FORWARD - Issue 95

General

Primary School News Primary

Secondary School News Secondary

Issue 59 25 27 August Thursday, 2015 [2015-2016] 10 October 2013 Issue Issue 95 31 August 2017 [2017-18]

Events & ASA Events-CCA

School SchoolClinic Clinic

Sports Activities

E– Team

Message from the School Management Team

Dear RWA community and friends, For those of you who missed reading my welcome letter. Welcome Back!

The start of the academic year has been extremely smooth and it has been great to see our returning as well as new students settling very quickly into routines and expectations, eager to make the most of their learning time. Huge thanks to our parents and teachers for helping our students have a successful start to the year.

We are incredibly excited to begin this academic year which promises to be a thrilling year with the full Primary implementation of the three IB programmes filled with golden opportunities for all of our students as we strive to find ways in which we can be even better than before! Our IGCSE and IB DP class of 2016-17 has done us proud in their final exams and university placements. Our hearty congratulations to the students, their teachers and parents who worked unitedly to ensure this commendable performance. We remain committed to setting high standards in each area of the school and seeing all students achieve success in reaching those standards. This is a challenging task, demanding commitment, patience, and effort from our entire school community. The evidence we have already seen in the achievements of our students across all grade levels in the last academic year is highly encouraging and noteworthy and I expect to see further progress this year.

We look forward to a very positive and productive year and extend a special, yearlong invitation to our families to join us at school activities and events whenever possible. We want, we need, and we value your involvement and support in your child’s education. Your active participation is key to the success of your child. We encourage you to contact us if/when the need arises, and to stay in the know about your child’s learning, assessments, and school activities, as well as other events and happenings. See below upcoming events in September and October 2017.

Here’s to a great year ahead.

Sincerely, Timothy Roberts Principal

James Lynch Head of Secondary School

Dr. Armeena Tabassum Head of Primary School

Upcoming important dates for September and October 2017 for parents’ participation in the primary /Secondary School

Upcoming important dates for September and October 2017 for parents’ participation in

Date September 13

Time

Venue

Session 1: 8:00-9:00am Session 2: 5:00- 6:00pm Primary

Lecture Theatre

PYP Information session for new parents only who missed the earlier session on 30th August. (parents are expected to attend only one session)

4:00-5:00pm

Dance Studio Lecture Theatre Classroom Dance Studio Lecture Theatre Classroom

PLT Parent briefing for KG1 – Dance Studio G5 parents - Lecture Theatre KG1 & Grade 5 Parent Open House (‘Meet the Teacher’) PLT Parent briefing for KG2 parents- Dance Studio G3 parents – Lecture Theatre KG2 & Grade 3 Parent Open House (‘Meet the Teacher’)

Dance Studio Lecture Theatre Classroom Lecture Theatre Classroom

PLT parent briefing for G1 parents – Dance Studio Grade 2 parents – Lecture Theatre Grade 1& 2 Parent Open House (‘Meet the Teacher’) PLT parent briefing for Grade 4 parents Grade 4 Parent Open House (‘Meet the Teacher’)

September 19 5:00-6:00pm 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm 4:00-5:00pm September 20 5:00-6:00pm 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm

Event

October 3 & 4

Tbc

Tbc

MYP Forum for Grade 9 Parents

October 5, 6 & 7

-

-

IBICUS Workshop - PD for PS/SS (No school for all students)

October 11

Session 1: 8:00-9:00am Session 2: 5:00-6:00pm

Lecture Theatre

Homework information sessions for parents (KG2- G5)

October 15-25

-

-

Reporting Point 1 [RP1] Assessment for Grades 10-12

3:00-7:00pm (by appointment through pick a time system)

Classroom

3 Way goal setting conference - normal school day (students to also come with parents at designated time)

October 18

October 19

3:00-7:00pm (by appointment through pick a time system)

Classroom

3 Way goal setting conference - normal school day (students to also come with parents at designated time)

October 26

-

-

IVEI Primary Football - U8, U9, U10 & U11 Boys and Girls @ RWA Organiser Emily Hunton

October 30

8:00-9:00am

Main Atrium

PLT Coffee Morning (Informal morning) optional

Message from HoDs/Coordinators/Team Leaders

I have been a teacher at RWA since we opened in September 2008 and it has been an astonishingly quick journey from the tiny student body we had in that first year to the buzzing, energetic and considerably larger group we now work with. I’ve taught the IGCSE and IB economics and business courses at RWA, and have had the pleasure of leading the IB Diploma Programme since our first cohort took their DP examinations in 2012.

I am particularly proud of our students’ achievements over the years in this fantastic program and have watched in awe, on more than one occasion, as shy, sometimes nervous teenagers transform into confident, dynamic women and men, who have no hesitation in taking the lead and speaking their mind. It’s a joy to witness and it is one of many reasons why a teacher chooses to be involved in the IB Diploma Programme.

In particular, RWA is exceptionally proud of the results attained by our class of 2017. Details of our results are posted on the RWA website and our Primary highest achievers have been featured in national newspapers and magazines over the last month or so.

For a school that welcomes a wide range of students, with such diverse abilities, from so many corners of the world, these results are a reflection and a validation of the countless hours of effort put in by our students and our teachers. While we take a minute to reflect on a job well done, we are very keenly aware that we have more to accomplish. With the IB philosophy, standards and practices now filtering through the secondary school at RWA, following the introduction of the MYP, this year, we expect our DP students in future cohorts to be well versed in the ‘IB way’ by the time they get to Grade 11.

To all our students joining us this year, welcome back, and to those in the class of 2018, heads down, power through!

Anissa Pereira, IBDP Coordinator

RWA Class of 2017 in the news Two Dubai schools report high IB results This Emirati student has cadavers and cardiology on his mind May 2017 DP results, RWA website

George Couros said “Technology is not just a tool. It can give learners a voice that they may not have had before.”

We at the technology department at RWA aims to provide not only the tools, but also the skills necessary to lead the technological world. Grades 6 through 10 follow the MYP Design curriculum and the IBDP students choose between ITGS and computer science. MYP design challenges all students to apply practical and creative thinking skills to solve design problems; encourages students to explore the role of design in both historical and contemporary contexts; and raises students’ awareness of their responsibilities when making design decisions and taking action. IBDP computer science requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of computational thinking, as well as knowledge of how computers and other digital devices operate. IBDP ITGS is the study and evaluation of the impacts of information technology (IT) on individuals and society.

The Technology department team is fully trained to deliver MYP, IGCSE and IBDP curriculum and consists of experienced teachers. Two new teachers Mrs. Zunaira Siddiqi(MYP, IGCSE and IBDP) and Mrs. Rizwana Ahmed(MYP) will be joining the team this year.

Almas Qureshi- HOD Technology-SS

I am Head of Grade 11 and take care of pastoral issues, along with my team of form tutors. I am also the extended essay coordinator, and high school teacher of theory of knowledge, global politics and global perspectives. Please do not hesitate to contact me on- harpinderk@rwadubai.com for any queries. Best wishes and good luck for the new academic year!

Harpinder Kaur, Head of Grade 11

Message from HoDs/Coordinators/Team Leaders

Hobby: Reading books, traveling different countries. I am very friendly and love to help and cooperate people.

I am teaching Islamic in UAE for past nine years. I wish to bring the change in the society through teaching.

Mohammed Elsayed Abdelrhman Abdelaziz- Head of Islamic Studies [SS]

My name is Shagufta Hadayat and I have been with RWA for three years now. This year I take up responsibility of head of science department. I have been in the field of teaching and learning since 2003 after I completed my teaching certificate from the University of Bradford, UK. In our department, we strongly believe in encouraging students’Primary imagination and curiosity through inquiry-based learning. This year with the launch of MYP, students shall have many more opportunities to inquire into the wondrous world of science. Einstein rated imagination to be more important than knowledge and this is what we aim to develop in our students. I look forward to working closely with you to make 2017-2018 another exciting year at RWA. Shagufta Hadayat– Head of Science Department [SS]

The Arabic Department in the secondary school in Raffles World Academy is one of the strongest departments in the school, the reason behind that is the qualified and well trained teachers that use developed learning techniques and one of their goals is to reach to the need of the students. The Arabic Department is always full of fun activities and competitions that present and show the students’ extreme capabilities and make them eager to learn the Arabic language with love. Our students have always achieved the first places in the competitions held among the innoventures in the Arabic language which indicates that strong students are the result of strong teaching and well trained teachers, our department is always looking for the link between learning and real life applications and support the students’ experiences in life through learning the language. Our aim every year is to look upon achieving more and more success.

Fatina Saleh Hasan Saleh Wafa Helmi HOD-Arabic Department [SS] Arabic B– Team Leader [SS]

Miss Rebecca is from the North-East of England. She has 5 years of teaching experience, 4 of which are in Dubai, and she has experience of the UK, American and IB PYP curricula. Rebecca has recently completed a Master's Degree in psychology which she hopes to develop further as she has a passion for educational psychology. She has a strong belief in the holistic development of children and is looking forward to discovering the unique gifts and talents of her class in her second year at RWA. Rebecca Jane Hutchinson - Grade 1 Team Leader

My name is Emily Hunton, I am the head of primary physical education and have been at RWA for the last four years.

I am extremely excited to start this new academic year with my highly experienced and motivated sports department. We are lucky enough to welcome a new avid footballer to our team, Steve Bailey. Our main aim this year is to raise the awareness of healthy living, along side building upon our Inter-house competitions. The PE team have been working rigorously to refresh our sports program, including liaising with external providers to promote a rich sporting experience for our students. Keep an eye on our RWA Facebook page for photos and live sport feed.

Emily Hunton: Primary Physical Education [PS]

Message from HoDs/Coordinators/Team Leaders

My name is Danny O'Reilly and I will be coordinating the sports this year at RWA. This is my third year teaching PE at RWA and I am looking to continue the great work that was done last year by Dewald Barnard and the sports coaches at RWA. In an ever increasing population the demand for sport is even higher, and here at RWA our students are afforded the opportunity to showcase their talents in a number of sports. This year sees RWA play competitive fixtures from Under 8 right the way through to Under 18. We have been working hard on getting the best coaches to offer our students the best coaching experience so it is certainly an marexciting time here at RWA. Be sure to ask your PE teacher what sports are available in term 1 and keep an eye out for the notice boards with the dates of trials for these sports. The very best of luck and have a great year.

Danny O'Reilly- Sports Coordinator [PS]

Primary

G'Day I am the Grade 3BH teacher and maths coordinator for the Primary School. I am passionate about improving Maths learning in the school and ensuring that everyone enjoys Maths.

I moved to Dubai from Australia late in 2016 and have enjoyed joining the RWA community.

Bridget Frances Haines—Maths Coordinator [PS]

My name is Nadin Abualrous. I am a French teacher for grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 and Team leader for modern foreign languages in primary school. Becoming a foreign language teacher means becoming a member of a professional community. This was one of my dreams since I was a small child. Living and working in a Francophone country like Canada and finishing my high school and university in France has prepared me to be an enthusiastic and open minded teacher. I am a very happy teacher at RWA and I am looking forward to the coming academic year.

Nadin Abualrous-Head of Modern Foreign Languages [PS]

New teachers at RWA Hello, my name is Hayley Bunsell and I am pleased to be joining the secondary physical education department.

I started my teaching career in England but I am very excited to join the RWA community. I love playing a range of sports and exploring the outdoors. I look forward to meeting you all and hope everyone has a great year ahead.

Hayley Bunsell– Physical Education Teacher [SS]

Hi my name is Steve Bailey and I am very excited to be joining the PE team at RWA this year!

I am originally from the West Midlands in the UK and I have been teaching in Dubai for seven years, previously at WIS and DESSC. My favorite football team is Everton and I have a cat called Seamus!

Primary Steve Bailey –Physical Education Teacher [PS]

Hi may name is Tehreem Ali and I am super excited to be teaching KG 2 and grade 1 art this year. Its my first year at Raffles and my third year as an Art teacher in Dubai. Before moving to this wonderful city I graduated from the National College of Arts in Pakistan and have worked as a textile and fashion designer for four years, My passion for teaching and working with children lead me to my Post Graduate Certificate in Education which I completed from the University of Nottingham. I love to draw paint create and decorate pretty much everything around me. My passion for teaching and art comes together in my role as an art teacher! which makes this super exciting for me. I am looking forward to teaching this age group and cannot wait to expose them to a lot of creative adventure.

Tehreem Ali—KG 2 Teacher

"Hi everyone, most people call me Mo. I am pleased to be joining RWA and working with everyone as we transition into the MYP curriculum. I have been teaching altogether for four years and moved to Dubai from the UK two years ago. Maths has always been a passion of mine from a young age and I have used that drive to become a teacher and ensure that that I help students find that same passion as I did. " Mohammed Miah– Maths Teacher [SS]

Hello. My name is Zahra Burhani. I am from Edmonton, Canada, but have been living and working in the UAE for the last ten years. I am excited to be a part of RWA as it starts it’s MYP journey, and look forward to working with everyone over the next academic year.

My name is Gulnar Bamji and I am from Kolkata, India. I graduated in education and my subsidiary subjects were english and psychology. This was followed by a Masters in Special and Inclusive Education from the British University in Dubai. I have been working as a special needs teacher for the past 11 years as it has always been my aim to work with children. My hobbies are reading and collecting antique hand fans especially from Japan.

I look forward to being a part of the Raffles World Academy team.

Gulnar Bamji, Special Needs Teacher

New teachers at RWA

My name is Dimitra Meristoudi and I am a KG1 teacher. I have been living in Dubai for the past 10 years. I hold a bachelor degree in early years education and a master degree in special needs. I have more than 15 years of experience in both fields.

Dimitra Meristoudi - Special Needs Teacher

Hi! I'm very excited to be joining the Innoventures team working at Raffles World Academy. After graduating in 2009 from the University of Limerick, I came straight to the UAE and have been teaching here for the last 8 years.

Primary My background is in biology and I have experience teaching IGCSE, AS, A Level and advanced placement. I recently graduated from the University of Sunderland with a Masters in international education which I hope to apply to teaching the MYP this year. I enjoy traveling and experiencing new cultures and living here in Dubai gives me the perfect opportunity to do both!

Aoife Ni Shiochanin - Science Teacher

My name is Abdul Khabeer, I am graduated in Islamic education and completed memorization of Qur’an.

I am working as an Islamic faculty in UAE for past nine years. I will be teaching Islamic education this year at RWA to secondary school students. Teaching Islamic is my passion, because many people have misunderstanding and wrong perception about the religion of Islam due to lack of knowledge about it. I am sure that working at RWA will be a wonderful experience.

Abdul Khabeer-Islamic Studies Teacher [SS]

News Letter Physical and Health Education department Welcome to the hysical and health education department of Raffles World Academy. We are excited about the upcoming school year. The PHE staff consist of Stephanie Carte, head of physical education, Mr Bladen, Mr Cunningham, Miss Hayley Bunsell and Miss Cornel Van Nieuwenhuizen. Our goal at RWA is to encourage the children to participate and enjoy the benefits of physical activity.

We hope to accomplish this goal by providing a safe environment where each child is able to be successful in the activities taught in class. RWA PHE uniform must be worn for every practical PHE lesson along with correct footwear this includes trainers and football boots during football lessons. For swimming lessons swim caps (girls) and goggles, towel, flip flops are required along with a one piece swim suit for girls and suitable swim shorts for boys. Lockers are assigned to students during the first week of school and are used for securing personal belongings before, during, and after class. Students should be conscientious about securing belongings. The PHE. dept. is not responsible for belongings left unsecured – e.g. lockers left unlocked, items left on benches etc.

Notes from parents excusing their child are requested detailing the nature of the illness and student limitations. Please include a phone number where the parent or guardian can be reached if questions arise. Students will still be expected to dress in PHE kit even with a parent note. Students presenting with a note excusing from PHE will be sent to the school clinic for further clarification.

Your student’s activity will be adjusted to suit their illness. For illnesses which require being excused for longer than 3 days with limited/no physical activity, or for frequently occurring illnesses, a doctor’s excuse is required for school records. The student is responsible for giving notes of this nature to their physical and health education teacher. Written work will be given to any student Primary who brings a “doctor’s note” stating “No physical activity “. Written work will be assessed for the MYP grade for the student.

Please see details below for competitive sports information. Students must attend team trials to be considered for the competitive teams

SPORTS TEAM TRIAL DATES WEEK 1 (IST TRIAL) SPORTS TEAM TRIAL DATES WEEK 2 (2ND TRIAL)

TRIAL DATES WEEK 1 (2.50-3.50PM)

TEAM

VENUE

SUNDAY- 10TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

SUNDAY- 10TH SEPTEMBER

SWIM SQUAD ALL AGES

SWIMMING POOL

MONDAY- 11TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 12 AND UNDER 14 BOYS FOOTBALL

FIELD

MONDAY - 11TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 AND UNDER 18 GIRLS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

TUESDAY- 12TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

WEDNESDAY- 13TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS AND GIRLS ALL AGES FOOTBALL

FIELD

WEDNESDAY- 13TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 18 BOYS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

THURSDAY- 14TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 18 BOYS FOOTBALL

FIELD

THURSDAY-14TH SEPTEMBER

SWIM SQUAD ALL AGES

SWIMMING POOL

TRIAL DATES WEEK 2 (2:50-3:50PM)

TEAM

VENUE

SUNDAY -17TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

SUNDAY - 17TH SEPTEMBER

SWIM SQUAD ALL AGES

SWIMMING POOL

MONDAY - 18TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 12 AND UNDER 14 BOYS FOOTBALL

FIELD

MONDAY - 18TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 AND UNDER 18 GIRLS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL SPORTS HALL

TUESDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 16 BOYS AND GIRLS ALL AGES FOOTBALL

FIELD

WEDNESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

UNDER 18 BOYS BASKETBALL

SPORTS HALL

THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

UNDER 18 BOYS FOOTBALL

FIELD

THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

SWIM SQUAD ALL AGES

SWIMMING POOL

News Letter Physical and Health Education Department OFFICIAL DASSA (competitive school league) MATCH DAYS MATCH DAYS

SPORT

Sunday

U18 Girls Basketball U16 Girls football

Monday

U18 Boys basketball U16 boys Football U14 Girls football

Tuesday

U14 Boys football U16 Girls basketball U16 Boys basketball

Wednesday

U18 Girls football U18 boys football

Thursday

U12 Girls football U12 boys football

Training days for students selected to represent competitive sports teams SPORTS HALL 2.50PM-3.50PM

FIELD 2.50-3.50PM

SWIMMING POOL

UNDER 16 FOOTBALL TRAINING

SECONDARY SWIM SQUAD 2-50-3.50PM SECONDARY SWIM SQUAD 6.30-7.30am

SUNDAY

UNDER 18 BOYS BASKETBALL TRAINING

MONDAY

UNDER 16+18 GIRLS BASKETBALL TRAINING

UNDER 12 BOYS FOOTBALL TRAINING

TUESDAY

UNDER 16 BOYS BASKETBALL TRAINING

UNDER 18 BOYS FOOTBALL TRAINING

EXTRA BASKETBALL/NETBALL TRAINING ALL AGES (COACHES TO INFORM STUDENTS

ALL AGES GIRLS FOOTBALL TRAINING

WEDESDAY

SECONDARY SWIM SQUAD 6.30-7.30am

UNDER 14 BOYS FOOTBALL TRAINING THURSDAY

EXTRA BASKETBALL/NETBALL TRAINING ALL AGES (COACHES TO INFORM STUDENTS TBC)

EXTRA FOOTBALL TRAINING ALL AGES IF NO GAMES (OPTIONAL)

SECONDARY SWIM SQUAD 2-50PM3.50PM