Inclusive Communities Engage - Enable - Enrich
For families new to JESS, Connections is our monthly blog, brought to you from the Oasis teams from across Jumeirah and Arabian Ranches. We have two key intentions;
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to invite you to find out more about the enrichment and support work that our departments provide across school. •
to share our knowledge, experience and support strategy suggestions.
In October 2015 H.E. Khaled Al Kamda, Director General of the Community Development Authority and Member of the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, spoke about the importance of equal opportunities when he launched Dubai's inclusion initiative; "My Community... A City for Everyone". As part of the vision for 2021, the initiative aims to provide equal opportunities to everyone in the community, including persons determination (those with special educational needs and/or disabilities). The initiative intends to strengthen social solidarity, cooperation and inclusive unity to best serve the community, thus eliminating all forms of discrimination or abuse, and eventually turning Dubai into a disability-friendly city that ensures proper nurturing, justice and equal opportunities.
Community attitudes and values shape the expectations of a school. For inclusive schools to successfully operate, their community must demonstrate acceptance and support of all students regardless of cultural, physical, or personal beliefs. JESS is a community within the community, and as such we aim to offer inclusive experiences for everyone that works, learns and visits the school. So what is inclusion and what do we value at JESS? At JESS we value; •
Inclusion and diversity - we do everything we can to respect everyone within the community, giving them full access to resources, and promoting equal treatment and opportunity
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Working together with integrity, respect and trust - we engage all members of the community in a decisionmaking processes.
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Ongoing learning and the shared knowledge and wisdom of our community - we celebrate innovation and respect traditions.
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The autonomy and self-determination of individuals - we recognise the unique qualities of all members of the community.
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Reflection and open mindedness - we work quickly to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
Meet the Oasis Teams
There have been some changes to our Oasis teams since last year, but we continue to work in support of staff and students to engage, enable and enrich learning experiences.
Jumeirah (JJ)
Jumeirah Oasis Team (JJ) •
Head of Oasis, Inclusion Champion (whole school) & Link teacher for Y5 & Y6 - Emma Dibden
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Oasis Link teacher for FS & Y1 - Carolyne Palmer
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Oasis Link teacher for Y2, Y3 & Y4 - Jacki Garner
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Learning Support Assistant - Helena O'Pray
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Learning Support Assistant - Lorraine McGugan
Arabian Ranches Primary (ARP)
Arabian Ranches Primary Oasis Team (ARP) •
Deputy Head & Head of Oasis - Liz Morris
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Oasis Link teacher for F1, F2 and Yrs 3 and 4 - Lynne Moody
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Oasis Link teacher for Yrs 1,2,5 and 6 - Carly Gulliver
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Learning Support Assistant - Reem Al Ghussein
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Learning Support Assistant - Heidi Underwood
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Learning Support Assistant - Colette Breslin
Arabian Ranches Secondary (ARS)
Arabian Ranches Secondary Oasis Team (ARS) •
Head of Oasis - Ian Edwards
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Oasis Link teacher - Annette Bentley
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Learning Support Assistant - Lee Shadbolt
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Learning Support Assistant - Caroline Collins
Support for success
The Oasis teams work with students, parents, staff and outside specialists, to ensure that every child at JESS has the opportunity to succeed. This means, depending upon phase, you may find us at year group meetings or offering training and advice for planning, curriculum and environmental adaptations. We may be co-teaching or supporting in class, working with a small group, delivering one on one specialist interventions/directed study or providing enrichment opportunities! Flexibility is our middle name!
Parent voice: What does inclusion mean to you? We welcome everyone's views on inclusion, as inclusion is driven by the community. To give you some inspiration, we asked our staff and students what inclusion means to them; check out the video - Inclusion is... If you would like to share your views and values in regards to inclusive communities (and JESS specifically), there are a couple of ways you can do so; 1) Follow this link to an online form wherein you can share your reflections; LINK 2) Look out for the 'Inclusion is...' thought bubbles, that will be available as you enter the school site (over the coming days and weeks), and add your comment for the community to enjoy.
Tech support
Our students are 21st century learners; more adept at using technology than we might ever be, which is why we utilise some excellent interactive software programmes and apps to engage and extend their understanding and skills. Assistive
technology features heavily in the learning opportunities for children at JESS. Using a variety of programmes to provide increasingly independent and personalised experiences, such as - Clicker 7 - One Note - Mathletics & Dynamo Maths - IDL - Nessy We also encourage students to explore the accessibility options available on their Ipads and Microsoft Surfaces. These include text to speech, spell check and customisable screen settings.
A good book
Every month we will make a recommendation for a book (or two!) that offer helpful information and advice, we hope over time to cover a range of topics that will be of interest to everyone in our primary school communities.
School can be an exciting time for children, and that excitement can mean that their 'engines run a little fast'. Lauren Brukner has written several books focused on supporting children with the sensory needs and sharing ways that will help them to regulate and manage their emotions. This title is 'crammed with sensory tools that children can use to feel and function better anywhere, anytime'.
And finally... We hope this Connections edition is a friendly return for those who have joined us before, and a comfortable introduction for those of you new to JESS. Over time we aim to bring you helpful content, including parent insights and an article or two from experts and specialists, that will hopefully make this blog a useful 'go to' resource for the future. Should you have any book or app recommendations or a topic that you wish for us to cover, please let us know. It is always valuable to learn from the experience of others. We are very grateful to the families that share their personal stories in order to help us to better understand some of the successes and challenges of our children. Should you be willing to share your story (anonymously if you prefer) in a future Connections blog, please don't hesitate to contact us connections@jess.sch.ae