Thursday 21 May 2015 Issue 89 Thursday, 09th March 2017 Issue 123 GENERAL GENERAL
NURSERY
KG FS
PRIMARY PRIMARY
SECONDARY SECONDARY
A Community of Nations
PARIS SCHOOL CLINIC
DATE
EVENTS
March
Tuesday, 07 March
Open Day
Thursday, 09 March
Nursery Art Exhibition
Sunday, 12 March—Wednesday, 15 March
IT Week
Wednesday, 15 March
Nursery Sports
Tuesday, 14 March—Thursday, 16 march
Years 7-11 Camping Trip /Outdoor Education
Wednesday, 15 March—Wednesday, 15 March
TechnoRISe
Thursday, 16 March
Staff Professional Development (No Students)
Sunday, 19 March—Thursday, 23 March
Secondary School—Spirit Week
Wednesday, 22 March
Nursery Mother's Day Performance
Thursday, 23 March
FS Mother’s Day Performance
Thursday, 23 March
End of Term—Full Day—No Noon Dismissal
Sunday, 26 March—31 March
Spring Break April
Sunday, 01 April—Saturday, 08 April
Spring Break
Sunday, 09 April
Staff and Students Return
Sunday, 09 April
Nursery Open Day
Wednesday, 12 April—Thursday, 13 April
Years 3-4 Camping Trip
Thursday, 13 April
Parent Appreciation
Tuesday, 18 April
Open Day
Message from the Principal Academic Achievement- Excellent News for RIS ‘Towards Excellence’ Dear Parents, At this stage of the year I would like to share with you some of our students recent academic achievements and the overall quality of teaching and learning at our school. This week I received the results from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) http:// www.iea.nl/ regarding our students attainment in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is a series of international assessments of the mathematics and science knowledge of students around the world. Our students not only achieved their targets but exceeded them and are above the average of Dubai Private Schools and well above the Intermediate International Benchmark. At the start of this month I received the news from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) that twenty of our students are amongst the top achievers in the Middle East in English, mathematics and science. Each year thousands of children across the region sit assessment tests International Benchmark Tests (IBT) 2016 – International Assessment for Improving Learning in English, mathematics and science and this year we have done even better with twenty students from Primary and Secondary scoring 100% and they will soon be presented with their Honour Certificates and Award for Excellence. In addition RIS students participated in the Innoventures Education Arabic A/ B and Islamic Competition and our Primary and Secondary students won twenty of the top awards. Our students have attained assessment levels above both the Middle East and International Average Scale Score in Arabic A, English, mathematics and science. Such excellent news is indicative of the achievements of our students and in turn, a reflection of the quality of teaching and learning at our school.
Our British Schools Overseas Report describes the high quality of education in Foundation Stage with ‘Children in the early years make outstanding progress’. In addition, ‘the good progress pupils make in English continues through the secondary phase and leads to standards that are above those expected. Observations of the quality of progress in mathematics is worth quoting at length, ‘the progress made by pupils in mathematics is good. Progress across Key Stage 1 is good and, as a result, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is above that normally expected for their age. This good progress continues through Key Stage 2 and so pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is well above that expected for their age. Pupils in the secondary school also make good progress and they reach standards that exceed the expectations for their age. In science, ‘secondary, pupils’ progress is good overall and some is outstanding’. Furthermore, ‘those pupils who speak Arabic as a first language are making much better progress than previously and are reaching higher standards’. In sum, ‘the arrangements to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety are outstanding’. In April 2016 our school will welcome the Council of International Schools who will complete the final phase of our full accreditation. Their preliminary report noted our significant strengths such as: the highly visible Guiding Statements, well understood and supported by the entire school community and entirely
compatible with the school’s chosen curricula; the pride shown by the school towards modelling its core values and respecting its wide diversity; the overall commitment towards creating a school-wide culture of internationalism and global citizenship and the school’s collaborative and purposefully engaged faculty who share a common commitment towards ongoing school improvement. Looking ahead to August, 2017 we will embark upon the next exciting stage of our development with the opening of Year 12 (subject to final KHDA approval) and the introduction of Advanced Supplementary and Advanced Levels (AS and A levels. All of this demonstrates our commitment to providing the best education to your children and international recognition of our journey of school improvement, ‘Towards Excellence’. On behalf of the RIS staff I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your continued support. Michael William Clack Principal
Message from the Vice Principal/Head of Primary School Dear Parents, RIS is definitely a ‘restless school’- constantly engaged, innovating, moving boundaries and scaling new heights. There are many student achievements to be proud of and to celebrate, some of these you can read in the Principal’s article in this edition of summaRISe. In addition, every week students receive achievement awards for trying their personal best, for overcoming hurdles, for truly living by the core values of the school, for being good listeners and thoughtful friends, to understanding and appreciating the rich cultural diversity of the school and most of all for ‘giving’ their best. The ‘Year of Giving-2017’, provides us with the opportunity to instill in our children the quality of responsibility towards the community, enhance the spirit of volunteering and reinforce mindfulness and awareness of those less fortunate than us. ‘The Art of Giving’, our Art Department. project, have encouraged students to get involved in expressing what ‘giving’ means to them. Some of the art work is on display outside the school library. Students have also been selling student art work collected over the years to art lovers for funds to be donated to charity. Students are also asked to donate at least one book each and have until the Spring Break to bring in their donation. We will spread the joy of reading amongst those children by making books available to them. If your child has not yet brought in a book to donate, please talk to your child and let him/her choose the book-I would like children to be mindful of this ‘act of giving’. You, our parents, have also given your time, energy and passion to make the International Day celebrations a roaring success. The buzz, energy and happiness was widespread and contagious-the cultural diversity at display provided the visuals to the learning which takes place in all classrooms. I would like to appreciate and thank you for all that you ‘GIVE’ to RIS and especially to the children. This year our much awaited event, ‘Reading with Dad’ was combined with the ‘International Mother Tongue Day’ celebrations. Two hundred and six dads, from the nursery to the Primary School, read to small groups of children in their native language. In two hundred and six reading sessions dads read in twenty six languages. At the time that I thought of engaging more dads in the learning journey of their children and for providing role models especially for the boys, I did not think that in a few years the event would become so popular and would see such success. Children do not stop talking about the experience for days and the memories created are everlasting. Thank you to all the fathers who gave their valuable time and made a difference. I am always looking forward to expanding our Mother Tongue Programme. At present we offer French, Spanish and Russian programmes during school hours for native speakers only. Italian lessons are offered after school as a co-curricular activity. All Mother Tongue Programmes are run by parents at an additional cost and facilitated by the school. Please contact me if you would like to be involved in running your Mother Tongue Programmes. I will be happy to take you through the process. It is important that children are proficient in their mother tongue- it assists and facilitates the acquisition and learning of new languages.
As the Chairperson for our school’s Council of International School (CIS) Accreditation and Self-study, I would like to thank the parents for their contributions to the various Self-study committees. It has been an eighteen month journey of studying, reviewing and reflecting on every aspect of our school. Our report is ready for submission to CIS and we will complete the final phase of the accreditation process in April with the CIS Evaluation Team Visit. Along with my colleagues, I am beginning to prepare the school for the visit and will continue to update you on the next steps in completing and attaining full CIS accreditation. Thank you for your continued support and trust in RIS- a school you can be proud of and our children love to come to. Mrs. Zeba Khan Vice Principal and Head of Primary School
Reading with Dad
Are you a mind full parent or a parent who is mindful? Do you struggle to set boundaries? Or do you set boundaries but find coping with your child’s reaction stressful and exhausting? Would you like to know more about setting boundaries in a respectful way? Do you want to understand what is happening in your child’s brain and how you can use this to help them and make parenting easier? If you’re curious… In partnership with Raffles International School we will be delivering a presentation on Sunday 19th March at 8 am To register for this session please email jacyntah@rafflesis.com Or ask for more details at reception Open to everyone. Please register to attend as places are limited
Jacyntah@rafflesis.com—Head of Counselling
Jo Jewell is an experienced child and family counsellor and mum to 3 children of her own. She will use the knowledge and experience she has gained from working with families in the UK and UAE to give you a better understanding of your child and how you can use this
Joanne Jewell – Parenting Educator 050 950 6526 info@mindfulparentinguae.net www.mindfulparentinguae.com
Our school celebrated the Month of Reading by having a Book fair by Jashanmal. The opening ceremony was enjoyable with Book characters dancing along with the Year 2 students and teachers. Our Principal Mr. Clack, cut the ceremonial ribbon while the Vice Principal, Ms. Zeba Khan, declared the event open. Book Fairs are a weeklong event at RIS, which brings together a range of books for students to browse or purchase to keep discovering the joy of reading. Susane Joseph Librarian
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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Extended Family, Not many places in the world can boast of internationalism in the manner Dubai offers the same to its residents. As a nursery based in an international school, we have the unique opportunity to celebrate this diversity and to be exposed to the richness of different cultures. As a matter of great priority, we have created not only a physical environment but also a social culture and driving philosophy that respects diversity sets the scene for fostering children’s confidence and tolerant attitudes. Such an environment assists our children in developing positive ideas about themselves and the adults and children around them, creating curiosity based opportunities for group and individual discussions about differences. Keeping this in mind, during the years that our children spend with us in the Nursery, we take great pride in ensuring that our environment looks and feels welcoming for all children, truly reflecting the diverse world in which we live. In addition to being nurturing, safe and clean, we incorporate carefully thought lesson plans which include children’s craft and artwork showing the diversity of the world through our well-resourced classrooms and other learning spaces which have materials, activities, dress up clothes, multi-cultural dolls, books, flash cards, pictures and musical instruments. Our children learn from each other, from the diversity that the teachers within the Nursery provide and from parental involvement which creates a setting that is abundant in possibilities for exploring diversity. Moving from ‘macro’ to ‘micro’ level in Montessori, once we begin talking about continents in class, then the aspect of diversity becomes even more tangible and real. Until this stage, our children are exposed to the differences that make each of us unique and the similarities that unify us through detailed discussions during topics such as ‘All About me’ and ‘My Family’. Once we introduce continents then parental involvement becomes more crucial than ever. We welcome opportunities for parents to come to our classes, for our ‘Circle of Culture,’ bringing in something for the children to taste, reading a local folk tale, showing us some dance steps or teach us a few lines of a native song… the ideas can be endless. Through the PSHE curriculum introduced in 2016-17, as the year rolls on the children will continually be exposed to the culture and richness that our host country provides. At an age appropriate level, our children are learning about the Union, beginning to sing the National Anthem, recognizing the UAE flag and prominent figures and leaders. With the UAE National Day being just around the corner, we actively look forward to participation from our Emirati parents to help our children absorb real life experiences related to the country in which we live. Garima Kapoor Assistant Head of Early Years
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FS
Building skills related to classifications in the environment
Planting recycling project
Doing Yoga
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Practising for sports day
Story retelling during Book week
Reading with Dad
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Nursery
FS FS
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PRIMARY SCHOOL FS News Welcome back after the Mid-Term Break. Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing time. The children, having rested, are all geared up to learn. They have jumped back into routine with full energy, taking on challenges and working to the best of their ability. We had an outstanding response in FS for ‘Reading with Dad in your Mother Tongue’. The children were excited and eager to listen to stories in their own language and felt a great deal of pride having their dads there to read to them and their friends. We had stories being read in twelve different languages. Well done Dads. As the saying goes, “A book is a gift you can open again and again” – Garrison Keillor As part of the Year of Giving, Raffles International School is collecting story books. The books will then be donated to a well deserving school. There are boxes placed outside each classroom in FS. Please support the cause by donating a book or two. The past few weeks the children have delved into the world of animals, learning about the habitats and the animals that live on the farm, and in the jungle as well as about polar animals. In the next few weeks, the children will be exploring rainforests. They will be learning about the different layers of the rainforest as well as the animals that live there. FS Team
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Year 1 News Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is a very important concept that our school believes in. In Year 1, students have a well-developed understanding of Islamic values and their effects upon modern society in Dubai. They respect and appreciate Islamic traditions. Students learn about it in our Year 1 Social Studies curriculum.
Students also have a good understanding of Emirati traditions and culture. With a unit of inquiry on the topic of “My City My Dubai”, the students are able to describe some of the main sporting activities, such as camel racing, horse racing and falconry. They also learn about local food and traditional clothes. On International Day the children had the opportunity to visit other classrooms, each classroom represented a different country. They enjoyed visiting these countries and were able to identify the landmarks of different countries.
In mathematics, children have been exposed to the concept of doubling numbers. The Year 1 students are working hard on their creative writing sessions and are now able to recognize the elements of a story, especially characters and settings. We would like you to encourage children to continue working on the sight words sent home weekly. This will help to improve their reading and writing skills. Year 1 Team
Year 2 News This year, in Year 2, we have incorporated the UAE Social Studies programme as a core curriculum subject. We use the new UAE Social Studies curriculum to teach relevant and meaningful outcomes and experiences to the children in our year group. The curriculum promotes the teaching of understanding, tolerance, kindness and acceptance not just of Islamic and Emirati culture and heritage but also those from around the world. With outcomes including “Students are able to explain the importance of values of honesty and truthfulness in dealing with others” it shows the curriculum to permeate values and cultures worldwide not just in the UAE. This is important as we find ourselves in a truly multi cultural learning environment where difference is celebrated. However, we understand the importance of teaching these universal values and have weekly lessons where we explore Emirati culture including our leaders, the national anthem, traditional songs and national identity and make comparisons with our own. We conduct research and make posters to illustrate the similarities and differences we find. Year 2 are so lucky to have such a wealth of information in our students who are able to share their knowledge and experiences of their own cultures which enriches the understanding of all. Year 2 Team
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FS
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Year 3 News Circle of Culture is an ongoing activity based learning in Year 3. Having students from different countries only adds to the flavour of it. Parent presentations on different countries form a very important part of our curriculum. Reading with Dad in their native languages is another fun activity which the children and their dads look forward to. Above all, International Day is a celebration of world cultures, where all nationalities come together to share their traditions, food, cultures, and values. It is a vibrant display of unity amongst diversity. Children learn to respect each other’s cultures, thus, promoting the Core Values of Raffles International School. Academically, our Social Studies curriculum is well supported by a study of different countries from across the seven continents. Research on the different food, currencies, cultures, flags and landmarks arouse so much interest in the children. Our students at RIS are very familiar with Islamic values and the Emirati culture. The children find research and projects on the UAE and its cultural heritage very interesting and are keen on sharing their finding with their peers in class presentations. It gives them an insight into the Islamic values and local traditions. The display of Islamic values and local lifestyle on the walls and display boards reflect the knowledge and learning of the children in this field. Year 3 Team
Year 4 News Year 4 students have enjoyed another busy week. All of us at Raffles International School celebrated a wonderful International Day celebration last Thursday evening where we displayed great interest for one another’s home countries. Students enjoyed the variety of presentations and performances from the different year groups. They also enjoyed the opportunity to visit the different stalls allowing them to develop their culture awareness and understanding. We were lucky to have some of our wonderful parents to partake in the fun as well. In Social Studies, we are continuing with our unit on the Romans. We are studying the clothing of the ancient Romans and comparing these clothes internationally with the clothes from our own cultures and the clothes of the local Emirati people here in the UAE. We are also busy celebrating our Circle of Culture lessons and increasing our knowledge on nationalities of our classmates. We have been studying Germany, Jordan and many more countries over the past week. In English, the students have been completing many activities based on newspapers. We can now label and sequence newspapers and we are planning to write our very own articles for our class newspapers, The RIS Observer. The students are looking forward to becoming journalists and creating some fun articles.
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In mathematics, we have finished up our topic of negative numbers and dived into the topic of measurement. We have completed some very practical activities on length and we can now solve word problems with the help of our conversion tables. We will now move on to studying weight and capacity. In science, we are finishing up on the topic of electricity. We have carried out a number of experiments allowing us to understand which different objects act as insulators and conductors. We have developed a very good understanding of different circuits and the elements required to make these circuits work. We have also looked into some case studies on electricity and the amount of energy we consume internationally, creating posters on statistics from our own home countries and the UAE. We look forward to moving on to our new topic of magnets.
Year 4 Team
Year 5 News In Year 5 Muslim students learn Islamic values as they attend Islamic Studies weekly. They learn about the three most important kinds of values: the duties and responsibilities (akhlaq) as set out in the Shariah and in general Islamic studies, good manners (adab) they should show towards others and good qualities they should pursue as they grow up. We also explore the responsibilities we should show towards our host country in Social Studies. Students are aware of the Emirati culture as we explore it in Social Studies, we see it up close as we participate in National Day celebrations when many of the cultural items and events are displayed. Students also get to hear about the culture as they socialise and interact with fellow Emirati students in the school community on a day to day basis. Students gain awareness of world cultures as they study and learn about each other's countries in our unit on Circle of Culture. On a day to day basis, the students learn about each other's cultures as each class consists of more than ten different nationalities. They also have the chance to increase their awareness of world cultures as we partake in International Day celebrations and experience the cultures from all over the world. Students are also afforded the opportunity to attend mother tongue lessons in Spanish, French and Russian which translate different world cultures. Some Year 5 students attend a CCA on French Culture once a week. Year 5 Team
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Year 6 News The past fortnight has seen a frenzy of activities in the school. Starting from Reading with Dads, Sports day and International day. There was a lot of parent engagement which was heartening to see and we appreciate parent time and commitment to the school. In Year 6 students prepared presentations on a country NOT represented in their classrooms and presented to all sections of the year level so we had Barbados, Kazakhstan, Norway and Cambodia. Students took ownership of preparing and presenting which also included quizzes and tattoo making competitions. Well done Year 6. In our classrooms the focus continues on English writing. Students are being encouraged to use many new strategies like FOREST for persuasive writing to enrich their writing pieces—an expectation for Checkpoint examinations. Some students also prepared videos of the instructional writing and uploaded on See-Saw thus embedding their IT skills as well. In mathematics and science, we worked on transformations of shapes and different types of circuits in electricity. We endeavour to complete all topics for examinations before the Spring Break so that these can be revised over the holidays. Term 2 assessments are complete and reports will be published soon. Next week is the annual “Technorise” competition and many students have been busy preparing to display their projects on that day. Good Luck to them. Year 6 Team
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SECONDARY SCHOOL Understanding the Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures I have lived away from my home in the United Kingdom on and off for the past eighteen years. Through my experiences abroad, I have developed a very strong understanding and appreciation of what it takes to become culturally sensitive and international minded. However, I grew up in a relatively small town and both my Primary and Secondary School days were spent with students very much similar to me. In fact, I can only remember three students who were born in countries other than England. Because I was not immersed in an environment that afforded me opportunities to interact with people from other parts of the world, my cultural understanding was very much limited during this stage of my education. Of course I was exposed to relevant global information through many of my classes, particularly the humanities, but nothing can compare to the day to day interactions like the students at Raffles International School are provided every day they come to learn. I still find it incredible that over 96 nationalities of students interact in harmony each day they come to RIS, and share with each other an enormous range of experiences, cultures and languages through their work inside the classroom, during break and after school. When I first moved Dubai I personally had to learn a lot about Emirati and Islamic values. Again, through living in the west all of my life, I had many perceptions of the UAE and the Middle East which were quickly proven wrong‌.largely through a visit to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). Subsequently, I have taken the majority of our teachers to the SMCCU to ensure that they also understand cultural norms, expectations and rules when they first move to the country. Other Secondary News Recently our students have been involved in numerous exciting opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Last week saw all of the students involved in Sports Day which was a huge success. The four houses competed in very good spirits and overall may I congratulate the Green team and also the PE Department for organising the event. On Thursday evening, many of the students and parents attended and performed in International Day. With such a wide variety of food, fashion and culture on display I was incredibly proud to be a part of the evening. International Benchmark Test results have been e-mailed to all parents and once again, Secondary School students have performed above the international averages in all years and all subject areas. This is testament to the students who prepared well and worked hard in the build up to the tests. Year 11 students are rapidly approaching their IGCSE examinations and working hard to make sure they achieve their targets. As always, if you would like to communicate with me regarding anything related to the Secondary School at RIS, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail, give me a call or stop by the office. Ian Plant Deputy Head of Secondary
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Year 7 News Islamic values and Emirati culture are inextricably linked. The Muslim faith shapes the arts, the beliefs and the customs of the UAE. This is evident in the beautifully intricate geometric patterns we often see in Arabian Architecture to the observance of holy days and ceremonies. Here at RIS it is important that students understand, respect and appreciate such a rich heritage and ongoing lifestyle, whether they are practicing the Islamic faith or not. It is for this reason that we teach compulsory Social Studies, not to indoctrinate or dictate, but to share and create awareness amongst the students about the country that they are living in. In this way we hope to create a tolerant attitude amongst students, who we are training to become citizens of the world and form lasting friendships amongst one another. Year 7 Team
Year 8 News One of the great advantages of the diversity within RIS is the range of cultures, as seen in our recent International Day. One of the other great strengths is the influence of Islamic and Emirati culture and values on the school. Year 8, through their Social Studies programme, have been studying the importance of that culture in shaping the nature of the UAE. Our Islamic students had the opportunity to teach what they felt were the most important elements of Islamic values to their fellow students, explaining the core morals that have shaped Islamic culture. On top of that several Emirati students ran an assembly where they showed a video they had created about their visit to the mosque. This include an explanation of the importance of visiting the mosque in Islam, and Emirati culture, as well as they key features of Mosques and their significance. In Year 8 we also cherish the values of the Emirates, and students from Year 8 have studied in depth the rights of those living in the UAE. From the protection of all religions and races from prejudice to the protection of the rights of children our students have discussed the importance of these rights in shaping and making positive their experience in Dubai. Year 8 Team
Year 9 News Last Thursday at International Day the students, parents and staff truly celebrated what was central to being in an International School. Through an eclectic mix of music, dance, pictures and of course food the crowds were immersed into what it truly means to be international. These thoughts were also shared by the Year 9 students in our assembly: ‘For me it means that many people from different countries come to one place, showing their religions and cultures.’ ‘Diversity.’
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‘To be in an international school widens my imagination about the world and the different cultures, religions and languages.’ ‘International Day for me teaches a lot about other countries and cultures. It brings together and it feels like we are all united. ‘ ‘Bring exposed to different origins and traditions, being able to experience people’s opinions of the world. To represent my country, heritage and background.’ ‘To socialize with each other, even if people are from another country. There is no discrimination.’ ‘A bunch of people that accept each other and form a community.’ It is events such as this that make our school unique. These are often events that we can not learn in a classroom. They have to be felt, seen and experienced. Thank you for all those who contributed.
Whilst living in the UAE we are all learning the wealth of traditions and values held by the Emirati people. Through our Social Studies lessons students have been taught facts about its culture and have increased their awareness of what is all around us in our day to day living. Through debate and research Year 9 students now have an improved understanding of where they live and ultimately a greater respect. It is this sharing of knowledge that makes our community special. We are now moving closer towards the Year 9 Checkpoint examinations. All the results are in from the mocks and each student will now be following their own personal revision timetable and will have their own set of targets. Your child will need support during this time.
Regular, focused revision each night for short periods Testing and recapping learning Asking for help from teachers when needed
If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact the school. bryonyl@rafflesis.com Year 9 Team
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Year 10 & 11 News Another couple of busy weeks have gone by and the highlights of these two weeks were definitely the Secondary Sports Day and the International Day. The increasing popularity of computer, video games and television makes some children to be very inactive in their lifestyles. Participation in sports and other physical activities can have many benefits for children. Sports enhance children’s mental and physical growth and develop a sense of friendliness and team spirit among the students. The students enjoyed a full day of athletics and other games no matter the weather which caused a few changes in our plans. Congratulations to the Green House for collecting the most points. Last Thursday the International Day celebrations took place in our school. A kaleidoscope of colours, music and cultures greeted the hundreds of visitors who came to enjoy the event. Our school has children from almost one hundred different nationalities and a variety of activities were organized to celebrate this multicultural mix. Our school community is a miniature of UAE’s international mix of nationalities from all over the world. Our school provides students with in-depth knowledge, skills and understanding of history, geography and values of our host country. RIS is preparing the students to contribute, as responsible citizens and residents of the UAE, to the building of a cohesive society that is inclusive of all, while preserving the UAE culture, heritage and traditions. All these are important parts of the education in UAE and are incorporated into our school’s curriculum.
Year 10 & 11 Team