kong island. Despite it being our first day, after a quick rest we headed out for our first training session at Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park Stadium, home to the Hong Kong Rugby Union. The first day ended with a quick evening meal at a local

SHAMAL 2019

curry house and an early night for the boys. Our first game day came the very next afternoon and after a training session in the morning - again at Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park - we headed on the coach to the beautiful Harrow School, located just outside of Hong Kong city. After some good games, we managed to come away with four wins from four, followed up by a great meal with some of the opposition in their school dining hall. The following day included morning and afternoon training sessions at the beautiful Hong Kong Football Club Stadium and a recovery session in the pool. In the evening we headed off on the ferry across the bay and watched the spectacular Hong Kong

light show in Kowloon. This was then followed by a great dinner at one of the oldest and best pizzerias in Hong Kong, where we fairly easily managed to replenish all the lost calories from training. On Saturday we had our free day of the tour, taking the coach across Hong Kong island to Repulse Bay, a great beachside area that is quite the contrary to what the name may suggest. This was followed by a trip to nearby Stanley, where we could explore the small market and a meal at the local Chinese that evening. Sunday included a training session at the Hong Kong Football Club, followed by a series of games that afternoon against the HKRFU Tigers squad, where after four challenging

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

games in the heat, we again managed to secure four wins. A great highlight from the games included Ben Hatcher’s try where he ran the wing, handing off four boys in a row to score. On the Monday we had a video analysis of the games from the previous day, then a great trip up to the Peak where we got to see an incredible view of Hong Kong from above. This was followed by a training session that afternoon and a trip to the expansive Night Market in Kowloon, just a short ride on the metro from the hotel, where the team seemed to spend at least 50% of their remaining money for the trip. The following day held our third set of fixtures, against South Island School and a mixed team made up of three schools together. During these fixtures we faced our greatest competition of the tour, yet through

our great coaching, the boys played well and again we secured another clean sweep of wins. On the Wednesday we faced our final set of fixtures against an invitational team made up of boys from multiple schools and areas, playing this time at the King’s Park Sports Ground and after a light training session in the morning, the games seemed to pull together effectively what we had been doing in training and we were able to execute our skills more effectively than the competition, winning all our games again. A particular highlight here included the prop Jacques Holmes running the length of the pitch to score a fabulous try in the closing play of the game. The evening was spent at a local restaurant, where we ate and sang songs as a team, even persuading Mr Jones to get up and give a rendition of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’.

The next day was our last and after a morning spent in the hotel packing our bags and eating breakfast, we said goodbye to the Hotel Jen and the beloved Chinese restaurant under the building and headed for the airport to fly back to Dubai. The trip was a great experience all round and helped to develop many skills that will be needed at this year’s Dubai 7s, along with bringing the squad together and making some good memories. Finally, a huge thank you to Mr Jones, Mr Benade and Mr Jackson who each gave up their half terms to come to Hong Kong and coach us; without them the trip would not have taken place and we would not be the rugby team that we are. George Hosking 12MDH

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

HISTORY TRIP TO RUSSIA In early February, a small group of six students left for Russia, hoping to bring to life some of the Russian history we’d spent two years learning. We arrived in Moscow filled with excitement and anticipation – and experienced some mild shock at the cold temperatures. After settling into the hotel, we set off to see Red Square and the Kremlin. Nothing could have prepared us for the beauty, intricacy and originality of the architecture of Moscow, which is unlike any other; probably because popular legend states that Ivan the Terrible had the architect of St Basil’s Cathedral’s eyes gouged out after it was finished, so that he would not be able to build an equally beautiful structure anywhere else – pretty gory stuff. The next couple of days in Moscow were spent viewing its many magnificent cathedrals, visiting a gulag museum and a cemetery, all whilst receiving a breadth and depth of knowledge from our tour guide, who often offered a thrillingly alternative perspective to what he deemed the ‘Western’ (and thus apparently incorrect) perspective. The evenings were spent experiencing the lively streets of Moscow, spending far too much on communist merchandise, and getting absolutely ‘thrashed’ by

SHAMAL 2019

Mr Rushworth at bowling (or so he would have you believe). Our final day in Moscow was spent seeing Lenin’s mausoleum, visiting the inside of the Kremlin, and being forced to walk up eighteen flights of stairs from the bottom of a Cold War bunker. After hours spent playing in an old Soviet arcade, we boarded the overnight train which would take us to St Petersburg. St Petersburg gave us a much colder climate, but offered us even more exciting views and history lessons which we all enjoyed thoroughly, despite very little sleep from the overnight journey. That evening was spent at Ms Kuznetsova’s childhood home, where we had tea and homemade jam made by her lovely mother, who offered us such kind hospitality and a more personal perspective on the history we had

spent hours reading about. It was a truly beautiful and remarkable evening, which I don’t think any of us will forget. The following day, we visited the Winter Palace and the Hermitage which were absolutely spectacular. We finished the evening off at the Mariinsky Theatre where we saw an unforgettable performance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake – definitely one of the best days! On our last day we visited the Yusupov Palace as well as Catherine Palace, which were stunning and full of history. Unfortunately, our wonderful trip came to an end, and all too soon we were in the airport preparing for the journey home. Overall, it was an absolutely extraordinary trip and one I look back upon fondly. A huge thank you to Mr Rushworth and Ms Kuznetsova, for giving us the opportunity to truly experience history, rather than just learning from a textbook. Nina Mul 12GRO

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

CLASSICS TRIP TO GREECE It was a trip I will never forget, an adventure of a lifetime. One fine morning on 28th March, 28 young explorers and their three more experienced companions assembled for an epic journey to some ancient shores. A mighty iron bird - luckily no waxwings like Icarus – took us to the land of myths and legends. From the sanctuary of Zeus to the temple of Poseidon, we explored many of the ancient wonders of this place. We actually went to the site of one of the Seven Wonders; the temple of Zeus at Olympia. Of course we ran the 200m course of the ‘stade’, a race first run in 776BC, almost 300o years ago! And olive wreaths were awarded on the trip, but for good citizenship, not athletic prowess. Some children (and a teacher) got in trouble at the temple of Apollo

for dancing on some two-thousandyear-old stones. Another child got whistled at for taking photos with her teddy bear. There were always plenty of nominations for ‘clowns of the day’!

Greece; the wonderful, mystical, beautiful Greece. Isabel Strauss 7RVE and Mr J Kimber

The hardest part of our journey was surely the 999 steps to the top of the fortress in Nauplio, and we also braved cold, wet and wild weather at Agamemnon’s Mycenae and the amazing theatre in Epidaurus. Not all of our Dubai ‘waterproofs’ were particularly waterproof! Before too long the mighty iron bird came back to collect us. But it had lost its ‘eye’ and had to be replaced. Staying at the airport for eleven hours was not what we really wanted but we occupied ourselves with our very own DC Winter Olympics – trolley-curling, trolley-sleighing and floor skating. I think it is fair to say that we had our own Odyssey! If you have not figured out by now where I am writing about, it is

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA This trip was such an amazing experience and I will never forget it. It was my first ever overseas trip and I had so much fun learning about the wildlife and the Gumbi tribe’s culture as well as just spending time with the other students. Through learning about the conservation aspects of the reserve as well as learning about all of the different parts that hold together the ecosystem, I feel I can better appreciate all living creatures. Our daily free times were spent in a large group, playing cards – quite a good break from the tech! I also really enjoyed the singing of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ over and over and over and over and over, etc… Queen was definitely a huge hit on the trip. The home stay… I was not sure what to expect; I didn’t know how difficult it would be to communicate with the Gumbi people or our chaperones; I was not sure how involved we would be. I really did not have to worry. The home stay turned out so much better than I could ever have imagined. We were warmly welcomed and I felt truly at home. The villagers and our chaperone were so friendly and easy to talk to. We managed to play some really fun games with the children – even though there was a language barrier – through some super amazing gesticulation and help from our chaperone in translation; we had a great time. I found that the village was quite large, however many of the homesteads were within walking distance of each other. Each homestead had many resident animals such as dogs, chickens, goats and cows. One of my highlights from the home stay was when we attempted to mud plaster a house! The houses in the village are 50

SHAMAL 2019

built by putting logs into the ground like posts and then wire is wrapped around the posts on both sides. In between the wires there are rocks and the whole structure is covered in mud. Mud is used because it keeps the house cool even when the weather is hot, but it has to be reapplied before every summer and that was our job. First, we had to go out and collect the mud, then pick out the weeds, mix it with water until it made a paste type substance and then we used our hands to cover the house in glorious mud. We all managed to get ourselves suitably covered in it – what an amazing memory. I loved learning how to cook the local cuisine of the Gumbi people whilst we were staying with them. We were set the task of cutting vegetables, whilst our chaperone prepared the chicken and cooked the maize for our meal of chicken stew and maize. I thoroughly enjoyed helping out and it made me feel really at home in the village. I also look forward to attempting to recreate this incredible

meal as I brought home the recipe. This trip meant so much to me, it was really a once in a lifetime experience. I enjoyed every second of it - except maybe the bees in the shower and finding giant spiders in the bathrooms. I even came home with the souvenir of tick bite fever! The trip has really made me realise how even if you don’t have much, you can still be the happiest person in the world. That lesson will stick with me forever and it will always remind me of the people that I met in the village. Thank you so much to Ms Dibble, Mrs Romans, the Somkhanda trip guides and Zulu villagers for this unbelievable, once in a lifetime, experience. Amelie Mayne 9SBR

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSERVATION SAFARI On the conservation safari we learned a lot about the ecosystems in South Africa, and the way the conservation and anti-poaching teams can protect and preserve the area. We also learnt from the native tribesmen and guides about the traditional uses for the plants we were seeing. For example, on the first day we went on a bush walk and we encountered a plaster bush that is used by the locals to help with clotting wounds, to slow the bleeding. Some of the animals that we saw every day on the game drive were

the impalas and the nyalas, and although they looked very similar, it was crucial that we could tell them apart for the game count and other conservation activities. Nyalas have a distinctive brown (female)/dark grey (male) coat, with white stripes running vertically from the back to half way down the side. On the other hand, both male and female impala have a brown coat and the only distinguishing features are the horns (only males have horns). On the trip we also learnt about the habits of certain animals, and a great example of this was the elephants. The very first thing that we learned about the elephants, were their favourite trees to uproot to get at the leaves. One of the elephantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite trees is the red ivory tree, so called because of its distinctive red core. The elephants on the reserve also enjoyed eating the fruit from the

marula tree, and this is the only way that marula seeds can germinate, by passing through the digestive system of an animal. We also learnt about the uses of the marula tree leaves in traditional culture. The leaves can be used to predict the gender of an unborn baby, and this is thought to be because marula trees have different gender specimens. Another traditional use of a plant is the use of the buffalo thorn tree leaves to bring the spirit of a deceased family member home if they died away from home. The person using the leaf to collect the relative had to communicate with the leaf as if it was the relative, and they are not allowed to speak to anyone else, otherwise they have to start again. Nicholas Reynolds 9ROD

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

PARIS SORBONNE UNIVERSITY MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE 2019 On 11th April 2019 students from Years 10, 11 and 12 set out for Abu Dhabi for the first day of the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi MUN. For many, this was their first MUN experience - for the rest, this was just another in a long list of conquests. The first day entailed a beginner workshop and the introduction ceremony. There was a wide variety of speakers, including the French Ambassador for the UAE, who gave all of us an insight into what MUN, and its senior counterpart the UN, stand for. Then the game was on. The first committee session was full of passion, adrenaline and learning. Topics ranged from HIV and AIDs to womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, yet every argument was debated with the utmost passion and dedication. The first day passed in an adrenaline-fuelled snap. The conference was over, but the journey of the DC students was not yet at its end for the day. Each student had a two-hour drive back to DC to look forward to! The second day was the longest of all three, with multiple committee sessions. Everything was going according to the schedule when suddenly at 5pm various MUN crisis simulations struck. All of which required the immediate attention of the MUN. Various committees were merged, and DC students were reunited with one another whilst being herded out of their current discussions. What ensued truly was a crisis to be remembered, every student was enthralled whilst the layered story was painted to the merged committees. In the end, speeches were made, solutions were found, and the day drew to a close.

SHAMAL 2019

The final day of MUN. Tensions were high, the resolutions needed to be passed and awards were to be given out. Many resolutions written and signed by DC delegates were passed, but the successes of DC were not limited to the ratification of the resolutions. In total DC won five awards, Aanya Gardi won an Honourable Mention, Vedant Bhansali won Best Delegate, Nikola Pandurovic won Best Research, Yousuf Islam won Honourable Mention and Seyhan Van Khan won Best Research. The successes from most of these students would not have been possible without the Head Delegate

Aanya. It was through her guidance, dedication and teaching in the various MUN club meets that she not only secured an award for herself but also for two first timers and helping everyone in the committee perform to their maximum potential. As well as this, a massive thank you must go to Miss Janan and the other teacher volunteers for all their help. But the final thank you must go to the entire DCMUN community for being there for each other at all times. Vedant Bhansali 10ADA

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

YEAR 8 TRIP TO CHALLENGING ADVENTURE Since a young age, I had always been extremely terrified of heights; whether it was rock climbing or even a simple trek over a mountain, my mind was built up with a sense of fear that stopped me from experiencing some truly magical moments. As soon as I was informed about our Year 8 camp, I instantly had a huge smile spread across my face. From bonfires, survival sessions to even cozy, late night walks… I knew the camp was going to be super exciting! As usual, I ignored the Mountain Climbing section of my pamphlet, hoping to get away from the activity and its heights… But as they say, “You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be.”

It was day 1 of our Year 8 Challenging Adventure Trip and to my surprise, the first event I had to take part in was indeed, the one I had been dreading the most, ‘Mountain Climbing’. Timidly, I moved myself towards the corner of my group, in preparation to excuse myself from the activity. At the time, I had dwelled myself into a bubble of fear; I never thought I would ever be able to face my fear of heights… NEVER! But little did I know that my excuses weren’t going to work. With a warm and comforting smile, both my instructor and form tutor, (Mr O’Boyle) encouraged me to have a go at the activity. And surprisingly… I did! And not only did I have a go at the activity, but I ended up experiencing a truly precious moment that I still treasure till today. With a bit of time and support from my peers, I was able to climb towards the top of the mountain and indeed conquer my fear of heights!

I had such a fantastic time at the Year 8 Challenging Adventure Camp. I made new friends, faced my fears and even created some beautiful memories… Memories that I know I will continue to cherish for as long as I can. Himakshi Shastri 8LOB

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

Y7 TRIP TO UMM AL QUWAIN The 2019 Year 7 residential that took place at Umm al Quwain Marine Club was amazing! There was not one activity or moment where you felt like you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t having a good time. Personally, my highlight of the trip was either kayaking, as we got to play a game called World Domination and knock people off their kayaks, or the house boat where we got to jump and slide off the boat, with nothing between us and the water except a couple of mosquitos! The cabins had a special feeling that you will not find anywhere else, except halfway through a bag of Cheetos. To me this trip was really special because as a year group we all got to develop and form new bonds with each other. I am very thankful for all the effort and hours put into this trip by the teachers and instructors. And I truly do feel sorry for the unfortunate people who just happened to be staying there that weekend! Stef Van Eck 7ASA 54

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

YEAR 8 TRIP TO SPACE CAMP BELGIĂ&#x2039; Everyone who went had a very enjoyable experience. The space camp was amazing because we did lots of different activities. The simulation, where we all had a part to play being a member of ground control or in the cockpit and had to simulate a takeoff of a real spacecraft was a real highlight. We also did virtual reality space walks, zero gravity climbing walls, gyroscopes, building our own rockets and launching them, a chair that spins around and makes your eyes go weird, a talk in a planetarium, a talk about the launching of space rockets, a treasure hunt for facts about the planets, an audio tour through a space museum and a science talk about pressure. Some students were also lucky enough to do biking. We cycled for about three hours and saw the dishes that control all European satellites. At night we went bowling, to an ancient castle and we watched the critically acclaimed movie The Martian. The accommodation was less than ideal and hence is about to undergo a massive renovation but overall it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too bad and the meals were also delicious. On the way to Brussels, we stopped at a beautiful cave in a village called Han. It was very old and full of drip stones (stalagmites). When we arrived at Brussels, we went on a 56

SHAMAL 2019

comic book tour and learnt all about the history of great comics like Tintin. We learnt about chocolate also. Dark chocolate is by far the healthiest. Then we settled in to a lovely dinner at our accommodation called the Train Hostel. This had interesting rooms focused on trains. Later that week, we did things like exploring a train museum with an audio guide, going to MiniEurope, which was a small version of landmarks across Europe and the Atomium which was a big building shaped like several atoms bonded together. We also went to a theme park called Efteling in Holland that had many brilliant rides. We shopped in the centre of Brussels where the chocolate, waffle and comic shops were irresistible. After a fabulous week, it was time to head back to the airport and then home to Dubai. The trip was a huge success. Inigo LeBlanc 8MAB

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

ART AND FRENCH TRIP TO THE LOUVRE ABU DHABI The Year 12 French and Art classes had the great privilege to be part of the trip to Abu Dhabi to visit the Louvre museum, which was both memorable and inspiring for the students who marvelled at the stunning artistry displayed. It is a true sanctuary for the most precious works of art. The museum has been designed by the world-renowned French architect Jean Nouvel to host the exclusive Louvre, which has a 30 year branding and training agreement with the museum from the Louvre in Paris. Upon arrival we were greeted by a serene atmosphere combining light and shadow, beauty and harmony. We remained in awe of the Louvre’s ability to fascinate, below a double dome made of a randomly perforated woven material, providing shade punctuated by bursts of sun. The dome gleams in the Abu Dhabi sunshine, which accentuated through lighting the classic pieces of artwork. The centrepiece dome is a huge silvery metal of 7,850 stars allowing the sunlight to fall through it and create a moving ‘rain of light’. It weighs approximately 7,500 tonnes the same as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to admire masterpieces from Rembrandt and Vermeer from the Dutch Golden Age, along with work from other famous painters such as Van Gogh, Gauguin and Paul Cézanne. I can definitely recommend a guided visit; it is definitely worth it. We would like to extend our thanks to Mrs Bailey for her excellent organisation of this trip and Mr Bernaz who kindly took the time to accompany us. Elena Caspall 12CTE 58

SHAMAL 2019

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TRIPS

ART DUBAI & ALSERKAL AVENUE As an artist you are always searching for exciting new sources of inspiration, that one piece of work that will spark off a whole series of new ideas and send your mind reeling with the urge to create your own art. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Dubai event at Alserkal Avenue was the perfect opportunity for Dubai College students to make these exciting discoveries. Wandering through the various galleries we took in art works of all different kinds ranging from striking photography and prints to bold sculpture and textiles, all done by artists from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our time there seemed incredibly brief, as we struggled to absorb the eclectic range of work that we were met with, but it was undeniably an interesting and creatively stimulating experience for any art student. Upon arriving at Alserkal we excitedly began exploring, ready to learn and see as much as physically possible of the art on display. We all entered a nearby gallery where the curator treated us to a talk about the

work which was on display, providing us with an intriguing insight into the mind of the artist, as a view into what really inspires people to produce their work. Moving into another building we became eager to learn more about a local artist whose name is very familiar to many GCSE and A Level Art students - Hasan Sharif. His found object sculptures compiled of items such as shoes and rope are iconic. The fact that we had all at some point studied his work made being able to see and examine these pieces up close a fascinating experience. After these talks we all spread out in an attempt to try and cover the vast quantity of art on display with our cameras at the ready and notebooks and pencils prepared to record every aspect of our experience at the event. Needless to say this proved nearly impossible. However, by the time we had to move on to the next section of Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah we had all had the valuable opportunity to see such a wide variety of work by new and unique artists that everyone who came was undoubtedly inspired. Elena Caspall 12CTE

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

MATHS SOC

at school. Throughout the academic year, we have visited assemblies to celebrate the successes of the multiple UKMT rounds that have taken place, had guests come in to introduce competitions such as the KenKen and even had the largest ever UKMT round, of 120 people! We had eight established mathematicians visit Vienna and perform very well, with both teams placing in the top 50% and having some interesting adventures!

earnestly working on puzzles ranging from simple sequences to logic problems involving murders and even cross numbers, we really had our work cut out for us! Leading up to the event, multiple after school times were spent arranging the puzzles into folders and making sure the venue was perfectly arranged to welcome over 100 Year 11 students to Dubai College. The event went off with a few hiccups but those are always expected.

An event significant to us this year is the organising of the Year 11 DMSL round. Before going any further, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the team of thirteen Year 12s that helped out massively throughout the process. The month leading up to the 6th December was stressful to say the least. It might be safe to say that the maths department was temporarily banned from the reprographics room (maybe an eco-friendly step back this time!). With Year 12 further mathematicians

On our behalf, as well as on behalf of the rest of the Maths Society, we would like to thank Mr Almond for his continued support and perseverance over the course of the year and from us to the next heads of Maths Society: good luck and enjoy the responsibility, we’re always here to help if you need us!

KENKEN

the creator of this puzzle (Tetsuya Miyamoto) intended it to mean ‘intelligence squared’.

KenKen is a mathematical and logical puzzle, similar to sudoku. There is a square grid, from a 3x3 to a 9x9 which must be solved. Like sudoku, you can use each number once in every row and column. The challenge for this puzzle, however, is doing the puzzle so that the ‘cages’ are filled in properly. Every year there is a competition for KenKen. The name KenKen is derived from the Japanese word intelligence, or cleverness, and

The first round, also known as the school round, takes place in March. From all the competitors in the UAE, about 70% get through to the next round. People who pass that round qualify for the Emirates level round, which takes place in September, and around 40% of the remaining students pass to the National round. This round is very difficult, however. Only one person from each category (there are six categories, according

to age) is selected to represent his or her school in New York. Nonetheless, the top twenty students from each category are presented with an award in a felicitation ceremony that takes place a couple of months after the final.

It’s funny how a passion for a subject or a field of interest can help you to make new relationships that are mutually beneficial for everyone involved. What Maths Soc accomplished this year cannot be undervalued. From hosting our first ever DMSL round to being crowned the champions of the DMSL overall, we feel the efforts of our mathematicians are the first thing that should be appreciated. Behind the scenes, we have taken an eco-friendly step by eliminating paper in the puzzle of the week and going completely digital. A weekly email and merit distribution method thanks to Viraj Ramakrishnan has made the lives of Puzzle Society multiple times easier. Thanks to our meetings every term, the year progressed smoothly with various maths-related activities taking place

SHAMAL 2019

Aakanksha Deb 12ACR Ali Tabba 12CHO

Over the past few years, DC has achieved immense success with KenKen. Aryaman Chawla was selected to go to New York, where he won. Furthermore, our school has every year since had people in the top twenty students who were presented with awards.

ACTIVITIES

ISMTF On the 15th March, eight Dubai College students embarked on a journey to Vienna to attend what would turn out to be one of the most challenging maths competitions they had ever been to. They were: Kerem Edis, Suryansh Loya, Viraj Ramakrishnan, Benedict Hall, Mikail Khawaja, Sausthava Malakar, Edward Davies and Sylvie Waft. This was ISMTF, the International Schools Mathematics Teacher Foundation competition, a competition that tasked several hundred students from all over the world to solve problems.

After touching down in Austria, we made our way to the hotel, then familiarised ourselves with the city – trying out the Bratwurst (Austrian sausage) and other street-side delicacies, as well as admiring the many architectural wonders of the city. The next day, the competition began. First the individual round – ten rounds of ten minutes each – each question more mind-bending than the last. And then, after a small break, the group round; six rounds of three even more fiendish questions for us to puzzle over, but this time as groups of three. After that day of gruelling but enlightening maths, we had the

Sunday Chase – where we roamed the school in search of maths puzzles to solve. For the next two days, we explored the cultural city of Vienna – we ate acclaimed cake, we saw soaring buildings, we sampled the local food, and even tried our hand at an escape room. Overall, it was a brilliant trip that challenged us to the maximum, but also allowed us to widen our view of the world. We would like to thank Mr Almond for giving us this brilliant opportunity. Viraj Ramakrishnan 12AST

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

YEAR 7 DUBAI MATHS SUPER LEAGUE On Monday 29th April 2019, Dubai College took eight Year 7 students to the Dubai Maths Super League. Team 1 (DC Red) consisted of Fawaz Sharaf, Byunghoon Kim, Kantaro Ishida and Aleeza Ahmed. Abhir Kewalramani, Yeonsoo Park, Rushabh Jain and Aditya Ganesh made up Team 2 (DC Blue). We arrived at Jebel Ali School, the school that was hosting the Year 7 DMSL and waited in the auditorium, for the rest of the schools to arrive. There were 32 teams altogether, from schools including Repton, English College, DESC, JESS Arabian Ranches and NAS. The first round was the Kahoot round. We had one device between us. The amount of correct answers mattered more than the speed in which you answered the questions. DC Red won, EC Blue came second

YEAR 9 DUBAI MATHS SUPER LEAGUE The Dubai Maths Super League is one of the few rare opportunities where the brightest mathematical minds from all over Dubai compete against each other, all representing their school and hoping to win. This competition is put together on a yearly basis, each year at a different school in a fun-filled environment. Eight students are picked to represent the school to form two teams of four students. For the Year 9 competition on 14th February, Dubai College was proudly represented by Aman Burman, Maharu Gunasekara, Pranav Sangwan, Aditya Sridhar, in team DC 1. Advay Chawla, Sasha DarrĂŠ-Pavlowsky, Ananya Gupta, Joshua Gustaveson comprised DC 2. This 62

SHAMAL 2019

and DC Blue came third. The next round was the Treasure Hunt, where you had to start at a station and use the answer to your question to locate another question, until you ended up coming back to your first station. The aim was to try to do as many questions as possible before the time ran out. We managed to complete quite a few questions. Next, was the Crossnumber round. In our teams of four, two of us would have to use the vertical clues, and two of us would have to use the horizontal clues. The Crossnumber round was challenging. After that, we had the construction round. We had to build the tallest tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows. We had originally built a tall tower, however in the attempt to make it even taller, we made it collapse. Luckily, we managed to save part of it and continued to build.

Overall, DC Red finished in 1st place and DC Blue achieved 2nd place. It was an amazing achievement for both teams. This meant that Dubai College also won the DMSL overall, from Year 7 to Year 11. DMSL was a fantastic learning experience, enabling us to develop our problem-solving skills while enjoying some healthy competition against other schools. Aleeza Ahmed 7STE

The final round was the Relay round. We had completed many difficult problem-solving questions by the time we ran out of time, managing to get many of them correct and scoring points for our team.

year the competition consisted of ten schools namely; DC, WIS, JESS, Hartland, JC, Kent, Repton, Jebel Ali, Sunmarke and DESC, making a total of 20 teams. In this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super League, there were three rounds, each with a different theme. The first round consisted of about 30 questions which we had to solve as a team with many problem-solving styled questions. DC 1 prevailed to finish top with DC 2 finishing close behind, coming tied second with WIS 2. The second round was a Kahoot round including two Kahoots, each with 20 questions. The questions were a mixture of the history of maths and various mental maths questions. DC 1 and DC 2 came first and third respectively in the first Kahoot but attained third and second respectively with WIS 2 in the lead for the second Kahoot. In the third and final round of the competition, WIS 2 and DC 1 were

neck and neck. Each team of four was split into two. The last round was a relay where each pair had to answer UKMT styled questions and the number of questions answered correctly from each pair was combined. As the round came to an end, all the results were collated and calculated. All the teams in the competition anxiously waited for the results hoping their hard work had paid off. Finally, the time had come to call out the results. We sat on the edges of our seats, tense and hopeful. Out of all the rounds, DC 2 achieved third place with WIS 2 coming a close second place, whilst the DC 1 team brought home the gold medal! All in all, the Dubai Maths Super League was a remarkable event. Aman Burman 9MWD Pranav Sangwan 9AYO

ACTIVITIES

DUBAI MATHS SUPER LEAGUE YEAR 10 WINNERS The Dubai Maths Super League is a highly anticipated competition that brings many schools and students together to contest their maths skills. It is designed to spread and encourage the beauty of maths, bringing problem-solving to a new level and improving team synergy and communication. Eight Year 10 students were chosen and split into two groups to compete against the

many other schools and teams. This competition took place on the morning of Sunday 25th November at Repton School and lasted four hours. The overall structure was divided into four competitive rounds. The first round consisted of complex algorithms which challenged us to absorb new information and apply it. The second round was based around logic puzzles and putting common sense into action. The third round comprised of unfamiliar Japanese geometrical theorems and problems, called Sangaku, and the fourth and final round was a running relay containing questions derived from UKMT-style questions.

Dubai College was once again triumphant. Team DC X brought the trophy back with pride, this being the third year in a row that Year 10 has won the competition. Many thanks to Repton for hosting this enjoyable competition, to the many teachers and students involved in organising this day, and finally to the 31 teams who were privileged to compete. Kian Kazranian 10SGA

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

COBIS DEBATING COMPETITION ROMANIA After seven years of honing our skills, five Year 13 students along with Mrs Hodge set out for one last debating battle, this time in Romania. Whilst debating was the main focus of our trip, we were exposed to so much more on top of this; exploring the culture of Bucharest, spending quality time chatting with each other in local restaurants and getting dressed up for a formal dinner, were just a few of our

SHAMAL 2019

memorable experiences. The tournament itself can only be described as a whirlwind! Building a watertight case in the prep room was definitely a frantic process, but the adrenaline rush paid off when we each took the floor and articulated our arguments. We earned quite a reputation amongst judges and other students, being given the questionable epithet of ‘The Death Team’! Our killer tactics did end up paying off, enabling us to get through to the cup final against the host school in Bucharest. We opposed the motion ‘This house believes that the teaching of science and technology is more important than that of the arts’ - a

side well suited to a team not only with mathematicians and physicists, but also bookworms and literature junkies! It was fulfilling and poignant when we won this final debate, as we realised that we were nearing the end of our debating journey at Dubai College. Reaching this climax of debating was all thanks to our irreplaceable coach Mrs Hodge. She held the fabric of our team together, and it was her erudite advice, unwavering faith in us and joyful presence that made the trip unforgettable. We will miss you next year Mrs Hodge and we hope the debating tradition continues. Jaimini Patel 13ACR

ACTIVITIES

GULF DEBATES COMPETITION On 23rd November 2018 ten DC teams arrived at Jumeirah College for the annual Gulf Debates Competition. This year proved record-breaking in many ways for the Debating Society at DC – the most teams entered into the competition, the most prizes won, and the longest Gulf Debates ever (at a gruelling fifteen hours). Christopher Hitchens proclaimed that “time spent arguing is never wasted” and this characterised our time at the competition - despite periodic grumbles about the long waits, it was fifteen hours well spent. In true Gulf Debates fashion, some good-natured intra-school rivalry was present alongside the usual interschool debates. The DC Junior A and Junior B teams were pitted against each other for the Plate finals, with the A team ultimately securing the award and the B team receiving the prize for runners-up. Our DC Senior A team remained undefeated throughout the competition and took home the Plate award in the senior division. The DC Senior B team received runnersup for the Bowl prize. Individual speakers within the competition also received recognition - Diptasri Gupta was presented with the award for 4th Best Speaker within the senior division, while Yash Bhansali won overall Senior Best Speaker. Both individuals were also offered the opportunity to attend trials for the UAE debate team. Notwithstanding the accolades won by Team DC, the most valuable achievements of the day were heightened debate skills, (immense amounts of) patience, and poise in the face of frustration. The levels of maturity and intellectual curiosity displayed in the debates by DC students and by participants from other schools were commendable, across age divisions and levels of debating experience. Diptasri Gupta 12BCH

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

DC MUN 2019 On 17th-19th January, Dubai College hosted its third annual Model United Nations Conference (DCMUN 2019), welcoming hundreds of students from schools around the United Arab Emirates for a weekend of intense debate, high-level negotiation, and conflict resolution. With an overarching theme titled ‘The State of Digital Affairs’, technology was the central issue underpinning the discussions in each committee, whether it be ‘the Right to Privacy in the Digital Era’ in the United Nations Human Rights Council or the ‘Equitable Dissemination of Information on the Internet’ in the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development. On the first day of DCMUN 2019, conference participants were welcomed with a fascinating speech by Simon Hosking, a former British diplomat with two decades of FCO experience in Chile, India, and the 66

SHAMAL 2019

United States (including at the UN), followed by an introductory committee session and a social night with shawarmas, ice cream, a DJ, and a photo booth! On the second day of DCMUN 2019, delegates convened in their respective intergovernmental committees, debating and discussing a host of issues specific to their committees. By the next day, students had their learning curves tested to ninety degrees - perhaps fittingly so given the fast-paced nature of contemporary politics - with a highly complex crisis committee simulation involving all delegates. Here, students were tasked with drafting policies and formulating government stances on the ongoing Huawei crisis, drawing on the knowledge they had acquired in their individual committees to articulate a range of different viewpoints. The DCMUN conference this year brought together secondary school delegates to brainstorm solutions to a range of problems of international importance and the Secretariat could

not be prouder of all the delegates, who truly exemplified the spirit of diplomacy throughout the weekend. The Secretariat would also like to congratulate Wajih Zaman, Ali Tabba, Himakshi Shastri, Euan Clague, Kaivalya Vohra, Ibrahim Yaqub, Davey Jackson and Aryamaan Mohta for all being the recipients of individual awards, and the British School Al Khubairat for receiving the Best Delegation prize. There are so many people we would like to thank for their support of DCMUN 2019, including all committee staff, student and teacher volunteers, the Men in Blue, Mrs Williams, Mrs Benade, Mrs Kirkaldy, Mrs Campbell, Mr Agent, Mrs Machado and Mr Dennis. Lastly (but certainly not least), we would like to thank Mrs Greenlees and Miss Jalal for their invaluable role in ensuring the success of the conference. We would not have been able to do it without you! Shumraze Fawad 13SFO

ACTIVITIES

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK This year the Geography department completed an overhaul of its fieldwork programme. This included Year 12 looking at and collecting data on urban land use in and around Dubai Marina. They collected primary and secondary data to complete a mock Non-Examined Project, which they will use to complete their independent inquiry in the 2019 summer holidays. This will count for 20% of their A Level. Year 10 and Year 11 completed three fieldwork days looking at the changes in environmental quality, together with the economic characteristics of an area. We also looked at the impact of sea defences at Mercato beach in Dubai. This data will be used to answer questions in Paper 3 of their GCSEs. All of Year 9 completed a project looking at Masdar City; they collected data in and around the city and made an informed decision on the future of sustainable living. We are also delighted with the support shown for our inaugural annual trip to Iceland in November 2019 and 50 GCSE students will be attending; exploring the amazing and magical Icelandic landscape. Mr N Thomas Head of Geography

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

THE FORUM A forum is ‘a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged’. Stemming from Ancient Rome, it is a place where open discussions are held on political, academic and other intellectual issues. Dubai College’s ‘The Forum’ is exactly this. It meets every few weeks on a Sunday afternoon for engaging and lively scholarly debate. A panel of two or three teachers present on a broad theme, and a Chair then prompts and encourages discussion between students and teachers. The themes from the 2018-2019 season of The Forum have been Gender and The Body, Warfare, Nature, The Good Life and Money. These themes

invite conversations that span all the academic subjects included here at Dubai College, as well as others that are not, such as Philosophy and the History of Art. As a result, The Forum caters to students’ intellectual needs outside of the pressure of exams and the restrictions of the formal curriculum. The Forum is by no means aimed solely at students of arts and humanities subjects, it is an academic symposium that discusses and makes links between all aspects of all disciplines. The theme of the February episode of The Forum, for example, was Nature. At this event Mrs Lambert indulged the English students amongst us, whilst Mr Pernasilici, on the other hand, considered the importance of nature in a scientific context, looking at Feynman’s concept of

the inconceivable nature of nature; this was especially interesting for someone like myself, an arts and humanities student, as I was able to immerse myself in the sciences, something that I have not been able to do since my GCSEs. The Forum’s events truly are the most exciting in the academic calendar; they give students the opportunity to participate in fascinating discussions with their peers, as well as allowing them to communicate with their teachers in an even more intellectually mature manner than in the classroom. Plus, these events do not simply feed the soul via their intellectual presentations and conversations; Kit-Kats and juice help feed the inevitable after-school cravings. Gabriella Crick Lewis 12RDI

SHAMAL 2019

ACTIVITIES

STEM TALKS STEM Talks provide a platform for passionate STEM enthusiasts to come together and share their ideas on the various branches of STEM. The club was founded by Aparna Sridhar, Shruti Krishnamoorthy and Tricia Chua from Year 12, along with Divraj Singh and Pritvik Sinhadc, and it runs under the constant support and mentorship of Dr Stormont. The club was founded with the vision of providing STEM aspirants with an opportunity to speak in front of an audience, who share the same passion for the subject. This year, there have been sixteen internal speakers, who

have addressed extremely interesting topics, such as; ‘When does a foetus gain the right to life?’, ‘History and Future of Quantum Mechanics’, ‘Food Technology and Junk Food Advertisements’ and ‘HTML Coding’. Recently, we’ve had Mr Teasel also give a talk about ‘Science of Human Biases: Is almost all decision making flawed?’, where he delved into how bias affects our decisions and judgments and considered whether almost all decision making is flawed. The club also periodically invites external speakers to share their thoughts and enrich the understanding of the STEM enthusiasts. On Monday the 15th of April, Professor Vukusic from the University of Exeter gave our aspiring

Year 12 Science students a talk on the topic of ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful: The science of Light, Colour and Appearance’, where he unified Physics, Chemistry and Biology with deep and insightful discussions about the themes of light, colour and bio-inspired technologies. Following that, on the 22nd April, we had Mr Gary West, Managing Director of Future Mobility of General Motors Middle East, speak about ‘Future of Mobility; Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric’. In this talk, he addressed various topics relating to the core goals of General Motors, and introduced the immense and astounding progress the automobile industry has made so far, and the exciting futuristic advancements that are yet to come. Lately, Mr Julian Lambert gave us an insight into the energy industry, especially the liquified natural gas field, while also inspiring our aspiring engineers from DC, with his experience gained from working with several major oil and gas companies, such as Conono. STEM Talks Committee Twitter: @Dcol_Stem Website: https://bit.ly/2Hj2s09

SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

SENIOR SHOWCASE CONCERT The Senior Showcase concert took place on the 27th November in the auditorium of Dubai College. The senior musicians put on a terrific display of their amazing talents and performed to staff and parents at the end of what was a long and hard inspection week! The Senior Orchestra and Choir performed beautifully Lux Aeterna by the American composer Morten Lauridsen. The orchestra also supported two members of DC Sixth Form in their concerto movements: Joonwoo Jeong performed Haydnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cello Concerto in C with real passion and aplomb, while Tamsin Rose played the Introduction Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint Saens beautifully on her violin. Both musicians have passed their diplomas on their respective instruments and our congratulations go to them for their efforts and achievements. Ms J LeeFoster Director of Music SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

MUSIC AND MINCE PIES The legendary Music and Mince Pies concert took place at the end of a very long and hard term. But that did not stop the passion and energy being brought to the stage by both students and staff alike in what was an unforgettable Christmas Concert! The Beginner Band, Brass Ensemble and Concert Band have a new Director: Mr Adrian Lane joined the Music Department as their new Head

SHAMAL 2019

of Wind and Brass in September. And what a difference he made in just one term! We heard 30 brass students assemble to play carols outside the auditorium even before the concert began, which was stunning and set the tone brilliantly. The Beginner Band sounded amazingly good - perhaps even the best ever - and the Concert Band was one of the highlights with Pirates of the Caribbean. The Chamber Choir performed Bohemian Rhapsody again, but this time without music and with actions to match. This was definitely another highlight! Intermediate Band were incredible,

with their rendition of Thriller under the steady baton of Miss Winters. Power Rock united both the Intermediate and Beginner Band. Another new and wonderful idea: having 100 instrumentalists on stage at once! The Strings sounded simply sumptuous, with their enthusiastic director Miss Vaskinova. All three guitar groups wowed us with their festive arrangements and carefully rehearsed songs. The chamber music programme has really taken off in the Music Department now - with Flute

MUSIC Choir, Clarinet Quartet, the String Quartet and two saxophone quartets performing their jolly Christmas pieces in the second half. As always the Junior Choir performed Anthem from Chess beautifully and a lovely, simple arrangement of Silent Night by Pentatonix. It was the finale that got everyone moving and grooving. Anahita and Ritvik sang awesome solos with the Jazz Band. Then all the choirs, strings and Jazz Band combined, with Ms LeeFoster conducting everyone in the Auditorium singing White

Christmas, The Christmas Song and Santa Claus is Cominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to Town . The Jazz Quartet came together to see the audience home. It was a long night, but so worth it! Congratulations to all involved; huge thanks to all the students who took part and to the Music Department for their hard work. Ms J LeeFoster Director of Music

SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

YMoG Young Musicians of the Gulf

YOUNG MUSICIANS OF THE GULF 2019 The Young Musicians of the Gulf competition took place last week at St Christopher’s School in Bahrain, with over 150 musicians taking part from various schools from around the GCC. Dubai College entered 21 students for the competition, each preparing meticulously for their performances. 18 students got through to round two of the competition which was a terrific achievement. The second round is a difficult round, with each category having a set piece requiring to be performed by each performer. The students knew that this is where it counts. The judges had to get their decisions from 90 performances 74

SHAMAL 2019

down to just 16. DC had 7 entries out of the 16 performances in the semifinals! Zakir Siddiqui and Finn Page competed for the Male Vocal Prize, while Sausthava Malakar, Aryaman Chawla and Xiaolin Zhang competed for the Keyboard Prize. Tom Jarvis played beautifully for the Woodwind Prize. The Chamber Choir were up against St Christopher’s infamous chamber choir ‘Jawhara’ in the semis. Despite DC performing beautifully and having won the Vocal Ensemble prize last year, it was St Christopher’s turn to win the title this year. The final is always an exciting and prestigious black tie event held in the ballroom of the Sofitel Hotel. Finn Page, Aryaman Chawla, Xiaolin Zhang and Tom Jarvis took part in the final and all performed amazingly well, showing aplomb and impressive musicality. Huge congratulations go to Aryaman for winning the

overall Young Musician of the Gulf Prize, to Tom Jarvis for winning the Woodwind and Runner Up prizes, to Finn Page for winning the Male Vocal Prize and to Xiaolin Zhang for winning the Keyboard Prize. Thanks and congratulations also go to Mr Hardman and Mr Bowler for their piano accompanying and time preparing the students for such an event. All the students who took part prepared and performed exceedingly well and showed great camaraderie and grace throughout the trip. It was impressive to see such positive ambassadors representing the College. Ms J LeeFoster Director of Music

MUSIC

CHOIRFEST MIDDLE EAST COMPETITION 2019 The first round of Choir Fest 2019 took place at GEMS Wellington Silicon Oasis on Thursday 28th February. The choir competed against 28 other schools who had already performed earlier on in the week and were one of six choirs selected to compete in the final at Dubai Opera on 9th March. They performed three songs beautifully; Bogoroditse Devo by Rachmaninoff followed by Con te Partiro accompanied by a string quartet, piano and side drum and finished with a riproaring Marvin Gaye number Ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t no Mountain High Enough complete with slickly rehearsed moves. Having won the competition last year, sadly it was not our year to take home any prizes despite performing extremely well. However, the whole day and performance in the Opera House was a wonderful and exhilarating experience for everyone who took part. Ms J LeeFoster Director of Music SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

IN THE MOOD

JAZZ CONCERT - IN THE MOOD As ever an eagerly-anticipated event in the school calendar, this year’s annual Jazz Concert held on Tuesday 16th April showcased some of our most talented students as well as the flagship Jazz Band and other advanced ensembles. Entitled ‘In the Mood’, the evening kicked off with the Jazz Band performing this popular Glenn Miller standard from the 1930s, followed by other key repertoire from the era. This was followed by stylish performances of the famous Peggy Lee hit, Fever, by Anahita Kashyap (voice) and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Reva Poddar (flute). Mesmerising audiences with 76

SHAMAL 2019

their virtuosic realisations of pieces by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Chick Corea, the Jazz Quartet this year reached a peak. Many complex improvisations were tackled by Tom Jarvis (saxophone) and Aryan Oberoi (kit), underpinned by skilful bassist Suryansh Loya. Other Jazz Band numbers included Kurt Weil’s Mack the Knife, with Ritvik Ramnath as soloist. A particular highlight this year was the debut of DC’s newly formed Dixie Band, directed by Mr Lane. Their second piece, the gospel number, O When The Saints, had the punters feet-tapping and even featured a solo improvisation on the tuba, played by Sourav Roy. As a finale to the concert, the Jazz Band took to the stage again playing Blue Skies, by Irving Berlin. This included a jazzy solo by

Hannah Burton on trumpet. Finally, Casey Bell took to the floor to give a stylish rendition of the famous Aretha Franklin number, Respect. This was a fitting tribute to the iconic soul singer and civil rights activist, who passed away in the last year. A big thank you to all the performers, soloists and comperes for a sterling job! A special mention should go to our five Jazz Band members who leave us at the end of this year - Tara Desai, Zakir Siddiqui, James Taylor, Anders Mahesan and Aryan Oberoi. Mr A Crawford Head of Creative Arts & Head of Academic Music

MUSIC

SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

SPRING CONCERT The Spring Concert was a fantastic celebration of music featuring choirs, ten ensembles, four bands and a symphony orchestra complete with soloist! The first half featured the bands and we enjoyed music from Adele, Chicago, Mission Impossible, South American rumbas Birdland and Oye Como Va, as well as music from Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ode to Joy and The Love Theme from The Godfather. This year the performances were of such a high standard thanks to Mr Adrian Lane taking over the Beginner Band and Concert Band. The progress the Beginner Band have made since Music and Mince Pies is immeasurable! The second half featured Joseph Plumtree as soloist playing Meditation from Thais by Massenet with the Symphony Orchestra. He played beautifully from memory while the strings sounded impressive gently supporting his lyrical, melodic line. The Senior Choir and Chamber Choir both performed with real gusto and commitment while the Senior Guitars played an intimate rendition of several short dance movements by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. As always the evening ended with the Jazz Band performing Blues Skies and American Patrol. It was truly one of the best concerts at Dubai College, demonstrating such a variety of talent, skills and successes of DC students. Huge congratulations to all those who performed and sincere thanks to all the music staff and colleagues who put so much into making this concert such a success. Ms J LeeFoster Director of Music

SHAMAL 2019

MUSIC

HOUSE MUSIC 2018 The House Music Competition started earlier than usual in Week 3 of the first term. With over one hundred performances through the Junior, Intermediate and Senior heats and semi-finals, the competition culminated in the Grand Final in the Music Department which took place on Wednesday 10th October. Congratulations to everyone who took part, gaining valuable points for their houses and particular credit goes to the following finalists: Ensemble Winners: Lily Barnett and Tarini Tipnis Junior Category: Xiaolin Zhang Intermediate Category: Sourav Roy Senior Category: Aryan Oberoi Overall Winner: Tom Jarvis Winning House: Barbarossa Mr R Dennis Director of Extra Curricular Activities SHAMAL 2019

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

BRONZE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD As daunting as the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award expedition sounds, it was nothing like I expected. Instead of worrying about the long walk 80

SHAMAL 2019

ahead, I was stressing about my overfilled backpack and how I was going to lug it with me around the desert. With a restless night’s sleep and bags filled to the brim with food, clothes, a tent and a sleeping bag, my group and I huddled around the school buses filming the intro to our video diary that we had set as our journey goal, and preparing ourselves for the long journey ahead of us to Fossil Rock in Sharjah. We had now learned our lessons after our practice journey and were now packed and ready for the gruelling walk from

checkpoint to checkpoint. Unlike our practice journey, we weren’t as lucky with the weather and the heat had slowly increased by a few degrees therefore making a five minute walk on sand seem like a tough mission to complete. We spent our valuable weekend staring into maps and compasses and working our way across the barren land. As rigorous as our journey was, each kilometre we walked was also packed with laughter and memories that I’m sure none of us will forget.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

With smiles on our faces, we arrived at our campsite only to be welcomed by a camel and its newborn calf. We somehow managed to set up our tent and almost inhaled our lunch boxes filled with snacks and healthy bars. Some of us who still had a little bit of energy decided to walk up a massive sand dune and as tiring as that was to do after the first day of the expedition, the views from the top were definitely worth it. As the sun set, we slowly made our way to our ‘kitchen’ of sorts and started to prepare our gourmet Michelin

star meals - such as uncooked pasta and pot noodles. Chatting away, we prepared our beds in our tents and slept as if knocked out to prepare us for the rest of the journey. The next day, we packed up our things and got ready to head off for the first leg of the journey back home. Luckily the terrain was slightly rockier rather than sandy, but reaching the buses was quite satisfying. As much fun as each one of us had, we were more than ready to head back to the comfort of our own homes. The trip

certainly taught us a lot of things like teamwork and mapping skills that may prove useful in the future, but also gifted us a plethora of memories to hang onto and reminisce about. I already can’t wait to start the next level of the Duke of Edinburgh award. Priyanka Israni 10CMM

SHAMAL 2019

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

SILVER DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD A school record of 90 Year 11 students embarked on their Silver DofE experience this year. For our practice expedition we headed for the cool breeze of the Northern Hajar Mountains in the border region of Fujairah and Ras al Khaimah. The Rocky mountain roads proved tough in some places and notably ‘the hill’ up to the day two campsite threatened to derail some best laid plans. However, the participants, were to a man and woman resolute

SHAMAL 2019

in their determination. During the course of the weekend they were 100% self-sufficient. They had to work in their groups to navigate, cook, put up their tents and support each other. Staff were impressed how well each of the 15 groups worked together to successfully complete their expedition. It is always a real pleasure to get out of the city for the weekend and a really different and valuable experience for all students involved. Our second trip was scheduled to take place down in the big dunes of Sweihan Abu Dhabi where the ever present North Star legend Bruce has been busy plotting new routes to take on. However, it was not to be in 2019 and we decamped to the fossil rock area. The day one heat was causing

a problem and the local chemist was duly emptied of rehydrate salts. However, the weather looked kindly down on the participants and day two and three where cooler and significantly easier on the body and mind. As is evident in the photos everyone stayed in good spirits for the duration and I’d just like to thank them for the ‘good craic’, humour, and company. I would also like to thank, on behalf of all the students, all the staff who routinely give up their weekends year in, year out to ensure the trips run successfully. I know DC and the students are immensely grateful. Mr J McIlveen Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator & SLE: Digital Skills

DUKE OF EDINBURGHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

SHAMAL 2019

DUKE OF EDINBURGHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

GOLD DUKE OF EDINBURGHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL AWARD At Dubai College, we have over 250 students in total taking part in the International Duke of Edinburgh Award, with approximately 25 going through to Gold Award level each year. In order to achieve their Gold Award, pupils must complete a personal programme of activities in five sections; Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition, and Residential. The variety on offer will mean they could find themselves helping people or the community, improving their fitness, developing new skills, going on an expedition and taking part in a residential activity. This year we were pleased to have five students who, through grit, determination and perseverance, managed to complete their award in time for the UAE Gold Award Ceremony in Dubai on Monday 25th March, the first ceremony of its kind in the UAE. The event was a great success and a beautiful ceremony. We were very proud of what everyone had achieved to get to that point. Congratulations to all the Gold Award recipients! Mrs S Thompson Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator 84

SHAMAL 2019

DUKE OF EDINBURGHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

On Monday 25th March, four of our Year 13 students were presented their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award by Prince Edward. This is a fantastic achievement for these students who have worked so hard to complete all areas of the award; skills, service, physical, a residential project and of course, the adventurous journey expedition. Absent: Sasha Verrall

Halfway through a four-day, hot and dusty 70km trek for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, we all had moments when we questioned our decision to sign up. A year later, as I received my Gold Award from Prince Edward, I knew it was worth all the effort. I loved my residential project, where I planned a five-day STEM camp for young girls in India, and I greatly enjoyed improving my skills in both cello and pilates. The award has been a fantastic test of grit and perseverance, and taking part in the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Gold Award ceremony was an exciting way to finish the journey. Sylvie Waft 13ACR Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award has equipped me with many skills that will

undoubtedly serve me in the future and I am extremely proud to have completed the Gold Award. Firstly, the trek was a very challenging, physically draining experience which taught me the importance of team work and organisation. However, it is easy to forget about the three other activities that contribute towards the award, as well as the personal project. My volunteer work at a special needs centre was particularly enriching. Working with young children with a wide range of disabilities allowed me to develop my empathy and patience, two personal attributes that will certainly benefit me in my future career as a doctor. Overall, completing the award requires a high level of dedication and commitment, yet I strongly believe that the time and effort I dedicated towards the

award was worthwhile and I would definitely recommend the Gold Award. Sasha Verrall 13GJE Completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award from Bronze through to Gold has allowed the past three years of my extra-curricular and school activities to be guided by altruism, determination and dedication. Whilst trekking for four days in a desert, getting lost in a wadi and enduring a sandstorm made me at times question my commitment, to look back and reflect on the understanding, experiences and skills the award has allowed me to gain gives a great sense of achievement. Hannah Parry 13SPE SHAMAL 2019

GOLF

SHAMAL 2019

GOLF

SHAMAL 2019

GOLF

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC 2019 Many a great golfing hero has appeared at the top of the leader board at the Dubai Desert Classic but there has been one name missing: Davidson. During the last 27 years, Mr Davidson has been the lynchpin of the Desert Classic for Dubai College. He has worked tirelessly to give hundreds of students an unforgettable experience as match scorers and scoreboard operators. His high standards, meticulous planning, attention to detail and unwavering commitment have ensured that the students have been superb ambassadors for the school on the world golfing stage, while simultaneously having the time of their lives. Shirts, caps, car park passes, vouchers and schedules appear as if by magic just before the tournament. Behind that magic are hours of meetings, training sessions and hard work, all of which often go unnoticed. As Mr Davidson moves on, I would like to thank him for being our unsung golfing hero, on behalf of all the staff and students over many years who have had the privilege of being part of such a prestigious event. Miss E John

SHAMAL 2019

GOLF

SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

1. Abdul Haseeb Mirza portable abs roller 2. Adam Jabri safe kettle pourer for ‘arthritic’ hands 3. Yousuf Yaqub mechanical gimbal for GoPro 4. Atunya Agrawal water bottle waist holster 5. Aranya Gupta collapsible/expandable healthy drinks bottle 6. Arran Shah adjustable size bike grows with the early learner 90

SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

8 GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

7. Brennan Mahesan stowaway skipping rope 8. Disha Kewalramani ergonomic walking crutch for the elderly 9. Benjamin Morris flat-pack workout bench/lounge furniture 10. Divraj Singh tea light work light amplifier SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY 12

13 14

11. Holly Hickman ‘converti-poles’ hiking poles which transform into a small camping table 12. Jack Gravestock prosthetic aids for overcoming serious hand injury 13. Ibrahim Zaidi reflexology foot massager 14. Francis Evers launch-ball outdoor/beach game 92

SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

15. John De Vilhena Rees flat pack/portable light/heavy sustainable dumbbells 16. Lara Elliott key-grip for ‘arthritic ‘ hands 17. Manan Gupta flat pack/ portable seating posture aid 18. Kashif Syed football boot holder 19. Lucy Burrell plate designed to promote healthy eating SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

20 21

GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

20. Matthew Hardie easy store/ easy get fruit and veg fridge accessory 21. Sidonie Anderson compact, portable ballet barre 22. Thomas Morris accessorised fully adjustable crutches for those overcoming injury 23. Subhag Pandit adjustable standing laptop desk 24. Mehak Rattan portion control aid for a variety of diets 94

SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

25 26

GCSE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

27 28

25. Sebastien Springuel plyometric training at home box jump and step equipment storage 26. Reva Poddar desktop water dispenser 27. Siddhant Deodhar calming fidget bracelet 28. Rohan Khaleghian communication cube for patients with ‘locked in’ syndrome 29. Syed Yousuf Islam foldable longboard 30. Pranav Nanda cricket training aid SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

32 31

A LEVEL DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

33 35

31. James Caution shoe storage solution 32. Tara Abdol Hossein Zadeh compact workstation or display unit for the contemporary home 33. George Gunn road bike storage and maintenance stand for use in a modern living space 34. Joshua Hetherington fold away desk with storage for university accommodation 35. Samuel Reedy modular standing/sitting desk 96

SHAMAL 2019

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

A LEVEL DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

36. Holly Rhys-Maitland digital device portable workstation 37. Hamilton Rogers compact camping kitchen 38. Maryam Siddiqi artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portable workstation and media storage 39. Sylvie Waft baby/toddler buggy for the wheelchair user SHAMAL 2019

ART & DESIGN

41 42

GCSE ART 45

44 43 46

40. Ebba Zickerman 41. Imaan Seth 42. Etherea Cipriani 43. Anisha Johnson 44. Sophie Tillon 45. Sidonie Anderson 46. Anavi Madnani 98

SHAMAL 2019

ART & DESIGN

GCSE ART

47. Amelia Pearce 48. Winona Obee 49. Daniela Pamias Lopez 50. Yana Mulani 51. Georgia Allen 52. Rania Zimmermann 53. Disha Kewalramani SHAMAL 2019

ART & DESIGN

55 54

GCSE ART

57 59

58 60

54. Riddhi Karani 55. Sanjana Mittal 56. Megan Parks 57. Anoushka Ghosh 58. Natasha Whittall 59. Yahvi Shah 60. Maia Edmonds 61. Hessa Al Maktoum 100

SHAMAL 2019

ART & DESIGN 62

A2 ART

64 66

62. Janne Meijer 63. Sasha Verrall 64. Simrin Vaswani 65. Susana Domene Marin 66. Navika Agrawal SHAMAL 2019

101

ART & DESIGN

A2 ART

71 67. Nitya Thawani 68. Mehek Vohra 69. Lara Zaveri 70. Lucy Skelton 71. Maryam Siddiqi 72. Leila Peacock 102

SHAMAL 2019

ART & DESIGN

74 73

A2 ART

75 77 76

73. Arya Flisher 74. Brianne Riewer 75. Katarina Bell 76. Diya Malhotra 77. Kara Catchpole-King SHAMAL 2019

103

ART & DESIGN TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION

ART AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION 2019

104

SHAMAL 2019

DRAMA

SHAMAL 2019

105

DRAMA

OUR DAY OUT Our Day Out by Willy Russell was chosen as the school play this year. It was a small cast packed with talent, performing on a small stage filled to the brim with laughter, excitement and Liverpudlian accents. A stark contrast with previous productions for many reasons, it was a studio play to begin with and it was also Mrs Henderson-Corless’s last one in the school. The cast of the play would all like to give their thanks to Mrs HendersonCorless for the opportunity and wish her luck for her future endeavours. Through a series of interviews, I have concluded that it was as fun to create

106

SHAMAL 2019

as it was to watch; the process was a time commitment that paid off in the end. The production was a true collaboration between people of all age groups, with different interests and levels of experience of DC productions. Three people, at different stages in their DC lives, all encountered moments that will stay with them for years to come. Insight from the youngest person I interviewed, Sophia Kahlon in Year 7, revealed that she was eager to partake in a DC show after watching the phenomenal production of Guys and Dolls last year; she enjoyed the scene with the feather boa chickens, a scene which truly encapsulates the enjoyment that radiated off the stage. Shehara Amarasekara of Year 10, had a

disparate but equally gratifying experience, as someone who has been a cast member of every DC production since her first year at this school, she described that taking part in a play “makes [her] year, every year,” her favourite part of the play being the entrance into the sweetshop, as it felt like a nod to her first production at DC, The Odyssey. Finally, Grace Williams in Year 12 explained that her time in one of her last DC productions are hours that she will remember having enjoyed immensely. Our Day Out was a perfect way to begin, continue, and start to draw a close to many people’s drama careers at DC. It was a true triumph. Namya Manghnani 9SME

DRAMA

SHAMAL 2019

107

HOUSE PAGES

INTER HOUSE ATHLETICS 2019 Sports Day 2019 was possibly the most active that we have ever had â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with more students involved in the traditional running, jumping and throwing events than last year, and hundreds more representing their teams in a sports quiz, or through running the food and entertainment stalls. On the track and field, the results were outstanding, with an amazing 17 records broken â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more in one day than in living memory. This was possibly due to the fair February weather, or perhaps because of the superb motivational skills of the house captains, but was certainly influenced also by the many hours of athletics training that the PE department had provided in the weeks leading up to the event. Following over four hours of competitions, with 170 different events completed, the results were as follows: House Points Rank 1st Barbarossa 1010 2nd Chichester 989.5 3rd Heyerdahl 964.5 4th Cousteau 946 As ever, a huge thanks must go to the PE staff for organising the day for us, as well as the caretakers who were invaluable in setting up the field at the start of the day. Well done to the house captains, too, for selecting, encouraging, and leading their massive teams on the day! And, special congratulations to BARBAROSSA, for showing true resilience and determination throughout the day and emerging victorious! Mr R Dennis Director of Extra Curricular Activities 108

SHAMAL 2019

HOUSE PAGES

HOUSE SWIMMING GALAS 2019 With over 400 staff and students seated around the pool, music provided by Manny and with Mr House on the microphone, these were fun and lively afternoons. Superb organising from the PE Department, the Heads of Houses and from their House Captains helped to keep their teams on top form, with no less than ten individual and team records broken in total. These were great events for building team spirit and Chichester exemplified this the most - leading from the front and eventually winning both galas overall. Mr Flower then celebrated Chichesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s double victory by falling ceremoniously into the pool! Special mention must therefore go to: Beatrice Varley Record holder of the Junior 100m Intermediate Medley (1.12.51) Emily Peck Record for the Senior 100m Intermediate Medley (1.09.37) and 50m Front crawl (27:53) Gabriella Helayel Record holder of the Senior 50m Butterfly (30.02) Mr R Dennis Director of Extra Curricular Activities

SHAMAL 2019

109

HOUSE PAGES

BARBAROSSA MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR

HOUSE WRITE-UP This year Barbarossa saw a new head of house, along with the two new house captains and the implementation of our new year leaders. We set ourselves the challenge of participation, team spirit and enjoyment of the house programme as our main aspirations for the year, under the ever enthusiastic leadership of our new head of house, Mr Lavery! The house competition this year was off to a strong start for Barbarossa with our amazing year seven forms seizing both 1st and 3rd places in the first house competition of the year! This meant that Barbarossa were winning the house competition before the year had even started! The valiant efforts of our lower school in all of their house weeks kept 110

SHAMAL 2019

us in a good position throughout and our place at number 1 was becoming more comfortable as the weeks went by. Further success in the House Music competition meant that going into the winter holidays we had maintained our top spot. Going into the second term (and by far the busiest) we all had high hopes for what Barbarossa could achieve this year. After narrowly missing out on winning the Senior Swimming Gala, everyone’s attention turned to Sports Day. With mixed success in other house events through the year, Cousteau had managed to catch us and we were battling it out for first place, we all knew sports day was going to be a big one.With good organisation and planning we had filled every event (even the 1500m) and we were ready and raring to go. After a day of immense competition and outstanding performances throughout, Barbarossa once again came out victorious with what can only be described as a whole

house effort which gave us the points we needed to take back first place. Special mentions go to our Vice Captains Oli Garner and Casey Bell for their vital help on Sports Day, making sure everyone was at their events throughout the whole day. Buzzing from our sports day win we charged into our next major house event, the Lower School Swimming Gala. Sadly it turns out we are faster on land than in the pool and we didn’t quite get the result we were looking for. This meant that we went into the next holiday just 1 point behind Cousteau! Term 3 started with the Senior Public Speaking competition. A notoriously hard fought contest that certainly did not disappoint this year. Congratulations to Davey Jackson who came second place and secured us enough points to regain top spot. Next came the second Year 7 and 8 house week of the year. Unfortunately we didn’t do as well this house week and, at the time of writing

HOUSE PAGES

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR

A massive thank you goes to all of our year group leaders: Abhir Kewalramani, Kaila Kondas Niza, Will O’Keeffe, Annabel Dodd, Samah Tabba, Abi Plumtree, Aman Burman, Kian Kazranian, Amara Singh, Lara Elliott and Divraj Singh. Without your organisation throughout the entire year we definitely would’ve struggled at each and every house event. You are all excellent role models for your year groups and we know that we are leaving Barbarossa safe in your hands for the future.

outstanding year for Barbarossa house and we hope that our consistent top performance throughout will continue for years to come. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in a house event at any point during the year, without you we wouldn’t have had the success we have this year. We also send our good luck and support onto next year’s house captains; Zara Edwards and Ned Farrell. We would like to thank Mr Lavery, who will be leaving us next year, for all that he’s done for the house this year, for his infectious enthusiasm and the biggest, most long lived Hunger Games metaphor the world’s ever seen! And of course Mr Dennis, without whom the whole programme would fall apart, after all he plays the most vital role in collating and organising the entire house competition.

This

This year has been another outstanding

this, we are five points behind with only the Junior and Intermediate Public Speaking left to go. The continued hard work of our year group leaders and Mr Lavery’s unwavering enthusiasm kept us powering through the year, and we were held back only by merits!

year

has

been

another

year for Barbarossa house and we hope that our consistent top performance throughout will continue for years to come. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in a house event at any point during the year, without you we wouldn’t have had such success! Jake Wade 12CHO Sophie O’Keeffe 12GJE

SHAMAL 2019

111

HOUSE PAGES

E L B I D E R C N I E H T A FINAL VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

it The statistics don’t lie (or so ngs has been said). The standi ng once again, as this is bei n Mea penned, see the ‘Lean ted Green Machine’ firmly roo ns. outside the podium positio ly est However, this does not hon a n reflect what has again bee rry successful year for the me men (girls and boys) in green. Tremendous success in the , only truly full school events rts the swimming galas and spo day, demonstrate yet again the m incredible and indomitable tea ke ma spirit and endeavour that Chichester House unique; the best in the school. If this can hin somehow be replicated wit Fun the Lower School ‘House

Weeks’ in the years ahead then I do not doubt that a return to the top of the heap is a foregone conclusion.

DON’T MA KE MR FLOWE R

ANGRY

Individual and team successes have been many but worthy of mention are Tom Rietjens and Auxane Faye both on Sports Day and in the pool, Salaar Ferozie for setting more records in the long jump pit and on the track and Olivia Allen who now owns high jump records in both Year 10 and senior sections. The Year 7 and 8 girls have again dominated in the pool; the only way these girls will be stopped is by having the pool removed!

With the redevelopment of the sports hall and surrounding areas next year, our strength in the pool

N’T D L U O YOU W WHEN IM LIKE H NGRY! A S ’ E H

will be missed and it will require a titanic effort to reclaim the ‘throne of games’. George and Elanor, in their capacity as student house captains, have worked tirelessly this year and for that I wish to thank them hugely for their endeavour. Congratulations to George Hosking for his elevation to Head Boy for the coming year. Georgia and Olivia Allen, Jake and Ollie have a difficult act to follow but I am confident that next year will see a change in Chichester’s fortunes. To everyone who will be leaving Chichester at the end of this year I wish you luck wherever your future may take you. As this is my final piece for Shamal, I would like to welcome Mr N Thomas to the fold; he will doubtless bring considerable drive and energy to being Head of Chichester House from September. Finally, it has been both a pleasure and an honour to have lead Chichester House in my time here. It has been my very good fortune to have witnessed so many amazingly talented individuals passing through. Good luck to all of you. Mr P Flower

112

SHAMAL 2019

HOUSE PAGES

HOUSE CAPTAINS CHICHESTER HOUSE REPORT 2018-19 Despite having to play ‘follow of the leader’ for the majority e, mm gra this years House Pro of ic eth the attitude and work r the members of Chicheste and g house remains inspirin motivating. Although the first term did not entirely go our way, in the events and on E-Praise (we’re looking at you, Cousteau cheaters) we certainly proved a formidable , opponent in certain events the of ek with the first House We year displaying some of the new talent in Years 7 and 8. Sports Day went incredibly ts well, with Chichester studen her fart g running faster, throwin and cheering louder than any other house on the field. The t day truly epitomised all tha se hou was great about the ai programme here at Dub ily Em of College. And the likes h Davidson who ran althoug ed, rag cou dis and injured e provided Chichester with som the ying vital points whilst embod house spirit of Chichester. The results were extremely close, with Chichester coming second g by only a few points, showin is ion pat yet again that partici n sometimes more important tha few a had placing. If only we , extra students in certain events but s, our the trophy would be n’t like Noel Gallagher says ‘do look back in anger’. r Another highlight of the yea te dia rme came from the Inte Swim Gala, where simply dominated Chichester put, ry all opponents in almost eve ar cle a h event, winning by suc margin, Mr Flower got so excited l. he threw himself into the poo e som sed The event also showca r ste che Chi of the future talent of e som ard house and put forw

strong contenders for who may take the mantle of house captains in future. Now that our leadership is coming to an end, we wish the best of luck to the oncoming heads of house and hope to see Chichester thrive and retake its position as the greatest house DC has ever known. Don’t forget, we have still won the house competition more than any other house in the school’s history. Finally, we want to include a huge thank you to Mr Flower, who has worked tirelessly for Chichester over the past

decades. His enthusiasm and dedication is not something that should be understated, and he will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on Chichester for years to come. The legacy of Mr Patrick ‘The Power’ Flower will not soon be forgotten and his impact on Dubai College within the house programme and out is something for future Chichester members and leaders to aim for. Thank you Mr Flower, you will be missed.

George Hosking 12MDH Elanor Wright 12JBA

SHAMAL 2019

113

HOUSE PAGES

E S U O H U A E T S COU

As the sun sets on another year of keenly contested house activities, it is a pleasure to reflect on the successes but also more poignantly the progression that a number of students have made. Entering its third year of status, the leadership team from individual year groups has gone from strength to strength, ensuring that they have communicated and organised each team effectively across the year and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buzzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; during participation has been evident in each competition. I hope that these students continue to learn and flourish as leaders and use their experiences as a stepping stone in not only future year groups, but in the variety of aspects in and out of college life. My final thanks is to the outgoing house captains Isabella and Aryan, who have been fantastic throughout and having taken on the mantle from the previous house captains. They have galvanised the younger leaders and year groups, ensuring each event incorporated all willing participants and they helped set the tone for the house with both their enthusiasm and organisation. They have set a high bar, but I have no doubt that the incumbents will rise to the challenge and continue the spirit and comradery now in place. Mr D Jackson 114

SHAMAL 2019

HOUSE PAGES

COUSTEAU

A long year has passed with many ups and downs for Cousteau house. The first house meeting saw high spirits and confidence oozing all around the sports hall, especially, within our Head of house, Mr Jackson without whom none of the success this house has seen would be possible. With the reiteration of the key principles of Commitment, Organisation, Urgency, Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Excellence, Activeness, Usefulness and most importantly the emphasis on full participation, we set out on our journey this year. The phrase ‘This is our year’ rung through the Cousteau ranks, with the merits being entered exponentially going off the charts, once the merits started coming in, there was no stopping Cousteau. The Cousteau house has become a well-oiled machine with each year having its very own Directors of Sport. These individuals’ efforts were impeccable with motivating the pupils within their year to participate and being organised in time for any house events. With Mr Jackson running the show at the top and the house captains making sure everything was running smoothly, there was no

stopping the Cousteau machine, never dropping below second through the span of the school year. The Cousteau house put in its all and that’s all we ever wanted to see when we took the reigns over from Lauren Johnstone and Shaan Nathwani. Sports Day may not have seen the success we had hoped for, however, the effort and participation levels for their house were at an all-time high. Some with painted faces, others with posters, the spirit within the house was clear to see. We would like to acknowledge the efforts put in by Matt Johnstone, Ebba Zickerman, Seb Snaas, Dylan Parekh who etched their names within the DC record books and most of all we would like to thank all those individuals who may not have been the best or may have disliked some of the events yet they still chose to volunteer and show their house spirit. Even the swimming galas, which were previously not a fan favourite for participation saw huge levels of participation within the pool. There were top notch efforts throughout the Cousteau house and even some surprises. These surprises were a product of

the motivation within the house to win it all this year and as house captains we saw this winning spirit all year around. From the Year 7s in their house Week to the Sixth Form house football events, the winning spirit was present. As house Captains, we truly believe that we have left the house in good hands for the future. With the incoming leadership of Rayan Malik and Ebba Zickerman, we believe that our future captains will be able to keep this house motivated and keep that winning spirit high. We would also like to thank Mr Dennis and the boys in blue who keep these competitions running and keep the fun and activity ever-present within the school’s ethos. It has been a pleasure serving the Cousteau house and we hope to see the house blooming in the future from the foundations us and many other house captains before us have left behind. Aryan Mehta 12LHO Isabella Caraiscos 12SPE Cousteau Captains 2018-2019

SHAMAL 2019

115

HOUSE PAGES

The year has flown by and as we reflect on the last nine months, it is safe to say that Heyerdahl had its ups and downs. These fluctuations, however, did not deter the Heyerdahlians who fought till the bitter end of the house competition. One of the highlights of the intermediate competition was house cricket. The intermediate Heyerdahl competitors were undefeated and were able to finish a pulse-raising final with success leaving Barbarossa on their knees (quite literally in the case of Mr Lavery!). The senior Heyerdahlians really showcased their true talent in the water this year by taking home the senior house swim gala trophy. Furthering this success Jaimini and Tia Patel gave compelling and riveting speeches that enabled them to dominate Senior Public Speaking. During sports day and the two swimming galas many records fell: in Year 7 Sabeen Shariff broke the school 800m record, while her

brother Ayan Shariff broke the 800 and 1500 metre record. Nathan Russell then dipped under the difficult one-minute mark to break the Year 9 400m record. In the swimming gala, Carlos Halawi smashed the 25m butterfly record and Janya Shah dominated the Year 8 breaststroke taking the overall school record with ease. Throughout the course of this year, we have grown as leaders within the house and have thoroughly enjoyed our time as house captains. From panicking about giving our first assembly in September to finding an appropriate motivational video for our last assembly, the journey has been enlightening and enjoyable. Be it the joys of convincing someone to run both the 1500m and the 800m or hobbling around the field on a pair of crutches trying to find people for their

events, it has been a busy and rewarding year. However the success we have garnered would never have happened without the participation of all the members of the house, and for that, we are extremely thankful. We’d especially like to thank the Year 13s for their support and commitment to Heyerdahl for the past 7 years. We would also like to thank Mr. Dennis for making the house programme a continuous success. Without your input and amazing organisation, this competition would not be as enjoyable as it is today! Furthermore, we’d like to thank all of the house captains from the respective years. We would not have been able to organise any of the junior or intermediate events without all of you. We also look forward to welcoming the incoming Year 7s as they join the objectively best house at Dubai College. Some of our best friends have come through competing in house events and we’re sure the Year 7s will have a blast over the next seven years. Finally, we would like to thank Mr Ashby for his continuous support and encouragement throughout the year. It has been a blast working with him to convince all Heyerdalians to participate in house events and to create a competitive yet lively atmosphere. In true Heyerdahl fashion, we would like to end this with a quote from Winston Churchill; ‘Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm’. This quote embodies the next steps for Heyerdahl. We look forward to seeing Heyerdahl go from strength to strength and hopefully we will succeed in the house competition. Good luck to all Heyerdahlians and we wish our successors the best of luck in running Heyerdahl next year! Hannah Dawson 12BCH Kaivalya Vohra 12ACR

116

SHAMAL 2019

HOUSE PAGES MR LAVERY We will miss you and your stone age beard next year (you more than the beard to be honest). You have been an absolute pleasure to work with (again, you, not so much the beard). Wishing you and your family every happiness in your next chapter.

THANK YOU! A massive thank you to KV and Hannah for leading the house this year. It is a tough job and they have dealt with the demands brilliantly. A huge thank you to the year captains who do a fantastic job behind the scenes - they are essential to our success. And finally, to all of you who have turned out tirelessly and passionately in your yellow shirts this year: thank you! It has not been a plain sailing year; we have had our struggles and we have come up against some strong competition. But our house is named after an explorer who sailed 4300 miles on a Kon Tiki raft when he didn’t know how to sail and couldn’t even swim. He faced storms with waves higher than the raft’s mast, sharks and curious whales circling the boat. He was doubted, ridiculed and told “your mother and father will be very grieved when they hear of your death”. He had a goal, he persevered and he achieved what he set out to do. Like Thor Heyerdahl we will persevere and be back fighting next year – Heyerdahl never quits. Have an amazing summer. Mr R Ashby

HONORARY MENTION Talking of people from the stone age, I would like to say a few words about Mr Flower who has been the ‘bedrock’ of the house system for over 20 years. When other Heads of House crumbled to ‘rubble’, Flower Power has stood the test of time. Mr Flower, you will be sorely missed next year; it has been a genuine pleasure working with you. YABBA-DABBA-DOO! (To the theme of the flintstones) Heyerdahl, meet Heyerdahl, They're the modern DC Familyyyyyyy With their strength and passion They’re a page right out of history Let's ride with Heyerdahlians down the street Beating all the houses that we meet When you're a part of Heyerdahl You’ll have a yabba-dabba-doo time A dabba-doo time We'll have a winning time This year another house might win the cup But Heyerdahl spirit says ‘don’t give up’ When you're a part of Heyerdahl You’ll have a yabba-dabba-doo time A dabba-doo time We'll have a winning time

SHAMAL 2019

117

ACADEMIC

COBIS AND researchED INNOVATION IN EDUCATION CONFERENCE Our Innovation in Education Conference was held over the weekend of 26th and 27th April in the Dubai College Centre of Learning, Teaching and Innovation. How do we define innovation in education? Exploring this question was one of the main drivers that led us to want to host a conference that invited academics and teachers to freely engage in an intellectual evidenced-based debate. Teachers should not be seen as the technicians who implement the educational ideas and approaches of others, but rather as professionals who are able to think about and look for solutions when they face new problems. However, a brief look at the teaching innovation landscape can be both overwhelming and discouraging for most teachers. This is why it is important that, as in so many other professions, we as policy makers, school leaders and teachers take an evidence-informed approach. Evidence-informed practice is now regarded as making an important contribution to school reform (Godfrey, 2014) and is defined as the process of teachers accessing, evaluating and applying the findings

118

SHAMAL 2019

of academic research in order to improve their teaching (Walker, 2017). The goal of a researchEd conference is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. Researchers, teachers, and policy makers come together for a day of information sharing and myth-busting. The atmosphere during the two days could best be described as both synergetic and empowering. Perhaps because it was a conference run by teachers for teachers, offering sessions from both teachers and academics. So, why would 130 teachers give up their weekend to attend a conference? It may have something to do with the range of speakers, the chance to network and meet other teachers who share a common purpose and values system. Being situated in an increasingly competitive educational climate can both be isolating and restrictive to professional growth. It is also worrying that sometimes as professionals we see ourselves as ‘right’ at all times. Perhaps the joy of the weekend was the positive atmosphere in which people actually connected, debated and shared. Something may be regained by chatting with a colleague from a different discipline over coffee and realising how little all of us know, and how much we believe or assume. Speakers presented on a range of topics: the psychology and science of learning, AI in education and our role as educators in developing human

intelligence, using research to lead and professionally grow a learning community, Harkness, evidencedinformed Edtech, positive education, teacher retention, innovative ways of using data in schools, comparative judgement, leading inclusion and what makes great teaching, were amongst a few of the subjects explored! The College will continue to work across the region to promote intellectual debate and fly the flag for evidence-led professional learning. It will be one of four schools that forms the UAE’s first Research Schools Network, further consolidating the work we have already published with the University of Oxford’s Educational Deanery. The weekend was full of learning and despite the cognitive overload, we are already in the midst of planning next year’s conference. If you would like to learn more about the topics that were discussed please visit the school’s teaching and learning page on the website. Mrs D Saran, Deputy Head: Learning and Teaching Godfrey (2014) ‘Leadership of schools as research-led organisations in the English educational environment: cultivating a research-engaged school culture’. Educational management, administration and leadership.

ACADEMIC

TEDxYOUTH@ DUBAICOLLEGE On the 26th September 2018, the second annual TEDx event was hosted at Dubai College. TEDx talks are all about thinking outside the box, thinking inside the box and thinking there is no box at all. TEDxYouth@DubaiCollege was a platform hosted to help you explore your potential and talk about ideas worth spreading. Innovative ideas, interesting theories, important issues, TEDxYouth@DubaiCollege touched them all.

how achieving satori would invite ultimate focus to a human mind, when doing day to day activities, as well as creating a purely happy state of being. Namya Manghnani showed us what being the best really means, and how being no. 1 in something is not the key to life, it is giving back, doing something for the greater good that makes that small difference. ‘On Cloud Uke’ was perhaps the funniest talk of the evening, where Karina Valrani showed us how ukuleles are

the key to happiness, even resonant in Hawaiian history. TEDxYouth@DubaiCollege provided an insight into the innovation and intelligence of DC students, and once again, we would like to thank all that were part of making it happen. Viha Kedia 9AYO Vedant Bhansali 10ADA

Four to five months of editing presentations, designing brochures, and memorising speeches all led to the incredibly enlightening evening. We would like to praise all our speakers ranging from Year 7 to Year 13 with a whole host of speeches, yet despite the varying topics and ages all the speeches were truly eye opening and enjoyable. As well as this, we have to thank all of our helpers and Dr Stormont. Without them the event would not have been the resounding success it was. This event constantly tested our skills of management, leadership and public speaking. Armed with half a dozen pep talks, we braved the fearsome, treacherous war land, which was the run up to the event. Students help perfectly align the TEDx stage letters and red carpet. Mic checks were ceaseless. The lights switched on and off. Speakers practiced getting comfortable with the stage. Ticketing counters were set up. It was a theatrical commotion, where every light/sound/visual was tested to the umpteenth time. And then, at the very last minute, the DC auditorium was lit to set the tone for eleven speakers... the torch bearers, who spared no effort to light a spark in our minds. Speeches ranged from forced labour to ukuleles. ‘Satori’ was one of the featured talks which voiced the importance of the branch of zen called Satori. Viha Kedia talked about SHAMAL 2019

119

G&T

GIFTED AND TALENTED COMPETITION Dubai Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Primary Gifted and Talented competition was a huge success again this year. We welcomed 15 teams from schools all over Dubai who competed in events based around our four pillars: Creative, Philanthropic, Sporting and Academic. The events were close and the judges were amazed at the gifts and talents displayed by the competitors.

The winners were: Academic: Emirates International School Team 2 Sporting: Victory heights Team 1 Philanthropic: Victory Heights Team 2 Creative: Sheffield Private School And the overall winners were Victory Heights Team 1. Well done everybody! Mrs C Penney Head of Student Services & SENCO

120

SHAMAL 2019

IFTAR

DUBAI COLLEGE IFTAR The fifth annual Dubai College iftar took place on Saturday 18th May with the Maghrib prayer just before 7.00pm and the fast broken shortly after. Thank you to all the families who attended and brought food and experienced the wonderful ambience that comes with sitting down to eat together as a community during the Holy Month. We are especially grateful to the Shaikha Hanna Al Maktoum and family for her continued generosity and to their amazing team of experts who excelled themselves this year to once again decorate the auditorium in such a spectacular way. Thank you, as always, to our team of ladies and men in blue for the weekend work setting up and to those who joined us for the meal. The iftar has become a much loved event on our annual calendar and this year was so popular we had to start a waiting list for attendees! Mrs A Kirkaldyâ&#x20AC;&#x2039; Headmasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant

SHAMAL 2019

121

EPQ

HPQ AND EPQ: HOW IS IT GOING? (HPQ) Higher Project Qualification and (EPQ) Extended Project Qualification. It feels as if it was only yesterday that we had decided to launch the HPQ programme with a pilot group of six students and here we are half way through the programme with our third batch of enthusiastic folk. Another set of willing academics from Year 10 have got their teeth into some really valuable and thought provoking projects dealing with issues from AI and its potential impact to politics, literature and the environment. Congratulations to our pilot group who gained excellent grades last summer and were applauded by the exam board for their engagement in such diverse material and high quality of written work. Our second cohort are now awaiting their results this summer. The HPQ team thoroughly enjoyed supporting and reading these projects, as our students are not afraid to embrace challenging and topical issues. The same is echoed in the Year 12 and

13 EPQ programme, which is now a firmly established qualification in the school with nearly one hundred students signing up each year and increasing numbers completing it. This is paired with an increasing number of staff who volunteer to act as mentors. This year the vast majority of the staff involved themselves in the programme either as a mentor or in an advisory capacity. This reflects the genuine desire our staff have to support our students as well as further their own learning. The practical EPQ projects are growing from strength to strength with a record number of Artefacts being submitted this year. Five students took it upon themselves to write a book and then have it printed. These ranged from a fantasy novella, a historical novella, a book of poetry to a children’s book written in Spanish and translated into English and a photography book. As bodies of work in themselves they are substantial achievements. By contrast we had a student who designed and produced an aerodynamic drag sensor for use on bikes, an excellent example of innovation. For the first time this year we were lucky enough to enjoy three performance projects, a piano recital, a jazz performance and a magic show for Year 7. These eclectic choices are indicative of the types of students we have here at Dubai College and were again reflected across the incredible

range of Dissertation Projects. Here subjects covered included the nature v nurture debate and what makes a serial killer to whether we should colonise Mars or whether it will be feasible for cryptocurrencies to replace financial institutions. Both courses expose students to philosophy, ethics whilst developing critical thinking skills, research Skills and the production and writing of an extended academic thesis. It is unlike any other course they take in that the onus lies entirely with the student, yet allows them to work with a member of staff in a more university style capacity. It offers challenge, breadth and a solid foundation for higher study or just a chance to engage in something of personal interest which might not be accessible in the standard curriculum. As both programmes continue to grow we are looking forward to seeing what the next group of students will be bringing to the table. I’m sure it will be another feast offering much food for thought. Ms H Bastable EPQ Coordinator

Three book covers by Nitya Thawani made for her Artefact EPQ. Each one offers a different interpretation of the children's classic 'The Little Prince' by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry.

122

SHAMAL 2019

CHARITIES

CHARITY OVERVIEW What a wonderful year it has been for the Charity Committee and Dubai Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philanthropic pillar. As usual we have hosted our favourite events such as Pink Day, Music Charity Love, and the

hamper distribution in Sharjah. I am pleased to say that we have now more students than EVER getting involved in all aspects of our charity work, and a few fundraising records have also been broken along the way. The highlight for this year, however, has to be visiting the school site in the village of Jaisithok, Gulmi in Nepal. For me, it was the culmination of three years of planning to stand in rubble of what will be our school.

The bricks will be turned into 11 classrooms initially serving 180 students in Grades 1-6. What we have achieved is nothing short of pioneering, and the potential for this school and the community is vast. I look forward to taking our first school trip to Jaisithok next February and taking fundraising at DC to a whole new level. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll call it our Everest. Miss R Shah Charities Coordinator

PINK MONTH SUPPORTING BREAST CANCER A huge thank you for your help during Pink Month supporting Breast Cancer awareness. We were very fortunate to have our very own Sara Donovan give an assembly to the Lower School about her incredible journey this year and have been selling items on behalf of Breast of Friends. We raised an astounding 10,000 AED through Pink Day, ribbon sales and bake sales.

THE HAMPER CHALLENGE 2019 This year has been a record year with more hamper bags than ever being put together. It was a fierce competition between two forms - 7RVE and 7FHU- and in the end it came down to just one hamper bag! 7RVE broke all records by winning with 74 bags! As a charity committee we have been overwhelmed by offers to help distribute at a labour camp in Sharjah - so we took the decision to carry out this out over two weekends instead. It's a humbling experience and simply a show of gratitude, which make our students more aware of the world around them.

SHAMAL 2019

123

CHARITIES

DUBAI COLLEGE VISIT UWS NEPAL In February 2019, representatives from Dubai College visited Nepal to see our work first-hand. Rupal Shah reflected on their experience visiting some of the most rural communities in Nepal and the power of global partnerships to impact lives worldwide.

“Nepal: kindness, hospitality, resilience. We were never strangers on this visit.” Travelling to Nepal in February was a culmination of many years of ideas and optimism. Dubai College is a long established, not-for-profit, British secondary school in the UAE and we have always wanted to support our own charity school abroad; United World Schools has helped to make that dream a reality. We visited five schools on our short visit to the Sankuwasabha region, landing in Tumlingtar. The scenic 25 minute flight from Kathmandu, in a tiny plane, afforded us views of the entire Himalayan range, with a guest appearance by Mount Everest. And then, back on terra firma in Tumlingtar, Makalu could be spied in the distance. A very lucky morning already!

124

SHAMAL 2019

JOURNEYING TO THE UNREACHED ‘Teach the Unreached’: UWS’ motto didn’t quite make sense until I actually witnessed the remoteness of the region. We were so far from the narrow, chaotic streets of Kathmandu and were instead impressed upon by miles upon miles of rolling rice terraces. Sometimes even our 4x4 struggled to navigate the crumbling roads, which were often still being built as we drove over them. And that’s what makes UWS schools so prominent in Nepal: by building schools at the bottom of a valley like UWS Kalleri or at the top of a mountain like UWS Mude, the charity are providing a real opportunity to students who would otherwise be forgotten.

CHARITIES LEARNING THROUGH PLAY Lego, Lego, Lego! If there was anything I wish I could have filled my suitcase with entirely, Lego would be it! At every school on our trip, Lego bricks were the key in overcoming language and age barriers. With all of the KG classes we visited, the initial formalities quickly dissipated and then there was nothing to do but to sit cross-legged and simply PLAY. My favourite moment of the entire trip was at UWS Kalleri: it was a real pleasure to sit in on a KG lesson as the teacher revised the English alphabet, in a beautifully decorated classroom. We left the squeals of delight and singing from that class to move next door, where Grade 1 practiced meditation. The creativity and attention to detail within these classrooms, as well as the genuine love of learning from the students, highlighted to me the importance of schooling for these students.

Nepal: kindness, hospitality, resilience. We were never strangers on this visit, with constant welcomes with fresh garlands, endless cups of masala tea and even an invite to UWS Mude’s annual picnic. I am in awe of the incredible commitment to education by the teachers, UWS Fellows, Educational Support Officers like Akshok, and the in-country team. The work that UWS do is invaluable. I look forward to beginning the next step in this exciting collaboration with UWS and Dubai College. Miss R Shah Charities Coordinator

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES UWS schools support a whole community: We were fortunate to be a part of a community meeting at UWS Hurpa, where the consensus was of absolute praise for the school. This forum, led by Surya – in-country manager – was also an opportunity to explore some of the real life issues facing these Nepalese communities – a reluctance to attend school regularly, early child marriage and the true value of education.Thus, the UWS school model makes a genuine impact on families, communities and generations to come, breaking the cycle of poverty.

SHAMAL 2019

125

CHARITIES

MUSIC CHARITY LOVE Our annual charity concert, organised and performed by students, took place on Thursday 15th November on the lawns of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quadrangle. The concert was an amazing display of talent and raised AED17,000 for our upcoming trip to Harmony House along with other projects.

126

SHAMAL 2019

CHARITIES

SHAMAL 2019

127

CHARITIES

WORLD FOOD DAY 2019 World Food Day arrived ever so slightly silently, amidst the chaos of changeable weather, mock exams and end of term-itis. But what a lunchtime event to blow the cobwebs away! A celebration of diversity and tolerance at Dubai College, World Food Day has always been a favourite with staff and students alike. Mrs Hall had again created French and Spanish cafes with the Year 7s, who did not disappoint. Yash Bhansali looked (and danced) the part of Amitabh Bachchan, and Mrs Dabbagh mesmerised with her belly dancing on stage. A wonderful way to celebrate International Happiness Day, you only need to look at the pictures to understand why DC is such a special institution: a happy place for happy students and staff. Thank you to everyone for their contributions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we raised just under AED20,000 for our Nepal project. A new record!

128

SHAMAL 2019

CHARITIES

SHAMAL 2019

129

CHARITIES

HARMONY HOUSE TRIP During February half term five students embarked on a journey with Mrs Hall and Mr Simpson to Harmony House seeking a fulfilling experience, however, we were granted with much more than just that. We set out to teach 25 children a play, with three dances and songs based around the theme Healthy Living and the song Can’t Stop the Feeling, symbolic of the fact that through everything in life, the smallest actions can sometimes make people truly overjoyed. On the first day, we toured the whole centre and saw children as young as two years old to students our own ages. We were in awe of how many children were given the opportunity to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. When meeting the children, we all felt an immediate connection 130

SHAMAL 2019

and built upon it by creating and flying paper airplanes, on which the children wrote about themselves and their aspirations. After a few hours we walked down to the slums, where the children showed us their homes with pride. It struck us as a moment of realisation, that these excited, joyful, determined and talented children called this their home. The deprivation we saw on the trip, as a whole, seemed endless and it made us understand that living in Dubai, where we are so sheltered from it all, is such a privilege. During our walk in the slums, a mother approached Mrs Lucy Bruce, the founder of Harmony House, about her son who had been hit by a motorcycle at the age of five and had lost speech, control of his limbs and had long term brain damage. The next day, she brought him to Harmony House whilst we were dancing with the children and the purest joy could be seen on both his and his mother’s face and it made everything fall into perspective. I can say with full certainty that their faces will stay with me for life, and

the other children joined in. Without seeing their homes, not once would we realise the scale of the suffering they encounter because of the happiness they exude. Through the week, we discovered how truly remarkable these children are, with their many dancing, singing and acting abilities. The final day eventually had to come; it was an extremely bittersweet moment. The performance was a major success, and we ended up performing three times to different audiences! When the children had to leave there were some tears and we all exchanged phone numbers so that this didn’t have to be a final goodbye. The experience has left a lasting impression on us: the connection we made with the children will forever be in our hearts and we cannot wait to see their bright futures. Mahira Jethwani 12GJE

ALUMNI

Y11 CAREERS CONVENTION On the 22nd January 2019, the Year 11 students had their first collective taste of the working world marked by the Careers Convention. The convention was an opportunity for DC students to interact with alumni and friends of the school working in different fields and to learn about what is required to progress on to their dream job. The evening started with a keynote speech from a former Dubai College student, Jean-Michel Gauthier, who recounted his first arduous experience in creating his own company, reminding us that entrepreneurship and transferable skills are vital for our futures. We then had three sessions where we could learn about professions that interested us, from fields as varied as Mechanical Engineering to Art and Design to Law. These sessions were particularly eye opening as they showed us the steps we need to take now in order to secure the futures we would like, hopefully even clearing up some uncertainty in A Level choices for a few people. The conference was an enjoyable and informative evening, helping the year group stride confidently into the next stage of their lives. The opportunity to talk to professionals who once roamed the same halls as us gives us hope that in ten yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time, we too will be talking to the next generation of bright DC minds. Aranya Gupta 11BPH

SHAMAL 2019

131

ALUMNI

PAST V PRESENT The New Year started with a bang as previous DC sports men and women returned to the College to take on the current crop of senior sports teams in the annual ‘Past v Present’ sports afternoon. The day started with the traditional boys’ water polo match which was miraculously won by the current students, who no longer train! Basketball proved to be an evenly split affair, with the past dominant in the girls’ game, whilst the current boys’ team won their game by a whisker. As festivities moved towards the field, the past team continued their dominance on the female side with an impressive victory in netball and then beat the current 1st XI 3-2. However, pride was restored with the senior rugby team beating the ‘old boys’ with relative ease. The afternoon then became far more social as the staff narrowly lost the rugby to the alumni by 3 tries to 2, whilst the football also fell in favour of the alumni by a similar score. Following a long afternoon of blood, sweat and endeavour, everyone enjoyed the traditional barbecue, followed by a fun packed social evening at Girders Garden, Ocean View Hotel. Mr A Jones Director of Sport

132

SHAMAL 2019

ALUMNI

SHAMAL 2019

133

ALUMNI

DC ALUMNI LONDON REUNION 24th November 2018 Over the years I’ve watched the DC Alumni organisation mature from its earliest incarnations to the welloiled machine it is today. In that time thousands of students have attended the school. My Dubai College sat alone in a scrubby desert with a mostly unobstructed view of both the Abu Dhabi Road and the Arabian Gulf. On a good day Chicago Beach Villas (CBV) was visible as you looked toward Dubai. Jebel Ali, the 100 Villas and Dubal lurked on the horizon in the opposite direction. At that time our only neighbours were a small beach-side palace and a modest residential compound

134

SHAMAL 2019

opposite the car park. I spent six years at DC, graduating in 1991 and haven’t been back to Dubai since 2000. 18 years later the Dubai I remember may be gone, but the school is very much still there. The views may have become less expansive but the school has not. In a place that has experienced such enormous change those of us that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s face the triple whammy of looking back and seeing not only a time gone by, a childhood fast becoming a distant memory, but also losing the physical past that was familiar to us. It is in this context that the DC Alumni organisation, and the London reunions in particular, assume even more importance than would normally be the case. Creating an opportunity for former staff and students to meet and both reminisce

and indulge in a bit of welcome nostalgia, but also to re-establish or renew contact. To share some of the ups and downs of lives lived after DC. Sometimes to compare notes and introduce very new insights into people we thought we knew at the time, but often did not. Lives indelibly influenced by a unique country and a very special collection of buildings that somehow produce the magic of education. The lives of all DC alumni are built on foundations laid down in A, B, C and D blocks. On the (now grass!!) playing fields, the (now mercifully shaded) swimming pool and newer buildings I have no memory of. I didn’t know what to expect from the reunion. It is usually an eclectic mix of both recent and far more historic graduates and is a bit of pot luck really. I am very lucky to have attended the school when I did,

ALUMNI and that many of the teachers from that era have been active within the alumni organisation for many years. As the years pass that will gradually change but now is still our time. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I met students who both preceded and succeeded me; my old (as in former – never, ever, old!) English, Maths and Computer Studies teachers; one of my many form teachers and also on this occasion, the founder of the school itself. It is really not a school reunion in the normal sense of that phrase. It is, all too briefly, the recreation of a time and place that exists only in our collective memories. It is an opportunity to see people we used to know both as they are, but also as they were and to be seen in return in the same way. It is an opportunity to talk about shared recollections but

also to give new insights into our own lives at the time and the lives we have lived since. London is not a cheap place to travel to or stay, even for just one night. The experience you get however, if you can make the time and spare the money, is priceless.

good education is a real privilege. We were all lucky to attend Dubai College and have benefited from that good fortune. We each have a duty to put that to good use wherever and whenever possible. Malcolm Pirie 1991

I’d like to give the last word to DC co-founder Tim Charlton. His impromptu speech on the day was the perfect combination of brevity and inspiration. Tim paraphrased Terry Pratchett, but I’ll give you the original text. One of the many joys of Pratchett’s work is the way he delivers powerful messages through beautifully crafted characters. This one is from a wise old shepherd(ess) / witch, hence the ‘rural’ syntax. The message however is clear. “Them as can do has to do for them as can’t. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.” Education is a human right, but a

SHAMAL 2019

135

ALUMNI

OPENING OF THE TIME CAPSULE On 12th November we invited former students Tom Weston-Jones and Emma Khairallah into school to open the time capsule that was buried during their time at school 20 years ago. Along with Tom and Emma our current Year 8 students came to a special assembly for the unveiling of the contents. As well as letters written by the

136

SHAMAL 2019

Year 8 students of 1998 about their aspirations for the future, we found a video showing life at Dubai College in 1998 as well as an old business card from Bursar, Captain Higgins. The video can by viewed on our YouTube channel 'Dubai College Media' and shows that a lot has changed but a lot has remained the same! What will Dubai College be like in the next 20 years? Mrs D Turpie Alumni Relations

ALUMNI

SHAMAL 2019

137

ALUMNI

Y13 BUSINESS DINNER On Wednesday 6th February, our sixth form students were asked to swap their uniform and dress for business. For the sixth year running alumni representatives and friends of the school hosted tables for our aspiring sixth form students and shared with them the tips and tricks of entering their professions. As well as gaining first-hand knowledge about careers that may be of interest to them, the event provided the opportunity to acquire the soft-skills of networking. A sincere thanks to our alumni and friends who supported the dinner. The event would not be possible without their ongoing support and the generous sponsorship from SPJ Foundation and Clyde & Co which allows the students to attend free of charge. Mrs D Turpie Alumni Relations

138

SHAMAL 2019

ALUMNI

STAFF V CARETAKERS ANNUAL CRICKET MATCH On Friday 3rd May our staff and caretakers gathered on the field for their annual friendly cricket match.

DUBAI COLLEGE GOLF AFTERNOON The annual Dubai College Golf Afternoon was played in early January at Jebel Ali Golf Resort. The day itself brought together a large golfing group consisting of alumni, staff, students and parents who played a very social ‘Texas Scramble’ format.

This year was a special year as our long serving chief caretaker, Conceicao Sousa, had chosen the event as his farewell party. Following the match a large number of the College staff gathered at the Head’s house, where Mr Lambert shared some wonderful testimonials from DC staff. A true reflection of the character known at DC as the ‘boss’!

included two current students, Daniel Lindley and Saivansh Chopra, along with Daniel’s father, Andrew, and Nick Burton. Sincerest thanks to alum, Stuart McMurdo at Jebel Ali Golf Resort for another wonderful occasion. There are rumours that next year’s

tournament might be expanding to 18 holes due to its growing popularity! Thanks also to event and prize sponsors Esterpol, SPJ Foundation, Hadef & Partners, Dubai Hills Golf Club and Jebel Ali Golf Resort.

The day itself was dominated by the news that our Head of Rugby, Jacques Benade, scored a historic Hole in One on the 8th hole. This also won Jacques the nearest the pin competition, much to his delight. The winning group for the afternoon SHAMAL 2019

139

FDC

DC AFTERNOON TEA Pastel flowers and antique decorations transformed the DC courtyard into the perfect backdrop for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second DC Afternoon Tea event. DC families and staff were treated to musical performances by our very talented students, all while enjoying deliciously prepared sandwiches and scones catered by the Jumeirah Group. For something sweet, stunning cakes were contributed by the parent group and volunteers to finish off a wonderful afternoon of sun, scones, sweets & sound. Aelisa Cipriani

140

SHAMAL 2019

FDC

FDC JAZZ NIGHT On Thursday 18th April, our FDC parent group held their annual social. This year it took place on the lawns of the Royal Majlis at Emirates Golf Club. It was great to see new parents and alumni parents as well as our existing parents who were entertained by a live jazz band while drinks and canapes were passed around.

FDC LUNCH FOR FACILITIES STAFF They say that charity begins at home and that is exactly what happened last weekend. For the second year running our parent group, Friends of Dubai College, along with Year 7,8 & 9 organised and contributed to a staff lunch for our facilities staff. It was a wonderful gesture and a great opportunity to bring the whole Dubai College community together. Sincere thanks to the FDC.

FDC QUIZ NIGHT

SHAMAL 2019

141

FDC

FDC Y7 FUN DAY Our Year 7 Fun Day is a fun filled family event organised every year by the Friends of Dubai College (FDC) for the all the new Year 7 families of Dubai College. This year it took place on Friday, 15th March from 3-5.30pm. Unlike the usual sunny and pleasant Dubai weather at this time of year, it started to rain in the morning! After a lot of deliberations of whether to cancel or go ahead, the FDC and Dubai College staff decided to continue with the preparations. For the first time in the history of this long running annual event, it looked destined to be in the rain! The time came and the men in blue and parent volunteers set up the various games and despite the weather over 300 parents and students turned up to participate!! The obstacle race had to be modified to make it safe and we had to cancel one of the games, but other than that all the games went ahead and both parents and students were happy to get soaking wet and brave the unusual weather conditions for their team!! A fun filled day was had by all and sincere thanks to the FDC committee and volunteers for organising it.

142

SHAMAL 2019

FDC

FDC Y13 FUN DAY In what has now become an annual tradition and by popular demand from our Year 13 students, our FDC parent committee re-ran the Fun Day that our leavers first experienced in Year 7. The students were re-grouped in to their original Y7 form groups for an afternoon of competitive games. From musical chairs and tug of war to doughnuts on a string (a little higher than in Year 7) and not to mention the soapy mat relay, the Year 13 students relived their youth all in a bid to win that most prestigious orange trophy! Well done to the Green team!

SHAMAL 2019

143

SPORT

SPORTS SEASON OVERVIEW 2018/2019 Is it more important to focus on Sport for All or Elite level sport for a few? Should we be a ‘Jack of all Trades’ or a ‘Master of One’? Many believe that ensuring mass participation is the most important thing so that everyone benefits whereas others believe if you don’t have winning teams, success has not been achieved. Having looked at the wealth of wonderful sports reports in this yearbook, I believe it is possible to achieve both so that everyone thrives in an environment full of opportunity that also brings success.

144

SHAMAL 2019

Our ‘Jack of all Trades’ ability is evident by the sheer number of sports we have competed in this year. If we measure ourselves on ‘Sport For All’, 80% of students have regularly participated in sports clubs this year, which illustrates how busy our courts and fields have been throughout the season. To measure sporting success we have yet again amassed a very impressive number of league and competition victories across a huge number of DASSA competitions. However, it is our ability to compete in so many sports that makes us so unique. We have gained the titles of ‘champions’ in eleven different sports, which shows that excellence does not need to be the domain of just a few. The growth of new sports this year has

been a major highlight, with Tennis being the new kid on the block. The courts have been teeming with players throughout the year and with the guidance of Mr Rushworth a number of teams have excelled at both singles and doubles forms of the game. We are now launching new fitness standards for you all to try and achieve so that we can assist you to become even fitter than before. So as you pack your bag for the beach this summer, please ensure you take your trainers in addition to your sun cream and flip flops! See you in September when you are all fitter, faster and stronger. Mr A Jones Director of Sport

SPORT

SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS 2018/2019 “WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER”

Athletics DASSA Aquathon – Division 1 Champions DASSA Aquathon U14 Boys Champions DASSA Aquathon U12 Girls Champions DASSA Aquathon U18 Girls Champions DASSA Athletics Overall Champions DASSA Girls’ Athletics Champions DASSA Boys’ Athletics Champions U14 Boys DASSA Cross Country Champions U19 Boys DASSA Cross Country Champions U12 Girls DASSA Cross Country Champions U14 Girls DASSA Cross Country Champions U12 Boys DASSA X Country relay Champions Fab 5 U12 Girls Athletics Champions Fab 5 U14 Boys Athletics Champions Fab 5 U16 Boys Athletics Champions Fab 5 U16 Girls Athletics Champions Fab 5 U19 Boys Athletics Champions Fab 5 – Division 1 Overall Combined Champions Girls Basketball U19A DASSA League Division 1 Champions Boys Basketball U19A DASSA League Division 1 Champions Cricket U19 Kukri Cup winners

Rounders Year 10 Latifa Tournament Winners DASSA U13A Division 1 Winners DASSA U13B Division 2 Winners DASSA U15B Division 2 Winners DASSA U15A Division 1 Winners DASSA U19A Division 1 Winners Rugby U12 BSAK 7s Cup Winners U12 DC 7s Cup Winners U12 DC 10s Cup Winners U12 DASSA 15 a side league winners U13 DC 7s Cup Winners U13 DASSA Friendly League Winners U16 DC 10s Cup Winners U16 DASSA 15 a side League Winners U19 BSAK 7s Cup Winners U19A Emirates Airline Dubai 7s Champions U19B Emirates Airline Dubai 7s Finalists U19 DASSA 15 a side League Winners Rugby Touch U15 DESC 7s Champions U15 DC 10s Girls Touch Rugby Champions Swimming DASSA Championships Winners DASSA Division 1 Champions Tennis DASSA U12 Boys Singles Champions DASSA U12 Girls Doubles Champions DASSA U14 Boys Doubles Champions DASSA U14 Girls Singles Champions DASSA U14 Girls Singles Champions DASSA U16 Girls Doubles Champions DASSA Tennis U18 Girls Singles Champions

Dance Dubai Desert Dance Best Use Of Theme Award Boys Football DASSA U14 Division 1 Winners U14 DASSA 7s Champions U14 DASSA Cup Winners U19 BSAK 7s Champions Girls Football U13 DASSA Division 1 Winners U13 DASSA 7s Champions Netball U13 Youth 7s Winners U13A DASSA League Winners U16 BSAK 7s Champions U16 DASSA Division 1 League Winners U19 BSAK 7s Champions SHAMAL 2019

145

SPORT

BOYS’ & GIRLS’ ATHLETICS Back Row: Oliver Reedy, Innes Flett, Aurelien Carretta, Mark Bezzina, Jake Wade, Samuel Reedy, Etienne Tillon, George Boon, Thomas Morris, John De Vilhena Rees, Michael Reid, Arran Shah, Thomas Rose, Sebastian Snaas, Ned Farrell, Jake Hewer, Chris Assimacopoulos, Jakub Skroban, Tarn Timmermans, Ava Warren, Emma Robertson Third Row: Olivia Conlon, Annabelle Garner, Anna Johnstone, Charlotte Symington, Zach Mcguigan, Alysha Alimohamed, Tamsin Rose, Toby Burnside, Dylan Parekh, Olivia Allen, Max Ridout, Salaar Ferozie, Elanor Wright, AliMahdi Meghji, Alexander Joshi, Aoife Palmer-O’Riordan, Maria Iorini, Lauren Agent, Sasha Verrall, Gabriella Crick Lewis Second Row: Finn Timmermans, Daniela Pamias Lopez, Tara Sigalos, Mark Agent, Jodie Qursha, Ben Morgan, Laith Al Nabhani, Evie Fuller, Aman Burman, Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Jawad Jafar, Isabella Duthie, William Hosking, Lia Warren, Aaliyah Haque, Sophie O’Keeffe, Abi Plumtree, Ksenia Morozova, Sean Mastin, Daniel Plumtree, Alexander Roberts Front Row: Dominic Mayne, Pierce Ashton, Finlay Wilkes, Sabeen Shariff, Sophie Bennett, Jack Drew, Laura Iorini, Isobel Charlier, Kaila Kondas Niza, Maha Nawaz, Madeleine Burnside, Juliette Maillet-Freixanet, Ayan Shariff, Isabel Strauss, Mia Ammanath, Khalid Osman, Daniel Buerk

BOYS’ ATHLETICS REPORT I would like to start by thanking the PE staff and particularly Mr Riordan and Miss Cooper for the tremendous amount of time and care that they devote to the athletics programme your help has been invaluable, and the squad’s careful training really stands out during competitions. Every year Dubai College competes in the Division One DASSA Athletics competition at the Sports City track. This competition is the peak of the athletics season, and features many of our top athletes competing against talent from many other schools. This year, we won the competition and continued Dubai College’s almost ten-year unbeaten streak. Another popular event was the Fab 5 Competition, hosted here at Dubai College. The day before the Fab 5 Competition, we found out that 9 out of 12 of our athletes were injured. This led to a frantic scramble to try and find suitable replacements. 146

SHAMAL 2019

Luckily, thanks to the senior boys’ enthusiasm and commitment to the athletics programme, we filled the spots and managed to compete. Through the adversity of these many injuries we worked hard and won the overall competition - carrying on our nine-year winning streak. To me, this event truly embodies Dubai College’s willingness to push through adversity and our teamwork skills. It has been a fantastic season of athletics, winning all our competitions and being Fab 5 champs for the eighth straight year! Special thanks to all the last minute Fab 5 replacements, all of whom displayed terrific effort and truly represented the Dubai College spirit. Jawad Jafar 13MDH

GIRLS’ ATHLETICS REPORT As always, Dubai College smashed this Athletics season winning the DASSA School Competition for the 8th year in a row. Despite this

season rolling around far too quickly for the unmotivated and unfit seniors, Miss Cooper’s excitement and determination for this season motivated us girls and we formed yet another unbeatable team. The buzz at the grand Sports City track provided us all with the impetus to run, jump and throw to our best abilities taking us to first place in the overall competition. After such incredible success in the school event, the female athletes were determined to prove themselves independently in the individual competition on the 19th March where podium places and medals were at stake. Every athlete put their all into each event and I felt proud knowing that all of the time and hard work from each girl had paid off. I would like to thank the 38 girls who qualified for the individual competition for their incredible efforts and congratulate those who received medals. As well as that, I was impressed by the many Year 13s who, despite having mocks the week of the competition, came down to Sports City and competed at a very high standard. Dubai College’s

SPORT

AQUATHON Back Row: Shrishti Tandon, Lauren Agent, Natasha Whittall, Anthony Whittall, Lorcan Fallon, Aurelien Carretta, Raphael Sibuet, Matthew Wells, Ben Morgan Middle Row: Jodie May, Keira Liew, Kiho Hirosawa Lum, Jack Drew, Rylan Firth, Alexander Mantzavinatos, Sean Mastin, Finn Timmermans, Laura Iorini, Yahvi Shah Front Row: Harriet Carmichael, Juan Martin Freile, Anne-Marie Banas, Juliette Maillet-Freixanet, Hannah Flanagan Egelman, Isobel Charlier, Janya Shah, Madeleine Burnside, Sabeen Shariff, Katherine Schupbach, William O’Keeffe

amazing female athletes should be proud of themselves and our victory really reflects the determination and passion the girls have for the sport. We had success throughout the school from the new Year 7s Harriet Carmichael and Isobel Charlier who proved themselves in their 1500m and 800m races, Olivia Allen in Year 11 who once again dominated on the high jump mat, to the Verrall sisters, who despite being adamant that they are not sprinters, did not fail to impress both Miss Cooper and myself by placing high in both their 200m and 400m races. Our win really is a testament to the incredible training, motivation and organisation from Miss Cooper in the weeks leading up to the competition and on the actual day. All our female athletes from Year 7 to Year 13 would like to thank Miss Cooper for her tireless efforts and belief in us. We would not have won the competition as effortlessly as we did without the time Miss Cooper spent working with us to perfect our skills on the field and track. Once again Dubai College’s female athletes have set the bar incredibly

high for future generations, but I am reassured after seeing the talent in the younger years that we will have no trouble maintaining Dubai College’s formidable athletics reputation. Isabella Duthie 13SPE

SHAMAL 2019

147

SPORT

DASSA CROSS COUNTRY Back Row: Alysha Alimohamed, Toby Burnside, Tarn Timmermans, Mark Bezzina, Jawad Jafar, Ned Farrell, Lorcan Fallon, Aurelien Carretta, Innes Flett, Salaar Ferozie, Simon Rhys-Maitland Middle Row: Madeleine Burnside, Kaila Kondas Niza, Mark Agent, Sophie O’Keeffe, Lauren Agent, Matthew Wells, Anna Johnstone, Aman Burman, Inaz Humphrey, Ben Morgan, Daniela Pamias Lopez, Isabella Batten Front Row: Daniel Buerk, Ayan Shariff, Juliette Maillet-Freixanet, Isobel Charlier, Jodie May, Tamsin Rose, Etienne Tillon, Keira Liew, Janya Shah, Finlay Wilkes, Dominic Mayne

FAB 5 ATHLETICS REPORT The 2019 Fab 5 athletics competitions bring together the five strongest teams of athletes across Dubai with each athlete representing their school and performing at a top level. Dubai College has been fortunate enough to have enough talented athletes to form two teams in all age groups for this competition, a privilege that we have sustained for several years now. Despite having to postpone the initial date of the event to a month later because us Dubai children cannot run in the rain, this did not shake us one bit and Dubai College won the overall competition, placing first in most age groups. As a team, we were most successful in the track events with all our sprinters and distance runners placing first or second in each event. Despite this though we certainly did not slack in the field events with Elanor Wright winning her javelin event and Michael Reid who placed second in high jump. 148

SHAMAL 2019

As well as that, Dubai College saw success in the relay, the most exciting and anticipated event of the day. I am sure the Year 13s were as nostalgic as I was while racing in the relay for the final time in their Dubai College career, this track being the location of the competition throughout most of our athletic journey. The Under 18 boys’ A team smashed their relay with each runner increasing the distance between them and the DESC boys with every lap. We also had spectacular effort from the boys’ B team as well with Finlay Keegan running both the first and last leg of the relay. Similarly, in the girls’ relay race we gave it our all which took us to an incredible second place. Despite not winning the race the relay is always the best event of the day as we get to work together as a team and share the victory together. Unfortunately, we had some injured members of the original team which required us to have to recruit some new individuals, but thanks to Jordyn Hamilton, Ben Davies and Ella Verrall who agreed to compete at the very last minute, we were able to show up with four full teams who

were ready to compete. Throughout the afternoon we had multiple wins with nearly all our athletes placing either first or second place in each race. We were impressed with the efforts of Sophie O’Keeffe and amazed by Sebastian Snaas who, despite having never competed in a competitive sprint before, dominated on the track and smashed his 200m race. Thank you to all the coaches who came down to support the athletes and to help with timings and measurements throughout the competition and the weeks leading up to it, your time has been very valuable to all the athletes. A special thank you to the unremitting efforts of Miss Cooper and Mr Riordan who arranged the competition for us, provided training sessions and inspired us to perform to our highest capabilities. We hope we have done you proud and wish next year’s athletes the best of luck Isabella Duthie 13SPE

SPORT Back Row: William Hosking, Carlos Halawi, Alexander Roberts Middle Row: Madeleine Burnside, Finn Timmermans, Maha Nawaz, Ayan Shariff Front Row: Harriet Carmichael, Tara Sigalos, Sabeen Shariff

U12 A FAB 5 Back Row: Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Alexander Joshi, Olivia Conlon Middle Row: Daniel Plumtree, Inaz Humphrey, Aaliyah Haque, Kaila Kondas Niza Front Row: Khalid Osman, Isabel Strauss, Finlay Wilkes

U12 B FAB 5 Back Row: Max Ridout, Thomas Haigh, Tarn Timmermans Middle Row: Lia Warren, Dylan Parekh, Anna Johnstone, Mark Agent Front Row: Juliette MailletFreixanet, Jasmine Wharton, Jodie Qursha

U14 A FAB 5 SHAMAL 2019

149

SPORT Back Row: Salaar Ferozie, Toby Burnside, AliMahdi Meghji Middle Row: Simon Rhys-Maitland, Casey Camball, Charlotte Symington, Ben Morgan Front Row: Yuchen Zhou, Evie Fuller, Jodie May

U14 B FAB 5 Back Row: Aurelien Carretta, Thomas Morris, John De Vilhena Rees, Benjamin Morris, Ned Farrell Front Row: Auxane Faye, Emily Davidson, Lauren Agent, Yahvi Shah Absent: Olivia Allen

U16 A FAB 5 Back Row: Innes Flett, Jakub Skroban, Lorcan Fallon, Mark Bezzina, Laith Al Nabhani Front Row: Chiara Federico, Daniela Pamias Lopez, Catrin Taylor, Megan Theocharis Absent: Tatum Muller

U16 B FAB 5 150

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT Back Row: Harrison Devereux, Michael Reid, Sebastian Snaas Middle Row: Tamsin Rose, Jake Wade, Jawad Jafar, Isabella Duthie Front Row: Sophie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe, Sasha Verrall, Ella Verrall

U18 A FAB 5 Back Row: Jordyn Hamilton, Ben Davies, Finlay Keegan Middle Row: Oliver Reedy, Casey Bell, Emma Roberston, Jacob Camilleri Front Row: Alysha Alimohamed, Catherine Smyth, Elanor Wright

U18 B FAB 5

SHAMAL 2019

151

SPORT

152

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT Back Row: Mr S Pernasilici, Aleksandar Macura, Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Alexander Joshi, Sean Mastin Front Row: Karan Maliekkal, Finn Timmermans, Jack Drew, Alexander Roberts, Ayan Shariff

U12 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Aditya Ganesh, Shady Abdallah, Maximilian Wessels Middle Row: Mr A Jones, Christian Ruiz, Paidi Robinson, Ryan Brimson, Juan Martin Freile Front Row: Farbod Afrassiabi, Byunghoon Kim, Connor McGuigan

U12 B BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Zuhair Shawl, Nicholas House, Ottavio Ricciardelli Middle Row: Mark Agent, Theodor Stockmeier, Jad Oklany, Saif Shaikh Front Row: Marcos Marmarchi, Hussein Elzaafarany, William O’Keeffe

U13 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL SHAMAL 2019

153

SPORT Back Row: Salaar Ferozie, Tarn Timmermans, Oliver Cifford Middle Row: Pranav Sangwan, Vuk Milovanovic Front Row: Juha Leinonen, Yacine Zribi, Alberto Pamias Lopez

U13 B BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Edward Winsor, Jasim Yousaf, Matthew Wells Middle Row: Connor Mahesan, Kiumars Afrassiabi, Conor Air, Ned Brady Front Row: Vansh Gadhia, Nyall Sharif, Zayan Aka, Nishk Moorjani, Louis Mulcahy

U13 C BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Filip Popivoda, Osian Thomas, Max Ridout Middle Row: Nandan Dhanesh, Matthew Campbell, Amal Dhanesh, Zach Saldanha Front Row: Michael Cordahi, Joshua Gustaveson, Aman Burman

U14 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL 154

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT Back Row: Thomas Rose, Arran Shah, John De Vilhena Rees Middle Row: Sebastien Springuel, Ned Farrell, Benjamin Morris, Andreas Paschalis Front Row: Matthew Johnstone, Mayansh Upadhyaya, Dominic Marmarchi, Francis Evers, Jakub Skroban

U16 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Mr S Pernasilici, Vedant Bhansali, Mark Bezzina, Shrish Janarthanan, Nikola Pandurovic, Tom Rietjens, Pratyush Dwivedi Front Row: Ansh Tandon, Kian Kazranian, Thomas McLaughlin, Aditya Tolani, Thomas Eley, Vardsinh Turongpun

U16 B BOYS’ BASKETBALL

U16 BOYS’ BASKETBALL REPORT The U16A team this year was extremely successful in all aspects of the game. During the season Mr Riordan coached us to victory in many of our games. We participated in the DASSA U16 league, competing hard during the whole season and placing fourth out of thirty-five talented teams. Our toughest fixture during the season was against Wellington International School for the semi-finals of the DASSA league. We had played the team earlier in the season and had lost due to our lack of players and injuries, however, we were confident

the second time round. We started the game trailing, which we had done in many of our games. For the first three quarters we were behind, sometimes behind by up to 15 points. However, in the fourth quarter we turned up the tempo and brought the game to a tie, scoring 15 points in five minutes without conceding once. After putting in so much effort we were confident we would take the lead, however, four undefendable three-point shots in a row gave Wellington a nine-point lead and unfortunately caused us to lose. Our best fixture was against Deira International School, for the DASSA league quarter-finals. We were confident going into the game after a comfortable win the week before. However, when we arrived the court was dark, and we were immediately out of our comfort zone. The game began and we were trailing for the

first half. We knew we needed to bring the game back as soon as possible and after our motivating team talk at the half time break, we were ready to go. We immediately picked up the pace, scoring and defending easily. We brought the game to a tie by the third quarter and Mr Riordan’s iconic action of pointing at the clock and wise words in the fourth quarter gave us the lead and we eventually won the game by five points. We placed 4th overall in the DASSA U16 league, a significant improvement to our 25th place in the league two years earlier. As a result of our successful season, I would like to say a special thanks to Mr Riordan for coaching us over the past four years, bringing us from the bottom of the league to the top in only two years. Dominic Marmarchi 11TSO SHAMAL 2019

155

SPORT

U16 B BOYS’ BASKETBALL REPORT This term the U16B Basketball team consisted of 12 players along with Coach Pernasilici. Towards the beginning of the first term we dove straight into the DASSA

league. Our toughest fixture was most likely the first team we faced, GEMS World Academy. They were physically more superior to our team and additionally as it was the first fixture our teamwork was not up to standard. As the season progressed, so did our team chemistry and skill. Due to this I believe our last fixture against Cambridge International School was our best performance of

the season. This year we were unable to play in any tournaments, we just played in the DASSA league and, unfortunately, we were relegated in the group stages. I felt lots of our players improved a lot, however, I felt Tom Rietjens especially performed well and scored many of the points this year. Aditya Tolani 10DRI Back Row: Michael Reid, Matty Russo, Kaivalya Vohra Middle Row: Dimitri Shukla, Sebastian Snaas, Hishaan Mahtani, Samuel Reedy Front Row: Keanu Boucher, Siddhant D’Souza, Ritvik Ramnath

U18 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL

U18 A BOYS’ BASKETBALL REPORT The U18A Basketball season of 2018-19 was an incredibly dominant one. The perseverance and tireless work of the boys truly paid off and allowed us to win 8 out of 8 games, leading us to yet another unbeaten season. The level of basketball was taken to a higher level this year, moving from the run and gun offense we usually play to the introduction of new offensive and defensive plays devised by Mr Riordan. Our season began with a home game against Dubai International Academy. A tremendous effort on defence allowed us to take a comfortable win, 46-26. Our next two games were played away, with one at GEMS United School and the other at the infamous Choueifat. Despite the over-enthusiastic hecklers and us missing a few starting players, 156

SHAMAL 2019

our hard work on defence allowed us to play our natural, fast-break style of basketball. This was reflected in the score lines of 47-26 and 61-22 respectively. Our final group-stage game against Wellington International school was by far our toughest match. The home game was won 57-54, a narrow victory but one that was well-deserved as our performance in the second half made up for our shooting troubles in the first. We began our play-off campaign with a blow-out against Cambridge International School. Our highest score of 90-35 can be attributed to our phenomenal shooting behind the arc and smart defence, which allowed us to foul out their star players.

the group stages (score line: 57-31). Once the game began, however, we realised that we had a much tougher match at hand. Despite the stand-out performance of their big men and an almost identical score-line at the start of the fourth quarter, our outstanding performance during the final quarter was the deciding factor in our narrow win of 51-45. I would like to thank Mr Riordan for the time and effort he put into the season. Whether it be to schedule extra training sessions on Wednesday evening or to open the Sports Hall so we could practise free throws during free periods, he was constantly pushing us to strive for better. Without his efforts, I doubt we would have been half as successful.

Moving into the semi-final we were a bit wary of one of our tougher opponents, Uptown School, due to our history of nail-biting matches against them. Despite this, however, we beat them comfortably 62-39. Moving into the finals we were feeling very confident. This was due to our unbeaten winning streak and the fact that we had beaten our final opponents, Greenfield Community School, with relative ease during

To the Year 13s, it has been amazing to play alongside you guys over the past few years, the Dubai College basketball experience would not have been the same without you all. To the Year 12s, I wish you the best of luck next year, I trust you will carry on the Dubai College winning tradition! Siddhant D’Souza 13MDH

SPORT Back Row: Harrison Devereux, Marco Gabriel, Khalid Belselah, James Caution, Jordyn Hamilton Front Row: Matthew Wane, Sachit Lumba, Krish Gupta, Meeran Fehmi, Suryansh Loya, Ishaan Alidina

U18 B BOYS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Wiktoria Blazik, Aaliya Haque, Maria Michailidou, Tavishi Pandey, Sabeen Shariff Front Row: Samara James, Alexandra Cordahi, Sophie Bennett, Maha Nawaz, Anna Zaman, Aalya Sengupta

U12 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Mr P Flower, Kaila Kondas Niza, Nivriti Srivastava, Ksenia Morozova, Emma Thomas, Yifan Wang, Malak Ibrahim Front Row: Zara Sheikh, Saanvi Rastogi, Mishel Kudel, Isabel Strauss, Nivriti Dwivedi, Eleftheria Sermpeti

U12 B GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SHAMAL 2019

157

SPORT Back Row: Mr P Flower, Ella Davidson, Charlotte Symington, Charlie Preston, Aoife PalmerO’Riordan, Lia Warren Front Row: Jemma Eley, Ananya Navalekar, Eun Soo Park, Sophie Ashford, Noorulain Hussain, Danielle Guerin

U13 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Mr P Flower, Scarlett Slow, Salinaa Naik, Maisie Weddell, Ryiah Simon, Ayesha Khan, Lucy Parks Front Row: Areesha Fehmi, Maxine McKellar, Amber Rahman, Kitty Harland, Yasmin Shah, Lara Teja

U13 B GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Mr P Flower, Evie Fuller, Sasha Darré-Pavlowsky, Anna Johnstone, Eloise Stewart-Smith, Anabelle Garner, Liang Liu Front Row: Laura Iorini, Jodie Qursha, Shrishti Tandon, Yasmine Caraiscos, Keira Boucher, Tess Ruddell

U14 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 158

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT Back Row: Mr P Flower, Ebba Zickerman, Ava Warren, Chloe Russo, Amy MacKenzie Front Row: Chrissie Lowndes, Megan Parks, Reva Poddar, Sophie Tillon, Eesha Yaqub, Daniela Pamias Lopez Absent: Olivia Allen

U16 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Back Row: Dana Soleimani, Scarlett Joshi, Allie Craig, Zainab Hussain Syed Middle Row: Mr P Flower, Georgia Levitt, Mariam Siali, Layal Halabi, Lauren Agent, Priyanka Israni, Jahanara Siddiqui Front Row: Olivia Ludden, Chiamaka Mezu, Farasha Alimohamed, Tamara Bratchik, Tiana Lane Williamson, Sarah Aswani

U16 B GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

U16 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL REPORT Basketball this year has been amazing. Every single season we manage to grow as a team, not only improving as a squad but as individuals. Whether it’s accomplishing new skills and tricks or winning competitions and games overseas, this year has proved to be super successful for all of us. A game against Nord Anglia School was our first and only loss in the season, the stressful backwards and forwards battle was frustrating to lose by such a tiny amount due to a defensive error. We tend to

completely dominate our opponents, so this loss was disappointing and prevented us from having a clean sweep of the league. We competed in several other competitions in the year, the most notable being in Singapore. Being able to compete against extremely good teams from all over the world such as Australia, Malaysia, India, Korea, The Philippines and South Africa, gave us the challenge we wanted and we were forced to work harder than ever to try to come out on top. The home team from Singapore was particularly strong and they gave us such a good match. Every game is enjoyable to play, especially when we come back from behind after scoring a basket in the remaining few seconds and take the victory. It

leaves the team on such a high. On the basketball tour to Singapore, not only were we privileged to represent our school, but also to explore and enjoy the city as a squad too. It was simply amazing and unforgettable, many many memories were made and it was a trip that is still constantly talked about within our group today as it was such a good experience; this tour was an eye-opener in the fact that so many of us realised why we loved playing basketball in the first place. I know that on behalf of the squad, we would like to thank Miss Cooper for helping and supporting us throughout the season and on tour, as well as Mr Flower for being the most determined and loyal coach we could have had and for pushing us SHAMAL 2019

159

SPORT to play the best basketball we ever could. We have had such a good year this season as a whole team and I could not be happier with how much

we have improved, what we have achieved and how far we have come.

U16 B GIRLS’ BASKETBALL REPORT

just water or the occasional hair tie. We now share a multitude of memories; from the grand victories to the few fair losses and everything in between. The weekly training hours never obliged themselves as chores but were longed for. Injuries were known to not step in the way of train or game time and instead girls stepped up to help a friend in need. On court, we stood as allies - bonds

U16B Basketball was more than just a team in 2019 - we always had each other's backs, shouted support from the benches, shared more than

Sophie Tillon 11JCO vibrating amidst our team players, no one afraid of failure knowing aid would always come. I truly hope we will come back next year as the team we were, the team we are today. Come back as more of an unstoppable force than we were this fruitful year. Tamara Bratchik 10ADA

Back Row: Arya Flisher, Georgia Allen, Annabelle Style Middle Row: Mr P Flower, Sasha Verrall, Lauren Johnstone, Jemma Shand, Hannah Dawson Front Row: Millie McMurray, Alma Zickerman, Hannah Mathew

U18 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

U18 A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL REPORT After a hugely successful and competitive season last year, the pressure was on for our team to retain the U18 Girls’ Basketball Trophy. The team this year was made up of a talented mix of Year 12s and 13s who were all rich in skill, drive and a thirst for gold. With most of the girls having won the DASSA league since Year 8, under the continued rule of Mr Flower, we have been determined from the get-go that this year would be no different. This year, the DASSA league was comprised of tough competition 160

SHAMAL 2019

with talented teams who had been training hard in preparation. With matches stretching from September to December, our first term was action-packed with close (and some not so close) games. Our netball style of play, solid defence, and both rapid and controlled attacks, paired with Annabelle’s continued attempts at three pointers allowed us to come away from our first seven games undefeated with an impressive overall point difference of 161 and a spot in the final. After a hugely successful season, our final was definitely our toughest and closest fixture. In a game that felt like it went on forever, Jumeirah English Speaking School had the lead for most of the game with our score never trailing more than 3 points until the time came for us to redo/retie our hair to allow for some extra good luck. Our continued hard-pressed offense

and strong defence, in tandem with some fresh luck, allowed us to come away with a close final score of 3532 and the DASSA Girls’ Basketball U18 trophy. The victory was befitting and reflected how hard we have worked this season to come away with another basketball trophy and undefeated season, to continue the Dubai College Girls’ Basketball Legacy. In addition to a successful domestic season, in October a mixture of eager Year 11s, 12s and two Year 13s were lucky enough to go on tour to Singapore to compete in the annual Asia Pacific Youth Cup where 77 teams from 10 nations gathered in the beautiful city of Singapore to play intensive and high-quality basketball for four days in a range of age groups. Having never played together as a team before, we won

SPORT our first game narrowly against skilled competition with a close final score of 30-25. Coming second in our pool and finishing fourth overall, we are immensely grateful for the experience and to witness such fantastic basketball; it is a trip we will never forget. We would like to thank Miss Cooper for supporting us and ensuring that we made the most of our trip, and we would like to thank Mr Flower for his unwavering support, solid humour and long team talks. A massive thank you and well done to all the younger girls who stepped up and played very well against some very tough and impressive competition. We all had a lot of fun! It has been a pleasure, and very easy, to captain this group of girls due to

everyone’s commitment and fantastic attitudes. Basketball at Dubai College has been an incredible experience and with most of us having played together since Year 7, it has been an honour to learn the game with you all. On behalf of the whole team, I would like to thank the parents and staff alike for the fantastic support, we would especially want to thank our very own P Flower who lives and breathes girls’ basketball and supports us endlessly both on and off the court. Thank you, Mr Flower, for yet another fantastic year of basketball, I know the younger years will undoubtedly continue the Dubai College Basketball Legacy. Thank you to the whole team for such a great last season! Alma Zickerman 13SPE

Back Row: Jessica Passey, Casey Bell, Gabriella Reynolds Middle Row: Mrs L Hodge, Naoise Morgan, Sophie Newbery, Lucy Graham, Madeline Thomson Front Row: Sophie O’Keeffe, Maisie Harvey, Isabella Duthie, Ella Verrall, Rihana Al Nabhani

U18 B GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SHAMAL 2019

161

SPORT Back Row: Paidi Robinson, Mihir Kumar, Alexander Joshi, Mahika Gaur, Zuhair Shawl, Jasim Yousaf, Alexander Roberts Middle Row: Mr C Berkenshaw, Kumail Nakhoda, Arjun Anand, Daniel Blair, Aditya Ganesh, Dhruv Parekh, Douglas Groves, Reilly Maloney-Pinto, Sharan Hinduja, Mr P Sparks Front Row: Abhir Kewalramani, Christopher Woolley, Zayd Bawany, Harry Johnston, Ziyad Dhaduk, Mustafa Sherwani, Taran Kumar

U13 CRICKET

U13 CRICKET REPORT This year we had a big group of keen Year 7s and 8s playing together for the U13 cricket squad which has been exhilarating, nail-biting and super fun. This year we played in the DASSA U13 9-a-side tape ball league. We won every single match and eased through the group stages. Whilst there was unfortunately no hardball league this year, we still played many friendlies with other schools across Dubai. One of our toughest, closest fixtures was against the Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Just Cricket Academy when we had restrained IJC to 97 all out. When it came to our batting, some

of our well-set batsmen getting out at crucial times eventually led to us falling short by 15 runs. On the other hand, one of our best performances was our first match, against Dubai English Speaking College. We came out to bat first scoring a healthy 132-4 due to some valuable and important contributions with the bat from Harry Johnston, Ziyad Dhaduk and Mihir Kumar. The entire team bowled very well to restrict them to 80-7 to win by 52 runs. Our second tournament of the year was the Dubai College Sixers, a six-a-side, six over round-robin tournament in which some select cricket schools come to Dubai College to compete.

team, the Abu Dhabi T-10 team and the county cricket teams of Lancashire and Surrey. We were also fortunate enough to go and watch a part of the Test Match between Pakistan and Australia. Both experiences were great opportunities for the team to learn from watching the professionals. Overall, it has been a great season of cricket for the U13 squad with victories, losses, learning experiences and a lot of fun and banter. Lastly, a huge thanks to Mr Berkenshaw, Mr Sparks and coach Brian from IJC for all the help and support they have given us. Without them, this season would not have been possible.

This year we were very lucky to get to go and watch a round-robin tournament between the UAE cricket

Ziyad Dhaduk 8MAB

Back Row: Mr C Berkenshaw, Harry Johnston, Aditya Ganesh, Zuhair Shawl, Mahika Gaur, Mihir Kumar, Jasim Yousaf, Mustafa Sherwani Front Row: Taran Kumar, Christopher Woolley, Paidi Robinson, Ziyad Dhaduk, Zayd Bawany, Abhir Kewalramani, Kumail Nakhoda

U13 TAPE BALL 162

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT Back Row: Harry Johnston, Kabir Mulani, Zaid Khan, Osian Thomas, Mahika Gaur, Sahil Kewalramani, Maharu Gunasekara Middle Row: Mr M Woolley, Ziyad Dhaduk, Arjun Sisodia, Kushaan Sainani, Mihir Kumar, Zain Rana, Mr P Sparks, Mr C Berkenshaw Front Row: Taran Kumar, Paidi Robinson, Raghav Awasthi, Zakariya Pirzada, Zayd Bawany, Mustafa Sherwani, Abhir Kewalramani

U15 CRICKET

U15 CRICKET REPORT This year the U15 Cricket team has been phenomenal: we doubled our win rate from last year and have leaped forward in our standards. With a young team that will remain the same next year, and our amazing coach Mr Berkenshaw, we are hoping for another season as memorable as this one was. As a team we participated in the DASSA tape ball league. Unfortunately, we were unable to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament but have learnt a lot and will set winning this tournament high up on our target list for next season.

We have had many challenging fixtures this season and it hasn’t been easy; all our opponents put up good fights. We have been in very sticky situations with both bat and ball. This season’s most challenging game will have to be a combination of our two games against Kings’ School Al Barsha. In our first game against them we had put ourselves in a good position to chase an achievable total thanks to four wickets picked up by myself and Mahika Gaur, Osian Thomas and Zain Rana also getting wickets. However, after a couple of silly dismissals, we had put the game out of our reach. In the second game against Kings’, more consistent bowling left us with a slightly smaller target than the last game we had played against them. The difference this time was that our two

opening batsmen both scored fifties (Harry Johnston 57 and Kushaan Sainani 54). This meant we only needed two runs to win and one to draw from the final ball of the match. The Kings’ bowler bowled a brilliant delivery that inevitably won Kings’ the game despite valiant efforts from everyone. Our most notable victory must be our last hard ball match of the season against bitter rivals Dubai English Speaking College. A great start with the ball from Zain Rana, along with some amazing fielding efforts, meant that DESC were all out for just 65. However, the DESC bowlers proved persistent whilst our batsmen were inconsistent. We had energy going when Kabir Mulani, Osian Thomas and Zaid Khan were batting, before they were dismissed. It then seemed Mihir Kumar was set to carry us over the line, however, he Back Row: Zaid Khan, Osian Thomas, Mahika Gaur Middle Row: Mr C Berkenshaw, Zayd Bawany, Kabir Mulani, Sahil Kewalramani, Zain Rana Front Row: Harry Johnston, Raghav Awasthi, Zak Pirzada, Kushaan Sainani, Maharu Gunasekara

U15 TAPE BALL SHAMAL 2019

163

SPORT came off injured. Nevertheless, thanks to a sixteen run over by Ziyad Dhaduk we were back on track and all that was needed was a sweep shot for four to wrap up a successful victory. This season was full of many achievements, some of those cannot be shown on a scorecard; there are always people putting in the hard yards in our training sessions and matches. Firstly, I would like to thank

the superb spin duo of Raghav Awasthi and Maharu Gunasekara. They kept batsmen quiet and created chances for wickets. Secondly, I would like to thank the Year 7s who played up a year when numbers were low: Paidi Robinson, Aditya Ganesh and Abhir Kewalramani. I would also like to congratulate Mahika Gaur for being capped for the UAE U20 Ladies’ team. Mahika travelled with the team and picked up an international wicket. And

there are many more players that put in 110% effort at every fielding session, net session and match. I appreciate all of you. But the biggest thanks has to go to our coach, Mr Berkenshaw. We all appreciate his work this year. We look forward to having the same strong team next year as we hope to have our best season yet. Zak Pirzada 9MYA Back Row: Mustafa Lone, Bilal Hashim, Pranav Nanda, Kaivalya Vohra, Aryan Mehta, Osian Thomas Middle Row: Mr C Berkenshaw, George Gunn, Veer Vohra, Armaan Tourani, Rishi Barve, Mayansh Upadhyaya, Wajih Zaman, Vishal Ayyagari, Mr P Sparks Front Row: Kushaan Sainani, Matthew Wane, Gaurav Singh, Sahil Mordani, Eisa Hussain, Meeran Fehmi

1ST XI CRICKET

U18 CRICKET REPORT After a long off-season we commenced our training in early September with renewed hunger and purpose for the forthcoming season. The first couple of weeks of training were spent trying to find our rhythm with bat and ball once more whilst reconditioning our hands in fielding sessions. A few of us on the chubbier side also had to work on getting rid of the excess holiday weight in the gym! Our first two fixtures were against two men’s teams: Lancashire County Cricket Club and Darjeeling Cricket Club. Unfortunately, we lost both of these fixtures, however, they provided us with crucial match practice before the start of the season. Our season formally started in November with an extremely satisfying win against Jumeirah College and we breezed 164

SHAMAL 2019

through our first two DASSA league games against Kings’ School Al Barsha and GEMS World Academy. Our most challenging fixture was against Repton School Dubai in the DASSA league group stages. We were put in to bowl first and it was one of our poorer bowling performances. We leaked runs, allowing Repton to reach a competitive 149 in 20 overs. We needed to bat well and required our opening pair to get us off to a flyer. However, they were back in the dugout by the end of 5 overs. Wajih Zaman and I consolidated the innings, allowing us to recover. However, Wajih unfortunately was caught on the boundary and this led to a mini collapse as we lost two more quick wickets. Luckily, Eisa Hussain and I were able to turn the game in the last over, hitting three fours in six balls; we ended up winning this nervy encounter with three balls to spare. Our semi-final match was against Jumeirah College. We were able to take wickets in short intervals, restricting the team to 112 in 20 overs. However, we were

stumbled out early in one of our worse performances of the year. A lot of us also took part in the charity cricket match with the Boys in Blue, which was organised by the Charity Committee to give back to the Boys

SPORT Back Row: Mustafa Lone, Pranav Nanda, Aryan Mehta Middle Row: Mr C Berkenshaw, Eisa Hussain, Wajih Zaman, Mr P Sparks Front Row: Meeran Fehmi, Sahil Mordani, Vishal Ayyagari

ARCH TROPHY in Blue who work selflessly so that our fixtures take place. We were then involved in the Kukri Cup, where we won in the final thanks to some destructive power hitting, whilst also getting to meet international cricketers Keaton Jennings and Morne Morkel at the winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presentation. Our final competition of the season was the Arch Trophy. We battled hard over the Easter break, playing five forty over matches in six days. We played some of our best cricket in this tournament and really came together as a team, winning three out of the five games. Our best fixture was against Manchester Grammar School, dubbed as one of the toughest teams in the Arch Trophy, who boasted many UK county players. We put them into bat as it had been raining the night before so the conditions prompted us to bat second. We got off to a solid start restricting them to 10 runs in 5 overs without loss. The pressure that built on the opening batsmen led to them capitulating in quick succession. The new batsman also brought in a bowling change as the spinners intimidated the new batsman, our three spin bowlers Sahil Mordani, Eisa Hussain and Wajih Zaman tumbled MGS all out for 139 runs. We were able to chase this score down in 22 overs with solid batting from our young opener Kai Smith. We lost to The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy and Gillespie Academy from Adelaide, whilst we beat Manchester Grammar School, Cheltenham College and

Framlingham College. This put is in second place in the tournament, missing first place only on net run rate. A big thanks to Mr Berkenshaw and Mr Sparks for tremendous help throughout the season. Mr Berkenshaw put in many, many hours and a lot of energy into making this season the success it was: from multiple 1-on-1s, to amazing opportunities and tournaments that were planned for us, he has made this an extremely special last season both for me and the rest of the team. Sahil Mordani 13LHO

SHAMAL 2019

165

SPORT

DANCE Back Row: Foteini Kalamatianou, Amelie Mayne, Katherine Bowtell, Aaliyah Haque, Jasmine Wharton Middle Row: Sophie Hickman, Sabeen Shariff, Cara Mitchell, Shehara Amarasekara, Maria Payne, Anoushka Johar Front Row: Samara James, Mishel Kudel, Holly Hickman, Casey Camball, Fleur Wharton, Mia James, Charlotte Holt

DESERT DANCE This year Dance has had a slightly different approach to previous years with Mrs Bland being the coach and Holly Hickman, Mia James, Casey Camball and myself playing a leading role helping to audition, choreograph and teach the dancers. We have been lucky this year to have 20 amazing dancers with great style, technique and team spirit. Some of the most challenging moments this year were arranging our lovely costumes. However, our great team spirt enabled us to pull together and overcome these issues. Our first concern was funding the costumes for the five different segments of the routine, so we held a bake sale to raise money. Enticing posters were made and put up and every dancer produced amazing baked goods and helped man the five sale tables. Once again, thank you to all the dancers who made this possible! The bake 166

SHAMAL 2019

sale was a great success and we raised enough money to offset the cost of the costumes, making them far more affordable. The next challenge was sourcing the costumes overseas and arranging their shipment to Dubai. Thankfully, a few of the dancers were travelling back to the UK over the Christmas holiday and we arranged for the costumes to be delivered to them in the UK, and for the dancers to transport them back to Dubai ready for our dress rehearsal in the first week back in January. In the first term we went to La Perle, which was absolutely outstanding. The dancers, acrobats and motor cyclists were all incredible to watch and it gave Holly, Mia, Casey and myself lots of inspiration for choreography for our Desert Dance piece. Our best dance event was definitely Dubai Desert Dance. On the 7th and 8th February we hosted Dubai Desert Dance 2019, the largest dance event in the Middle East, welcoming 26 primary and secondary schools and over 1,000

dancers. As soon as school finished, we changed into our first costumes and did our hair (Dutch plaits) for the performance. At the Auditorium, along with all the other competing dance teams, we were informed about the plan for the afternoon and evening. After warming up, Miss Suzi taught us all the finale and we did a full dress rehearsal. Following this, Miss Clohesy showed us her hidden talents with the makeup artists to do the make up for the dance team. Finally, with all the preparations behind us, we performed our piece creating smiles all round. The theme this year was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Happiness Across Culturesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, so we performed a 5 minute piece encompassing a multitude of different dance styles from different countries including pointe, ballet, acro, Indian, Spanish (character), hip hop and contemporary. It all went according to plan and it felt so magical being on that stage under the spot lights performing to the audience. We danced at Dubai Desert Dance 2019 and we got the welldeserved Costume Award. Moreover,

SPORT Maria Payne won the award for Most Improved Dancer and Lottie Holt was nominated for a dance scholarship. In the second term we went to watch Flawless and their performance of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chase the Dreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which was so inspiring and left us all thinking about our futures and the things we could achieve both dance and nondance related. On the 26th-27th April several dancers went to compete in a United Dance Organisation (UDO) freestyle competition in the solo and pair categories. This competition, as implied in the name, is all freestyle so the dancers entering the solo categories heard a song and had to dance to it showing style, flair and originality among many other things in order to pass through the

many rounds to the final. However, for the pair category it is slightly different, and the pairs were told the song in advance so they could come up with appropriate co-ordinated choreography. Firstly, I would like to say a massive thank you to Mrs Bland for making everything which we have achieved in dance this year possible and for arranging the brilliant trips. Also, I would like to thank all the dancers this year for being amazing - always enthusiastic and willing to dance their hearts out. I would like to thank Cara Mitchell for helping bring costumes back to Dubai, to congratulate Maria Payne for winning the Most Improved Dancer Award and to

Lottie Holt for being nominated for the dance scholarship. We would also all like to thank Miss Clohesy for her amazing makeup skills at Desert Dance! Finally, I would like to thank Holly Hickman, Mia James and Casey Camball for the long hours we spent together planning lessons, choreographing dances, choosing and buying costumes. Fleur Wharton 11MHA

SHAMAL 2019

167

SPORT Back Row: Adam Whitaker, Alexander Roberts, Carlos Halawi, Jack Drew, Badr Alami Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Finlay Wilkes, Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Connor McGuigan, Ross Powell Front Row: Cai Gregory, Christian Ruiz, Alexander Joshi, Reilly Maloney-Pinto, Pierce Ashton

U12 A FOOTBALL

U12 A FOOTBALL REPORT The Football this season started slowly with some losses and wins, however with perseverance we came out second in the league. It ended well with every member in the team trying their best. In addition, we made it to the DASSA cup finals after winning an intense semi-final on penalties. I am really proud of our team as we have worked together effectively every single game. Thank you, Sid, from IJF and Mr Jackson for being supportive and effective coaches.

Our most challenging fixture was the Cup semi-finals against Jumeirah English Speaking School (Arabian Ranches). A long intense game was played with no score at full time or after extra time. The game was decided on penalties which we took advantage of and took our place in the finals. The final was a tough match but unfortunately lost 4-0. We were all tired after the long hard game. Next year the cup will be ours! Our best fixture was the game we played against JESS because I believe we played best as a team during this game. We all walked off with a smile on our faces as we knew we had all played our hardest. We all played our part, and as a result we won.

Our most successful tournament was the British School Al Khubairat 7s tournament as we won the plate! We played a rough first and second half with no score. We then played extra time, still no score. We won in penalties! We also made it to the semi-finals in the Dubai English Speaking College 7s tournament where we lost narrowly. I would like to mention Finlay Lockhart who unfortunately left after Term 1. I cannot pick out any other specific players as everyone played amazingly throughout the season. Alexander Joshi 7BST

Back Row: Paidi Robinson, Finn Timmermans, Jai Garg, Rushabh Jain, Ryan Brimson Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, HenryAlexander West, Aadam Alikhan, Ayan Shariff, Farbod Afrassiabi, Oliver Locke, Juan Martin Freile Front Row: Cai Gregory, Dominic Mayne, Taran Kumar, Daniel Lindley, Tadhg Hogan, Byunghoon Kim, Fawaz Sharaf

U12 B FOOTBALL 168

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

U12 B FOOTBALL REPORT

My team has really impressed me this year, playing with great intensity and passion. I think that I can speak on behalf of the team, by saying that we cannot wait until the next season and we are looking forward to improving our skills and performances. Our hardest game of the season was one of our first, it was against Dubai English Speaking College and we all could not wait to get out on the pitch and play our hardest to represent the school. We started off in the scorching heat and the weather did not get

any better throughout the game. It came to the first free-kick of the game and the odds where in our favour, we were right outside the box with a wide shot for goal but, unfortunately, we missed the shot after hitting the cross bar and DESC cleared the ball up the field. Overall, we ended up losing 6-0 and we were all heartbroken but determined to win the next of our games. Our best match would be easy to pick. It was against Jumeirah College when we won 3-0 after a series of losses. We all played our part and played as a team that day and we came out with the win. After the game, we all walked away with a sense of pride and could not wait to play together again. I have been more than happy this year with our

team, we had a lot of ups and downs, but we became better as a result and we have all learned more in every game and training session. I could not point out any one or two players from the team as we have all played to our best. I would like to thank the coaches for their time and effort and we cannot wait to get started again in September. Daniel Lindley 7SBO

Back Row: Riley Norton, Conor Air, Tarn Timmermans, Theo Stockmeier, Matthew Wells Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Mustafa Sherwani, Zayan Aka, Mark Agent, Zachary Grundy Juha Leinonen Front Row: Charlie Pollard, Ali Zaidi, William Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe, Edward Renolds, Theo Martin, Aiden Black

U13 A FOOTBALL

U13 A FOOTBALL REPORT The Dubai College U13s Football team is bound by strong friendship off the pitch mixed with great drive to play for each other on the pitch. Our coach, Sid, is supportive until the end and has a good understanding of our team as he has coached us since we started in Year 7. In our DASSA league, we played 9 games with an amazing score of 34 goals in those games! We also competed in the cup in the second term, but we were knocked out at

the semi-final stage in an enthralling contest. As a team we faced many challenges this year, however, this was our toughest challenge of the season. Dubai College scored within the first minute, putting us one nil up. From there, however, it went downhill for us and at half time we were 3-1 down with a mountain to climb. We started the second half strongly, pulling the score back to 3-3 and our hopes were lifted by a phenomenal bicycle kick finish by Zachary Grundy to bring the game level. Sadly, with both teams ready for penalties, a lapse in concentration led to a final goal with seconds to spare.

convincing 6-0 win against the defending league champions, Jebel Ali School. It was a one-sided game with the great defence of Matthew Wells and Aiden Black leaving Dubai College with a clean sheet and a great goal difference. I would like to say a big thank you to Sid for coaching this amazing team for two eventful years at Dubai College. Further thanks go to all the players for their commitment and sacrifice with particular thanks to Mark Agent for playing out of position for the team and being one of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen. Edward Reynolds 8GCA

Our best fixture was probably our SHAMAL 2019

169

SPORT Back Row: Mr D Jackson, Alberto Pamias Lopez, Alimahdi Meghji, Thomas Haigh, Osian Thomas, Matthew Campbell (c), Brandon Hammond Front Row: Aman Burman, Zach Saldanha, Oliver Clifford, Max Ridout, Zachary McGuigan, Michael Cordahi, James Ashton

U14 A FOOTBALL

U14 A FOOTBALL REPORT This year, the U14A Football team greatly exceeded everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations. We were able to overcome a multitude of tough opponents and challenges. Lee Mannion from Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Just Football coached us with Mr Jackson and we were able to play resilient football. Our first competition was the DASSA league which ran throughout the first term. We started off the year travelling to Choueifat, after many training sessions we thought we were ready for the season ahead, however, a late goal stripped the win from us and we lost 2-1. Despite this, we were without some of our best players, however, after the game we realised if we wanted to do well, we were going to have to improve our performances in training and during the matches. Next, we had Jumeirah English Speaking School away. This match was set up to be one of the most challenging matches of the year, however, we easily dispatched of them, winning a comfortable 5-1. After this great result, we started our winning ways beating our next three opponents, being Dubai International Academy, Jumeirah College and Nord Anglia School thanks to a late winner. This game 170

SHAMAL 2019

epitomised our season as we showed enough heart to come back to win a competitive game. Once we realised our season could be very successful, we set our sights on Dubai English Speaking College as we prepared for a tough few games. DESC this year had a very welltrained team and in our first fixture against them, wanting to win the game and the league outright, we conceded a late goal in the final minutes after searching for our own winner. Next, we had the knockout games in the DASSA cup. We started off facing GEMS World Academy, beating them 6-0, then had Jumeirah College, beating them 5-1. Due to this, we progressed onto the semi-finals in which we played Choueifat for the second time. We prepared for a tough game. The game was very even, however, despite the better of the chances we were unable to find the net. We moved into extra time expecting penalties but, from a goal kick, we played it to the striker who headed it on, a common tactic of ours, and this time we were able to find the goal leaving the Choueifat crowd in disbelief. Our toughest game was when we faced DESC for the final time. After a gruelling 1-1 draw in normal and extra time, we took penalties. The team was able to stay calm under the immense pressure and came out on top as DESC missed their sudden death penalty. We won the DASSA cup and ended the season on a great

high, but along the way I feel our season was epitomised against Nord Anglia School, showing the heart to come back to win a very competitive game. This year we played in the JESS Sevens and we started strongly, winning all our group stage games with quick, expressive football. Our knock-out games proved no challenge for us as we moved on to the final with relative ease. In the final, however, we faced DESC. Their team seemed strong, however, we were able to beat them through 3 fast goals. This was our first trophy of the season and it was greatly deserved due to our brilliant football played. I would like to say thank you to Mr Jackson for all his help this season in organising our games and thank you to Lee Mannion for the great coaching and motivation. Our trophies are a testament to our hard work in training and belief in each other. I would like to say thank you to the team for all the great performances. I hope we have another amazing season next year. Matthew Campbell 9ROD

SPORT Back Row: Dominic Marmarchi, John De Vilhena Rees, Thomas Rose, Arjan Vohra Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Francis Evers, Jack Hewer, Sean Ali, William Farrow, Zia Mussa Front Row: Rayan Malik, Hashim Mirjan, Sebastien Springuel, Luke Surrey, Thomas Hadden, Marco Zaccaria

U16 A FOOTBALL Back Row: Dominic Morrison, Jakub Skroban, Jamie Annand, Zander Visser, Bilal Hashim Middle Row: Mr S Gale, Maxwell Rollitt, Mark Bezzina, Kaelan Bhojnani, Zeyad Salah, Innes Flett Front Row: Yousuf Islam, Tareq Al Alami, Harry Withers, Krisna Bhargava, Mayansh Upadhyaya, Oliver Duthie, Thomas McLaughlin

U16 B FOOTBALL

U16 B FOOTBALL REPORT The U16Bs had a fluctuating season this year, headed by our coach Mr Gale. We started our fixture list against Dubai English Speaking College, a notoriously tough opponent, yet we were confident in ourselves after putting in the hours on the training pitch. The scoring was opened by a well-rehearsed set

piece, a corner played in by Jakub Skroban and headed home by Zeyad Salah, putting us 1-0 ahead. DESC then equalised shortly before half time, leaving the score at 1-1. After many very near opportunities for us in the second half, DESC scrambled one in at the stroke of full time, leaving us feeling disappointed after losing out on a well-deserved victory. Due to the tactical insight of Mr Gale we then switched formation to 3-5-2, which lead to some fantastic linking play between our midfield and iconic striking duo up front of Bilal Hashim and Jakub, leading us to crush

Emirates International School 4-1, with a clinical brace from Jakub. Whilst we have had a tough season competing with many other A teams from across Dubai, I have been proud of the players for their efforts and commitment. On behalf of all the boys, I would like to thank Mr Gale and the Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Just Football coaches for their dedication to the team, and the rest of the squad for a successful season. Bilal Hashim 11TSO

SHAMAL 2019

171

SPORT

1ST XI FOOTBALL Back Row: Joel Harrison, Michael Reid, Sebastian Snaas Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Kristian Kolandjian, Thomas Plumtree, Finlay Keegan, Jacob Camilleri Front Row: Zakir Siddiqui, Owen Wakeham, Jordyn Hamilton, Harvey Bullock, Nicholas Prynn

1ST XI FOOTBALL REPORT After winning the DASSA Cup competition last year, we went into this season with high expectations to improve our performance in the league and retain the cup for a second year in a row. This year, however, there was a change of management with a new member, Paul Collins, coming over from Middlesbrough to fill the prestigious role of First XI Football Head Coach accompanied by the mastermind, Mr Jackson. The team embodied all that is Dubai College and its sporting values by showing great attendance at training sessions and never failing to work hard. We were set up for a great season ahead. We started off in the DASSA League with three huge wins over big com172

SHAMAL 2019

petitors. Dubai English Speaking College were our first opponents, beating them 4-1 after a very strong and ruthless performance. Then Sunmarke School, another top competitor in the league, come to the fortress that is Dubai College’s Pitch 1 and we beat them 2-1 in a very close game. Finally, it was Jumeirah College’s turn to feel the full force of a Dubai College football team and we ended up beating them comfortably 5-1 putting us top of the table with Choueifat on level points. Unfortunately, we were not able to keep the run up, gaining only 1 point from a possible 9 due to some unlucky circumstances. However, we managed to finish 3rd place in the league, just behind Sunmarke and DESC, improving on last year’s performance. Although we weren’t able to win the league, the squad showed amazing perseverance to train hard and get ready for what was going to be a gruelling cup run. We started off with a

bye putting us straight into the round of 16 against GEMS FirstPoint School, where we showed no mercy in an amazing victory with a score line of 7-0, however, as always, the boys were humble in victory. We then went on to beat Repton School and Sunmarke in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, putting us against first place in the league, Choueifat. Although the boys went out to play their hearts out, we were defeated heavily in a 5-0 loss but this was not to be the end of our season just yet. After a long Christmas break, we had the BSAK 7’s tournament to look forward to, but due to circumstances we were only able to take a squad of 8. A long, hot and sunny tournament was to follow but the boys did not show any signs of weakness and unbeaten we went into the final against Jumeirah College. A superb header from Michael Reid put us 1-0 up which put them into a panic, they bombarded us with attack after attack but luckily we had our super sub Benjamin Williams to calm our nerves.

SPORT Benjamin came on minutes after received a sublime long ball which he brought under control with such composure. Our midfield charged up the pitch to help and, being the selfless player he is, he squared the ball to me for an easy chip over the keeper to seal the victory. I would like to take this opportunity to

say a huge thanks to Paul Collins and Mr Jackson for supporting and helping us throughout the entire season, it would not have been possible without you. In addition, to all the boys in the squad, a huge congratulations and thank you for a great season in what was for some of us, our least year representing Dubai College Football. One last shout out goes to Michael Reid for

winning Player of the Tournament at the BSAK 7’s; what a performance it was. Leaving Dubai College as Captain of the First XI, I am proud to have been able to lead this team through the victories and defeats and I wish the team all the best for next year’s season! Jordyn Hamilton 13SCH Back Row: Mr B Trivic, Sean Cottam, Hamzah Hashim, Krish Gupta, Peter Irvine, Joseph Plumtree Front Row: Matthew Wane, Zakir Siddiqui, Benjamin Williams (c), Ali Tabba, Nadir Mussa, Meeran Fehmi

2ND XI FOOTBALL

2ND XI FOOTBALL REPORT Now that the season has come to an end we can reflect on a truly inspirational season, put together by the great group of boys who made up the U-18 B team this year. Although we were short on numbers at the start of the year, the desperate plea for numbers worked, and we ended up with a full squad nearing 20 players who were willing to give it their all for the badge regardless of skill level. After last year’s heroics, the self-styled Mighty Triv’s Army found itself in the second division of the Dassa U18 league. Being one of two second teams in the division we knew we had our work cut out. Whilst looking forward to the first game of the season, we knew it was going to be difficult. We were handed a humbling 7-2 defeat to Deira International School, however the

army marched on to the second fixture hoping for more success. Sadly, we found ourselves on the end of a 9-1 defeat, however all credit to the team as everyone, kept their heads up and we took advantage of the transfer window to bring in Matthew Wane and Etienne Tillon. After the arrival of our new signings, the army felt uplifted and we headed to EIS Jumeirah, in what was billed as our greatest opportunity yet to score a point. After going ahead 1-0, we conceded then lost our rigid shape from the first half and before we knew it, we were 5-1 down. Despite this misfortune, the boys stayed strong and we netted a glorious, late second goal. This 5-2 defeat was our best performance and it inspired a change in form. After our three previous losses we found ourselves in the biggest game of the season against the only other second team in the division, at home to DESC. We knew we had to get a result from it, and after a solid first half performance we found ourselves 1-0 down. We knew we were still in the game and a truly inspirational speech from Mr Trivic caused the Army to go

out and give one of the best second half performances ever witnessed. It didn’t actually result in a goal, at least not until the last few seconds when after bombarding them with attack after attack in the dying embers of the game, a long ball was played over the top, heroic Aryan Mehta found himself one on one with the keeper and slotted it home, sparking huge celebrations for this draw and a celebratory poster being put up in the Sixth Form Centre. Our next fixture was against EIS Meadows. Wind in our sails from the DESC match, we were not going to allow a dip in form. Inspirational captain Ben Williams opened the scoring after a beautiful cross from Zaki Siddiqui, then we scored another putting us 2-0 to the good. Finding ourselves 2-0 up at halftime was an unusual feeling, and after another speech from Mr Trivic, we were ready for our first win of the season. In the second half we were dominant but not converting on our chances. It was at this time that Mr Trivic called on the super sub Nadir Mussa in an effort to seal the game; the change was a stroke SHAMAL 2019

173

SPORT of genius. After missing a couple of chances, Nadir found himself one on one, he stopped the ball calmly, before slotting it past the keeper, just like Messi.

After a brilliant season, I would like to thank all of the players who made it possible, as well as a massive thanks to Mr Trivic for coaching and managing the side. Best of luck to all of the boys

next year! Ben Williams 13SCH

Back Row: Maha Nawaz, Olivia Conlon, Yifan Wang Middle Row: Kaila Jafar, Sophie Bennett, Madeleine Burnside, Freya Hewer Front Row: Alexandra Cordahi, Sabeen Shariff, Nell Tierney

U12 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

U12 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT The football season this year has been a nail-biting experience and an extremely fun time. We have played a number of close games (losing a few but winning the majority) and showed great sportsmanship throughout. As a team we have really improved throughout the season and would like to thank our wonderful coach, Miss Cooper. During the season we have played a handful of fixtures home and

away, starting on the 11th October 2018 against Nord Anglia School and ending with a spine-crawling time at the BSAK 7s tournament on the 8th March 2019. Our most challenging match had to be at the BSAK tournament where we were fighting for a place in the top 5. It was so intense that everyone in the team ended up taking a penalty. Unfortunately, we lost by a hair. Although this season has been rough and close, we managed to win a few of our fixtures within the DASSA league. Our most notable performance has been at Wellington International School where we won by 3-0. Our

defence and goalkeeper played spectacularly, not letting a single ball near the net and our attacking players shot some amazing goals. We played in one tournament this season and though we came 6th we put up a good fight, not giving up till the last second had passed and we all were happy with the outcome knowing that we had tried our best. We all would like to thank Miss Cooper for giving us so much support and I would like to give the team a giant round of applause for all their hard work. Sabeen Shariff 7FHU Back Row: Tavishi Pandey, Ksenia Morozova, Tara Sigalos Middle Row: Tegan McCarthy, Saanvi Rastogi Front Row: Eleftheria Sermpeti, Isabel Strauss, Katherine Schupbach

U12 B GIRLS’ FOOTBALL 174

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

U12 B GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT This football season has been very tough, tiring and full of suspense. It has also been a great opportunity for us to improve our football and team skills. From our first match, where some of us did not even know what a corner was, to the last one, where we played a flat back four formation. A big thank you to the very inspirational and motivational, at that time even pregnant, Mrs Bland! Will baby Bland soon be taking up a space on

our bench? We played in the DASSA League from October-December and even competed in the DASSA League Finals alongside Dubai College A and other A teams. The toughest game we faced was our very first one, out in the scorching Dubai heat (47°C). Whilst some of us nearly fainted, we stood together as a team and managed to finish the game. We promised each other that we would never give up, always support each other and be even better prepared next time. During the DASSA Finals with all the other A teams, we managed to win our first game! After

taking the lead, our defence was under constant attack. We ran after the ball as if our lives depended on it. Once the final whistle was blown, our celebrations were louder than the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883, the loudest sound on Earth. The whole U12B Football team want to say a big, special thank you to Mrs Bland who helped us with all of our games, by coaching, motivating and helping us all to improve our game. We are all looking forward to another season of football next year! Isabel Strauss 7RVE

Back Row: Ryiah Simon, Eleanor Withers, Sophie Ashford Middle Row: Noorulain Hussain, Lia Warren, Danielle Guerin, Kitty Harland Front Row: Scarlett Slow, Charlotte Symington, Areesha Fehmi

U13 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

U13 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT

shots. The tension built by the minute as time ran out. With determination and orange slices, we managed to stay in the game till the very last play and finally our great team work secured the winning goal.

What a fun-filled, successful season the U13A Football team has had this year! Thank you to our coach Mrs Bland for being our biggest supporter, I am confident that everyone on the team learned some very valuable skills from you this year. This season we competed in the DASSA league early in term one. Despite the league being small, it was filled with tough competitors. With some nail-bitingly close games, we finished on top, undefeated. The Dubai International Academy fixture was one of the most challenging games this year. For most of the match both teams were goalless after countless unsuccessful

One of the best performances the team gave this year was in our opening game against Jumeirah English Speaking School in the DASSA league. With an energetic offense, displaying excellent passing and shooting, and a strong defence that constantly pressurised the opposition, we finished our first game with a notable 5-1. The DASSA tournament was also early in term one. As always, Dubai English Speaking College was one of our biggest rivals. Playing against them in the cup final was a sea of nerves as the score board was level for most of the match. Possession went back and

forth, everyone playing their socks off. We refused to give up, and all our hard work paid off with a goal being scored from one of the last plays. We finished with gold medals. I want to thank all the coaches at the It’s Just Football Academy, we would not be as successful as we were this year without you. I would also like to mention Sophie Ashford, who was an incredible asset to our team this season but is unfortunately leaving Dubai College. We will miss you dearly and wish you best of luck in England. Lastly, I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of the team this year, they make it impossible to say who stood out as everyone was equally important and dedicated. I thank you all enormously. 1-2-3 DC! Charlotte Symington 8NBE SHAMAL 2019

175

SPORT Back Row: Ananya Navalekar, Maisie Weddell, Ella Davidson Middle Row: Natasha Murphy, Lucy Parks, Ayesha Khan, Hafsah Ditta Front Row: Annabel Dodd, Maxine McKellar, Zara Chohan

U13 B GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

U13 B GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT I think it has truly been a successful season for us this year. Several members of the squad were either new to Dubai College, or hadn’t participated in football the previous year. I am proud to say that from day one, we combined perfectly as a team to produce an almost perfect season. We inspired, encouraged and motivated each other to perform at our very best level, and we produced some amazing pieces of football. It goes without saying that we could not have done this without the willing help of all the staff, Mr Abs, Ms O’Dwyer and Mrs Bland who supported us at every possible moment along the way. Although our season began with a defeat, there were so many positive elements to our first match against Kings’ School Al Barsha, which we unfortunately lost 2-0. However, we were facing the only A team in our division. Every member of our squad showed so much resilience and without the heroic efforts of our goalkeeper Maxine McKellar, we would have undoubtedly conceded many more goals. We bounced back from this defeat extremely well though, as we thrashed Uptown School Dubai 6-0 in our next fixture. From the first whistle to the last, everyone showed immense amounts 176

SHAMAL 2019

of focus, skill, and most importantly, just some brilliant football. We carried this form into our next fixture, against North London Collegiate School. This was a school pretty new to the DASSA league, and nobody knew what to expect. Thankfully, our team put up another stellar performance to triumph 3-1. We ended an amazing season with a pair of amazing wins, 4-0 and 5-1, against Jumeirah English Speaking School and Dubai English Speaking College respectively. The most challenging fixture was, of course, the one we lost, against Kings’. This was partly due to the fact that they were an A team, but it was mainly because they were extremely strong and it was our first match together as a team. Regardless, we gave it our best shot and the teams were almost evenly matched, with Kings’ just coming out on top. One of the most notable performances this season was our 6-0 triumph over Uptown School. It was so impressive how we bounced back from the previous setback with such a strong and mature performance. We scored a number of goals and everybody contributed to this wonderful victory. As a B team, we were extremely lucky to be invited to the DASSA 7 aside tournament at DESC, which consisted of almost only A teams. We didn’t expect to win anything, instead we went for the experience and the

extra match play. We did draw a quite a few of the matches, one being against the same Kings’ team that we lost to earlier. Even though we didn’t win, the tournament was lots of fun and was a great chance for the team to get a taste of this kind of football. Finally, I would like to thank the whole team personally. A huge thank you to our incredible goalkeeper Maxine McKellar, who put forward one great performance after another. I would also like to thank our strong and solid defensive unit, Zara Chohan, Lucy Parks, Yasmin Edwards, Ananya Navalekar and Maisie Weddell, who only let in 4 goals throughout the whole season! And lastly, we cannot forget the major contributions of our midfield and attacking forces, Ella Davidson, Ilham Kanji, Annabel Dodd, Ayesha Khan, Natasha Murphy and Hafsah Ditta. Between them, 20 goals were scored, and I am pretty sure that everyone contributed to at least one, if not more. Overall, everyone showed so much potential and skill and I am extremely proud and honoured to be captain of such an incredible team for such an unforgettable season. Ilham Kanji 8GCA

SPORT Back Row: Mrs D Saran, Jasmine Wharton, Yasmine Caraiscos, Anna Johnstone, Evie Fuller, Tess Ruddell Front Row: Dhimira Advani, Tatum Muller, Annabelle Garner, Laura Iorini, Natasha Pilkington

U14 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

U14 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT Mrs Saran has been a wonderful and very supportive coach throughout our season which was filled with many ups and downs. She ensured that we were organised and all prepared for our matches, home or away, constantly giving us advice and support where necessary when games got tough. We competed in the A division of the DASSA league which consisted of multiple tough teams including Dubai English Speaking College, Jumeirah English Speaking School and Jumeirah College, as well as the BSAK tournament and DASSA

tournament. Overall we had a thrilling and challenging season. I would say that our most nail-biting and hardest match would have to have been DESC, they had a strong and fast attack with a rough defence. Anna Johnstone kept level-headed as our keeper as well as Yasmine Caraiscos and Laura Iorini shooting confident goals at the other end. Despite our best efforts DESC just took the win at the end of what seemed like a never ending 40 minutes. Our most notable performance would be our exciting game against Uptown School. Last year they managed to slip away with a victory but not this year! After leading 1-0 and then drawing at half time 1-1, we got our heads in the game and played a more defensive attack to finally achieve our win of 2-1. Our first tournament of the year was

the DASSA tournament in term 1. We played very well in our pool, winning the majority of our pool matches convincingly. Then we proceeded onto the bowl final and after a long and anxious wait we found out that we were playing against English College. After a tough match we finished with a 0-0 draw which meant penalties… Thanks to our three penalty takers and Anna being a giant in goal we came out victorious and took home the trophy. Lastly I want to say a huge thank you to the team and Mrs Saran for a joy-filled season, ensuring that this is one to remember as I am aware that this is some of our players’ last season with Dubai College. Here’s to another year of great play! Annabelle Garner 9SBR

Back Row: Mr C Agent, Ebba Zickerman, Zainab Hussein Syed, Lauren Agent, Erica Ryan Front Row: Auxane Faye, Alisha Ahmad, Amy MacKenzie, Megan Parks, Daniela Pamias Lopez

U16 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL SHAMAL 2019

177

SPORT

U16 A GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT We played in the DASSA league, which ran from the 1st October to the 4th December, and it was a fantastic series of fixtures to play in. Our first fixture of the league against Jumeirah College was our best, we came out on top 5 goals to nil! Huge congratulations go to goalkeeper Alisha for keeping a clean slate throughout, and to Lauren Agent, Amy Mackenzie and Georgia Levitt for managing to get the score so high. Our final fixture was, in effect, the deciding match: the winners would be crowned league champions! This match against Dubai English Speaking College was our toughest game. We put up a

strong fight managing to get 3 goals from Ebba Zickerman, Lauren Agent and Charlotte Shaw, however, DESC eventually came out on top with 5 goals to 3 in the end. On the 8th March we played in the BSAK 7s in Abu Dhabi where we were entered as an Under 19 team. At this tournament, we won the plate competition! It was a great day of football, with highs, lows, and cheers all round. We also played the DASSA tournament held at Repton on the 8th December, where we unfortunately lost out on the cup in the semi-final, coming in eventual 3rd overall. I want to say a huge thank you to all members of the squad for a fantastic season; coming second in the league is a great achievement, and I can definitely say we have all improved

our football skills whilst enjoying ourselves. Defensively, Megan Parkes, Erica Ryan, and Zainab Hussain Syed were unbeatable, and Lauren, Daniela Pamias Lopez, and Ebba were our top goal scorers throughout the season with a total of 11 goals combined. Charlotte was an excellent forward with plenty goals to her name, and Auxane Faye and Georgia consistently carried the ball, with myself playing centre-mid and Alisha Ahmad unbeatable in goal. A big thank you also goes to Mr Agent who proved to be an excellent coach yet again, offering great support, motivation and advice throughout the season. All in all, a great year of football. Amy Mackenzie 11JCO

Back Row: Alma Zickerman, Anna Maureta, Emma Robertson, Naoise Morgan, Gabriella Reynolds, Sophie Newbery Front Row: Lara Begley, Sophie O’Keeffe, Sasha Verrall, Rebecca Wilding, Chloe Lane Williamson, Lucy Skelton, Soofia Khaledi

1ST VII GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

1ST VII GIRLS’ FOOTBALL REPORT A massive thank you to Miss Cooper for the last few years of football, and to Miss Quigley for being such a supportive coach for this season. Our toughest fixture was against Jumeirah College, who always put out a solid team and are used to their abnormally small goals. Unfortunately, we lost this match, but our team played strongly 178

SHAMAL 2019

nonetheless and tried our best to adapt to their pitch. Our best fixture was definitely at Jumeirah English Speaking School, where we defended strongly during some nail-biting attacks from the JESS midfielders. All of our players pulled back to support our defence, and we successfully kept the score 0-0. We played a tournament at Rashid School for Boys against several local and international teams, which would end up being the final games ever for our Year 13 players. It was a wonderful day of football, and our progress over the last few years really shone through. Thank you so

much to Alma Zickerman, the best Vice-Captain I could ever have asked for and a shout out to the Year 13 players who I have played with since year 7 (Ella Verrall, Naoise Morgan, Lucy Skelton, Sasha Verrall, Alma and Maureta, Anna), it has been a pleasure training and playing with you all. The players who stood out the most this year have to be Sophie Newbery, who proved to be the most committed player this year, and Lara Begley, who was pushed up from the U16s and became the backbone of our defence. Rebecca Wilding 13JAL

SPORT Back Row: Sophie Bennett, Zara Keenan, Olivia Conlon, Antara Kashyap Front Row: Aalya Sengupta, Anna Zaman, Madeleine Burnside, Harriet Carmichael, Tegan McCarthy

U12 A NETBALL

U12 A NETBALL REPORT The netball season this year has been extremely fun and very nerve-racking. After very close matches with both Jumeirah English Speaking School and Dubai English Speaking College we placed third in the league. This season we have had many challenging matches that have really pushed us as a team. However, I think that the one that stands out the most is the Jebel Ali School match. This was the first match of the season and we did not have much experience playing as a team. The first quarter we lost as we began to find our feet and then we started to panic. So the second quarter we were still down, but we started to focus and work together and it ended 14-6

to us. All of our matches this season have been extremely fun, whether we lost or won. Although it is very hard to choose the best match this season it was probably when we played Jumeirah College. We were extremely nervous so we did not begin well and were losing by the second quarter. However, with amazing play from everyone we managed to make a huge comeback winning 25-11. This match we learnt that concentration could mean the difference between winning and losing. The first tournament we played in was the BSAK 7s. Without having a single training season we beat Jumeirah English Speaking School in the semi-final but sadly we lost to Dubai English Speaking College in the final. Our second competition was the Dubai College Junior Netball Tournament and we were so close to winning. The final was against DESC again and at first we were winning but they made a sudden comeback

U12 B NETBALL REPORT

we made in netball, as a team and individually as players. Our improvement was all thanks to Miss Clohesy who was an excellent coach this season guiding us all to become better players.

TThis yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; netball season has been great and fun. We were quite successful in some matches playing wonderful netball and we showed great sportsmanship. The best bit was we could see how much progress

This year the U12B team participated in many competitions such as the Dubai College tournament and also in the DASSA league. The match that I remember as being the toughest and really challenging our netball skills

towards the end of the match. Finally, we played in the DASSA tournament which we came 3rd in after closely losing to JESS in the semi-final. I would like to say thank you to Ms Donovan for being an amazing coach and teaching us so much this season, you have inspired and motivated us throughout the year. Also, thank you to the amazing parents who have come and supported us at all our matches, and finally, thank you to my incredible teammates who have played outstandingly this season. I cannot wait to play with you again next year. Zara Keenan 7RVE

was the one against Dubai English Speaking College and, although we lost, it was some of the best netball we played all year. I recall in the third quarter of the game we were very tired and were losing by quite a bit, but we were still hopeful. From then we scored quite a few goals and considering they were the A team I was very proud of everyone pushing themselves to do better. Our best fixture was at the Dubai College tournament where we had another SHAMAL 2019

179

SPORT chance to play these schools again and this time we closed the gaps and the score lines were better. This really showed our hard work paying off as you could see our improvement as a team. We played at the annual Dubai College Tournament winning the plate. We also had one of our players, Charlotte Holt, chosen by the umpires to be Player of the Tournament.

As a result of this season, I would like to say well done to all the players and a special thank you must go to Miss Clohesy who was our excellent coach this season and organised all our matches. Maria Michailidou 7BST

Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Isobel Charlier, Tara Sigalos, Lily Britton, Kaila Jafar Front Row: Freya Hewer, Ilijana Georgiev, Maria Michailidou (c), Hana Latif, Lottie Holt

U12 B NETBALL Back Row: Yifan Wang, Ameera Khanna, Chloe Bowtell, Maha Nawaz Front Row: Samara James, Hana Ahamed, Megan Wong Fatt, India Burton, Sophia Kahlon

U12 C NETBALL

U12 C NETBALL REPORT It has been a great pleasure to play 180

SHAMAL 2019

with all of the incredible girls in the U12C Netball team. Mrs Bland, our coach, has been excellent with all of her hard work and patience in coaching us! The team played in the DASSA League, third division, where we played a total of six games, winning five games and losing one.

We scored an amazing 64 goals, and only allowed 21 goals in, finishing second overall. Our most challenging but rewarding match was against Dubai English Speaking College, who are known for their outstanding netball skills. We

SPORT lost 3-5 against them, however, it was an extremely helpful game as it was only our second match together as a team. We used this match to recognise and work on many important skills such as communication, positional play and enhancing our team work. Our best match was against Repton School, we won 14-10! It was our last game and although it was extremely close, we played excellently as a team. The shooters were extraordinary, defence turned the game around many times and the centre court was amazing in getting the ball down the court and into the shooting D. We also competed in the Dubai College Junior Netball Tournament where we made it to the final of the B League.

We played against the Dubai College U12B Netball team, but whilst we lost, we kept fighting to the end. Our matches this year were against Uptown School, DESC, Wellington International School, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Jumeirah College and Repton School. I would like to thank Mrs Bland for all of her support and training, she was really amazing as she continued to coach us whilst heavily pregnant; we wish her all the best with her new baby!

were undefeated for all the games except one. Considering we were a new team, we quickly bonded, and worked together well on court and off court. Megan Wong Fatt 7SBO

I would also like to thank all the girls in the team, who have been so focused in training. All of the hard work definitely paid off, since we

Back Row: Madeleine Crabtree, Gabrielle Wiltshire, Aleeza Ahmed Middle Row: Miss R Quigley, Emaan Siddiqui, Emma Thomas, Jemima Hart, Nivriti Dwivedi Front Row: Primrose Penney, Tavishi Pandey, Holly Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea

U 12 D NETBALL

U12 D NETBALL REPORT The netball season this year has been a lot of fun. We got to play against many different teams and learnt a lot of new techniques that will help us in our future games. We have played our best with many matches ending with close scores and we hope to play even better next year!

we had just come together as a team and hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played with each other before so it was quite nerve wracking. However, we managed to get 6 goals in the hoop and even though we lost it was a great learning experience for everyone. Our best fixture was our last fixture, we had been playing with each other for quite some time so we knew we had to win this one. It was an amazing match! Everyone played very well and the final score was 7-2. We were all very proud and had huge smiles across our faces

We played in the DASSA league which meant that we competed against many different schools. Our toughest fixture was our first fixture,

I would like to thank Miss Quigley for coaching us and helping us this whole season, she would support us no matter what the result was and

was truly a great coach. I would also like to thank everyone in the team who played their best in every match and truly worked very hard. Thank you everyone in the U12D team! Tavishi Pandey 7VKA

SHAMAL 2019

181

SPORT Back Row: Miss D Jones, Sophie Ashford, Charlotte Symington, Charlie Preston, Aoife PalmerOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan, Lia Warren Front Row: Hannah Burnett, Noorulain Hussain, Eun Soo Park (c), Yasmin Edwards, Ananya Navalekar (vc), Jemma Eley

U13 A NETBALL

U13 A NETBALL REPORT After an intense and thrilling season, the U13A Netball team was able to win both the BSAK 7s and DASSA league titles. Our team had strong players who were committed and played every match with desire to win the trophy and as a team, we showed strong teamwork and focused on improving our performance. We played lots of fixtures and in a couple of competitions. Our most significant achievement was the BSAK 7s Netball Tournament after which we took part in an international tournament organised by Dubai College where we came Runners-up. We could have performed better, however, four of our players were injured. In February we attended the DASSA tournament hosted at Wellington International School where we won all the pool matches but lost against Jumeirah English Speaking School in the final by two goals. The highlight of the season was the success in the DASSA league in spite of the strong opponents from different schools. The most challenging fixture was when we played against JESS for the DASSA league. We were determined to win after JESS had beat us in 182

SHAMAL 2019

the Dubai College international tournament. The girls showed outstanding effort and a strong desire to win. It was an intense match from the first whistle, however, we were able to grab the early lead. The game carried on being a nail-biter but we kept control of the flow and pace of the game until the final whistle. With only few minutes remaining, it was a last minute push from Dubai College that saw us securing the game, finishing two goals ahead (20-18) of JESS on the final whistle. Our most successful match was against Jebel Ali School. Charlie Preston and Noorulain Hussain were particularly impressive under the post, almost never missing a chance. Jemma Eley brought the intensity through the mid-court trying to create opportunities at every turn. Aoife Palmer-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan, Charlotte Symington and Sophie Ashford fought for every goal and left little room for errors with their quick reflexes. Hannah Burnett and Yasmin Edwards showed a dominant defence and were always in the right place at the right time to turnover. The girls put the pressure on giving JAS little opportunities to convert in the circle, leading to mistakes. Meanwhile the attackers were on fire, with quick passing and smart plays allowing us to open up a lead relatively early. We finished the last quarter in the lead (41-1)! We were delighted to take part in

the prestigious netball tournament at the Dubai Sevens. Though we had multiple fierce competitions with teams we managed to move on to the finals where we met JESS. The match was always going to be unpredictable so both teams fought hard against each other for the win. The match started with a four point advantage to Dubai College but after we missed a series of opportunities, JESS was able to decrease the score. We managed to keep possession of the ball though and in the final few minutes we were able to win the game. All of us were proud to be the first U13 champions in the Open Youth category! Lastly, I would like to thank every member of the team who gave it their all and worked hard. It was a long season and a hard season and none of this would have been possible without Miss Jones and Ms Donovan. On behalf of the U13 Netball squad, I would like to thank you for coaching and pushing us to do our very best. Eun Soo Park 8RQU

SPORT Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Ayesha Khan, Ella Davidson, Cara Gilbert, Eleanor Withers, Maisie Weddell Front Row: Areesha Fehmi, Aditi Prabhu, Maia Jafar, Lucy Parks (c), Scarlett Slow, Jodie May

U13 B NETBALL

U13 B NETBALL REPORT Being captain of the U13B Netball team has been such a great experience. It could not have happened without the help and support of my team, my parents and our coach, Miss Clohesy.

From this match we learnt to pace ourselves and not burn ourselves out in the first two quarters. Our best fixture was probably against English College. In this match we played very well and as it was one of our first matches we were really starting to work together as a team. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn out within the first two quarters and the whole team was on their best form. We only played league matches this season but placed quite highly as one of the only B teams in Division 1.

Our most challenging fixture was against Jumeirah English Speaking School A team. Although we played our hardest it was a very tough match and the whole team played very well.

This season we learnt how to work as a team and communicate with each other throughout the court and as a result it was a great season. I would to thank all the parents for supporting

us and everybody in the team as they all helped us reach our full potential. A special thanks also goes to our Vice-Captain, Ella Davidson , for always being by my side and always being motivated, and to Areesha Fehmi who came up from the C team when we were in need of an extra player. Lucy Parks 8NBE

Back Row: Salinaa Naik, Scarlett Brown, Alexis Beaumont, Shyan Teoh, Amber Rahman Middle Row: Annabel Dodd, Natasha Murphy, Zara Chohan, Tara Grover Front Row: Sophie Hickman, Zainab Mahmood, Papraowmas Turongpun, Aisha Mohammed, Areesha Fehmi

U13 C NETBALL SHAMAL 2019

183

SPORT Back Row: Eloise Stewart-Smith, Jasmine Keenan, Erin Anderson Middle Row: Miss R Quigley, Evie Fuller, Annabelle Garner, Shrishti Tandon, Simra Yousaf Front Row: Keira Boucher, Yasmine Caraiscos (c), Tess Ruddell

U14 A NETBALL

U14 A NETBALL REPORT This season has been somewhat successful. We won 3 matches and lost 3 matches; the games we won we did so with goal differences as high as 21. We began the season strongly, winning our first 3 matches against Jumeirah College B, Wellington International School A, and Nord Anglia School A, with the tougher matches still to come. However, after the half term break we didn’t perform well against our stronger competitors and lost our matches to strong opposition from Jumeirah English Speaking School A and

Dubai English Speaking College A, and a narrow loss against Jumeirah College A. Our toughest match was against JESS A in the DASSA tournament semi-final. After a 1-1 draw at half time, in a nail-biting finish we lost 2-1 with turnovers on both sides and great defence from both teams. Our most memorable match was definitely against Jumeirah College A, at home, on soaking wet netball courts after a downpour (which included hail!) just minutes before the start of the match. Winning the first three quarters, it came down to the final quarter where the win just slipped away from us.

really well and with great intensity and placed 3rd overall, only losing to JESS A in the semi-final, who then went on to win the tournament. Although our season wasn’t completely successful, we definitely improved our chemistry as a team and learnt to work with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I would like to thank the team for their continued effort and commitment – even showing up for training on days it wasn’t on! On behalf of the whole team I would like to thank Ms Donovan for coaching us throughout the season and improving our game overall. Yazzie Caraiscos 9MWD

The DASSA Tournament was a highlight for us because we played Back Row: Miss R Quigley, Foteini Kalamatianou, Sasha Darré -Pavlowsky, Casey Camball, Abi Plumtree, Ruby Sheehan Front Row: Sabie Cipriani, Jodie Qursha, Anna Johnstone, Sophia Granello

U14 B NETBALL 184

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

NETBALL U14 B REPORT Miss Quigley has been a supportive and fabulous coach this season who has been on the side line of every game, shouting at our defence and attack to keep on going; she never stopped giving us helpful feedback to play better against the tough teams we faced this season. The U14B team competed in the DASSA A Netball League which was very challenging for us because many of the matches we played were against A teams and had very skilful netball players. This season was filled with many matches that we had to fight to get through. Our hardest fixture,

however, was definitely the Jumeirah English Speaking School A team as they have incredible netball players in their attack, defence and centre court. Moreover, some of our important players could not make the match causing people to play in positions they would not usually play in. After a strong 40 minutes of playing our best netball, we were exhausted and unfortunately did not take home the win. I would personally say that our most successful match was against English College. This is because I believe that our level of netball was extremely good and we had strong team spirit. With Miss Quigley cheering us on from the side, we pushed through the match with a victorious win.

Netball Tournament. Winning the majority of our pool matches, we reached the plate quarter-final. Playing a tough game of netball, we just made it through to the semi-final to go against Jebal Ali School A team. Although we did not win, I would say that we developed our netball skills and improved as a team. Altogether, it was a fun and enjoyable tournament to play in.

In the second term we participated in the Wellington International School

Anna Johnstone 9ROD

Thank you very much to Miss Quigley for being a fantastic coach who supported us all the way through the season which has been a great experience to be part of. Lastly, a big well done to all the netball players for their hard work always carrying a happy face whether we won or lost.

Back Row: Liang Liu, Aliyyah Khan, Sara Aggarwal, Sanaa Carrimjee, Annika Lind Middle Row: Mrs K Thompson, Samah Tabba, Amelie Mayne, Alexis Beaumont, Sneha Janardhan Front Row: Scarlett Brown, Ananya Gupta, Amelia Parry, Zaara Ahmad, Devika Jadeja

U14 C NETBALL

U14 C NETBALL REPORT The U14C Netball team have had a challenging yet great season this year. Even though it hasn’t been our most successful season, our team has worked very well together and in every single match everyone has put in a lot of effort and hard-work. Throughout the season, we have improved our skills and despite facing some tough matches, we have been determined and enthusiastic from our first match to our last. We played in the DASSA Development

Tournament at Jumeirah English Speaking School, however, that wasn’t our most successful match. We lost the majority of our matches, however, all of the girls in the team were determined and showed great sportsmanship in each game. Our best event was another tournament: The GEMS Netball Cup. The games were energetic and we won most of our matches. The team worked together very well and everyone was enthusiastic and determined. Even though we didn’t win, we made it to the semi-final where we were unfortunately defeated by the Jumeirah College A team. Despite that, we developed our skills and improved our communication on the court and

corrected our mistakes. We also played against Tanglin School from Singapore. In the first three quarters, Tanglin were ahead of us but in the last quarter, we managed to score quite a few goals due to our determination and effort but unfortunately in the end, Tanglin beat us 30-16. I would like to say thank you to Ms Thompson for helping and supporting us throughout the entire season and for having a positive attitude in tough situations. I would also like to thank the whole team for being dedicated and determined and for putting in a lot of effort into all of our matches. Amelia Parry 9MYA SHAMAL 2019

185

SPORT Back Row: Amy MacKenzie, Ava Warren, Natasha Whittall, Sophie Tillon, Chloe Russo, Nidhi Sethi Front Row: Lara Begley, Anna Campbell, Ebba Zickerman, Georgia Allen (c), Megan Parks, Chrissie Lowndes, Daniela Pamias Lopez

U16 A NETBALL

U16 A NETBALL REPORT This season has been a great success for the U16A Netball team. With the help of Ms Donovan, we finished the season undefeated and very pleased with our last ever season as juniors. After a huge season of win after win, we found ourselves in the DASSA league final against our very own U16B team. The competition was

tough and we were down in the first quarter, but through the team work and resilience of the girls we brought it back, ending with a convincing win. Our toughest game was mid-way through our season when we found ourselves up against the infamous Jumeirah College team. With a team of only 7 players due to injuries, we put our practice into play and dominated, it was a fabulous effort from all the girls. This year was our first time attending the Repton School DASSA Tournament in the U16 category. We flew through the pool stages and a nerve-wracking

final against Dubai English Speaking College – with what seemed like half the school watching – ended with the win we wanted. A massive thank you to all the team and our coach, Ms Donovan, for a fabulous season of victories – we could not have asked for a better season, winning both the DASSA league and the Repton School Netball Tournament. An amazing effort from all the girls this season, what a great end to our time playing junior netball. Georgia Allen 11KWI Back Row: Miss L Clohesy, Zainab Hussain Syed, Allie Craig, Scarlett Joshi, Maya Makhoul, Mariam Siali Front Row: Farasha Alimohamed, Lauren Agent, Chiamaka Mezu, Madilyn Allen-Paver, Megan Theocharis

U16 B NETBALL

U16 B NETBALL REPORT This netball season has been fairly 186

SHAMAL 2019

successful, with the U16B team playing in the DASSA league, in Division 1. This league primarily consisted of Year 11s, so we knew that we had difficult matches ahead of us. One of our toughest matches that

we faced was against Dubai English Speaking College. It took us a while to play to our usual standards, as some of us were playing out of position. In the first quarter we were down by about 6 goals and it took us a while

SPORT to acquire a score within three goals of DESC, however, it was achieved in the third quarter. They then scored multiple goals in the last quarter which resulted in them unfortunately winning 23-10. The most memorable, successful and entertaining match of the season was against Jumeirah English Speaking School A. We went into the match thinking that we were going to lose as they were the A and we are the B team, however, we still played to the best of the abilities, which resulted in our win. We were ahead from the

beginning which motivated us to increase the standards at which we were playing even more and we were delighted to have come away with a win. Well done to Lauren Agent for playing exceptionally well at centre throughout the season and I would also like to thank our two shooters, Allie Craig and Maya Makoul, , who shot with accuracy and precision in every match. Well done team, you all played amazingly! It would not have been possible though without the support of Miss Clohesy: thank

you for training us and cheering us on from the side-lines. Congratulations to the whole team, thank you for putting all of your efforts into each and every match and well done for having a positive mind-set towards the games no matter the outcome. Chiamaka Mezu 10CMM

Back Row: Alysha Alimohamed, Arya Flisher, Annabelle Style, Kitty Davies Middle Row: Elanor Wright, Lauren Johnstone, Jemma Shand Front Row: Sasha Verrall, Millie McMurray (c), Isabella Duthie, Isabella Caraiscos

U18 A NETBALL

U18 A NETBALL REPORT

every ball until the final whistle, even though we were down. This is a great representation of the character of the girls in this team and I am extremely proud of our team regardless of the outcome.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s netball season was the toughest and most competitive yet with our team ending up second in the DASSA league. We took part in the DASSA U18 Netball League where we played 5 matches, including playing our own B team. The season started off very well with our team going into the finals unbeaten. Our toughest game was definitely the DASSA final which we played against an extremely strong Jumeirah College team at home and sadly lost. The score was fairly even throughout the first half, however, JC took the lead in the second half. Our team continued to fight for

The best match we played was away as Jumeirah English Speaking School. They are a solid team who made us work for every goal, however, our team stayed focused and worked hard all through the court. Our defence (Arya Flisher, Kitty Davies, Lauren Johnstone and Jemma Shand) worked hard to prevent them scoring and allowed us to deliver the ball to the shooters to capitalise on our turnovers, allowing us to get ahead. We won this match 29-21.

in January. This was a challenging tournament for us due not having a full squad, however, everyone played extremely well and we made it to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we lost to JC A again who went on to be victorious in this tournament. We would like to thank Ms Donovan for supporting our team throughout our last season playing netball for Dubai College. Your hard work, time and the effort you put into this team does not go unnoticed; we will miss you next year. It was a pleasure to play my last season of school netball as part of this team because all the girls are super talented. Millie McMurray 13JBA

Our team played in the annual Repton School Netball Tournament SHAMAL 2019

187

SPORT Back Row: Sophie Newbery, Casey Bell, Jessica Passey Middle Row: Miss L Clohesy, Hannah Dawson, Katie Mewawalla, Lucy Graham Front Row: Sophie O’Keeffe, Chloe Lane Williamson, Hannah Burton, Disha Narain, Ella Verrall

U18 B NETBALL

U18 B NETBALL REPORT The DASSA tournament at Repton was a highlight for us this season. We showed up with determination to play our best and not to dwell on the scores, and this was possibly the recipe for our success as the girls played the best netball I’ve seen from them. Our hardest match was without doubt against Jumeirah College U18A. This team gave us a great match with lots of opportunity to show off our team cohesion and we really rose to the competition in this case. Although we lost by quite a lot (47-10), all of the girls learnt

a lot from the match and it was a pleasure to play against many of our teammates from outside of school in such an intense game. We played well in the tournament, beating Jumeirah English Speaking School A in the final to win the plate. The hard work and persistence from the whole team ensured our success and made the tournament enjoyable not only to play in, but also to watch.

play with determination and high spirits each week. Thank you also to the parents who consistently came to watch us play, whether at Repton School or our own courts, we all appreciated it. Hannah Burton 12GRO

A big thank you must go to Miss Clohesy for sticking with us and aiding us throughout the season, training us and always keeping our spirits high when the outcome wasn’t quite what we would have liked. Thank you also to the girls on the team for giving up most of their Mondays to come down and Back Row: Ava Warren, Georgia Allen, Arya Flisher Middle Row: Isabella Caraiscos (vc), Olivia Allen, Kitty Davies, Elanor Wright Front Row: Lara Begley, Jemma Shand (c), Millie McMurray

HPP DC1 NETBALL 188

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

HPP DC1 NETBALL REPORT This year’s HPP season for Dubai College 1 has been very successful. Our team of 10 bonded immediately after selection and I think we all knew that this season was going to be an exciting one. We finished 4th in the Dubai Netball League, being the only school team remaining in Division 1 and performed high quality of netball in the tournaments throughout the year. We came away from the BSAK 7s tournament with a win in November and we channelled this success into building up our training schedule ahead of the Dubai Rugby 7s in December. Special thanks must go to Ms Donovan who ensured we were as ready as we could possibly be for every tournament and match, giving us the opportunity to attend weekly strength and conditioning sessions and whole squad training days. The BSAK 7s tournament was our first tournament as a team. We faced Jumeirah English Speaking School in the final, who made us significantly raise our game after a smooth group stage. The final was close and, as the games were so short, each and every turnover or centre pass of our own had to go to goal. We came out with the win, but JESS pushed us to the last second, meaning it ended up being a great game of competitive

netball and a well-earned win for us. Our toughest fixture was a match that truly does sum up our pre-match organisation as a team every Wednesday evening. Imagine the scene... It’s 7.55pm, we have 5 minutes until our match begins and I have realised I don’t have 7 bibs once again, Lara Begley and Ava Warren are nowhere to be seen, we don’t have Millie McMurray and Kitty Davies playing this week, 3 players are in blue dresses and 3 are in white dresses. To put this into context, we have 6 players taking the court in odd dresses, no bibs and no subs. This situation is one that we all learnt a lesson from, including Ms Donovan who must now always be prepared to fill in at GK in desperate times. Moving on from this, I quickly learnt to remind Lara and Ava of our match time at least twice and consequently, we ensured that this did not happen again... In all seriousness, this match should have been a win, so we used the loss to push ourselves harder for the remaining matches of that round to catch up on the points that could have been ours!

side. Being down at half-time, we all came back onto the court for the last 7 minutes and the best netball we have played as a team. Having the amazing support of a home crowd made a huge difference; we were able to support each other and work as a team. Our almost perfect second-half performance brought the final score to a tie, bringing us into the dreaded ‘golden goal’ extra time period... Unfortunately, we did not score that golden goal, but we all came away from our final performance with pride and positive reflections and ee remained the top Gulf team in the 7s tournament. We’ve had a great season as DC1 and raised the bar for the potential of next year’s squad. A huge thank you to Ms Donovan for putting all her time and dedication towards the team and the High Performance Programme. Thank you to all of the girls in DC 1 and HPP for making my last season at Dubai College a pleasure to captain. Jemma Shand 13 JBA

Our best fixture is one that brought out every member of the team’s top performance: the Dubai 7s final. Having exceeded all expectations getting into the final, we had nothing to lose. We had eyed-up the strategies and tactics of our opponents throughout the weekend and we were all ready to represent the UAE, facing a strong South African Back Row: Allie Craig, Sophie Tillon, Lauren Johnstone Middle Row: Miss L Clohesy, Anna Campbell, Chloe Russo, Ebba Zickerman, Sasha Verrall Front Row: Hannah Burton, Isabella Duthie (c), Chiamaka Mezu

HPP DC2 NETBALL SHAMAL 2019

189

SPORT

HPP DC2 NETBALL REPORT Over the course of the year, Dubai College 2 grew from strength to strength as we gained experience and patience from every victory and loss throughout this netball season. The overall results of our season really reflect the immense efforts and determination of each girl in the team who competed their hardest in every match. This could not be done though without the tireless efforts of our coach, Miss Clohesy, who spent hours coaching us on Monday nights and coming down to the 7s every week to support and guide us. We would not have been as successful or as united as a team without her commitment and belief in us and DC2 have appreciated the multiple weekends and evenings that Miss Clohesy sacrificed for our team to help us succeed and become better athletes. As a team of girls ranging from Year 10 to Year 13 who had never played together before, we had a slow start to the season as expected, however, not once did we accept defeat. We hauled ourselves to the 7s ground every week with a smile on our faces, sometimes at 21:00 on a Wednesday despite the competing pressures of homework, coursework and other extra-curricular commitments.

Moving down a division was perhaps the encouragement we needed and acted as a catalyst for our success. In our first match in Division 2 we had our first victory of the season, which built our confidence and allowed us to begin figuring out each other’s play and to build upon our strengths and weaknesses. This momentous match was the motivation we needed to give us the drive and hunger for success, and ultimately allowed us to push ourselves harder in every game that we played. The Emirates Airline 7s Netball tournament played a large role in uniting DC2 as a team and getting us started for the season ahead of us. We learned to be balanced on court, to motivate and encourage one another and the importance of communication when under pressure. While we did not win our final match at this tournament against Jumeirah College, we gained valuable experience from it, as we remained level headed and played the best netball of the season thus far. The uplifting advice and motivation from Miss Clohesy on the side-line was greatly appreciated and a fantastic weekend of netball was enjoyed by all.

Craig and Ebba Zickerman spent putting up shots certainly paid off, taking us to a respectable third place in our division. However our success would be diminished if it weren’t for the indomitable duo of Lauren Johnstone and Sophie Tillon in defence who read each other’s mind on court intercepting virtually every ball that came into their path. And finally thank you to the incredible centre court players, Sasha Verrall, Anna Campbell, Chia Mezu and Chloe Russo who, despite being exhausted after sprinting across the court for 12 minutes, never gave up and used every ounce of energy they had for the entire quarter. I have thoroughly enjoyed leading such an incredible group of athletes and wish the best for next year’s DC2 team where I’m sure that under the guidance of Miss Clohesy they will be equally victorious. Isabella Duthie 13SPE

This year’s netball season would not have been half as successful as it was if I wasn’t playing with the other 9 amazing girls that made up this year’s DC2 team. The tireless hours our shooters Hannah Burton, Allie

Back Row: Amy MacKenzie, Maya Makhoul, Sophie Newbery, Nidhi Sethi, Lucy Graham, Megan Parks Front Row: Chrissie Lowndes, Ella Verrall, Annabelle Style (c), Chloe Lane Williamson, Daniela Pamias Lopez

HPP DC3 NETBALL 190

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

HPP DC3 NETBALL REPORT Dubai College 3 has had a fun but challenging season, one of these challenges being having to adapt and become more versatile while two of our circle defenders were injured. However, throughout the season, the team has not only developed as individual players but also become much stronger as a team. We played from September to March in Division 3 of the Dubai Netball League, against other school teams as well as adult teams which provided us with plenty of competition. In Round 2, we came 3rd in our division, moving up from 5th place in Round 1.

One of our hardest games was against Dubai English Speaking College 1. Throughout this intense game the whole team gave 100% of their effort but it was an unlucky loss as DESC managed to get ahead at the very end of the game, winning 26-24. One of our best games was against Tiger Teens which was goal for goal and with time being on our side we won by 1 to save ourselves from relegation from our division. Most of DC3 played in the Barbarians team in the Dubai Rugby 7s Netball Tournament this year. Being placed in a strong pool including Jumeirah English Speaking School 1, DESC 1, and two South African teams, we knew we had some tough games ahead of us but we made it to the final of the bowl competition and faced a neck and neck game against

Jumeirah College 2, but with a lot of support from the side lines and some excellent teamwork, we won by 2 goals finishing with a score of 12-10. A huge thanks must go to Mrs Bland for her dedication to our team and her constant positivity and motivation even when we were losing, and also to Mrs Stapley for stepping in to help and giving us extra support and a push when we needed it. Thank you to the team for making this an excellent year of netball and I wish you all the best of luck next year. Annabelle Style 13SFO

Back Row: Aoife Palmer-O’Riordan, Jasmine Keenan, Charlie Preston, Charlotte Symington, Olivia Conlon Middle Row: Evie Fuller, Annabelle Garner, Erin Anderson, Eloise Stewart-Smith, Lia Warren, Sophie Ashford Front Row: Jemma Eley, Tess Ruddell, Ananya Navalekar, Yasmine Caraiscos (c), Eun Soo Park (c), Keira Boucher, Hannah Burnett

HPP PATHWAY NETBALL

HPP PATHWAY NETBALL REPORT This year Pathway consisted of players from Years 7, 8 and 9 and each player made an impact at various points throughout the season. We started the season with a convincing win (24-15) against Reibeeck College Girls’ High School from South Africa. The girls finished the season with two remarkable wins gaining the first

Dubai Rugby 7s Youth Champions title. In November, BSAK hosted the first tournament of the BSAK 7’s series. We started the day with passion and vigour as we competed against schools from across the Emirates. We remained undefeated until the semi-finals, however, we then lost to Jumeirah English Speaking School and finished Runners-up in the cup final. Our team also had the privilege to participate in the Dubai Rugby 7’s tournament. We had numerous intense matches with different teams

all over the world. Pathway won the semi-final against the strong Hurricanes team to secure a spot in the final against JESS. The game proved to be a battle to the end with both teams working tirelessly. It was a close game with everyone fighting for every ball. The match began evenly with both sides settling quickly but we managed to pull ahead and win the game. Lia Warren and Charlie Preston utilised their shooting skills, accuracy and steady ball handling in the goal circle. Sophie Ashford demonstrated explosive movements and quick changes of direction SHAMAL 2019

191

SPORT whilst Olivia Conlon and Charlotte Symington showed strong defensive work and put pressure on JESS. Jemma Eley led the play with clever circle feeding and smart play in the centre third. Aoife Palmer-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan challenged the opposing team with her long reach and tight defence whereas Hannah Burnett and Annie were dynamic and put pressure on their rivals at every turn. The game ended with Pathway just two points ahead winning 10-8. AP Saints Netball Club from the UK

had to be our toughest opponent this season. The opposing team had just qualified for Nationals and therefore played at an exceptional standard. We played six quarters, each six minutes long and AP Saints led the game throughout the match. Every time it seemed like we got the upper hand, AP Saints would cut our flow and score. It was a great opportunity to gain experience against quality opposition.

support and tireless efforts. I would also like to thank every member of the team for their commitment and enthusiasm throughout the season, it has been enjoyable and we all look forward for the next season. Good luck to the Year 9s who will move up to join Development, we have learnt a lot from you! Eun Soo Park 8RQU

Finally, on behalf of the team, I would like to thank Ms Donovan for her

Front Row: Farasha Alimohamed, Madilyn Allen-Paver, Scarlett Joshi, Zainab Hussain Syed, Megan Theocharis

HPP DEVELOPMENT NETBALL

192

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

SHAMAL 2019

193

SPORT Back Row: Jemma Eley, Noorulain Hussain, Sophie Ashford, Ayesha Khan Middle Row: Miss D Jones, Zara Chohan, Hafsah Ditta, Kitty Harland, Danielle Guerin, Lucy Parks Front Row: Zahraa Muhammad, Jodie May, Lia Warren (c), Isabella Batten

U13 A ROUNDERS

U13 A ROUNDERS REPORTS

competition, we discovered batting wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t our strength but after some focused training on specific drills, we delivered some great hits.

This year was a fantastic season for the U13A Rounders team. With a selection of some amazing girls, we managed to work smoothly as a unit, using the skills of different players to our advantage. We started off fairly unsuccessfully, coming joint 3rd in the Latifa School for Girls Rounders Tournament. During this

Following a victorious match against Jumeirah English Speaking School which we managed to win by 7.5 rounders, we earned our place in the DASSA league finals. Throughout this season, I have never seen the girls work as hard, be as motivated or demonstrate such outstanding skill, as I witnessed in this match against Dubai English Speaking College. It

proved to be a suspenseful match with every throw, catch and run counting towards our title of DASSA League Champions. As captain, I am extremely proud of our united team and through mistakes and learning, every member raised their game. We ended the season on a high which we could not have done without the dedication, expertise and support of our coach Miss Jones. Lia Warren 8MAB

Back Row: Tara Sigalos, Olivia Conlon, Zara Keenan Middle Row: Tavishi Pandey, Yasmina Salah, Madeleine Burnside, Maha Nawaz, Jemima Hart, Sophie Bennett Front Row: Aalya Sengupta, Anna Zaman, Kaila Jafar, Alexandra Hide, Sabeen Shariff, Kayra Tosun, Hana Latif

U13 B ROUNDERS

U13 B ROUNDERS REPORTS The U13B Rounders team have had 194

SHAMAL 2019

great fun this season. We had an excellent set of fielders who were quick to the ball and great at high catches, and a number of our batters could whack the ball right down the field! We worked extremely well as a

team with great communication and sportsmanship which got even better in every match. A big thank you to Mrs Stapley who made us work hard at lunchtime club; the practice really paid off!

SPORT We were unlucky with the weather this season and we had a lot of our matches cancelled or postponed due to the rain – including the Latifa School for Girls tournament, which was a shame. Our first match was against Dubai English Speaking College, it was extremely close and ended in a draw of 5.5 all. Zara Keenan’s quick reactions as backstop and Hana Latiff’s accurate bowling kept the pressure on DESC throughout the match. Our second match against English College was an easier match and we won by seven rounders and it was great to watch Olivia Conlon’s fantastic hitting and Aalya Sengupta’s outstanding fielding skills. Our final two matches were very close against Jebel Ali School and Jumeirah English Speaking School but we came away with two

more wins. Everyone played so well but a special shout out should go to Sophie Bennett who was excellent on 4th base, Yasmina Salah who saved the day with all of her catches and Kayra Tosun who hit the ball to the other side of the JESS pitch! As a team our toughest fixture was definitely our opening match against DESC. We were just getting to know each other as a team and still working out our strengths and weaknesses, it was so close at the end that neither team knew who had won! One of the best things about being a team was travelling to matches together on the bus, we had great fun getting to know each other and one fun moment was when Mrs Stapley decided to get us to practise our hand-eye coordination, we had to bounce tennis balls on

our hands and balls were flying everywhere! Many thanks to Mrs Stapley for her patience and encouraging words, overall our first rounders season was a great success! Well done to everyone in the team and thank you for always being enthusiastic and giving your all in every match! Go DC! Madeleine Burnside 7VKA

Back Row: Priyanka Israni, Lilli Dean, Scarlett Joshi, Maya Makhoul, Georgia Levitt (c) Middle Row: Miss D Jones, Tara Aksoy, Tiana Lane Williamson, Madilyn Allen-Paver, Emma Dix, Chiamaka Mezu, Auxane Faye Front Row: Megan Theocharis, Megan Levitt, Lauren Agent (c), Alisha Ahmad, Chiara Federico

U15 A ROUNDERS

U15 A ROUNDERS REPORTS This year the team has consisted of fourteen girls, all of whom have been crucial to the outcome of the season regardless of playing hours. We started the season on a very high note, winning the Latifa School for Girls Rounders Tournament, the beginning of an undefeated term of rounders! Furthermore, we were successful in improving in every match, working up towards the

DASSA finals. Going head-to-head in the finals against Dubai English Speaking College, resulted in an appropriate ending to our successful season: winning the match 13.5-8.5. Our most challenging moment that we encountered was playing the last innings against Wellington International School: we only managed to beat them by half a rounder in the last two balls. Through this, we managed to come together as a team to overcome all the odds. I am very proud of the team for managing to stay focused and deliver this whole season. Some of our proudest moments were fielding against DESC in the second innings

(in both the matches that we played against them), holding them to a very low rounders count and displaying sharp actions and decisions. Every single member of the team contributed towards our successes this year, however, special commendations go to those who earned Player of the Match titles: Lauren Agent, Georgia Levitt and Madilyn Allen-Paver. Also, a very special thanks to our dedicated coach, Miss Jones, who has stuck by us through some idiotic decisions this year! Lauren Agent 10ADA SHAMAL 2019

195

SPORT Back Row: Yasmine Caraiscos, Jasmine Keenan, Eloise StewartSmith, Mira Kothari Middle Row: Shrishti Tandon, Annabelle Garner, Samah Tabba, Ruby Sheehan, Keira Boucher Front Row: Amelie Mayne, Tatum Muller, Evie Fuller, Tess Ruddell

U15 B ROUNDERS

U15 B ROUNDERS REPORT The rounders season this year was very fun and exciting! Throughout our matches everyone scored and enjoyed playing together. We had a very tough match against Jumeirah English Speaking School, where our fielding was really clean but when it came to our batting we didn’t score as many as we would have hoped for. However, we worked hard and continued with our heads up and enjoyed the game. It came to

a final score of 8-11.5 rounders. Our most impressive performance was when we played GEMS Wellington Academy - Silicon Oasis. In the first innings the score was nail-bitingly close, but in the second innings our fielding was extremely polished and tight. We then went on to be very successful in our batting and ended with a winning score of 11-7 rounders. We had our first rounders tournament at Latifa School for Girls, where we drew with Dubai English Speaking College in an extremely tense match. Thanks to our amazing fielders, Tess Ruddell giving away no rounders with her excellent bowling and to Keira Boucher’s fast

and accurate throws as backstop we managed to win almost all our other matches! As a result, it has been a great season of rounders and our team improved in every match we played. Thank you to everyone in the team for always trying your hardest and to Mrs Stapley for being such a supportive coach and helping our team improve throughout the season and grow in confidence, we would not have been able to do as well as we did without you. Evie Fuller 9SME

Back Row: Jessica Passey, Georgia Allen, Arya Flisher Middle Row: Miss D Jones, Millie McMurray, Elanor Wright, Jemma Shand (vc), Sophie O’Keeffe Front Row: Mehek Vohra, Sasha Verrall (c), Lara Begley

U18 A ROUNDERS 196

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

U18 A ROUNDERS REPORT The rounders season this year has been very memorable and successful. As a team we were able to thoroughly enjoy each match, whilst also adopting a focused attitude when faced with challenging competition. Our skills developed significantly this season, due to our determination and Miss Jones’s excellent coaching and advice. The U18As played a total of three league matches. We won comfortably against Dubai English Speaking College and English College, however, Dubai British School narrowly beat us 11-10. This match against DBS, a team that we initially underestimated, was one of the most intense and challenging matches this season. They hadn’t performed strongly in previous years, so it came as quite a surprise when our first most skilful batter missed the ball and was instantly out at first, because the bowler had thrown the ball so powerfully and precisely. This happened again and again in the

first innings, as we could not figure out how to adapt our position to make proper contact with the fast ball. As a result, DBS kept us to an extremely minimal score and the pressure was on in our fielding round. At half time, we reviewed our mistakes in the field but most importantly, Miss Jones recommended some tactical strategies to implement whilst batting. Due to this, we almost took the game away from the opposition in the second innings, with some unbelievable hits especially by Mehek Vohra, Millie McMurray and Georgia Allen. Although our competitive score wasn’t enough to win us the game overall, the match was a huge learning experience. Our discipline in the field improved immensely, as well as our position in the batting box, which served us in upcoming games. Our best match was undoubtedly against DBS in the league finals. We were quite nervous walking onto the pitch, having lost to them in the league match. In the first innings, our fielding was very tight and tactical. We kept DBS’s score to a minimum, due to multiple catches, powerful accurate throws, and quick bowling. Although this advantage

allowed us to relax and focus in our batting round, we still only managed to beat their score by one rounder after the first innings. Luckily, the pressure and stress of the very close scores worked in our favour. In our second batting round, there were no ‘weak hitters’ – everyone in the team contributed at least half a rounder to the score. The encouragement and support displayed by the whole team, especially the loud cheering and clapping that followed every rounder, made the game thoroughly enjoyable. Overall, our disciplined fielding and outstanding hits earned us the title of U18 DASSA Rounders Champions. Overall, it has been an incredibly successful season and I would like to thank the girls for the determination and enthusiasm that they displayed at every fixture. Our victorious season would not have been possible without the team’s commitment, or the excellent coaching and support of Miss Jones. The intricate tactics and strategies she passed on allowed us to outsmart our opponents on multiple occasions, so as a team we would like to say a big thank you! Sasha Verrall 13GJE Back Row: Ava Warren, Casey Bell, Annabelle Style, Nina Mul, Disha Narain Middle Row: Miss L Clohesy, Alysha Alimohamed, Chloe Lane Williamson, Isabella Caraiscos Front Row: Maisie Harvey, Hannah Burton, Caitlin Theocharis (c), Ella Verrall, Daniela Pamias Lopez

U18 B ROUNDERS

U18 B ROUNDERS REPORT The rounders season this year was short and sweet, however, it was enjoyable and definitely one of my

favourite Dubai College sporting memories. We comfortably won our first match despite Disha Narain not running and scoring on a ‘no ball’ and a draw concluded our trek down to Sharjah, unfortunately we lost the league due to a lack of players.

of the team for all the laughs and giggles over our season, making the U18B team the best team! Caitlin Theocharis 13 GJE

Thank you Miss Clohesy and the rest SHAMAL 2019

197

SPORT Back Row: Rylan Firth, Mudiwa Mtemererwa, Alexander Joshi, Carlos Halawi, William Hosking, Dhruv Parekh, Jack Drew Middle Row: Mr J Benade, Adam Whitaker, Ryan Brimson, Daniel Plumtree, Finn Timmermans, Badr Alami, Stef Van Eck Front Row: Cai Gregory, Pierce Ashton, Ross Powell, Alexander Roberts, Khalid Osman, Dominic Mayne

U12 A RUGBY

U12 A RUGBY REPORT The U12A 7s Rugby team came together in Term 1 and the team was coached by Mr Benade who provided a fun environment in which to improve our rugby skills. We had three 7s tournaments this season: the DESC 7s in October and the BSAK 7s and the Dubai College 7s in November. The most challenging game for us this season was our first game against Jumeirah English Speaking School, which proved to be the only game of the season in which we were not victorious. Thankfully as the season progressed our teamwork improved steadily which aided our performance. For me I think our best game this season was at the DC 7s because of the way we defended against a very determined Dubai English Speaking College attack, winning the final 24-10. It is always a special feeling winning your own tournament. The U12A Rugby team was an extension of the 7s squad and the team remained undefeated. Sadly we did not get to play as much as we did for 7s rugby as we only competed in the DASSA league. Our toughest match was against JESS as they put a lot of pressure on us in the second half but our defence was very strong and they could not score, we won 198

SHAMAL 2019

17-0 scoring 3 excellent tries. We also went on and beat DESC 17-7 the next week in a very competitive game scoring 3 great tries against a well drilled team. During our last match against The British School Al Khubairat we managed to apply pressure in attack and in defence by spreading the ball wide and rushing as a line in defence. Upon winning this game we finished the season undefeated. Our final season statistics were: DESC 7s: Won 3 Lost 1 BSAK 7s: Played 5 Won 5 Dc 7s: Played 6 Won 6 DC 10s: Played 5 Won 5 DASSA league: Won It is very difficult to single out individual players, because to get a successful outcome it requires everyone to be at their best and to play as a team. A big thank you to Mr Benade and the other coaching staff who helped out during the season, the parents and siblings who supported us so enthusiastically from the side line and of course the other players who played with such skill and determination in every game. Alexander Roberts 7STE

SPORT Back Row: Oliver Locke, Paidi Robinson, Shady Abdallah, Archie Walters, Ryan Brimson Middle Row: Connor McGuigan, Christopher Woolley, Juan Martin Freile, Christian Ruiz Front Row: Dominic Mayne, Veer Chowdry, Finn Timmermans, Daniel Buerk, Daniel Lindley

U12 B RUGBY

U13 A RUGBY REPORT The early season consisted of playing several 7-a- side fixtures, with the culmination of the 7s season coming at the Dubai College 7s tournament in November. We played consistently well throughout the day and beat a strong Jumeirah

English Speaking School side in the final to claim the trophy. Our 15s team was quite strong too: our backs had good moves and skills, as well as the forwards sticking to the game plan we had learned. Our coaches, Mr Jones, Mr Cottam, and sometimes Mr Benade, were dedicated in making us the best team possible. As a 15s team we only had three matches, winning all three games. Our toughest and most challenging fixture would have

been a match against JESS where they were 3-1 up at half time. All the players had put as much effort in as possible, and we secured the win near the end of the fixture. This proved to be our best performance to secure an impressive win. Having won all of our 15s games I believe that all of the players played to their full potential. Nicholas House 8GCA

Back Row: Conor Air, Thomas Clerkin, Theodor Stockmeier, Tarn Timmermans, Michael Killa, Matthew Wells Middle Row: Mr A Jones, Zachary Grundy, Saam Abrichami, Thomas Stringer, Riley Norton, Edward Reynolds, Zayan Aka, Edward Brady, Mr J Cottam Front Row: Henry Stear, Juha Leinonen, Harry Johnston, Mark Agent, Nicholas House, Oliver Stanton, William O’Keeffe, Charlie Pollard

U13 A RUGBY

U13 A RUGBY ROSSLYN PARK REPORT

During the one week tour in England in March, the Dubai College U13A Rugby 7s team and three coaches – Mr Jones, Mr Cottam and Mr Benade – not only enriched their knowledge of the game, but also had a chance to escape the Dubai lifestyle and explore the town of Taunton, and the city of

London. For the first few days we stayed in a beautiful boarding school (Taunton School). This experience allowed the players to meet English students as well as practise on their pitches. We also had lots of time to ourselves SHAMAL 2019

199

SPORT throughout our stay at the school which was extremely comfortable. Furthermore, we also played some other local schools in a round-robin setup. After our stay in Taunton we left with pleasant memories along with high hopes for where we were heading. Richmond in South West London was not only lively and exciting, but also had a cosy feel to it. The hotel we occupied was friendly and relaxing. Leading up to the tournament day, we

visited parts of the area and trained in the open and stunning Richmond Park (which had deer!!!). The tournament consisted of 5 games. We played Trinity School, St Olave’s Grammar School, Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr, Bedford Modern School and Tiffin School. Sadly, I do believe we were underwhelming during our matches as I had seen us play to a much higher standard. Our best game, whilst a loss, was most probably against Trinity School. Considering the

school was undefeated and had not conceded more than around 10 points in a 7s game, it was heart-warming to know that we countered their skill and ability with our own tactics, despite losing by around 15 points. Overall the trip was marvellous and created memories to never forget. My team mates and I still reflect on the great times we shared together throughout the journey. Nicholas House 8GCA

Back Row: Michael Killa, Tarn Timmermans, Theodor Stockmeier Middle Row: Mr A Jones, Zachary Grundy, Matthew Wells, Edward Reynolds, Harry Johnston, Mr J Cottam Front Row: Charlie Pollard, Mark Agent, Nicholas House, Ned Brady, William O’Keeffe

U13 ROSSLYN PARK

200

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

Back Row: Mr N Thomas, Callum Parker, Filip Popivoda, Thomas Haigh, Jacob Woollard, Osian Thomas, Oliver Clifford Front Row: Isaam Noor, Zachary McGuigan, Dylan Parekh, Max Ridout (c), Toby Burnside, Michael Cordahi, James Ashton

U14 A RUGBY

U14 A RUGBY REPORT

Speaking School who beat us both times resulting in two 3rd place finishes. We also finished 4th in the new event, the DESC 7s.

committed many defenders to create space for our wingers to score a few tries past them, eventually beating them 6 tries to 3.

This rugby season, a new challenge was set for us as a team and Mr Thomas: we had lost many of our players at the end of last season so now it was our time to shine, playing in different positions for the benefit of our team. This year, we played in the Dubai College 7s and 1os, fighting for a spot in the semi-finals which was granted to us after moving our way through the group stages. Unfortunately, both times we were paired up with Jumeirah English

Our most challenging game was at the beginning of the season, where we played a round-robin against JESS and The British School Al Khubairat. Although we enjoyed a comfortable 35-14 win against BSAK, we had an extremely hard-fought game against JESS lost an extremely physical match 19-14. However, we all felt this was our best result ever against them. As a team, we had many successful performances against some of our rivals with our best win coming against Nord Anglia School in the group stage in the DC 10s. We

Thank you to all the new members who have decided to play rugby for the first time this season (such as Oliver and Callum Parker) and a big thank you to the boys for all playing as a team and working hard in training throughout the season. I would also like to thank Mr Thomas for all the work he has put into developing our rugby team this season.

Max Ridout 9AYO SHAMAL 2019

201

SPORT Back Row: Zander Visser, Sean Ali, Arran Shah, John De Vilhena Rees, Ned Farrell Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Dominic Morrison, Francis Evers, Jamie Annand, Andreas Paschalis, Jakub Skroban, Harry Withers, Mr J Benade Front Row: Laith Al Nabhani, George Weddell, Sebastien Springuel, Matthew Johnstone, Fergus Deans, Rayan Malik, Samuel Baldock

U16 A RUGBY

U16 A RUGBY REPORT The season this year has been yet another enthralling experience full of class and action-packed rugby. With the assistance of Mr Jackson and Mr Benade, we were able to have an extremely successful season, living up to our aim at the start of the season: triumph. At the beginning of the season we had an extremely strong team, which continued to evolve as the season went on. The U16A team competed in a wide range of rugby tournaments namely the annual BSAK 7s, DC 7s and DC 10s and the DASSA league where we experienced much success. At the beginning of the season on the 9th November, the squad travelled down to Abu Dhabi to play in the annual BSAK 7s tournament. With hard work and determination, we were able to come top of our pool, meaning we had to play a well-drilled Jumeirah English Speaking School team to compete for a place in the final. I am pleased to say that through a very rapid 14-minute game we were able to achieve the win which provided us with a place in the final against Dubai English Speaking College. As this was the first final of the season for us, we were determined to make 202

SHAMAL 2019

a statement, however, DESC came out and performed well and finished 12-22 winners. Our next tournament was the DC 7s and we were determined this time to bring home the trophy. We managed to get through our first 2 pool games comfortably and we were thriving as a team. However, our 3rd pool game was against a visiting team from Singapore and they performed extremely well and managed to defeat us 21-10. Nevertheless, we went into the semi-final against JESS with a winning mindset and through brilliant team work and commitment, we achieved the win of 17-12. Within the other semi-final, the touring Singapore team also took a win, beating DESC, meaning we had another crack at them and this time, with more on the line we were determined to win. It was not our day though and we unfortunately lost, 5-19. Throughout the season we played extremely strong teams and we had to head into each fixture with a winning and determined mentality. Out of the many tough games we played this season, our most challenging fixture was our away game against our old rivals DESC. This was our second time playing DESC this season and we knew they were determined for revenge after our last encounter where we were victorious 31-28. It was a great competitive game and whilst we

lost the game 32-22, as a team we learned a lot and were better focused and ready for the semi-final against JESS. The semi-final was a very physical encounter and after trailing 14-0 at half time we stepped up in the second half, scoring three tries and end up winning a 19-14 against the well-drilled JESS team. On the 20th March, the U16 team travelled to the Dubai Rugby 7s Stadium to play in the DASSA League Cup Final against DESC. Prior to this game we had beaten DESC once and had lost to them once, so this truly was the decider between the two teams. We got to the ground and went through a thorough warm-up led by Mr Benade and Mr Jackson and by the end of the warm-up, I could tell everyone was truly feeling the pressure. However, after a reassuring, calming team talk from Mr Jackson and Mr Benade we were all feeling fired up and ready to play. We started amazingly, and with our forwards providing a brick wall defence in the rucks and the backs using quick hands and fast feet, we were able to score a try. However, we knew from last game that we had to keep this momentum up, and that is exactly what we did and with the contribution of every player on the pitch we broke through their line once more and scored another try. However, as time passed in the second half we were starting to get tired and discipline started to prove

SPORT an issue as we kept giving away penalties and make silly errors. Nevertheless, every time that the whistle blew for a penalty we worked back ten and continued to tackle and ruck. I was extremely impressed with the boys because for about 15 minutes we managed to continuously defend within our own 22, however, this of course led to us being externally tired and they managed to slip through our defence and score a try. Luckily this was the final play of the first half and we were awarded with a well-earned rest, alongside an encouraging talk from Mr Benade and Mr Jackson. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take us long to retrieve our breath and to get back on with the game. The

whistle blew and we played as if the score was 0-0, the energy between the boys was immense and we all thrived from it. Nobody got isolated, every pass was to hand, no-one missed tackles and our moves worked effectively. This all led to our well-deserved victory of 32-19. It was an outstanding performance from our U16 squad and out of the many brilliant performances this year, I would say it was our best performance. It was an honour to play alongside my team mates on this day.

and conditioning coaches for providing us with top class coaching and support in the gym. Finally, I would like to thank the U15s that played up an age group this season which I know can be an extremely intimidating role, nevertheless, you all played brilliantly and without you we would not have been so successful. We are all extremely excited for the next season where I am confident, triumph will come! Matthew Johnstone 11JCO

On behalf of the U16 squad, I would like to thank Mr Jackson and Mr Benade for training and guiding the team throughout this season. I would also like to thank the strength Back Row: Osian Thomas, Lorcan Fallon, Zander Visser, Jamie Annand, Dominic Morrison Middle Row: Mr D Jackson, Toby Burnside, Pratyush Dwivedi, Andrew Bezzina, Tareq Al Alami, Maxwell Rollitt, Nathan Russell, Mr J Cottam Front Row: Sufian Al Alami, Samuel Baldock, Fergus Deans, Jack Gravestock, Farhan Aka, Sahan Maclean Noor, Harry Stringer

U16 B RUGBY Back Row: Max Brett, Sebastian Sabania, Sebastian Snaas, George Hosking, Matthew Russo, Benjamin Hatcher, Ben Davies, Arran Shah, Jack Craig Middle Row: Mr A Jones, Mitchell Davies, Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Gorman, Jake Wade, Samuel Reedy, Joshua Hetherington, Finlay Keegan, Jacques Holmes, George Boon, Samuel Muller, Harrison Devereux

1ST VX RUGBY

Front Row: Oliver Reedy, Sean Cottam, Eoin Mountain, Keanu Boucher, Chris Assimacopoulos, Harvey Bullock, Jamie MacKinnon, Owen Wakeham, Matthew Wane, Talal Mahmoud, Oliver Garner

SHAMAL 2019

203

SPORT

1ST VX RUGBY REPORT We went into the season with high expectations and after a gruelling and challenging pre-season, the coaches left us in no doubt that they wanted to ensure we would be in the best physical condition to deliver our best performance. Our aims: a successful tour; Dubai 7s champions; DC 10s winners; to defend the DASSA title…unbeaten! Stage one was the tour to Hong Kong and we were excited to go abroad and put our skills to the test. We started off well and got progressively better in each game as the tour went on, growing together as one big squad. It was the first tick in the box, a successful team building tour, supported by an unbeaten set of results. Plus, a lot of fun. However, as they say, “What goes on tour, stays on tour!” Back home and a domestic focus began towards the Dubai 7s. However, first we had the BSAK 7s, which is always a great warm up for us and a chance to test ourselves against our local competition and renew old rivalries. Both the A and B teams played well in the group stages and this was a chance for both squads to get warmed up to prepare for the knock-out stages. With both the As and the Bs meeting each other in the semi-final, we knew it would be a competitive game. With two different game plans, the As using their speed out wide and with the Bs using the big boys through the middle, it was a competitive and enjoyable game. However, the As came away with a 20-0 win and were through to the final against Dubai English Speaking College. With a lot of hype surrounding DESC throughout the course of the day, we knew that it would be a fast paced and competitive game. However, we played a simple game plan and ran our set plays resulting in a 26-12 against our biggest rivals. With the Bs making it to the semi-final and the As wining the tournament, we 204

SHAMAL 2019

were happy with where we were at. However, we still knew there was more to do, in order to make sure we were ready to tackle the Dubai 7s. There was a buzz around the squad, as we counted down the days to the biggest tournament of the year. We trained well and made sure we were in the best condition for it. It was time for both squads to perform and put on a show, not only did we feel we had a great chance of winning the tournament, we were also very confident that the Bs would test any side they played. Both sides had comfortable group stage performances and with the Bs shaking up DESC in their last game of Day 1, they were feeling comfortable going into Day 2. The A Team drew Jumeirah College in the quarter-final and we played our best 7s yet of the season with a 45-0 convincing win, whilst the Bs cruised through their quarter-final against the Exiles. Both teams had made it to Saturday and into the semi-finals! We had DESC early in the morning and with confidence levels high, we were ready to put on a show. We flew to a 14-0 lead after 2 minutes, however, DESC responded with three tries of their own. With the 14 minutes up and the ball still in play, we desperately needed a last second try to win. With fresh legs, Finlay Keegan went around the outside of his man and went the length of the field to score under the posts. We were through to the final! The Bs had a dramatic semi-final win themselves, which meant that both teams had reached the final. We had made history! The final was a memorable moment for the whole squad playing in front of thousands, with the As winning 50-12, but overall Dubai College rugby won and registered a terrific achievement for rugby at Dubai College. After some time off over Christmas, as a squad we were well rested and excited to tackle off the 15s season and tick off another box by retaining the U19 DASSA Rugby title. The transition from 7s to 15s took a while to get used to, however, we gelled

well and focused heavily on our set plays. The first game of the season was against at DESC at home and we were well prepared and ready to put on a performance. After going down early on, we bounced back as a team and played some of the best rugby we had ever played as a squad, winning 54-17. It was a solid and convincing victory and we felt confident for the rest of the games going forward, however, we knew we could go up a few more gears. In between the first and the second fixture, we had the Dubai College 10s, which was going to be the biggest DC10s tournament yet, with 65 different teams across all age groups. With a few players out injured, the team’s structure had been shifted around for the tournament. However, with the immense depth within the squad, we knew this would not affect us too much. We entered two teams into the tournament and knew we had a good chance at retaining the title, however, with the Welsh touring side Whitchurch High School playing, we knew that it would be a challenge. We breezed the pool stages and had a relatively comfortable semi-final against The British School Al Khubairat, winning 30-0. With a well-fought match between DESC and Whitchurch in the other semi-final, we knew that the final would be tough whoever we played. Whitchurch came through to the final and we knew we were in for a physical game after their physical dominance in the other games throughout the course of the day. They scored early on but missed the kick for the 7 points and were on the upper hand for the first half. However, after getting the boys in for a quick half time chat, we felt confident we still had the character and the skill level to walk off the field with the ‘W’. We had a strong start to the second half and scored mid-way through it, we were 7-5 up with 2 minutes to go. However, with 20 seconds to play, they stole the ball at the ruck and shipped it down the line to their gas man, who had wheels to burn on the outside. They scored in the corner and the final whistle blew, they won 10-7. We

SPORT were so disappointed with the result and it was even harder to stomach as it was our first loss of the season as a squad. However, there was no time to sit on the result, because we had more 15s games to play. Our next 15s game was against BSAK and following back and forth negotiations on where we were going to play the fixture, we finally managed to travel down to Abu Dhabi. We were fired up to put on a performance and did so, winning 90-14! DESC was next and it was time for their last chance to beat us for the season. We travelled across late afternoon, to play under their lights. We were pumped up as a squad, we had a solid warm up and felt ready to put on a show. We had a dominant performance as a squad and ran away with the game towards the end winning 45-0, not letting

them cross our line. It was a short but sweet 15s season, as we managed to retain the DASSA U19 Rugby title. We could not have been prouder as a squad, as we had ticked off another goal which we set out to achieve at the start of the season. However, one more challenge awaited: South Island School from New Zealand. This would be the biggest challenge of the year and the boys were ready to step up to the occasion. We were treated to a version of the Hakka at the start of the game, which was a once in a lifetime experience. It was a physical and competitive game, however, the physicality was on another level and they ran away with the game, winning 50-19 in the end.

so proud of every single player in the squad. Everyone played their part in the success, a special thanks must go to Kris Greene and his team for keeping us in shape throughout the season, but none of this would have been possible without the excellent knowledge and guidance of Mr Jones and Mr Benade. Harvey Bullock 13JAL

On the whole, it was a very successful season, achieving almost everything we set out to do. It has been a delight to captain this side and I’m Back Row: Finlay Keegan, Sebastian Snaas, Joshua Hetherington Middle Row: Mr A Jones, Chris Assimacopoulos, Jake Wade, George Boon, Samuel Reedy Front Row: Keanu Boucher, Jamie MacKinnon, Harvey Bullock, Owen Wakeham, Sean O’Gorman

DUBAI 7s 1ST VII

U19B 7s REPORT For the U19B 7’s team, our season began in Hong Kong. Despite adjusting to playing with our new teammates, and many of us being slightly more unconventional 7’s players, it was here we learnt the previously unrealised threat we could pose at the Dubai 7’s in December, with sweeping victories in all our games thanks to unmatched physicality down the middle of the park combined with quick, skilful finishing of our outside players. We

recognised that we didn’t play 7s like many other top teams in Dubai, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t compete with them – the vision of an exclusive Dubai College final became a realistic goal that we drove towards together with the help of Mr. Benade and Mr. Jones Confidence that we could achieve this only grew following the BSAK 7’s tournament in November. After a shaky first half against DESC A in the first pool match, the mind-set of the boys switched on, leading to a narrower second half and a try in the corner for DC B in the

last play. As they would be our pool rivals at the big event in December, we saw that despite being a school B team, Dubai College was clearly a level above and we could handle the higher competition. Swift victories in the rest of our pool games took us into the cup knockout stages, where we played our fellow school mates in a DC A vs DC B Semi-final. DC A progressed forward to win the BSAK 7’s, but a valiant effort from the B’s meant that we were serious about making it to the main pitch the following month for a good rematch in the final. SHAMAL 2019

205

SPORT Back Row: Sebastian Sabania, George Hosking, Ben Davies Middle Row: Mr J Cottam, Samuel Muller, Max Brett, Benjamin Hatcher, Jacques Holmes Front Row: Matthew Wane, Sean Cottam, Matthew Russo, Eóin Mountain, Oliver Reedy

DUBAI 7s 2ND VII A few more weeks of intense training and preparation brought us to the Dubai 7s, and the boys were faced with déjà vu as again, DESC A was our first opponent. The difference was we came out the gates flying to their surprise and a seriously close game was at hand – this kind of suspense rarely, if ever expected from an A team vs B team match, showing the crowds Dubai College was a tier above the rest. DESC seemed to be shaken up, a couple of their players falling to the physicality of our game. We proceeded to take on Bahrain and others in our group winning with ease. On the Friday night, we played

206

SHAMAL 2019

a quick and skilful exiles team, but our physicality and maturity proved to take us forward – we were one step closer to the final goal. The last morning of the Dubai 7s arrived and BSAK A was the final barrier in the way of our success. Nerves were high in the warm up, but quickly dissipated as we started stronger than ever with some quick tries. The game grew closer but with the victory we had one ticket to the final – DC A had the other with a win over DESC A.

Never in the history of the Dubai 7’s school’s competition had an A team and a B team of the same school faced each other in a final. Despite their claims, DESC clearly weren’t the only ones ‘serious about sport’ A great game against our boys on the big pitch coming out the tunnel was the perfect way to end a great 7’s season and months of hard work for the U19Bs, and a deserved result for our dedicated coaches. Matty Russo 13SPE

SPORT Back Row: Anna Johnstone, Lauren Agent, Scarlett Joshi, Yasmine Caraiscos, Emma Wade Middle Row: Mr J Benade, Tara Aksoy, Tiana Lane Williamson, Ruby Sheehan, Tatum Muller Front Row: Keira Boucher, Tess Ruddell, Megan Theocharis, Olivia Ludden, Jodie Qursha

U15 GIRLS’ TOUCH RUGBY

U15 GIRLS’ TOUCH RUGBY REPORT Girls’ Touch Rugby is new this year and our U15 team did well in entering the first school touch league coached by Mr Benade. In the first term we entered a tournament hosted at Dubai English Speaking

College and came away undefeated and tournament champions. This year was the first time Dubai College has included a girls’ category in the Dubai College 10s rugby tournament. After a rough start we made it through to the finals and won. Our most challenging fixture was our final against DESC at the DC 10s tournament. After losing to them in the pool matches 3-1 we flipped the score and were successful with a

3-1 victory. Thank you so much to Mr Benade for including the girls this year and to all the refereess who came down and helped.

Megan Theocharis 10DRI

Back Row: Hannah Dawson, Annabelle Style, Chloe Lane Williamson Middle Row: Sasha Verrall, Hannah Burton Front Row: Caitlin Theocharis, Lauren Johnstone, Maisie Harvey

U18 GIRLS’ TOUCH RUGBY

U18 GIRLS’ TOUCH RUGBY REPORT This year has seen a great introduction of Touch Rugby for

girls, providing a great opportunity for those girls who play outside of school to represent Dubai College and introducing a new sport for the U18 girls to join. We had the opportunity to take part in three tournaments this year at Dubai English Speaking College, Jumeirah English Speaking

School and at the Dubai College 10s. All tournaments that we took part in this year presented us with great competition, however, at the JESS tournament the team performed at an extraordinary level and we found ourselves competing for the golden try in the final against the U18 DESC SHAMAL 2019

207

SPORT A team. Unfortunately, exhaustion got the better of us and we lost to the golden try in the last minute. I was extremely proud of all the U18s who took part and would like to say a huge thank you to the U16 girls who joined us and were a massive help in getting us to the final. Thank you to all the girls who played this year and allowed us to be able to put together a team, providing us with the chance to compete in

tournaments. I would like to say a big thanks to Mr Benade for coaching us at the DESC tournament, organising the team and putting us forward for the competitions. Thank you also to Mr Riordan who coached us at the DC 10s.

the Dubai College students who are taking part in the Touch European Championships in Paris this summer. Lauren Johnstone 13MDH

I have enjoyed captaining this team and have loved seeing the potential of the U16 players who will produce a very strong team in future years. I would also like to say good luck to all

JUNIOR A SWIM SQUAD Back Row: Raphael Sibuet, Carlos Halawi, Aurelien Carretta, Mark Bezzina, Jack Gravestock, Ned Farrell, Jacob Woollard, Anthony Whittall, Thomas Haigh, Natasha Whittall Middle Row: Miss L Clohesy, Rylan Firth, Aaliyah Haque, Lauren Agent, Gracie May, Alimahdi Meghji, Beatrice Varley, Inaz Humphrey, Iman Humphrey, Sean Mastin Front Row: Christian Ruiz, Isabel Strauss, Janya Shah, Jodie May, Keira Liew, Maia Jafar, Yahvi Shah, Isobel Charlier, Madeleine Burnside, Sabeen Shariff

SWIM SQUAD A REPORT The swimming season this year was captivating as well as rewarding. Incredible individual performances in tandem with a wonderful team 208

SHAMAL 2019

spirit, topped off an undefeated season. Despite injuries at pinnacle times to key swimmers, Team Dubai College managed to win by a record points margin, which must be the greatest achievement of all! I would like to thank Miss Clohesy, Mrs Hill and Mrs Whittall for their support throughout the

season, their efforts played an immense contribution to our successful season.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;?The Main-stage competition which featured in both term one and two, was the DASSA swimming league. This competition required consistent performances and motivated swimmers due to the number of galas in close proximity.

SPORT The pinnacle was the DASSA finals competition at the Hamdan Sports Complex, during February. This gave Dubai College swimmers the opportunity to strive for personal bests as well as qualifying times for their respective national meets in the summer months. Though Team Dubai College performed a clean sweep of the awards and honours, every competition proved to be difficult in its own way. Perhaps the biggest difficulty Team Dubai College faced was the expectation to win in every competition, and to maintain an exceedingly high standard. However, every swimmer demonstrated a sense of coolness and extreme composure, which ultimately led the team to victory. Our most dominant result came away at Dubai International Academy, in which

collectively every swimmer had an incredible performance and Dubai College managed to break the record points tally. Moreover, what made this competition even more special was that Dubai College out-lapped all the other schools in the Squadron relay, once again demonstrating that Dubai College is strong in every age category. As a result, it has been a fruitful year of swimming at Dubai College. Although every swimmer played their part in, what was a phenomenal season there were a few exceptional performances and acts of a real team player that deserved to be mentioned.

personality definitely got the best out of her fellow swimmers. Carlos Halawi also had a brilliant season, his rapid 50m freestyle and 50m breastroke even made the senior swimmers worried. From the senior team Ned Farrell had a strong season, what was most impressive was his adaptability in order to accompany the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates. I would like to thank all the swimmers for making this season fantastic and enjoyable. Etienne Tillon 13LHO

Isobel Charlier had an exceptional season both in and out of the pool, her performances in the Squadron relay were incredible and her bubbly Back Row: Edward Winsor, Hussein Elzaafarany, Megan Parks, Emily Davidson, Shrish Janarthanan, Abi Plumtree, Maximilian Wessels, Shrishti Tandon Middle Row: Ms K Hill, Laura Iorini, Hella Page, Mark Agent, Yuchen Zhou, Tara Malhotra, Maria Michailidou, Riddhi Karani, Jack Drew, Kiho Hirosawa Lum Front Row: Dominic Mayne, Juan Martin Freile, William Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe, Kaila Kondas Niza, Ayan Shariff, AnneMarie Banas, Megan Wong Fatt, Lottie Holt

JUNIOR B SWIM SQUAD Back Row: Hamilton Rogers, Finn Page, Michael Reid, Omer Oce Middle Row: Miss L Clohesy, Maria Iorini, Alysha Alimohamed, Gabriella Helayel, Ali Tabba Front Row: Sophie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe, Louise Leijonberg, Etienne Tillon (c), Jasmine Liew (c), Geesue Abrichami

SENIOR SWIM SQUAD SHAMAL 2019

209

SPORT

SWIM SQUAD B REPORT The B Swimming Squad had strong season this year, doing well in every gala. We swam in the traditional DASSA galas at Dubai British School and Repton School and a DASSA relay gala at Jumeirah College, in term 1. We then swam in the DASSA final at the Hamdan Sports Complex in term 2. Our toughest moments in the

season was competing against several schools’ strong A teams, including JC, DBS, Repton and GEMS World Academy, giving us tough competition in league 2. In particular, at the relay gala at JC, where we were a swimmer too few! The U12 boys only had three swimmers in a relay, so one swimmer in the U12 boys had to swim twice in each relay. Despite the tough competition the team still did well through determination, hard work, and teamwork. Throughout all the swim galas we had great team spirit, cheering each other on and congratulating other swimmers in our team and

from other teams, showing great sportsmanship. This motivated our swimmers allowing us to persevere at galas even when competition was tough and allowed the team to bond. Through the efforts of every single member on the team, we came third in our league at the DASSA galas which was a sound result for our team. Thank you to all the swimmers who participated this year and good luck to next year’s team! Louise Leijonberg 13NBL

Back Row: Hamzah Masud, Advay Chawla, Zain Rana, Theodor Stockmeier, Alexander Mantzavinatos Middle Row: Mr M Rushworth, Alessandro Federico, Aditya Ganesh, Aashrut Agarwal, Vansh Gadhia Front Row: Abhir Kewalramani, Nishk Moorjani, Thomas Eley, Farbod Afrassiabi, Aarav Jha

U14 A BOYS’ TENNIS

U14 A BOYS’ TENNIS REPORT The tennis season this year has been a very enjoyable one. We have established a great group of young and enthusiastic tennis players who are coming to training week in and week out and improving all the time. This could not be achieved though without the constant support of Mr Rushworth, and all of the Super Sports coaches that train us every Thursday. We participated in all the DASSA tournaments, in which we did remarkably well, as well as our constant fixtures against other 210

SHAMAL 2019

schools, organised by Mr Rushworth throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, we lost to the Jumeirah College squad 12 matches to 4, which was reasonable considering more than half of our squad had little to no experience on court. The matches were tough and most of our teams were getting blown out of the water, but this provided some invaluable court knowledge for our younger players. The team’s improvement was shown in our recent re-match against JC. We managed to bring it back to 10-6, with some of our key players missing: we had 4 ‘Debutantes’ playing, so only 4 players had played matches before. Although we did lose, the improvement in comparison to the start of the year is very impressive. So as a season, we have done relatively

well, winning 2 of the fixtures, and losing 2. We also had a very exciting trip to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Tournament for a day mid-February. This was more of a viewing session than to play, however, two lucky students (Thomas Eley and Priyanka Israni) were permitted to play on centre court against the professionals! A big thank you to all the students who played this year and, of course, to the staff who made it all possible. This will be my last season playing for the Junior Boys’ Tennis team, so it was an honour to captain it, and a joy to play in it. Thank you everyone. Thomas Eley 10ADA

SPORT

U14 A GIRLS’ TENNIS Back Row: Mr M Rushworth, Jemma Eley, Sasha Darré-Pavlowsky, Mira Kothari Front Row: Aditi Prabhu, Saanvi Rastogi, Shrishti Tandon, Yasmina Salah

U14 A GIRLS’ TENNIS REPORT This year’s tennis season has been jam-packed with fixtures, ranging from our usual friendly matches against Dubai English Speaking College to our main highlight of the year, the annual DASSA tournament. I would like to mention that we would not have had these fixtures without help from Mr Rushworth, whose support had also led us to win quite a few matches. In term 1, we had 2 fixtures against DESC and 1 fixture against American School of Dubai. Our toughest fixture this year I must say was against ASD,

as we battled it out on the courts against some rather experienced and older opponents. For the girls, the matches were very tight and it could have gone either way. This year we had many amazing fixtures, however, our most notable performance was the same fixture against ASD and although we may have lost, we remained determined and came back with a great experience after having played some very tough players (who were also rather old!). In term 2, we were meant to have the International Tennis Championships at the Aviation Club, however, it was cancelled due to bad weather. We did play in the annual DASSA tournament though at which the players had to play some single matches and some doubles. Overall the results were great, with most of the players reaching the finals.

In term 3, we had a friendly fixture against Wellington International School. In term 2, we had our two main tournaments of the year. I would like to say a special thank you to Mr Rushworth for working hard to arrange all of our fixtures and a thank you to Super Sports for helping us in our training sessions. I would also like to say well done to everyone who played tennis this year, I can’t wait for next year. Shrishti Tandon 9MYA

SHAMAL 2019

211

SPORT Back Row: Zeyad Salah, Nicholas Prynn, Pranav Nanda, Thomas Plumtree, Joseph Plumtree Middle Row: Mr M Rushworth, Ashrita Ganesh, Mira Kothari, Aryaman Chawla, Anjali Menon, Aanya Gardi Front Row: Aditi Prabhu, Ansh Tandon, Armaan Tourani, Rhea Javat, Chiara Federico

U18 A TENNIS

U18 BOYS TENNIS REPORT The tennis team has had a successful and nail-biting season. Our main competition of the season was the DASSA tournament on the 2nd March. Our most challenging match would have had to been our first match against The American School of Dubai. This would be the first time we

U18 GIRLS TENNIS REPORT The tennis season this year has brought us so much enjoyment, simply due to the enthusiasm in the players that we have in our teams. Not to mention, the constant encouragement from Mr Rushworth that has helped us to push that little bit further in every match or tournament that we played. In all training sessions and matches, the players have shown great energy, boosting the general aura for us all. It has been a marvellous season to say the least! Through the numerous matches that we have played, our toughest fixture was the one against The American School of Dubai. Although we were strong in our 212

SHAMAL 2019

have played them on our courts and it was the highest quality tennis both teams presented. Unfortunately, we ended up losing the males’ doubles match narrowly by 2 matches to 3. Being the first senior fixture of the year, we were glad to see such amazing tennis on show despite the result. Our best event was the DASSA Inter-School Tennis Tournament. Our Male Doubles team, Zeyad Salah and Aryaman Chawla managed to beat multiple sides along their way to the final where it was a narrow and unfortunate loss, but yet the

runners-up is yet a big achievement for our DC Tennis Team. We played in the DASSA Inter-School Tennis Tournament where our U18 Doubles Team managed to come runners-up in the entire event. A big thank you to Mr. Rushworth and the whole tennis team for showing such great commitment throughout the whole year and I hope that the passion for tennis at Dubai College grows even more in the years to come!

drive for success and kept our spirits high, we came to realise that we were outnumbered quite heavily by the girls’ team. Although we did proceed to win several matches that day, with the boys winning a few of them too.

was a close match against Dubai International Academy with the score being 2-2. However, in the last section they managed to angle their shots with precision, resulting in us coming 3rd place and winning a bronze medal.

One of our most notable performances this year would have to be our several victories at the DASSA tournament in early March. Our Girls’ Doubles team came 1st and another team came 3rd overall. We also won the Girls’ Singles league which ended with even more team spirit and confidence amongst the U18 girls’ team. As well as it being an enjoyable event, it ended with many achievements.

Firstly, I would like to thank all the players for dedicating their time and commitment to relentless hours of training and matches which was all worth it in the end. The Thursday after school sessions that we did, despite being exhausted from a hard week of school, were only made easier by our coaches and most of all Mr Rushworth who dedicated his hours after school too.

We played in the DASSA tournament with 2 of our girls’ team being entered for the doubles matches. In the semi-finals it

Armaan Tourani 13ACR

Rhea Javat 12LHO

SPORT

THE SENIOR SPORTS DINNER

Players of the Year

Coaches Player of the Year

Athletics

Sam Reedy

Etienne Tillon

Basketball Boys

Siddhant D’Souza

Keanu Boucher

Basketball Girls

Alma Zickerman

Annabelle Style

The Senior Sports Dinner, which was recently held at the Grand Millennium Hotel, celebrated another year of outstanding senior level sport at Dubai College. The evening’s theme was based around ‘legacy’, which reflected on what the students’ achievements were creating for future generations, along with leaving staff who have contributed so much to the extra-curricular sports programme.

Cricket

Vishal Ayyagari

Meeran Fehmi

Football Boys

Thomas Plumtree

Michael Reid

Football Girls

Alma Zickerman

Rebecca Wilding

Netball 1

Arya Flisher

Jemma Shand

Netball 2

Isabella Duthie

Sasha Verrall

Netball 3

Lucy Graham

Annabelle Style

Rounders

Sasha Verrall

Jemma Shand

Rugby

Sam Reedy

Harvey Bullock

Girls Touch Rugby

Lauren Johnstone

Hannah Burton

Swimming

Etienne Tillon

Jasmine Liew

Our two guests of honour were Mr Concecaio Sousa, our Head Caretaker for 36 years and Mr Patrick Flower, who has played such a fundamental role in many aspects of sport at Dubai College over the last three decades.

Tennis

Pranav Nanda

Chiara Federico

Following a wide variety of high quality speeches from the Senior Sports Captains, the coaches announced their Players of the Year, which was then followed by the awarding of Sports Colours and Half Colours, in recognition of the students’ outstanding contribution to sport at Dubai College. Thanks to captains, students, staff and parents alike for an outstanding evening’s sporting celebration. Mr Andrew Jones Director of Sport Senior Boys Sports Full Colours

Senior Girls Sports Full Colours

Senior Boys Sports Half Colours

Cameron Matthews Etienne Tillon Finlay Keegan Harvey Bullock Jamie MacKinnon Jordyn Hamilton Keanu Boucher Meeran Fehmi Michael Reid Owen Wakeham Samuel Reedy

Alma Zickerman Alysha Alimohamed Annabelle Style Arya Flisher Emily Peck Isabella Duthie Jasmine Liew Jemma Shand Lauren Johnstone Millie McMurray Sasha Verrall

Arman Tourani Chris Assimacopoulos Joshua Hetherington Kristian Kolandjian Thomas Plumtree Senior Girls Sports Half Colours Caitlin Theocharis Gabriella Reynolds Naoise Morgan

SHAMAL 2019

213

SPORT

THE SENIOR SPORTS DINNER GALLERY

214

SHAMAL 2019

SPORT

SPORTS COACHES Back Row: Mr P Flower, Mr C Berkenshaw, Mr C Agent, Mr S Gale, Mr N Thomas, Mr B Trivic, Mr P Sparks, Miss S Donovan, Mr D Jackson, Ms K Hill Front Row: Miss R Quigley, Miss L Clohesy, Mrs A Stapley, Mr S Pernasilici, Mr A Jones, Mr G Case, Mrs D Saran, Mrs L Hodge, Mrs K Thompson, Miss D Jones

SHAMAL 2019

215

AWARDS AND RESULTS On the 12th June 2019, the Year 9 students of Dubai College gathered together to celebrate their well-earned successes. As we took our places amongst rows of parents in the auditorium after thirty minutes of exceptional piano playing by Xiaolin Zhang, Mr Woolley revealed that an astounding 99.2% of students had received this award to which parents and TY VI AC students alike were overjoyed - the highest record in R TION SE the history of Dubai College so far. To begin, Mr Woolley made us take a trip down memory lane with entertaining photos from Year 7 to which we were all astonished at how much we had matured. The remainder of the evening revolved around collecting certificates which commended us for completing the CASA award through engaging with activities across an extensive range and pushing our boundaries to attempt more community action service. These awards were divided up by musical interludes by the talented musicians of Year 9 and frequent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;jokesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from Mr Woolley. The ceremony soon came to a close as we reflected on our last three years in the lower school, however, most of us were excited to move on and see what was in store for us in Year 10. AI COLLE G

AW ARD

COMM

CA SA

B DU

Natasha Pilkington 9ROD

216

SHAMAL 2019

AWARDS AND RESULTS

FOUNDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY & PRIZE GIVING 2019 The Subject Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated an excellent command of the subject and who consistently participates in the classroom. Opening Address: Michael Lambert, Headmaster SUBJECTS

YEAR 7 PRIZE WINNER

YEAR 8-10 PRIZE WINNER

YEAR 11 PRIZE WINNER

ARABIC A

Sara Obeid 7STE

Laith Al Nabhani 11BPH

ARABIC B

Aarav Jha 7ASA

Maryam Al Anani 10DRI Aditya Sridhar 9MYA Inaaya Salim 9MYA

BUSINESS STUDIES

Aanya Tashfeen 11KWI Holly Hickman 11MRU

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY Aleeza Ahmed 7STE

Aman Doshi 10STU

John Rees 11MRU

DRAMA

Alexandra Hide 7STE

Eddie Zickerman 10CMM

Lara Begley 11JCO

MUSIC

Ilijana Georgiev 7FHU

GEOGRAPHY

Amaan Zaidi 7BST

Pritvik Sinhadc 10JKI

Olivia Allen 11MHA

HISTORY

Tadhg Hogan 7ASA

Charlotte Symington 8NBE

Angelina Dooa 11MHA

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Ayan Shariff 7SBO

Maya Bridgman 9SME

Aanya Tashfeen 11KWI

ISLAMIC STUDIES A

Sara Obeid 7STE

Yacine Zribi 8MAB

ISLAMIC STUDIES B

Aleeza Ahmed 7STE

Zain Rana 9AYO

Rania Zimmermann 11KWI

QURAN RECITATION

Aaliyah Haque 7VKA

Hafsah Ditta 8RQU

Arman Thariani 11MRU

MATHEMATICS

Fawaz Sharaf 7FHU

Pranav Sangwan 9AYO

Aranya Gupta 11BPH

Vedant Bhansali 10ADA

Aranya Gupta 11BPH

ECONOMICS FRENCH

Malak Ibrahim 7BST

Foteini Kalamatianou 9AYO

Rohan Khaleghian 11BPH

SPANISH

Sophia Kahlon 7ASA

Massimo Vianello 9ROD

John Rees 11MRU

ENGLISH

Maha Nawaz 7NTH

Lily Barnett 10JKI

Tia Patel 11MHA

LATIN

Emma Ingram-Johnson 10STU

Tia Patel 11MHA

MUSIC

Chiara Federico 10SGA

SCIENCE

Charlotte Spafford 7STE

BIOLOGY

Dylan Parekh 9SME

Yousuf Yaqub 11JCO

CHEMISTRY

Maharu Gunasekara 9MWD

Aranya Gupta 11BPH

PHYSICS

Tom Rietjens 10DRI

Aanya Tashfeen 11KWI Ebba Zickerman 11KWI

ART

Kayra Tosun 7ASA

Hannah Flanagan Egelman 8MAB

SPORT (GIRLS)

Madeleine Burnside 7VKA

Lauren Agent 10ADA

SPORT (BOYS)

Alexander Roberts 7STE

Mark Bezzina 10STU

PE PRIZE

Olivia Allen 11MHA

MUSIC

Aryaman Chawla 11MHA

SHAMAL 2019

217

AWARDS AND RESULTS

FOUNDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY & PRIZE GIVING 2019

218

SHAMAL 2019

AWARDS AND RESULTS SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT PRIZES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN THE SCHOOL PRODUCTION

Sophia Kahlon 7ASA

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Tia Patel 11MHA

This Prize is awarded to a student who has made an outstanding contribution to the house Programme. HOUSE PRIZES BARBAROSSA Kian Kazranian 10SGA

Lauren Agent 10ADA CHICHESTER

Tom Rietjens 10DRI

Georgia Allen 11KWI COUSTEAU

Lorcan Fallon 10SGA

Ebba Zickerman 11KWI HEYERDAHL

Mark Bezzina 10STU

Casey Camball 9MWD YEAR PRIZES

The Year Prize is awarded to a student who has an exemplary attitude to school life; who has made valuable contributions to their year group and the wider school community and who is a role-model for their peers. YEAR 7 PRIZE Isabel Strauss 7RVE

Thomas Derry 7SBO YEAR 8 PRIZE

Sophie Hickman 8RQU

Nicholas House 8GCA YEAR 9 PRIZE

Keira Boucher 9AYO/ Foteini Kalamatianou 9AYO

Tithira Wijayathilake 9MWD

YEAR 10 PRIZE Tara Aksoy 10CMM

Shrish Janarthanan 10CMM YEAR 11 PRIZE

Anais Deere 11BPH

Yousuf Yaqub 11JCO

SHAMAL 2019

219

AWARDS AND RESULTS SUBJECTS

YEAR 13 PRIZE WINNERS

SUBJECTS

YEAR 13 PRIZE WINNERS

ART

Janne Meijer

GEOGRAPHY

Joshua Hetherington

BIOLOGY

Habiba Al Khatib

HISTORY

Alizeh Yahya

CHEMISTRY

Edward Davies

GOVERNMENT & POLITIICS

Polly Jones

CLASSICS

Jaimini Patel

MATHEMATICS

Sylvie Waft

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Serena Lambert

FURTHER MATHEMATICS

Hamzah Hashim

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

George Gunn

MUSIC

Francesca Hall

DRAMA

Kasia Truscott

P.E.

Jasmine Liew

ECONOMICS

Yash Bhansali

PHYSICS

Yash Bhansali

ENGLISH

Kasia Truscott

SPANISH

Sophie Ingram-Johnson

FRENCH

Wynona Barua

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DRAMA PRODUCTIONS Kristian Kolandjian

THE GODWIN AUSTEN JOHNSON PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING DESIGN TALENT Sylvie Waft

SENIOR PASTORAL AWARD Rihana Al Nabhani

THE AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING Akshit Goel

THE PRIZES FOR SPORTING EXCELLENCE 2018-19 Samuel Reedy

Lauren Johnstone

DEPUTY HEAD GIRL 2018-19

DEPUTY HEAD BOY 2018-19

Arya Flisher

Yash Bhansali

HEAD GIRL 2018-19

HEAD BOY 2018-19

Geesue Abrichami

Kristian Kolandjian

HOUSE CAPTAINS BARBAROSSA

Sophie Ingram-Johnson

Kristian Kolandjian

CHICHESTER Arya Flisher

Jawad Jafar

COUSTEAU Lauren Johnstone

Shaan Nathwani

HEYERDAHL Jaimini Patel

Mustafa Lone

HEADS OF CHARITIES COMMITTEE Maisie Harvey 220

SHAMAL 2019

Hannah Nurmohamed

Armaan Tourani

AWARDS AND RESULTS

GRADUATION CEREMONY 2019 Dubai College hosted its annual Year 13 Graduation Ceremony on Saturday 15th June, an event that looked back at and celebrated the multiple achievements of this talented year group and one that looked forward to the next chapter of their lives. As a group they have spent 1.3 million hours within the walls of Dubai College, finding and honing their academic, sporting, creative and philanthropic passions, and making friendships and memories that will live on for a million hours more. As part of the ceremony, each student received a graduation memento, an individual piece of a puzzle bearing a photo of the year group and a commemorative DC teddy bear, whose badge is a hallmark of quality

and character that will serve them beyond our red brick walls. We were also treated to a snapshot of the students’ vast talents: fine musical interludes from Joonwoo Jeong and Joseph Plumtree, a wonderful vocal performance from Francesca Hall and a rendition of two poems by our first ever Poet Laureate, Kasia Truscott, who, in her poem An Open Letter to Youth (reproduced below), perfectly captured how uncertainty about the future can be both terrifying and beautiful. Fear, and having the confidence and courage to overcome it, was also a theme in Jaimini Patel’s witty and powerful speech. At the end of the ceremony, we were fortunate to hear from our guest speaker, Mr Daniel Smith, Head Boy and alumnus from 2007, who urged the students not to rush to follow their impulses and emphasised the importance of making important decisions in a considered and deliberate way, to

begin new journeys only when we are ready to embark on them. Mr Lambert closed the ceremony by encouraging the students to trust in the values that have shaped them – they will navigate through any choppy seas to come – and also gave us an insight into his university-honed pool-playing credentials. Class of 2019, we thank you for your tireless, peerless dedication to all areas of our school and community life and wish you well for the future. We look forward to hearing of your tidings at the Past vs Present day in January and of your successes over the years and decades to come. Mr B Trivic Head of Sixth Form

An Open Letter to Youth Dawn sends us its blazing rays over the electric blue. Stand high on the rocks, look towards the lightning path from the shore to the horizon. Blink towards the Sun that has brought us the day we were never promised; We are the oldest we have ever been, the youngest we will ever be yet. With open arms, stand wide Hear the present scream your name, let the past whisper it. We have come to reclaim the colours of the day The future is all ours. Kasia Truscott 13CHO Dubai College Poet Laureate SHAMAL 2019

221

AWARDS AND RESULTS

222

SHAMAL 2019

DESTINATION OF LEAVERS

CLASS OF 2018 LEAVERS It is amazing to think that our most recent leavers, the Class of 2018, have already finished their first years at university: new ways of learning, new cities discovered, new friends made. It was fantastic to hear of their varied experiences from all four corners of the globe at the Past vs Present Day in January 2019, but it is also fitting to reflect even further back on their superb achievements in the A Level season last summer.

A quarter of all grades achieved were an A*, a staggering achievement given the relative rarity of even one A* grade. 60% of all grades achieved were A* or A with a third of our cohort gaining a full house of these top grades. Special mention must go to the nine students who achieved a full suite of A*s (Ellie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe (5 A*s), Josh Kotecha, Hugo Dolan, Mitali Doshi, Satadru Sanyal, Aaron Aspinwall, Murtaza Javaid, Sungyoung Kim (all 4), Rachel De Sousa (3))â&#x20AC;Ż. 70% of the year group enjoyed the milder climes of the United Kingdom this year with the University of Exeter again topping the list as our

most popular destination with 11 students, and a further 8 students heading to Bath. A further 17% departed for the USA, 7 students took a gap year and the remainder went to institutions elsewhere in the world. We wish them ongoing success and luck in their university careers and look forward to seeing them again at the Past vs Present Day in January 2020. Mr B Trivic Head of Sixth Form

DESTINATION OF LEAVERS Matthew Anderson Physics University of Exeter Luke Askew Physics University of Exeter Aaron Aspinwall Gap Year Rafael Azmat Arabic and Business and Management University of Manchester Yaamir Badhe Classics University of Oxford Hugo Barnett Mathematics University of Durham Angus Benstead Architecture University of Bath Yash Bhandari Material Sciences Engineering University of California Berkeley Arjun Bhushan Electrical & Electronic Engineering Imperial College London Olivia Brown Arts Foundation Arts University Bournemouth Joshua Bryant Geography University of Reading Craig Buchan History University of Edinburgh Magen Chadha Economics and Maths Barnard College, Columbia University Rachel Choi Archaeology and Anthropology University of Oxford Annabel Clifford Gap Year Craig D'Souza Economics Boston University Jacob Darbandi Economics & Philosophy University of York Rachel De Sousa Commerce Queens University, Canada Matthew Denton Physics University of Exeter Sohan Dhanesh Economics (Start 2020) University College, Los Angeles Kate Dodds Drama Bath Spa University Hugo Dolan Financial Maths University College Dublin

Mitali Doshi Economics and Statistics University College London Ruby Ebdon Art Foundation Loughborough University Mohamed El-Zeneiny Maths University of Waterloo, Canada Chloe Elliott English Literature University of Durham Victoria Ewert Engineering and Architectural Design University College London Felix Firth Politics and Economics University of Nottingham Corynn Foote Sport and Physical Education University of Lancaster Kaitlyn Gardner Jerez Flight Training Centre Jerez, Spain Cameron Graham Economics University of Bath Mikaeel Habib Neuroscience University of Pennsylvania Thomas Haigh History and Politics Loughborough University Alexander Hall Gap Year Amy Harrison Art History & Visual Culture and English University of Exeter Georgina Holbrook Gap Year Ellen Holmes English Literature University of Warwick Barnaby Holt Exercise and Sports Sciences University of Exeter Max Holt Sport and Social Sciences University of Bath Emma Janus Dance Course Brent Street Performing Arts School, Sydney Beth Jarvis Marine Biology Newcastle University Murtaza Javaid Computer Science Yale University, Connecticut Mina Jenkins Gap Year

SHAMAL 2019

223

DESTINATION OF LEAVERS Janvi Jethwani Medicine Laura Murphy Biological Sciences University of Sheffield University of Brighton Ankita John Economics Kabir Nanda Accounting and Finance Emory University, Atlanta University of Bath Emma Kelly Medicine Malaika Nanda Economics University of St Andrews Brown University, Rhode Island Reeza Khan Medicine Alexander Newbery Economics with International King's College London Relations Elizabeth Kidd International Business University of Exeter Ellie O'Keeffe Medicine Loughborough University Sungyoung Kim Mathematics University of Cambridge University of Cambridge Ariyike Oyelola Education and Sociology Hyun Ji Kim Mechanical and Biomedical University of Durham Engineering Joe Page Economics (Start 2019) Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh University of Bath Daisy Kirkaldy English Ethan Pearce Music and Sound Production University of Birmingham Technology Arts Josh Kotecha Medicine University Bournemouth Imperial College London Georgina Peck Biochemistry and Genetics Oh Jun Kweon Computer Science University of Nottingham University of Michigan Roberto Pereira Law with Business Isabella Lahdo Philosophy, Politics and Economics Nottingham Trent University King's College London Jessica Pollock Gap Year Arnav Lahiry Economics and Management Devansh Popley Accounting and Finance (2019 Start) University of Oxford University of Exeter Seung Lee Mechanical Engineering Devina Popley International Relations and Global Yonsei University, South Korea Issues Rebecca Ludden Law University of Nottingham Adam Qureshi Engineering University of Warwick Sadhana Madnani Education and Arts University College London Iysa Qureshi Economics Tufts University, Massachusetts Heriot-Watt University Safwan Malik Economics with Politics Meiha Raja Gap Year Loughborough University Fatima Rasheed Business Hasan Malik Economics New York University Stanford University, California Mario Refalo Medicine Aryan Malik Engineering University of Glasgow University of California San Diego Eleanor Reid Civil Engineering Zahra Mandviwala Industrial Design and Technology Nottingham Trent University Loughborough University Hriday Mani Mechanical Engineering Sophie Rhys-Maitland International Relations & Social University of Manchester Anthropology Maha Masud Mechanical Engineering and Applied SOAS University of London Mechanics Kristian Ryan Law University of Pennsylvania University of Sussex Arnav Mathur Computer Science Thomas Ryan-McGrath Physics University College London University of Exeter François Maureta Engineering Luca Sackeyfio Law University of Warwick École d’Ingénieurs, Paris Luke Menezes Computer Engineering Maya Sandhu Dentistry University of California San Diego King's College London Anushka Menon Computer Science Satadru Sanyal Computer Science Australia Imperial College London Tara Mewawalla English Language and Literature Sophie Scott Photography University of Oxford Edinburgh Napier University Ed Joshua Mindanao Economics with Finance Mariam Shaikh International Relations Tufts University, Massachusetts Bentley University, Massachusetts Sophie Shamsuddin Earth Sciences Kimberly Miranda History University of Durham University of British Columbia, Vancouver Harold Sheedy Business Economics Rae Mitchell Veterinary Medicine University of Exeter University of Nottingham Parmida Shoaei Mechanical Engineering Yasmeen Mohajer Dentistry University of Bath University of Bristol Nimrah Siddiqi Mathematics Lucas Moon-Almaraz International Relations King's College London King's College London Aleks Skroban Medicine Blake Murphy Engineering University of St Andrews University of Cambridge Kim Sparrow Mathematics with Finance University of Exeter

224

SHAMAL 2019

DESTINATION OF LEAVERS Beatrice Turner Geography Mathieu Springuel Economics Maastricht University, Netherlands University of Reading Isla Stewart Social and Political Science Chris Vail Design Engineering Imperial College University of York London Vasiliki Stogiannidou Biology Mayuri Vinod Medicine and Surgery University of Bath Newcastle University Hannah Story Art & Design Amrita Vohra Fine Art University of Leeds Cornell University, New York Vanessa Sumners Finance, Accounting and Nadine Wain Computer Science Management University of Pennsylvania University of Nottingham Chloe Williams Zoology Oliver Tait Economics University of Nottingham University of Bath Thomas Williams History and International Relations Angus Thompson Physics Loughborough University King's College London Alexander Wiltshire Politics and Philosophy James Till-Nehme History University of Exeter London School of Economics Ibrahim Yaqub Mechanical Engineering with Victoria Tode Economics Industrial Year University of Warwick University of Birmingham William Treston Computer Science Claudia Young Medicine Nottingham Trent University University of Manchester

EXAMINATION RESULTS

GCSE ADVANCED LEVEL No. of Candidates 108 No. of Candidates 97 2011 A* to A passes 82.2% A* to A passes 58.8% A to C passes 99.5% A to E passes 99.7% No. of Candidates 112 No. of Candidates 101 2012 A* to A passes 86.7% A* to A passes 68.6% A to C passes 99.6% A to E passes 99.4% 2013

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to C passes

227 88.3% 99.7%

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to E passes

134 74.4% 100%

2014

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to C passes

159 84.03% 99.23%

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to E passes

106 62.90% 99.42%

No. of Candidates 116 No. of Candidates 108 2015 A* to A passes 80.9% A* to A passes 68.40% A to C passes 99.80% A to E passes 100% No. of Candidates 239 No. of Candidates 123 2016 A* to A passes 82.1% A* to A passes 66.10% A to C passes 99.90% A to E passes 100% 2017

No. of Candidates A* to A passes (9 to 7) A to C passes (9 to 4)

245 85.4% 99.40%

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to E passes

123 60.30% 99.8%

2018

No. of Candidates A* to A passes (9 to 7) A to C passes (9 to 4)

245 88.17% 99.67%

No. of Candidates A* to A passes A to E passes

123 59.90% 100%

SHAMAL 2019

225

phs togra

Shady Abdallah Tara Abdol Hossein Zadeh Saam Abrichami Geesue Abrichami Zain Abu El Afieh Shemica Adenwalla Dhimira Advani Farbod Afrassiabi Kiumars Afrassiabi Ibrahim Afshar Aashrut Agarwal Mark Agent Lauren Agent Sara Aggarwal Melina Aggarwal Atunya Agrawal Navika Agrawal Hana Ahamed Jasmine Ahluwalia Maha Ahmad Zaara Ahmad Alisha Ahmad Aleeza Ahmed Yusuf Ahmed Emaan Ahmed Maryam Ahmed Conor Air Zayan Aka Farhan Aka Beste Akkaya Tara Aksoy Sufian Al Alami Tareq Al Alami Maryam Al Anani Lana Al Hajj Hessa Al Maktoum Laith Al Nabhani Rihana Al Nabhani Mish'Aal Al Rais Majid Al Redha Badr Alami Hyder Ali Seán Ali Ishaan Alidina Malika Alidina Aadam Alikhan Farasha Alimohamed Alysha Alimohamed Habiba Al-Khatib Georgia Allen Olivia Allen Madilyn Allen-Paver Shaikha Al-Maktoum Shehara Amarasekara Lucija Amizic Mia Ammanath Arjun Anand Ajay Anand Erin Anderson Abigail Anderson Sidonie Anderson Alesha Anees Jamie Annand Eisha Aqil Azka Aqil Ishaan Arora Sophia Arthur Kyana Aryanpad Kyarash Aryanpad Aditi Asarpota Lily Ashby Sophie Ashford Pierce Ashton James Ashton Amalie Aspinwall Chris Assimacopoulos Sarah Aswani Samar Aswani Raghav Awasthi Vishal Ayyagari Uzayr Baig Samuel Baldock Anne-Marie Banas Lily Barnett Jemima Barton Wynona Barua Simran Barve Rishi Barve Isabella Batten Zayd Bawany Zayaan Bawany Alexis Beaumont Kathryn Beck Lara Begley Casey Bell Katarina Bell Omar Belselah Khalid Belselah Sophie Bennett Tallulah Berens Sasha Bernaz Andrew Bezzina Mark Bezzina Paridhi Bhandari Vidhi Bhansali Vedant Bhansali Yash Bhansali Krisna Bhargava Tiya Bhatia Shreya Bhatt Kaelan Bhojnani Anay Bindroo Ansh Bindroo Aiden Black Daniel Blair Wiktoria Blazik Giulia Bocciardi George Boon Keira Sayde Boucher Keanu Boucher Seyaan Bountra Chloe Bowtell Katherine Bowtell Ned Brady Tamara Bratchik Max Brett Karma Bridgman Maya Bridgman Ryan Brimson Lily Britton Scarlett Brown Eliza Brown Lucy Browning Daniel Buerk Harvey Bullock Aman Burman Hannah Burnett Madeleine Burnside Toby Burnside Lucy Burrell Jack Burrell India Burton Amelia Burton Hannah Burton Jason Bushill Julia Butres Casey Camball Jacob Camilleri Matthew Campbell Anna Campbell Yasmine Caraiscos Isabella Caraiscos Harriet Carmichael Aurelien Carretta Sanaa Carrimjee Gareth Case Elena Caspall Kara Catchpole-King James Caution Nirvaan Chadda Jaiveer Chadda Shuruthii Chandrasegaran Isobel Charlier Noor Chaudhary Advay Chawla Aryaman Chawla Daniel Chen Joshua Cheng Archa Cheriyan Zara Chohan Oliver Chohan Anim Choi Saivansh Chopra Veer Chowdry Tricia Chua Sabie Cipriani Etherea Cipriani Arcadia Cipriani Euan Clague Thomas Clerkin Oliver Clifford Olivia Conlon Jared Consiglio-Cockle Noa Consiglio-Cockle Alexandra Cordahi Michael Cordahi Gaby Cordahi Ciara Corroon Sean Cottam Madeleine Crabtree Allie Craig Jack Craig James Craine Gabriella Crick Lewis Dashiell Daalder Sasha Darré-Pavlowsky Ella Davidson Emily Davidson Thomas Davidson Benjamin Davidson Ben Davies Kitty Davies Mitchell Davies Edward Davies Hannah Dawson Ryan De Sousa John De Vilhena Rees Lilli Dean Fergus Deans Aakanksha Deb Patrick Debattista Anais Deere Siddhant Deodhar Thomas Derry Tara Desai Harrison Devereux Ziyad Dhaduk Amal Dhanesh Nandan Dhanesh Kabir Dhawan Arjun Dhawan Ana Dinu Hafsah Ditta Emma Dix Annabel Dodd Zakaria Doleh Zayed Doleh Susana Domene Marin Angelina Dooa Aman Doshi Jack Drew Siddhant D'Souza Sophie Duce Oliver Duthie Isabella Duthie Nivriti Dwivedi Pratyush Dwivedi Luke Ebersohn Raheem Ebrahim Kerem Edis Maia Edmonds Yasmin Edwards Zara Edwards Ayaan Ehsan Jemma Eley Thomas Eley Lara Elliott Hussein Elzaafarany Francis Evers Lorcan Fallon Ayaan Farazi Yasmine Farha Ned Farrell William Farrow Shumraze Fawad Auxane Faye Alessandro Federico Chiara Federico Areesha Fehmi Meeran Fehmi Euan Fernandes Jade Fernandes Salaar Ferozie Rylan Firth Hannah Flanagan Egelman Shona Flett Innes Flett Armaan Flisher Arya Flisher Kellen Foo Stefan Fourie Juan Martin Freile Evie Fuller Marco Gabriel Vansh Gadhia Aditya Ganesh Ashrita Ganesh Rhea Ganguli Maya Gardi Aanya Gardi Jai Garg Yash Garg Simran Garg Annabelle Garner Oliver Garner Mahika Gaur Lilly Geldhof Ethan George Ilijana Georgiev Arnab Ghosh Anoushka Ghosh Cara Gilbert Megan Gilbert Ethan Goddard Parth Goel Akshit Goel Lucy Graham Sophia Granello Jack Gravestock Cai Gregory Tara Grover Douglas Groves Zachary Grundy Danielle Guerin Maharu Gunasekara George Gunn Prithvi Gupta Ananya Gupta Aranya Gupta Manan Gupta Diptasri Gupta Krish Gupta Alisha Gupta Joshua Gustaveson Amara Habib Eman Habib Daliya Habib Thomas Hadden Saira Haider Layla Haider Thomas Haigh Charlotte Haigh Maen Halabi Layal Halabi Carlos Halawi Benedict Hall Francesca Hall Aleyha Hameed Jordyn Hamilton Brandon Hammond Rania Hans Hireena Hans Aaliyah Haque Matthew Hardie Aastha Harlalka Kitty Harland Joel Harrison Jemima Hart Maisie Harvey Bilal Hashim Hamzah Hashim Benjamin Hatcher Ibani Hattangadi Gabriella Helayel Samuel Hepworth Joshua Hetherington Freya Hewer Jake Hewer Sophie Hickman Holly Hickman Alexandra Hide Charlotte Hide Nina Hindocha Jai Hindocha Sharan Hinduja Kiho Hirosawa Lum Tadhg Hogan Maya Holly Jacques Holmes Lottie Holt Ralph Holt William Hosking George Hosking Nicholas House Alexander House Oliver Howlett Tom Howlett Mia Hsu Inaz Humphrey Iman Humphrey David Hunt Mohammed Husain Noorulain Hussain Eisa Hussain Zainab Hussain Syed Malak Ibrahim Emma Ingram-Johnson Sophie Ingram-Johnson Laura Iorini Maria Iorini Ahmed Iqbal Peter Irvine Kantaro Ishida Yousuf Islam Priyanka Israni Adam Jabri Davey Jackson Devika Jadeja Kaila Jafar Maia Jafar Jafar Jafar Jawad Jafar Benjamin Jagtiani Rushabh Jain Samara James Mia James Sneha Janardhan Shrish Janarthanan Tom Jarvis Arman Jasuja Jannat Javaid Zeenat Javaid Rhea Javat Ayaana Javeri Joe Jenkins Joonwoo Jeong Mahira Jethwani Aarav Jha Anikait Johar Anoushka Johar Anisha Johnson Harry Johnston Anna Johnstone Matthew Johnstone Lauren Johnstone Polly Jones Sophiya Joseph Alexander Joshi Sahasraditya Joshi Sanyukta Joshi Scarlett Joshi Ratan Kachwalla Sophia Kahlon Krshna Kakar Foteini Kalamatianou Rhea Kale Ilham Kanji Anaya Kapur Riddhi Karani Joey Karlsson Mustafa Kashif Zainab Kashif Antara Kashyap Anahita Kashyap Kian Kazranian Viha Kedia Mischa Kee Charmaine Kee Finlay Keegan Zara Keenan Jasmine Keenan Nishka Keni Abhir Kewalramani Sahil Kewalramani Disha Kewalramani Soofia Khaledi Rohan Khaleghian Ayesha Khan Aliyyah Khan Zaid Naim Khan Seyhan Khan Omar Khan Ameera Khanna Mikail Khawaja Arjan Khele Michael Killa Joshua Killa Byunghoon Kim Jeongyeon Kim Kristian Kolandjian Kaila Kondas Niza Maansi Kotecha Rhea Kotecha Mira Kothari Aryan Koul Ameya Koul Shruti Krishnamoorthy Mishel Kudel Taran Kumar Mihir Kumar Madeline Lake Khwaish Lakhiani Serena Lambert Raphaelle Landais Tiana Lane Williamson Chloe Lane Williamson Hana Latif Dawud Latif Inigo Leblanc Seoyoon Lee Lee Ann Lee Louise Leijonberg Juha Leinonen Georgia Levitt Megan Levitt Keira Liew Jasmine Liew Annika Lind Daniel Lindley Liang Liu Oliver Locke Basil Lone Mustafa Lone Chrissie Lowndes Suryansh Loya Olivia Ludden Sachit Lumba Inigo Mace Amy Mackenzie Jamie MacKinnon Sahan Maclean Noor Aleksandar Macura Amolika Madhavan Anavi Madnani Connor Mahesan Brennan Mahesan Anders Mahesan Zainab Mahmood Talal Mahmoud Hishaan Mahtani Juliette Maillet-Freixanet Alice Maillet-Freixanet Maya Makhoul Rima Makhoul Sausthava Malakar Tara Malhotra Anoushka Malhotra Diya Malhotra Karan Maliekkal Rayan Malik Reilly Maloney-Pinto Casey Maloney-Pinto Namya Manghnani Philip Manipadam Alexander Mantzavinatos Marcos Marmarchi Dominic Marmarchi Theo Martin Sean Mastin Hamzah Masud Hannah Mathew Elijah Mathew Cameron Matthews Anna Maureta Jodie May Gracie May Dominic Mayne Amelie Mayne Dana Mccann Brendan Mccann Tegan McCarthy Connor McGuigan Zachary Mcguigan Maxine Mckellar Thomas Mclaughlin Millie Mcmurray Ruby Meffen Alimahdi Meghji Aryan Mehta Janne Meijer Angelique Meli Nikhil Menon Anjali Menon Ronan Mewawalla Katie Mewawalla Chiamaka Mezu Maria Michailidou Vuk Milovanovic Una Milovanovic Hashim Mirjan Abdul Mirza Anica Mirza Cara Mitchell Sanjana Mittal Laith Mohajer Zaara Mohamed Aisha Mohammed Afrah Mohideen Aryamaan Mohta Nishk Moorjani Sahil Mordani Ben Morgan Josh Morgan Naoise Morgan Ksenia Morozova Benjamin Morris Thomas Morris Dominic Morrison Sumaiya Motara Gabriel Moulson Liam Mountain Eóin Mountain Mudiwa Mtemererwa Zahraa Muhammad Soumil Mukherjee Tahle Mukhtar Nina Mul Kabir Mulani Yana Mulani Louis Mulcahy Tatum Muller Samuel Muller Ahana Muralidhar Anusha Muralidhar Natasha Murphy Michael Murphy Zia Mussa Nadir Mussa Jake Mustard Zunaira Nader Inaya Nagji Salinaa Naik Kimiya Najafi Kumail Nakhoda Sunaina Nambiar Pranav Nanda Ayra Naqvi Disha Narain Anoush Nathwani Shaan Nathwani Ananya Navalekar Maha Nawaz Sophie Newbery Abhay Nischal Isaam Noor Anise Noor Riley Norton Hannah Nurmohamed Winona Obee Sara Obeid Aryan Oberoi Omer Oce Sean O'Gorman William O'Keeffe Sophie O'Keeffe Jad Oklany Juna Oklany Holly O'Shea Khalid Osman Hella Page Finn Page Aoife Palmer-O'Riordan Alberto Pamias Lopez Daniela Pamias Lopez Tavishi Pandey Subhag Pandit Nikola Pandurovic Dhruv Parekh Dylan Parekh Johan Park Yeonsoo Park Eun Soo Park Yun Soo Park Callum Parker Lucy Parks Megan Parks Amelia Parry Hannah Parry Andreas Paschalis Jessica Passey Tia Patel Jaimini Patel Joshua Paul Maria Payne Thomas Payne Leila Peacock Amelia Pearce Emily Peck Primrose Penney Natasha Pilkington Nakul Pillai Zakariya Pirzada Hadrien Pissaloux Daniel Plumtree Abi Plumtree Joseph Plumtree Thomas Plumtree Reva Poddar Charlie Pollard Pranav Ponvannan Filip Popivoda Ross Powell Aditi Prabhu Charlie Preston Nicholas Prynn Rhea Puri Yanxi Qian Jodie Qursha Amber Rahman Trisha Raichura Raees Raie Viraj Ramakrishnan Ritvik Ramnath Zain Rana Saanvi Rastogi Aryaansh Rathore Jaya Rati Mehak Rattan Aryan Ravi Oliver Reedy Samuel Reedy Fletcher Reid Michael Reid Edward Reynolds Nicholas Reynolds Gabriella Reynolds Simon Rhys-Maitland Holly Rhys-Maitland Ottavio Ricciardelli Cameron Richardson Max Ridout Tom Rietjens Brianne Riewer Ghassan Rifai Alexander Roberts Tomos Roberts Emma Robertson Paidi Robinson Hamilton Rogers Maxwell Rollitt Callum Rose Thomas Rose Tamsin Rose Sourav Roy Tess Ruddell Christian Ruiz Nathan Russell Chloe Russo Matty Russo Erica Ryan Sebastian Sabania Ayush Sahoo Kushaan Sainani Mylene Sait-Rosenberg Yasmina Salah Zeyad Salah Zach Saldanha Farah Saleem Zara Saleem Inaaya Salim Amitav Samadhin Mahe Samee Gustav Samuelson Pranav Sangwan Anoushey Saquib Polina Savelyeva Katherine Schupbach Aalya Sengupta Advika Sengupta Eleftheria Sermpeti Kanav Seth Mohammed Seth Imaan Seth Shaan Sethi Nidhi Sethi Aryan Shah Janya Shah Yasmin Shah Arran Shah Yahvi Shah Saif Shaikh Taimur Shaikh Nadia Shamsuddin Jemma Shand Fawaz Sharaf Nyall Sharif Ayman Sharif Ayan Shariff Sabeen Shariff Meriam Sharkawi Anaya Sharma Archisha Sharma Dylan Sharma Gaura Sharma Himakshi Shastri Jaahnvi Shastri Zuhair Shawl Ruby Sheehan Zara Sheikh Gabriella Shennan Mustafa Sherwani Dimitri Shukla Mariam Siali Raphael Sibuet Maryam Siddiqi Emaan Siddiqui Jahanara Siddiqui Zakir Siddiqui Tara Sigalos Ryiah Simon Aakriti Singh Amara Singh Divraj Singh Gaurav Singh Satvik Singh Kathuria Pritvik Sinhadc Anannya Siraj Arjun Sisodia Lavinia Skandalis Max Skelton Lucy Skelton Jakub Skroban Scarlett Slow Catherine Smyth Alexander Smyth Sebastian Snaas Dana Soleimani Charlotte Spafford Sebastien Springuel Aditya Sridhar Aparna Sridhar Aishwarya Srinath Raja Yasaswini Sriramoju Nivriti Srivastava Oliver Stanton Oliver Staples Henry Stear Eloise Stewart-Smith Theodor Stockmeier Isabel Strauss Thomas Stringer Harry Stringer Annabelle Style Zara Suchdev Nadja Suljkanovic Luke Surrey Kashif Syed Charlotte Symington Samah Tabba Ali Tabba Iskander Tadjiev Shrishti Tandon Ansh Tandon Eshal Tanwir Rabab Tariq Aanya Tashfeen Meeral Tashfeen Haya Tayab Catrin Taylor James Taylor Lara Teja Shyan Teoh Maddison Tetley Demira Thaker Arman Thariani Nitya Thawani Megan Theocharis Caitlin Theocharis Emma Thomas Osian Thomas Isobel Thompson Madeline Thomson Nell Tierney Sophie Tillon Etienne Tillon Finn Timmermans Tarn Timmermans Tarini Tipnis Gabrielle Tode Aditya Tolani Kayra Tosun Ayla Tosun Armaan Tourani Athanasios Trigkonis Kasia Truscott Nicholas Tsen Papraowmas Turongpun Vardsinh Turongpun Mayansh Upadhyaya Karina Valrani Stef Van Eck Beatrice Varley Simrin Vaswani Sreshta Venkatesh Ella Verrall Sasha Verrall Massimo Vianello Alberto Viel Alessandro Villa Georgia Vintcent Zander Visser Arjan Vohra Veer Vohra Kaivalya Vohra Mehek Vohra Emma Wade Jake Wade Aryan Wadhwani Mallika Wadhwani Sylvie Waft Owen Wakeham Lea Wakim Aaron Walder Janice Walder Cameron Walker Archie Walters Matthew Wane Yifan Wang Lia Warren Ava Warren Katie Watson Katie Weber Maisie Weddell George Weddell Matthew Wells Maximilian Wessels Henry-Alexander West Jasmine Wharton Fleur Wharton Adam Whitaker Anthony Whittall Natasha Whittall Tithira Wijayathilake Rebecca Wilding Finlay Wilkes Grace Williams Benjamin Williams Gabrielle Wiltshire Edward Winsor Edward Winter Eleanor Withers Harry Withers Catherine Withers Megan Wong Fatt Yeonju Woo Jacob Woollard Christopher Woolley Grace Woolnough Elanor Wright Jaidev Yadav Mikhil Yadav Alizeh Yahya Eesha Yaqub Yousuf Yaqub Jasim Yousaf Simra Yousaf Giulia Zaccaria Marco Zaccaria Amaan Zaidi Ameen Zaidi Ali Zaidi Ibrahim Zaidi Anna Zaman Lia Zaman Wajih Zaman Lara Zaveri Eman Zeeshan Xiaolin Zhang Yuchen Zhou Eddie Zickerman Ebba Zickerman Alma Zickerman Rania Zimmermann Yacine Zribi Ashray Zutshi